Forbes awards reflect interest in well-being, authenticity

Always anticipated and the award that hoteliers get the most PR milage from – The Forbes Travel Guide star awards – were announced on Wednesday and revealed that secondary cities such as Nashville and New Orleans experienced a significant surge in rankings this year, offering insights into emerging destination preferences.

Forbes Travel Guide President of Ratings Amanda Frasier said the list also reflects the evolving focus travelers have on well-being and the desire for authentic destination-centric itineraries.

The hotel ratings expanded into new destinations, including Baku, Azerbaijan; Curacao; Iceland; Sardinia, Italy; Kenya; Algarve and Madeira, Portugal; Rwanda; Koh Samui, Thailand; Rabat, Morocco; Makkah, Saudi Arabia; and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Winners are determined on 900-plus criteria and the 66^th annual list produced:

• 340 Five-Star, 600 Four-Star and 503 Recommended Hotels
• 78 Five-Star, 121 Four-Star and 59 Recommended Restaurants
• 126 Five-Star and 201 Four-Star Spas
• seven Four-Star and five Recommended Cruise Ships

Here are some highlights from the 2024 winners: 

• Dubai gained five new Five-Star hotels (Address Beach Resort; Armani Hotel Dubai; Atlantis, The Royal; The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai; and The St. Regis Dubai, The Palm), the most of any market. The city totals 12 Five-Star hotels.
• Beyond Dubai, the Middle East saw additional new top-rated winners in Doha (Four Seasons Hotel Doha and Raffles Doha) and Kuwait (Waldorf Astoria Kuwait), making it the region with the newest Five-Star awards.
• Montage Hotels & Resorts becomes the world’s only all-Five-Star hotel brand after Montage Big Sky in Southwestern Montana earns a Five-Star accolade.
• Luxurious adventure travel is on the rise. Rwanda debuts on the list with two Five-Star winners (One&Only Gorilla's Nest and One&Only Nyungwe House), and Kenya makes its first appearance featuring animal-centric experiences at Nairobi’s Four-Star Giraffe Manor and Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club.
• For the second consecutive year, Macau remains the city with the most Five-Star hotels (22), with the addition of Paiza Lofts at The Parisian Macao.
• Three hotels earned their exclusive triple Five-Star status, representing properties that receive top awards for their hotel, restaurant and spa. Salamander Middleburg in Virginia horse country achieved the trifecta with Harrimans Grill and Salamander Spa. Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito, California, won the Five-Star honors along with its Sense, A Rosewood Spa at Miramar Beach and Caruso's restaurant. The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman captured the Caribbean’s first triple Five-Star title with Blue by Eric Ripert restaurant and The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Grand Cayman. There are only 15 triple Five-Star winners in the world.
• Travel is thriving in smaller metro areas like Nashville (with Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Conrad Nashville and JW Marriott Nashville), Charleston (Forbes Travel Guide Recommended boutique hotel The Charleston Place) and New Orleans (Four-Star properties Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans and The Ritz-Carlton Spa, New Orleans).
• Five-Star restaurants appear for the first time in Grand Cayman (Blue by Eric Ripert) and Tokyo (Nouvelle Epoque). Restaurant ratings also debuted in Dubai (Four-Star winners Armani/Ristorante Dubai and Stay by Yannick Alléno at One&Only The Palm) and Los Cabos (Four-Star Cocina de Autor at Grand Velas Los Cabos).