Forbes Travel Guide, the independent, global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas and ocean cruises, today released its 2026 Star Awards.
The 68th annual list hits a major milestone: it spans more than 100 countries, including new destinations like Bhutan, Croatia, Georgia, Grenada, Laos, Poland, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Uzbekistan.
Totaling 2,422 properties, the winners include 343 Five-Star, 708 Four-Star and 679 Recommended hotels; 82 Five-Star, 138 Four-Star and 80 Recommended restaurants; 118 Five-Star and 241 Four-Star spas; one Five-Star, nine Four-Star and nine Recommended cruise ships; and one Five-Star, eight Four-Star and five Recommended cruise ship restaurants.
The U.S. gained five new Five-Star hotels:
- The Chateau at Nemacolin, Farmington, Pa.
- Mii Amo, Sedona, Ariz.
- The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, Fla.
- The St. Regis Atlanta
- Yacht Club at The Boca Raton, Fla.
Three new Five-Star restaurants:
- Atlas Buckhead, Atlanta
- Aurelia at Castle Hill, Newport, R.I.
- Flybridge, Boca Raton, Fla.
New Five-Star hotels also come to the Caribbean with the Wymara Villas, Turks and Caicos and Mexico with the Grand Velas Los Cabos.
“Forbes Travel Guide’s newest Star Award winners showcase an exciting evolution in luxury,” Amanda Frasier, FTG’s president of Standards & Ratings, said in a statement. “As guests navigate the increasingly complex travel landscape for the best places to stay, sail, dine and spa, we are proud to provide them with the trusted, integrity-based guidance they need. The 2026 list showcases properties deeply committed to delivering consistent and reliable world-class experiences.”
The list also features more new award winners than ever before and many inaugural distinctions, signaling that luxury travel is moving into a new era:
- The world’s first Five-Star cruise accolades. As cruising’s popularity soars, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Ilma becomes the first Five-Star cruise in FTG’s history. Celebrity Xcel’s Le Voyage from master chef Daniel Boulud is the first Five-Star cruise ship restaurant.
- Smaller destinations make big strides. As luxury travelers look beyond big capitals in favor of smaller cities that have sophisticated offerings without the crowds, hotels are rising to the occasion. Inaugural Five-Stars arrive in Turks and Caicos (Wymara Villas); Nikko, Japan (The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko); and Montenegro (One&Only Portonovi). The Charleston Place in Charleston and 100 Princes Street in Edinburgh earn Four-Stars, elevating their cities’ hospitality offerings and the continued tourism rise of some less-explored markets.
- Marriott International Luxury hotels shine. Atlanta receives its first double Five-Star: The St. Regis Atlanta and its Atlas Buckhead restaurant. The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes obtains the city’s first top hotel accolade. Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is the first Five-Star from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea giga-project.
- Luxury pivots from prescribed to personal. By leaning into customized, local immersion, hotels are moving away from one-size-fits-all hospitality toward a bespoke model that’s deeply rooted in its destination. Sedona’s first Five-Star, Mii amo, tailors wellness journeys to the red rock setting. The Ritz-Carlton Reserve portfolio prioritizes local experiences that allow guests to explore at their own pace.
- Hospitality leans into intimacy and privacy. For the fourth year, Macau continues to outpace the world’s top destinations in Five-Star hotels (28). The city’s newest winners show a shift toward a more intimate luxury tier: Capella at Galaxy Macau, Paiza Grand and Palazzo Versace Macau offer hotel-within-a-hotel experiences that favor privacy over scale.
See the full list of honorees on ForbesTravelGuide.com.