Two local resorts win top marks
Forbes Travel Guide awards five stars to Eau Palm Beach, Four Seasons.
Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Manalapan and the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach have been named Five-Star hotels by Forbes Travel Guide.
Both Palm Beach County resorts also won Five-Star designations for their spas. Forbes, which unveiled its annual list on Tuesday, rates properties in 50 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East.
Two other Palm Beach County resorts — The Breakers and The Boca Beach Club — were awarded Forbes’ Four-Star designation.
Two local restaurants, Café Boulud Palm Beach and Jové Kitchen & Bar at the Four Seasons, also won Four-Star awards.
The Boca Raton Resort & Club received a “recommended” designation from the travel guide.
“With a destination that’s long been synonymous with luxury, we’re proud to see nine local businesses recognized with Star Ratings from Forbes Travel Guide,” said Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO of Discover The Palm Beaches, Palm Beach County’s tourism marketing organization. “Achieving these coveted Star Ratings is a testament to our hospitality industry’s dedication to providing exceptional guest service.”
Tuesday’s announcement marks the 20th consecutive year the Four Seasons in Palm Beach has made Forbes’ Five-Star list, the resort said.
“This recognition is so much more than an award for the resort,” General Manager Mohamed Elbanna said. “It’s a recognition of our team, their genuinely gracious and inviting energy, their unwavering dedication to extraordinary service, and the belief that every moment with our guests is an opportunity to create lasting memories.”
The Eau in Manalapan underwent a major transformation in 2013 — dropping the Ritz-Carlton name and re-branding itself as a beachfront getaway both for outof-town guests and locals looking for a tropical retreat. This is the third consecutive year the resort has earned the Five-Star designation.
“Our values drive our success, and we are committed to providing impeccable levels of service — among the world’s best — while creating memorable moments for our guests that raise the bar for today’s travelers. We look forward to building on this work in 2018 and beyond,” Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Michael King said.
Palm Beach County tourism
officials announced this month that a record-breaking 7.9 million tourists traveled to Palm Beach County in 2017, a milestone that shattered 2016’s all-time high and marked the ninth consecutive year of growth for the local tourism industry.
In all, the county’s hotels had 4.6 million nightly bookings in 2017, a 4.9 percent increase from the previous year.
Local hoteliers say 2018 already is shaping up to be another strong season for the industry.
The county has seen its tourism tax collections soar in the four months since hurricanes tore through the Florida Keys and the Caribbean.