British Columbia's Sonora Resort Voted #1 for Luxury in Canada in TripAdvisor's 2011 Travelers' Choice Awards

SONORA ISLAND, British Columbia, January 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- TripAdvisor's Top 10 Canadian Luxury Hotels: Eight are in British Columbia

To view the Social Media Release, click here; http://smr.newswire.ca/en/sonora-resort/british-columbias-sonora-resort-voted-1-for-luxury

(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the space if one exists.)

TripAdvisor has just announced its top destinations in the world and Sonora Resort in British Columbia has been voted number one for luxury in Canada. The Relais & Chateaux resort scored 100 per cent in TripAdvisor's traveller ratings.

"Sonora Resort is delighted to be recognized by TripAdvisor as a 2011 Travelers' Choice award-winning travel destination," said Wynne Powell, Sonora Resort president and CEO. "We believe Sonora's Canadian hospitality approach, exemplary customer service and our commitment to the Relais & Chateaux standards of excellence have been instrumental in Sonora achieving this honour from our customers."

A link to the TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice Award is here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-g153339-cLuxury-Canada.html

"Sonora Resort's staff and management are delighted that our customers have given this absolute vote of confidence to Sonora Resort as one of the top luxury properties in Canada," said Powell. "We take the TripAdvisor reviews seriously and comments such as "once in a lifetime experience" and "spectacular" are extremely rewarding for our customer-driven staff to see."

Sonora Resort is a Relais & Chateaux property; unique in the world because of the resort's breathtaking location in the Discovery Islands and its customer-centred approach to hospitality. Guests have the opportunity to see an abundance of wildlife in their natural habitat surrounding Sonora Island including grizzly bears and killer whales - while enjoying luxurious amenities, comfort and gourmet cuisine.

"We congratulate Sonora Resort on this significant honour," commented Margaret MacDiarmid, Minister of Tourism, Trade and Investment. "It is a testament to the high quality tourism experiences that British Columbia has to offer visitors from around the world."

Sonora Resort on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6BaKqGeSUE&feature=related

News Release from TripAdvisor: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/tripadvisor/42941/

About Sonora Resort

Sonora Island is located within the Discovery Islands at the mouth of Bute Inlet, one of the deepest inlets in North America. Guests reach Sonora Resort by boat or air, approximately 50 minutes by private helicopter from Vancouver. Sonora is a Relais & Chateaux property and unique in the world because of its secluded location, abundance of natural beauty and wildlife, with luxury accommodations and gourmet cuisine. Sonora welcomes guests from May to October each year. The guided grizzly bear tours at the nearby Orford River are offered in partnership with the Homalco First Nation, from August to October. Additional Sonora Resort highlights include a tennis court, conservatory, and the Island Currents Spa with five treatment rooms including a Couple's massage room, outdoor hot and cold mineral pools, fitness facility and relaxation room. http://www.sonoraresort.com

For further information:

Wendy Hartley +1-604-817-2758, wendyhartley@telus.net, http://www.sonoraresort.com, http://twitter.com/WendyHartley