Thirty (30) lodgings and 14 restaurants have been awarded the coveted Mobil Five-Star rating.  In addition, 190 lodgings and 203 restaurants across the U.S. and Canada have received the highly regarded Mobil Four-Star rating.

New Mobil Five-Star Award lodging recipients include Blantyre in Lenox, Massachusetts; Four Seasons San Francisco; Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club in Sea Island, Georgia; The Peninsula in Chicago; The Ritz-Carlton, A Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago; The Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach; and The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco.  New Mobil Five-Star Award restaurant recipients include Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia; and The Dining Room in Buckhead, Georgia.

"Achievement of the Mobil Four-Star, and particularly the Mobil Five-Star, Award reflects a recipient's commitment to not only provide an exemplary experience in a spectacular setting but also a dedication to anticipate guest needs and surpass guests' expectations," said Kenneth P. Cohen, Vice President, Public Affairs, Exxon Mobil Corporation. "Incognito professional evaluations, along with announced facility inspections, consumer reviews, and independent media reports, are carefully reviewed to determine a property's rating. The Mobil Award is not the result of just one person's opinion but rather the culmination of several objective inputs."

The Mobil Five-Star Award indicates that a property is one of the best in the country and consistently provides a superlative level of service, quality, and ambience. "The Five-Star recipients are considered today's leaders in the hospitality industry.  The lodgings and restaurants at this level are proactively responding to consumer's needs, and they have done so with grace and perseverance despite a challenging economic environment," adds Cohen.  Also highly regarded is the Mobil Four-Star Award, which honors properties for outstanding achievement in facilities, service, and provision of a distinctive experience for the discerning consumer. 
 

Behind The Stars 

The Mobil Travel Guide stars are a 45-year old consumer advocacy concept originally developed following the introduction of the US highway system. The goal of the Guide is not to identify and rate every property in the country, but to recommend only the best of each category, the ones that we would send our customers to. We look at the stars from a consumer�s point of view, rating hotels and restaurants across North America from the perspective of the �average traveler.� 

Today, the evaluation process at the 4- and 5-star level speaks for itself. The following four factors are taken into account when determining a star rating: incognito service evaluations at the Four & Five-Star level, a separate, detailed facility inspection performed by a member of Mobil Travel Guide�s Quality Assurance Team, consumer reviews, and independent media reports and ratings.  These are all carefully assessed to determine the final rating of a hotel property or restaurant. We perpetually seek out objective and measurable results to recommend to the consumer. 

The Mobil Five-Star Award indicates that a property is one of the very best in the country and consistently provides gracious and courteous service, superlative quality in its facility, and a unique ambiance that is all it�s own. The hotels and restaurants at the 5-star level are consistently and proactively responding to consumer�s needs, and they continue their commitment to excellence, by doing so with grace and perseverance. 

Also highly regarded is the Mobil Four-Star Award, which honors properties for outstanding achievement in overall facility and for providing very strong service levels in all areas. These award winners provide a distinctive experience for the ever-demanding and sophisticated consumer. 

At the One through Three-Star level similar processes take place in determining a rating, excluding the incognito inspection. Extensive in-house research is constantly underway to determine any new additions to our lists. Consumer feedback is consistently monitored and contributes to the final assessment of a rating. And most importantly, a member of our Inspection Team makes an annual visit to each hotel and restaurant to monitor any changes relevant to a hotel property or restaurant. 

The Mobil Three-Star Award recognizes an excellent property that provides full services and amenities. This category ranges from exceptional hotels with limited services to elegant restaurants with less-formal atmosphere. 

The Mobil Two-Star Awards provide consumers with a variety of options, all clean, comfortable and with expanded amenities across the country. Though the services provided are reduced from the Three-Star level, a Two-Star property is still an excellent place to stay or dine. 

The Mobil One-Star Award provides a recommendation to a property that is perhaps limited in its amenities and services provided, however is focused on providing a value experience while meeting travelers� expectations. The property can be expected to be clean, comfortable, convenient and has met Mobil Travel Guide standards and expectations at the one-star level. 

The 2003 Mobil Travel Guide series, along with its accompanying Website, www.mobiltravelguide.com, provides comprehensive, up-to-date information on more than 21,000 lodging and dining establishments and 20,000 attractions in more than 4,500 cities and towns throughout North America. Complete with four-color printing, a compact design, driving and walking tours, and area maps, the guides provide a full range of traveling options from the very basic to the elaborate. 

As originator of the authoritative and highly respected Mobil Five-Star rating program, Mobil Travel Guide has been committed to identifying and celebrating travel and hospitality excellence in North America since 1958.  Mobil Travel Guide is an ExxonMobil Travel Publication.