PHOTO: The Inn at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, S.C. was just edged by the Lodge at Sea Island (Ga.) in the U.S. rankings. (Photo: Montage Hotels and Resorts)

U.S. News & World Report recently released the 2014 Best Hotels rankings, with the Lodge at Sea Island in Georgia coming in as the No. 1 hotel in the United States.

Tortuga Bay in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic was named the Best Hotel in the Caribbean for the second consecutive year, while Banyan Tree Cabo Marques in Acapulco jumped up four spots since last year to claim the No. 1 Best Hotel in Mexico.

The Ritz-Carlton in Montreal seized the top spot in the 2014 ranking of the Best Hotels in Canada.

Only 169 of the 1,693 luxury hotels scored high enough to make the exclusive list of the Best Hotels in the USA. The Lodge at Sea Island, as well as the Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, Ore., were newcomers to the top five hotels in the U.S. The Allison Inn & Spa jumped 157 places to take the No. 3 spot this year after ranking 160th in 2013.

The top five Best Hotels in the USA are (in order): The Lodge at Sea Island (Sea Island, Ga.), The Inn at Palmetto Bluff (Bluffton, S.C.), The Allison Inn & Spa (Newberg, Ore.), Four Seasons Hotel Seattle (Seattle, Wash.) and Four Seasons Resort Lana'i, The Lodge at Koele (Lanai, Hawaii).

Of the 271 luxury properties in the Caribbean, 27 hotels scored high enough to be named on the Best Hotels in the Caribbean.

The top five Best Hotels in the Caribbean are: Tortuga Bay (Punta Cana, Dominican Republic), Jamaica Inn (Ochos Rios, Jamaica), Spice Island Beach Resort (St. George's, Grenada), Eden Rock, St. Barths (Baie de Saint Jean, St. Barts) and Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France (Baie des Flamands, St. Barts).

Thirty-four of the 342 hotels analyzed in Mexico made Best Hotels in Mexico.

The top five properties in Mexico are: Banyan Tree Cabo Marques (Acapulco), Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort (Cabo, San Lucas); Rosewood San Miguel de Allende (San Miguel de Allende); The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort (Punta de Mita); and Rosewood Mayakoba (Playa del Carmen).

Of the 223 hotels rated in Canada, 22 properties made Best Hotels in Canada.

The top five hotels in Canada are: Ritz-Carlton, Montreal; Rosewood Hotel Georgia (Vancouver, British Columbia); Fairmont Pacific Rim (Vancouver); Trump International Hotel and Tower, Toronto; and Hastings House Country House Hotel (Salt Spring Island, British Columbia).

U.S. News also ranked the Best Hotels by Brand across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. 

The list included: Park Hyatt Chicago; Sandals Royal Plantation (Ocho Rios, Jamaica); Ritz-Carlton, Montreal; Four Seasons Hotel Seattle; Rosewood Hotel Georgia; Waldorf Astoria Chicago; The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort; Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort (Soufriere, St. Lucia); RiverPlace, A Kimpton Hotel (Portland); and JW Marriot Cancun Resort & Spa.

U.S. News' Best Hotels rankings are based on a methodology that includes the collective opinion of travel experts and guests, expressed through online reviews and ratings.

"Our Best Hotels rankings are designed to take the guesswork out of choosing the right hotel," said Miriam Weiner, travel editor for U.S. News. "These properties were selected because they meet the highest standards of travel experts and guests alike when it comes to luxury amenities and quality customer service."

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