Forbes Travel Guide has named its 2023 award winners, which include 21 Five-Star and 19 Four-Star spas.
Forbes Travel Guide (“FTG”) the only independent, global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants and spas has today released its 2023 Star Awards, which also included its inaugural ocean cruise ratings.
According to the media release, the hotel ratings expanded into new destinations, including Athens, Bodrum, Capri, Copenhagen, Cusco, Cyprus, Oslo, Sicily, Stockholm and Tunis. The 65th annual list features 360 Five-Star, 585 Four-Star and 433 Recommended hotels; 79 Five-Star, 113 Four-Star and 67 Recommended restaurants; and 119 Five-Star and 195 Four-Star spas worldwide.
Nine destinations received their first Five-Star hotel awards: Athens (Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens); Bodrum (Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum); Capri (J.K. Place Capri); Kuwait (Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya); Lake Como (Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como); Mallorca (Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa); Osaka (The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka); Riyadh (Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre; The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh); and Shenzhen (Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen).
Macau has replaced London as the city with the most Five-Star hotels in the world, now with 22 top-rated properties. Macau gained five new Five-Star hotels, more than any other destination (Galaxy Hotel, Grand Lisboa Palace Macau, The Karl Lagerfeld, Londoner Court, The Londoner Hotel).
The Maldives added four new Five-Star hotels: JOALI BEING; Patina Maldives, Fari Islands; The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands; Soneva Jani.
The awards also included 26 new Four and Five-Star restaurants.
FTG also announced its first-ever ocean cruise ratings with five ships. The inaugural resorts at sea Star-Rated ships are Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Flora and Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Summit.
Six destinations picked up their first Five-Star spa accolades: Barbados (The Spa at Sandy Lane), Ireland (The Spa at Ashford Castle), Kuwait (Spa and Wellness Centre at Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait Burj Alshaya), Madrid (The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Madrid), Mauritius (One&Only Le Saint Géran’s Wellness Spa) and Vancouver (Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Pacific Rim)
“Travel is in an incredible position for continued growth, as people prioritize authentic, in-person experiences,” said Amanda Frasier, President of Ratings for Forbes Travel Guide, in a statement. “The hotels, ocean cruises, restaurants and spas on our 2023 Star Rating list demonstrate an impressive commitment to creating memorable environments that nurture connection, joy and sense of place as we experience the world to its fullest.”
All in all there are now 21 new Five-Star spas. These are:
Auriga Wellness at Capella Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
Crown Spa Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Fairmont Spa Century Plaza Los Angeles, United States (CA)
Iridium Spa at The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
Le Spa Sisley, French Riviera, France
One&Only Le Saint Géran’s Wellness Spa, Mauritius
The Retreat Spa at Okada Manila, Manila, Philippines
Serrano Spa, Los Angeles, United States (CA)
The Spa at Ashford Castle, Ireland
The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Madrid, Madrid, Spain
The Spa at Grand Lisboa Palace, Macau, China
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Jumeira Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The Spa at Sandy Lane, Barbados
The Spa at The Karl Lagerfeld, Macau, China
The Spa at The St. Regis Toronto, Toronto, Canada (ON)
The Spa at West Hollywood EDITION, Los Angeles, United States (CA)
Spa Alkemia, Los Cabos, Mexico
Spa and Wellness Centre at Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait Burj Alshaya, Kuwait
Spa Palmera, Palm Beach United States (FL)
Waldorf Astoria Spa Las Vegas, Las Vegas, United States (NV)
Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver, Canada (BC)
And 19 new Four-Star spas. These are:
Awana Spa, Las Vegas, United States (NV)
Esencia Wellness Spa, Los Cabos, Mexico
Fairmont Spa Austin, Austin, United States (TX)
Feel Urban Spa by Live Aqua, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
ila Only Spa at Lotte New York Palace, New York City, United States (NY)
LUX* ME Spa at Grand Baie, Mauritius
Muluk Spa at Hotel Xcaret Arte, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Muluk Spa at Hotel Xcaret Mexico, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Muluk Spa at La Casa de la Playa, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Raffles Spa, Singapore
Thermal Spring Spa, Kyoto, Japan
Sky Club, Hong Kong, China
The Spa at Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita, Mauritius
The Spa at The Maybourne Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, United States (CA)
Spa La Mer at Les Airelles, The Alps, France
Spa Montage Healdsburg, Sonoma, United States (CA)
Talise Spa at Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa, Kuwait Kuwait
Tenaya Stone Spa, Orange County United States (CA)
Tierra Luna Spa, Phoenix United States (AZ)