London named UK’s top tourist destination

London has won two prestigious accolades at the annual Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards 2016.

The capital came out on top as Best UK City for the 6th year running, and Best UK City for Restaurants and Bars for the second consecutive year in the reader-nominated awards ceremony at Soho’s Ham Yard Hotel last night.

London’s hotels have also swept the board by boasting twelve of the top 15 UK Business Hotels, and the Soho Hotel winning silver for best UK Holiday Hotel. Three of the city’s spas also topped the UK Hotel Spas category; The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, The Bulgari Spa at Bulgari Hotel & Residences, and ESPA Life at Corinthia Hotel London.

The awards from the readers of one of the most popular travel magazines in the world comes as recent research from London & Partners, the Mayor’s official tourism body for London found that last year, overseas visitors made 18.7 million visits to the city’s best known cultural institutions, which is 1.8 million more than in 2012.

Separate research also reveals that London’s booming tourism trade is set to continue post-Brexit, as two thirds of Americans who visited in the last two years said they will definitely return due to a more favourable exchange rate.

Julie Chappell, head of Visitlondon.com, the official city guide from London & Partners said: “These awards have come at a perfect time for London, as the capital is primed to stage yet another fantastic blockbuster season of culture – which is the main reason tourists visit the city.

“London’s culinary scene and nightlife are clearly going from strength to strength, with cuisines from every corner of the globe, eclectic and traditional bars and pubs, and 65 Michelin-star restaurants to enjoy – it’s no surprise that Condé Nast readers have voted for the capital’s bars and restaurants”.

Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards

UK Cities

1. London (1)
2. Edinburgh (2)
3. Bath (3)
4. Glasgow (5)
5. Salisbury (12)
6. Cambridge (8)
7. Newcastle (10)
8. Oxford (11)
9. Leeds (-)
10. York (4)
11. Liverpool (6)
12. Cardiff (9)
13. Belfast (-)
14. Manchester (7)
15. Cheltenham (-)

UK Holiday Hotels

1. Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa, Hampshire (3)
2. The Soho Hotel, London (11)
3. The Pig, Hampshire (1)
4. Cliveden House, Berkshire (6)
5. Ham Yard Hotel, London (9)
6. The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire (14)
7. Coworth Park, Berkshire (10)
8. Lime Wood, Hampshire (5)
9. Babington House, Somerset (2)
10. The Kensington, London (-)
11. The Gainsborough Bath Spa (-)
12. Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxfordshire (4)
13. Malmaison Cheltenham (-)
14. The Pig on the Beach, Dorset (-)
15. Covent Garden Hotel, London (-)
16. Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Wiltshire (13)
17. The Scarlet Hotel, Cornwall (12)
18. The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath (16)
19. Barnsley House, Gloucestershire (8)
20. Soho Farmhouse, Oxfordshire (-)

UK Business Hotels

1. Rosewood, London (4)
2. Claridge’s, London (2)
3. Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London (1)
4. The Dorchester, London (7)
5. The Ritz London (-)
6. The Connaught, London (3)
7. The Langham, London (15)
8. Corinthia Hotel London (8)
9. The Savoy, London (5)
10. Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian (-)
11. Radison Blu Edwardian Manchester (-)
12. The Berkeley, London  (9)
13. Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane (11)
14. The Lowry Hotel, Manchester (-)
15. The May Fair Hotel, London (-)

UK Hotel Spas

1. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London (2)
2. The Bulgari Spa, Bulgari Hotel & Residences, London (1)
3. ESPA Life at Corinthia, Corinthia Hotel London (4)
4. Spa Village Bath, The Gainsborough Bath Spa (-)
5. The Spa, Chewton Glen, Hampshire (3)
6. The Dorchester Spa, The Dorchester, London (10)
7. ESPA Life, Gleneagles, Perthshire (8)
8. Sequoia, The Grove, Watford (7)
9. Cowshed Spa, Babington House, Somerset (5)
10. Aman Spa, The Connaught, London (13)
11. The Spa at Lucknam Park, Wiltshire (11)
12. C-Side Spa, Cowley Manor, Gloucestershire (14)
13. The Spa, Coworth Park, Berkshire (6)
14. Herb House, Lime Wood, Hampshire 12)
15. House Spa, Dormy House, Worcestershire (-)