NEW YORK, Oct 5 — Macau has emerged the big winner in a new travel list from Forbes that highlights the crème de la crème of its hotel picks.

Of the four and five-starred hotels already announced earlier this year, Forbes whittled down the group to 58 properties representing the top 6 per cent of the 1,000 properties and called it the Verified List or "The Most Luxurious Hotels in the World.”

With four addresses on the list, Macau dominates the selection thanks to properties like the Altira Macau; Nüwa Macau; The Ritz-Carlton, Macau and the Wynn Macau.

Tying for second place are Las Vegas, New York and Bali, which landed two hotels each.

To be given the "Verified” designation, hotels have to go above and beyond the usual luxury amenity, says Forbes.

They may be set in distinctive surroundings and convey a strong sense of place; boast exceptional interior design or landscaping; and feature thoughtful guest experiences such as fresh flowers in the room, gifts for turndown service, and top-of-the-line amenities.

Forbes also released a "Verified” list of the World’s Most Luxurious Spas, for which eight hotels picked up double honours. They include Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Puerto Rico; Mandarin Oriental, Singapore; Nüwa Macau; Ocean House, Watch Hill, Rhode Island; The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, Marana, Arizona; The Ritz-Carlton, Macau; Rosewood Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico; and Salamander Resort & Spa, Middleburg, Virginia.

Check out all 58 hotels in 17 countries on Forbes Travel Guide. — AFP-Relaxnews