Readers of UK Newspapers award Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has been voted 'Best Overseas Hotel' this year for the first time by a record number of over 24,000 readers of the UK's Guardian and Observer newspapers and related website Guardian Unlimited.

Currently in its 17th year, the annual awards are the results of a readers' questionnaire and are recognised as one of the UK's most established consumer surveys. The circulation of the Guardian is nearly 400,000 while that of the Observer is 450,887.

Celebrity personality Mariella Frostrup announced the winners at a prestigious ceremony held in Marrakech.

Readers were asked to rate the quality of service received on holidays by ticking one of four boxes from poor to excellent and the results were scored from zero to four. The total for each company was then divided by the number of coupons each company received in order to arrive at a percentage score. Shangri-La received 97.4% of the scored responses in the category for 'Best Overseas Hotel'.

According to Andy Pietrasik, travel editor of the Guardian, "UK readers have retained their sense of adventure and continue to take holidays in the face of growing uncertainty. The travel industry has been equally resilient and has responded quickly to the changing demands of the market-place."

Jeannette Hyde, travel editor of the Observer, said: "The Guardian/Observer Travel Awards provide a direct link to consumer opinion and this year the response has been overwhelming, with a record-breaking 24,000 readers expressing their views."