When the 2013 Forbes 5-Star ratings were recently released, Peninsula was the only hotel chain t

When the  2013 Forbes 5-Star ratings  were recently released,  Peninsula  was the only hotel chain to have every one of its North American properties rated with the highest possible 5-Stars (unless you count the  Sea Island  resort in Georgia as a “chain,” with two separate hotels, both on site and both 5-Star winners).
The system was long known as the Mobil Guide, launched in 1958 and (according to Wikipedia) the oldest travel rating guide in the US. Now known as the  Forbes Travel Guide , it still employs the same detailed methodology of incognito, expert inspectors paying their own way and running through las vegas car rental agencies amazingly detailed checklists covering all sorts of obvious and obscure guest details.
(Very few foreign destinations are covered by the guide, only China, Singapore and Canada, but Peninsula also ruled abroad with its flagship 5-Star Hong Kong property, as well as Shanghai. Only Beijing prevented Peninsula from earning the highest rating for every hotel in a Forbes Travel Guide rated destination).
No other chain with multiple properties managed 100% but the gap is closing:  Montage Resorts  also has three U.S. properties (a fourth North American location, in Cabo, is not ranked by the guide) and barely missed perfection with two 5-Stars and a 4-Star. With eight North American hotels (Bermuda is unranked)  Mandarin Oriental  managed four 5-Stars and three 4-Stars, and notably its wonderful Miami hotel was elevated from 4 to 5-Stars this year. This makes the  Mandarin Oriental Miami  only the sixth hotel ever to sweep the Triple 5-Stars, for lodging, for spa, and for itsrestaurant, Azul, which most consider the best in the city. Mandarin is also the only chain with a 5-Star in tourist mad Las Vegas.
Four Seasons easily dominated in sheer quantity, with 10 of the 59 winners, far and away the most.  Four Seasons  was the only one to match Peninsula city for city with 5-Stars in New York, Chicago las vegas car rental agencies and Beverly Hills.  Ritz Carlton  and  St. Regis  trailed las vegas car rental agencies among top brands with just three 5-Stars each, out of relatively large pools.
I’ve previously written here in detail about four of the 5-Star winners under my recurring “Hotels I Love” column, including the longest running winner, the Broadmoor, the only hotel to hold 5-Stars for the entire history of the ratings.
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