After four years at the top, London has lost its crown as the five-star hotel capital of the world – instead it’s Macau, China that now boasts the highest rated hotels.
The Forbes Travel Guide’s 2023 Star Awards recognize that Macau – a city and region nicknamed the “Las Vegas of Asia” thanks to its booming gaming industry – boasts a total of 22 five-star hotels, which now includes the Grand Lisboa Palace Macau. Karl Lagerfeld and the London Hotel.
London has 21 five-star hotels, including the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park and The Langham, with no new five-star hotels opening in the English capital this year.
The ratings are given by “highly qualified inspectors” who have evaluated properties around the world on a range of criteria, taking into account everything from service to the level of luxury.
The 65th annual list lists 360 five-star hotels, 585 four-star hotels and 433 “recommended” hotels – with a total of 48 brand new five-star hotels. Spas and restaurants were also recognized with 119 five-star and 195 four-star spas worldwide, as well as 79 five-star, 113 four-star and 67 recommended restaurants.
After four years at the top, London has lost its crown as the five-star hotel capital of the world in the Forbes Travel Guide’s 2023 Star Awards. Above is the five star Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel, London
First place Macau has a total of 22 five-star hotels, including the recently awarded London Hotel (photo)
Several US hotels have recently received five-star ratings. These include the Montage Healdsburg Resort in California, the Boca Raton Beach Club in Florida and the Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago.
Nine destinations welcomed their first five-star hotel at the awards this year.
In Europe there is Athens and the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens; the Turkish city of Bodrum with the Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum; the island of Capri with JK Place Capri; Kuwait for the Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at the Burj Alshaya; Lake Como in Italy with the ‘Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como’ hotel and Mallorca in front of the Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa.
Also a member of the Five Star Club is the Japanese city of Osaka for The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka; Riyadh in Saudi Arabia for both the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Center and The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh; and Shenzhen, China for the Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen.
Four new five-star hotels in the Maldives have now been added to the ranking, including Soneva Jani and The Ritz-Carlton Maldives.
Dubai’s Jumeirah Al Naseem Hotel, which moved to the UAE, earned a five-star rating on the list. And aAfter a two-year renovation, the legendary Raffles Hotel Singapore – where the Singapore Sling cocktail was invented – has triumphantly returned to the star rating list with a five-star award.
Despite not receiving five-star ratings, the Nordics made the list for the first time, with the four-star Hotel d’Angleterre in Copenhagen and several winners in Oslo and Stockholm.
Sicily also received an impressive number of four-star hotel reviews – five in total – including one for Taormina’s San Domenico Palace, famous for the second season of the hit TV series The White Lotus.
Several US hotels have also recently received five-star ratings, including Florida’s Boca Raton Beach Club (pictured).
Nine destinations welcomed their first five-star hotels this year, including the Turkish city of Bodrum with pictured Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum
Four new five-star hotels in the Maldives have been added to the list this year, including Soneva Jani (above)
The Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid (pictured) in Spain recently received a five-star rating
Otherwise, the US fared well in the five-star restaurant rankings.
Justin’s Restaurant in Paso Robles, California received its first Five Star award, while Gabriel Kreuther Restaurant on Manhattan’s East Shore is the first new independent restaurant in New York City in 10 years to receive Five Stars.
In the Spa rankings, six destinations received their first five-star spa awards, including Barbados for The Spa at Sandy Lane; Ireland for The Spa at Ashford Castle; Madrid for the spa at the Four Seasons Hotel Madrid and Vancouver for the Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont Pacific Rim.
In a new category for this year’s awards, Forbes Travel Guide has published its first ever cruise reviews.
After a two-year renovation, the legendary Raffles Hotel Singapore (above) has triumphantly returned to the star rating list with a five-star rating
Montage Healdsburg, California (above) was recently awarded five stars
Restaurant Gabriel Kreuther in Manhattan is the first new independent restaurant in New York City to earn a five-star rating in 10 years
In a new category of this year’s awards, Forbes Travel Guide has published its first ever cruise reviews, with Celebrity Edge (above) as one of its first star-rated ships
The first spaceships are Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Flora and Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Summit.
Commenting on the awards, Amanda Frasier, President of Ratings for Forbes Travel Guide, said: “Travel is in an incredible position for continued growth as people prioritize authentic, personal experiences.
“The hotels, cruises, restaurants and spas on our 2023 star rating list demonstrate an impressive commitment to creating memorable environments that foster connection, joy and a sense of home as we fully experience the world.”
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
