Malaysia’s Crockfords at Resorts World Genting. Credit: Crockfords at Resorts World Genting
The Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star award is the most elusive honor for a hotel. Only 210 hotels across the globe picked up the top distinction in the 2019 Star Awards (for more on how a hotel earns a rating, click here). Among that elite group, five countries welcomed their first accolade this year. See which properties made history in their destinations and find out why these Five-Star winners make for standout stays.
Malaysia
People aren’t supposed to know about Crockfords at Resorts World Genting. About an hour outside of Kuala Lumpur, the top-secret hotel is reserved exclusively for high rollers at the adjacent SkyCasino. But if any of the 140 accommodations aren’t filled with big-time gamblers, the hotel quietly opens them up to the public on its website.
Scour the site for a chance to indulge in one-of-a-kind extras at the property, which debuted in 2017. The Tatami Suite comes with a tea ceremony area in the living room, and the Mahjong Suite features a self-shuffling mahjong table and a massage chair. And no matter which room you snag, you’ll have a gleaming Calacatta marble bathroom with steam and sauna facilities, and amazing vistas from the hotel’s perch atop Mount Ulu Kali.
Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon. Credit: Four Seasons Hotels Limited
Portugal
When Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon opened in 1959, it was the first luxury hotel in the country. It’s appropriate, then, that the standard-bearer of luxury became the first Five-Star winner in Portugal.
The grande dame emanates elegance from every crevice, from the impressive 1,000-piece collection of contemporary art by Portuguese artists adorning the walls to the lavish art deco and Louis XVI interiors.
Don’t miss the rooftop, where an outdoor, U-shaped track gives you one of the best views of the city, and Ritz Spa, a tranquil four-treatment-room space with inspired services (Seven Hills of Lisbon pampers legs weary from climbing Lisbon’s hilly terrain with local ingredients like basil essential oil, sea salt and olive oil) that earned the title of the country’s first Five-Star spa.
The Shilla Seoul. Credit: The Shilla Seoul
South Korea
The Shilla Seoul brings a modern, stylish getaway to the South Korea capital. Look beyond the soothing gray palette and marble-and-wood bathrooms and you’ll find perks aplenty: accommodations outfitted with the latest technology (The Shilla is owned by Samsung); a guests-only, 23rd-floor Executive Lounge that functions as a living room, dining area and library; a Guerlain spa with a makeup bar from the famed French skincare brand and a foot bath lounge overlooking Namsan Mountain; a sculpture garden with more than 20 works; an indoor golf range; and Urban Island, an outdoor oasis with heated pools and Jacuzzis facing the mountain.
Hidden in the basement, a mall provides shops from favorite luxury brands, including Baccarat, Hermès and Issey Miyake.
Raffles Istanbul. Credit: Raffles Istanbul
Turkey
Raffles Istanbul gives you the best of all worlds. It overlooks the beautiful Bosphorus, but puts you in the happening Zorlu Center, a mall that’s home to stores from Stella McCartney, Valentino and Beymen (a beloved Turkish shop), along with a performing arts center and the country’s first Eataly outpost.
Even more amenities await inside the Istanbul hotel. Every room comes with floor-to-ceiling windows peeking out at the city and its famed waterway as well as an attentive 24-hour butler. Culinary options include international fare at Rocca Brasserie, pan-Asian cuisine at Isokyo and one of Istanbul’s best high teas at Lavinia. And a Four-Star spa boasts an enticing indoor pool with an abundance of natural light and three hammams (a must in Turkey).
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An. Credit: Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An
Vietnam
Encounter beachfront bliss among coconut palms and frangipani trees at Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An. But you may fall for the three tiers of infinity pools at the breathtaking resort instead.
If you can pry yourself from a swim or the sand, partake in the spa’s floating treatment suites (complete with indoor-outdoor decks) or get an in-depth lesson on how to prepare Vietnamese food at the Nam Hai Cooking Academy, which will bring you to nearby fishing villages or rice paddies as part of the class.
However you choose to while away your days, at night, you’ll retreat to an airy, roomy villa with a garden, an outdoor shower, a bedside bathtub and a patio with a daybed (bonus: many have their own pool).
