India's Two Entries On The World's 50 Best Hotels 2026 List

The World's 50 Best brand began in 2002 with The World's 50 Best Restaurants, an offshoot of the British magazine Restaurant, before expanding into The World's 50 Best Bars in 2009. Hotels came last: The World's 50 Best Hotels launched in 2023, the first time in over a decade that the organisation, owned by British media group William Reed, entered an entirely new category. The ranking is decided by an Academy of more than 800 international hospitality experts and well-travelled voters, each casting seven votes for the best hotels they have personally stayed in over the previous 24 months.

The World's 50 Best Hotels released its 51-100 list on September 1, 2026, ahead of the full top 50 ranking due on September 15. Two Indian properties feature on this extended list, both making a strong case for the country's growing presence on hospitality's most closely watched global rankings.

The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur (No. 98, New Entry)

The Oberoi Udaivilas opened in 2002 on the banks of Lake Pichola, built on land that was once the hunting grounds of the Maharana of Udaipur. Spanning 121,000 square metres, or roughly 30 acres, of landscaped gardens, the palace-hotel was purpose-built to look centuries old, with domes, courtyards, bougainvillea-covered arches, and reflecting pools constructed by local craftsmen in an authentic Mewari style. One dome inside is painted entirely in 18-carat gold leaf; another is lined in glass mosaic that glows once its candles are lit each evening. The property holds 87 rooms and suites, including the gold-domed Kohinoor Suite, which features hand-carved marble privacy screens, mirror mosaics, twin bedrooms, and a private pool with lake views. The Oberoi Udaivilas also holds Two MICHELIN Keys.

The Johri, Jaipur (No. 94)

The Johri occupies Lal Haveli, a 19th-century mansion in the heart of Jaipur's historic Johri Bazaar, the city's famed jewellery market. Purchased by Fauzdar Dhanna Lal Ji Kasliwal in 1871, the three-storey haveli once served as a pivotal centre during India's pre-independence freedom movement, before its restoration by his descendant, Sudhanshu Kasliwal, over a nine-year renovation project. The hotel opened in December 2020, a joint venture between hotelier Abhishek Honawar and Siddharth Kasliwal, the ninth-generation owner of Jaipur's Gem Palace, one of India's oldest jewellery houses, designed by New York-based couture embroiderer and designer Naina Shah. Just five suites make up the property, each named after and decorated in the hue of a corresponding gemstone. The Johri holds One MICHELIN Key.

The full top 50 ranking, which could bring further Indian entries into view, will be revealed on September 15, 2026.