Forbes Travel Guide Startles with New Website

Forbes Travel Guide, formerly Mobil Travel Guide, today unveiled its 54th annual listing of Five-Star and Four-Star hospitality establishments worldwide, including five hotels, four restaurants and nine spas entering the Five-Star pantheon for the first time. All of the 2012 award winners are showcased on Startle.com, the new interactive website of Forbes Travel Guide. Launched today, the site features exclusive offers, or "Star Experiences", thousands of unique photos and videos on award-winning properties and destinations, social activity and access to some of the world's leading luxury hospitality brands and tastemakers, and original expert answers to the questions of travel from Forbes Travel Guide inspectors. With its expert content, social connections, curated lists, and exclusive offers and experiences, Startle.com delivers a one-of-a-kind destination online for the most discerning travelers.

Marking the latest installment of the Star Ratings system that has been the gold standard in the industry since 1958, the new list includes the following notable Five-Star additions:

Mandarin Oriental achieved three new Five-Star hotel ratings in the following locations: Boston, Las Vegas and Singapore; as well as two new Five-Star spas in Macau and Singapore.

The Grand Del Mar hotel in San Diego joins its spa and restaurant counterparts, The Spa at The Grand Del Mar and Addison, which were awarded their five stars in 2011 and 2009 respectively.

Wisconsin now has a Five-Star hotel, The American Club, and Five-Star spa Kohler Waters Spa, both located within The American Club Resort, in Kohler, Wisconsin.

Four new Five-Star restaurants make the list: L2O in Chicago; Menton in Boston; Twist by Pierre Gagnaire in Las Vegas; and Herons in Cary, North Carolina.

Three of the new Five-Star spas are part of The Spa at Four Seasons collection, with winners in Vail, Las Vegas and Hong Kong.

Three other spas join the Five-Star list for the first time: OH! Spa, Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island; The Spa at Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City, Utah; and The Greenbrier Spa in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

These additions bring the total number of Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotels to 57, including nine in California (the most of any state in the U.S.), five in Hong Kong, two in Macau, and one in Singapore. There are also now 25 Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurants, all located in the U.S., and 30 Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star spas around the world.

Appearing on the Four-Star list for the first time are nine new hotels, nine new restaurants and five new spas. The complete 2012 Forbes Travel Guide honor roll includes 539 establishments in the U.S., Canada, Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore.

"Our annual Star Ratings represent the best of the best in hotels, restaurants and spas. They serve as guideposts for discerning consumers who are looking for exceptional travel and hospitality experiences," said Shane O'Flaherty, President of Inspections and Ratings for Forbes Travel Guide. "This year, we are thrilled to be able to provide media rich content and interactive, direct-booking experiences for our Five-Star and Four-Star partners on our spectacular new website, Startle.com."

For a detailed explanation of how Forbes Travel Guide compiles its Star Ratings, visit www.startle.com.