Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) has has unveiled its 2026 Star Awards, shining a light on the world’s leading luxury hotels, cruises, restaurants and spas across more than 100 countries.
The 68th Star Awards is the most inclusive yet, with nations such as Bhutan, Croatia, Georgia, Grenada, Laos, Poland, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Uzbekistan newly introduced.
The 2026 edition marks a milestone in luxury travel with a record number of new award winners and inaugural distinctions, including the world’s first five-star cruise and five-star restaurant at sea.
To guarantee unbiased, data-backed ratings, FTG sends undercover experts to experience and evaluate hotels, dining, and spa services as guests.
Beyond basics, inspectors also look for experiences that enrich a guest’s heath and lifestyle, celebrate regional design, and offer a flawless service from start to finish.
This year, of the 2,422 properties recognised worldwide, the UK featured strongly, with 20 winners across London and Scotland.
In London, five-star hotels include The Connaught, Claridge’s, Shangri-La The Shard, Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane, The Dorchester and Bvlgari Hotel.
Inspectors praised Bvlgari’s ‘refined glamour’ and The Dorchester’s ‘timeless Art Deco vibe’ and afternoon tea.
London has 20 five-star hotels in Forbes Travel Guide, with The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel; and Raffles London at The OWO (pictured) featured
For the fourth straight year, Macau has been declared the five-star hotel capital of the world. Raffles at Galaxy Macau, pictured, is one of the Chinese city’s five-star hotels
In Scotland, The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel, and Trump Turnberry both received five-stars.
Set on Scotland’s west coast, Trump Turnberry’s restaurant was praised for its ‘spectacular views of the Scottish coastline, Ailsa Craig (home of the Curling Stone) and Isle of Arran’.
Elsewhere in Europe, new five-star hotels include the Maybourne Riviera, One&Only Portonovi, Mandarin Orienta in Barcelona and Mandarin Oriental Savoy in Zurich.
Asia Pacific, meanwhile, accounted for 40 per cent of new five-star hotels, including Bvlgari Hotel Tokyo, Regent Hong Kong and The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko.
The US also gained five new five-star hotels, including The St. Regis Atlanta and The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, alongside three new five-star restaurants.
In the Middle East, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi and Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Saudi Arabia, were among four new five-star hotels.
Smaller destinations also featured predominantly, with inaugural five-star awards in Turks and Caicos, Nikko and Montenegro.
However, Macau maintains its position as the global leader in five-star hotels for the fourth year in a row – with a total of 28 named in the ‘Las Vegas of Asia’.
Epic Tower at Studio City Macau, pictured, has been awarded top marks by Forbes in this year’s list, and Macau – nicknamed the ‘Las Vegas of Asia’ thanks to its thriving gambling industry – now has 28 five-star hotels overall
New winners include Capella at Galaxy Macau, Paiza Grand and Palazzo Versace Macau, reflecting an emphasis on intimate, hotel-within-a-hotel concepts prioritising privacy.
The world’s first five-star cruises are also named for the first time in this year’s rankings, as demand for luxury cruising grows.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Ilma becomes the first cruise ship in FTG history to earn five stars.
Meanwhile, Celebrity Xcel’s Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud has been named as the first five-star cruise ship restaurant, offering globally inspired fine dining from the French chef, including dishes such as five-spice duck pithivier and Brazilian seafood moqueca.
Source link
CHECK OUT: Top Travel Destinations
READ MORE: Travel News
