HIGHLIGHTS, TRENDS & FUN FACTS FOR 2018

By the Numbers – A Breakdown of the 1,609 Winners

• There are 199 Five-Star, 513 Four-Star and 309 Recommended hotels.
• There are 64 Five-Star, 171 Four-Star and 83 Recommended restaurants.
• There are 60 Five-Star and 210 Four-Star spas.

New and Noteworthy

• In its Forbes Travel Guide debut, the Middle East emerged with big wins. The region picked up four Five-Star hotels (Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Dubai; Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi; Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre; Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach). It also tallied an impressive 21 Four-Star hotels and six Recommended hotels.
• South America captured its first Five-Star hotel. Tucked inside Brazil's Iguacu National Park amid the Iguassu Falls and the jungle, Belmond Hotel das Cataratas leads the region in service excellence.
• Marrakech launched with two Five-Star hotels (Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech; Royal Mansour Marrakech), a pair of Four-Star properties (Four Seasons Resort Marrakech, La Mamounia) and two Recommended hotels (Amanjena, Selman Marrakech).
• 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.
• Munich welcomed its inaugural Five-Star hotel, Mandarin Oriental, Munich. It joined Four-Stars The Charles Hotel, a Rocco Forte Hotel; Hotel Bayerischer Hof; and Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski Munich, along with Recommended properties Hotel München Palace and Sofitel Munich Bayerpost.
• Japan had some significant gains. The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto brought the Japanese city its first Five-Star accolade. Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto and Suiran, A Luxury Collection Hotel snagged Four-Stars awards. Kyoto Hotel Okura earned a Recommended honor. Over in Tokyo, Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo won a Five-Star award. The Capitol Hotel Tokyu and The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho picked up Four-Star honors.
• Independent hotels made a strong showing. 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.
• 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.
• Rosewood Beijing achieved a Five-Star rating—a first-time win for the brand in Asia. This was Rosewood's first property in China, opening in 2014. The Peninsula Beijing also scooped up a new Five-Star distinction.
• Trump Hotels earned Five-Star honors for its D.C. and Vancouver outposts, which is unusual for new properties. 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.
• New hotel wins helps further anchor the Riviera Nayarit as a destination that should remain high on luxury travelers' lists. The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort earned the Five-Star award, and Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit achieved a Four-Star honor.
• Forbes Travel Guide made significant gains this year in its global expansion, bringing its ratings to new destinations such as Amsterdam (Four-Star hotels Conservatorium, De L'Europe Amsterdam and Hotel Okura Amsterdam; as well as Recommended properties Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht, The Dylan, Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam, InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam, Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam, W Amsterdam) and Vienna (Four-Star properties Hotel Sacher Wien, Palais Coburg, Palais Hansen Kempinski and The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna; along with Recommended properties Grand Hotel Wien; Hotel Bristol, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Vienna; Hotel Imperial, A Luxury Collection Hotel; Hotel Sans Souci Wien; Park Hyatt Vienna; and The Ring Hotel Vienna).

Stars All Around

• 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 remarkable total of six Five-Star awards for the hotel, spa and four restaurants.

Where the Hotel Stars Shine Brightly

• In the United States, the greatest number of Five-Star hotels is in: California (19), New York (11), Florida (7), Massachusetts (6) and Nevada (5). California gained one new Five-Star hotel this year: Napa's Meadowood Napa Valley.
• U.S. cities with the highest number of Five-Star hotels include: New York (10), Beverly Hills (6), Las Vegas (5) and Miami (5).
• Globally, Macau reclaimed its spot as the city with the most Five-Star hotels (12). Last year, it tied Paris (both had 10). Other cities with the largest number of Five-Star include: Paris (10), London (9) and Hong Kong (8).

Where the Restaurant Stars Shine Brightly

• 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).
• Worldwide, cities with the highest number of Five-Star restaurants are Macau (12) and Hong Kong (9).
• Disney gets its first Five-Star restaurant. Victoria & Albert's makes fine dining an attraction in Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.
• The Peninsula Hotels group received its first Five-Star award for a restaurant. French fine-dining spot Gaddi's at The Peninsula Hong Kong was the winner.

Where the Spa Stars Shine Brightly

• In the United States, the greatest number of Five-Star spas is 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.
• Luna y Mar in Los Cabos and The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou mark the first Five-Star spas in their respective destinations.
• Globally, cities with the most Five-Star spas include: Macau (8), Hong Kong (5), Las Vegas (5) and Shanghai (4).

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