Rosewood Hong Kong has been named the best hotel in the world for the second consecutive year, leading a 2026 ranking dominated by Asian properties.
The waterfront hotel retained the top spot on the newly released 50 Best Hotels list. Bangkok claimed the next two positions, with Capella Bangkok rising to No. 2 and Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River placing third.
Six of the top 10 hotels are located in East or Southeast Asia. Hong Kong and Bangkok each placed multiple properties in that group, while Mandarin Oriental Qianmen in Beijing ranked No. 7. Atlantis The Royal in Dubai and Passalacqua on Lake Como completed the top five.
Only two U.S. hotels made the top 50

The United States had a much smaller presence. San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara ranked No. 22, making it the highest U.S. property. Amangiri, the remote Utah resort near the Arizona border, followed at No. 45. No hotels in New York, Florida, or Hawaii reached the top 50.
Europe remained well represented farther down the ranking. France and Italy each landed six hotels, including Paris landmarks Hôtel de Crillon and Le Bristol. London placed three properties, led by Claridge’s at No. 13.
The ranking launched in 2023 as The World’s 50 Best Hotels. It was renamed The 50 Best Hotels this month as part of a broader organizational rebrand, though the voting process remains unchanged.
More than 800 members of The 50 Best Hotels Academy participate in the selection process. The panel includes travel journalists, hoteliers, and frequent travelers across 13 geographic regions. Each voter selects seven hotel experiences from the eligible period. Hotels cannot apply, nominate themselves, or pay to be considered.
The complete 2026 list of The 50 Best Hotels
- Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Capella Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
- Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Bangkok, Thailand
- Atlantis The Royal, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Passalacqua, Lake Como, Italy
- Rosewood São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing, China
- Upper House Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá, Mexico
- Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
- Aman Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Four Seasons Firenze, Florence, Italy
- Claridge’s, London, England
- Hôtel de Crillon, Paris, France
- Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Capella Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Raffles Singapore, Singapore
- Casa Maria Luigia, Modena, Italy
- Le Bristol, Paris, France
- Cheval Blanc Paris, Paris, France
- Desa Potato Head, Bali, Indonesia
- San Ysidro Ranch, Santa Barbara, California
- One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
- Bulgari Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Las Ventanas al Paraíso, Los Cabos, Mexico
- Royal Mansour, Marrakech, Morocco
- Four Seasons Astir Palace, Athens, Greece
- Raffles London at The OWO, London, England
- Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, India
- The Peninsula Istanbul, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Bulgari Roma, Rome, Italy
- Patina Osaka, Osaka, Japan
- Mount Nelson, Cape Town, South Africa
- Nihi Sumba, Sumba Island, Indonesia
- Badrutt’s Palace, St. Moritz, Switzerland
- Park Hyatt Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
- Hôtel du Couvent, Nice, France
- Portrait Milano, Milan, Italy
- Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Monaco
- Plaza Athénée, Paris, France
- Hotel Sacher Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Estelle Manor, Witney, England
- Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes, France
- Amangiri, Canyon Point, Utah
- The Peninsula Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Maroma, Riviera Maya, Mexico
- Aman Nai Lert, Bangkok, Thailand
- The Connaught, London, England
- San Domenico Palace, Taormina, Italy