Monday, January 26, 2009

Not just Five Stars, but 20!

Five Stars are great, no doubt about it. Ten are even better.

But 20 Stars? To a single Resort? That's unprecedented.

Sea Island Resorts has received four Mobil Five-Star Awards, the most ever given to a single entity. According to Mobil, the Sea Island Resorts "made history by achieving the most Mobil Five-Stars ever awarded to one destination."*

The Cloister at Sea Island made Mobil Five-Star history when it received three of the awards: for the hotel itself, its signature restaurant, the Georgian Room, and the Cloister Spa. In addition, The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club maintained its Five-Star distinction for the ninth consecutive year.

The Cloister Spa is the only Mobil Five-Star spa in Georgia and one of only eight so recognized in the U.S. and Canada. The Georgian Room shares its Five-Star status with one other Georgia restaurant, and 19 other restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. The Cloister -- one of only three Georgia Five-Star hotels -- achieved its rating just three years after a complete resort rebuild.

"Winning four Mobil Five-Star awards is an incredible achievement," said Bill Jones III, chairman and CEO, Sea Island Company. "Beautiful buildings alone do not achieve this level of recognition. People -- our employees -- make the difference, by providing the genuine, heartfelt service and authentic Southern hospitality that distinguishes Sea Island."

Criteria to earn a Mobil Five-Star rating are stringent, based on more than 750 standards for hotels, more than 250 for restaurants, and more recently, 450 guidelines for spas. To achieve Mobil Five-Star status, properties must also meet or exceed Mobil's bar-setting service standards, which are determined through an unannounced, undercover service evaluation conducted by Mobil Travel Guide's expert inspectors.


The Cloister is no stranger to the Mobil Five-Star award. Prior to the resort's recent rebuild, The Cloister held the distinction for 22 years. 

Sea Island Company is a private resort and real estate development company founded in 1928. It owns and operates Sea Island Resorts, including The Cloister at Sea Island and The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Course. For more information, visit them online.

Mobil Travel Guide, originator of the prestigious Mobil Star ratings and certifications, has provided comprehensive ratings and reviews of hotels, restaurants and spas since 1958. Its team of anonymous, expert inspectors evaluates properties against rigorous and proprietary standards, giving consumers the insight to make better informed travel and leisure decisions. For more information, visit them online.

* The Cloister was one of only two U.S. destinations to receive three Five-Star awards for a single property; the other properties were the Tower Suites Las Vegas, Alex Restaurant and the Spa at Wynn.

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Images used with permission of Sea Island Company.