I don’t put a whole lot of credit into awards doled out by travel magazines, websites, etc. They’re usually biased takes by the author or are the result of a popularity contest decided by those that happen to vote. That said, they’re still interesting to look at, so let’s go over the Conde Naste Traveler 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards.
I really mean it when I say that I don’t put a lot of stock into these types of awards. You need only look at my hometown’s version – the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Best of. In the latest 2023 issue, winners included:
- Bakery: Liliha Bakery
- Burgers: Teddy’s Bigger Burgers
- Italian: Noe
- Pizza: Pizza Hut
- Sushi: Genki Sushi
These are but a couple of examples from that award list, which has more bad takes like this. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a Liliha Bakery Coco Puff, have a soft spot for Teddy’s Bigger Burgers (even though I can no longer eat beef), think Noe is good, and do order from Pizza Hut, but seriously? They’re the best?! Hell no!! Kona Coffee Purveyors and Breadshop are my top bakeries, Chubbies and The Daley are my top spots for burgers, Brick Fire Tavern is my tops for Italian and pizza along with Fatto a Mano, and Sushi Sho is my top pick for sushi. So, you know, actual quality or artisanal spots.
But I digress. Today, we’re here to discuss the Conde Naste Traveler 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. No, I’m not going to go over the entire list, as it’s too damn long. However, I do want to highlight some points that piqued my interest.
Conde Naste Traveler 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards
To be honest, the categories in these always confused me. Thankfully, some are more straightforward than others. So, to kick things off with the Conde Naste Traveler 2024 Readers’ Choice awards by looking at a singular category – airlines.
Best Airlines of 2024
I suppose if you took the survey that created the rankings you’d know how each awardee in the Conde Naste Traveler 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards was ranked. Alas, I haven’t, and the magazine doesn’t disclose its criteria in its rankings, which makes things even more confusing. That said, from the description, we can glean that comfort and food quality both play a role in the overall score for each airline. That said, here are the rankings for 2024:
12. Air India. Score 80.73
11. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Score 82.59
10. Malaysia Airlines. Score 82.86
9. Swiss International Air Lines. Score 83.00
8. Delta Air Lines, USA. Score 84.17
7. Virgin Atlantic, UK. Score 85.17
6. Etihad Airways, UAE. Score 85.18
5. British Airways. Score 86.49
4. Emirates, UAE. Score 86.92
3. Qatar Airways. Score 87.11
2. Singapore Airlines. Score 88.47
1. Air New Zealand. Score 89.08
Yup, that’s right. Air New Zealand took the top spot! Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Air New Zealand is a great airline, and their current business class menu certainly looks fantastic. But, seriously? Their business class seats are dated in a dated herringbone configuration, something the very few airlines use today. Beyond this, though, while Air New Zealand is often lauded as a good airline, I usually see most ranking airlines like Singapore, Emirates, All Nippon Airways, and JAL, among others, higher.
In fact, no Japanese airline made the list of top 12 airlines in the world, even though Delta, Air India, and Malaysia Airlines – all airlines that usually aren’t considered among the best. The fact that a U.S.-based airline made in on here while so many other great airlines didn’t really makes me scratch my head.
U.S. and Canadian Resorts
Apparently, hotels and resorts are separate categories in the Conde Naste Traveler 2024 Readers’ Awards. Moreover, for hotels, New York has its own ranking, while all other hotels are in another list, and on the resort side, all other North American countries get their own listings. Very odd, right? Of course, there are no criteria listed the top U.S. and Canadian resorts, either.
10. Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego, California, USA. Score 96.55
9. Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, Vermont, USA. Score 96.67
8. The Moorings Village, Islamorada, Florida, USA. Score 96.72
7. Willows Lodge, Woodinville, Washington, USA. Score 96.79
6. Lone Mountain Ranch, Big Sky, Montana, USA. Score 97.24
5. Cabot Cape Breton, Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada. Score 97.39
4. The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara, California, USA. Score 97.50
3. Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection, Big Island, Hawaii, USA. Score 98.32
2. Four Seasons Resort Hualālai, Big Island, Hawaii, USA. Score 99
- Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino, British Columbia, Canada. Score 99.17
As you can see, two Hawai’i resorts made the list, and they were in the top three – the Four Seasons Hualālāi and the Mauna Lani. Both are on Hawai’i Island, are both are properties I’ve never stayed at before. That said, the Four Seasons Hualālāi appears to be perennial favorite, while the re-imagined Mauna Lani is still fairly new and looks fantastic.
Best Islands in North America
Here’s a list that remains fairly predictable, even in the Conde Naste Traveler 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards – the best islands in North America. While you’d think that the Hawaiian Island would automatically win, you’d be wrong. Hilton Head Island is almost always in first place, and that holds true this year, too. However, all four of the largest Hawaiian Islands made an appearance on the list, led by none other than Maui.
10. Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. Score 86.87
9. Anna Maria Island, Florida, USA. Score 87.12
8. Oahu, Hawaii, USA. Score 87.29
7. Aquidneck Island, Rhode Island, USA. Score 89.56
6. Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Score 90.30
5. Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Score 91.43
4. Isla Holbox, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Score 92.21
3. Big Island, Hawaii, USA. Score 92.48
2. Maui, Hawaii, USA. Score 95.71
1. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA. Score 98.10
Again, I haven’t a clue as to how they scored these islands, but it is what it is.
Conde Naste Traveler 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards, Final Thoughts
This post is getting exceedingly long, so I’m going to stop here. Suffice to say, there are many more categories to explore in the Conde Naste Traveler 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. However, take what you see with a grain of salt. Actually, as I’ve complained about through out this writeup, you kind of have to, as we have no idea what the judgment criteria is whatsoever. Oh well.
If you want to see the complete Conde Nast Traveler 2024 Readers Choice Awards listing, visit cntraveler.com
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