Forbes Travel Guide Announces 2016 Star Rating Awards

ATLANTA, Georgia, February 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

154 Hotels Across the Globe Achieve the Coveted Five-Star Award, with Forbes Travel Guide Now Rating in 29 Countries and More than 100 of the World's Top Destinations  

Paris Wins Nine Five-Star Hotel Awards in its First Year as a Forbes Travel Guide-Rated Destination, Joining Macau with the Most Top Hotels  

Four Seasons Dominates with Six New Five-Star Hotels;
The Caribbean and Mexico Emerge with Distinctive Five-Star Winners, Large and Small;
The Langham, Chicago Earns a "Double Five" for its Hotel and Spa  

Forbes Travel Guide today unveiled its 58th list of worldwide Star Rating recipients, including 42 new Five-Star hotels, 101 new Four-Star hotels and 57 new hotels in the Recommended category.

Forbes Travel Guide now rates properties in 29 countries throughout The Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region and expects to double its size again in the next year with expansion into the Middle East and Africa. The 2016 Five-Star hotel winners now total 154 - the most in Forbes Travel Guide's history. The company continues its uniquely selective process for recognizing the finest properties in the markets it rates, rewarding intuitive, gracious service -  which makes winning an award one of the most prestigious achievements in the industry.

In addition to the Five-Star hotel winners, two new restaurants earned Five-Star awards, bringing the total to 56. Two new spas achieved Forbes Travel Guide's highest honor, pushing the tally to 47 Five-Star spas. See the complete Star Rating list here.

"We are delighted to recognize the 2016 Star Rating recipients, a phenomenal group of hotels, restaurants and spas," said Gerard J. Inzerillo, Chief Executive Officer of Forbes Travel Guide. "These properties set an unimpeachable standard of excellence in hospitality at a moment when the proliferation of voices claiming to provide unbiased ratings online is exploding. With Forbes Travel Guide-rated properties, there is no ambiguity, no doubt: based on a stringent set of standards developed and refined over six decades, our ratings are now accepted and embraced worldwide. We are proud to congratulate each of the owners, property managers and their teams, and everyone associated with the prestigious properties recognized today. Together, we help discerning consumers make better luxury travel decisions worldwide."

Forbes Travel Guide also recognized a total of 410 Four-Star hotels, 187 Four-Star restaurants and 180 Four-Star spas, as well as its list of 159 Recommended hotels and 68 Recommended restaurants in the markets it rates - the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Costa Rica, England's Home Counties, London, the French Riviera, Paris, Berlin, Florence, Milan, Rome, Geneva, Bangkok, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo.

A Snapshot of the List: Highlighting the Big Winners and Trends 

• Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts made the strongest showing among hotel brands, with six new Five-Star hotels in Florence, Italy; Geneva, Switzerland; Hangzhou, China; Papagayo, Costa Rica; Paris, France; and Whistler, Canada. It also dominated the overall Five-Star hotel list, nabbing 26 of the 42 spots. This is the first time in the company's history it has achieved six new Five-Star hotels in a single year.

• Paris was the year's biggest winner among new destinations, debuting with nine Five-Star hotels: Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris; Hôtel Plaza Athénée; La Réserve Paris; Le Bristol Paris; Le Meurice; Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris; Mandarin Oriental, Paris; The Peninsula Paris; and Shangri-La Hotel, Paris.

• Italy also scored high, with eight hotels earning Five-Star accolades in the country's first year as a rated destination. Rome continues to be a hot luxury destination, boasting four Five-Star hotels (Hotel de Russie, Hotel Eden, Hotel Hassler Roma, J.K. Place Roma). Florence clinched three Five-Star awards (Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, Hotel Savoy, Portrait Firenze) and Milan took one (Mandarin Oriental, Milan).

• In the Asia-Pacific region, Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake became the first-ever Five-Star hotel in that newly rated destination. China now has a total of 10 Five-Star hotels, with three first-time winners this year. Palace Hotel Tokyo became the first Japanese-branded hotel ever to receive Five-Star recognition. Peninsula achieved two new Five-Star awards, one in Tokyo and another in Bangkok.

• Distinctive independent boutique properties around the world continue to gain recognition, including The Goring, London; J.K. Place Roma, Rome; La Réserve Paris; and Portrait Firenze, Florence; and all garnered Five-Star awards for the first time. Coworth Park, set in the English Royal County of Berkshire, also earned the top honor - demonstrating that the highest levels of service and facilities can be found in all locations, at all property types and in all parts of the world.                                                
• Langham Hotels & Resorts nabbed its first Five-Star award in the U.S. The Langham, Chicago won the top honor for both its hotel and spa.                        

• The Caribbean and Mexico scored big wins. In the Caribbean, large branded hotels such as Puerto Rico's Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve joined independent boutique properties like Barbados' Sandy Lane Hotel in earning first-time Five-Stars. Mexico had six Five-Star hotels on the list in Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Punta Mita.

• In the U.S., Wequassett Resort and Golf Club became the only Five-Star hotel on Cape Cod, its first time winning the coveted honor. It joined Five-Star properties from destinations as diverse as New York City (eight Five-Star hotels); Las Vegas (five Five-Star hotels); and Park City, Utah (two Five-Star hotels).

For details on how Forbes Travel Guide compiles its Star Ratings, visit http://www.forbestravelguide.com/about/forbes-travel-guide.

To view the complete list of 2016 Forbes Travel Guide Star Rating recipients, visit http://www.forbestravelguide.com/about/awardwinners.