Regarded as the gold standard in the luxury hospitality sector, Forbes Travel Guide has released its 2019 Star Awards, which ranks hotels, spas and restaurants worldwide into categories of 5-Star, 4-Star and Recommended. This year, close to 1,700 properties across 76 countries were rated by Forbes inspectors across 900 criteria, 75 percent of which are based on service and the remaining 25 percent on the quality of its facilities.

True to the mantra that the mark of good service is when it goes unnoticed, these criteria took into account hundreds of small but significant gestures that together elevate the guest experience, from whether a staff member greets you curbside within 30 seconds of pulling up in a car, to whether guest rooms have a fresh flower arrangement or a live plant, and whether housekeeping arranges toiletries on top of high-quality underliners on the counter.

Within Hong Kong, 35 properties were awarded either four or five stars, skewing heavily towards long-established institutions across the city. Take a look at who made the cut this year below and see the full global list of ratings here.