The world’s most beautiful hotels have been revealed, with a lake house in China and an Italian palazzo making the shortlist of stunning stays.
On 12 May, the Prix Versailles, a series of architectural competitions, announced its annual list of 16 of the globe’s most extraordinarily designed hotels.
In China, The ArcadiaPlace, Lugu Lake stood out for offering guests an “immersion into one of the world’s last matriarchal societies” across its 57 “striking” guest rooms.
The “opulent spirit” of The Silk Lakehouse in Shangri-La Hangzhou was also lauded by the Prix Versailles for having an “intimate atmosphere” that’s “reminiscent of a visit to a friend’s home”.
Sir Prague, in the Czech capital, made the list following a bold interior renovation by Linda Boronkay, while Chiemgauhof Lakeside Retreat in Germany wowed with understated luxury and Bavarian heritage.
In the 17th arrondissement of Paris, La Fondation was rewarded for its verdant refuges. Further south, Les Roches’ “natural lines” and rich history impressed judges from the lobby to the garden.
The Prix Versailles called Tiblisi’s The Telegraph a tour de force from Neri&Hu, a Shanghai-based architectural design firm. The simplicity of Villa Dubrovnik in Croatia secured the award for furniture that “quietly bridges the gap between yesterday and today”.
At the gateway to India’s Panna National Park, The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace’s “princely grandeur” made the hotel hotlist. The Oberoi, originally a fortress before being converted into a palace, was hailed as “one of the most beautiful examples of Indian hospitality”.
Also featured were the Orient Express La Minerva, a 17th-century palazzo in Rome, and Belmond’s Portofino Splendido set in a former 16th-century Benedictine monastery.
Kasbah d’If in Marrakech, Naboa in Tulum and Malaysia’s Soori Penang all impressed with their interior and exterior designs, while Desert Rock in Saudi Arabia earned its place for its immersion into the ancient folds of the Hijaz Mountains.
Rounding off the award winners, the “grand halls” and “hushed ambience” of Maison Mystique in Thailand make it a “breathtaking site”, said Prix Versailles.
At the end of 2026, three of the 16 featured hotels will receive a further world title of “Prix Versailles, Interior or Exterior”.
Jérôme Gouadain, secretary general of the Prix Versailles, said: “All the projects featured on the World’s Most Beautiful Hotels List for 2026 embrace a lifestyle based on enchantment and innovation and fit perfectly into their local scene. They give us illuminating insight into what excellence looks like in the interior and exterior design of buildings.
“This allows them to deliver a positive form of hospitality, one that beautifies the built environment and fulfils travellers’ hopes and aspirations. These hotels, each endowed with its own amazing personality, provide a bright outlook and, in their own way, establish a welcome dialogue in today’s world of cultural globalisation.”
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