The Sundance resort, owned by actor Robert Redford, is the only Utah resort to make the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler's Readers Choice list this year.

The 6,000-acre full-service mountain resort, which sits at the base of the 12,000-foot Mount Timpanogos, ranked second in a worldwide readers poll of the top 50 U.S. resort destinations in 2007, up from sixth place in 2005. The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island in Georgia finished ahead of Sundance at first place this year.

The Readers Choice awards, one of the most anticipated stories of the globally distributed Conde Nast travel magazine, lists globe-trotting travelers' favorite hotels, cruises, airlines, islands and cities on the planet.

Conde Nast Traveler's annual poll asked its readers to evaluate resorts on a combination of factors including ambience, activities, staff friendliness, restaurants, lodging, shopping, overall design, rooms and service. More than 28,000 travelers were surveyed, with Sundance receiving a rating of 94.6 out of 100.

Sundance also finished 34th in Conde Nast's Top 100 Best of the Best hotels and resorts worldwide, tying for that same ranking with international resorts including Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Le Sirenuse in Positano, Italy; and the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

"Conde Nast is very well respected in the travel industry. This ranking will give us more bragging rights at trade shows," said Tracie Cayford, deputy director of the Utah Office of Tourism. "But more importantly, this ranking shows entities around the world are starting to take notice of something we've known for a long time, that is, Utah is a world-class destination."

Artistic events like the Sundance Film Festival and other year-round film and recreational workshops also help attract more destination visitors and independent filmmakers to the resort, she said.

Also significant is the growing recognition of Sundance's restaurants including the Tree Room, which has won awards including the prestigious Zagat's Survey of America's Top Restaurants in 2005, and made the AAA Four Diamond list for three straight years in 2003, '04 and '05, as well as the Foundry Grill, which received the 2005 Best of State award for dining.

"The dining option is gaining importance in what's called foodie tourism," Cayford said. "When people travel, they want great culinary experiences. Sundance can lend itself to foodie tourists."

"Sundance is extremely honored to be voted as the top mountain destination resort in the United States. The Conde Nast ranking is especially meaningful since this award is from the readers who have come to the resort and were so moved by their experience as to participate in the Conde Nast Traveler's poll," said Chad Linebaugh, co-general manager of Sundance.

The resort also made Conde Nast Traveler's Gold List in 2006 in the Best for Activities category, and in January this year was ranked among the top 500 hotels in the world by Travel+Leisure magazine.

Founded in 1969, the resort, which touts nature as a key part of its recreation experience, offers mountain activities including snow sports, hiking, mountain biking, fly-fishing and horseback riding as well as art classes, exhibits and 40-plus film screenings annually from the Sundance Film Festival. The resort is part of the Sundance family of companies including Sundance Preserve, Sundance Institute, Sundance Channel, Sundance Cinemas and Sundance Catalog.