Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star

Forbes Travel Guide is the North American hotel rating system created by Mobil Travel Guide in 1958 and bought by Forbes in 2009. Unlike Europe's administrative star ratings, Forbes audits every property annually using anonymous inspectors against around 900 service criteria. Three levels: Recommended, Four-Star, Five-Star. About 350 hotels worldwide hold Five-Star in 2025, concentrated in North America and Asia. Forbes also awards Five-Star to spas and restaurants. For travelers, the label carries strong weight in the US and China, and inside hotel groups (Aman, Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons) Five-Star status is often used as an internal performance benchmark for general managers.