Directors of 5-Star spas share what sets them apart from the rest. Learn the secrets of 5-Star spa directors.

As we gear up to head into a new year, luxury hotels and spas around the world will be working towards landing a coveted Forbes 5-Star award rating. 

With this in mind we collected insights from the directors of Five-Star rated spas on what sets their spas apart from the rest and what makes a great guest experience and a great leader in spa and wellness. 

What sets your spa apart from the rest?

A concept, an identity and a soul, a 5-Star level of commitment, and making memorable moments. 

VERENA LASVIGNE FOX, Senior Spa Director, Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center 

Detail and consistency. It was important that we distinguish our spa and give it a concept, an identity, and a soul. Our spa is a crystal concept. This theme made sense to me because we are in the Comcast Technology Center, which is one of the tallest buildings in the United States and a technology building, and there is a relationship between technology and crystals.

We have seven treatment rooms named after seven crystals, which are also connected to seven chakras. Each room has a singing bowl infused with the crystals associated with that room, and there are 700 lbs of crystals that you can’t see, walled up inside the walls, providing positive vibes and energies. There are crystals throughout the spa and we work with crystal infused oils. We have a crystal massage, and at the end of the treatment, the guests get a crystal to take home.

AMANDA RAICH, Director of La Prairie Spa Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills

Our mindset is the most important. We had a goal of becoming a Forbes 5-Star spa before we even opened. Everyone that was hired from that point on had to embrace that level of commitment. We have been relentless in our drive and passion to be consistently delivering 5-Star service. In addition to heavily investing in training with Forbes, we hold our staff to our own internal annual recertification. Delivering on this promise to our team and guests is a top priority that is made possible by the hotel and owners. Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills’ La Prairie Spa is Hilton’s first Forbes 5-Star spa in the Americas, which is a huge accomplishment for the brand. From our skincare partnership with La Prairie, to the additional wellness services and spa amenities, we are proud to offer the finest of luxury. Serving as a testament to this, the spa is outfitted with Dyson hair dryers, Audemars Piguet clocks, and other internationally renowned luxury brands.  

DAISY TEPPER, Spa Director at The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston

Visually it’s beautiful, but the biggest thing is the attention to detail. We make sure every little thing is thought of. From the moment we welcome the guest we’re watching for little things we can do.

A guest commented on how much they loved the little peanut butter spheres we offer, so the attendant got a little box, packaged them beautifully with a ribbon, and gave it to the front desk so they had it when they checked out. We had a mother and daughter come in who hadn’t seen each other for a while and came to spend time together. We took a picture of them, put it in a frame with a ribbon, and left it at the desk as a gift. It’s the little things that we do for the guest that they don’t expect and that make people walk away and say ““Wow. This is something I will always remember.”

I make sure to discuss and challenge the team daily. I ask the question “tell me about how you went above and beyond for a guest today?” 

What makes an excellent guest experience?

Empathy, personal connection, and knowing your employees experience reflects your guest experience.

Carlos Calvo Rodríguez, Senior Spa Director, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto

Empathy and the clear communication we have with our guests are a big part of the guest experience. When a guest comes to our spa, we look for a way to connect personally and emotionally, to make their time with us memorable. We make them feel so comfortable that they open up to us so we can anticipate their needs. 

TAFFRYN ELLIS, Senior Spa Director at Four Seasons London Park Lane

A great experience lies in connecting from the heart. Engagement needs to be caring, authentic, and sincere and not some drummed up rhetoric, which impacts all aspects of enjoyment from the experience.

Whilst the physical environment plays a great part in the sensorial experience, the human element is the major player and what drives the end result. Another very important aspect is the power of listening and then delivering that into service.

VERENA LASVIGNE FOX: It’s about the team. I’m honored to work with great professionals that understand what we’re doing here. Going through the greatest school, which was the George V in Paris, allowed me to develop a vision for a level of guest experience that is, by coincidence, at the Forbes 5-Star level. We were not trying for it and I think this is a very important point. We just have a natural belief in what we want to achieve and what we want to provide as a guest experience to our guests, and it’s a validation of that.

Also, at Four Seasons, the employee experience is as important as the guest experience. I say I’m very honored to work for such a team, but I’m tailoring a team that then is able to provide what is needed to be able to obtain such a recognition as Forbes 5 Star.

What does it take to be a great leader in spa and wellness?

Leading by example with passion and authenticity.

Taffryn Ellis: You need to be passionate about spa and wellness on all personal levels and live that out day by day with your team and your guests. If I don’t take care of myself, how can I take care of others? So, I am always practicing and researching healthy lifestyle principles and rolling those out in my workplace to lead my team and my guests, but I also do this in my home and with my family – so what my family receives from me, so do my team and guests

Being authentic and genuinely myself so that others feel comfortable to be themselves too, no matter what they are going through. Ditch the small talk and be honest and caring – less words and more actions, like hugs and smiles and making people laugh. I love to make people laugh.

CARLOS CALVO RODRIGUEZ:  There are two essential things to consider, one being continuing education; as this is an evolving industry and significant changes are to come, we must update our knowledge and expand the reach beyond what we know spa and wellness are currently. 

And secondly, be hands-on, be on the field with the team, understand what they go through daily, do the work and bond with them. See the operations from their eyes so you can guide them to excel and to the next level. 

AMANDA RAICH: Passion, emotional intelligence, versatility, surrounding myself with the right team and a strong financial understanding. I could have been up with a sick child or helping another with a school project they left to the last minute, but I come into work, have a second coffee and prioritize the spa from that point forward. 

I check my appointments, calendar, and to-do list which is organized into different sections:  Finance, Engineering, Orders, Monthly goals etc., so I know what the area of focus will be. I walk the spa every morning and love that alone time before everyone gets in to ground myself and feel a renewed sense of pride. Also not to take myself too seriously at the end of the day; I go home to my children, get kisses, cuddles, hear about their day and we start all over again the next day. 

DAISY TEPPER: Caring for your team and being there. Leading by example is a big thing. Treating them with the utmost respect is very important to me. The way I see it, they’re my internal guests, and if I take care of them, they will take care of the other guests. The bread and butter comes from these people. If you treat people well, they will go above and beyond.

VERENA LASVIGNE-FOX: It’s critical to lead by example. It’s important to listen to your team. We need to communicate effectively. My door is always open if somebody has a problem, and if there are challenges, we fix them and we find solutions. My team knows that I’m very much about celebration and very much about sharing positivity around us. They know that we are better off when we are focused on the positive things in life. I think a great leader is also someone who has a vision and who actively looks for ways to differentiate ourselves from the competition. I feel very honored to be able to serve a team, and I think this is how they feel about me as well, that I’m there for them and that I inspire and motivate them on a daily basis and help them to grow. 

Does technology play a big role at your spa these days?

Absolutely! From online booking to express check in and out, this is part of the experience. 

AMANDA RAICH: Yes and No; we have a six-in-one facial machine that looks like a robot, we have online booking, we have QR codes for press readers in the lounges, and our room lighting, curtains, and music that are all controlled by iPads in the treatment rooms. However, we haven’t gone down the route of extreme high-tech, such as no-touch wellness therapies. We are still very hands-on and consider ourselves a healing spa. Not to say there isn’t a space for those but coming out of the pandemic our guests still want connection and touch.

DAISY TEPPER: Technology does play a part, however I don’t want technology to take over what we truly are about. Spa to me is nurturing, caring, and healing, mainly through touch, which people want even more these days. I don’t believe in touchless therapy nor do I plan on taking that direction in the near future.  

What I do like and know to have improved operations are online booking, which takes the pressure off of the call volume, and text message confirmations. Both of these save on time and labor. Intake forms are a huge plus, saving time and paper, and keeping guest information confidential safely under their profile. And in-room technology, like an iPad set up with music selections, temperature, and bluetooth options are a wonderful enhancement to our rooms.

TAFFRYN ELLIS: Absolutely! From online booking to express check in and out, this is part of the experience. But I do require some digital detox for the guests and also for the team and myself! I try to encourage no cell phones in the spa and for me and the team – when we get home – switch off!

CARLOS CALVO RODRIGUEZ: We have seen an increase in demand for solutions and services that require technology, from digital consultations to touchless check outs and equipment that provides faster results and supports health and wellness. Technology is here to stay, but our industry’s essence is that human connection will remain much needed.

VERENA LASVIGNE-FOX: Yes, in different aspects, technology plays a role – front and back of the house. Online booking has taken a strong push over the last years, especially since the pandemic. Guests love to use technology, and we have reached a 98% completion rate of the guest intake digitally before the guest even gets to the Spa, which makes the guest experience so much more enjoyable when they arrive at the Spa. Another aspect is using technology to inventory and keep accurate track of what is in stock or what needs to be ordered—looking at the treatments where technology through the use of devices can complement the experience and provide enhanced results for our guests. At the same time, I believe that the human touch cannot be replaced.

Spa Executive is published by Book4Time, the leading cloud-based spa management software for the world’s top hotels and resorts, used by more Forbes 5-Star rated spas than any other vendor. Learn more at book4time.com .

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Forbes Travel Guide’s Executive Vice President of Standards & Ratings, Amanda Frasier, talks about what sets a Five-Star hospitality experience apart from the rest.

Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) is the global authority on luxury hospitality. Since its beginnings as Mobil Travel Guide in 1958, ­­­­FTG has grown to operate in 72 countries, and its coveted annual Star Rating system has become the gold standard against which all luxury travel is measured. FTG’s professional inspectors travel incognito to assess hotels, restaurants, and spas based on 900 objective standards that determine the ratings.

As Forbes Travel Guide’s Executive Vice President of Standards & Ratings, Amanda Frasier oversees all global expansion plans and is in charge of maintaining the overall integrity of the evaluation process. Ms. Frasier serves as chairman of the Forbes Travel Guide Standards Advisory Committee and directs the continual refinement of Forbes Travel Guide’s service and facility standards. She also spearheads the production of the For­­bes Travel Guide Luxury Summit, which serves as the official annual celebration of the Star Award winners.

Earning FTG’s Five-Star award is probably the dream of every hospitality leader. So, we spoke with Ms. Frasier about what sets a Five-Star hospitality experience apart from the rest, and how Forbes Travel Guide’s standards and ratings have changed over the past couple of years.

Tell us about your career and how you came to be in this role.

I was bitten by the travel bug as a teenager, while on a family holiday to Greece. I fell in love with the experience and thought to myself that somehow, some way, I wanted to work in the travel industry.

I did a travel and tourism course in school, but I realized quickly that college was not for me. I wanted to get out there. So, I got a job as a housekeeper in a small country house hotel in England. And, once I was in, there was no going back. I didn’t want to do anything else. I worked in several hotels and held various different jobs, moving up through the front office.

Then, in 2005, Mobil Travel Guide, (what Forbes Travel Guide was called at the time) was embarking on its consulting business, which we’re well known for today. The hotel where I was working received this literature, and I thought it was phenomenal that this business, which was well known for star rating properties, and that had been very opaque about their system, was becoming transparent to help support hotels, restaurants, and spas through their journey of service improvement. I wanted to be a part of that. So, I wrote in asking for a job and was fortunate to be offered a position. I started as an incognito inspector, worked my way through the company, and now I oversee standards and ratings. I’ve been with Forbes Travel Guide for nearly 16 years.

What does your job entail?

My key responsibility is to uphold the integrity of our business, to make sure that the way the standards are written and applied, and the whole process from A through Z, is executed with the highest level of integrity.

Can you talk about the elements necessary for attaining Forbes Travel Guide stars?

I think there are three key elements for a hotel to earn a star award or to rise to the top. One is hiring practices. If you are committed to delivering a particular experience and you want your staff to embody that, you have to look for those qualities when you’re hiring.

Seventy-five percent of our award is focused on service and how the staff make the guest feel; what they say, what they do, how they make things feel personal and unique, if they are gracious and intuitive. Unlike processes and procedures, those are qualities you can’t necessarily teach. They are kind of in you or they’re not. So, looking for the qualities that you want in the experience when hiring is a really important part.

The second key differentiator in properties that rise to the top is that everyone is on the same page, communicating, and working together, including the staff, the owners, and the managers.

The third element is consistency. The best hotels in the world have very little difference in all the data points that we assess. It’s not just that a guest can stay at a particular hotel and the experience feels similar and very equivalent in terms of service levels from trip to trip, whether you go every year or every five years, but also that, over the course of a few days, when our inspectors visit, everything is consistent within itself.

How have things changed since 2020?

In 2020, we actually declared that we were going to stop our star rating process, but we didn’t stop 100% because there were still destinations open and thriving in 2020. They’d been working hard, they were busy, they were ready to be evaluated. So, we ended up having a very light announcement at the end of 2020. Now, we’re back on the road again in full force.

During the pandemic we saw a lot of hotels figuring out how to combine health and safety regulations with still trying to give the best experience possible. And, that was clearly a struggle.

Some elements dropped off. Graciousness and service did drop off a bit. It was still very strong at the Five-Star level, but it did go down. Cleanliness also dropped off, which was surprising to us because of all the regulations around it. But, we’re starting to see all those performance points climb back up to almost pre pandemic levels, which is very encouraging.

We made a lot of concessions during the pandemic, and now that I think we’re seeing the end, there are not going to be any more concessions. But we have made changes. For example, most hotels and spas stopped offering buffet service, and we removed that requirement as a concession; if you’re not doing it because of health regulations, you’re not going to get penalized for it. We’re now bringing that back because that’s an enhancement to the guest experience, but rewriting the requirement with some modifications that better suit how people think about communal buffets now.

 Are you focusing on new or different things for 2022?

Definitely. Just before the pandemic hit, a big focus for us was launching sustainability standards. We paused releasing them because it wasn’t the right time to start evaluating people’s performance against reduction of single use plastics when everything had to be individually wrapped and there were millions of masks and miniature bottles of hand sanitizer in circulation.

We did release a set of sustainability standards for hotels in 2021, and these will be made official in 2022, meaning they’ll be part of the scoring. We have also created a separate set of sustainability standards for spas and restaurants that will officially become part of the star award system in 2023.

Does having a spa or wellness experience in a hotel improve your Star Rating?

Yes. But it’s not just about having a spa and checking the wellness box. For us, it’s important that a property embraces enhancing guest wellbeing across its hotel areas: the restaurant, the spa, the activities, the scent of the space, and the sleep experience, for example. Sleep is a big factor in our rating, everything from the quality of the bed to convenient ways to black out the light from your room, so that you can completely have a restful night’s sleep.

What makes a great guest experience?

Sometimes the most simple things are what makes the best experience. Yes, it’s lovely to offer champagne and flowers, and acknowledge birthdays, and it’s important to make sure guests have everything at their fingertips. But, sometimes you have to think small to be the most impressive. I think the best guest experiences are the ones that are genuine and naturally intuitive, where you get the sense that the staff have listened to you and have understood what you need and responded accordingly. It’s that nice balance between a conversation and hard work.

Can you share a story about a time you were wildly impressed?

I can, and you’ll probably think, “Oh my gosh, well, that’s so simple.” Because it is. I was staying in a hotel and had left a gratuity for my housekeeping attendant, because I always do, and then I left my room. When I came back later in the afternoon, there was a note from the housekeeper that said, “Ms. Frasier, thank you for the blessings. Have a lovely day.” The fact that somebody that worked for the hotel had taken the time to write that and to share that mutual kind of respect and acknowledgement was something that has stuck with me.

Nobody had necessarily told that young man or young woman to do that, but they wanted to do it. That to me was an impressive element that spoke volumes about that hotel’s culture and the staff. The things that stick with me the most are always the things that are unexpected and that come from the heart.

We’ve released a list of the spa & wellness trends we’ll be watching next year. Click here to download the Handbook: Seven wellness trends for 2022

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Forbes has announced the latest recipients of its Star Awards. Congratulations to all of Forbes Travel Guide’s 2021 Star Award winners!

Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) has announced the winners of its 63rd annual Star Awards.

The 2021 list of honorees features 283 Five-Star, 576 Four-Star and 438 Recommended hotels; 73 Five-Star, 136 Four-Star and 77 Recommended restaurants; and 90 Five-Star and 200 Four-Star spas worldwide. This year’s awards also include a number of special accolades for individual workers and brands in the hospitality industry. 

 Some highlights:

• Four new Five-Star hotels were named in Tokyo for a total of nine in the city: The Capitol Hotel Tokyu; The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, A Luxury Collection Hotel; The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo; and Takanawa Hanakohro.
• Five cities got their first Five-Star hotels: Hilton Head (Montage Palmetto Bluff), Houston (The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston), Montreal (Four Seasons Hotel Montreal), Philadelphia (Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center) and Seattle (Four Seasons Hotel Seattle).
• Three new Five-Star winners were named in Los Cabos: Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection; Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection; and Auberge Spa Chileno Bay.
• Scotland’s Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel is the country’s first Five-Star hotel.
• The cities around the world with the largest number of Five-Star hotels include London (19), Macau (13), Paris (13), New York (10) and Tokyo (9).

Employee of the Year awards

The second annual The second annual Employee of the Year awards, sponsored by Frette, honor the stand-out team members who have gone the extra mile in service of guests and co-workers.

The 2021 Hotel Employee of the Year is Hisashi Sugimoto, master bartender at The Tokyo Station Hotel. Eighty-year-old Sugimoto has been with the Tokyo Station Hotel since 1958 and invented many of the original cocktails at the hotel’s Bar Oak. Colleagues say Sugimoto’s passion for making guests happy has kept them coming back for six decades.

The 2021 Spa Employee of the Year is Najla Ceman, therapist, The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown. Forbes reports that, when the spa closed for nine months due to COVID, the 20-year industry veteran became certified in several health-and-safety-related courses to ensure she was prepared to meet new demands upon reopening. 

Hospitality Stars of the Year awards

Forbes Travel Guide also introduced the Hospitality Stars of the Year awards, sponsored by Frette, in 2021. 

These winners include:

Wellness Star of the Year, Hotel Esencia, Riviera Maya, Mexico. Hotel Esencia introduced a unique new room category, Rooftop Wellness suites, that come with a Mirror virtual fitness trainer, a Peloton bicycle, a Technogym weight set, yoga mats and an aromatherapy steam shower. The innovative accommodations also embrace the jungle setting with rooftop terraces, outdoor showers, solariums and private pools.

Philanthropic Star of the Year award, The Berkeley, London. The Berkely took the opportunity to provide drive-through meal service to emergency services and the vulnerable members of the population during the first COVID shutdown. Team members volunteered their time to participate. Five hundred meals were served daily to emergency services, and 250 meals a day were given to the elderly and vulnerable people in the community, in partnership with Westminster Council. In total, more than 50,000 meals were provided. 

People First Star of the Year: Raffles Seychelles. When Raffles Seychelles was forced to close for several months, it saved jobs by reducing salaries while continuing to provide housing and meals to team members. Only 10 employees of 300 were not retained. When conditions improved, the hotel paid a bonus to all employees.

Service Visionary Star of the Year: Ocean House Management Collection. The Ocean House team took an innovative approach to service during the pandemic by introducing the OH Well program. The program included a mobile cart for room-to-room delivery of cocktails and complimentary appetizers to recreate the bar experience, personalized picnics, culinary garden and winter igloo outdoor dining setups, and private culinary and wine classes and dinners.

Health Security Star of the Year, Hilton Luxury Brands, Conrad and Waldorf Astoria, Americas. In response to the pandemic, Waldorf Astoria and Conrad in the Americas quickly developed luxury service manuals with detailed videos and illustrations to thoroughly describe the modified guest experience with safety in mind. The brand also created a robust cleanliness and disinfection program for VERIFIED hotels.

Nominations for these industry awards were submitted by properties in Forbes Travel Guide’s worldwide collection. FTG received hundreds of entries.

“In this unprecedented time for the travel industry, every persisting staff member at a hotel, restaurant and spa is a winner,” said Filip Boyen, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. “But we also wanted to honor those hospitality workers who went above and beyond during the pandemic to aid their guests and colleagues. Our Employees of the Year and Hospitality Stars exemplify the best of our industry.”

Below are the new 5-Star spa and hotel award winners for 2021. To view the full list of 2021 Star Award winners, visit ForbesTravelGuide.com. 

New Forbes 5-Star Spas for 2021:

Auberge Spa Chileno Bay, Los Cabos, Mexico
Remède Spa Aspen, Aspen CO, United States
The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas, Las Vegas NV, United States
The Spa at Four Seasons Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing, Beijing, China
Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Sunstone Spa, Palm Springs CA, United States 

New Forbes 5-Star Hotels for 2021:

The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
The Capitol Hotel Tokyu, Tokyo, Japan
Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection, Los Cabos, Mexico
Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, Istanbul , Turkey
Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection, Los Cabos, Mexico
Four Seasons Hotel Montreal , Montreal QC, Canada
Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center, Philadelphia PA, United States
Four Seasons Hotel Seattle, Seattle WA, United States
Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing, Beijing, China
Montage Deer Valley, Park City UT, United States
Montage Palmetto Bluff, Hilton Head SC, United States
The Mulia – Nusa Dua, Bali, Bali, Indonesia
The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston, Houston TX, United States
The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Tokyo, Japan
The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
The St. Regis Bali Resort, Bali, Indonesia
The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
The St. Regis San Francisco, San Francisco CA, United States
Takanawa Hanakohro , Tokyo, Japan

How to get a Forbes Five-Star Rating for your spa

We looked into our crystal ball and predicted the future for the year ahead. Subscribe to our newsletter and download our special report on the trends we’ll be watching: Nine spa and wellness trends for 2021. Download here.

Spa Executive is published by Book4Time, the leader in guest management, revenue and mobile solutions for the most exclusive spas, hotels, and resorts around the globe. Learn more at book4time.com.

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The 2020 Forbes Travel Guide winners have been announced and there are 24 new Five-Star spas on the list and 22 new Four-Star spas.

Forbes Travel Guide has released the names of its 2020 Star Award winners. Now in its 62nd year, the Forbes Travel Guide list honors the world’s most luxurious hotels, restaurants and spas for offering exceptional service and guest experience.

The awards celebrate 1,898 Star-Rated properties in 73 countries, and this year a record-breaking 107 new Five-Star honorees appear on the new list. This is the result of an “ambitious expansion,” in which Forbes includes properties in sixteen countries on the list for the first time. The new awards add 70 Five-Star, 120 Four-Star and 81 Recommended hotels to the annual winners list. There are also 13 new Five-Star restaurants, eight new Four-Star and two new Recommended winners. Twenty four new Five-Star and 22 new Four-Star spas make the list. 

Destinations appearing for the first time on the Forbes list

Destinations with first-time Five-Star accolades include Bora Bora (The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort); Cambodia (Amansara and Belmond La Residence d’Angkor); Cape Town (Delaire Graff Lodge and One&Only Cape Town) and Johannesburg, South Africa (Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff, Johannesburg, and Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa); the Cayman Islands (The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman); Doha (Mandarin Oriental, Doha); Fiji (Dolphin Island); Ireland (Ashford Castle); Mauritius (Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita, One&Only Le Saint Géran and The Oberoi Beach Resort, Mauritius); Monte Carlo (Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo); Moscow (Four Seasons Hotel Moscow) and St. Petersburg, Russia (Lotte Hotel St. Petersburg); Prague (Four Seasons Hotel Prague); the Seychelles (Fregate Island Private); and Tahiti (The Brando).

Four Seasons adds 11 new Five-Star hotel awards

Four Seasons remains the brand with the most Five-Star hotels and adds 11 new Five-Star hotel awards to its collection. 

According to the Forbes website, hotels are rated on up to 900 standards, including “whether a staff member greets them curbside within 30 seconds of arrival, whether clothing left around a room is folded neatly or draped and placed within immediate view after turndown service, and whether the staff uniforms demonstrate exceptional design.” Ratings are decided by incognito inspectors who check into a hotel for a minimum of two nights, posing as ordinary guests. 

See the full list of hotels here. 

24 new Five-Star spas and 24 new Four-Star spas

What of the spas? This year, 24 spas made the Five-Star list for the first time. 

Macau boasts the most new Five-Star spas, with five, including Morpheus Spa; The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip; The Spa at Grand Lisboa; and Tria spas in MGM Cotai and MGM Macau. And Los Cabos has three new Five-Star properties: One&Only Spa at Palmilla, Waldorf Astoria Spa Los Cabos, and Spa Montage Los Cabos.

Arizona has three new Five-Star names, including Phoenix’s Aji Spa, The Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, and Scottsdale’s The Phoenician Spa.

Forbes Travel Guide’s new Star Award winners

New Five-Star Spa winners

Aji Spa, Phoenix, AZ, United States 

Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre, Paris, France

The Grand Spa at The Grand America Hotel , Salt Lake City, UT, United States

Morpheus Spa , Macau, China

Nüwa Spa Manila, Manila, Philippines

One&Only Spa at Palmilla, Los Cabos, Mexico

The Phoenician Spa, Scottsdale, AZ, United States 

SE Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya, Riviera Maya, Mexico

Sense, A Rosewood Spa at Miramar Beach, Santa Barbara, CA, United States 

The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, Miami, FL, United States

The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip, Macau, China

The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada 

The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown, New York City, NY, United States 

The Spa at Grand Lisboa, Macau, China

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

The Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, Tucson, AZ, United States

The Spa by Ivanka Trump, Vancouver, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Spa Mont Blanc, Geneva, Switzerland

Spa Montage Kapalua Bay, Maui, HI, United States

Spa Montage Los Cabos, Los Cabos , Mexico

Tria Spa at MGM Cotai, Macau, China

Tria Spa at MGM Macau, Macau, China

The Umstead Spa, Raleigh-Durham, NC, United States

Waldorf Astoria Spa Los Cabos, Los Cabos, Mexico

New Four-Star Spa winners

The St. Regis Athletic Club & Spa, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, VA, United States 

The Spa by Ivanka Trump at Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C. United States 

The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, Bahrain, Bahrain

The Spa at Edgewood Tahoe, Tahoe and Yosemite, NV, United States 

The Spa at Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States 

The Spa at Chatham Bars Inn, Cape Cod, MA, United States

The Spa at Bernardus Lodge, Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur, CA, United States

Six Senses Spa Zil Pasyon, Seychelles, Seychelles

Six Senses Spa at Krabey Island, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Sense, A Rosewood Spa at San Miguel de Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Denver, Denver, CO, United States 

The Retreat Spa at Okada Manila, Manila, Philippines

The Pearl Spa at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Athenee Spa, Bangkok, Thailand

Le Spa at Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris, Paris, France

Evian Spa at Palace Hotel Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Crown Spa Perth, Perth, Australia

CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La Hotel, Paris, Paris, France

The Bulgari Spa Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Bliss Spa at W Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

Related:

How to get a Forbes Five-Star Rating for your spa

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