The most popular choice of all HotelTravel.com travellers in 2004 was the Ambassador Hotel in Thailand. 's capital city, Bangkok. With 750 rooms, it is located in fashionable Sukhumvit Road and has great connections with the rest of the city via the nearby skytrain station. It is popular with those looking for a reasonably priced room in a good location. There is a swimming pool, gym and sauna, but its greatest appeal is probably the fabulous shopping in the surrounding area. Luxury hotels in Bangkok that score well with our customers are both located alongside the Chao Praya River, the Shangri-La and the Marriott Resort and Spa.

The best sellers in large cities were generally mid-market hotels which offer great value for money. These included the Allson Genesis Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, the Capital Hotel in Beijing, the YMCA Salisbury Hotel in Hong Kong and the Copthorne Orchid Hotel in Singapore.

However, a number of five-star luxury hotels were also among the most popular choices. These included the Portman Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Shanghai, the Mandarin Oriental in Kuala Lumpur and the JW Marriott in Hong Kong. Other popular luxury hotels were the Park Lane Hotel in Jakarta, the Le Meridien Hotel in New Delhi and the Dusit Nikko Hotel in Manila.

The top holiday hotels among HotelTravel customers were beachfront resort hotels in exotic locations. On the Indonesian island of Bali, the best-selling hotel was the Grand Mirage Resort, located on the tip of Nusa Dua Beach. This comfortable resort comes tops for sports enthusiasts, with a diving school, two floodlit tennis courts, a large swimming pool and the Thalasso Spa. Runners-up were the Aston Bali Resort, a five-star hotel in the former fishing village of Tanjung Benoa, and the Royal Seminyak Bali, located on the trendy Seminyak beachfront. Other popular resorts in Bali were the Hard Rock Hotel, the Bali Hilton and the Ritz-Carlton Bali.

On Malaysia's Langkawi Island, the top choice was the Berjaya Langkawi Beach & Spa Resort. Located in Burau Bay, the hotel has a spectacular setting with Malaysian-style chalets spread on 70 acres of hillside overlooking a golden beach. In Penang, popular hotels were the Holiday Inn Resort and Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort.

In Phuket, two hotels in the luxury Laguna complex were among our top five sellers on the island. The Dusit Laguna Hotel offers luxury rooms set in lush tropical gardens, overlooking the beach and flanked by two lagoons. The nearby Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket is on its own small island in the middle of a lagoon. This resort, which recently hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin, is a relaxing haven and offers a wide selecton of dining options.

Singapore has some of the finest city centre accommodation in the world, but the hotel favoured by most of HotelTravel customers was Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort, which is located on Sentosa Island. Set on a stretch of sandy white Siloso Beach overlooking the South China Sea, it offers five-star luxury away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Other favourites in Singapore were three excellent value-for-money hotels; the Copthorne Orchid, located close to the Orchard Road shopping area, the River View Hotel and the New Park Centra.

The top-selling resort in Vietnam was the luxury Ana Mandara Resort at Nha Trang Beach. The Hilton Hanoi Opera and the Majestic Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City were the top city choices in Vietnam. In Laos's tourist mecca, Luang Prabang, most travellers opted for the Villa Santi Resort.

The most popular hotel on the Maldives Islands was the Hilton Maldives Resort and Spa on Rangali Island. The resort is built on two exotic islands, Rangali and Ranglifinolhu, linked by a 500-metre footbridge running across a blue lagoon. Runners-up were the Taj Coral Reef Resort and the Four Seasons Resort at Kuda Huraa.