Miami-Dade boasts two five-star hotels

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  William Crandall preps food in the kitchen of Azul at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Tuesday Feb. 26, 2013. After a long dry spell with no five-star hotels to brag about, Miami now has two. Mandarin Oriental, Miami and Acqualina Resort & Spa in Sunny Isles Beach, both previous four-star winners, each earned an upgrade. PATRICK FARRELL / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

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  Laura Padilla, a clerk at the reception desk of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, serves a welcome tea to Simmy Kaur, left, and Mason Hunt. After a long dry spell with no five-star hotels to brag about, Miami now has two. Mandarin Oriental, Miami and Acqualina Resort & Spa in Sunny Isles Beach, both previous four-star winners, each earned an upgrade. PATRICK FARRELL / MIAMI HERALD

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  After a long dry spell with no five-star hotels to brag about, Miami now has two. The Mandarin Oriental, photographed here on Feb. 26, 2013, in Miami, and Acqualina Resort & Spa in Sunny Isles Beach, both previous four-star winners, each earned an upgrade. PATRICK FARRELL / MIAMI HERALD

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  Laura Padilla, a clerk at the reception desk of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, chats with a colleague on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. After a long dry spell with no five-star hotels to brag about, Miami now has two. Mandarin Oriental, Miami and Acqualina Resort & Spa in Sunny Isles Beach, both previous four-star winners, each earned an upgrade. PATRICK FARRELL / MIAMI HERALD

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  The Acqualina Resort & Spa in Sunny Isles Beach, previously a four-star hotel, earned an upgrade to five stars on the Forbes Travel Guide’s Annual Star Awards, which were announced Tuesday. Chris Cutro / For the Miami Herald

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  The beach club pool at Acqualina Resort & Spa in Sunny Isles Beach. After a long dry spell with no five-star hotels to brag about, Miami now has two: the Mandarin Oriental, Miami and Acqualina Resort & Spa in Sunny Isles Beach. Dan Forer / Acqualina Resort & Spa

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  The lobby at the Acqualina Resort & Spa, which was awarded five stars Tuesday by Forbes Travel Guide. After a long dry spell with no five-star hotels to brag about, Miami now has two: the Mandarin Oriental, Miami and Acqualina Resort & Spa in Sunny Isles Beach. Acqualina Resort & Spa

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  The Acqualina Resort & Spa was awarded five stars Tuesday by Forbes Travel Guide. After a long dry spell with no five-star hotels to brag about, Miami now has two: the Mandarin Oriental, Miami and Acqualina Resort & Spa in Sunny Isles Beach. Dan Forer / Acqualina Resort & Spa