Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff Johannesburg Awarded a Prestigious Five-Star Rating by the Forbes Travel Guide 2020

Forbes Travel Guide, the world-renowned rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants and spas, revealed today its annual Star Rating list for 2020, awarding Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff Johannesburg with the highest level of achievement: Forbes Travel Guide Five Stars.

The announcement further establishes Four Seasons leading position in South Africa and Johannesburg's luxury hospitality offering, as one of very few hotels in the country being first awarded this prestigious recognition.

As the only independent, global-rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants and spas, the Forbes Travel Guide is widely regarded as the authority in luxury travel, providing a trusted directory to the most discerning travellers. To attain a Five-Star rating, the property must demonstrate virtually flawless service and amazing facilities.

“We are incredibly proud for achieving this globally-coveted accolade, especially as we just celebrated our 5th year anniversary in South Africa,” comments Sebastien Carre, Regional Vice President and General Manager. “This accomplishment is a testament of our commitment to excellence in service, passion for exceptional craftmanship, and the continued development of each member of our team.  Ultimately, we seek to exceed our guests’ expectations with beyond-compare and meaningful experiences.  I am particularly proud to acknowledge each member of our team who, on a daily basis, lives up to this ideal and applaud their dedication to making our Hotel the best the city.”

Forbes Travel Guide is recognised for creating the original concept of Five-Star service, and Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff epitomises this ideal as the latest addition to its illustrious annual global Star Rating list for 2020. Of the 1086 leading hotels and resorts carefully selected for review by Forbes this year, only 206 have been awarded a Five-Star rating.  With 56 properties awarded globally, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts boasts the largest contingent of top marks by far of any global luxury brand.

“We have been committed to championing genuine luxury service for more than 60 years, and this year’s winners, as always, exemplify the very highest standards in hospitality,” said Filip Boyen, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide.

Each year, Forbes Travel Guide inspectors visit every property that is rated, fully incognito and under the auspices of a typical guest. The auditor pays their own way, all the while evaluating the location based on up to 900 objective standards with an emphasis on exceptional service. At no time is the hotel or staff aware of a secret audit being conducted. The aim is to evaluate an average guest experience and the level of hospitality provided.

The rating goes beyond the aesthetic, while Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff can boast the most sublime location, views and amenities in Johannesburg, it is the level of service, craftmanship, and attention to all the details of a guest experience that have set it apart from the competition.

The Forbes Travel Guide 2020 marks the first edition that a South African destination has been featured as a Forbes Five-Star venue.