The American Club Resort Earns Coveted ‘Forbes Five-Star Award’

KOHLER, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Club Resort in Kohler, Wisconsin, will usher in 2012 receiving a most distinguished gift – five sparkling stars – as Kohler Co. announces today that both The American Club hotel and Kohler Waters Spa were awarded the prestigious 2012 Forbes Five-Star Award in its 54^th annual listing of Five-Star and Four-Star hospitality establishments worldwide.

“Along with our AA Five Red Star property, The Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa in St Andrews, Scotland, Kohler Co. is in exclusive global company, offering the finest resort and golf accommodations in the world.”

They are also the first and only Forbes Five-Star hospitality establishments in Wisconsin to earn the organization’s highest rating that recognizes superior service and guest satisfaction. The American Club hotel is one of only 57 hotels worldwide with this distinction, while the Kohler Waters Spa is one of only 30 spas worldwide. The resort’s fine dining offering, The Immigrant Restaurant, was honored with the 2012 Forbes Four-Star Award – an impressive honor it has now received three straight years.

“We are incredibly proud and honored to achieve the Forbes Five-Star Award. Our dedicated staff is exemplary, and each individual works exceedingly hard to deliver outrageous Five-Star experiences and personalized service for each and every one of our guests,” said Debbie Taylor, Kohler Co. Group President-Hospitality & Real Estate. “Along with our AA Five Red Star property, The Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa in St Andrews, Scotland, Kohler Co. is in exclusive global company, offering the finest resort and golf accommodations in the world.”

The Forbes Five-Star list has defined the industry’s highest standard of excellence in hospitality for more than 50 years. As the originators of the prestigious star rating system, Forbes Travel Guide provides one of the most comprehensive evaluation systems of hotels, restaurants and spas in the world, with ratings based on objective evaluations of more than 500 attributes. For a detailed explanation of how Forbes Travel Guide compiles its Star ratings, visit www.startle.com, the new interactive website of Forbes Travel Guide. Follow Forbes Travel Guide on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ForbesInspector.

“Our annual ratings represent the best of the best in hotels, restaurants and spas. They serve as guideposts for consumers who are looking for exceptional travel experiences,” said Shane O’Flaherty, President, Inspections & Ratings, Forbes Travel Guide.

Built in 1918 by Walter J. Kohler, The American Club was commissioned to house immigrant workers – “single men of modest means” – who came to work at Kohler Co. Here the men, most of whom spoke very little English, could live in clean and comfortable surroundings while beginning life in their new country and becoming American citizens. Hundreds of workers called The American Club home over several decades. In 1981 it was refurbished and reopened as a luxurious hotel in the heart of the Midwest. Today, the building is recognized by the Historic Hotels of America and pays homage to its historic beginnings with photos and memorabilia throughout the resort.

The Kohler Waters Spa opened at the resort in 2000 and quickly secured itself as a leader and innovator in the spa industry. Specializing in restoring and replenishing the body, Kohler Waters Spa focuses on treatments that emphasize the therapeutic benefits of water. Based in Kohler, Wisconsin, the spa has two additional locations in Burr Ridge, Illinois, and St Andrews, Scotland.

In addition to the designation awarded by Forbes Travel Guide, The American Club Resort was recently ranked as the #3 Golf Resort in North America by Golf Digest Magazine. The resort is known internationally for its breath-taking championship golf courses, Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run, created by legendary golf course designer Pete Dye. Blackwolf Run will host the upcoming 2012 U.S. Women’s Open, while Whistling Straits will be the home to the 2015 PGA Championship and 2020 Ryder Cup. The courses have played previous host to 1998 U.S. Women’s Open, 2004 PGA Championship, 2007 U.S. Senior Open and 2010 PGA Championship.

Learn more about The American Club Resort at www.AmericanClub.com or 800-344-2838. Stay up to date on resort happenings on facebook, facebook.com/americanclub and on twitter, www.twitter.com/theamericanclub.

About Forbes Travel Guide

Forbes Travel Guide, originator of the prestigious Mobil Travel Guide Star ratings and certifications, has provided the most comprehensive ratings and reviews of hotels, restaurants and spas since 1958. In October 2009, Mobil Travel Guide announced a strategic partnership with Forbes Media LLC. This exclusive licensing agreement between two industry leaders with more than 140 years of combined experience transfers the hospitality industry's premier star rating and travel guide brand from ExxonMobil to Forbes. Forbes Travel Guide has a team of expert inspectors who anonymously evaluate properties against rigorous and objective proprietary standards, providing consumers the insight to make better-informed travel and leisure decisions.

About Forbes Media LLC

Forbes Media encompasses Forbes and Forbes.com, the #1 business site on the Web that reaches on average more than 17 million people monthly. The company publishes Forbes and Forbes Asia, which together reach a worldwide audience of more than 6 million readers. It also publishes ForbesLife magazine, in addition to licensee editions in China, Croatia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Korea, Poland, Romania, Russia and Turkey.

Other Forbes Media Web sites are: Investopedia.com; RealClearPolitics.com; RealClearMarkets.com; RealClearSports.com; and the Forbes.com Business and Finance Blog Network. Together with Forbes.com, these sites reach on average nearly 40 million business decision makers each month.

About Kohler Co. Hospitality & Real Estate Group

The Kohler Co. Hospitality & Real Estate profile includes The American Club, boasting the first and only Forbes Five-Star hotel property in Wisconsin, and world-renowned championship golf courses Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run. Acquired in 2004, its sister property, The Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa in the birthplace of golf, St Andrews, Scotland, is a AA Five Red Star property and recognized as one of the most luxurious resorts in the world.

About The American Club Resort

The American Club Resort, a 2012 Forbes Five-Star Recipient and the Midwest’s only AAA Five Diamond resort-hotel was named #3 Golf Resort in North America, by Golf Digest Magazine. Kohler Waters Spa in Kohler, Wisconsin is the first and only Forbes Five-Star spa in Wisconsin and one of 30 spas worldwide to hold this distinction. The resort features 11 dining establishments from the Forbes Four-Star Immigrant Restaurant to traditional pub fare at Horse & Plow and rustic Italian at Cucina. The resort is located in the Village of Kohler, Wisconsin, one hour north of Milwaukee and two and a half hours north of Chicago.

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