16 luxury Pennsylvania hotels, restaurants & spas named among ‘most outstanding’ in world
More than a dozen Pennsylvania spas, hotels, restaurants and more earned a coveted spot among the latest Forbes Travel Guide ratings.
The guide, which began in 1958 and claims to be the oldest of its kind in the nation, evaluates hospitality experiences across the country and the globe as part of its annual Star Awards. Forbes Travel Guide’s 2024 list, released Feb. 7, features iconic destinations from across the globe and 16 right here in the Keystone State.
The travel guide’s “incognito inspectors” pose as everyday guests while staying at hotels, receiving spa treatments, dining at fine restaurants and boarding cruises, among other activities. Forbes Travel Guide says its surveyors test for more than 900 “exacting standards,” such as exceptional service, luxury, the overall promotion of well-being and more.
Luxury hotels, restaurants, spas and cruise ships are then placed in one of the following categories:
Five-star, which is reserved for properties that “deliver an outstanding experience and consistently offer a highly customized level of service
Four-star, which describes “exceptional properties offering high levels of service and quality of facility to match”
Recommended, which covers “excellent properties with consistently good service and facilities”
You can browse through this year’s hundreds of Forbes Travel Guide honorees by visiting forbestravelguide.com/award-winners. Here’s what you should know about the top destinations in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania’s best restaurants
Two restaurants at the Nemacolin resort in Farmington earned a spot on this year’s travel guide shortlist. Aqueous, a seafood restaurant that “delivers modern cuisine inspired by the sea in a graceful atmosphere inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright,” earned four-star honors, according to the latest Forbes Travel Guide rankings. Lautrec, a “show-stopping culinary masterpiece” with a French six-course tasting menu, earned five stars.
Meanwhile, three Philadelphia restaurants landed on the list, too. Up first is Jean-Georges, the five-star restaurant with a six-course tasting menu on the 59th floor of the city’s Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center. Over in Rittenhouse Square, you’ll find the four-star Lacroix Restaurant, which offers a “global menu” and a famous chef’s table with kitchen seating. Volvér, located along South Broad Street, is known as a “stylish American hot spot” with an ambitious tasting menu.
The Keystone State’s top hotels
The Nemacolin resort earned additional recognition for two of its hotels. Up first is Falling Rock, which is inspired by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and earned a five-star rating. The Chateau, meanwhile, received four stars, but the hotel is closed for renovations until it reopens this summer.
Recognized as a Historic Hotel of America, The Hotel Hershey earned a four-star rating in the latest Forbes Travel Guide survey. The lodge, located in Hershey, just down the road from the Hersheypark amusement park, opened in 1933 and offers full-service amenities, a spa and more.
Out near Lancaster, The Inn at Leola Village took home four stars and is also recognized as a Historic Hotel of America. Established in 1867, the resort is known for “blending Amish history, fine lodging and unmatched service.”
The City of Brotherly Love’s Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center earned four-star honors, while the nearby Rittenhouse once again claimed a full five stars.
Finally, out in Bradford, the Lodge at Glendorn earned four stars from Forbes Travel Guide. The northwestern Pennsylvania hotel borders the Allegheny National Forest.
Pennsylvania’s premier spas
The Hotel Hershey’s spa earned four stars from Forbes Travel Guide. Available amenities include massages, facials, soaking tubs, hydrotherapy baths, steam rooms and saunas, meditation rooms, nail and hair salons and more, including some with chocolate touches. The Hotel Hershey’s spa is the only first-time honoree among Pennsylvania’s 16 selections this year.
The Spa at Leola Village, much like its hotel, also earned four stars from Forbes Travel Guide. Its website says one of the most popular treatments is “HydraFacial,” which blends “a microdermabrasion-like exfoliation with hydrating serums, resulting in a truly deep clean, exfoliation and hydration of your skin.”
The Nemacolin resort earned four more stars for its Woodlands Spa, which offers a wide range of treatments, including a fireside lounge, to patrons 14 years and older.
The 57th-floor spa at the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center earned five stars from Forbes Travel Guide. Its description includes walls lined with more than 700 pounds of healing crystals, plus a nighttime spa experience and crystal oil massage treatment, among other offerings.
