ATLANTA—Forbes Travel Guide has released its 60th list of Star Rating winners, recognizing top properties and services around the world. A total of 199 hotels received the five-star award, including 27 new five-star hotels, 70 new four-star hotels, and 76 new hotels in its recommended category.
In the United States, 83 hotels received Forbes Travel Guide’s 2018 five-star rating, 220 made the four-star list, and 120 fell into the recommended category. New York City seized two new five-star wins: Baccarat Hotel and Residences and Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown. The last time the city had a new five-star hotel was in 2016, with the addition of Park Hyatt New York. A new four-star hotel was added, too: Archer Hotel New York.
The new Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is Hilton’s first five-star hotel in the Western Hemisphere. The brand also has five-star Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund. California gained one new five-star hotel this year: Napa’s Meadowood Napa Valley.
Trump Hotels earned five-star honors for its D.C. and Vancouver outposts, which is unusual for new properties. Forbes Travel Guide noted that these and other just-opened winners (like Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, and Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown) show that hotels are becoming increasingly vested in their pre-opening strategies, including recruitment and training practices.
Independent hotels made a strong showing in this year’s star ratings. First-time five-star awards went to Le Richemond Genève; Magee Homestead in Wyoming; Meadowood Napa Valley; Nemacolin Woodlands Resort-Falling Rock in Farmington, Pennsylvania; and Williamsburg Inn in Virginia.
U.S. States with the Most Five-Star Hotels
- California (19)
- New York (11)
- Florida (7)
- Massachusetts (6)
- Nevada (5)
U.S. Cities with the Most Five-Star Hotels
- New York (10)
- Beverly Hills (6)
- Las Vegas (5)
- Miami (5)
In the United States, the greatest number of five-star restaurants resides in New York (7), Nevada (6), and California (5). Cities in the United States with the most five-star restaurants are New York (7) and Las Vegas (6). Disney got its first five-star restaurant this year—Victoria & Albert’s in Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.
The greatest number of five-star spas in the United States are located in California (9), Florida (5), and Nevada (5). California’s new five-star spa addition is The Spa at Rancho Valencia in San Diego.
An elite group of 13 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; Meadowood Napa Valley; Montage Laguna Beach; Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island; The Peninsula Hong Kong; Wynn Las Vegas; and Wynn Palace, Macau.
Altira Macau and Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong received a total of four five-star awards for the hotel, spa, and two restaurants. Nüwa Macau won a total of five five-star awards for the hotel, spa, and three restaurants. Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong and Wynn Macau achieved a total of six five-star awards for the hotel, spa, and four restaurants.
“This is a momentous year for Forbes Travel Guide. Our anniversary commemorates 60 impressive years of serving hotels and guests,” says Gerard J. Inzerillo, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. “As the most trusted source for travelers, we continue to carry out our mission to verify luxury worldwide. We are delighted to honor the 2018 Star Rating recipients, an outstanding collection of hotels, restaurants, and spas with a strong service culture. It’s the largest and most global group of Star-Rated properties in our company’s history. We congratulate these properties for their dedication to service excellence.”
