Condé Nast Johansens, the international luxury travel guide, recently announced the winners of the 2011 Awards for Excellence. The winners of these prestigious awards were chosen as the premier properties throughout the Americas - and Puerto Vallarta's own Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa was named "The Most Excellent Resort in México and Central America."

The winners were selected from the collection of more than 270 outstanding properties throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific Islands. Readers of the Guides, hotels guests and the Condé Nast Johansens inspection team all contributed votes for the 2011 awards.

The 2011 Awards for Excellence cover 29 categories, including Most Excellent Resort, Most Excellent Hotel, Most Excellent Eco Resort, and Most Excellent Romantic Hideaway.

Lesley O'Malley-Keyes, Vice President & Publishing Director, The Americas noted, "Condé Nast Johansens recommends only properties that meet our specific standards, so the Excellence Awards winners represent the very best of the best. Our readers are discerning, sophisticated travelers who know what they want when they travel - outstanding accommodations, exceptional service and value for money."

The Guide's easy-to-use format simplifies the independent traveler's task of selecting and booking accommodations. Each Guide features rich, full-color exterior and interior hotel photographs, and details about facilities, rates and contact information, everything a guest needs to make an informed decision about a reservation.

The Guides, which are celebrating their 29th year of publication in Europe, have attracted a loyal readership in the United States by guaranteeing that each Recommended property undergoes a rigorous annual inspection process to ensure exceptional quality is maintained.

A property is specially selected for its dedication to the highest standards of comfort, unique personality, warmth and service, impressive facilities and surroundings. Only then is it awarded the "Condé Nast Mark of Excellence" wall plaque. This distinctive sign is a visible endorsement for more than 10 million of the world's most discerning and experienced travelers.

The Condé Nast Johansens website, a vital part of the Condé Nast Johansens benefits, reflects the varying ways in which the Guides' users research hotels and destinations. The user friendly website allows visitors to find a hotel by country, state, island, or keyword search. The site sends an availability request directly to the hotels. Other features of the site include a meeting venue finder, Luxury Spas, special offers, and online gift certificate and guide purchasing.

Readers also interact and find suggestions via the new Condé Nast Johansens social media sites on both Facebook and Twitter. Brand new in early 2011 will be the innovative and interactive Condé Nast Johansens iPad application.

The winners of the Condé Nast Johansens 2011 Awards for Excellence, The Americas, Atlantic, Caribbean & Pacific are:

Atlantic, Caribbean & Pacific

Most Excellent Resort:
Hotel Guanahani & Spa, Saint-Barthélemy

Most Excellent Small Resort:
Horned Dorset Primavera, Puerto Rico

Most Excellent Romantic Hideaway:
Jade Mountain at Anse Chastanet, St. Lucia

Most Excellent Spa Resort:
Parrot Cay & COMO Shambhala Retreat, Turks & Caicos

Most Excellent Eco Resort:
Curtain Bluff, Antigua

South America

Most Excellent Beach Hotel:
Vila Naiá - Paralelo 17o, Brazil

Most Excellent Hotel:
Royal Palm Hotel, Galápagos, Ecuador

Most Excellent Romantic Hideaway:
Ponta dos Ganchos, Brazil

Most Excellent Spa Hotel:
Kurotel Medical Longevity Center and Spa, Brazil

Most Excellent Lodge:
Las Balsas Gourmet Hotel & Spa, Argentina

Most Excellent Eco Resort:
Indigo Patagonia Hotel & Spa, Chile

México & Central America

Most Excellent Resort:
Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa, México

Most Excellent Spa Hotel:
Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort, Costa Rica

Most Excellent Hotel:
Las Mañanitas Hotel, Garden Restaurant & Spa, México

Most Excellent Romantic Hideaway:
Las Alamandas Resort, México

Most Excellent Beach Hotel:
Imanta Resorts Punta Mita, México

Most Excellent Lodge:
Chan Chich Lodge, Belize

Most Excellent Eco Resort:
Hotel Punta Islita, Costa Rica

U.S.A. & Canada

Most Excellent Hotel:
The Setai, FL

Most Excellent Ranch:
Hidden Meadow Ranch, AZ

Most Excellent Inn:
The Goodstone Inn & Estate, VA

Most Excellent Small Hotel:
Hôtel Quintessence, QC

Most Excellent Country House Hotel
Blantyre, MA

Most Excellent Romantic Hideaway:
Post Ranch Inn, CA

Most Excellent Lodge:
Bernardus Lodge, CA

Most Excellent Spa Hotel:
Wedgewood Hotel & Spa, BC

Most Excellent Golf Resort:
Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, SC

Most Excellent Eco Resort:
Wickaninnish Inn, BC

The Americas, Caribbean, Atlantic & Pacific

Most Excellent Service:
Spice Island Beach Resort, Grenada

The Condé Nast Johansens international collection of guides are available at select bookstores nationwide, including the 2011 Recommended Hotels, Inns, Resorts & Spas - The Americas, Atlantic, Caribbean, Pacific.

The Guide Website offers exclusive seasonal discounts and complimentary access to the international database of luxury accommodations. Consumers can purchase Condé Nast Johansens Guides by calling Condé Nast Johansens at 1-800-564-7518, or via the online bookstore. Gift certificates are also available on the website.

The complete Condé Nast Johansens international collection includes:

Recommended Hotels & Spas, Great Britain & Ireland
Recommended Country Houses, Small Hotels, Inns and Restaurants Great Britain & Ireland
Recommended Hotels and Spas, Europe & The Mediterranean
Recommended Hotels, Inns, Resorts & Spas, The Americas, Atlantic, Caribbean, Pacific
Recommended Venues for Conferences, Meetings & Special Events
Recommended Luxury Spas

About Condé Nast Johansens:
Condé Nast Johansens is owned by Condé Nast Publications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Advance Publications and Condé Nast International, which publishes a wide portfolio of magazines around the world, including Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, The New Yorker, GQ, Tatler, Vanity Fair, Brides, Glamour and Wired.