Rosewood Hong Kong holds its title as The World’s Best Hotel for 2026

The Victoria Harbour-facing hotel is No.1 for the second year in a row.

The saying goes that lightning never strikes the same place twice, but Rosewood Hong Kong has beaten the odds to claim the title of The World's Best Hotel for a second consecutive year.

The towering flagship of the Rosewood Hotel Group opened its doors in 2019, and is a trailblazer of modern hospitality, becoming the first property to be named The World's Best Hotel twice. The news was revealed at the live awards ceremony of The 50 Best Hotels 2026 (formerly known as The World's 50 Best Hotels) in Paris.

While all-out luxury is a guarantee for any of the properties included in The 50 Best Hotels, Rosewood Hong Kong's unique success comes from one key factor: scale. With 419 rooms and suites housed within its 270-metre-tall building, it would be easy to think the guest experience could be diluted when the hotel sits at full capacity. But its 1,200 staff and hidden details around every corner – ranging from bespoke welcome amenities to custom artworks in each of its Tony Chi-designed rooms – ensure each stay is given the same touches one would expect of a boutique property. Add in 11 bars and restaurants and an Asaya Spa by Guerlain and Rosewood Hong Kong's all-encompassing hospitality package is hard to match.


The hotel's restaurants range from Cantonese cuisine at The Legacy House to whimsical patisserie at Butterfly

Speaking of the hotel's repeat success, managing director of Rosewood Hong Kong, Hugo Montanari, says, "I'm lost for words. To win it two years in a row, that's down to everyone who comes and sees us, visits the hotel, eats at our restaurants and enjoys our spa. It shows that the team back home are making it special every day." 

The new wave of Asian hospitality

While in the top spot, Rosewood Hong Kong sits in esteemed local company, with two other properties – Upper House Hong Kong and The Peninsula Hong Kong – flying the flag high for the city. "We are extremely lucky to have some of the world's best hotel brands based out of Hong Kong, and we are so lucky to be surrounded by so many likeminded individuals", says Montanari. "It's such a diverse place. One minute you're in the city, exploring all the museums, arts and culture and next you're out in nature. I really think it has everything going for it", he adds.


Upper House Kong Kong has been a fixture among the city's luxury hotels since 2009

More broadly, Rosewood Hong Kong's success is merely the spearhead of the wider achievements of the Asian hotel sector, with 18 hotels included in the 1-50 ranking from across the continent, with the No.2 and No.3 spots taken by Capella Bangkok and Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, respectively. Pioneers across the continent, including SevenRooms Icon Award 2026 winner James McBride of Nihi Sumba, have continued to prove that the new wave of Asian hospitality cannot be ignored.

The success of the new wave comes in part from the Asian hotel sector's ability to adapt. "Luxury keeps changing and evolving", says Fabian Altabert, Rosewood Hong Kong's director of culinary. "It's no longer about having a bottle of champagne waiting for you in the room. It's the tiny details that create a seamless experience, like the housekeeper noticing your contact lenses are almost finished and you coming back to a brand new packet or replacing a bottle of perfume that's almost empty", he explains.

How Europe fares in The 50 Best Hotels 2026 list

While Asia claimed the spotlight at the top of the ranking, that's not to say that the rest of the world is falling behind. Grand properties across Europe continue to prove their worth, with 21 hotels from the region featured in the 2026 ranking – the highest proportion of any region in the list. Leading the pack at No.5 is Passalacqua on the shores of Lake Como, the 24-room property was named The World's Best Hotel in the inaugural ranking in 2023 and three-time winner of the Best Boutique Hotel Award.


Built in the 18th century on land once owned by Pope Innocent XI, Passalacqua was bought by the De Santis family in 2018

Further down into Italy, Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore of Osteria Francescana found equal success with their debut hotel Casa Maria Luigia jumping into the 1-50 list at the No.18 spot, winning the Lavazza Highest New Entry Award. Just across the border in Nice, Hôtel du Couvent's transformation from former convent into ultra-luxe retreat was recognised with the Johnnie Walker Art of Design Award 2026.

Around the world in 50 hotels

Elsewhere across the world, it was a second year of success for the opulent Atlantis The Royal in Dubai, which once again took home the duo of titles as The Best Hotel in the Middle East and winner of the Best Beach Hotel Award. Marrakech's Royal Mansour and Capella Sydney also retained their titles as The Best Hotel in Africa, sponsored by Monte Vibiano, and The Best Hotel in Oceania, respectively.

Over in the Americas, 2026 marked a seriously successful year for Chablé Yucatán in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, which was named The Best Hotel in North America and also recognised with the Bombay Sapphire Eco Hotel Award, thanks to its innovative use of modern technology to protect ancient Mayan practices. Fellow Mexican hotel Las Ventanas al Paraíso also had its moment in the limelight, climbing 19 places from 2025's ranking to claim the WhistlePig Highest Climber Award.

From restored European villas and converted convents to beachfront escapes and urban skyscrapers, this year's ranking celebrates the remarkable diversity of today's luxury hotel scene.

The list of The 50 Best Hotels (formerly known as The World's 50 Best Hotels) was revealed at a live awards ceremony in Paris on Tuesday 15 September. Discover the full ranking.