210 Hotels Across the Globe Achieve Coveted Five-Star Award in the Forbes Travel Guide 2019. London unseated Macau as the city with the most Five-Star hotels; 21 New Hotels Receive Top Forbes Travel Guide Honors for First Time.
Forbes Travel Guide rates properties in 76 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Newly added destinations for 2019 include: Anguilla, Bahrain, Belize, Danang, Doha, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Istanbul, Oman, Perth, the Swiss Alps, Tel Aviv, and Uruguay.
The Peninsula Hotels @The Peninsula Hotels
Forbes Travel Guide today debuted its 61st annual list of Star Rating winners, recognizing the world’s finest properties and rewarding gracious, intuitive service.
The 2019 award recipients include 21 new Five-Star hotels, 49 new Four-Star hotels and 62 new hotels in the Recommended category. Other first-time recipients include six Five-Star restaurants, eight Five-Star spas and 21 Four-Star spas.
“At Forbes Travel Guide, we verify luxury. Our independent inspection process is the gold standard in the hospitality industry,” said Filip Boyen, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. “Discerning travelers can trust that each winner is the best of the best.”
Peninsula Beijing Spa – The Peninsula Hotels @The Peninsula Hotels
A standout was The Peninsula Hotels, which made Forbes Travel Guide history by becoming the world’s first all Five-Star hotel company. The Peninsula Manila earned its fifth star this year, which pushed the Hong Kong-based brand’s tally to 10 Five-Star hotels.
Several countries captured their first Five-Star hotel: Malaysia (Crockfords at Resorts World Genting), Portugal (Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon), South Korea (The Shilla Seoul), Turkey (Raffles Istanbul) and Vietnam (Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An).
London unseated Macau as the city with the most Five-Star hotels, thanks to four new additions (Bulgari Hotel & Residences, London; The Langham, London; Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park, London; Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard, London). London finished with 13 top-ranking hotels, with Macau at a close 12.
The U.S. added two new Five-Star hotels (Hawaii’s Four Seasons Resort Lanai and the D.C. area’s Salamander Resort & Spa). These countries gained one new Five-Star hotel: Canada (Fairmont Pacific Rim), China (Bulgari Hotel Beijing), France (Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel), Indonesia (Bulgari Resort Bali), Mexico (Rosewood San Miguel de Allende), the Philippines (The Peninsula Manila) and United Arab Emirates (Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island).
The Spa & Salon at ARIA Las Vegas; photo: @aria.com
To view the complete list of 2019 winners, click here.
Where the Spa Stars Shine Brightly:
- In the United States, the greatest number of Five-Star spas is in: California (10), Florida (6) and Nevada (4).
- Globally, cities with the most Five-Star spas include: Macau (9), Hong Kong (5) and Las Vegas (4).
- Houston captures its first Five-Star spa with The Spa at The Post Oak Hotel. The new 20,000- square-foot urban facility also has the distinction of being the only Five-Star spa in Texas.
- The U.S. welcomed new Five-Star spas in cities such as Houston (The Spa at The Post Oak Hotel), Las Vegas (The Spa & Salon at ARIA), Los Angeles (La Prairie Spa at Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills) and Palm Beach (The Spa at The Breakers Palm Beach).
- New Five-Star spas were found in international destinations, including Bali (The Bulgari Spa Bali), Cabo San Lucas (The Spa at Esperanza), Lisbon (Ritz Spa) and Macau (Zensa Spa).
- The longest-running Five-Star spa is Spa Montage Laguna Beach, which has maintained its rating for 14 consecutive years. It also was Forbes Travel Guide’s first Five-Star spa recipient.
- Ten spas earned Five-Star rating for more than 10 years: The Mandarin Spa (Hong Kong); The Oriental Spa, Hong Kong; The Peninsula Spa Hong Kong; The Spa at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island (Charleston); The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Miami; The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, New York; The Spa at Sea Island (Sea Island, Georgia); The Spa at Wynn Las Vegas; The Spa at Wynn Macau; and Spa Montage Laguna Beach.
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