Rosewood Hong Kong has secured the top spot in the 2026 edition of The World's 50 Best Hotels, marking its second consecutive year at number one. The announcement comes as Europe cements its status as the leading region for luxury hospitality, claiming 21 of the 50 spots on the global list. Asia followed closely behind with 18 properties, while North America secured six, South America and Africa earned two each, and Oceania claimed a single entry.
The winning property, a 413-key skyscraper overlooking Victoria Harbour, rose to the top spot last year after finishing third in 2024. Rising 65 storeys, the hotel was recognized for its diverse culinary scene, featuring 11 restaurants and bars, as well as its extensive wellness facilities, which include the multi-level Asaya spa and a 25-meter-long infinity pool.
Faye Huggett, director of community for The 50 Best Hotels, noted that Rosewood Hong Kong's back-to-back victory highlights Asia's strong presence in luxury travel, while Europe's high representation and the addition of 10 new entries point to a highly competitive global market. She added that the organization aims to continue highlighting the people and concepts shaping the future of hospitality.
Europe's top performer was Passalacqua on Lake Como, Italy, which ranked fifth overall. The 18th-century boutique property, which features just 24 rooms, was previously ranked first in 2023 and fourth in 2025. It also received the Best Boutique Hotel Award for the third year in a row. Italy's second-highest entry was Four Seasons Firenze in Florence, which placed 12th.
Both Italy and France recorded six hotels each on the list. Italy's other entries include Casa Maria Luigia in Modena at 18th, which emerged as the highest new entry this year. Bulgari Roma placed 32nd, Portrait Milano took 39th, and San Domenico Palace in Taormina—notable as the filming location for the second season of the television series The White Lotus—finished in 50th place.
In France, Paris accounted for four of the country's top properties, with Hôtel de Crillon in 14th, Le Bristol in 19th, Cheval Blanc Paris in 20th, and Plaza Athénée in 41st. Outside of the capital, Hôtel du Couvent in Nice secured 38th place and received the Johnnie Walker Art of Design Award, while Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc ranked 44th.
The United Kingdom saw four of its properties make the top 50, including three in London: Claridge’s in 13th, Raffles London at The OWO in 28th, and The Connaught in 49th. Estelle Manor in Witney was the sole UK entry located outside of London, ranking 43rd.
The remaining European properties on the list include the Four Seasons Astir Palace in Greece at 27th, The Peninsula Istanbul in Türkiye at 31st, Badrutt's Palace in Switzerland at 36th, Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo in Monaco at 40th, and Hotel Sacher Vienna in Austria at 42nd.
1. Rosewood Hong Kong2. Capella Bangkok, Thailand3. Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Bangkok4. Atlantis The Royal, Dubai, UAE5. Passalacqua, Lake Como, Italy6. Rosewood São Paulo, Brazil7. Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing, China8. Upper House Hong Kong9. Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá, Mexico10. Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Thailand11. Aman Tokyo, Japan12. Four Seasons Firenze, Florence, Italy13. Claridge’s, London, UK14. Hôtel de Crillon, Paris, France15. Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Dubai, UAE16. Capella Sydney, Australia17. Raffles Singapore18. Casa Maria Luigia, Modena, Italy19. Le Bristol, Paris, France20. Cheval Blanc Paris, FranceThe rankings are compiled by an academy of 800 hospitality industry experts, led by 13 academy chairs representing different geographical regions. The voting panel includes hoteliers, travel journalists, hotel educators, business travelers, and consumer travel enthusiasts. Each member casts seven anonymous votes in order of preference for hotels they have personally stayed at within the past three years. To ensure impartiality and prevent lobbying, all voters except the academy chairs remain anonymous, and the final results are adjudicated by Deloitte.
