Two California hotels join five-star world in 2015 Forbes Travel Guide

Two California hotels and three popular hotel-resort brands have earned their first Forbes Travel Guide five-star hotel awards.

The 2015 Forbes Travel Guide on Wednesday announced its five-star ratings for hotels, restaurants and spas around the world. Two of the 18 newcomers to the five-star world are in California.

The Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad garnered the five-star rating for its “stunning mountain, valley and Pacific panoramas” as well as its massive swimming pool and fitness center, according to the guide.

Aviara Spa at the hotel resort also picked up a four-star rating for the first time.

Rosewood Sand Hill in the Silicon Valley also is a new five-star. The resort in Menlo Park, Calif., is within spitting distance of high-tech companies but far enough away to have a nice kickback getaway feeling, the guide says.

Mexican hotels had some firsts too with these five-star winners: Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita in Nayarit and Rosewood Myakoba in Playa del Carmen.

Besides Hyatt, other newcomer brands to the five-star world are Conrad Macao in Cotai Central for Conrad Hotels & Resorts and the Langham, Hong Kong for Langham Hotels & Resorts.

Forbes announced another first: Two properties received “quintuple five-star” ratings for having high marks for their hotel, three restaurants and spa. The two are Wynn Macau and Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong.

Southern California must be the top place to be pampered in the state. Six of the eight spas on the five-star list are in Southern California:

— Hotel Bel-Air Spa by La Prairie, Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles

— Spa Gaucin at the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point

— Spa Montage at Montage Beverly Hills

— Spa Montage Laguna Beach at Montage Laguna Beach

— The Spa at Pelican Hill near Newport Beach

— The Spa at the Grand Del Mar in San Diego

Check out the entire 2015 Forbes Travel Guide ratings.