The Peninsula Hong Kong Wins Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Vote as World's Best Hotel

The Peninsula Hong Kong is the best hotel in the world for 2026, according to Condé Nast Traveler readers. The magazine published its 39th Readers' Choice Awards on October 6, and the 1928 grande dame on Salisbury Road in Hong Kong topped the headline list. This year's awards drew 798,867 votes from U.S. readers.

Who else made the top five?

Chicago did unusually well. Park Hyatt Chicago ranked No. 3 and Le Méridien Essex Chicago No. 4, and readers also named Chicago the best large city in the United States. The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto placed No. 5. Island Shangri-La also made the top 50 for Hong Kong, and The Lana, the Dorchester Collection's Dubai hotel, was also among the readers' favorites.

On the separate resorts list, Cheval Blanc Seychelles was named the best resort in the world, less than two years after it opened. Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Bali ranked No. 3, and The Ritz-Carlton, Naples came in at No. 10.

Why does a 98-year-old hotel still win?

The Peninsula is Hong Kong's oldest hotel. It opened in 1928 on what was then the Kowloon waterfront, across from the ocean liner terminal, and it is still majority controlled by the founding Kadoorie family. Its 300 rooms and suites are split between the heritage wing and a 30-story tower added in 1994, which has the big Victoria Harbour views.

The rituals are the draw. Guests can arrive from the airport by helicopter onto the rooftop helipad or in one of the hotel's Rolls-Royce Phantoms in Peninsula green. Gaddi's has served French food since 1953, Chesa has been the Swiss chalet restaurant since 1965, Spring Moon handles Cantonese, and afternoon tea in The Lobby has drawn queues for more than 80 years. Felix, designed by Philippe Starck, has the best views in the building.

How does this square with the experts' list?

Reader votes and expert panels often disagree. On The World's 50 Best Hotels 2026 list, chosen by an industry panel, The Peninsula ranked No. 46, while Rosewood Hong Kong kept the No. 1 spot across the harbour. Read together, the two lists say the same thing: Hong Kong has two of the strongest city hotels anywhere, one old and one new.

What should you know before booking?

Ask for a harbour-view room in the tower if the skyline is the point of the trip. Use Peninsula Time, the group's flexible stay program, which lets guests check in as early as 6 a.m. and check out as late as 10 p.m., a real help after an overnight flight from North America. The 50 Best listing puts high season at March to September, so autumn and winter stays are the easier ones to land.