Preferred Hotels® & Resorts Worldwide, a prestigious brand of more than 116 distinctive, independent luxury hotels and resorts has extended its member collection with the addition of three new properties: St. Julien Hotel in Boulder, Colorado; Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa in Ft. Myers, Florida; and the Montage Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach, California.

Preferred is proud to welcome these three distinctive hotels to our membership portfolio, said Rob Cornell, Managing Director of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. As the Preferred brand continues to grow worldwide and throughout North America, visitors to these key markets can now be assured of travel experiences that are unparalleled in superior quality and service.

Membership in Preferred is restricted to independently owned, full-service luxury hotels, resorts and spas. Preferred considers top-caliber properties for membership that meet and exceed the high operational levels required by Preferred´s Standards of Excellenceä, an award-winning, proprietary quality assurance audit that annually measures and monitors 1,600 aspects of a property´s service delivery and facilities.

Prospective Preferred member hotels are evaluated on such elements as geographic location, building architecture and design, grounds and landscaping, interior design, guest rooms and common areas, bathroom features, staffing levels, food and beverage facilities, room service, engineering and safety, health and fitness facilities, business services, and conference/meeting facilities.