The American Club Resort and Kohler Waters Spa Earn Revered Forbes Five-Star Award for Second Consecutive Year

Kohler Co.-owned hotel and spa recognized by Forbes Travel Guide in top echelon of hospitality experiences; remain the only Forbes Five-Star hotel and spa in Wisconsin with designation

KOHLER, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kohler Co. is honored to announce The American Club hotel and Kohler Waters Spa are again recipients of the revered 2013 Forbes Five-Star Award – one of the most highly sought after awards in the hospitality industry worldwide – with the resort’s fine dining establishment, the Immigrant Restaurant, gaining recognition with the 2013 Four-Star Award. This is Forbes Travel Guide’s 55^th annual listing of Star Award-winning hospitality establishments.

“The Forbes Travel Guide annual Star Awards represent the best in class in luxury hospitality. Travelers seeking exceptional experiences rely on our ratings to guide them to the world’s finest hotels, restaurants and spas”

This is the second consecutive year The American Club resort and Kohler Waters Spa have earned the organization’s highest rating that recognizes superior service and guest satisfaction. The American Club hotel is one of only 76 hotels worldwide with this distinction, while the Kohler Waters Spa is one of only 35 spas worldwide. The fine dining offering, The Immigrant Restaurant, has received the Forbes Four-Star Award for an impressive five straight years.

“It is an honor to receive the Forbes Five-Star award again and to be among an elite group of hotels and spas,” said Debbie Taylor, Kohler Co. Group President-Hospitality & Real Estate. “Our staff’s devotion to providing an outstanding, memorable and personalized experience for each guest is the reason we continue to achieve recognition throughout the industry. Along with our AA Five Red Star property – The Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa in St Andrews, Scotland – Kohler Co.’s global hospitality portfolio offers the finest resort, golf and spa accommodations in the world.”

“The Forbes Travel Guide annual Star Awards represent the best in class in luxury hospitality. Travelers seeking exceptional experiences rely on our ratings to guide them to the world’s finest hotels, restaurants and spas,” said Michael Cascone, President and COO of Forbes Travel Guide. “By continuing to evolve our ratings categories, we are establishing a global benchmark for the highest standards in hospitality service and facilities.”

The American Club historic hotel originally served as a dormitory for European immigrant factory workers for Kohler Co. in the early 1900s. In 1981, Kohler Co. refurbished and reopened it as a luxurious hotel in the heart of the Midwest. Recently renovated guest rooms in the hotel’s main building are richly appointed with soothing water experiences by KOHLER plumbing products, fine Egyptian bedding, artistic tile from Ann Sacks and select furnishings from Baker and McGuire. 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 in the spa industry. Specializing in restoring and replenishing the body, Kohler Waters Spa focuses on treatments that emphasize the therapeutic benefits of water. The spa is especially known for its innovative bathing and water services and has the advantage of providing an experience with the newest and best KOHLER plumbing products. Kohler Waters Spa is consistently ranked in the Top 100 U.S. Resort Spas by Conde Nast Traveler. Based in Kohler, Wisconsin, the spa has two additional locations in Burr Ridge, Illinois, and St Andrews, Scotland.

In addition to The American Club Resort’s resumé of awards and honors, the resort is also known for award-winning Championship golf courses, Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run, which have hosted two PGA Championships, the U.S. Senior Open, two U.S. Women’s Open’s and is the future home to the 2015 PGA Championship and 2020 Ryder Cup. The elegant accommodations, inspired dining, impeccable service, award-winning golf, unparalleled spa services and resort amenities make it a truly unique – if not outrageous – experience.

For reservations, please call 800-344-2838 or visit www.AmericanClub.com for more information. Stay up to date on news and happenings on Facebook facebook.com/americanclub and on Twitter, www.twitter.com/theamericanclub.

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. The full list of 2013 award winners can be found on Startle.com, the online home of Forbes Travel Guide.

About Forbes Travel Guide and Startle.com

Forbes Travel Guide, formerly Mobil Travel Guide and originator of the prestigious Five Star ratings and certifications, has provided the travel industry’s most comprehensive ratings and reviews of hotels, restaurants and spas since 1958. Forbes Travel Guide has a team of expert inspectors who anonymously evaluate properties against rigorous and objective standards, providing consumers the insight to make better-informed travel and leisure decisions. The information gathered from the inspectors’ visits can be found along with content by curated hospitality experts, tastemakers, Forbes Travel Guide editors and correspondents at Startle.com, online home of Forbes Travel Guide.

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. The resort is one of only 45 hotels with both the Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond distinction. Kohler Waters Spa in Kohler, Wisconsin is the first and only Forbes Five-Star spa in Wisconsin and one of 35 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.