World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 awards to be held in Paris for the first time

The World’s 50 Best Hotels will hold its fourth edition in Paris during the week commencing 14^th September 2026, marking the first time the awards have been staged outside London since the list launched in 2023. The organisers announced on 2^nd March that the French capital will host a multi-day programme of invitation-only events, culminating in the awards ceremony at which the annual ranking is revealed.

The 2026 list will again be determined by the 50 Best Hotels Academy, a voting body of more than 800 anonymous industry figures drawn from hoteliers, travel journalists, hotel educators, business travellers and frequent luxury travellers. The Academy is divided across 13 geographical regions, each overseen by an Academy Chair who selects the voting panel for that region. At least a quarter of the panel is replaced each year, and all voters other than the Chairs remain anonymous, a measure the organisers say is intended to prevent lobbying.

One significant change for this year concerns the voting period. Previously, voters were asked to name the seven best hotels they had stayed in over the preceding 24 months, ranked in order of preference. That window has now been extended to three years, allowing consideration of properties that voters may visit less frequently. The extended 51-100 list, introduced in 2025, will return, with that announcement made ahead of the main ceremony. Special award winners will also be revealed in the months leading up to the event.

The organisation has appointed Jesse Ashlock as Academy Chair for USA and Canada East. He joins Samantha Brooks, who holds the equivalent role for USA and Canada West. Ashlock was most recently Deputy Global Editorial Director and US Head of Editorial Content at Condé Nast Traveler, where he oversaw the American edition and coordinated content and strategy across the brand’s international markets.

Emma Sleight, Head of Content for The World’s 50 Best Hotels, says: “Bringing The World’s 50 Best Hotels to Paris – the first time the awards have been held outside London since its launch in 2023 – is incredibly exciting for us as an organisation and for the global travel community. We wanted a host city that embodied timeless hospitality, and one that is home to some of the world’s most exceptional hotels, so Paris was a natural choice. This September, we look forward to gathering our growing, international hotels community to celebrate the world’s best hotel experiences and the people who craft them.”

The Paris programme will include a “Welcome to Paris” event and an Opening Banquet the night before the list is revealed, bringing together the hoteliers behind the 100 ranked properties. The leadership forum #50BestTalks: Unpacked, a discussion platform for hoteliers and travel experts, will also feature. The ceremony itself will include red-carpet arrivals and interviews, a drinks reception and the countdown of the ranking, followed by a press conference with representatives of the hotel named The World’s Best Hotel 2026.

Any hotel worldwide is eligible to be voted for, with no entry criteria applied. According to the organisers, hotels cannot pay to enter the awards, are not required to buy tickets to the events and make no financial contribution to the nomination process. Academy Chairs are not informed of the votes cast in their regions, and neither 50 Best employees nor the awards’ sponsors have any influence over the results.

The World’s 50 Best Hotels was launched in 2023, following The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and The World’s 50 Best Bars, and represented the brand’s first global launch since 2009. The inaugural edition was held in London in September 2023.

Food Desk

The World’s 50 Best Hotels awards ceremony takes place in Paris during the week commencing 14 September 2026.