Hawaii resorts among the 5 best in the world

A Hawaii resort is among the 5 best resorts in the world. The  U.S. News & World Report, a nationally recognized publisher of consumer advice and information, today released the 2014 Best Hotels rankings. For the first time, the Lodge at Sea Island in Sea Island, Ga., is the No. 1 hotel in the USA. Tortuga Bay in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic holds onto its spot as the Best Hotel in the Caribbean for the second year in a row. Banyan Tree Cabo Marques in Acapulco jumped up four places since last year to be the No. 1 Best Hotel in Mexico, and the Ritz-Carlton, Montreal seized the top spot in the 2014 ranking of the Best Hotels in Canada.

Out of the 1,693 luxury hotels across the United States evaluated for 2014, 169 scored high enough to earn a place on the list of the Best Hotels in the USA. New additions to the top five list this year are the Lodge at Sea Island and the Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, Ore., which took the No. 3 spot this year after ranking 160th in 2013.

The top five Best Hotels in the USA are:

1. The Lodge at Sea Island – Sea Island, Ga.
2. The Inn at Palmetto Bluff – Bluffton, S.C.
3. The Allison Inn & Spa – Newberg, Ore.
4. Four Seasons Hotel Seattle – Seattle, Wash.
5. Four Seasons Resort Lana'i, The Lodge at Koele – Lanai, Hawaii

See full list: Best Hotels in the USA

U.S. News also analyzed 271 luxury properties in the Caribbean. Twenty-seven hotels scored high enough to be named Best Hotels in the Caribbean.

The top five Best Hotels in the Caribbean are:

1. Tortuga Bay – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
2. Jamaica Inn – Ochos Rios, Jamaica
3. Spice Island Beach Resort – St. George's, Grenada
4. Eden Rock, St. Barths – Baie de Saint Jean, St. Barts
5. Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France – Baie des Flamands, St. Barts

See full list: Best Hotels in the Caribbean

The 2014 Best Hotels also includes rankings of 342 hotels in Mexico and 223 hotels in Canada, along with rankings of the Best Hotels by Brand to help travelers select the best brand-backed hotels across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. 

U.S. News' Best Hotels rankings are based on an unbiased methodology that includes the collective opinion of travel experts and guests, expressed through online reviews and ratings.

"Our Best Hotels rankings are designed to take the guesswork out of choosing the right hotel," said Miriam Weiner, travel editor for U.S. News. "These properties were selected because they meet the highest standards of travel experts and guests alike when it comes to luxury amenities and quality customer service."