Global spa consultancy and management firm WTS International has helped a spa in Florida achieve a Five-Star rating from Forbes Travel Guide.

WTS-managed Eau Spa at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Manalapan, Florida, US, was awarded the accolade, which is only bestowed on spas that meet the most stringent hospitality standards in offering experiences with the highest quality design and facilities, service and advanced treatments.

To secure the rating, the spa’s director, Catherine Warren, was trained using a programme designed by WTS and specifically developed around Forbes’ guidelines.

WTS executives were initially trained by Forbes and delivered the programme to the team at Eau Spa. Gary Henkin, president of WTS, said: “We took the decision to develop our training programme with Forbes to give us the expertise to offer instruction at the highest level. It also ensures we provide our clients with world-class customer service.”

WTS took over the management of Eau Spa in 2010 and worked to improve its customer services scores. The WTS team has been in charge of enhancing procedures at the 19-treatment room, 42,000sq ft (3,902sq m) spa ever since.

Henkin said: “There are only 48 spas in the world with Forbes Five-Star ratings and 27 of these are in the US, so we’re delighted to have been able to work with the team at Eau Spa to enable them to achieve this rating, in recognition of their world class status.”

Eau Spa is the first WTS-managed property to achieve a Five-Star rating.

Warren said the Five-Star designation reflected a “dedication to providing guests with unparalleled luxury spa experiences that underscore the ‘Pause, Play and Perfect’ vision – time stands still, worries are forgotten and well deserved ‘me time’ is all that remains”.

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