Rosewood Hong Kong Repeats at No. 1 on World’s 50 Best Hotels

Rosewood Hong Kong is once again the world’s best hotel, according to The World’s 50 Best Hotels, which unveiled its 2026 ranking Monday night at Les Salles du Carrousel in Paris — the first time the awards ceremony has been held outside London.

The Tony Chi-designed tower above Victoria Harbour, open since 2019, repeats at No. 1 after topping the 2025 list and placing No. 3 in 2024. The win also hands the 413-room property the Best Hotel in Asia title for a second straight year, while parent brand Rosewood collected the Ferrari Trento Most Admired Hotel Group Award.

Bangkok made quite a splash on this year's ranking. Capella Bangkok — the 2024 winner — climbs back to No. 2 from No. 3 last year, and Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River lands at No. 3. The Thai capital places four hotels in all, with Mandarin Oriental Bangkok at No. 10 and newcomer Aman Nai Lert at No. 48, cementing its case as the list’s favorite city alongside Hong Kong, which adds Upper House Hong Kong (No. 8) and The Peninsula Hong Kong (No. 46).

“The 50 Best Hotels 2026 captures a defining moment for global hospitality, and we are delighted to celebrate the world’s most exceptional hotels that continue to shape how people travel, connect and experience culture," Faye Huggett, director of community for The 50 Best Hotels, said in prepared remarks. "Rosewood Hong Kong retaining its No.1 position for a second consecutive year underlines Asia’s continued influence at the very highest level, while Europe’s strong representation and this year’s ten new entries point to a dynamic, diverse and competitive global hotel landscape. As The 50 evolves, our ambition is to continue to champion the people, places and ideas setting the agenda for the future of hospitality."

The main list follows the release of the 51-100 extended ranking earlier this month, which was led by La Réserve Paris and saw Asia claim 20 of the 50 spots. Advisors have told Luxury Travel Advisor in the past the rankings are more about bragging rights than client approval even as questions linger over methodology — including how voters’ stays are hosted and the lists’ tilt toward newer builds.

Asia Leads by Depth, Europe by Volume

Asia counts 18 ranked hotels overall. Mandarin Oriental Qianmen in Beijing takes No. 7, Raffles Singapore sits at No. 17, and The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai jumps eight spots to No. 30. Japan places four: Aman Tokyo (No. 11), Bulgari Tokyo (No. 24), Patina Osaka (No. 33), and Park Hyatt Kyoto (No. 37). Patina Osaka also took home the Nikka Best New Hotel Award. Indonesia lands two, Desa Potato Head in Bali (No. 21) and Nihi Sumba, back on the list at No. 35 — the same night Nihi Hotels co-founder and CEO James McBride was voted the SevenRooms Icon Award winner by the Academy.

Europe, though, places more hotels than any other continent — 21 in all. Italy and France tie at six apiece, and Passalacqua on Lake Como is the top European finisher at No. 5, winning the Best Boutique Hotel Award for a third consecutive year. Italy’s other entries include Four Seasons Firenze (No. 12), Bulgari Roma (No. 32), and three debuts: Casa Maria Luigia in Modena (No. 18), which also won the Lavazza Highest New Entry Award; Portrait Milano (No. 39); and San Domenico Palace in Taormina (No. 50).

Paris played host on the list as well as at the ceremony: Hôtel de Crillon climbs nine places to No. 14, joined by Le Bristol (No. 19), Cheval Blanc Paris (No. 20), and first-timer Plaza Athénée (No. 41). Hôtel du Couvent in Nice ranks No. 38 and won the Johnnie Walker Art of Design Award, while Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes returns at No. 44. The U.K. places four, three of them in London — Claridge’s (No. 13), Raffles London at The OWO (No. 28), and The Connaught (No. 49) — plus Estelle Manor in Witney, up four spots to No. 43. Rounding out the continent: Four Seasons Astir Palace in Athens (No. 27), The Peninsula Istanbul (No. 31, a first-time entry), Badrutt’s Palace in St. Moritz (No. 36), which received the SeiBellissimi Art of Hospitality Award, Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo (No. 40), and Hotel Sacher Vienna (No. 42).

The Americas, Middle East, Africa, and Oceania

In Dubai, Atlantis The Royal (No. 4) doubles up as Best Hotel in the Middle East and Best Beach Hotel Award winner, and Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab moves up to No. 15 from No. 20 last year.

North America places six hotels, four of them in Mexico: Chablé Yucatán (No. 9), which was named Best Hotel in North America and won the Bombay Sapphire Eco Hotel Award for a sustainability program that includes solar power covering roughly 60% of the resort’s energy needs; One&Only Mandarina (No. 23); Las Ventanas al Paraíso (No. 25), the WhistlePig Highest Climber Award winner; and Maroma (No. 47). The United States debuts two properties: San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara (No. 22) and Amangiri in Canyon Point (No. 45). The Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York — No. 78 on the extended list — received the American Express Travel One to Watch Award.

In South America, Rosewood São Paulo rockets 18 spots to No. 6, taking Best Hotel in South America, with Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro at No. 29. Africa places two — Royal Mansour in Marrakech (No. 26, Best Hotel in Africa) and Mount Nelson in Cape Town, back at No. 34 — and Capella Sydney (No. 16) is Oceania’s lone entry and its continental winner.

How the List Is Decided

The ranking is voted on by The 50 Best Hotels Academy, a panel of more than 800 anonymous hoteliers, travel journalists, hotel educators, and business and luxury travelers selected by Academy Chairs across 13 regions. Each member casts seven ranked votes for hotels where they have stayed during the three-year voting period, at least 25% of the panel turns over annually, and Deloitte serves as independent adjudicator. This is the fourth edition of the list, first published in 2023 by William Reed, the company behind The 50 Best Restaurants and Bars.

The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026