Asia took the crown, but Europe came out on top in the numbers game. Rosewood Hong Kong held onto the No.1 title for a second year running on The World's 50 Best Hotels 2026 list, yet it was the continent with 21 entries that dominated the overall ranking.
Asia wasn't far behind with 18 hotels, while North America managed six, South America and Africa two each, and Oceania a single entry — Capella Sydney at No.16. Now in its fourth edition, the list is voted on by an 800-strong academy of hoteliers, journalists and seasoned travellers, each casting seven votes for hotels they've actually stayed at within the past three years. Votes are anonymous and the results are independently adjudicated by Deloitte, so lobbying doesn't come into it.
The top European property for the second year in a row is Passalacqua on Lake Como, ranked fifth globally and winner of the Best Boutique Hotel Award for the third consecutive time. It's an 18th-century villa with just 24 rooms — small enough that a stay feels like borrowing a private aristocratic estate for the weekend. Four Seasons Firenze followed at No.12, and Claridge's in London at No.13.
Italy and France lead the European count with six hotels apiece. Italy's roster includes Casa Maria Luigia in Modena at No.18 — the highest new entry on the entire list — plus Bulgari Roma, Portrait Milano, and San Domenico Palace in Taormina at No.50, better known to TV fans as the filming location for The White Lotus season two. France's haul is heavily Parisian: Hôtel de Crillon (14th), Le Bristol (19th), Cheval Blanc Paris (20th) and Plaza Athénée (41st), with Hôtel du Couvent in Nice at No.38 — also picking up the Art of Design Award — and Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on the Riviera at No.44.
The UK landed four entries: Claridge's, Raffles London at The OWO (28th), The Connaught (49th) and Estelle Manor in Witney, Oxfordshire at No.43. Elsewhere, Four Seasons Astir Palace in Greece came in at No.27, The Peninsula Istanbul at No.31, Badrutt's Palace in Switzerland at No.36, Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo at No.40 and Hotel Sacher Vienna at No.42.
For travellers, this list works best as a shortlist for a special-occasion splurge rather than a packing instruction. It skews towards grand, heritage properties with serious service credentials, and the Europe spread means you can fold a stay into almost any itinerary — a city break in Vienna or Paris, a lakeside escape on Como, or a Sicilian seaside trip with a White Lotus story to tell. The Asia dominance at the top of the list is also worth noting if you're planning further afield: Bangkok alone placed two hotels in the global top ten.
Story sourced from Euronews Travel.