The Grand Del Mar resort in Carmel Valley became the first hotel in San Diego County to receive the coveted five-star rating from the Forbes Travel Guide, making it one of nine hotels in the state with such a distinction.

The Grand Del Mar hotel in San Diego joins its spa and restaurant counterparts, The Spa at The Grand Del Mar and Addison, which were awarded their five stars in 2011 and 2009 respectively. The triple five-star rating makes the Grand Del Mar triple the luxury for traveling guests.

Making the cut for the first time in the four-star category were nine hotels, nine restaurants and five spas. A total of 539 establishments in the United States, Canada, Beijing, Macau, and Singapore made the 2012 Forbes Travel Guide honor roll, which for the first time can be found on Startle.com, the guide’s new interactive Web site launched today.

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