(Brunei, October 18, 2006) "“ Brunei's palatial Empire Hotel & Country Club has been voted the Sultanate’s leading hotel for the third year running in the prestigious World Travel Awards. The resort also collected three accolades in Smart Travel Asia magazine’s ‘The Best in Travel 2006’ awards.

In the 13th annual World Travel Awards, the Empire Hotel & Country Club was voted Brunei’s Leading Hotel from a poll of 167,000 travel professionals worldwide, including 110,000 travel agents. The award was presented at a glittering ceremony in the Caribbean Turks & Caicos islands in September.

World Travel Awards President, Graham E. Cooke, said: "Being a WTA winner is all about prestige — a true endorsement of a company's achievements and services by fellow travel professionals.”

Anne Busfield, General Manager of The Empire Hotel & Country Club, said: "We are delighted to be recognised again as the pre-eminent resort hotel in Brunei.”

In Smart Travel Asia’s ‘The Best in Travel 2006’ awards, The Empire Hotel & Country Club was voted in the Top 25 of three categories in a poll of readers.

Readers ranked the resort 22nd among Asia’s Best Business Hotels, 20th among Asia’s Best Conference Hotels and 9th of Asia’s Best Leisure Hotels & Resorts.

“Votes are by readers and hopefully we will climb up the ladder next year once more experience our truly outstanding property for themselves,” said Ms Busfield.

The Empire Hotel and Country Club previously won the World’s Leading Presidential Suite three years in a row in the World Travel Awards. The breathtaking Emperor Suite, which is one of the world's largest at 666 square meters with its own indoor swimming pool, earned the top accolade in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

For more information, visit the resort's new website at: www.theempirehotel.com.

For more on Brunei at ITKT