Travel + Leisure magazine names two Wisconsin resorts and a tour company among the world's best
Travel + Leisure named two Wisconsin resorts and a tour company among the world's best.
The magazine released its 2023 "World's Best Awards" lists this week. This year, 122 lists of reader favorites were compiled.
Sundara Inn & Spa in the Wisconsin Dells and The American Club Resort Hotel in Kohler were named to the magazine's list of "10 Favorite Resorts in the Midwest of 2023." The resorts were ranked No. 3 and No. 7, respectively.
Madison-based Trek Travel, which specializes in bicycle tours and cycling vacations, came in at No. 5 on the list of "15 Favorite Tour Operators of 2023."
Here's how the voting process worked and a look at the Wisconsin businesses that were highlighted. And, here are the full "World's Best Awards" results.
How the voting process worked
Nearly 165,000 Travel + Leisure readers completed the publication's 2023 survey, sharing their opinions on top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines and more. More than 685,000 votes were cast across over 8,500 unique properties, such as hotels, cities and cruise lines.
For the "10 Favorite Resorts in the Midwest of 2023," hotels were classified as resorts, city hotels or safari lodges, based on their location and amenities, per the publication. Hotels were rated on rooms/facilities, location, service, food and value. For the "15 Favorite Tour Operators of 2023" list, tour operators and safari operators were rated on staff/guides, itineraries/destinations, activities, accommodations, food and value.
For both of these lists, survey respondents rated each specific criteria on a scale, ranging from poor to excellent, according to the magazine. Final scores were determined by the averages of the responses.
A look at the Wisconsin resorts, tour operator that are among the world's best
Sundara Inn & Spa
This is the fourth year in a row that Sundara Inn & Spa, which has an array of accolades, made the "10 Favorite Resorts in the Midwest" list.
In 2023 alone, Sundara has been named "Best Spa for Hydrotherapy" by the Women's Health Travel Awards, one of the 20 best destination spas by Town & Country, and it ranked No. 2 on USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for best spa resorts.
The USA Today report said: Sundara is Sanskrit for “beautiful,” an apt description of the 80-acre pine forest in which this premier Wisconsin spa resort is set. But it goes deeper than that. Eco-friendly, adults-only and electronics-free in all public areas, Sundara knows that beauty and wellness go hand in hand. It's created tranquil spaces so you can rest and reflect, and its spa treatments are said to use age-old healing practices with modern technology.
ADDRESS: 920 Canyon Road, Wisconsin Dells
MORE INFO: sundaraspa.com
The American Club Resort Hotel
This is the fifth year in a row that The American Club — a AAA Five-Star and Forbes Five-Diamond resort — has made the "10 Favorite Resorts in the Midwest" list.
Built in 1918 as a rooming house for Kohler employees, it became a boutique hotel in 1981. The hotel resort is a part of Destination Kohler, which features world-class golf courses, including Whistling Straights, a spa, several dining options, a health and racquet club, walking trails and more, according to its website.
ADDRESS: 419 Highland Drive, Kohler
MORE INFO: destinationkohler.com/lodging/the-american-club
Trek Travel
This is Trek Travel's third year in a row on the "15 Favorite Tour Operators" list and its fifth time overall.
The company, founded in 2002, offers guided bicycle trips, self-guided bike tours, trips that are a mix of guided and self-guided, race trips, cross country bike tours, custom and private trips, and more, according to its website.
ADDRESS: 613 Williamson St., Suite 207, Madison
MORE INFO: trektravel.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Sundara Spa, American Club among world's best, Travel + Leisure says
