Condé Nast Traveler Names 2026’s Best Hotels

Readers choose the winners

Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards reflect an enormous pool of traveler opinion. During the 39th edition of the awards, readers submitted 798,867 votes covering memorable experiences across the globe. Their selections ranged from Morocco’s palace hotels and journeys along the Amazon to the intensity and excitement of New York City.

The resulting hotel collection is designed to spark future trips, whether the property itself becomes the main destination or serves as a base for exploring its surroundings. Separate Readers’ Choice categories also cover resorts, cruises, spas and islands, but this list focuses specifically on the hotels that earned the strongest response from voters.

Music City with polish

Thompson Nashville brings an understated form of luxury to a high-rise in The Gulch. Its interiors favor a dark, comfortable atmosphere rather than a cold or overly pristine one, with Sferra linens helping create restful guest rooms. The location places travelers amid a lively neighborhood with many popular dining choices nearby.

Music and Tennessee whiskey are accessible both beyond the hotel and at its rooftop venue. Guests seeking a more tailored Music City experience can also approach the concierge team for help arranging concert admission or a backstage opportunity. Dining does not require a trip outside: Marsh House operates within the property, while L.A. Jackson supplies the rooftop setting. Together, the hotel’s rooms, services and neighborhood position make it possible to balance quiet downtime with Nashville nightlife.

Contemporary Lake Como

In Torno, Il Sereno, Lago di Como made an immediate impression when it opened several years ago. It became Lake Como’s first hotel created by an architect with an international reputation. Patricia Urquiola, a Spanish architect who has long lived in Milan, conceived a light-filled building whose extensive windows draw in reflections from the water.

The landscape is central to the design. About 183 kinds of plants fill the garden, while a heated infinity pool made with Brazilian quartzite meets an ashwood deck in a visual line that appears to continue into the lake. Views of the water—also called the Lario—are available throughout the property. All 40 rooms face the lake, and the interiors incorporate Italian furnishings from Cassina, Moroso and B&B Italia. A vertical garden created by Patrick Blanc adds another distinctive element.

Raffaele Lenzi oversees Michelin-starred cooking built around an uncomplicated approach, including vegetables and fish from local fresh water. Cocktails receive similar attention, including drinks made without alcohol. Guests can also travel aboard the hotel’s wooden Riva motorboat, either exploring the water or heading to Villa Pliniana. That 16th-century palace adds 17 rooms and features a grand piano overlooking Lago di Como. Prices at Il Sereno begin at $815.

A landmark carefully renewed

Raffles Singapore approaches change from a very different position: it is a 139-year-old institution whose familiar character carries considerable weight. Its renovation retained defining pieces of the experience, including the wicker seating and ceiling fans that contribute to the property’s atmosphere.

Some of the clearest additions are centered on dining and drinks. The refreshed choices include 1887 by André and yì by Jereme Leung, alongside a newly polished Tiffin Room. Alexandra Champalimaud’s design work appears through details intended to fit the established setting, among them cocktail cabinets shaped like trunks and bathroom tiles arranged in Peranakan mosaics. The result preserves recognizable features while introducing new restaurants and carefully integrated decorative touches.

Taken together, the selected properties show how differently a hotel can become part of an itinerary. Thompson Nashville connects guests directly with its surrounding entertainment district, Il Sereno uses architecture and landscaping to deepen the experience of Lake Como, and Raffles Singapore balances renewal with the preservation of its long-established identity. For travelers considering their next adventure, the appeal lies not in one formula but in several: neighborhood access, immersion in a landscape, or the continuation of a historic hotel experience.