The world’s most beautiful hotels have been revealed, with a lake house in China and an Italian palazzo making the shortlist of stunning stays.

The Prix Versailles, a series of architectural competitions, announced its annual list of 16 of the globe’s most extraordinarily designed hotels.

In China, The ArcadiaPlace, Lugu Lake stood out for offering guests an “immersion into one of the world’s last matriarchal societies” across its 57 “striking” guest rooms.

The “opulent spirit” of The Silk Lakehouse in Shangri-La Hangzhou was also lauded by the Prix Versailles for having an “intimate atmosphere” that’s “reminiscent of a visit to a friend’s home”.

The Silk Lakehouse in Shangri-La Hangzhou

Sir Prague made the list following a bold interior renovation by Linda Boronkay.

Set inside a restored Neo-Renaissance building dating back to 1884, Sir Prague combines the city’s historic architecture with interiors influenced by Czech Cubism. Original features, including timber parquet floors, iron railings and a sculptural staircase, remain intact throughout the property, while vintage furniture and angular silhouettes introduce a sharper contemporary contrast.

References to Princess Libuše, the mythical founder of Prague, run quietly throughout the interiors, giving the property a slightly surreal atmosphere that feels distinct from the city’s more traditional luxury hotels.

In the 17th arrondissement of Paris, La Fondation was rewarded for its verdant refuges. Further south, Les Roches’ “natural lines” and rich history impressed judges from the lobby to the garden.

The Prix Versailles called Tiblisi’s The Telegraph a tour de force from Neri&Hu, a Shanghai-based architectural design firm. The simplicity of Villa Dubrovnik in Croatia secured the award for furniture that “quietly bridges the gap between yesterday and today”.

Tiblisi’s The Telegraph

At the gateway to India’s Panna National Park, The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace’s “princely grandeur” made the hotel hotlist. The Oberoi, originally a fortress before being converted into a palace, was hailed as “one of the most beautiful examples of Indian hospitality”.

The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace

Also featured were the Orient Express La Minerva, a 17th-century palazzo in Rome, and Belmond’s Portofino Splendido set in a former 16th-century Benedictine monastery.

Jérôme Gouadain, secretary general of the Prix Versailles, said: “All the projects featured on the World’s Most Beautiful Hotels List for 2026 embrace a lifestyle based on enchantment and innovation and fit perfectly into their local scene. They give us illuminating insight into what excellence looks like in the interior and exterior design of buildings.

“This allows them to deliver a positive form of hospitality, one that beautifies the built environment and fulfils travellers’ hopes and aspirations. These hotels, each endowed with its own amazing personality, provide a bright outlook and, in their own way, establish a welcome dialogue in today’s world of cultural globalisation.”

Would you like us to write about your business? Find out more