A new list of top hotels from Forbes. Tourism jumps for Anguilla, Curacao and Shanghai. A new Marriott hotel in Barbados. And a continued drop in Canadian visits to the States. That plus a Cuba tourism update and TPC Sawgrass PGA Tour golf in today’s travel report.
FORBES HOTEL, SPA, RESTAURANT AND CRUISE RATINGS FOR 2026
Forbes has come out with its annual list of top hotels, restaurants, spas and cruise ships around the world.
Totaling 2,422 properties, the winners include 343 Five-Star, 708 Four-Star and 679 Recommended hotels and 82 Five-Star, 138 Four-Star and 80 Recommended restaurants. They also looked at top spas and cruise ships, as well as cruise ship restaurants.
The U.S. had tons of Five-Star hotels, including many from Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and other big names. Canada has five Five-Star properties on the list, four of them in Toronto and none (sacre bleu) in Montreal or the province of Quebec.
Here are a few highlights for my US and Canadian readers.
There are too many Five-Star US hotels to list on this space (I counted 78) but I note that among the honorees are 14 in California, nine in Florida and eight in New York State (seven of those in NYC). Hawaii is home to four Five-Star hotels.
Ten of the 78 Five-Star properties in the US are part of the Four Seasons brand, while five are Montage properties.
For Canada, the Five-Star listed hotels are the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver and then four Toronto properties: the St. Regis, the Hazelton Hotel (a personal fave), the Shangri-La, and the Four Seasons. Somehow, Montreal came up short, which surprises me.
The Hazelton Hotel is in the heart of Toronto’s trendy Yorkville area. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Canada did quite well in the Four-Star Forbes listing, with an even dozen properties. Those include The Bruce Hotel in Stratford, Ontario (here’s a blog post I wrote a couple years ago on the hotel), the Ritz-Carlton Toronto, Fairmont Gold at the Fairmont Banff Springs, the wonderful Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino, B.C., and the Muir, a Luxury Collection by Marriott hotel in lovely Halifax.
Some of my favorite Four-Star hotels listed for the U.S. include the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco, The Four Seasons Chicago, the Conrad Downtown New York (elegant, enormous rooms), the Ritz-Carlton Maui at Kapalua (gorgeous), the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles and The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. Three hotels in Santa Monica received four stars from Forbes: Shutters on the Beach, Casa Del Mar (Spanish elegance to spare) and the new, stylish Regent Santa Monica Beach.
No Canadian restaurants got a Five-Star rating, but five received four stars, those being TOCA at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Toronto (truly special), Canoe in Toronto, Toque in Montreal, Joni (at the Park Hyatt Toronto) and Scaramouche in Toronto. All the Toronto winners makes me wonder if Forbes spends enough time in Vancouver or Montreal, or Quebec City for that matter. I also note that they seem pretty heavy on hotel restaurants.
Three Canadian spas received a Five-Star ratings; The Fairmont Spa at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver, Guerlain Spa at the Four Seasons Montreal, and the Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto.
Regent Santa Monica Beach Hotel. Tanveer Badal Photo.
Three Canadian spas came away with Four-Star rankings; The Spa by JW at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver Hotel (lovely hotel), the Spa by Valmont at the Hazelton Hotel Toronto and Spa myBlend at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Toronto, a fabulous spa I got to enjoy a few years ago.
As cruising’s popularity soars, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Ilma becomes the first Five-Star cruise in Forbes Travel Guide history, while Celebrity Xcel’s Le Voyage from master chef Daniel Boulud is the first Five-Star cruise ship restaurant.
ANGUILLA TOURISM RECORD
The Anguilla Tourist Board says the island nation in 2025 achieved its highest annual visitor arrivals in 33 years, welcoming nearly 230,000 visitors. This represents a 11.2% increase over 2024 and a strong rebound, surpassing the pre-pandemic benchmark year of 2019 by 38.1%.
Total visitor arrivals increased from 166,351 in 2019 to 229,734 in 2025, representing an increase of 63,383 visitors (+38.1%).
A beautiful beach on the north shore of Anguilla. JIM BYERS PHOTO
I had a wonderful visit in 2016 or so, checking out amazing, white sand beaches, mingling with fun locals at a casual seaside restaurant on the north side of the island, and exploring fabulous, luxury hotels.
SHANGHAI TOURISM REBOUND
Shanghai’s tourism market rebounded strongly in 2025, with inbound travel rising sharply throughout the year. The city received 9.3602 million inbound visitors over the year, further cementing its position as a leading gateway for international travelers visiting China.
I enjoyed Beijing when I was there for the Summer Olympics in 2008, but I found Shanghai to be a more interesting city when I visited a dozen years ago.
NEW, ALL-INCLUSIVE BARBADOS MARRIOTT OPENS
Crystal Cove, Barbados, A Tribute Portfolio All-Inclusive Resort, has officially opened on Barbados’ celebrated West Coast.
The first all-inclusive resort within Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio, the 88-room resort “offers a fresh take on island living, where spontaneous moments, meaningful connections and effortless relaxation define the experience,” the company said in a press release.
Crystal Cove Resort, Barbados.
I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing the resort, but I’ve been to Barbados five or six times now and love the laid-back vibe and variety of things to see and do. The west coast is famous for its luxury resorts, calm waters and, of course, splendid sunsets.
The hotel is located just 16 miles (26 km’s) from Grantley Adams International Airport.
CANADIAN TRAVEL TO USA STILL SUPER SLOW
Canadians are still avoiding the U.S. in droves. Statistics Canada this week said the number of Canadian residents returning from the U.S. by car fell 26.8% in January from last year, marking the 12th straight month of declines. Canadian-resident return trips by air from the U.S. dropped 17.8%.
Air Transat this week said it stop flying to the U.S. entirely. The airline said it will cease three flights from eastern Canada to Florida of May and June of this year.
CUBA – WHAT’S NEXT?
The Cuba Tourist Board in Toronto issued a statement on Feb. 11, apologizing for the cancellation of flights from Canada and for the tremendous inconvenience it presents for visitors now on the island and those who had hoped to go soon.
“Due to logistical challenges we are currently facing which are beyond our control—stemming from a complex global geopolitical landscape that has strained international supply chains—direct air operations from Canada have been temporarily suspended,” the board said. “The Cuba Tourist Board in Toronto offers its most sincere apologies to the thousands of passengers whose long-awaited vacations have been disrupted. We also wish to recognize the immense effort put forth by our travel partners—the advisors, tour operators, and all involved—who have worked tirelessly to accommodate their clients during this time.
A street in Havana, Cuba. Alexander Kunze/Unsplash Photo
“We wish to reassure you that many tourism facilities in Cuba remain operational and guests currently at their destinations will continue to enjoy their stays as planned until their scheduled return dates. We remain in constant, active communication with all tour operators to ensure every request is met and every traveller is cared for with the warmth Cuba is known for.”
It’s a sad situation, as Cuba is heavily reliant on foreign visitors as a source of income. Losing dozens of flights a week is a huge blow to the island nation’s economy, and one that’s simply not sustainable in the long run.
What happens from here I don’t know. But I suspect a certain U.S. president will have a role to play, for good or bad.
CURACAO TOURISM UPDATE
Following a landmark year of awards and a growth of 14%, the Curacao is heading into 2026 with a ‘Beyond the Blue’ positioning highlighting:
- New tours focused on outdoors and adventure
- Sustainability and environmental conservation
- New museum exhibits history and culture opportunities
- Plus exciting new luxury hotel openings like the island’s first Autograph Collection Hotel (The Pyrmont), and a new TUI Blue Resort.
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A tranquil beach on the Caribbean island of Curacao. Den Harrson/Unsplash Photo
I had a fine visit eight or 10 years ago. I especially enjoyed the quiet beach scene at Grote Knip and the towering sea cliffs on the east side of the island. The main city of Willemstad is home to the famous “Swinging Bridge,” cool shops, and colourful waterfront buildings, as well as the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Americas.
PLAYERS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP COMING UP
One of golf’s biggest and most prestigious events returns to Ponte Vedra March 10-15. THE PLAYERS Championship is six days packed with action from the world’s finest golfers, fun activities, and fine (usually) Florida weather.
Watching the tourney, especially when golfers reach the famous 17th hole and its “island” green, always makes me smile. My Dad and I played there in 2011 or so on a great golf trip in the U.S. Southeast.
He was a little anxious on the tee box at #17 and yanked three balls into the water to the left of the green. They all landed in roughly the same spot, which made him laugh.
“That’s the definition of stupidity,” he said. “You do the same thing three times in a row and expect a different result.”
I always smile when I think of that morning. Me? My ball barely held the green and I two putted for a par. I didn’t rub it in (well, not much), but I was pretty proud of that!
