1. A comprehensive, accurate and unbiased list of the world’s outstanding hotels, restaurants, destinations, and travel services.

2. A GROUP OF HIGHLY QUALIFIED TRAVEL AGENTS. The National Association of Business Travel Agents (NABTA) is a select group of approximately 1500 agents trained and experienced to service the requirements of the upscale business traveler. These agents recommend hotels, restaurants, plus a variety of travel products and services for both business and leisure travel. Look the above sign on hotels and restaurants worldwide.

3. A GROUP OF HIGHLY TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED EVALUATORS. The travel facilities we recommend are not selected by the general public. We are not knocking those publications which solicit opinions from the general public. But who knows if the individuals who submit their opinions to these magazines and guides actually visited the hotel or restaurant which is the subject of their opinions? After all, many of them receive a free magazine or guide in exchange for their submissions. Plus, who knows how qualified some of these folks might be? On the other hand, our reviews and recommendations are the result of hands-on evaluations conducted by trained travel professionals.

Our hotel, restaurant and travel facility evaluators have been working in the travel industry for many years. For example, Stuart J. Faber has visited approximately 90 countries numerous times over, and has inspected more hotels and restaurants than we can count. Our other evaluators have combined experience of over thirty years. Our travel agent members know from personal experience the quality of hotels and restaurants that upscale travelers demand and expect.

4. HOW WE CONDUCT OUR INSPECTIONS. To begin with, our inspections are unbiased. WE ACCEPT NO ADVERTISING FROM ANY FACIILITY OR PRODUCT we feature in biztravelershchoice or FABER’S CHOICE. Our evaluations of a hotel include every aspect of the property from the front desk to the loading dock. We even run a clean towel over the heating and air conditioning vents! We clandestinely hang around the reception desk to observe how guests are treated. We make pests of ourselves with the concierge, the housekeepers and the bell staff. Our check-list contains over 120 items.

When we evaluate a restaurant, not only do we sample the cuisine, we wrangle invitations into the kitchen and check out the cleanliness, the freezer and the pantry. We quickly learn the identity of those chefs who proclaim to use only fresh ingredients. Freezers laden with meat and fish, shelves bulging with canned goods tell us the true story. In many instances, chefs invite us to work side-by-side with them in the kitchen. So we know if a sauce is naturally rich or thickened with an artificial thickener.

We evaluate a product, such as a golf club, computer or garment bag with the same vigor and dedication. We use each product almost to the point where it collapses.

Destinations are rated, not only on the basis of size and popularity, but on a host of unique qualities. For example, few would debate our selection of Paris, London, New York and Rome as superb destinations. But we do evoke some snickers when we anoint Truckee, California-a city with clean streets, old fashioned neighborhoods and a lively and friendly downtown as a must-visit destination. The snickers subside when the skeptics approach this hamlet, nestled in the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains, and experience the art galleries, the wonderful cafes and the historic hotels. We also love Tracy Arm and Nakwasina Sound in southern Alaska-of course, you won’t find a Prada boutique, a symphony hall or a classic French restaurant. But you can get close to bears, moose, bald eagles, humpback whales (and they are not in a zoo)-or walk on glaciers-or feel the shower of a waterfall as it cascades over the bow of your cruise ship.

5. A METICULOUSLY SELECTED LIST OF THE BEST OF THE BEST. Our list of hotels, restaurants, destinations and products is admittedly a limited list. WE ONLY RECOMMEND THE BEST OF THE BEST-THE TOP OF THE LINE in each category.

6.  OF COURSE, THE BEST DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN THE MOST EXPENSIVE-OR THE FANCIEST. For example, most sophisticated upscale travelers relish their meals at The French Laundry in the California wine country or at Le Cinq in the George V Hotel in Paris. But often these same folks have a hankering for a great hamburger, succulent BBQ or a hunk of pie made with fresh fruit and a flaky crust. We seek out these great places, many of which have been in the same family for generations-and we report on them as the best in their category.

7. SO WHEN WE REFER TO THE "TOP OF THE LINE," we don’t mean to imply that a chili dog at Pink’s in Los Angeles (which we recommend as a top-of-the-line hot dog), should be compared with the over-the-top duck foie gras with rhubarb and elderberry juice served at Le Cinq at the Four Seasons George V Hotel in Paris (which we recommend as top-of-the-line foie gras). It’s simple-if you have a yen for a great hot dog, stop off at Pink’s-if you savour a delicate foix gras, hop over to Le Cinq.