Live From ILTM: Inside Forbes Travel Guide's 67-Year Legacy of Defining Luxury
Episode description
Forbes Travel Guide has been the gold standard for luxury hotel ratings for more than 60 years, and its anonymous inspections remain one of the travel industry's most influential forces. In this ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) episode, recorded live in Cannes, Hermann Elger, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide, joins Afar co-founder Joe Diaz to reveal how the guide maintains its integrity while expanding beyond hotels into cruise lines, air travel, and emerging luxury categories.
The conversation covers how Forbes protects inspector anonymity—even from Hermann himself—and why the Standards Advisory Committee includes industry voices to ensure ratings evolve with traveler expectations. Hermann also explores how the five-star standard has become synonymous with excellence across industries and shares its expansion into river cruises, the Edge List for emerging properties, Star Bars, and the Icons List for legendary establishments.
What You'll Learn
- Forbes Travel Guide inspectors remain anonymous even to the CEO, with only two people knowing their identities to maintain rating integrity
- Service accounts for the majority of scoring over facilities—a property can have dated décor but achieve five stars through exceptional service
- The Guide has expanded to include Verified Air Travel Awards, cruise and river cruise ratings, the Edge List for up-and-coming properties, Star Bars, and the Icons List
- Standards evolve through an industry Advisory Committee that ensures ratings reflect current luxury expectations while maintaining consistency
Key Moments [3:28] Discussion of how Forbes maintains inspector anonymity and why third-party verification matters more than ever in the age of online reviews [6:11] Hermann reveals the Guide's expansion strategy: cruise lines, air travel awards, Edge List, Star Bars, and Icons List to cover the full luxury travel journey [10:11] Behind the curtains of how these iconic lists come together.
Resources
- Visit the Forbes Travel Guide website for star ratings and travel planning
- Explore the Verified Air Travel Awards and Edge List for emerging properties
- Discover ILTM Cannes where this conversation was recorded
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This ILTM special series was recorded live in Cannes, France. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media. The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland.
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