Two Dubai hotels have made it to the top 15 of the World's 50 Best Hotels ranking, with Atlantis The Royal climbing to fourth place from sixth last year.
The Palm Jumeirah resort was once again named the Best Hotel in the Middle East and also won the Best Beach Hotel Award at the annual ceremony held in Paris on Tuesday.
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, which made its debut on the list only months after opening last year, also climbed five places, from No 20 to No 15.
The Lana, Dorchester Collection, which ranked No 35 in 2025, does not feature in this year's list.
Rosewood Hong Kong was named the World's Best Hotel for a second consecutive year. The 65-storey hotel overlooking Victoria Harbour has 413 rooms and suites, 11 restaurants and bars, and an extensive wellness offering centred around its Asaya Spa by Guerlain.
Bangkok took the next two positions. Capella Bangkok, which was the world's No 1 hotel in 2024, climbed from third to second, while Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River came in at No 3.
Atlantis The Royal followed at No 4, ahead of Lake Como's Passalacqua at No 5 and Rosewood Sao Paulo at No 6.
Rounding out the top 10 were Mandarin Oriental Qianmen in Beijing, Upper House Hong Kong, Chable Yucatan in Mexico and Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.
UAE properties in World's 50 Best Hotels
Atlantis The Royal has continued its rapid rise through the rankings since first appearing at No 44 in 2023. The resort jumped to No 9 in 2024 and No 6 last year before reaching fourth place on the 2026 list.
Opened on Palm Jumeirah in 2023, the 795-room resort has become one of Dubai's most recognisable hotels, with its six interconnected towers, celebrity-chef restaurants and rooftop infinity pool.
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab has also moved higher in the ranking, reaching No 15 after making its debut at No 20 last year.
The yacht-shaped hotel opened in March 2025 beside Burj Al Arab, completing Jumeirah's nautical-themed trilogy alongside the sail-shaped landmark and wave-inspired Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
The 386-room property has 11 restaurants, four swimming pools, an 82-berth yacht marina and a three-storey spa.
The World's 50 Best Hotels 2026
- Rosewood Hong Kong
- Capella Bangkok
- Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
- Atlantis The Royal, Dubai
- Passalacqua, Lake Como
- Rosewood Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo
- Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing
- Upper House Hong Kong
- Chable Yucatan, Chochola
- Mandarin Oriental Bangkok
- Aman Tokyo
- Four Seasons Firenze, Florence
- Claridge's, London
- Hotel de Crillon, Paris
- Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Dubai
- Capella Sydney
- Raffles Singapore
- Casa Maria Luigia, Modena
- Le Bristol, Paris
- Cheval Blanc Paris
- Desa Potato Head, Bali
- San Ysidro Ranch, Santa Barbara
- One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit
- Bulgari Tokyo
- Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Los Cabos
- Royal Mansour, Marrakesh
- Four Seasons Astir Palace, Athens
- Raffles London at The OWO
- Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro
- The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai
- The Peninsula Istanbul
- Bulgari Roma, Rome
- Patina Osaka
- Mount Nelson, Cape Town
- Nihi Sumba
- Badrutt's Palace, St Moritz
- Park Hyatt Kyoto
- Hotel du Couvent, Nice
- Portrait Milano, Milan
- Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Monaco
- Plaza Athenee, Paris
- Hotel Sacher Vienna
- Estelle Manor, Witney
- Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes
- Amangiri, Canyon Point
- The Peninsula Hong Kong
- Maroma, Riviera Maya
- Aman Nai Lert, Bangkok
- The Connaught, London
- San Domenico Palace, Taormina
How are the World's 50 Best Hotels chosen?
The ranking is decided by the World's 50 Best Hotels Academy, which comprises more than 800 voters divided across 13 geographical regions.
The panel includes hoteliers, travel journalists, hotel educators, business travellers and experienced luxury travellers, with at least a quarter of the voting panel renewed each year.
Each member votes for seven hotels in order of preference based on properties they have stayed at during the previous three years. Voters can select hotels anywhere in the world, regardless of where they live.
The 2026 ranking is the fourth edition of the World's 50 Best Hotels.
