We’d like to thank the Academy…
Posted by James on September 2nd, 2010
Today, a brief tale of David and Goliath, this battle taking place within the web-wide travel industry at last night’s Condé Nast Traveller Readers Travel Awards, held at the very grand and grown-up Royal Institution of Great Britain. Mr & Mrs Smith were up for Best Travel Website.
After a couple of drinks, Mrs Smith and I sit in a packed auditorium with the great and the good of the travel world, all graciously clapping and cheering as award after award is dished out. We make a mental note to congratulate the dozens of Smith hotels who make the top-20 CNT readers’ hit lists in their respective corners of the world (14 out of the top 20 UK hotels in the Leisure Hotels category are in the Smith collection, eight out of 20 in Australia and South Pacific – more details to come in another post).
Then, suddenly, it’s the turn of our category. With clean underwear and crisply ironed shirt on and everything crossed, we listen to the top-10 countdown…
10 cheapflights.co.uk
9 blacktomato.co.uk
8 sawdays.co.uk
7 travelsupermarket.co.uk
6 i-escape.com
The suspense is now doing me serious damage, and I vow never to be rude about those frozen-smiley contenders at the Baftas again: it’s hard to maintain an expression that says ‘hopeful yet demure’ for this long.
5 lastminute.com
4 virginlimitededition.co.uk
My lord, maybe we didn’t even make to the top 10 – there are some pretty big names here – visions of a wooden spoon float through my mind…
3 expedia.co.uk
Thinking it’s all over, I reach for my coat, then a lady walks in with the certificates for the winner and the runner up – yet more suspense, but I’ve resigned myself to the hope of maybe doing better next year. I swig back the last of my champagne and then…
…CNT editor S
arah Miller announces Smith as the runner-up.
Wow/damn/oh great – mixed emotions run wild when I hear our name called. Chuffed we’re in the top 10 and gutted we got so close to the top spot; feeling now a little bit like the kid at school that got the prize for trying the hardest. But, once the winner is announced, we’re thrilled, especially when we reflect that Trip Advisor has 40 million visitors each month and we have 300,000.
2 mrandmrssmith.com
1 tripadvisor.co.uk
So Goliath wins and David comes second, but at least we conquered a few other giants to secure our runner-up position, and that makes today a pretty good day i
n my book.
A huge thank you to everyone who voted for us – it genuinely means a hell of a lot – and thank you to our wonderful team who work their socks off every day. Thank you also to Condé Nast Traveller, mum, dad, cat, dog, etc. And well done, Trip Advisor: maybe we can swap places next year…
The October issue of Condé Nast Traveller, with the full list of award-winners and nominees, is out now.
we’ll get em next year
By kev grant
On September 2nd, 2010
Well done Mr & Mrs Smith!!!
By Pats
On September 2nd, 2010
Well done everyone, I’m so proud xxx
By Sabine
On September 2nd, 2010
Congratulations!
Well deserved!
However, you could have ended higher, if you would have added a couple of very well established properties that you haven’t added yet, to your collection earlier (evil grin).
By Happy Hotelier
On September 3rd, 2010
Wow, that’s awesome news! Congratulations!
Hey why no hotels in Israel? I need some tips!
By Krista
On September 6th, 2010
Congratulations Mr & Mrs Smith! That’s a great result, and you’ve got something to aim for to pip the top spot next year.
By Rachel Armitage
On September 10th, 2010
Excellent news!! And i loved your review of the awards..
By Chris
On September 14th, 2010
congratulations on doing so well
just shows you how poor the other websites are
By paul
On September 14th, 2010
Great news! Very impressed, congratulations! I especially like the well written destination guides you provide, they are refreshingly personal and always convey a sense of the place rather than focusing on numbers and adsresses! Keep up the hard work, and maybe you’ll be at the top of the list next year. xxx
All the best from another travel site – although just a miniature one:)
By Vibeke
On September 14th, 2010
Wow, that’s amazing. Well done tech and wordSmiths – a highly deserved accolade. Re Trip Advisor, as we boutique lovers know so well, size isn’t everything…
By Kate P
On September 14th, 2010
Well Done! Well deserved and lovely write up on your evening Mr Smith!
By claire waters
On September 14th, 2010
Congrats – so very close but nearly at the top spot – and in a creditable top 10 of those I’ve mostly heard of or even written for.
By Heather on her travels
On September 14th, 2010
Wow, congratulations!
Mr and Mrs Smith was a tremendous help in planning our vacations!
By Kevin
On September 15th, 2010
Congratulations!
Well deserved!
This is somethign to build on and shows you are moving in the right direction.
Number 1 next year
By OJ
On September 17th, 2010
Congratulations, Mr & Mrs Smith!! Thoroughly deserved.
Beth F
By Beth Foster
On September 20th, 2010
thats amazing, well done!
By Gareth Goddard
On September 20th, 2010
Congratulations Mr & Mrs Smith, a very well deserved award for an excellent team of people.
By Maggie Godding
On September 29th, 2010
[...] goodness. There we were being crushingly disappointed honoured and humbled to be named runner-up in the Condé Nast Readers Awards, and barely had the champagne bottle gone out with the recycling, when along comes Travolution with [...]
By Travolution Awards 2010: Travel Brand of the Year
On October 1st, 2010
[...] Smith has been cleaning up on the awards circuit recently. Fresh from our recent successes at the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Awards (Best Travel Website runner-up) and the Travolution ceremony (Travel Brand of the Year; Best [...]
By Best Travel Agent - Guardian & Observer Travel Awards 2010
On October 20th, 2010
Hi, Mr & Mrs Smith have judged the luxury market well and delivered value and luxury in the same experience – what more can you ask for!
By karen Emerson
On April 27th, 2011
Congratulations, Mr & Mrs Smith!!
By Laura
On April 28th, 2011