Forbes Travel Guide Unveils 2019 Star Rating Awards

-210 Hotels Across the Globe Achieve Coveted Five-Star Award; 21 New Hotels Receive Top Honors for First Time

-The Peninsula Hotels Becomes the World’s First All Five-Star Hotel Company

-Awards Launch in 11 New Destinations; Malaysia, Portugal, South Korea, Turkey, Vietnam Earn First Five-Star Ratings

-Middle East Expansion Continues with New Five-Star Hotel in Abu Dhabi, New Four-Star Properties in Bahrain, Oman

Forbes Travel Guide today debuted its 61st annual list of Star Rating winners, recognizing the world’s finest properties and rewarding gracious, intuitive service.

The 2019 award recipients include 21 new Five-Star hotels, 49 new Four-Star hotels and 62 new hotels in the Recommended category. Other first-time recipients include six Five-Star restaurants, eight Five-Star spas and 21 Four-Star spas. See the complete list of winners here.

A standout was The Peninsula Hotels, which made Forbes Travel Guide history by becoming the world’s first all Five-Star hotel company. The Peninsula Manila earned its fifth star this year, which pushed the Hong Kong-based brand’s tally to 10 Five-Star hotels.

Forbes Travel Guide rates properties in 76 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Newly added destinations for 2019 include: Anguilla, Bahrain, Belize, Danang, Doha, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Istanbul, Oman, Perth, the Swiss Alps, Tel Aviv and Uruguay.

Several countries captured their first Five-Star ho

/Public Release.