The 2025 Forbes Travel Guide Star Award Winners have been announced with one city being elected as the global capital of five-star hotels but it’s probably not where you think it is.
You might not have heard of it before but Macau in China has 24 five-star hotels all featuring luxury amenities and has been the five-star capital for two years already now adding Epic Tower at Studio City Macau and Raffles at Galaxy Macau, as well as seven new restaurants to the list.
The 67th edition of the Forbes Travel Guide included 2,100 properties spanning 90 countries including 336 five-star hotels and 79 five-star restaurants.
Amanda Frasier, FTG’s president of Standards & Ratings said: “This year’s list reflects the changing landscape of luxury, with properties setting the standard for authentic experiences, unparalleled amenities, enhanced well-being, and unforgettable moments.
“We are thrilled to recognise their dedication to creating world-class experiences for today’s discerning guest.”
Macau was largely ahead of London, which came in second place, with 20 five-star hotels in 2025.
Overall, Macau has 67 Forbes-rated five-star venues, including 25 top-rated restaurants and 18 five-star spas.
Other notable hotels include the Galaxy Hotel, Grand Lisboa Palace Macau, The Karl Lagerfeld, The Londoner Hotel, and the exclusive Londoner Court. Other five-star rated hotels at Galaxy Macau are Banyan Tree Macau, Hotel Okura Macau, and The Ritz-Carlton, Macau.
The ratings have also now expanded to new destinations, including Brunei; Costa Navarino, Greece; Finland; Haikou, Xiamen, and Xi’an, China; Kazakhstan; Malaga, Spain; Montenegro; Oualidia and Tamuda Bay, Morocco; Phu Quoc, Vietnam; Romania; and Salzburg, Austria.
Here is the list of the world’s best new five-star hotels according to Forbes:
- Capella Hanoi, Vietnam
- Castelfalfi, Italy
- RiverView Ranch, USA
- The Paiza Collection at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
- Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island, Seychelles
- The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician, USA
- Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino, Greece
- Rosewood Villa Magna, Spain
- Epic Tower at Studio City Macau, China
- Raffles at Galaxy Macau, China
- The Maybourne Beverly Hills, USA
- The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel, UK
- Raffles London at The OWO, UK
- The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, China
- Rosewood Guangzhou, China
- Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, France
- One&Only Royal Mirage – The Residence, UAE
- Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Indonesia
- Four Seasons Hotel Baku, Azerbaijan
- The St. Regis Abu Dhabi, UAE
