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Priory Country Lodge, Tasmania; W Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Park Hyatt Shanghai, Shanghai; and Six Senses Destination Spa, Phuket; are among the 45 resorts named in Travel+Leisure’s It List 2009 of best new hotels around the globe.

This year, the It List focuses on destinations closer to home with several hotels located in the Asian and South Pacific region, including one in Australia.

The It List, chosen by Travel+Leisure’s editors, is one of the most influential directories of the world’s best new hotels. It will be featured in the annual hotels and resorts issue of Travel+Leisure, out June 22,

Anthony Dennis, editor of Travel+Leisure, says: “It’s a great achievement for Tasmania’s The Priory to make the list.

Featured recently in the Australian Travel+Leisure edition, this small hotel is owned by the same operators of the acclaimed Islington in Hobart, who have a clear and ongoing commitment to quality.”

“The inclusion of only one Australian winner on this year’s list may be reflective of a quieter period for local tourism. However, there are a number of exciting new projects underway in Australia due to open over the next year such as Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa and Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania.”

“With Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island and Hamilton Island’s Qualia featuring on the 2008 list, the challenge for the Australian tourism industry is to keep producing these world-class hotels which appeal to the affluent international traveller and will put us in a strong position for the eventual upturn in the global economy.”

The 45 Best New Hotels in 2009 are:

ASIA

+ Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing, Beijing, China
+ Ritz-Carlton Sanya, Hainan Island, China
+ W Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
+ Park Hyatt Shanghai, Shanghai, China
+ Aman New Delhi, New Delhi, India
+ Taj Nadesar Palace, Varanasi, India
+ Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa, Phuket, Thailand
+ Six Senses Destination Spa, Phuket, Thailand

AFRICA, MIDDLE EAST AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC

+ Xudum Okavango Delta Lodge, Okavango Delta, Botswana
+ Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita, Mauritius, Botswana
+ Molori Safari Lodge, Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa
+ Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay, Zighy Bay, Oman
+ Atlantis, The Palm Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
+ Priory Country Lodge, Tasmania, Australia

EUROPE

+ Rough Luxe, London, England
+ Le Couvent des Minimes, Provence, France
+ Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, Florence, Italy
+ LaVilla Hotel, Piedmont, Italy
+ ME Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
+ Dolder Grand, Zurich, Switzerland
+ Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus, Istanbul, Turkey
+ Park Hyatt Maçka Palas, Istanbul, Turkey

UNITED STATES

+ InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa, Scottsdale, Arizona
+ Montage Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, California
+ Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Beach, California
+ SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills, California
+ Miami Beach Fontainebleau, Miami Beach, Florida
+ Mondrian, Miami Beach, Florida
+ Viceroy Miami, Miami Beach, Florida
+ The Mansion on Peachtree, A Rosewood Hotel & Residence, Atlanta, Georgia
+ Mandarin Oriental, Boston, Massachusetts
+ Encore Wynn, Las Vegas, Nevada
+ Encantado, Santa Fe, New Mexico
+ The Standard, New York, New York
+ The Nines, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Portland, Oregon

SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARRIBBEAN

+ Firefly Bequia, The Grenadines, Caribbean
+ Geejam, Jamaica, Caribbean
+ Banyan Tree Mayakoba Resort & Spa, Mayakoba, Mexico
+ Distrito Capital, Mexico City
+ Legado Mítico, Salta, Argentina
+ Uxua Casa Hotel, Trancoso, Brazil
+ Las Casitas del Colca, Colca Canyon, Peru
+ Inkaterra La Casona, Cuzco, Peru
+ Estancia Vik, José Ignacio, Uruguay