Forbes Travel Guide 2017: Four Seasons sets five-star record; Macau wins big

February 22, 2017

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistle
(Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler)

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts set a record with the 2017 edition of the Forbes Travel Guide.  Worldwide, a total of 30 Four Seasons hotels and resorts earned the guide’s coveted Five-Star designation in 2017, setting the record for the highest number of Five-Star awards given to a single brand in the history of the Forbes Travel Guide ratings. The Forbes Travel Guide, which started as the Mobil Travel Guide, has been published since 1958.

Meanwhile, China’s Macau region was rated one of the leading Five-Star destinations in the Forbes Travel Guide. Other highly rated regions include Hong Kong, New York, London, California and Paris.

The Forbes Travel Guide has a team of expert inspectors who anonymously evaluate properties against up to 800 rigorous and objective standards, providing consumers the insight to make better-informed travel and leisure decisions, according to Forbes.

Forbes Travel Guide’s Star Rating system is ranked in the following categories:

Five Star Properties: These are outstanding, often iconic properties with virtually flawless service and amazing facilities.

Four Star Properties: These are exceptional properties, offering high levels of service and quality of facility to match.

Recommended Properties: These are excellent properties with consistently good service and facilities.

Soon-To-Be-Rated Properties: As our highly trained, incognito inspectors work to assess properties, our editors check them out ahead of time and provide a sneak preview of what to expect.

Here are some fact highlights from a Forbes press release:

  • Among the total 1,464 winners, there are 175 Five-Star, 478 Four-Star and 237 Recommended hotels.
  • Overall, 62 Five-Star, 176 Four-Star and 73 Recommended restaurants earned distinctions.
  • In the spas category, a total of 56 Five-Star and 207 Four-Star spots achieved awards.

Standout Newcomers

  • Among the new destinations, the small island of Bali emerged as a big luxury winner. The new luxury hot spot snagged Five-Star distinctions for three hotels (Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, The Villas at Ayana). It also tallied an impressive 10 Four-Star hotels and three Recommended properties. Five Four-Star spas also debuted.
  • Puerto Rico added had three properties that debuted on the Five-Star list, with The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort; Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve; and Spa Botánico, a five-acre oasis within Dorado Beach.
  • In Australia, Crown Towers Melbourne and The Darling in Sydney picked up their respective city’s first Five-Star hotel distinction. In addition, Melbourne added a Four-Star (Park Hyatt Melbourne) and two Recommended properties (Grand Hyatt Melbourne; The Langham, Melbourne). Sydney racked up two Four-Star (The Langham, Sydney; Park Hyatt Sydney) and a pair of Recommended hotels (InterContinental Sydney Double Bay; Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney). Each city also gained a Four-Star spa (Crown Spa Melbourne, Sydney’s The Darling Spa).
  • Numerous European destinations debuted with their first Five-Star properties: Budapest (Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest), Barcelona (Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona), the French Riviera (Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel) and Venice (Belmond Hotel Cipriani).

Other Leading Brands

  • An elite group of 11 properties earned Five-Star awards for their hotel, restaurant and spa. These triple Five-Star winners include: Banyan Tree Macau; The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs; The Cloister in Sea Island, Georgia; Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego; The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong; Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas; Mandarin Oriental, Macau; Mandarin Oriental, Miami; Montage Laguna Beach; Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island; and Wynn Las Vegas.
  • Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong and Wynn Macau set a new record, achieving a total of six Five-Star awards for the hotel, spa and four restaurants.
  • Crown Towers Macau won a total of five Five-Star awards for the hotel, spa and three restaurants.
  • Altira Macau and Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong received a total of four Five-Star awards for the hotel, spa and two restaurants.

Where the Highest-Rated Hotels Are

  • In the United States, the greatest number of Five-Star hotels are in: California (18), New York (9), Florida (8), Massachusetts (6) and Nevada (5). California gained two new Five-Star hotels this year: Napa’s Solage, An Auberge Resort and San Diego’s Fairmont Grand Del Mar.
  •  U.S. cities with the highest number of Five-Star hotels include: New York (8), Beverly Hills (5), Las Vegas (5) and Miami (5).
  • Globally, cities with the most Five-Star hotels include: Macau (10), Paris (10), London (9) and Hong Kong (8). Macau and Paris remain neck and neck with one new winner each in 2017.

Where the Highest-Rated Restaurants Are

  • In the United States, the greatest number of Five-Star restaurants reside in: New York (7), California (6) and Nevada (6).
  • Cities in the United States with the most Five-Star restaurants include: New York (7), Las Vegas (6) and Chicago (3).
  • Las Vegas’ fine-dining scene is seeing an uptick with three new Five-Star restaurants: Le Cirque Las Vegas and Picasso, both in Bellagio, and Wing Lei in Wynn Las Vegas.
  • Globally, cities with the highest number of Five-Star restaurants include: Macau (11) and Hong Kong (8).

Where the Highest-Rated Spas Are

  • In the United States, the greatest number of Five-Star spas are located in: California (8), Florida (5) and Nevada (5). California’s two new Five-Star spa additions are Meadowood Spa in Napa and The Spa at Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles.
  • The brand-new and sumptuous Meadowood Spa brings Napa Valley its first Five-Star spa.
  • Globally, cities with the most Five-Star spas include: Macau (7), Hong Kong (5) and Shanghai (4).
  • Sense, A Rosewood Spa at Mayakoba is the first and only Five-Star spa in Mexico.

To celebrate this year’s award, Star-Rated winners are invited to the Forbes Travel Guide All-Star Celebration in New York City on March 2, 2017. Attendees will enjoy selections of dishes prepared by award-winning chefs and legends of the international culinary world, including: Jose Garces, Amada; Christian Pratsch, Asiate; Daniel Boulud, Daniel; Mario Batali and Joe and Lidia Bastianich, Del Posto; Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Jean-Georges; Geoffrey Zakarian, The Lambs Club; and Michael White, Vaucluse.

 

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