World’s Best Hotels 2011: America

The U.S. economy may be losing ground to rising powers in emerging markets, but the country’s luxury hotel industry is performing better than ever. The U.S. counts 50 establishments among the World’s Best Hotels, according to Institutional Investor’s exclusive ranking of five-star hotels. That’s more citations than Europe, Asia, and Middle East and Africa. These hotels range from unique boutiques to flagships of the world’s leading luxury hotel chains, but they all share superior accommodations and a high standard of personal service, according to the senior financial executives who rate the hotels.

Distinctiveness rates highly among the voters. Topping the list this year is the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, a boutique that has dominated the hotel scene in Dallas, Texas, since it opened more than 30 years ago. In second place is the Peninsula Beverly Hills, a Renaissance style establishment located near the famed Rodeo Drive shopping mecca. The Hay-Adams, a 19th century Washington, D.C. landmark that sits across Lafayette Square from the White House, comes in third place. And at fourth is The Carlyle, a bastion of Upper East Side sophistication and elegance in New York.

Outside the U.S., voters rate the Four Seasons in Mexico City and the Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt in Buenos Aires as being the world’s top hotels.

Rank Hotel City Rating

48 Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta Atlanta 85.6 47 New York Palace New York 85.8 46 Four Seasons Chicago 85.9 45 Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead Atlanta 86.3 44 St. Regis San Francisco 86.5 43 Four Seasons Toronto 86.6 42 St. Regis Houston 87.1 41 Sofitel Chicago Water Tower Chicago 87.4 40 Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common Boston 87.5 39 Mandarin Oriental Washington, DC 87.7 38 Four Seasons New York 88.1 37 Park Hyatt Chicago 88.1 36 Arizona Biltmore Phoenix 88.2 35 Halekulani Honolulu 88.3 34 Mandarin Oriental Boston 88.3 33 Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park New York 88.6 32 Four Seasons Washington, DC 88.7 31 Four Seasons Las Vegas 88.9 30 Ritz-Carlton (Four Seasons) Chicago 88.9 29 Four Seasons Boston 89.2 28 Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne Miami 89.3 27 Palacio Duhau, Park Hyatt Buenos Aires 89.7 25* Mandarin Oriental New York 89.8 25* Four Seasons at Beverly Hills Los Angeles 89.8 24 Four Seasons Philadelphia 89.9 23 Mandarin Oriental Miami 90.0 22 Plaza Athenee New York 90.2 21 St. Regis New York 90.2 20 Four Seasons Mexico City 90.5 19 Peninsula New York 90.5 18 Beverly Wilshire (Four Seasons) Los Angeles 90.5 17 Pierre New York 90.6 16 Beverly Hills Los Angeles 90.7 15 Four Seasons Seattle 90.7 14 Phoenician Phoenix 90.8 13 Willard InterContinental Washington, DC 90.8 12 Conrad Miami 91.2 11 Boulders Phoenix 91.3 10 Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown Washington, DC 91.6 9 Mandarin Oriental San Francisco 91.7 8 Peninsula Chicago 91.8 7 Tower Suites at Wynn Las Vegas Las Vegas 92.2 6 Four Seasons Atlanta 92.7 5 Four Seasons at Las Colinas Dallas 92.9 4 Carlyle New York 93.9 3 Hay-Adams Washington, DC 94.0 2 Peninsula Los Angeles 94.3 1 Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek Dallas 94.8

*Actual Tie