MONTEREY >> Four Monterey County properties have been named to the Conde Nast Traveler Top 20 Hotels in Northern California, Readers’ Choice Awards 2024.

Those properties on the list are No. 4 Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay with a score of 98.65, No. 5 Post Ranch Inn with a score of 97.43, No. 14 Plaza Hotel & Spa with a score of 95.12, and No. 20 Spindrift Inn with a score of 90.02.

“We’ve been in the top 10 since 2017; it’s super exciting to be recognized again,” said Portola Hotel & Spa General Manager Janine Chicourrat. “It’s quite an honor.”

Chicourrat added that Portola Hotel & Spa placed No. 6 recently on USA Today’s 10 Best Eco-Friendly Hotels in the United States, 2024.

“We’re thrilled and honored to be chosen as the cover photo for Conde Nast Traveler’s latest print edition and recognized in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards highlighting Post Ranch Inn as the quintessential destination for romance and reconnection, underscoring the beauty and importance of the Big Sur community and California’s majestic Monterey Coast,” said Mike Freed, managing partner for Post Ranch Inn.

The Post Ranch Inn has also been named multiple times to the top 20 hotels in Northern California, in the Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.

“We are incredibly honored to be named one of the top 20 hotels in Northern California by Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards,” said Chris Sommers, Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa general manager. “This recognition is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our associates.”

Sommers thanked guests and the local community for their continued support, and added the Monterey Plaza Hotel looks forward to welcoming patrons to the hotel while continuing to exceed expectations.

The Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa has also been on the top 20 list for multiple years.

“It’s an honor to be recognized for our excellence in the travel industry once again,” says Tim McGregor, vice president and general manager of the Inns of Monterey. “There’s no greater validation than the support of our valued guests who have chosen to stay with us.”

Spindrift Inn has been on the top 20 list three other times.

In its 37th iteration, Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry. More than 575,000 Conde Nast Traveler readers across the United States submitted responses rating their travel experiences across the globe to offer a comprehensive look at the places they anticipate revisiting.

The Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards survey was made available through a secure website at cntraveler.com/vote, according to the writeup of its methodology. This year’s survey results were tabulated by Conde Nast from hundreds of thousands of respondents who submitted ratings from April 1 through June 30.

The questionnaire contained lists of candidates in various categories, and each candidate must receive a required minimum number of responses along with a minimum overall rating to be eligible for a Readers’ Choice Award, according to Conde Nast. Candidates are judged on a set of criteria relevant to their category, based on a standard five-point scale converted to a percentage — excellent, very good, good, fair and poor. The average of these ratings determines the final score.

The Ritz-Carlton New York, Nomad, for example, the No. 1 hotel in New York City, scored a 98.29, representing the average rating it received from respondents for all relevant criteria — rooms, location, service, food, activities, facilities, design, concierge, community investment, and spa and wellness.

No. 1 on the Conde Nast Traveler Top 20 Hotels in Northern California, Readers’ Choice Awards 2024 was The Lodge at Bodega Bay with a score of 99.96 — it was also voted No. 1 in the world.

Rounding out the Top 20 Hotels in Northern California list was No. 2 Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel, in Berkeley, No. 3 The Farmhouse Inn, in Sonoma, No. 4 Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay, in Monterey, No. 5 Post Ranch Inn, in Big Sur, No. 6 Napa Valley Lodge, in Yountville, No. 7 Vintage House at The Estate Yountville, in Yountville, No. 8 Auberge du Soleil, Auberge Resorts Collection, in Rutherford, No. 9 Chateau du Sureau, in Oakhurst, No. 10 MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa, in Sonoma, No. 11 The Stanford Inn by the Sea, in Mendocino, No. 12 Hotel Villagio at The Estate Yountville, in Yountville, No. 13 El Capitan Hotel, in Merced, No.14 Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, in Monterey, No. 15 Archer Hotel Napa, in Napa, No. 16 Harvest Inn, in St. Helena, No. 17 The Sea Ranch Lodge, in Sonoma, No. 18 Dawn Ranch, in Guerneville, No. 19 Cavallo Point, in Sausalito, and No. 20 Spindrift Inn, in Monterey.