Three Israeli hotels have won 2023 Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards. The guide is the self-described “global authority on luxury hospitality,” and rates and reviews hotels, restaurants, spas and ocean cruise ships.
The travel guide was born in 1958 as the Mobil Travel Guide and introduced the first five-star hospitality rating system, according to their site.
To evaluate hotels, Forbes sends inspectors to personally evaluate each location based on as many as 900 criteria. The inspectors pose as average guests in order to get a typical experience.
“Today we are the only independent, global rating agency for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas and ocean cruise ships,” Forbes Travel Guide claims. “For more than 60 years, we have traveled the world to give guests the most reliable information on where to stay, dine and relax.”
The rating categories
Hotels that win an award may be awarded one of three ratings: five-star, four-star, and recommended.
A five-star rating is the most prestigious award the Forbes Travel Guide can grant. “These are outstanding, often iconic properties with virtually flawless service and amazing facilities,” the travel guide writes.
A four-star rating designates properties that are also extremely exceptional in both the facilities and the service offered but may not be of quite the degree of luxury as a five-star hotel.
The “recommended” rating refers to properties a degree down. They are still, though, among the best places to stay. “These are excellent properties with consistently good service and facilities,” Forbes Travel Guide explains. All three of the Israeli hotels to win a Star Award earned a “recommended” rating.
The Setai Tel Aviv
The Setai in Tel Aviv is one of the hotels to win the Forbes Travel Guide Star Award. It’s located in Jaffa, next to the iconic Jaffa clock tower and overlooks the Mediterranean sea.
It features rooms with state-of-the-art amenities such as in-room iPads, rainfall showers, and LED glass partitions between the bedroom and bathroom.
It also has exceptional service, a gym, and an infinity pool. Furthermore, the hotel features archaeological artifacts discovered during the excavation efforts conducted prior to the hotel being constructed.
The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya
The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya is located directly on the Herzliya Marina and has an incredible view of the sea. It has numerous spacious rooms and suites to choose from. Additionally, it has a rooftop pool, a 24-hour fitness center, plus several restaurants and a bar.
The Norman Tel Aviv
The Norman is located in central Tel Aviv. It’s the perfect place for those who wish to explore the city as it’s a short walk from the beach, Shuk Hacarmel, Dizengoff, Florentine and all of Tel Aviv’s best restaurants, bars and clubs. Additionally, it’s not far from the Ha’hagana train station.
It also, as with the other hotels, has a luxurious outdoor pool, spa, and fitness facility.
Having won a 2023 Forbes Travel Guide Star Award, these three Israeli hotels join the ranks of the finest hotels in the world. For those who wish for a luxurious getaway location to the middle eastern Jewish state, they are sure to make for wonderful stays.