“Elegance is refusal.” Coco Chanel knew it, and so do the winners of our 2026 hotel awards. True luxury, these icons remind us, isn’t about doing everything—it’s about doing the right things exquisitely. Fewer keys, muted spectacle, pared-back design, intentional gestures: every choice shapes the experience, every detail resonates. At Waldorf Astoria New York, scale becomes intimacy. Aman folds calm into the heartbeat of a megacity. Our Habitas AlUla bends lightly to the land, letting nature take the lead. Each of the 12 winners in our hotel awards captures a moment, a feeling, a sense of place, showing that the most memorable experiences are shaped not by excess, but by careful attention and intent.
After nearly eight years behind closed doors, Waldorf Astoria New York returns—larger than legend. Its 47-story Art Deco silhouette, long a defining stroke on the skyline, now signals a new era of grandeur. Once the haunt of icons like Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor, the hotel reemerges from a multibillion-dollar transformation with renewed exclusivity, reducing its key count from 1,400 to just 375 to create generously proportioned rooms and suites in soft creams and beiges, accented with marble and dark woods. The lobby—long one of the Big Apple’s great stages—returns spectacularly, crowned by the restored 1893 World’s Fair clock. Every corner has been reimagined, while its culinary legacy continues with Lex Yard, Peacock Alley and Yoshoku, and the world’s largest Guerlain Wellness Spa stands as a sanctuary of relaxation. Once again, it crowns Manhattan, the city’s grand hotel in all its storied glory.
Thailand is where Aman’s story began. Nearly three decades after Amanpuri first reshaped luxury hospitality on Phuket’s shores, the brand returns to its spiritual home with Aman Nai Lert Bangkok—its third urban hotel. Set within the seven-acre green sanctuary of Nai Lert Park, the historic grounds established by Bangkok’s first and foremost developer, Nai Lert, the hotel rises above the city with an almost improbable calm. Designed by longtime Aman collaborator Jean-Michel Gathy, it houses just 52 expansive suites, their floor-to-ceiling windows framing tropical gardens and skyline views. The architecture embraces the park itself, preserving a century-old tree at its heart, with public spaces and an outdoor swimming pool shaped around it. Life here unfolds vertically with dining spots like Arva, 1872 and Hiori, plus the 1,500-square-meter Aman Spa & Wellness center. More than a return, this opening marks a new chapter, where Aman’s origins meet its future, reintroduced to the place that has always felt like home.
Our Habitas AlUla is guided by a simple belief: that with the encounter of rare natural beauty comes a responsibility to protect it. Set low within the dramatic Ashar Valley, the retreat is designed as an immersive space that deepens awareness of the land rather than competing with it. Modular, low-impact construction minimizes disruption, while earth-toned villas and local materials ensure the architecture blends effortlessly into its surroundings. Sustainability is not symbolic but structural, shaped by transparency and aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Environmental stewardship extends beyond the site through a partnership with Cooperativo Ambio’s Scolel’te Program, with proceeds from concerts and screenings supporting reforestation and offsetting carbon emissions. It is an approach that treats hospitality as a responsibility, building a bond in constant dialogue with the land.
Perched above the Tyrrhenian Sea, Treville Positano is a love letter to the Amalfi Coast. Once the private summer estate of Italian director and producer Franco Zeffirelli, it still carries his theatrical soul—artworks, curios and fragments of opera sets layered across villas cascading toward the water. Secret garden paths wind past tropical plants, hidden terraces and quiet pools, offering the rare sensation of being entirely alone, suspended between sea and sky. Just 16 suites preserve the intimacy of a residence—from the storied Nijinski Suite to the romantic Romeo e Giulietta Suite. Days drift by swimming off the rocks or gliding into town by boat, while evenings begin with golden hour aperitivi at Bianca Bar before unfolding with dinner at Maestro’s. John Steinbeck wrote of Positano that it is “a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.” Here, romance feels cinematic in the moment, only to deepen once it slips into memory.
Tucked inside a restored 1925 neoclassical mansion just steps from Plaka—the so-called “Neighborhood of the Gods”—THE DOLLI at Acropolis takes a hôtel-maison approach to Athens. With only 46 rooms, it reads like an impeccably styled pied-à-terre, intimate and quietly confident. Interiors balance elegant minimalism with classic Greek cues: high ceilings, marble floors and grand windows that flood rooms with light and frame ancient ruins from bed, with custom-made furnishings crafted by local artisans. Downstairs, the art-filled lobby doubles as a living room, where Greek bronze sculptures mingle with contemporary balloon armchairs and bowls of candy add a playful, lived-in touch. Above, layered terraces rise to a rooftop infinity pool, its waters reflecting the Acropolis like a mirage, blurring past and present. It’s a place where the grandeur of Athens meets the intimacy of a boutique retreat, turning a legendary city into something personal.
The roar of 275 waterfalls drifts through every moment, from the hush of night to the first light of dawn. Hotel das Cataratas, A Belmond Hotel, is the only hotel within Brazil’s Iguaçu Falls National Park, placing guests in rare, intimate proximity to the world’s largest falls, one of the New Seven Natural Wonders of the World. With private access before and after park hours, sunrises and sunsets are yours alone to witness, the mist and light painting the falls in shifting golds and silvers. From sculpted grounds, panoramic lookouts or the coveted Cataratas Suites with Juliet balconies, the jungle and waterfalls feel within reach, not framed from afar. As the day softens, Y Bar calls just steps from the terrace, serving reimagined Brazilian cocktails to the soundtrack of rushing water, with the falls in full view. Glide beneath the cascades by boat, soar overhead in a helicopter or wander trails reserved for guests—nature isn’t simply observed; it falls around you, intimately and dramatically.
Perched on the storied edge of the Golden Horn, Aliée Istanbul turns dining into an adventure—a spirited conversation between cultures and flavors that plays on your palate and stays. Known as the “House of Curious Minds,” the hotel is a true playground for food lovers and the first Paris Society Collection address beyond France—a bridge in a city of bridges, where East meets West and ideas, traditions and tastes converge. Across nine distinct culinary destinations, guests are invited to taste, wander and savor, where technique flirts with theatrical flair, intimacy meets splendor and every dish tells a story. From the garden-side Little House to Taste, an intimate eight-seat experience curated by Michelin three-star chef Thomas Bühner, curiosity leads the way. Velvet-clad Mondaine de Pariso hums with Belle Époque romance and the decadent Pink Bar sparkles beneath Murano chandeliers. Every bite, every sip and every glance reveals a deliciously unexpected discovery.
Floating quietly on the Thu Bon River, Namia River Retreat feels like a pause between breaths. Time loosens its grip as water slips past palm-fringed pool villas and wellness unfolds as ritual, not routine. At the heart of it all is Lumina Spa, a river-facing sanctuary designed for deep restoration. Guests arrive through a welcome space overlooking the water, then move between traditional apothecaries, herbal steam rooms infused with Southern Vietnamese botanicals and hushed relaxation lounges made for disconnection. Each stay includes a 90-minute daily wellness journey rooted in ancient Thuoc Nam herbology—beginning with a fragrant herbal hammam and flowing into a traditional therapy. Movement studios host yoga and fitness, while open-air spaces invite meditation beneath the trees. A river-view terrace pairs sauna and cold plunge, completing the cycle. Mornings begin with mindful motion; evenings settle into lantern-lit calm. By departure, the stillness travels with you, gently held in the body.
“In Big Sur, we take some time to linger on,” the Red Hot Chili Peppers sing on their 1999 hit Road Trippin’—a line that doubles as both soundtrack and instruction manual for this stretch of California coast. Cue the windows down as Highway 1, officially reopened after three years, snakes past towering redwoods and the wide-open Pacific, eventually delivering you to Alila Ventana Big Sur. Set on 160 acres of forest and meadow with ocean views, the resort’s 54 secluded suites come with crackling fireplaces and open decks. Seasonally crafted meals, included as part of the stay, complement transformative wellbeing programming and a curated collection of experiences. The result is an unforgettable symphony for your senses while you choose your own adventure: hikes with breathwork and cold plunges, falconry, beekeeping or even a little leathercrafting, should the mood strike. Long a muse for free spirits, Big Sur works its magic here—encouraging you to slow down, linger longer and see things a little differently.
Few places spark family wonder quite like Lake Louise. The color alone—an impossible shade of turquoise framed by glaciers and sky-high peaks—feels pulled from a storybook, with Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise sitting right at the water’s edge. Opened in 1890 as a grand rail chalet, it has been welcoming generations of travelers ever since, and today remains one of the Rockies’ most family-friendly stays. Days revolve around the outdoors: ice walks and skating on the frozen lake, snowshoeing and skiing in winter; hikes, canoeing and wildlife-spotting when the snow melts. Back at the hotel, young explorers dive into Kids Adventure Camp, with crafts, scavenger hunts, lakeside s’mores and pajama parties, while dining keeps everyone happy (children under five eat free). Parents can steal a quiet moment at the new Basin Glacial Waters spa, where mineral-rich pools draw directly from the lake. It’s old-world romance with plenty of room to play.
On Ibiza’s northern shores, friendship and adventure meet in a rhythm far removed from the island’s legendary nightlife. Six Senses Ibiza sits tucked into Cala Xarraca, a world apart from the party scene, where crystalline waters, pine forests and whitewashed cliffs set the stage for a different kind of escape. Mornings start with yoga on private decks and farm-fresh breakfasts; afternoons drift into paddleboarding, e-bike rides along hidden trails or cooking sessions with local chefs. As the sun sets, the Beach Caves come alive with music, dancing and late-night conversation. Residences and mansions, from three to ten bedrooms, make it easy to gather close friends while still finding space to breathe. And the never-ending infinity pool? The perfect place to hang. Why queue for DJs when you and your friends can be your very own headline act here, making memories on your own terms.
“That sunny, happy place,” Greta Garbo called it in Grand Hotel, and a scroll through Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s Instagram feed shows why. It’s blue on blue on blue—the pools, terraces and Lake Como itself shimmer in shades so striking, each view feels like it freezes time mid-scroll. They say the lake is “a kaleidoscope of only-here experiences,” and at Tremezzo, that magic comes to life through their account @ghtlakecomo. It starts with the Flowers Pool, lined with parasols in that signature orange-and-white, with views down to the lake. Wander toward the Wow Pool, a floating aquamarine jewel framed by the town of Bellagio and the peaks of Le Grigne. Or step into the indoor-outdoor infinity pool, where sky and water seem to merge in perfect harmony. Beyond the pools, five acres of olive and palm groves and botanical gardens form one of the lake’s largest private parks. Every view feels picture-perfect, a natural scroll-stopper inviting you to experience Lake Como’s magic in person.
