Forbes Travel Guide has released its 56th Annual Star Ratings list. The 2014 worldwide list of hotels, spas and restaurants includes 97 Five-Star hotels, the most in the guide’s history. Formerly the Mobil Travel Guide, the Forbes Travel Guide created its 5-star rating system in 1958. The guide’s in-depth hotel inspections span two nights and three days. Each property is rated according to 800 objective criteria, with an emphasis on service. Following are the Los Angeles hotels that earned the coveted Five-Star rating.

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Jonathan Grahm is one of the youngest and most prolific artisan chocolatiers in the country. He's been making chocolate since he was 14, and is known for his 200+ handmade varieties of gourmet organic chocolates, Love Nuts and chocolate bars made from scratch at his Los Angeles-based artisanal chocolate company, Compartés Chocolatier. Jonathan's unique revision of Compartés, an LA chocolate tradition since 1950, has garnered a worldwide reputation. His ornate patterned truffles and confections, made with ingredients sourced from local farmers markets around the city, represent LA with a vibrant mix of art, design, culture, fashion, food, and of course chocolate. Jonathan was recently named one of Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30, and his chocolates were named one of Oprah's Favorite Things 2013, as well as featured in Bon Appetit, Los Angeles Times, Vogue, Glamour, W, and more.

As a native Angeleno, Jonathan is very excited about the new and exciting changes and additions to LA's thriving dining scene. Following are some of Jonathan’s top picks from dineLA’s Restaurant Week.

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LATCB President & CEO Ernest Wooden Jr. joined Mayor Eric Garcetti  to announce that Los Angeles welcomed a record 42.2 million visitors in 2013, a 2% increase over 2012’s 41.4 million, beating mid-year projections by 150,000 visitors and breaking visitation records for the third consecutive year.

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Los Angeles is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. Beginning with L.A.'s founding in 1781, the African American presence has grown and flourished, greatly influencing not only the city of Los Angeles, but making a tremendous impact on the rest of the country and around the world. It’s no coincidence that the two years President Barack Obama spent at L.A.’s Occidental College (1979-1981) played a major role in determining his future in politics.

One of the best ways to experience African American culture and heritage in Los Angeles is during Black History Month, which takes place every February. Hosted by various cultural institutions throughout the city, the month-long celebration includes events at the California African-American Museum in Exposition Park and the annual Pan African Film & Art Festival. The following guide will help you explore L.A.’s African American culture during Black History Month and throughout the year. Day One covers South L.A. and Downtown; Day Two features the Beach Cities; and Day Three takes you to the Westside.

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