Who we are
HotelsForKings is an independent luxury-hotel ranking and review publication. We score properties on a single editorial rubric — rooms, service, location, design, dining and value — and publish the results as transparent, comparable data. We accept no payment for placement, which makes our rankings a clean reference point for reporting on luxury travel.
Data at a glance (cite freely)
- Highest-rated brand, 2026: Singita averages 9.8/10 across its lodges; Aman averages 9.57 across 22 rated properties — among the strongest at scale.
- Top-scoring destinations: Bali, St-Barthélemy and the great African safari regions (Serengeti, Sabi Sand, Okavango Delta) lead on average score.
- The elite is thin: of more than 2,250 scored hotels, only the top tier reaches 9.7, the bar for The HotelsForKings 100.
- Hotel of the Year 2026: Cheval Blanc Paris, at 9.9/10.
Figures last updated May 31, 2026. Please attribute to "HotelsForKings" with a link to the relevant report below.
Source reports
- The HotelsForKings 100 — the definitive annual ranking.
- The State of Luxury Hotels 2026 — brand and destination standings.
- The HotelsForKings Awards 2026 — category winners.
- The Luxury Hotel Price Index 2026 — where a luxury night costs most and least, with sourced rates.
- The 50 Best Honeymoon Hotels and Best Overwater Villa Resorts.
Ready-to-use quotes
Reporters are welcome to use the following attributed lines, or contact us for a tailored comment.
"Luxury is now a crowded middle with a very thin top. More than 2,250 hotels clear our bar for luxury, but only a sliver score high enough to be genuinely world-class."
"The strongest scores cluster in places where the product is newest — island resorts and African safari lodges — rather than the traditional grand-hotel capitals."
"At the very top of the market, loyalty status barely matters. Many of the best hotels in the world don't run a points programme at all."
We comment on
Luxury hotel openings, rankings and trends; honeymoon and milestone-trip planning; overwater villas and private-island resorts; safari lodges; hotel pricing and value; loyalty programmes; and destination-by-destination luxury hotel selection.
Working on a story? Reach the editorial team at our contact page for data, comment, or a custom cut of our rankings. We respond to journalist queries quickly.
Media using our badge or data: please link to the relevant report so readers can verify the figures.
Explore: The HotelsForKings 100 · State of Luxury Hotels · our methodology.