Seattle Gay News announces "Best of Travel 2012"

Hotel Palomar Phoenix pool.

From the crowded streets of Tokyo to the remote beaches of Hawaii's Big Island, from the snowy Swiss Alps to the Arizona desert, and from sweet Belgian waffles in Brussels to buttery biscuits in Portland, Oregon the travel writing team at Seattle Gay News - Albert Rodriguez, Jessica Price and Jerry L. Peerson - made their selections for the "Best of Travel 2012".

From our trips last year, we chose our Top 10 or Top 5 in the categories below - Hotels, Restaurants, Bars/Lounges/Coffeeshops, Visitor Attractions/Tourist Activities and Transportation Services.  Mini descriptions for each can be seen by clicking on this link: http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews41_01/page27.cfm

HOTELS

1 The Burrard (Vancouver, BC Canada)
2 Crystal Hotel (Portland, Oregon USA)
3 Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka’upulehu (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii USA - Island of Hawaii)
4 Hotel Five (Seattle, Washington USA)
5 Hotel Granvia Kyoto (Kyoto, Japan)
6 Hotel Palomar Phoenix (Phoenix, Arizona USA)
7 Park Hyatt Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan)
8 Post Hotel (Weggis, Switzerland)
9 Sheraton Stockholm (Stockholm, Sweden)
10 Renaissance Zürich Tower Hotel (Zurich, Switzerland)

RESTAURANTS

1 Bowery Restaurant & Bar (Brussels, Belgium)
2 Café Trio (Kansas City, MIssouri USA)
3 Collections Cafe (Seattle, Washington USA)
4 Gallo Blanco - (Phoenix, Arizona USA)
5 La Brasserie De Bruxelles (Brussels, Belgium)
6 Langa Raden (Stockholm, Sweden)
7 Pine State Biscuits (Portland, Oregon USA)
8 Royal Brasserie Bruxelles (Brussels, Belgium)
9 Scala Restaurant (Luzern, Switzerland)
10 ‘Ulu Ocean Girl at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii USA - Island of Hawaii)
 
BARS / LOUNGES / COFFEESHOPS

1 Bar Bridge (Tokyo, Japan)
2 Courier Coffee Roasters (Portland, Oregon USA)
3 Filmbar (Phoenix, Arizona USA)
4 Frenz-Frenzy (Osaka, Japan)
5 Kona Brewing Company's Kona Pub & Brewery (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii USA - Island of Hawaii)
6 Lux Central (Phoenix, Arizona USA)
7 Heile Welt (Berlin, Germany)
8 Louis Bar (Luzern, Switzerland)
9 Missie B’s (Kansas City, Missouri USA)
10 You Night Club (Brussels, Belgium)
 
VISITOR ATTRACTIONS / TOURIST ACTIVITIES

1 Belgian Pride (Brussels, Belgium)
2 Bike Hawaii (Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii USA - Island of Hawaii)
3 Chihuly Garden and Glass (Seattle, Washington USA)
4 Gay Ski Week (Arosa, Switzerland)
5 Manta Ray Snorkel with Kamanu Charters (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii USA - Island of Hawaii)
6 Hankyu Men's Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan)
7 Schwules Museum (Berlin, Germany)
8 Spa World (Osaka, Japan)
9 Stray Cat Theatre (Tempe, Arizona USA)
10 The Surf Bus (Haleiwa, Hawaii USA - Island of Oahu)
 
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

1 All Nippon Airways 787/Dreamliner "Business Class" (Seattle to Tokyo)
2 Delta Air Lines "Business Elite" (Osaka to Seattle)
3 Hawaiian Airlines "Coach Class" (Seattle to Kona, via Honolulu)
4 Japan Railways Shinkansen (Bullet Train) "Ordinary Class" (Tokyo to Osaka)
5 Scandinavian Airlines “Economy Extra” (Berlin to Stockholm)