The World's Most Beautiful Hotels by Prix Versailles 25​/​26

The Prix Versailles World's Most Beautiful Hotels is an annual recognition program run by the Prix Versailles, a series of architectural competitions announced at UNESCO since 2015 that highlights the finest contemporary achievements worldwide. Each year, 16 newly opened or reopened hotels are selected from across the globe, each standing out for its blend of heritage and innovation. The program considers not only visual appeal but also each property's fusion of innovation, heritage, and sustainability in its design. The 2025 list is particularly diverse: it spans international properties such as the Todos os Santos Boutique Hotel in Mexico, Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab in Dubai, and Rosewood Munich, with The Manner in New York City standing as the sole U.S. representative. As Prix Versailles Secretary General Jérôme Gouadain put it, the common thread among the honorees is that they elevate local expertise and heritage through highly advanced design, reflecting a clear collaboration between their creators and their surrounding regions. The 2026 honorees span an exceptionally wide geographic range, including The ArcadiaPlace at Lugu Lake in China, Orient Express La Minerva in Rome, Splendido in Portofino, Villa Dubrovnik in Croatia, The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace in India, Kasbah d'If in Marrakesh, Naboa in Tulum, and Maison Mystique in Thailand, among others. Highlights include Sir Prague, which occupies a neo-renaissance building dating to 1884 near the Vltava River, where original stone façades and timber parquet floors have been restored alongside interiors inspired by Czech Cubism, and Desert Rock in Saudi Arabia, recognized for its immersion into the ancient folds of the Hijaz Mountains.