Overview
- The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Ilma becomes the first-ever Forbes Five-Star cruise ship, and Le Voyage on Celebrity Xcel is the first Five-Star cruise-ship restaurant.
- For 2026, Forbes recognizes 2,422 winners across more than 100 countries, including 343 Five-Star hotels and a single Five-Star cruise ship.
- Marriott International’s Luxury Group reports 397 total recognitions and 11 new Five-Star awards, reflecting the growing clout of major hospitality portfolios.
- The list adds inaugural Five-Star entries in smaller or new markets, including Wymara Villas in Turks and Caicos, The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko in Japan, and One&Only Portonovi in Montenegro.
- Regional milestones include Atlanta’s first double Five-Star (The St. Regis Atlanta and Atlas Buckhead), Orlando’s first Five-Star hotel (The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes), Nujuma as the first Five-Star from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea project, and Macau retaining the most Five-Star hotels with 28 alongside a shift to hotel-within-a-hotel concepts.