PENNINGTON, N.J., Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In its first annual hotel awards, TripAdvisor's family travel site, Family Vacation Critic, has released a list of the top hotels for families. Over 400 hotels received the honor of "Family Vacation Critic Favorite," out of more than 3,500 hotels recommended on the site. The awards are based on reviews from the site's editors and community of family travelers.

"Every hotel listed on Family Vacation Critic has been hand-chosen by our editors as being appropriate for families, so this award really highlights those that go above and beyond," says Lissa Poirot, editor of Family Vacation Critic. "Finding a true family-friendly hotel can be challenging, but these hotels have received a seal of approval from real families, and can truly identify themselves as places that family travelers have rated the best."

To be named to the list of Family Vacation Critic Favorites, hotels must have met the following criteria:


    --  Hotel must have been personally vetted and visited by a member of Family
        Vacation Critic's editorial team, and receive either a four- or
        five-star editorial rating.
    --  Hotel must have been recommended by 75% or more families who have
        reviewed the property, with a four- or five-star review rating.

The elite group of hotels meeting the requirements represent the top 12% of hotels listed on the Family Vacation Critic site.

For more information on the winning hotels, visit 2014 Family Vacation Critic Favorite Hotels.

About Family Vacation Critic
 Family Vacation Critic(®) is a comprehensive online travel resource for families that offers reviews of family hotels, resort and destinations. The site features vacation ideas, family travel tips and an online forum for family travelers. Family Vacation Critic is published by The Independent Traveler, Inc., a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, Inc.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 23 other travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.lafourchette.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.virtualtourist.com, and www.kuxun.cn. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching nearly 260 million unique monthly visitors*, and more than 150 million reviews and opinions covering more than 4 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions.

*Source: Google Analytics, average monthly unique users, Q1 2014; does not include traffic to daodao.com

Family Vacation Critic and The Independent Traveler are either trademarks or registered trademarks of The Independent Traveler, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2014 The Independent Traveler, Inc. All rights reserved.

Media Contact:
 Aubrey Manzo
(609) 583-0054
aubrey@familyvacationcritic.com

SOURCE Family Vacation Critic