The Best Hotels and Resorts in Europe and the UK: The Gold List 2026
%2520GLOBAL%2520PR.jpeg)
The Gold List 2026 has landed: an edit of what our editors consider to be the very best hotels in the world, from city-slicking downtown boltholes to rambling countryside estates, and from beachfront toes-in-the-water properties to resorts that are committed to wildlife conservation. This year, we've spotlighted 21 hotels across Europe. Among them, you'll find a grand dame in the Swiss Alps, a Sorrentine Peninsula stalwart peeping over the Gulf of Naples, a scene-y beachfront spot in Bodrum and a nature resort in the hills of Germany. Consider this your 2026 bucket list.
See the full The Gold List 2026 here.
Courtesy AkelarrehotelAkelarre, San Sebastián, Spain
$$$Perched on the slopes of Monte Igueldo in San Sebastián, with the Bay of Biscay at its feet, Akelarre is home to one of Spain’s most iconic restaurants. Long before the hotel opened in 2017, Pedro Subijana’s kitchen had already earned three Michelin stars and a place in culinary history. Today, his legacy flows into a serene five-star stay led by his daughter, Oihana: just 22 rooms, carved into the hillside, each with panoramic terraces and warm minimalist interiors that echo the raw beauty of the north. There are two restaurants: the three-Michelin-starred Akelarre, where every plate is a tribute to terroir and technique, and Espazio Oteiza, a more relaxed concept. The 8,611-square-foot wellness area, with its hydrotherapy pool, hammam, and treatments, invites deep pause. More than a hotel or a restaurant, Akelarre is a radical, slow vision of hospitality shaped by salt air, silence, and a reverence for place. From £400. María Casbas
Paul ThuysbaerthotelBadrutt’s Palace, St Moritz, Switzerland
The finest location in St. Moritz, the most attentive service, the most dazzling guests, the most stunning hotel lobby—Switzerland’s Badrutt’s Palace is one superlative after another. And 2026 will mark an impressive 130 years in operation. The property took a huge leap into the future with its new Serlas Wing, which opened across from the main hotel. The original and new buildings, as well as the Chesa Veglia restaurant, are now connected via underground passageways so that winter guests no longer have to slosh through slush. For the warmer months, when the hotel is typically less crowded, Badrutt’s has added a padel court and an ATP tennis court to the garden, and it continues to offer opportunities to hike, sail, and sunbathe. It’s a fairy tale with resort amenities in St. Moritz. From £821. Dennis Braatz
hotelBeaverbrook, Surrey, UK
A visit to the English countryside doesn’t get much more picturesque than at Beaverbrook. The hotel’s location in Surrey, as well as its heritage – the 470-acre estate dates back to 1866 – makes for an iconic UK stay. Elements of its history are woven into the interiors of the main house, but this is a place that masterfully blends English worldliness with modern finesse. The spa is something of a marvel—all stained-glass ceiling and innovative experiences—and as I pad past the outdoor pool from the cabin-style massage hut, I know the treatments I’ve just had will live in my heart for years to come. We spent the night in the Village, a zippy buggy ride away from the original house. Its appeal lies primarily with families, as rooms are colour-drenched and whimsical, and the restaurant there is a British-style eatery. Elsewhere, food options include a lauded Japanese restaurant and the Instagram-famous summer dining experience that takes place on the grounds under whimsical hot-air balloons. From £490. Sarah Leigh Bannerman
hotelCastelfalfi, Tuscany, Italy
Beauty, comfort, and a vibe of breezy ease are axiomatic at Castelfalfi. Ditto flattering lighting and delectable food. At the whole-village resort, which sprawls over 2,700 acres and has 146 rooms, one main cobblestoned street leads down from the castle to a 13th-century church, a row of boutiques, gelaterias, and pizzerias, and the two hotel buildings. The older of the two – a repurposed 19th-century tobacco warehouse – sits opposite the 1980s-built low-slung main building, which has sublime valley views. This houses the Bar Ecrù & Lounge, one of four restaurants, as well as the indoor pool and spa. Along with outdoor pools and a Montessori children’s club, there’s a woodland adventure centre, a wine and olive oil tasting set-up, and isolated farmhouses operating as villas and apartments with pools. A key attraction is the activity program that offers over 40 experiences from archery, beekeeping, truffle hunting, falconry, and cookery to Pilates and yoga. Transformed by the Milan design company Caberon Caroppi, rooms are fragrant and understated, with a mix of textures – velvet, leather, marble – and a muted earthy palette, silky bed linen, and sculptural Paolo Castelli furnishings. Executive chef Davide De Simone ensures the partially farm-to-table menus include ingredients grown on the resort’s farms. From £532. Adrianne Pielou
hotelClaridge's, London, UK
It may have been drawing such guests as Queen Victoria since 1812, but it wasn’t until the Roaring Twenties that Claridge’s really found its rhythm, constellating Bright Young Things around its jewel box interiors – glimmering Lalique panels, Art Deco mirrors, stained glass butterflies – like moths to a fabulous flame. A century on and this effervescent Jazz Age spirit is as alive as ever. Flower girls skitter across the lobby’s checkerboard floor; the foyer thrums with guests taking afternoon tea; and the dimly lit Fumoir Bar is a sultry backdrop for romance. But while Claridge’s may flirt with its past, recently hosting an Art Deco sleepover with Cecil Beaton cocktails and Charleston lessons, it’s by no means stuck there. The spa is an André Fu-designed subterranean gem; the Painter’s Room holds alternative afternoon teas; and there’s Claridge’s Bakery, which will open later this year. The actor Spencer Tracy said, “Not that I intend to die, but when I do, I don’t want to go to heaven. I want to go to Claridge’s.” And Claridge’s sparkles on. From £956. Olivia Squire
hotelCoworth Park, The Dorchester Collection, Berkshire, UK
This 18th-century estate near Windsor might be 17 minutes from Heathrow Terminal 5, but it’s light-years away in feel. Since 2010 Coworth Park has outdone itself as a Dorchester Collection version of the country – a perfectly pressed London-adjacent micro-break and fresh-air reboot with minimal dirt on the wellies. The 240 acres of handsome parkland folds in well-kept polo fields (complete with exciting matches and a grafted-on social scene), tennis courts, lakes, a sunken garden and wildflower meadow, and a sleek spa that’s just had a makeover. Add in the promise of excellent food (Michelin-starred Woven by Adam Smith is British food at its apex) and there are plenty of treats to enjoy. The best spot on the estate is the meadowland in summer, when pink roses tumble over the gazebo and striped deck chairs line the croquet lawn. In winter, lolling is best done in the warm and cosseting spa. From £559. Lydia Bell
hotelForestis, Dolomites, Italy
Nature dictates everything at this CO2-neutral A-list hideaway in the Italian Dolomites. The site was chosen for its abundant sunshine, spring water, mountain air, and views of the jagged Odle massif, which is framed by picture windows in all 62 minimalist suites. The landscape is also woven into the biophilic architecture, Celtic wellness rituals, and intricate “forest cuisine.” After hiking or skiing in the Plose mountains, guests can recharge over a tasting menu in the amphitheatre restaurant as the sun sets with all the drama of Mount Doom. The history of the complex is similarly dramatic. It was conceived in 1912 as a sanatorium for Austro-Hungarian aristocrats but lay dormant for years. For its relaunch in 2020, Stefan and Teresa Hinteregger added three 12-story towers and an astonishing spa with a swim-in, swim-out pool. A villa for 10 followed in December 2024, and a concept restaurant, Yera, which celebrates the fruits of the forest around a firepit in a cave, arrived in June. From £754. Lisa Johnson
KENSEEThotelFour Seasons Astir Palace, Athens, Greece
The modernist white resort perches proudly on pine-scented hills, slowly revealing its geometric lines as one snakes from the dusty thrum of Athens to the glamour-drenched peninsula. Rooms continue the cool, clean palette, most with sweeping terrace views of the Aegean, and immaculately manicured olive trees frame sparkling swimming pools. Our favourite dinner is at the informal Taverna 37 for salt-baked sea bass, but daily tiradito from eatery Helios is a treat, especially as it’s opposite the wood-toy-packed kids club that keeps offspring amused between courses. We discover homegrown brands like Magoosh, Callista, and Zeus & Dione in the on-site boutique, and my daughter’s love affair with drawing comics begins with a brilliant hands-on lesson with an Athenian cartoonist. With a diet of daily tennis lessons, sweeping views, a just-the-right-side-of-glam crowd, and luscious sea swims, you can see why the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens ticks so many boxes for so many people. From £619. Jemima Sissons
Roberto BonardihotelGrand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, Sorrento, Italy
The Fiorentino family might just have nabbed the finest corner of the Amalfi Coast when they built this grand-tour-era Grand Hotel, sequestered from Piazza Tasso by perfumed orange groves, in the 1830s. Today, fifth-generation Fiorentinos have overseen renovations that restored the hotel’s shine with deference to its old-world elegance. Antique furniture and draping curtains secure a feeling of heritage. Some rooms have views over the lush gardens; the best have sunny terraces and boast a roll call of the hotel’s famous guests (Pavarotti, Caruso, Princess Margaret). Laid-back suppers at Terrazza Vittoria and all-night affairs at Michelin-starred Terrazza Bosquet make an art of Campanian produce; breakfast is taken under the frescoes at Ristorante Vittoria. From the pool, you can gaze at the classical buildings and daydream about the many lives the Vittoria has lived – although snoozing on the striped sun loungers is just as valid. Wherever you stand, this Amalfi landmark’s sense of occasion is as pertinent as ever. From £567. Sarah James
Salva LopezhotelGrand Hotel Son Net, Mallorca, Spain
Located on Mallorca, the Grand Hotel Son Net looks like a classic film set, with the Puig de Galatzó mountain, part of the Serra de Tramuntana, as a dramatic backdrop. The building’s history dates back to 1672 and showcases impressive Balearic architecture, like a terra-cotta exterior, a 17th-century courtyard, gardens, and a private chapel. In 2023, the founders of Finca Cortesin took over management of the property with the aim of regaining the brightness of its glory days. In and outside the main building, 31 suites, some as large as 1,615 square feet, give an idea of how intimate this place wants to be. Lorenzo Castillo has carefully restored the hotel’s original charm by adding elements like canopied beds and cosy furnishings. The extensive spa is a highlight, and the hotel’s cuisine reflects Mallorcan flavours with a subtle touch, emphasising the idea that, even in a place where everything is more, less is more. From £482. David Moralejo
Courtesy Grand HôtelhotelGrand Hôtel Stockholm, Sweden
$$$Few hotels are more deserving of the sobriquet grande dame than the century-and-a-half-old Grand Hôtel Stockholm, where I slept in the Ingrid Bergman suite: Wandering around the cheerful, airy space I’d stop periodically to gaze at a black-and-white portrait of the legendary actor hung beside a window that framed a view of the Royal Palace; I was staying in close proximity to two flavors of royalty. The nearness to greatness applies not only to the hotel’s patrons but also to its extraordinary cuisine. The acclaimed Swedish chef Matthias Dhalgren operates two of his restaurants, including the two-year-old Michelin-starred Seafood Gastro, which focuses on Nordic flavours. I lost count of the number of courses, but the sheer bounty of beautifully plated confections involving fish maw and langoustine claw and other briny mysteries bordered on psychedelic. I still think of the alfresco octopus salad and Sancerre I ate at Grand Soleil, and even the lovingly prepared overnight oats that room service brought me while I looked out at the bright waterfront beneath Bergman’s watchful gaze. From £318. Jesse Ashlock
Courtesy Hotel Il PellicanohotelHotel Il Pellicano, Porto Ercole, Italy
$$$For 60 years Il Pellicano has been an icon of Italian hospitality. Opened on the wild slopes of Monte Argentario in 1965 by the English American couple Michael and Patsy Graham, it was purchased in 1979 by Roberto Sciò, who had been in love with the place ever since he first frequented it alongside the jet set of the time. The guest list has always been a strong point, but with the arrival of Roberto’s daughter, Marie-Louise Sciò, as new leadership, the hotel’s image has been refreshed, thanks in large part to the book Hotel Il Pellicano, which contains photos by Juergen Teller (in addition to earlier ones by Slim Aarons). The volume has helped to attract a new generation of bohemians from all over the world. This corner of Tuscany is far from Positano; here, there are no designer boutiques. Instead, those who travel here do so because of its slightly magical atmosphere paired with impeccable service, meticulous design, a Michelin-starred restaurant, a new boat, and a boutique that wonderfully expresses the style of the hotel and, more broadly, a certain vision of an Italian holiday. From £531. Sara Magro
hotelIl Salviatino, Florence, Italy
$$Hidden among the rolling hills of Fiesole, Il Salviatino is set in centuries-old gardens with breathtaking views across the city of Florence. Each of the 39 rooms have been designed with the hotel’s history in mind – delicately painted murals, majestic marble bathrooms, modern pops of colour throughout and, most importantly, windows wherever possible, looking out across the lush Florentine countryside and over to the towering Duomo and terracotta-roofed houses of the city. Underneath the property lies the spa and it might just be the best-kept secret in Fiesole. In what used to be the palazzo’s wine cellar, now sits a pink-hued oasis. Treatments take place in a domed greenhouse room, which at first, feels exposing, but the glass is fully covered by lush greenery and plants. Come for the views, the incredible wellness space and the dreamy rooms. It’s a perfect place to embrace Tuscan heritage among the tranquil countryside, with easy access to Florence city centre. Olivia Morelli
Gaelle Le BoulicauthotelLa Reserve, Paris, France
I was there when La Réserve Paris Hotel and Spa opened in 2015 and have returned on numerous occasions since. I was enchanted from day one, and a decade later the spell remains unbroken. Outwardly little about the hotel has changed. Its main restaurant, Le Gabriel, has accumulated first one, then two, and now three Michelin stars. Le Gaspard, its exquisite bar (seats 18) has expanded slightly into the streetside terrace. The foliage in the serene central courtyard has grown ever more dense, treatments in the bijou basement spa ever more sophisticated. With just 40 rooms La Réserve is by far the smallest of the city’s super-elite palace-designated hotels, and it retains a discreet private quality that you might describe as residential – particularly if you are accustomed to discreet private residences that are swathed in silk, velvet, taffeta and cordovan leather, with Versaillais parquet floors, gilded reliefs, and views across Paris from Notre-Dame to the Eiffel Tower. Owner Michel Reybier and designer Jacques Garcia have collaborated on several projects (La Chartreuse de Cos d’Estournel, on the estate of the same name in Bordeaux, is another glorious example). But La Réserve Paris is their masterpiece. From £1,508. Steve King
November StudiohotelLily of the Valley, St Tropez, France
Located not in a valley but on a sunbathed hilltop, Philip Starck’s rustic-modernist vision feels like it was made for this spot on the glitzy French Riviera. It has two bright blue pools, three excellent Provençal restaurants, and a super-techie spa. A beach club is a short shuttle ride away. My city-weary self, drawn by the promise of good food, daily exercise, and swish treatments, arrived for one of its four signature health retreats. I spent my days whipping from reformer Pilates to TRX class and indulging in suspiciously tasty meals (here, caviar scrambled eggs is a diet dish). On the last day I began to cry, my stay proving as much an emotional tune-up as a physical one – a balm for my London-fried soul, with a healthy lashing of Côte d'Azur lasciviousness. From £485. Charley Ward
Courtesy Maçakızı HotelhotelMaçakizi, Bodrum, Turkey
$$Over the past decade Bodrum, Türkiye, has picked up the pace: bottle-service beach clubs, raki-soaked parties, and glossy new hotels each season. But above the fray sits Maçakızı, a sprawl of bougainvillaea-covered whitewashed cottages tumbling toward a yacht-filled bay. Just 40 minutes from town, it’s a pulse-slowing alternative. Stray cats nap under tables and well-loved dogs make the rounds. Days revolve around the wooden jetty – swimming, reading, playing backgammon, or doing nothing at all. The best spot? A front lounger near the sea ladder. Service is relaxed, but no one asks for your room number twice. Since the 1970s, when it opened, jet-setting regulars return every summer for the same room, same table, same sunbed. Dinners of grilled octopus, caviar, and just-picked vegetables stretch into the night. Bodrum has changed, but this is still its original grande dame. From £878. Chloe Sachdev
Stefan Giftthaler/PassalacquahotelPassalacqua, Lake Como, Italy
From a 12-suite pale amber villa that’s shuttered in sage, seven acres of terraces – containing olive groves, mimosa, David Austin roses, fountains, and magnolias – descend to the glinting enamel blue lake, across which boats etch silent lines like tiny water skeeters. Expectations ran high at the 2022 unveiling of this little sister to the Grand Hotel Tremezzo near Bellagio, which is thrice the size of Passalacqua. (Paolo, Antonella, and daughter Valentina De Santis are also the owners of Tremezzo.) But expectations have been surpassed. Etched mirror work, painted glass, and fine, fragrant leather pieces are ubiquitous. Hand-blown Murano chandeliers and Il Bronzetto light fittings – including a magnificent candelabra of brass oak leaves in the dining room – are stand-outs. Splashed liberally throughout is marble, including the Breccia Pontificia, the stone preferred by Bernini and used for the tomb of Pope Urban VIII in St. Peter’s Basilica. This new iteration of Passalacqua is set around the original villa, its 12 suites Baroquely Italian with original frescoes and ceiling carvings. The other suites are divided among the eight-suite palazzo’s repurposed ancient stables that have hefty exposed beams, and, down by the lake, the four-suite Casa al Lago, a streamlined 1970s house. From £1,442. Lydia Bell
Six SenseshotelSix Senses Douro Valley, Portugal
The selling point of Six Senses Douro Valley in Portugal, the first European location from the famed luxury wellness brand, is the multiple entry points it affords a traveller. Lean into the location, and by that I mean the wine, and enjoy tours of the vineyards, as well as a personal favourite – the help-yourself wine fridge located on the main floor. Relax in the resort, and enjoy walking through the nine acres of forest, containing more than 500 species (of which 450 are native). Or go full wellness with dedicated multi-day programs that focus on female health and more, featuring the property’s incredible personal trainers, hydro areas, and exquisite health menus. Though the beauty of the place is that it knows how to feasibly be all things at once, should that be more your speed. From £876. Erin Florio
Alessandro LanahotelThe Venice Venice Hotel, Italy
The 13th-century Ca’ Da Mosto had stood neglected on the Grand Canal for decades when Alessandro Gallo and Francesca Rinaldo, modern merchants of Venice and founders of the wildly successful fashion brand Golden Goose, set about restoring the property to its former glory with a six-year restoration. The result, which opened in 2022, would have impressed Lord Byron on one of his many amorous visits to Venice: candlelit staircases, luxurious draperies, tall gothic windows overlooking the Grand Canal, stone passageways, spacious suites soothed by reflected light and the lap of water on stone outside the window – the sense of Venice as one of the world’s sexiest destinations. Art is part of the hotel’s DNA. Rooms showcase stunning contemporary pieces. Look for the work of artists of the Italian Arte Povera movement like Gilberto Zorio and Jannis Kounellis. On the quayside is Souvenir by Fabio Viale, a re-creation of Michelangelo’s Pieta with the Madonna and the limp Christ figure hauntingly separated. From £531. Stanley Smith
hotelVerina Astra, Sifnos, Greece
The first time I stayed at Verina Astra, in 2015, there were just seven rooms. The cliffside setting on the wild eastern coast of Sifnos, Greece, felt like a gamble. Upon opening, there was no restaurant, but breakfast was a celebration of Sifnian flavours – flaky pies, local cheeses, seasonal fruits – delivered to each suite in a straw basket, served in handmade ceramics crafted by the island’s potters. An infinity pool, added later on, created the illusion of floating on the unbroken horizon. The young owner-managers, Isidora Chandeli and Miltos Salemis, had recently fallen in love and had big dreams for their new venture. Fast-forward a decade and Verina Astra is one of the country’s most exceptional hotels. The 16 rooms and suites have better bathrooms and even bigger terraces than the initial seven but share the same back-to-nature aesthetic. Solicitous staff waft between the alfresco tapas bar and thatched cabanas of the Elemis spa. Chefs tend to the kitchen gardens, harvesting the ingredients for heirloom salads at Bostani, the hopelessly romantic field-to-fork restaurant. Isidora and Miltos are married now, and their hotel baby is all grown-up – but the laid-back vibe and sense of place are very much unchanged. From £264. Rachel Howard
hotelWeissenhaus Private Nature Luxury Resort, Wangels, Germany
This “White House,” as the name of this resort can be translated, is in many ways the opposite of what that name might conjure in English: restful, serene, and situated in Germany along the Baltic Sea. Opened in 2014 on the 185-acre estate of a castle established in 1607, it boasts 54 rooms and one villa spread out within the castle itself (and more throughout 10 more buildings), with the beach not even a five-minute walk away. But these numbers tell nothing of the amount of heartwarmingly idyllic spots: The pier at the little pond. The sun-soaked terrace of the restaurant Bootshaus by the seaside. The tumbleweed sauna in the award-winning spa. Or the Strandkorbs – roofed wicker beach chairs typical for this coast—that are placed along a divinely beautiful clearing. And because my personal definition of rest also entails a good cuppa, the staff happily brought a pot to this secluded spot, while I got cosy with a book and Weissenhaus towering somewhere behind me. From £480. Kalle Harberg
