The Peninsula Shanghai has been voted the ‘World's Best Hotel in Asia’ by the readers of the US-based travel and lifestyle publication Travel + Leisure.

The property topped the ‘Best Hotel in Asia’ readers' poll with a score of 96 out of 100, said a statement.

Among the unique services offered to guests, The Peninsula Shanghai is the first hotel to include the BMW i8 hybrid sports car in its vehicle fleet, and offers private luxury cruises on the Huangpu River aboard The Peninsula Princess 54 yacht, it said.

In addition to the success of the hotel in winning the 2015 Best Hotel in Asia award, the details of which are published in the August 2015 issue of Travel + Leisure (US), The Peninsula Hotels also ranked third in the overall Top Hotel Brands Category, a rise of four places from the seventh position achieved on the 2014 reader survey.

Joseph W Y Chong, general manager and managing director of The Peninsula Shanghai Complex, said: “We are very proud to receive this prestigious award from a respected international publication such as Travel + Leisure. To be voted the Best Hotel in Asia is a considerable achievement for the entire team at The Peninsula Shanghai, especially as we have been open for less than six years.

“During that time, everyone has worked tirelessly to deliver award-winning standards of service and comfort for our guests, and to show that luxury hospitality in China can be truly world-class.”

In its review of The Peninsula Shanghai, published on its website, Travel + Leisure noted: "On a stretch of the historic Bund, the 13-story granite-clad building is a modernist reflection of its Art Deco-era neighbours … the 235 guest rooms combine embossed glass lamps and black-lacquer screens with 21st-century amenities. All come with VoIP phones, portable master control panels and spa tubs with music and light settings."

The Best Hotels in Asia category forms part of the annual World's Best Awards reader survey published by Travel + Leisure, a publication that is widely recognised as a leading global authority on travel and tourism trends.

Each year, the readers of Travel + Leisure are asked to cast their votes for the hotels, airlines, car rental companies, destinations, airports, cruise lines and tour operators that represent the ultimate in worldwide travel.

In the World's Best Hotels section of the survey, respondents are asked to rate hotels on room quality and facilities, location, service standards, restaurants and food, and overall value, plus optional characteristics for business and family travellers, for romance, for bars and nightlife and for design.

The World's Best Hotels Awards are divided into six regional categories: United States and Canada; Mexico, Central and South America; Asia; Europe; Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific; and Africa and the Middle East. - TradeArabia News Service