The Peninsula Bangkok wins 'World's Best Hotel' award

Travel + Leisure magazine has named The Peninsula Bangkok as the “World’s Best Hotel” and “Best Hotel in Asia” in their eighth annual “World’s Best Awards” Readers Survey appearing in the August 2003 issue. In the U.S., two Peninsula properties – The Peninsula Beverly Hills and The Peninsula Chicago – were named the number one and number two respective “Best Hotels in the Continental U.S. and Canada” by the readers of Travel + Leisure. Additionally, The Peninsula Hong Kong placed number eight in Asia and number 16 worldwide, and The Palace Hotel Beijing, which has just undergone a spectacular renovation, placed number 23 in Asia. In total, out of the seven luxury The Peninsula Group hotels, four are included in Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Top 20.”

General Manager of The Peninsula Bangkok, Ian M. Coughlan commented, “We at The Peninsula Bangkok are honored to be voted the best hotel in the world and Asia by the readers of Travel + Leisure. We are pleased by the standing they have given us, and it is valuable recognition of our efforts to provide the best possible hotel experience for our guests.”

“To have four hotels ranked in the Top 20 of the prestigious Travel + Leisure “World's Best Awards” is a marvelous achievement and a tribute to the hotels' teams. The votes by the magazine's discerning readers, our valued customers, are an important barometer of our success in meeting guest expectations," said Clement Kwok, Chief Executive Officer, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, owner of The Peninsula Group.

The Peninsula Bangkok opened in late 1998 and has quickly made its mark on the global hospitality landscape as the ultimate ‘city resort.’ Set on the banks of the famed Chao Praya River, the 370-room oasis combines cosmopolitan style with the tranquility of a Thai sala. Every spacious guest room and suite has stunning views of the river and city beyond and the gracious Thai hospitality makes for an unforgettable stay. This fall, the property will debut a riverfront terrace, complete with a traditional Thai outdoor restaurant.

The Peninsula Bangkok has won numerous awards including among others the award for Best Hotel in Bangkok four consecutive years running in the Premier Travel Awards for Excellence.

With luxury hotels in some of the most exciting gateway cities throughout Asia and the United States -- Hong Kong, Bangkok, Beijing, Manila, New York, Beverly Hills and Chicago -- each Peninsula hotel provides guests with the utmost luxury and comfort, superlative, personalized service, proprietary in-room technology, and an elegance and attention to detail that redefines pampering.

Now totaling over 3,200 guestrooms worldwide, the foundations of today’s Peninsula Group were laid 75 years ago with the 1928 opening of the legendary Peninsula Hong Kong, built by the Kadoorie family with the vision of its being “the finest hotel east of Suez.” From the moment the first guest arrived, the hotel became synonymous with Hong Kong -- welcoming the rich, the famous, the titled and the tycoon with an embrace of unsurpassed luxury and warmth. That vision has continued as the Company has taken its philosophy international.