BestWeekends Announces First Annual Travel Awards

For Immediate Release, April 2007
http://www.bestweekends.com
Jim Flynn’s BestWeekends is an ultra-savvy, travel website that offers focused information on weekend travel destinations in the US. It now announces its first BESTWEEKEND TRAVEL AWARDS - the “best” of what the company has discovered in its travels over the last year. Travel expert Jim Flynn has crisscrossed the eastern US to uncover those places that provide a superior experience: the best romantic hotel, the best new resort, the best pub, the best sandwich, the best secluded beach, etc. “If it is unsurpassed, if it will stand out in your memory, if it is the best, it made our list,” says founder Jim Flynn.

BestWeekends.com provides visitors with the most comprehensive and objective destination profiles available anywhere, and all the information is tailored to the weekend traveler. “A weekend is 3 days at most,” says Flynn. “You can’t afford to make a mistake on where you stay, where you eat and what you do. We do all the legwork and research for the traveler and create a weekend that you’ll talk about for years.” With American vacations getting shorter each year, weekend travel is on the rise. Last year Americans took 225 million weekend trips, up 10% in five years. An incredible 30% of adults report taking 5 or more weekend trips per year.

“There is so much travel information out there it is hard to see through the clutter,” says Flynn. “We take all the information, thoroughly test it, and then present the “best” of what we found to our visitors”

The BestWeekend First Annual Travel Awards winners list is attached. Further information on the places selected can be found on Jim Flynn’s BestWeekends (www.bestweekends.com)

About BestWeekends.com: BestWeekends travels to each destination, stays in each place it recommends, eats in each restaurant it touts and takes the tours it suggests. To maintain objectivity BestWeekends travels anonymously, takes no advertising from the places it reviews and accepts no free rooms or meals. The website currently has 13 destinations in the eastern US: Boston, Charleston, the Hamptons, the Jersey Shore, Key West, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, New Hope, PA/Lambertville, NJ, New York City, Newport, Savannah, Stowe, VT and Washington, DC. Three new sites – Lake Placid, Great Resorts and Relaxing Retreats will be added in the coming months. Over the next year the company plans to add; Bermuda, Chicago, Sedona, Santa Fe, Aspen, San Antonio, Napa and Vancouver.



BestWeekends Travel Awards 2007


DESTINATIONS/ACCOMMODATIONS


Best Undiscovered Destination
Lake Placid, New York
A town that has hosted the Winter Olympics twice, Lake Placid has excellent accommodations, fantastic restaurants and plenty to do whatever the season.

Best New Resort
Inn at Palmetto Bluff, Blufton, South Carolina
A New England-style village built on 20,000 secluded acres on the banks of the May River just outside of Hilton Head. Huge rooms, enclosed porches, great food and a wonderful Jack Nicklaus golf course.

Best Weekend
The Point, Upper Saranac Lake, NY
An opportunity to live like few can, if just for a weekend. Dine “en famille” with other very interesting guests. Luxuriously transformed former Rockefeller Great Camp.

Best Small Hotel
Planter’s Inn, Charleston, SC.
Perfectly located in the heart of the historic district and next to the market with wonderful accommodations, a top rated restaurant and an obsession with service.

Best Luxury Resort
Blackberry Farm, Walland TN
Nestled in the Great Smokey Mountains on 4200 acres. Beautiful accommodations, amazing food and the view from a rocking chair on the patio is worth the trip alone. Great outdoor activities.

Best B&B
Baker House 1650, East Hampton, NY
Magnificent structure, spectacular gardens, beautiful rooms. Feels like the English countryside. Truly unique experience.

Best Romantic Hotel
The Lowell, New York City
Tucked away on a tree-lined street just off Madison Avenue, this gem brings an English country house to mind with fireplaces, terraces and superb décor and impeccable service.

Best Rooms
Twin Farms, Barnard, Vermont
Over 1000 sq. ft each, luxuriously decorated and placed around the property for maximum views of gardens, trees, meadows and ponds. Breathtaking.

BEST OF THE BEST – THE DESTINATION OF THE YEAR
Charleston, SC
For a city of just 100,000 people, Charleston has enough charm to fascinate millions. The moderate climate, close-by beaches, deep sea fishing, intimate sense of history, stunning architecture, world class art galleries, world-class golf, wonderful accommodations and terrific restaurants make Charleston the top choice for your best weekend.


FOOD/DINING

Best Breakfast
Clary’s, Savannah, Georgia
This place will take you back in time with homemade hash, awesome grits, original Coke glasses and sassy service.

Best Brunch
Tabard Inn, Washington, DC
Wonderful a la carte brunch with things like homemade donuts, toasted pecan waffles, eggs in a red garlic sauce, seafood gumbo. Comfy indoors or brick walled garden patio.

Best Sandwich
Provisions, Nantucket, Massachusetts
“Turkey Terrific”. Fresh roasted turkey, homemade dressing, savory gravy and cranberry sauce on Portuguese bread – it’s Thanksgiving any day of the year.

Best Pizza
DeLorenzo’s, Trenton, New Jersey
We heard the raves but didn’t believe it until we tried it. This “tomato pie” is hands down the best pizza we ever had. Well worth the detour off I-95 or just hop off Amtrak.

Best Pub
Brick Alley Pub, Newport, Rhode Island
This beloved Newport institution has it all: a fireplace in winter, courtyard in summer, great food, a surprising Wine Spectator list, warm camaraderie
and owners everyone loves.

Best Burger
A 3-way tie! Burger Joint at Parker Meridian hotel, New York City; Mrs. Bartley’s Cottage, Cambridge, MA; Your Place, Charleston, SC
The common thread: tender, run-down-your-fingers juicy burgers on soft rolls.

Best Afternoon Snack
B&G Oyster, Boston, MA
Fresh oysters, an amazing lobster roll, a scrumptious lobster BLT and delightfully crisp white wines. Doesn’t get any better.

Best Dining Experience
Inn at Little Washington, Little Washington, Virginia
Winning every restaurant award since the day it opened, this place has spectacular food and service in a romantic setting just 90 minutes from DC. Worth every penny.

Best Undiscovered Restaurant
Restaurant Nicholas, Middletown, NJ
Creative food, marvelous presentation and crisp service to rival any New York restaurant, at half the price. Worth the trek to the Jersey Shore.

Best Wine List Idea
Aujourd’hui, Four Seasons, Boston, MA
In a world of overpriced wine lists, Aujourd’ hui’s “40 wines for $40” is a breath of fresh air