Forbes has continued to inspect and add hotels to their last at a rapid speed.  They have added 15 new Five-Star hotels this year, despite the pandamic! There are now 283 Five Star Hotels, up from just 76 a few years ago!  From the press release:

The 63rd annual list 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. (The winners were surveyed both before the pandemic and once regional restrictions allowed FTG’s incognito evaluators to visit.)

To rate properties, Forbes Travel Guide inspectors stay at each hotel for three days and two nights, posing as regular guests and paying their own way. They test up to 900 objective, stringent standards, from modern-day luxuries—such as whether a room is set up to enhance sleep, and the food-and-beverage choices are health-conscious—to more traditional luxuries, like the quality of the interior décor and design of the staff’s uniforms.

Even in the midst of a global pandemic, service remains paramount. It’s more important than ever before that properties demonstrate the utmost regard for their guests’ wellbeing: 75% of a hotel’s rating is based on its service and genuine care and concern shown by the staff, while 25% is determined by the quality of its facilities.

There were 5 new cities in North America who welcomed their first Five-Star Hotel. They are: