ATLANTA — Another global ratings system is bestowing stars upon Georgia hospitality destinations.
The Forbes Travel Guide published its 2024 edition Feb. 7. The updated guide, which rates restaurants, hotels and spas includes 10 Georgia establishments. Six are in Atlanta, and the remaining four are on the Georgia coast.
The St. Regis Atlanta Spa & Athletic Club, a new addition to the guide, received four stars. Other Georgia winners include:
Hotels
- The Cloister, Sea Island (five stars)
- The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club (five stars)
- The St. Regis Atlanta hotel (four stars)
- Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, Midtown (four stars)
- Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead (four stars)
Restaurants
- Atlas, Buckhead (four stars)
- Bacchanalia, West Midtown (four stars)
- Colt & Alison, Sea Island (four stars)
Spas
- The Spa at Sea Island (five stars)
- The St. Regis Atlanta Spa & Athletic Club, Buckhead (four stars)
This is the 66th annual edition of the Forbes Travel Guide. It started in 1958 as the Mobil Travel Guide. The guide rates establishments in three tiers.
- Five stars: "These properties deliver an outstanding experience and consistently offer a highly customized level of service."
- Four stars: "These are exceptional properties, offering high levels of service and quality of facility to match.
- Recommended: "These are excellent properties with consistently good service and facilities."
Forbes deploys anonymous inspectors who rate properties on up to 900 criteria, the company says. For hotel ratings, inspectors book stays of a minimum of two nights.
The inspectors critique both service and facility, but the former is prioritized "because your experience goes beyond how your surroundings look — how your visit makes you feel is what you will remember most," according to Forbes.
The Forbes Travel Guide is similar to the Michelin Guide, which began rating Atlanta restaurants for the first time last year. The Michelin Guide awards restaurants one to three stars. Michelin is working on a new hotel rating system, as well.
Atlas and Bacchanalia were included in Atlanta's first Michelin Guide. Both received one star.
