Forbes recently sent out their highly trained inspectors to a number of hotels around the world to rate them based on 900 objective criteria.

Using that information, they dealt out Five-Star, Four-Star, or Recommended ratings and listed all of their top picks as Star Award Winners.

For the first time, South Africa made the list with four Five-Star rated hotels, located in Joburg and the Western Cape.

Forbes also used the data collected by their reviewers to determine the top hotel, spa and restaurant in the world, and they’ve just released their findings.

Hotel of the Year

Hotel of the Year went to Vermont’s Twin Farms, which scored an intense 98,24 % during the reviewers’ two-night stay:

Among the 1,898 Star-Rated properties spanning 73 countries, Twin Farms manages to stand out by providing a one-of-a-kind experience. “In part it’s a beautiful Vermont setting,” [John Graham, managing director of Twin Farms] said, “in part wonderful design and art, in part great culinary and wine, in part memorable activities, but in whole our team truly dedicated to serving, really serving.”

About an hour and a half from Burlington, Twin Farms has earned a Five-Star rating for 25 consecutive years. The secluded property began as a romantic gesture. When author Sinclair Lewis (the first American to win the Nobel Prize for literature) proposed to journalist Dorothy Thompson, she said yes, but only if he would buy her a Vermont farm. They purchased what would become Twin Farms in 1928.

The hotel has 20 accommodations scattered across 300 acres of pristine land, is an adults-only establishment, and is staffed with hospitality experts poised to provide the ideal hotel experience.

Restaurant of the Year

The title of Restaurant of the Year was awarded to Sichuan Moon by Andre Chiang in China, with an impressive 99,9% score.

“Sichuan Moon offers a window into the rich history and culture of Sichuan cuisine,” Wynn Palace chief operating officer Frederic Luvisutto told us.

“Our goal is to reinterpret the flavors of Sichuan dishes and present them on a global stage, by introducing creative new culinary techniques and pairing dishes with extraordinarily rare specialty teas from around the world.

The Sichuan Moon interiors, which feature a beautiful Murano butterfly chandelier as a centerpiece and an exotic Tea Bar, offers a visually stimulating and immersive dining experience that is an elegant blend of East and West.”

The restaurant sources the highest quality ingredients from across the globe and each dish is cooked to perfection.

Spa of the Year

The Spa of the Year is a short 11-minute walk from the Restaurant of the Year. You can follow up a Five-Star meal with some pampering at Morpheus Spa.

Tucked inside the otherworldly Morpheus from Pritzker Award-winning architect Zaha Hadid, the six-room sanctuary pampers with your own dedicated spa butler, a Scandinavian-inspired snow garden—it’s the first spa in the world to feature real snow—and a platinum mask created exclusively for Morpheus Spa by Monaco-based cosmetics brand Margy’s Monte Carlo.

The spa is described further as having excellent “guest experiences, iconic design and exceptional amenities”.

I could do with a spa butler and Scandinavian snow garden after today’s heat.

Unfortunately, travelling to China isn’t really an option at the moment, due to the coronavirus.

As soon as it clears up, you know where to go for the best spa day and meal of your life.

[source:forbes]