Elbow Beach has been voted one of the top 25 hotels in Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

?In our quest to be Bermuda?s only five diamond hotel, it is really gratifying to know that the work that we do here gets noticed by industry professionals and discriminating guests,? said Elbow director of communications Kendaree Burgess Fairn. ?Elbow Beach is in the middle of a tremendous metamorphosis, and people are beginning to talk.?

The votes came in an online survey developed by Departures magazine in association with American Express.

The survey appeared at www.departures.com from August 13, 2003 until November 5, 2003.

The Fairmont Southampton Princess also made the list, with a score of 72.81 points. Elbow received a score of 74.19 points.

The top hotel in the region was La Samanna in St. Martin, which received a score of 91.56.

There were 1,049 travel nominees falling into four categories: hotels, spas, airlines and cruise lines. Airlines were divided into domestic and international, and hotels and spas were divided by region.

Readers selected up to three favourites within each. The results were then divided by type (luxury ski resort, ski lodge, city, country, beach, boutique hotel), and the responses were tabulated by American Express. Rankings are based on averages of responses.

Kate Sekules of Departures told readers: ?Not only did you weigh in on your favourite hotels, resorts, spas, cruises and airlines, but you also wrote letters, e-mailed, and made phone calls, helping us gather the best of the best for this year?s results.

?You?re a discerning bunch, and this survey, all 51,000-plus responses? worth, represents your continued uncompromising judgment and taste.?