Originally Posted by
mintcilantro
However I haven't found many cat 5 category hotels in locations that I would want to stay at in Hawaii or Mexico. I haven't really researched places in Asia or Europe.
You might want to start with Marriott's list of Category 5 properties. There are currently 640 of them, but the number fluctuates:
http://www.marriott.com/hotel-search/Category5.hotels/
As you've already figured out, full-service hotels and resorts at top-notch destinations are almost always higher than category 5. But a select-service property or a suburban full-service property can be be good base for a vacation.