| Number Two Hotel in Continental U.S and Canada and One of the Top 15 Hotels in the World -Travel and Leisure Magazine, 2006 World's Best Awards July 14, 2006 For Immediate Release Sooke , British Columbia This week, Travel + Leisure Magazine released their 2006 World's Best Hotel Awards. Sooke Harbour House received the following ratings: a. Rated Number Two Hotel in the Continental U.S. and Canada b. One of the Top 8 Small Hotels in the World c. One of the Top 15 Hotels in the World - Travel + Leisure Magazine, World's Best Awards, 2006 Travel and Leisure Magazine describes Sooke Harbour House as a "charming clapboard inn overlooking a dramatic Pacific beach and the Olympic Mountains, 45 minutes from Victoria ." The cutting edge, as stated in the World's Best Awards, is "Chef Edward Tuson's inventive Pacific Northwest cuisine that has made this a legendary food and wine destination." Two of the highlights mentioned were "Bald Eagle-spotting on the nearby protected Whiffen Spit" and the "Blue Heron Room, for its large balcony and panoramic ocean views." Co-owners, Sinclair and Frederique Philip are delighted with the recognition. "Whether it is the local art work and hand crafted furniture, the romantic oceanfront guestrooms, the certified organic gardens or the regional, seasonal cuisine, everything here at Sooke Harbour House is a celebration of southern Vancouver Island ," says Frederique. "I am extremely happy that Sooke Harbour House has been recognized as a leading international destination and hope that people from across the world will come to Sooke to relax and experience the stunning natural year round beauty of our area", says Sinclair. Vancouver Island hotels lead the Continental U.S. and Canada list, winning three of the top five rankings. The Aerie and the Wickaninnish Inn were also in the top five in this category. Small, intimate hotels with fewer than 100 rooms occupy all but one of the top 10 spots and make up 48 percent of the entire list of the 100 top Continental U.S. and Canada . "We're extremely proud to have three of the top five hotels recognised hail from our region," Dave Perky, President & CEO of Tourism Vancouver Island. "These award-winning properties definitely set the standard for service excellence and guest experience, and the readers of Travel + Leisure are acknowledging this." The restaurant at Sooke Harbour House specializes in fresh, seasonal, regional Vancouver Island cuisine. The menu changes daily to reflect the seasonal variations in products received from local organic farmers, gardeners, foragers and fishermen. Meals are savoured in a candlelit dining room warmed by a wood burning fireplace with spectacular views of the ocean and Olympic Mountains . After dinner you can spend the night in one of their 28 rooms featuring stunning ocean views, wood burning fireplaces, soaker or jetted tubs and steam showers for two. The survey was conducted between January and March, 2006 among Travel + Leisure magazine subscribers. Respondents were asked to rate hotels on rooms/facilities, location, service, restaurants/food, and value. Complete results are available in the August issue of Travel + Leisure magazine, or online at www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest. Other recent awards: "Number One Country Inn in the World" - en Route Magazine, Reader's Poll, 2006 EnRoute, Air Canada 's inflight magazine, recently asked their travelers about a variety of different subjects including their favourite hotels and vacation spots. Sooke Harbour House was ranked their favourite country inn in the world. The second and third rated country inns were the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio, Italy and Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Oxford, England. This rating was accompanied with information on how the Sooke Harbour House is celebrating Sooke seaweeds in their menus, spa services and their organic gardens. "It is truly an honour to be in the company of such extraordinary hotels. I would like to thank the readers of enRoute magazine for giving us such a vote of confidence," said co-owner Sinclair Philip. For more information visit www.sookeharbourhouse.com. For further information or images please contact:
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