Other winners in the survey are the The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel which placed second, the Hotel del Coronado in Coronado which finished third followed by fourth place finisher Marriott's Desert Springs Resort Spa in Palm Desert, and The Peninsula Beverly Hills which finished fifth.

The survey also determined favorite spots for special-interest travel in Southern California: The Hotel del Coronado was ranked tops for business, family and view/grounds while the Hotel Bel-Air finished out the categories by being chosen as number one for romance, guest rooms, service, elegant dining and pool.

"Gourmet's travel writers and editors have spent nearly half a century exploring the best hotels and resorts throughout the world," said Gail Zweigenthal, editor-in-chief of Gourmet. "We always enjoy the opportunity to hear from our readers about their favorites." The issue will be available on newsstands on April 28.

In the rest of the country, golfers chose The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, while tennis players preferred The Colony Beach Tennis Resort on Longboat Key, Florida. Ski enthusiasts chose Sun Valley Lodge, Sun Valley, Idaho, and sun worshippers preferred the beach at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in Hawaii. The readers' favorite spa is the Sonoma Mission Inn Spa in Sonoma, California, and their top hideaway is the Ventana Inn Spa in Big Sur, California.

The winners were grouped by country, region or city, and are listed below.
 

The Rooms at the Top awards are part of an entire issue dedicated to hotels.  Among the feature stories are "The World of Hotel Dining," a series that focuses on hotel restaurants in New York, Paris, Los Angeles and London.