Expedia.com has announced the Expedia 2012 Insiders' Select rankings, an annual, crowd-sourced list of the world's best-reviewed hotels. The rankings are largely determined by the more than 500,000 Expedia customer reviews received during 2011. Hotels that consistently deliver value in the form of competitive pricing, pristine amenities and superior customer service are included in the rankings. Only 650 hotels from among the more than 150,000 properties available on Expedia sites are designated as Insiders' Select hotels.

Marrol's Boutique Hotel, a five-star property in Bratislava, Slovakia, topped the 2012 Insiders' Select list, edging Hotel Al Codega of Venice, Italy. The top American hotel was the Four Seasons Miami, listed at No. 5. The top 10 hotels in this year's ranking are Marrol's Boutique Hotel (five stars, Bratislava, Slovakia); the Hotel Al Codega (four stars, Venice, Italy); the Hotel Royal Corin (four stars, Costa Rica); the Hilton Garden Inn Aberdeen (four stars, Aberdeen, Scotland); the Four Seasons Miami (five stars, Miami); the Madison Hotel Hamburg (4.5 stars, Hamburg/Hanover, Germany); the Element Omaha Midtown Crossing (three stars, Omaha); the Sonnenalp Resort of Vail (4.5 stars, Vail-Beaver Creek, Colo.); the Taj Lands End (five stars, Mumbai, India); and the Mr. C Beverly Hills (five stars, Los Angeles).

            Thirty-five percent of the 650 hotels are categorized as "luxury." “Green/sustainable" hotels had an outsized presence in the final rankings, with nearly 17 percent of properties (108) meeting that definition. Also included on the list are 87 hotels designated as "family friendly"; 116 "beach hotels," including 32 in Mexico, which surpassed the 21 beach hotels in the United States; and 11 "ski friendly" hotels.