5 Luxury Hotels & 3 Resort Spas in Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore Join an Elite Group of Star-Award Winners Worldwide.
Forbes Travel Guide, the originators of the prestigious Five-Star ratings program in the U.S., unveiled its annual list of Five-Star and Four-Star hospitality establishments worldwide, including eight Asian hotels and spas that will be awarded the Five-Star and Four-Star rating for the first time.
The complete list of 2012 award winners can be viewed on Startle.com; a new interactive travel recommendation website commissioned by Forbes Travel Guide.
The new Forbes Travel Guide list marks the latest installment of the travel ratings system which has provided the most comprehensive ratings and reviews of hotels, restaurants and spas since 1958. Hotel and spa establishments in Hong Kong, Macau and Beijing were introduced to the original U.S. ratings program in 2008, with an expansion to Singapore earlier this year.
Highlights for 2012 Making their debut on the prestigious 2012 Forbes Travel Guide list for Asia are:
- Mandarin Oriental in Singapore, which has the distinction of being the only Five-Star hotel in Singapore as well as the only new Five-Star hotel in Asia.
- The China World Summit Wing and Park Hyatt in Beijing; Mandarin Oriental in Macau; and Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong, join the list with the Four-Star hotel rating.
- The spas at Four Seasons in Hong Kong as well as the Mandarin Oriental in both Singapore and Macau, have all earned the coveted Five-Star rating.
These additions bring the total number of Forbes Five-Star hotels to 57, including five in Hong Kong, two in Macau, and one in Singapore. Globally, there are also 30 Forbes Five-Star spas and 24 Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurants; all in the U.S.
"Our annual ratings represent the best of the best in hotels, restaurants and spas worldwide. They serve as not only guideposts for consumers who are looking for exceptional travel experiences but also as a benchmark for these establishments," Shane O'Flaherty, President, Ratings & Inspections, Forbes Travel Guide, said.
"The 2012 Forbes Travel Guide ratings list is based on the intensive on-site property inspections that we have conducted for over 50 years. To provide a new avenue for consumers to make choice decisions on the property that will best suit their needs, we have launched Startle.com which will feature rich content on each of our Five-Star and Four-Star properties."
Full list:
http://blog.startle.com/forbes-travel-guides-five-and-four-star-award-winners Detailed InspectionsForbes Travel Guide's ratings, the most comprehensive in the industry, are based on objective evaluations of more than 550 attributes at each rated hotel and over 150 attributes for each rated spa, providing a global and unified Five-Star rating system that consumers around the world can trust. Forbes Travel Guide begins the hotel rating process with a facility inspection that considers every aspect of the property, including its overall cleanliness, condition and location.
To achieve Five- and Four-Star status, properties must meet or exceed Forbes Travel Guide's bar-setting service standards, which are determined through an unannounced incognito service evaluation conducted by Forbes Travel Guide's professional inspectors. The ratings reflect the best-of-the-best in hospitality excellence and have long been considered one of the highest achievements in the travel industry.
Future expansion As part of its plans to expand their presence in Asia, Forbes Travel Guide will be introducing Shanghai to its rating system in April 2012 and additional Asia cities in 2012 and beyond.
A complete list of Forbes Travel Guide award winners in Asia can be found in the Appendix. For a complete list of 2012 Five-Star and Four-Star winners highlighting the newest additions, visit
www.startle.com or follow Forbes Travel Guide on Twitter.
