SHANGHAI, China—Forbes Travel Guide, the originators of the prestigious Five-Star ratings program in the U.S., added Shanghai, China, as its newest global destination. The announcement is marked by the addition of two properties, The Peninsula Shanghai and Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund, to the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel list, while The Peninsula Spa by ESPA is the only property in Shanghai to achieve the Five-Star Spa award. These properties join 57 hotels, 25 restaurants, and 30 hotel spas in the Americas and Asia to achieve the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star status. Among the newly rated properties in Shanghai, 14 hotels and 8 spas were awarded the esteemed Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star award.
Shane O'Flaherty, Forbes Travel Guide President of Global Ratings and Inspections said in the announcement, "In a short period of time, Shanghai has captured the minds and the hearts of our inspection team. Not only have the properties performed exceptionally well in high-end facilities and services, but the destination as a whole is truly one of the most exciting cities in the world."
In addition to the Star-Award winning properties, the travel experts at Forbes Travel Guide and its online home, Startle.com, will introduce five new editorially selected awards to highlight the outstanding attributes of the top hotels in Shanghai. Five properties will be designated in the new category of Top Hotel awards. These winners include:
Top Boutique Hotel – The Langham, Xintiandi, Shanghai
Top Business Hotel - The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong
Top Historic Hotel – Fairmont Peace Hotel
Top New Hotel –Kerry Hotel, Pudong, Shanghai
Top Technology Hotel- The Peninsula Shanghai
Shanghai owns the highest number of Five- and Four-Star hotel and spa winners among the cities rated by Forbes Travel Guide. In 2011, the total tourism revenue of Shanghai reached CNY 278.654 billion with over 230.8 million domestic visitors and USD 5.835 billion from the 8.1 million overseas inbound visitors, as a result of increased international events, local lifestyle evolution, and developing infrastructure to meet the growing demands for luxury by discerning travelers.