They did it again: Rosewood Hong Kong holds onto its crown in The 50 Best Hotels 2026

It’s the list that everyone in the hospitality industry keeps an eye out for (secretly or not): The 50 Best Hotels 2026 is out, with Rosewood Hong Kong retaining the No 1 spot — the only hotel so far to hold its title for a second year in a row since the ranking launched in 2023. The announcement was unveiled at a live ceremony on Sep 15 at Les Salles du Carrousel in Paris, which marked another milestone. After three editions in London, it is the first time the awards has been held in a new city.

“This is extremely special. Last year’s award helped us a lot in Hong Kong. Something we’re particularly proud of is that it has helped not just the hotel but the destination. It put Hong Kong back on the map, if I may say, after the pandemic, said Hugo Montanari, managing director of Rosewood Hong Kong who brought his colleagues from the finance, engineering and culinary teams to accept the award.

As in previous years, Asia dominated the top five. Capella Bangkok climbed one place to No 2, while Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River took third. Atlantis The Royal in Dubai made a significant leap to fourth place, while Passalacqua on Lake Como — the inaugural No 1 in 2023 — rounded out the top five. The family-owned hotel continued its winning streak, taking home both The Best Hotel in Europe and The Best Boutique Hotel awards, the latter for the third consecutive year.

ASIA RISING

This year’s list spans 22 territories across six continents, but the lion’s share are located in two continents: Asia and Europe. Two other Bangkok properties made the cut — the legendary Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (No 10) and brand new entry Aman Nai Lert (No 48). Meanwhile, Hong Kong has proven it is a global capital of hospitality with consistent top-notcher Upper House Hong Kong (No 8) remaining in the top 10 and The Peninsula Hong Kong (No 46) joining the ranks. “The past four years have been amazing for us. People know a lot more about the Upper House and how individual we are as a brand. Long may it continue,” said Simon McHendry, general manager of Upper House. 

Similar to previous editions, Japan remained one of Asia’s strongest performers with four hotels: Aman Tokyo (No 11), Bulgari Tokyo (No 24), Patina Osaka (No 33) — also the recipient of the Nikka Best New Hotel Award — and Park Hyatt Kyoto (No 37). Singapore’s grande dame, Raffles Singapore, placed 17th this year and remains the Lion City’s only representative, although Capella Singapore broke into the extended list at 97th place. “It is a very competitive list and to have two Raffles in the top 50 and maintain our position is incredible,” said Omer Acar, Chief Executive Officer, Raffles & Fairmont Hotels and Resort. “I’m super proud of our hotel teams. They deserve it and that award goes only to them — they’re the ones making it happen.”

As a continent, Europe surpassed Asia in this edition with 21 hotels featured in The 50 Best Hotels 2026. The rankings are led by Italy and France, which both have six properties, and followed by the UK with four. Several of the individual awards were given to the finest properties in the region: Hotel du Couvent in Nice (No 38) received the Johnnie Walker Art of Design Award, while the old-world Badrutt’s Palace in St Moritz, Switzerland (No 36) was honoured with the SeiBellissimi Art of Hospitality Award. Managing director Richard Leuenberger called the accolade recognising its service “better than winning number one”. 

The Lavazza Highest New Entry Award went to Casa Maria Luigia (No 18) in Modena, a 12-room creative bolthole owned by lauded chef Massimo Bottura. “Our hotel is part of our trajectory that was first set out at Osteria Francescana. It is about inviting people to the Emilian countryside to experience the food culture, the Motor Valley, the opera, and also the amazing contemporary art in our region,” said his wife and owner Lara Gilmore.

Elsewhere, North America performed fairly well with six places in the top 50, with Mexico doing much of the heavy lifting. Chable Yucatan led the region in ninth place, and also received the Bombay Sapphire Eco Hotel Award thanks to its sustainable initiatives including solar panels generating around 60 per cent of the property’s energy. The other Mexican properties include One&Only Mandarina (No 23), Las Ventanas al Paraíso (No 25) and Belmond’s Maroma in the Riviera Maya (No 47).

The United States completed the round-up with two newcomers making waves: San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, where JFK and Jackie Kennedy famously went on honeymoon secured No 22, while the striking Amangiri in Utah took the 45th place. The Fifth Avenue Hotel, a maximalist Gilded Age mansion in New York that took a decade to restore, made the extended list at No 78 and also got the coveted American Express Travel One to Watch Award.

A NEW ERA

Now in its fourth year, the hotel list is the newest addition to the 50 Best family created by William Reed. Formerly known as 50 Best, the global authority behind some of hospitality’s most closely watched rankings has unveiled a new name, logo and visual identity just a week ago. It now brings its restaurants, bars, hotels and vineyards under a single banner called The 50.

So what makes a hotel worthy of the top spot? The 50 famously avoids a fixed set of criteria, leaving the selection to the 800-plus-strong Academy. The anonymous voting body spans seasoned travellers, hoteliers, educators and journalists from around the world, selected by regional Academy Chairs to ensure geographic diversity and an equal gender split.

Beyond the hotels, the spotlight shone on NIHI Sumba CEO and founder James McBride, who was the recipient of the SevenRooms Icon Award — the only one dedicated to an individual. The progressive hotelier and entrepreneur has charted his own path in the last two decades: building a globally recognised hospitality brand in a destination far beyond the usual luxury circuit is no small feat.

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, meanwhile, was given the Ferrari Trento Most Admired Hotel Group Award, and its significant performance across the list reinforces the accolade. Apart from claiming the top spot, its sister properties such as Rosewood Sao Paulo ranked No 7 and was named The Best Hotel in South America; Rosewood Hotel de Crillon in Paris climbed to No 14, while Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort, landed at No. 25.

“I feel extremely proud to work for Rosewood. It is a company that allows you to be your true self, and that to me is priceless,” said Sebastien Dental, managing director of Rosewood Las Ventanas al Paraíso, whose own property got the WhistlePig Highest Climber Award this year. “We’re not a brand that operates with standard hospitality. It’s really about the experience of engaging with guests and our location with one purpose: to allow people to discover more.”

These are the properties that made it to The 50 Best Hotels 2026 list.

1. Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong 

2. Capella Bangkok, Bangkok 

3. Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Bangkok 

4. Atlantis The Royal, Dubai 

5. Passalacqua, Lake Como 

6. Rosewood Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 

7. Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing 

8. Upper House Hong Kong, Hong Kong 

9. Chable Yucatan, Chochola 

10. Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bangkok 

11. Aman Tokyo, Tokyo 

12. Four Seasons Firenze, Florence 

13. Claridge's, London 

14. Hotel de Crillon, Paris 

15. Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Dubai 

16. Capella Sydney, Sydney 

17. Raffles Singapore, Singapore 

18. Casa Maria Luigia, Modena

19. Le Bristol, Paris 

20. Cheval Blanc Paris, Paris 

21. Desa Potato Head, Bali 

22. San Ysidro Ranch, Santa Barbara 

23. One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit 

24. Bulgari Tokyo, Tokyo 

25. Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Los Cabos 

26. Royal Mansour, Marrakech 

27. Four Seasons Astir Palace, Athens

28. Raffles London at The OWO, London 

29. Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro 

30. The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai 

31. The Peninsula Istanbul, Istanbul

32. Bvlgari Roma, Rome 

33. Patina Osaka, Osaka 

34. Mount Nelson, Cape Town 

35. Nihi Sumba, Sumba Island 

36. Badrutt's Palace, St Moritz 

37. Park Hyatt Kyoto, Kyoto 

38. Hotel du Couvent, Nice 

39. Portrait Milano, Milan 

40. Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Monaco 

41. Plaza Athenee, Paris 

42. Hotel Sacher Vienna, Vienna 

43. Estelle Manor, Witney 

44. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes 

45. Amangiri, Canyon Point 

46. The Peninsula Hong Kong, Hong Kong 

47. Maroma, Riviera Maya 

48. Aman Nai Lert, Bangkok 

49. The Connaught, London 

50. San Domenico Palace, Taormina