Macao has further cemented its position as the world’s leading destination for ultra-luxury hospitality, with the latest Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards confirming the SAR still hosts more five-star hotels than any other city globally, according to a press release. The 2026 ratings mark the fourth time Macao has achieved this status.
Twenty-eight of this year’s 343 top-rated hotels were located within the SAR’s integrated resorts, with new winners Capella at Galaxy Macau and Paiza Grand at Londoner Grand reflecting what the guide described as a broader industry shift away from grand-scale luxury toward more intimate, personalised “hotel-within-a-hotel experiences.”
Sands China dominated the local hotel rankings, securing seven five-star awards. According to Sands, that’s the most held by a single integrated resort operator worldwide and included first-time wins for Paiza Grand at Londoner Grand and the St. Regis. Long-standing five-star properties such as the Four Seasons and the Londoner also retained their ratings.
[See more: Keys to luxury: Sands China hotels shine in Macao’s 2025 Michelin Key Awards]
Galaxy received six five-star hotel ratings, including for Raffles, Banyan Tree and the Ritz-Carlton, while Melco Resorts & Entertainment followed with five. SJM Resorts properties scooped four of the top-tier hotels awards, and MGM Resorts Internationals and Wynn earned three apiece.
Each concessionaire also secured five-star accolades for restaurants and spas located within their respective resorts.
Globally, the 2026 Forbes Travel Guide marked its largest and most diverse list in 68 years running, covering more than 100 countries and introducing the world’s first five-star cruise ship. Asia-Pacific emerged as the fastest-growing luxury region, accounting for around 40 percent of all new five-star hotel additions – with Macao among the most prominent contributors.
The full list of 2026 Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards recipients can be found here.
