The travelers’ companion portal Trip Advisor recently announced this year’s Travelers’ Choice 2012 The Best Hotels—a list voted by members of the website. For 2012, Layana Resort on Koh Lanta is the only Thailand hotel that makes the Top 25 list, coming in at 22nd place. If segmented by categories, there are another two Thailand hotels that make the world list: Sandalwood Villas earns a 14th-place ranking for world’s best relaxation/spa hotel, and the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok ranks 25th in the world’s best luxury hotel category. See a complete list and more categories at www.tripadvisor.com.

Also, the winners of Thailand Boutique Awards 2011 (2011.thailandboutiqueawards.com) were recently announced. The Outstanding Award for Architecture and Design was awarded to Paresa Resort in Phuket; for Green, Nature and Environment was awarded to Rai Saeng Arun in Chiang Rai; while Lanjia Lodge received the Outstanding Award for Thematic Idea & Culture. Normally, these awarded resorts will roll out deals to celebrate their accolades—we’ll keep you posted.