Mandarin Oriental Tops LTI’s Luxury Hotel Brand Ranking for the 4th Year
Oetker rises to second and Capella makes its debut as LTI expands its annual ranking to 20 luxury hotel brands.
Photo: Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental has retained the top spot in LTI – Luxury Travel Intelligence’s annual ranking of the world’s best luxury hotel brands for a fourth consecutive year, with Oetker moving into second place and Bulgari holding third.
Released yesterday, the 2026 ranking expands from 15 to 20 brands and requires a minimum of eight properties for inclusion. Mandarin Oriental earned a score of 81.1%, followed by Oetker at 80.6% and Bulgari at 80.2%. Four Seasons rose two places to fourth with a score of 78.7%, while Rosewood remained fifth at 78.0%.
The list measures performance across a hotel brand, not a particular property. LTI evaluates 134 touchpoints, including management and staff quality, investment in new hotels and refurbishments, and how consistently a company delivers on its commitments.
“The touchpoints assess overall brand performance rather than that of individual properties,” LTI said in its announcement.
Several brands made substantial gains: Dorchester Collection climbed six places to sixth, while Belmond rose four spots to seventh. Capella was the highest new entry at eighth, ahead of Aman, which fell from second to ninth. Airelles, another newcomer, rounded out the top 10. The expanded list also brought COMO, Jumeirah and Ritz-Carlton into the ranking, at 17th, 18th, and 19th, respectively. Auberge Collection placed 11th, followed by Rocco Forte, Six Senses, Raffles, One&Only, and Peninsula. Banyan Tree finished 20th.
LTI says it begins its evaluation anew each year and does not carry forward previous results. Its researchers engage with hotel company executives, management, staff, and guests, and the weighted assessment carries a maximum possible score of 4,792 points, with results presented as percentages.
The organization operates as a members-only service covering luxury hotels, restaurants, spas, and nightlife. According to LTI, membership fees are its sole revenue source; it does not sell travel services, operate a booking engine, or accept advertising.
