The world’s most luxurious hotels can often be discovered in the unlikeliest destinations. From the ancient streets of Azerbaijan to the rugged terrain of Western Montana, Forbes Travel Guide’s annual Star Awards celebrate hospitality’s finest across the globe. This year’s winners—the most geographically diverse list in FTG’s 67 years—showcase excellence across 90 countries, with Brunei, Finland, Montenegro and Romania making their debut appearances.
Behind every Forbes Travel Guide Star Award lies a thousand small gestures: the concierge who tracks down a hidden café beloved by locals, the chef who sources ingredients from a generations-old farm, the spa therapist who crafts custom aromatherapy blends from native flowers. From established luxury capitals to emerging destinations, the 2,187 award recipients for 2025 demonstrate that true luxury is not measured in thread counts or square feet, but in moments of genuine connection.
FTG’s ratings are objective, independent and data-driven. Incognito inspectors pose as everyday guests—checking in at hotels, embarking on cruises, taking in spa treatments and dining at fine restaurants. They test hundreds of exacting standards that emphasize exceptional service, which accounts for 70% of a property’s rating. The quality and condition of the facilities account for the remaining 30%. Beyond these metrics, inspectors assess the intangibles behind a truly remarkable guest experience: whether a property allows you to continue a health-conscious lifestyle and enhance your well-being; whether the location, design or other elements conjured a strong sense of place; and whether all that added up to a stay that was unforgettable.
See the full list of 2025 Star Awards winners here, and learn more about the newest additions to the collection below.
Act Global, Think Local
The newest Five-Star hotels bring travelers into the heart of a destination. RiverView Ranch, located next to Lolo National Forest, lets guests explore 1,000 acres of Western Montana’s diverse terrain via horseback rides, mountain bikes, wakeboards and snowshoes, all of which are included with a stay.
Meanwhile, Capella Hanoi in Vietnam pays homage to the nearby Hanoi Opera House, an early 1900s landmark, by adorning its Bill Bensley-designed rooms with opera artifacts. The boutique hotel also immerses guests in local culture, connecting them with master artisans who share centuries-old traditions in Vietnamese lacquer painting and ceramics.
At Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island, guided walks begin at dawn, revealing an island teeming with wildlife—hawksbill and green turtles and eagle rays are found throughout the crystal waters, while lemon and blacktip sharks patrol deeper channels. Guests can feed ancient Aldabra giant tortoises or take part in coconut harvesting, a nod to the island’s plantation heritage. At night, the property becomes a stage for Seychelles culture as the artistry of Creole cuisine is shared in intimate cooking classes and the rhythms of traditional sega music pulse beneath starlit skies.
Winning Destinations
For the third consecutive year, Macau remains the world’s Five-Star hotel capital. The posh Chinese territory—just off the western coast of Hong Kong—tallied 24 top-ranking hotels with the additions of Epic Tower at Studio City Macau, an all-suite hotel that overlooks Coloane’s green spaces and Studio City’s Golden Reel spectacle (a figure-eight Ferris wheel), and Raffles at Galaxy Macau, an opulent property with the brand’s largest suites. Two new Five-Star spas, The Spa at Epic Tower and The Spa at Palazzo Versace Macau, also joined the list.
Following Macau, London boasts 20 Five-Star hotels for 2025. New entries include The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel, London, a historic boutique hotel where Oscar Wilde once lived, and Raffles London at The OWO, the former Old War Office where one employee, Ian Fleming, found the inspiration to create James Bond.
Overall, Europe had a strong showing among the world’s finest hotels. Properties earned new Five-Star awards in Azerbaijan (the waterfront Four Seasons Hotel Baku), France (the renovated grande dame Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel), Greece (the modernist, hillside Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino), Italy (Tuscan countryside retreat Castelfalfi) and Spain (the mid-century modern Rosewood Villa Magna in Madrid).
In addition, Europe gained new Five-Star spas in France (Spa La Mer at Les Airelles) and Turkey (Raffles Spa at Raffles Istanbul).
Domestically, the United States had several notable Five-Star wins this year. Montana’s RiverView Ranch was joined by The Maybourne Beverly Hills, a glamorous escape with an outpost of New York City’s famed Dante bar; The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Fort Lauderdale, a water-inspired refuge; and Spa Montage Big Sky, an alpine retreat in Montana.
The Middle East earned Five-Star awards for One&Only Royal Mirage The Residence (a regal beachfront resort for adults only) and The Pearl Spa at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach (which draws from the area’s pearl-diving roots), both in Dubai; The St. Regis Abu Dhabi (which has its own beach club); and Spa and Wellness Centre at Four Seasons Hotel Doha (a sprawling three-story facility).
In Asia, Singapore’s new The Paiza Collection, atop the dazzling Marina Bay Sands and specializing in butler service, achieved a Five-Star rating for 2025. Outside of Macau, China earned top accolades for two sky-high towers: Rosewood Guangzhou (the tallest hotel in southern China) and The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong (which claims to be the world’s tallest hotel). Tokyo and the Maldives also welcomed new Five-Star spas, The Bvlgari Spa Tokyo and One&Only Reethi Rah Spa, respectively.
A Maiden Voyage for Cruise Restaurants
This year, FTG also unveiled its inaugural cruise restaurant ratings, becoming the first independent ratings guide to evaluate onboard dining experiences. While cruise ships historically received a bad rap for their food, luxury liners are changing course with world-class chefs, innovative menus and excellent service.
Celebrity (Apex and Ascent’s Fine Cut Steakhouse), The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection (Evrima’s S.E.A.), SeaDream Yacht Club (SeaDream II’s Dining Room), Silversea (Silver Origin’s The Grill) and Windstar (Star Pride’s Candles) are among the first fleet of award winners.
More New Restaurant Winners
Macau also dominated the restaurant category for 2025, racking up top honors for Aurora (Altira Macau), Chef Tam’s Seasons (Wynn Palace), Don Alfonso 1890 (Palazzo Versace Macau), The Huaiyang Garden (The Londoner Hotel), Mesa (The Karl Lagerfeld), Yamazato Macau (Hotel Okura Macau) and Zuicho (Grand Lisboa Palace Macau).
Mexico landed its first Five-Star restaurant this year with María Dolores, which sits inside the all-inclusive Atelier Playa Mujeres in Cancun. Helmed by acclaimed Mexican chef Edgar Núñez, the seasonal, vegetable-leaning menu showcases modern Mexican cuisine.
And three restaurants in Dubai earned Five Stars: Dinner by Heston Blumenthal Dubai (Atlantis The Royal), where the legendary chef reinvents historic British cuisine; Ossiano (Atlantis, The Palm), whose dining room is like an aquarium; and Row on 45 (Grosvenor House, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Dubai), British chef Jason Atherton’s intimate culinary theater.
Stateside, in Southern California, Ojai Valley Inn’s Olivella joined the Five-Star ranks for its warm atmosphere and fresh Italian-influenced California cuisine.
Wandering for Wellness
The world’s finest hotels continue to embrace wellness as part of their offerings. Bali’s newest Five-Star winner, Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, helps guests unplug from digital distractions with the Disconnect to Reconnect program, while the traditional homa yajna, a Balinese fire blessing ritual, transforms unwanted beliefs or habits into positive energy.
While in Scottsdale, Arizona, The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician, A Luxury Collection Resort features healthy offerings at the complimentary breakfast buffet and daily fitness classes like aerial yoga and sound meditation at its spa. The new Five-Star hotel also gets guests moving with activities such as guided hikes up Camelback Mountain, bike rides through Old Town, walks through a cactus garden and “Adult Recess,” a round-robin-style tournament for — what else? — pickleball.
