CHEVY CHASE, Md. October 13, 2011 – A little more than a year after opening their doors for the very first time, The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong in China was named the Number One Hotel in the World by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler in The United States.

The results of the 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards by Conde Nast Traveler ranks the best cities, islands, cruise lines, airlines, hotels, and resorts worldwide. The awards appear in the November issue of the magazine and are derived from the Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice survey. This year, a record 28,876 readers cast a combined eight million votes on thousands of properties and destinations around the world.

“To have The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong declared as the best in the world is truly rewarding and well earned by the team at the hotel. The property epitomizes what The Ritz-Carlton stands for today, providing an elevated luxury hotel experience in an incredible location. Furthermore, to have 46 other Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts around the globe recognized is really a tribute to the commitment of our 38,000 ladies and gentlemen; my thanks go out to each and every one of them’ said Herve Humler, president and chief operations officer, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. “It is because the results of this poll were determined by the guests who visit our hotels every day, that we are so very proud to be included” added Humler, who received the award for World’s Best Hotel on behalf of the ladies and gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, from Willie Geist of MSNBC.

The Readers’ Choice Awards gala was held on Monday, October 10th in New York City at the Edison Ballroom and was hosted by Christine Baranski and Chris Noth. “The demand for excellence in travel has never been higher, and the results of the 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards reflect the most exacting standards by the world’s most discerning travelers—the readers of Conde Nast Traveler,” said Editor in Chief Klara Glowczewska.

Methodology

The Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Survey, begun in 1988, is available to all readers through a secure Web site. This year’s final tabulations of 28,876 responses were done by Global Market Insite, Inc., of Boston. Organization: The online questionnaire contains lists of candidates in various categories (Cities, Hotels, etc.). Individual candidates are judged by relevant criteria for each. Those that receive a required minimum number of responses are deemed eligible for a Readers’ Choice Award. Evaluation: Each candidate is rated, criterion by criterion, on a five-point scale: excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor. Those scores, which represent the percentage of respondents rating a candidate excellent or very good, are averaged to determine the final score published here. For example, the Park Hyatt Seoul’s rating, 95.2, is the average of its scores for all hotel criteria: Food/Dining, Location, Overall Design, Rooms, and Service.

About The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong

The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, opened on 21 June 2010, is the luxury hotel brand’s second hotel in the city, and it’s seventh in China. Located in Shanghai IFC, the prime real estate in Lujiazui financial trade zone, the hotel complex is the masterpiece of world famous architect designer, Cesar Pelli.

The 285-room Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong occupies the top 18 floors of the Shanghai IFC Tower I. With interior designs by Richard Farnell, style of the hotel is contemporary with hints or new interpretations of 1930’s Shanghai Art Deco. This gives a great sense of place to the hotel as guest rooms and restaurants embrace magnificent sweeping views over The Bund – the most intact collection of Art Deco architecture anywhere in the world.

The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong’s guest rooms and suites range in size from 50 square meters to 410 square meters. There are three floors of Club accommodations and each club room enjoys access to the hotel’s stunning Club Lounge on the 49th level.