As Hollywood turned its attention to the Academy Awards this month, the hotel industry is putting the finishing touches on a glamorous awards season of its own.
Based on objective measures from guest reviews to anonymous inspections by hospitality experts, these awards are designed to highlight the best of the best in global travel. As the first and only luxury resort in Sunny Isles, Acqualina Resort & Spa has once again been awarded many of the industry’s top honors, setting the bar for high-end hotels in the Miami area and across the globe.
“Every year we develop new services and amenities keeping in mind the current and future needs of our customers,” says Acqualina CEO Deborah Yager Fleming. “Becoming more customer-centric versus just brand-centric allows us to further develop services and technology solutions that translate into fast service delivery without compromising quality.” And most importantly, the guest always comes first. “Our entrusted and empowered team members create personalized experiences that last a lifetime,” says Yager Fleming.
It all comes together to create extraordinary stays year after year, and the experts take note. Here’s what goes into four of the hospitality industry’s most important accolades, all awarded to Acqualina in 2020.
Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Awards
The highly coveted Forbes Five Star award is given only to the most outstanding hotels, restaurants, and spas in the world. To determine Five Star rating recipients (as well as Four Star and Recommended), Forbes’ inspectors regularly check in and out of each property they rate to evaluate more than 500 strict criteria.
From flawless service to above-and-beyond amenities, the hotels that earn a prestigious Five Star rating are part of an elite group of hotels that are considered the gold standard in hospitality.
For the eighth year in a row, Forbes Travel Guide has announced that Acqualina Resort has been awarded a Five Star rating. Acqualina Spa by ESPA has also received a Five Star Spa rating.
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hotel Awards
Editors from U.S. News & World Report evaluated more than 30,000 luxury properties to determine the winners of their ninth annual Best Hotel Awards, including Acqualina, which was named the #1 Best Resort in the Continental US.
Properties across the United States, Europe, Bermuda, Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean are in the running, and editors use an unbiased approach built on data and reviews to determine the winners. They take a hotel’s star rating into consideration as well as both expert and guest feedback from acclaimed travel publications and TripAdvisor user scores. This combination of factors helps determine a hotel’s overall rank, and ultimately, which ones are awarded Best Hotel honors.
AAA Five Diamond Ratings
Each year, AAA awards their Four Diamond and Five Diamond ratings to the finest properties in North America. Their inspectors reviewed more than 27,000 properties to determine their 2020 Diamond Ratings, and just 0.4 percent receive a Five Diamond rating — including Acqualina, which has received AAA Five Diamond honors for the 12th consecutive year.
To celebrate the latest accolades for 2020, Acqualina invites guests to book the Five Star Experience Package. Guests receive the fifth night free when booking a five-night getaway in a Deluxe Intracoastal Room and can indulge in such offerings as a special welcome amenity, daily buffet breakfast for two, complimentary Internet access and access to the award-winning AcquaMarine children’s program. The Five Star Experience starts from $600 per night, for a Deluxe Intracoastal Room. (Rates do not include taxes and are subject to availability and seasonality, blackout dates apply).