Dunton takes top Smith award

Accommodations at Dunton Hot Springs, in Dolores County, won the 2013 Smith Hotel Award for best outdoor setting, according to CNN.

The judges report: "It's hard to beat the Rockies as a backdrop, and this luxuriously restored Colorado mining town wisely lets the scenery do the talking. This unique mountain hideaway takes you straight back into the big-sky wilderness of the Old West, complete with log cabins, snow-capped peaks, not-so-lonesome pines and a perch on the porch to admire it all from. And, of course, there are the hot springs, which ensure that Dunton is a year-round alfresco spa haven."

Judges asked boutique-hotel lovers around the world to vote for their favorite hotels in multiple categories and over 47,000 have had their say.