In a much anticipated annual ranking, The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation has been awarded Four-Stars for 2014 from the venerable Forbes Travel Guide for both the hotel and spa — both earning kudos for an exceptionally high level of luxury and service.

Formerly known as Mobile Travel Guide, this prestigious rating system is known worldwide and has set the standard for hospitality excellence since 1958.

According to Ralph Vick, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation, this marks the ninth consecutive year the resort has received a Four-Star ranking and the sixth year the Spa has received a Four-Star designation from Forbes. “This is a wonderful achievement, and a true testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff,” Vick said.  “We are honored to be included with some of the world’s very finest hotels and spas in this esteemed annual list.”

Located just 75 miles east of Atlanta on the scenic shores of Lake Oconee — Georgia’s second largest lake — the 251-room Ritz-Carlton Lodge is situated in a 10,000-acre golf and lakefront community with access to 99 holes of championship golf designed by Bob Cupp, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio and Rees Jones. Furthering its appeal, Reynolds Plantation recently completed upgrades to The Landing, The Oconee and The National golf courses; expanded Reynolds Golf Academy headed by academy director Charlie King (ranked as one of Golf Magazine’s “Top 100 Teachers”) and introduced a new TaylorMade-adidas Golf Kingdom — one of two such club fitting venues in the U.S. Additionally, the resort has recently completed an extensive refurbishment of all  guestrooms, suites and lakeside cottages, as well as Georgia’s Bistro and The Club Level Lounge. Also new: Sandy Creek Barn, a completely restored wood-beam barn dating back to the 1820s. With its picturesque gabled roof and rugged stone accents, this new event venue is ideal for indoor and outdoor events of all scopes and sizes.

Spanning 26,000-square-feet, The Spa at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge is adjacent to the hotel and features 19 private treatment rooms, a couple’s spa suite, four wet treatment rooms, male and female relaxation areas with lockers and changing facilities, an indoor lap pool, saunas, steam rooms, whirlpools, a full-service salon and a spa boutique.

In addition to its top notch service and beautiful facilities, the resort features a full line up of onsite activities — evoking an “Endless Summer” ambiance with regular nightly campfires and s’mores, lake activities, cocktail and wine tastings, cooking classes and more.

All of the 2014 Four and Five-Star winners are featured on www.forbestravelguide.com, which details the rigorous inspection process. Only properties that meet Forbes stringent hospitality standards achieve a Five-Star, Four-Star or Recommended rating.  Professional inspectors check into and check out every rated property regularly, evaluating more than 500 criteria to determine a Star Rating that establishes a global benchmark for luxury travel.