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Forbes Travel Guide Announces 2017 Star Rating Awards (Australia)

175 Hotels Across the Globe Achieve Coveted Five-Star Award; 38 New Properties Receive Top Honors for First Time
Launching in 42 Countries, with the Largest and Most Diverse Group of Winners, Awards Continue Global Expansion into Australia and Pacific Rim
Crown Towers Melbourne is the First and only Five-star in Melbourne Australia
The Darling Hotel at The Star Sydney is the First and only Five-star in Sydney Australia
Forbes Travel Guide
2017-02-23 23:21 3046

SYDNEY, Feb. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Forbes Travel Guide today unveiled its 59th list of worldwide Star Rating recipients, continuing its exceedingly selective approach for recognizing the world's finest properties and rewarding gracious, intuitive service.

For 2017, the award winners include 38 new Five-Star hotels, 75 new Four-Star hotels and 85 new hotels in the Recommended category. Other first-time recipients include seven Five-Star restaurants, 16 Four-Star restaurants and 21 Recommend restaurants. The list also honors nine new Five-Star spas and 35 new Four-Star spas. See the complete list of winners here.

As it continues to expand globally, Forbes Travel Guide now rates properties in 42 countries throughout the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, with plans to add the Middle East and Africa for 2018. Newly added 20 international destinations for 2017 include: Bali, Barcelona, Bogota, Budapest, Cartagena, County Kildare (Ireland), Dublin, Kyoto, Lima, Lisbon, Manila, Melbourne, Monte Carlo, Munich, Osaka, Santiago, Seoul, St. Tropez, Sydney, Venice and Zurich.

"This year's Star-Rated properties -- the largest and most global group in the company's history -- achieved an impeccable standard of excellence in hospitality, underscoring our overall mission of positively contributing to the international tourism industry as well as the individual hotel experience," said Gerard J. Inzerillo, Chief Executive Officer of Forbes Travel Guide. "We are excited to recognize the 2017 Star Rating recipients, an exceptional collection of hotels, restaurants and spas with a strong culture of service. In an online environment of confusion and clutter, Forbes Travel Guide is the most trusted source of information to assist guests in making informed decisions," Inzerillo said. "We are proud to congratulate everyone associated with the prestigious properties recognized today."

To celebrate this year's award, Star-Rated winners are invited to the Forbes Travel Guide All-Star Celebration in New York City on March 2. Attendees will enjoy a mouth-watering selection of dishes prepared by award-winning chefs and legends of the international culinary world, including: Jose Garces, Amada; Christian Pratsch, Asiate; Daniel Boulud, Daniel; Mario Batali and Joe and Lidia Bastianich, Del Posto; Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Jean-Georges; Geoffrey Zakarian, The Lambs Club; and Michael White, Vaucluse.

HIGHLIGHTS, TRENDS & FUN FACTS FOR 2017

  • Just the Numbers
    • Among the total 1,463 winners, there are 175 Five-Star, 477 Four-Star and 239 Recommended hotels.
    • Overall, 62 Five-Star, 179 Four-Star and 73 Recommended restaurants earned distinctions.
    • In the spas category, a total of 56 Five-Star and 207 Four-Star spots achieved awards.
  • Beauty in Diversity
    • While the 2017 group of winners is the most diverse in terms of size, location and style, one overarching theme that ties them together is that each delivers its own distinctive experience. New Five-Star hotels range from the brand-new fresh and inventive Faena Hotel Miami Beach and the recently restored grand dame Ritz Paris to over-the-top all-suite hotel The Ritz-Carlton, Macau. Boutique hotels also made a strong Five-Star showing, including Cabo San Lucas' 87-room The Resort at Pedregal, London's 30-room Hotel 41 and Rome's 14-suite Portrait Roma.
  • New and Noteworthy
    • In Australia, Crown Towers Melbourne and The Darling in Sydney picked up their respective city's first Five-Star hotel distinction. In addition, Melbourne added a Four-Star (Park Hyatt Melbourne) and two Recommended properties (Grand Hyatt Melbourne; The Langham, Melbourne). Sydney racked up two Four-Star (Park Hyatt Sydney; The Langham, Sydney) and a Recommended hotel (Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney). Each city also gained a Four-Star spa (Crown Spa Melbourne, Sydney's The Darling Spa).
  • Stars All Around
    • An elite group of (11) 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; Mandarin Oriental, Miami; Montage Laguna Beach; Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island; and Wynn Las Vegas.
  • Where the Hotel Stars Shine Brightly
    • In Australia, there are 2 newly added Five-Star hotels in Melbourne and Sydney respectively: Crown Towers Melbourne and The Darling Hotel at The Star.
    • Globally, cities with the most Five-Star hotels include: Macau (10), Paris (10), London (9) and Hong Kong (8). Macau and Paris remain neck and neck with one new winner each in 2017.
  • Where the Restaurant Stars Shine Brightly
    • Globally, cities with the highest number of Five-Star restaurants include: Macau (11) and Hong Kong (8). 
    • Asia's fine-dining scene continues to shine with two new Five-Star restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau: Man Wah in Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Yan Toh Heen in InterContinental Hong Kong, Mizumi in Wynn Macau and Shinji by Kanesaka at Crown Towers Macau.
  • Where the Spa Stars Shine Brightly
    • The sumptuous Crown Spa at Crown Towers Melbourne and The Darling Spa at The Darling Sydney are the only 2 Four-Star Spas in Australia.
    • Globally, cities with the most Five-Star spas include: Macau (7), Hong Kong (5) and Shanghai (4).

2017 Forbes Travel Guide Australia - Hotels

Hotel Name

Location

Rating

Crown Towers Melbourne

Melbourne

5 Stars

Park Hyatt Melbourne

4 Stars

Grand Hyatt Melbourne

Recommended

The Langham, Melbourne

Recommended

The Darling Hotel at The Star

Sydney

5 Stars

Park Hyatt Sydney

4 Stars

The Langham, Sydney

4 Stars

Shangri-La Hotel Sydney

Recommended

2017 Forbes Travel Guide AustraliaSpas

Spa Name

Location

Rating

Crown Spa at Crown Towers Melbourne

Melbourne

4 Stars

The Darling Spa

Sydney

4 Stars

For details on how Forbes Travel Guide compiles its Star Ratings, click here.

To view the complete list of 2017 Forbes Travel Guide Star Rating recipients, click here.

ABOUT FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE

Forbes Travel Guide is the originator of the prestigious Five-Star Rating system, and has provided the travel industry's most comprehensive ratings and reviews of hotels, restaurants and spas since 1958. Forbes Travel Guide has a team of expert inspectors who anonymously evaluate properties against up to 800 rigorous and objective standards, providing consumers the insight to make better-informed travel and leisure decisions. Forbes Travel Guide is the most prestigious standard for luxury hospitality worldwide. For more information about Forbes Travel Guide, visit www.forbestravelguide.com.

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Source: Forbes Travel Guide
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