Let’s go with the good news first:

Glenwood Hot Springs Pool was first runner-up in USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Hotel Pool, topped only by the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The ranking was based on four weeks of nationwide online voting, and included destinations in much larger or glamorous cities than Glenwood. The top 10 included, for example, the Sheraton Waikiki and the Grand Wailea Resort on Maui.

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The not-as-good news:

While residents here might know better, voters in Outside Magazine’s Best Town contest decided Glenwood Springs won’t win the honor.

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Port Angeles, Washington, ousted Glenwood from the contest, which was set up in a 64-town bracket with round-by-round, head-to-head voting.

Glenwood had topped Victor, Idaho, in Round 1, and Whitefish, Montana, in Round 2, but Port Angeles, just across from Canada on the Olympic Peninsula, jumped ahead in Round 3 and won 10,646 to 10,358.

Glenwood supporters closed the gap Monday evening, but couldn’t overcome the votes for Port Angeles, which has more than twice Glenwood’s population.

Still, getting to the final 16 means a feature on Glenwood in Outside’s September issue.

Regarding the USA Today Readers’ Choice voting, “We are ecstatic with the results,” said Jeremy Gilley, director of sales and revenue for Glenwood Hot Springs and the Spa of the Rockies. “Finishing in one of the top spots for Best Hotel Pool in such a prestigious national competition is an honor for our property and our mountain community.”

Glenwood Hot Springs Pool and all the nominees for the contest were initially chosen by a panel of travel media professionals and experts from USA Today and 10Best.com. The category of Best Hotel Pool featured 20 contenders, all elite travel destinations. Each property was encouraged to use social media to connect with voters. The winning properties were determined by the number of votes cast.

“We were up against some very stiff competition; properties with major marketing resources at their disposal,” Gilley said. “Thanks to everyone who voted for Glenwood Hot Springs Pool and helped spread the word to get the vote out.”

Best Hotel Pool was one of several of categories in the 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

The top finishers in the contest, including Glenwood Hot Springs Pool, receive significant media recognition through a variety of outlets. Winners are announced and promoted across relevant USA Today departments, and through Gannett media outlets, including the websites of its 81 local newspapers and 43 television stations.