2 New England hotels were just named 5-star properties by Forbes Travel Guide
You'll find them both in Rhode Island.
Two New England hotels were just named five-star properties on Forbes Travel Guide’s 2020 Star Award list.
Forbes Travel Guide’s 62nd annual list includes 107 new five-star honorees worldwide: 70 hotels, 13 restaurants, and 24 spas. Nine of the hotels are in the U.S., and two are in Rhode Island: Ocean House and Weekapaug Inn, both in Westerly.
Ocean House has been named a Forbes five-star property in the past, but this is the first time Weekapaug Inn has earned the distinction.
“It’s a privilege for Forbes Travel Guide to honor such magnificent hotels, restaurants, and spas from all corners of the globe,” Filip Boyen, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide, said in a press release. “Each deserving recipient excels at enriching people’s lives through the power of exceptional service.”
To determine the star rankings, Forbes Travel Guide sends “incognito inspectors” to properties around the world. The inspectors stay a minimum of two nights and test “up to 900 objective, exacting standards,” according to Forbes. They evaluate everything from the staff’s uniform designs to whether they’re greeted curbside within 30 seconds upon arrival. The inspector’s findings make up 75 percent of a hotel’s score, and the other 25 percent is determined by the quality of the hotel’s facilities.
Inspectors were impressed, according to the publication, by Ocean House’s “grand Victorian atmosphere” with recently renovated rooms, a private beach, a 24-hour valet service, complimentary afternoon refreshments, an indoor saltwater pool with views of the Atlantic Ocean, a 12,000-square-foot spa, meals at the Forbes Travel Guide five-star restaurant Coast, and free daily activities such as yoga and culinary classes.
The Weekapaug Inn in Westerly, R.I.
At Weekapaug Inn, inspectors were impressed with the resort’s onsite naturalist helping guests to plan adventures ranging from bird-watching to star-gazing to kayaking. Other highlights include the saline pool, a beach butler serving guests on a private beach, shuffleboard and bocce games on the back lawn, loaner iPads, and a guest pantry filled with snacks and beverages 24/7.
The 2020 list includes 1,898 star-rated hotels, restaurants, and spas across 73 countries, with 432 achieving five stars. Eleven hotels worldwide have maintained their five-star rating for more than 20 years, according to Forbes, and two are in New England: Four Seasons Hotel Boston and Twin Farms in Vermont.
Check out the 2020 Star Award winners.
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