Maui No Ka Oi again!!! Maui is Best Island in the World for the 16th Time

For an unprecedented 16th time, the island of Maui captured “Best Island in the World” honors in the 23rd annual CONDE NAST TRAVELER Readers’ Choice Awards Poll.  With a score of 90.7, it also garnered “Best Pacific Island” for the 20th consecutive year. According to the magazine, “Maui is the only island to score above 90, making it No. 1 in the world for the sixteenth time.”

File photo by Wendy Osher. Iao Valley.

In the “Best Pacific Island” category, sister island Kaua‘i placed second with a score of 88.8. Other Hawaiian islands placing in the “Top Ten” were: 6th place Hawai’i Island (83.5); 7th place O‘ahu (83.3); and 8th place Lāna‘i (80.8).

The hotels of Maui County also dominated the “Top Hawai‘i Resorts” list. In this category, four of the top five winners were from Maui and Lāna‘i. The list includes: 1. Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea; 2. Hotel Hāna Maui and Honua Spa; 4. Four Seasons Resort Lāna‘i at Mānele Bay and 5. Four Seasons Resort Lāna‘i, The Lodge at Kō‘ele. Four Seasons Resort Hualālai (Hawai‘i Island) ranked third.

Other Maui properties ranked in the Top 20 including: #9 Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui; #11 Grand Wailea; #15 Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua and Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa (tie) and #20 Westin Maui Resort & Spa (tied with Kaua‘i Marriott and Beach Club). In total, Maui captured nine of the “Top 20” spots.

“After a successful summer season, this is simply more wonderful news for Maui,” stated Terryl Vencl, executive director, Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau. “We are blessed with stunning natural beauty, world-class service, top-notch activities, excellent restaurants and myriad accommodation options.”

Maui County Mayor Charmaine Tavares added, “Our cherished host culture and the gracious aloha of our residents continue to make such awards possible.” Mayor Tavares concluded, “this very prestigious honor is yet again testament to our visitor industry and most importantly, our people of Maui.”

“Congratulations to Maui for once again winning the hearts of travelers and receiving this prestigious designation, “said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. “This honor is a testament to both Maui’s visitor industry and its people for providing visitors with an authentic and unique experience they can’t find anywhere else in the world.”

The magazine’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards poll analyzes the travel preferences of their readership in various categories including cities, islands, airlines, cruise lines, hotels, spas, resorts and rental cars.

Ratings are based on the responses of CONDE NAST TRAVELER subscribers who participated in the 23rd annual poll. More than 25,000 readers participated this year and complete results are published in the November 2010 issue, which arrives on newsstands later this month.

(Posted by Wendy Osher, supporting information courtesy Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau)  *** If you enjoyed this story, you might also like our post on The First Humpback Whale of the 2010 Season Spotted in Waters off of Maui.