Australia’s top hotels for 2026 have been named in the Forbes Travel Guide

Have you ever fantasised about being a hotel inspector? Sleeping in outrageously luxe suites, critiquing pillow menus and sipping Champagne, all in the name of research. Well, it’s a legit gig – and it belongs to the ‘incognito investigators’ at Forbes Travel Guide. They’ve just released their 2026 Star Awards, with 20 Aussie hotels recognised among the best in the world; however, not a single one earned the coveted five-star rating. Shocking!

Now in its 68th year, Forbes' 2026 Star Awards – the world’s only independent global rating system for luxury hotels – has recognised 2,422 properties in 85 countries. Each property is assessed on a whopping 900 touch points, covering everything from staff knowledge and service to sense of luxury and guest comfort. This year, 343 hotels were awarded the prestigious five stars, 708 earned four stars and 679 received a Recommended badge.

Perth Crown Towers was the only Australian hotel to earn five stars in 2025; however, it was downgraded to four stars this year. It now joins a cohort of returning four-star properties, including COMO The Treasury in Perth, The Darling in Sydney, The Langham Sydney, Park Hyatt Melbourne and Park Hyatt Sydney.

Given that 40 per cent of all new 2026 five-star hotel entries are in the Asia Pacific, we’re a little surprised that not a single one of them is in Australia. We’re hardly short on luxury, from skyscraper city hotels in bucket-list destinations to world-class resorts and lodges on private islands. Then again, a four-star rating from Forbes Travel Guide is still totally worth celebrating.

Australia had 13 hotels earn a Recommended rating in 2026, with newcomers including Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island, The Darling at The Star Gold Coast, JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort and Spa, Lizard Island Resort, The Louise in the Barossa Valley, The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne and Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island. You can see the full list of winners in the Forbes Travel Guide 2026 Star Guide here.

Australia's Four-Star Hotels in Forbes Travel Guide 2026 Star Awards

• Capella Sydney
• COMO The Treasury, Perth
• Crown Towers Perth
• The Darling, Sydney
• The Langham, Sydney
• Park Hyatt Melbourne
• Park Hyatt Sydney

Australia's Recommended Hotels in Forbes Travel Guide 2026 Star Awards

• Capella Lodge, Lord Howe Island
• The Darling at The Star Gold Coast
• Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
• Grand Hyatt Melbourne
• InterContinental Sydney
• JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort and Spa
• The Langham, Melbourne
• Lizard Island Resort
• The Louise
• The Ritz-Carlton-Melbourne
• Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney
• Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour
• Southern Ocean Lodge

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