Condé Nast Johansens has announced its Annual Awards for Excellence 2027, and the list is heavy on properties that started life as something else entirely. A 14th-century monastery in Portugal, a former bank headquarters in Granada — the guide, now in its fifth decade, has rewarded hotels that make the most of old bones.
Winners are chosen using a mix of inputs: local experts visit every listed property each year, and the final results also factor in guest reviews and reader votes. This year there are 44 winners across Europe and the Mediterranean, plus a separate set for the UK and Ireland.
In the hotly contested best new hotel category, the guide split the prize between Andaz Lisbon and Aethos London Shoreditch. The Lisbon property won praise for its walkable position near the city's main sights and a retro-leaning design that stays respectful of the building itself. Aethos Shoreditch, meanwhile, was noted for its strong sense of place and a gym and wellness area that never closes.
Design fans have two to add to the list. The Lince Santa Clara Historic Hotel in Vila do Conde, northern Portugal, occupies a converted 14th-century monastery, with a deliberately minimalist interior scheme that lets the original architecture do the talking. Virgin Hotels Edinburgh — last year's best new hotel in the UK — took the design award this time for interiors described as elegant with a quirky streak.
For city breaks, the picks are Palacio Gran Vía, A Royal Hideaway Hotel in Granada and the Middle Eight in London. The Granada hotel sits in the old Rodríguez-Acosta bank headquarters directly opposite the cathedral, so you step out the door straight into one of Spain's great squares. The Middle Eight is in Covent Garden, an easy stroll from Leicester Square, the Thames and the British Museum.
If you'd rather not leave the property at all, the resort winners are Bahía del Duque in Tenerife and Mount Juliet Estate in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Bahía del Duque is the heavyweight: 63,000 square metres of tropical gardens, two beaches, six pools, ten restaurants — one of them Michelin-starred — and a large spa with an outdoor thalassotherapy circuit. Mount Juliet goes a different route, pairing an 18-hole golf course with a 12-seat private cinema on its country estate.
The pattern here is useful for anyone planning a 2027 trip: rather than chasing shiny new builds, several of these winners are older buildings rethought with restraint. Book the monastery in Vila do Conde if you care about architecture, the Granada palacio if you want a landmark on your doorstep, and the Kilkenny estate if the golf course and cinema are the whole point. The full list of 44 winners is on the Condé Nast Johansens site if you want to scan the rest by category.
