LONDON, January 28 /PRNewswire/ --

- From Bargain Beauties to Five-Star Finds:

- Seventh Annual Awards Reveal Opinions of Millions of Travellers

- Beachfront British Bargains Honoured for as low as GBP22 per Night

TripAdvisor(R), the world's largest travel community, today unveiled the
best of British hotels in the seventh annual TripAdvisor Travellers'
Choice(R) awards. Placing a particular emphasis on value, Blackpool was
declared one of the world's hotspots for bargain accommodation, whilst a
hotel in Llandudno was awarded the title of the U.K.'s Best Bargain.
TripAdvisor also revealed the nation's dirtiest dives, for the third year
running.

Unlike any other hotel programs, the TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice
awards are based on the millions of candid reviews and opinions about hotels
on the TripAdvisor site and content from across the web.

Best of British: U.K. Bargains

Britain's seaside resorts are set to make a comeback in 2009 with
budget-conscious travellers, reveals TripAdvisor. A total of 11 beachfront
hotels in the U.K. were awarded in the Top 100 Bargains in the World category
(full U.K. list below), with rates ranging from GBP22 to GBP90 per night -
and Blackpool is officially the U.K.'s top bargain destination.

Five hotels in the Lancashire resort renowned for its illuminations
feature on the Top 100 World Bargain list, in addition to three in
Bournemouth, one in Scarborough and two in Llandudno, North Wales.

Llandudno's Can-y-Bae -"Song of the Bay" - was named the U.K.'s Best
Bargain, with TripAdvisor traveller reviews referring to "spotlessly clean
and warm accommodation", "extremely welcoming owners" and "superb food".

Can-y-Bae was also the only British hotel to claim awards in two further
categories, ranking sixth in the Best Service in Europe category and eighth
in the Hidden Gems in Europe category.

Luke Fredberg, TripAdvisor spokesman, said: "When it comes to finding a
true bargain, Britain's seaside towns have far more to offer the discerning
traveller than great fish and chips. You may not be guaranteed good weather,
but you will get good value."

The Bold and the Beautiful: U.K. B&Bs

In these budget-conscious times, B&Bs offer great value - and Britain's
are officially amongst the best in the world, accounting for seven of the ten
best B&Bs in Europe. However, Scotland outstrips England's performance, with
five local B&Bs making the top ten, compared to just two in England (full
U.K. list below).

Surprisingly, a London establishment takes the accolade of Best B&B in
Europe - dispelling the myth that a rural setting is a must-have. Whilst the
Bay Tree House in the London Borough of Enfield may be situated closer to
Arnos Grove underground station than rolling countryside, reviews on
TripAdvisor describe the B&B as "a home away from home" and commend it for
offering reasonably priced accommodation in the Capital.

Fredberg adds, "Nobody does B&Bs like the British - and whilst ones in
more rural settings have an unrivalled charm, urban B&Bs are set for success
in 2009 as travellers visiting cities seek great value."

Tantalizing Treats: U.K.'s Luxury Hotels

Whilst budget options are front of mind for many, British hotels also
cater for the more affluent traveller. Five hotels in the U.K. were awarded
in the Top 100 Luxury Hotels in the World category - with London's Hotel 41
the highest ranking (number 23).

Beyond the Capital, Harrogate's Rudding Park Hotel also made the list
(27), together with Hunters Quay Hotel in Dunoon (30), Lucknam Park in
Chippenham (58) and The Atlantic Hotel in Jersey (100).

For the complete 2009 Travellers' Choice list, go to
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/travellerschoice

Faulty Towers: U.K.'s Dirtiest Hotels

In addition to unveiling the TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice(R) winners,
TripAdvisor also revealed the U.K.'s ten dirtiest hotels for the third year
in a row, based on traveller ratings for cleanliness. Seven properties in
London make their mark on the roll of grime, together with one a-piece in
Oxford, Brighton and Manchester (full U.K. list below).

The Cromwell Crown Hotel in London ranks in poll position, as the jewel
in the nation's dirty crown. "Hell on earth is a compliment", writes one
TripAdvisor reviewer, whilst others refer to "rat droppings on the bed", a
bedroom which "stank of vomit and smoke" and "coffee that tasted of salami".

Despite being named and shamed in last year's dirtiest list, three repeat
offenders failed to clean up their act. Nanford Guest House in Oxford, which
claimed the top spot last year and second place in 2007, ranks at number
three - whilst London's Eden Plaza Hotel moves up from ninth to fifth place
and the Park Hotel, also in the Capital, moves down from sixth to tenth
place.

Luke Fredberg, TripAdvisor spokesman, says: "The biggest and best
dirtiest list is back, with TripAdvisor discovering that some hotels take the
concept of offering dirt cheap rooms all too literally. Guests should be
entitled to decent standards of hygiene, whatever rate they're paying - and
we urge any properties failing on this count to clean up their act by 2012,
so British hotels can prove they're equally as medal-worthy as our athletes."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

To find out more about award winning hotels in the TripAdvisor
Travellers' Choice Awards 2009, visit
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/travellerschoice, and for more reviews, opinions
and candid holiday photographs.

U.K. HIGHLIGHTS -

BEST BARGAINS IN U.K. (figure in brackets denotes ranking in Best World
Bargains)

1. Can-y-bae, Llandudno, Wales (6)               average GBP38pppn
    2. Kenley Hotel, Blackpool, England (11)         average GBP22pppn
    3. The Croydon, Blackpool, England (22)          average GBP25pppn
    4. Hen-Dy Hotel, Llandudno, Wales (28)           average GBP36pppn
    5. Blue Palms Hotel, Bournemouth (35)            average GBP35pppn
    6. The Claremont Hotel, Bournemouth (38)         average GBP35pppn
    7. Collingwood Hotel Holmfield, Blackpool (65)   average GBP27pppn
    8. Avalon Beach Hotel, Bournemouth (74)          average GBP90/night
    9. Selomar Hotel, Scarborough (79)               average GBP26pppn
    10. The Ramsay Hotel, Blackpool (80)             average GBP30pppn

Hotel Rossi, Blackpool also made the Top 100 World Bargains list, 
    ranked #87
    Best Bargain in the World Winner - Hotel Vecchio Asilo, San Gimignano,
    Italy



BEST B&Bs IN EUROPE (figure in brackets denotes ranking in Top Ten list)

Bay Tree House and Annex, London (1)
    Avalon Guest House, Inverness, Scotland (3)
    Pottery House, Dores, Scotland (5)
    Craigatin House & Courtyard, Pitlochry, Scotland (6)
    Chestnuts House, Bath (7)
    Elmview, Edinburgh (8)
    Ewich House, Crianlarich, Scotland (9)

BEST SERVICE IN EUROPE (figure in brackets denotes ranking in Top Ten
list)

Can-y-bae, Llandudno, Wales (6)
    Best Service in Europe Winner - Anastasis Apartments, Imerovigli, Greece



BEST LUXURY HOTELS IN THE WORLD (figure in brackets denotes ranking in
Top 100 list)

Hotel 41, London (23)
    Rudding Park Hotel, Harrogate (27)
    Hunters Quay Hotel, Dunoon, Scotland (30)
    Lucknam Park, Chippenham (58)
    The Atlantic Hotel, St Brelade, Jersey (100)
    Best Luxury Hotel in the World Winner - Aria Hotel, Prague, Czech 
    Republic



DIRTIEST HOTELS IN THE U.K.

1. Cromwell Crown - London, SW7 4DX
    2. Corbigoe Hotel - London, SW1V 2BH
    3. Nanford Guest House - Oxford, OX4 1EJ
    4. Cosmopolitan Hotel - Brighton, BN2 1PD
    5. Eden Plaza Hotel - London, SW7 5JT
    6. Hanover Hotel - London, SW1V 4BN
    7. Rose Court Hotel - London, W2 1TR
    8. Imperial Hotel - Manchester, M13 0HY
    9. Gresham Hotel - London, WC1B 3QJ
    10. Park Hotel - London, SW1V 2BP

AWARDS SELECTION

The TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice award winners for 2009 were determined
by a combination of TripAdvisor's Popularity Index and traveller ratings of
specific property attributes. TripAdvisor's Popularity Index is a proprietary
algorithm that determines traveller satisfaction based on a variety of
sources, including TripAdvisor hotel reviews and travel articles and opinions
from across the web. The hotel review process on TripAdvisor also allows
travellers to "grade" hotels based on a variety of attributes, including
cleanliness, value and suitability for specific types of travellers.

ABOUT TRIPADVISOR MEDIA NETWORK

TripAdvisor(R) Media Network, operated by TripAdvisor, LLC, attracts more
than 32 million monthly visitors* across 13 popular travel brands:
TripAdvisor(R), http://www.airfarewatchdog.com, http://www.bookingbuddy.com,
http://www.cruisecritic.com, http://www.frequentflier.com,
http://www.holidaywatchdog.com, http://www.independenttraveler.com,
http://www.onetime.com, http://www.seatguru.com, http://www.smartertravel.com
, http://www.travel-library.com, http://www.travelpod.com and
http://www.virtualtourist.com. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest
travel community in the world, with more than 25 million monthly visitors*,
ten million registered members and 20 million reviews and opinions. Featuring
real advice from real travelers, TripAdvisor-branded sites cover 300,000+
hotels and attractions and operate in the U.S. (http://www.tripadvisor.com),
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TripAdvisor(R) Media Network provides travel suppliers with graphical
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Collectively, the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Network have won
hundreds of awards and accolades from press and industry worldwide.
TripAdvisor and the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Network are
operating companies of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE).

TripAdvisor and Travellers' Choice are registered trademarks of
TripAdvisor LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product
and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective
owners.

(c) 2009 TripAdvisor LLC. All rights reserved.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix, July 2008

For further information, images or interviews, please contact:
    Amelie Hurst, TripAdvisor
    +44(0)20-3320-3244 / +44(0)7791-605-888
    ahurst@tripadvisor.com



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