WASHINGTON, Jan.31, 2012-- U.S. News & World Report today released its 2012 rankings of the Best Hotels in the USA, covering luxury hotel properties across the country. The new rankings are available online at http://travel.usnews.com/Hotels/USA/.

Among the 1,548 luxury hotels analyzed by U.S. News, 154 top-ranking properties were named to a selective list of the Best Hotels in the USA. The ten top-ranking hotels overall are:

1. The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, An Auberge Resort – Bluffton, SC
2. Four Seasons Resort Koele – Lanai City, HI
3. Wentworth Mansion – Charleston, SC
4. Four Seasons Hotel Seattle – Seattle, WA
5. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu – Kailua-Kona, HI
6. Amangani – Jackson, WY
7. Rancho Valencia – Rancho Santa Fe, CA
8. Triple Creek Ranch – Darby, MT
9. Calistoga Ranch, An Auberge Resort – Calistoga, CA
10. The Elysian Hotel Chicago - Chicago IL

U.S. News established Best Hotels to identify the top properties across the country. To create this year's rankings, U.S. News evaluated the strength of accolades and ratings that elite hotels received from major travel publications. By combining this published recognition with online user ratings, U.S. News identified hotels that are loved by experts and consumers alike.

Today's launch represents the 2012 edition of the U.S. News hotel rankings, which are updated annually.

"The goal of the Best Hotels rankings is to help travelers identify the top hotels based on the opinions of many people, including both experts and other travelers," said Chad Smolinski, Vice President of Rankings and Reviews at U.S. News & World Report. "Our consensus-based approach allows us to rank hotels and provide guidance to travelers in an unbiased way." The full hotel rankings methodology can be found online at: http://travel.usnews.com/methodology/.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is a multi-platform, digital publisher of news and analysis, which includes the digital-only U.S. News Weekly magazine, www.usnews.com, and www.rankingsandreviews.com. Focusing on Health, Money, Education, Travel, Cars, and Public Service/Opinion, U.S. News has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers. U.S. News & World Report's signature franchise includes its News You Can Use® brand of journalism and its "Best" series of consumer guides that include rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, mutual funds, health plans, and more.