Cabo San Lucas’ Esperanza, An Auberge Resort
Photo Courtesy of Auberge Resorts
Forbes Travel Guide revealed its 58th list of Star Rating winners — the most in our company’s history. The new list includes the first star-rated properties in Paris, the French Riviera, Rome, Florence, Geneva, England’s Home Counties, Berlin, Bermuda, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman, Nevis, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, St. Martin, Cancun, San Miguel de Allende, Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, Los Cabos, Iguazu Falls, Hangzhou and Taipei. For the past year, our team of professional incognito inspectors has traveled the world in search of the best hotels, restaurants and spas to add to your must-visit list.
View the full list of official 2016 Forbes Travel Guide Star Ratings here.
Among our 2016 award recipients are 42 new Five-Star hotels, two new Five-Star restaurants and two new spas capturing the honor. Paris emerged as a top winner, debuting on the list with nine Five-Star hotels (Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris; Hôtel Plaza Athénée; La Réserve Paris; Le Bristol Paris; Le Meurice, Dorchester Collection; Le Royal Monceau — Raffles Paris; Mandarin Oriental, Paris; The Peninsula Paris; Shangri-La Hotel, Paris).
Elsewhere in Europe, London added another Five-Star to its roster with The Goring, and England’s Home Counties welcomed its first Five-Star accolade with Coworth Park. Italy made a strong showing with four Five-Star awards in Rome (Hotel de Russie, Hotel Eden, Hotel Hassler Roma, J.K. Place Roma), three in Florence (Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, Hotel Savoy, Portrait Firenze) and one in Milan (Mandarin Oriental, Milan). And Switzerland’s standout Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva joined the Five-Star pack.
In the Caribbean, Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico and Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados snagged Five-Stars, while Costa Rica’s Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo landed the win. Mexico saw Esperanza, An Auberge Resort and Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort in Los Cabos; Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa in Playa del Carmen; and The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun earning the coveted distinction.
Asia added more Five-Stars in Tokyo (Palace Hotel Tokyo, The Peninsula Tokyo), Bangkok (The Peninsula Bangkok), Guangzhou (Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou), Macau (MGM Macau) and Shanghai (The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong). Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake became the first Five-Star hotel in Hangzhou.
Stateside, new Five-Stars went out to Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Manalapan, Florida; Montage Deer Valley in Park City, Utah; Montage Kapalua Bay in Maui; Park Hyatt New York in New York City; and Wequassett Resort and Golf Club in Cape Cod. The Langham, Chicago also clinched first-time Five-Stars for its hotel and Chuan Spa. Meanwhile, Canada’s Five-Star tally increased with Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler and The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto.
The Forbes Travel Guide Star Rating list now includes 154 Five-Star hotels, 56 Five-Star restaurants and 47 Five-Star spas. It also has a total of 411 Four-Star hotels, 187 Four-Star restaurants and 180 Four-Star spas, along with 159 Recommended hotels and 68 Recommended restaurants. For the complete list of winners, click here.