Forbes Travel Guide, the only global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants and spas, announced the 2025 Star Awards. Both Kai Restaurant and Aji Spa have earned the 2025 Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award, one of only
This marks the sixth time Aji Spa has been honored with the prestigious Five-Star award. Aji Spa joins Kai which has maintained the Five-Star accolade for 17 years, first awarded in 2009, and is still the only restaurant in the state with this distinction. Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass remains the only resort in Arizona to boast both a Five-Star restaurant and Five-Star spa in addition to its luxurious amenities and recent multi-million-dollar renovation of the resort.
Bunty Ahamed, general manager of Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, expressed pride in the team’s dedication, saying “Receiving Five Star recognition from Forbes Travel Guide once again for Aji Spa, and for the seventeenth consecutive year for Kai, is an incredible honor. Our commitment to providing every guest with a personalized and exceptional experience is unwavering, and these accolades are a testament to our team’s outstanding efforts.”
Offering authentic Native American Spa services, Aji reflects the traditions of the Pima and Maricopa cultures in every aspect – from art and architecture to treatments and services. Aji, meaning “sanctuary” in the Pima language, is appropriately named after the nearby Aji Mountain located on the Gila River Indian Community where women and children would go in times of war. The ancient cultures of both tribes are also showcased throughout the spa in design elements, artwork, architecture and shared legends. A journey of sacred doctrines, the signature Indigenous Collection was developed by Aji’s Cultural Caretakers and offers an authentic Native American spa experience.
Kai remains the only restaurant in Arizona to receive this prestigious honor, continuing to demonstrate itself as one of the finest dining establishments in the world. There are 79 Five-Star restaurants across the globe on this distinguished 2025 list. Additionally, Kai is a 2025 James Beard semifinalist in the “Outstanding Hospitality” category.
Kai showcases locally grown produce and a surprisingly rich Arizona-made olive oil in recipes that merge contemporary tastes and time-honored Native American techniques. Kai’s menu incorporates the essence of the Pima and Maricopa tribes. Locally-farmed ingredients from the Gila River Indian Community come together to create unforgettable masterpieces. The menu at Kai, which means “seed” in the Pima language, features items from the Native Seed/SEARCH Foundation, a program dedicated to preserving ancient lines of Native American seeds that would otherwise be extinct.
The resort has earned a “Recommended” rating again in 2025 and prides itself on its authentic representation of the Gila River Indian Community’s heritage and culture. The “Recommended” designation signifies the hotel has met the high standards set by Forbes’ independent, anonymous inspectors, who evaluate properties based on up to 900 rigorous criteria related to service, facilities and overall guest experience.
Forbes Travel Guide is the world-renowned authority in genuine Five-Star service, and Aji Spa and Kai at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass are a part of the illustrious annual Star Rating list once again.
