Celebrating The 2026 Luxurious Travel Stars

After just lately unveiling its 2026 Star Awards, Forbes Travel Guide descended on Monaco for its Summit, a convention that pulls the perfect hospitality firms, influential journey professionals and distinctive luxurious manufacturers. During the three-day occasion, FTG acknowledged the important contributions of resort employees and the innovators who repeatedly elevate the luxurious hospitality sector.

From artistic collaborations to boundary-pushing Edge List honorees, Forbes Travel Guide commends those that are propelling the trade ahead.

Employee of the Year offered by Château Angélus: Blanca López Giménez, Reservation Agent, Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor

In simply eight months as a reservation agent at Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor, Blanca López Giménez, together with her heat, diligent work ethic and infectious smile, has made a big influence on the resort.

After becoming a member of the Four Seasons Resort Mallorca group as a communications agent in February 2025, López Giménez demonstrated dedication and a capability to simply join with visitors, which rapidly led to a promotion by June. Guests typically cite their interactions with López Giménez as a spotlight of their go to, due to her willingness to go above and past to make sure their keep is seamless.

“Most of the time, we are the very first voice a guest hears when they choose to trust our brand,” she mentioned. “In that moment, we are not simply confirming a reservation; we are building anticipation, confidence and connection. We are setting the tone for an experience that has not even begun.”

Finalists: Fernando Ceron, doorman, Regent Santa Monica Beach; Martin Gibbons, maitre d’ at George V Dining Room, Ashford Castle; Ndamira Murema Guide, HVAC technician, One&Only Gorilla’s Nest; Maki Nojo, supervisor, Takanawa Hanakohro; Mariyam Shaghaf, butler, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands; Husnija Velibasic, responsibility technician, Mandarin Oriental Palace, Luzern.

The Edge List Property of the Year 2026: Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Five-Star Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve exemplifies every thing concerning the Edge List. Tucked in Bali’s rainforest alongside the banks of the Ayung River, the resort demonstrates a powerful dedication to cultural and ecological conservation whereas its rooms are designed utilizing conventional, sustainable supplies. The resort additionally actively promotes native tradition by group engagement.

But even with its robust environmental ethos, the boutique resort doesn’t compromise on luxurious, providing visitors an elevated expertise crammed with Four-Star Mandapa Spa’s tailor-made non secular, well being and wellness applications and world-class eating—all with rolling hills, a thick forest and a flowing river as your dramatic backdrop.

Forbes Travel Guide Recommended The Colony Hotel showcases its impeccable style by considerate and artistic collaborations with cult-favorite and iconic manufacturers.

From the resident Dolce & Gabbana boutique and the Poolside Press partnership with Hearst Magazines — visitors obtain the most recent problems with widespread glossies at a classy newsstand designed by Matthew Carter — to collaborations with viral sensation PopUp Bagels and beloved New York City magnificence and skincare retailer Madison Apothecary, the Palm Beach establishment repeatedly retains experiences contemporary for visitors by good alliances.

Best Private Airport Experience: P/S Los Angeles

For the second annual Forbes Travel Guide Verified Air Travel Awards, greater than 9,000 extremely traveled hospitality professionals, together with luxurious journey advisors and FTG’s incognito inspectors and coaching groups, participated in an invitation-only survey. Their suggestions decided the winners of this yr’s awards throughout 18 classes. The outcomes, highlighted on the February 26 Symposium by CBS News journey editor Peter Greenberg, have been validated utilizing the identical exacting requirements that outline Forbes Travel Guide’s different classes.

P/S Los Angeles opened in 2017 as the primary non-public terminal for industrial journey within the United States, setting a brand new normal for luxurious home journey. It contains a separate TSA safety and customs areas, a public lounge designed like a members-only membership, non-public suites for pre-flight use and luxurious automobile escorts to the tarmac.

P/S, which additionally operates at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, continues to innovate the airport expertise, just lately launching PS Direct. This home arrival service offers chauffeur-driven transportation for passengers proper from the airplane door to their houses or inns, eliminating the necessity to set foot contained in the airport.

Best In-Flight Culinary Collaboration: Air France and Daniel Boulud

This scrumptious collaboration additionally obtained a Verified Air Travel Award. Air France and esteemed Five-Star chef Daniel Boulud proved that airplane meals could possibly be elevated in additional methods than one.

Passengers touring in Air France’s La Première and Business cabins from the United States can take pleasure in Boulud’s menu, which contains a rotating choice of seasonally impressed dishes that remember French gastronomy. With choices like braised lamb shoulder with root greens and Provençal-style rooster, vacationers are supplied a sensory expertise that rivals many fine-dining eating places 30,000 toes under.

Award of Excellence by Baccarat: Rocco Forte

Rocco Forte has had an illustrious hospitality profession, working in inns since he was 14. In 1996, he and his sister Olga Polizzi based Rocco Forte Hotels, a group of 15 landmark European inns, resorts, residences and villas in distinctive areas. It consists of Five-Star winners The Balmoral in Edinburgh and Brown’s Hotel in London and forthcoming inns in Sardinia, Naples and Noto, Italy.

The Award of Excellence is a lifetime achievement recognition that celebrates people who’ve made a big financial or social influence.

Hotel Ownership Group of the Year: Ohana Real Estate Investors

Ohana Real Estate Investors’ portfolio of properties in sought-after areas, together with Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star escapes such because the Montage Los Cabos and Montage Deer Valley, demonstrates the group’s experience in creating world-class luxurious properties.

Founded and led by G. Christopher Smith in 2009, this vertically built-in group has established itself as one of many main funding corporations within the hospitality and residential sectors. Ohana Real Estate Investors is distinguished by its in-house experience, robust relationships, collaborative strategy and unwavering imaginative and prescient. The firm manages greater than $4 billion in property on behalf of its world traders.

Travel Professional of the Year: Stephanie Malakie of Empress Travel Club

Stephanie Malakie, who has 20 years of expertise within the luxurious journey sector, based Empress Travel Club and disrupted the standard journey company mannequin within the course of. The Hawaii-based, membership-centered company capabilities as a worldwide non-public concierge, fastidiously attending to each element to curate tailor-made once-in-a-lifetime itineraries.

Les Clef d’Or Young Concierge of the Year offered by Frette: Gregor Köck, concierge supervisor

Gregor Köck, a 27-year-old concierge supervisor at Four-Star Rosewood Vienna, has achieved the consideration of successful the Les Clef d’Or Young Concierge of the Year award, given to a promising early-career concierge who’s excelled in real-world resort conditions and with rigorous written and oral assessments related to this honor.

Köck, the primary Austrian to obtain this prestigious recognition, distinguished himself along with his ardour, dedication and unwavering dedication to excellence.

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