TRAVEL
FALL 2012
celebratedliving.com
14
E
veryyear,
ForbesTravelGuide
(formerly
MobilTravelGuide
)
searches theworld for thebestof
thebest in travel andhospitality.With
reputationsandbragging rightson the
line,what couldpossiblybebetter than
receivingaForbesFiveStardesignation,
theguide’shighest rating?Howaboutbe-
ingawarded threeof thesedesignations
for lodging, spa, anddining—all atone
property.Theprestigious listofTriple
FiveStarproperties isshort,withonly
fournamed in2012.
Wewanted toknow justhowproperties
lock inaTripleFiveStardesignation, so
weheaded to
THE GRAND DELMAR
inSan
Diego, theonlypropertyon theWestCoast
with thisdesignation. Ifdrive-upappeal is
oneof theelements tobe judged, it’ssimple
toseehow thispropertymadea lasting
first impression— from theAddison
Minzer-inspiredarchitectureandTom
Fazio-designedgolfcourse, to the
Renaissance-inspiredspaand the20,000-
square-footequestriancenter.Butasyou
can imagine, in today’scompetitivemar-
ket, it takesmore than justbeingbeautiful.
“Service. Service. Service,”states
ThomasJ.Voss, presidentofTheGrand
DelMar. “Aboveall, themost important
aspectof anyhotel isagraciousandme-
ticulousstaff,”Vosscontinues.And that
truly is, inouropinion, thedefiningele-
mentat this resort.Whether it’s the res-
ervationsdepartment seeking to learn
abouta futureguest’s“favorites” forcus-
tomized in-roomamenities, a roomat-
tendantputtinghisorhercurrent task
onhold to faceandgreetguestsas they
pass, aculinary teamdedicated tocreat-
ing inspiredmenus to thrill thepalate, or
thesignaturespa treatments thatpam-
perall thesenses, impeccableattention
todetail is foundat every turn.
“SlightlyNorthofExpectations” is
oneofTheGrandDelMar’s tag lines,
and theydeliveron thatbrandpromise
at everyopportunity.Want tobepam-
pered ingrandstyle?Check in toThe
GrandDelMarandexperiencea
Forbes
TripleFiveStar resort foryourself.
thegranddelmar.com
—
MICHAELWOODY
FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE
inspectors
visit every hotel, restaurant, and
spa they rate, anonymously test-
ingeach aspect of aproperty‘s
experience. Since itwas founded
in1958 asMobil Travel Guide, it
has been committed to the same
rigorous inspections— themost
comprehensive in the industry—
withmore than500 standards
tested. In addition toTheGrand
DelMar, threeother properties
were awarded aTripleFiveStar
Designation in2012. If youhave
not experienced these amazing
resorts, add them to the topof
your list also.
THECLOISTERATSEA ISLAND
Sea Island, Georgia
seaisland.com
MANDARINORIENTAL
LasVegas
mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas
THEBROADMOOR
ColoradoSprings, Colorado
broadmoor.com
WhentheStarsAlign…
It’sGRAND!
