The 50 Best Hotels 2026: Rosewood Hong Kong Named No. 1 Again

By Amber GibsonContributor

Sept. 17, 2026 5:34 AM PT

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The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026, unveiled in Paris beneath the Louvre, crowns Rosewood Hong Kong No. 1 for a second year as Asian properties dominate the top 10.
Luxury heavyweights and independent icons share the spotlight, with Rosewood snagging multiple awards, and standout resorts in Mexico, Italy and Switzerland leveraging the list to boost bookings and global prestige.
Only two U.S. hotels crack the top 50 — Utah’s Amangiri and Santa Barbara’s San Ysidro Ranch — while L.A.’s Hotel Bel-Air and Beverly Hills Hotel land on the extended list.

The 50 Best Hotels unveiled its fourth edition this week in Paris at Les Salles du Carrousel beneath the Louvre Museum. Rosewood Hong Kong took the number one spot for the second year in a row, and Asian hotels swept the podium, claiming six of the top ten spots. Overall the list looks very similar to last year, with several hotels moving up from the extended list to crack the top 50.

“To be crowned for a second year in a row will take time to digest,” said Rosewood Hong Kong Managing Director Hugo Montanari. “This helped us a lot in Hong Kong, and it’s helped put Hong Kong back on the map as a destination after the pandemic. We’ve become a reason to visit the city.” He reported that since winning last year, the hotel has seen a significant increase in international travelers, particularly those booking suites, which make up a quarter of the hotel’s inventory.

(Courtesy Rosewood Hong Kong)

“Normally, accolades have a tendency to die out after a few months, but The 50 has carried throughout the year,” he said. He acknowledged that the recognition does increase the pressure of guest expectations, but that all 1,200 team members take pride in their roles.

“We are blessed in the city [Hong Kong] to have such a high level of hospitality,” Montanari declared. “What continues to make us stand out is that we don’t stand still. We continue to evolve, and every team member has a five-year learning road map. Every day we learn a little bit more and we can bring that to our guests at the hotel.” He hinted at new restaurants on the horizon (the hotel already has 11 restaurants and bars) and pointed out that the hotel closes every floor for a few weeks each year for a refresh. “Our goal is to never need a major renovation.”

(Courtesy Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok)

Rosewood also won the Ferrari Trento Most Admired Hotel Group Award for its hyperlocal design and immersive experiences, and the group placed four hotels in the top 25. Competing global brands like Mandarin Oriental, The Peninsula, Raffles, Belmond, Bulgari, Aman, Four Seasons and Capella all had multiple hotels crack the top 50 list.

“I cannot tell you how excited and honored we are to be collecting these two awards this evening,” said Gareth Roberts, the executive director and chief operating officer of The Peninsula Hotels, which had The Peninsula Hong Kong (no. 46) and The Peninsula Istanbul (no. 31) on the list. “And primarily because it means so much to all of our employees. I can tell you back at these two hotels, there is such excitement today to be represented on this list.”

(Courtesy Mandarin Oriental, Qianmen)

For independent hotels, it can be challenging to establish a reputation globally when competing against the marketing powers of larger brands, but resorts like Passalacqua (no. 5), Chablé Yucatán (no. 9) and Badrutt’s Palace (no. 36) are a few iconic names that have earned their place among the very best.

Diego Gutierrez, co-founder and CEO of Chablé Hotels, is very proud to represent Mexico and showcase his country’s culture, traditions and gastronomy through his hotels. “To be an independent hotel amongst these big brands that have been in the industry for so long, and be recognized as one of the best, is a huge success for us,” he said. “The 50 has been a window not only for Chablé Yucatán but for the Yucatán Peninsula and Chocholá. It brings credibility to the project and the destination.” He said there was a big boost in bookings after Chablé Yucatán was named the best hotel in North America last year, a title they retained this year along with winning a special Bombay Sapphire Eco Hotel Award.

(Courtesy Badrutt’s Palace)

Badrutt’s Palace also won big, climbing from no. 52 last year to no. 36 this year, and winning the SeiBellissimi Art of Hospitality Award. Managing Director Richard Leuenberger noted that personalized service and always striving to perfect the details set his team apart. The glamorous 130-year-old lakeside resort in the Swiss Alps is famous for washing and refueling guests’ cars during their stay to make a lasting impression upon departure.

“When people talk about our hotel, they talk about our people,” Leuenberger said. “We are very proud of our team.” He said that across 700 team members at Badrutt’s Palace, the average tenure is more than eight years, which is shocking in an industry known for high turnover. “It shows that they not only love the job, but they love the environment and they love our guests,” he said.

(Courtesy San Ysidro Ranch)

Paris and London had the strongest showings for European cities, with four and three hotels respectively in the top 50. Only two hotels in the United States made the top 50, with Amangiri (no. 45) in Canyon Point, Utah and San Ysidro Ranch (no. 22) in Santa Barbara.

Two Los Angeles hotels, both belonging to Dorchester Collection, made the extended list of 51-100 best hotels. Hotel Bel-Air (no. 57) and sister hotel The Beverly Hills Hotel (no. 65) both placed on the list.