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7 luxe Aussie hotels made the 2026 Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards for the first time

Kassia ByrnesBy Kassia Byrnes
Australian luxury hotels have been ranked as some of the best in the world.

Australians are lucky when it comes to hotel options. From five-star luxury to truly unique stays to total luxury of experience, hotels around Australia have an answer. And only the best of the best then make it onto the yearly Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards winners list.

This year, a global trend shows that hotels in the luxury space are moving away from the generic and towards a more customised approach to better reflect and embrace the destination in which it sits. By the same token, it appears that the Quiet travel trend is strong, and travellers are opting for smaller destinations with fewer crowds. Of course, for Australia, that didn’t stop some of the country’s biggest cities from appearing on the prestigious list, time and again.

What are the Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards?

bathroom inside suits at COMO The Treasury in perth
COMO The Treasury was awarded four stars.

The Forbes Travel Guide is an independent, global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas and ocean cruises, culminating in the Star Awards. In 2026, the 68th annual list covers more places around the world than ever before, spanning more than 100 countries, with new destinations like Bhutan, Croatia, Poland, Tanzania and Uzbekistan being added to the list.

To gain five stars, the properties “deliver an outstanding experience and consistently offer a highly customised level of service". Four stars “are exceptional properties, offering high levels of service and quality of facility to match". While Recommended properties are considered “excellent properties with consistently good service and facilities".

In the hotel category, a massive 2422 properties were judged, with 343 sorted into the five-star rating, 708 into four-star and 679 into Recommended hotels. This makes it all the more impressive that seven Australian properties were honoured with a four-star rating, and a further 13 properties graced the ‘Recommended’ list.

New Australian hotels gracing the winners’ list

the Lizard Island Resort as seen from above
Lizard Island Resort is a world of its own.

Of the 20 Australian hotels honoured by Forbes, eight were featured for the first time, all earning a place on the Recommended list.

In NSW, Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island sits in an unbeatable destination with a light-filled, free-flowing design that invites guests deeper into their island surroundings while delivering a deep sense of luxury to this UNESCO site.

The Gold Coast had a couple of new entries with JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa and The Darling at The Star making the list. Elsewhere in Queensland, the spectacular private getaway, Lizard Island Resort, made a place for itself.

Southern Ocean Lodge and The Louise joined the list for South Australia, located in Kingscote and Marananga, respectively.

And Melbourne added yet another feather in its luxury hotel cap with The Ritz-Carlton, for its gorgeous rooms and service to match.

4-star Aussie hotels

exterior of Park Hyatt Sydney
Sydney hotels, like Park Hyatt Sydney, are well represented on the list.

Sydney, Perth and Melbourne all collected four stars for luxury hotels, most of them more than once. Sydney had the most wins, with Capella Sydney, The Darling Sydney and The Langham Sydney (who also happen to be pet-friendly and ready to shower your pooch in as much luxury as its human guests) all being included. As was Park Hyatt Sydney, sitting right on the waterfront at Circular Quay with uninterrupted views of the Opera House.

Park Hyatt was also awarded four stars for its Melbourne property, where a Presidential Suite really ups the luxurious ante as soon as guests step through its grandiose doors to plenty of space, and even a grand piano.

Meanwhile, Perth gained four stars for both COMO The Treasury and Crown Towers Perth.

The full Australian Recommended list

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

How are the winners decided?

A hotel bathroom with a freestanding bath overlooking Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Capella Sydney Liberty Suite looks out to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Forbes Travel Guide’s highly trained inspectors visit every property to receive a rating, judging them on up to 900 standards. Facility are among those standards, but the system emphasises service, “because exceptional service is what sets the best hospitality experiences apart". Think making a reservation, cleanliness, efficiency, staff knowledge, sense of luxury and guest comfort. Even wellness and sustainability factor into the final rating score.

No money is ever accepted, stays last for a minimum of two nights, and the identities of the global team of inspectors are anonymous.

All of this to say, the results are unbiased and a true accomplishment. To receive any of the Rating levels indicates a property is among the very best in its destination.

Kassia Byrnes
Kassia Byrnes is the Native Content Editor for Australian Traveller and International Traveller. She's come a long way since writing in her diary about family trips to Grandma's. After graduating a BA of Communication from University of Technology Sydney, she has been writing about her travels (and more) professionally for over 10 years for titles like AWOL, News.com.au, Pedestrian.TV, Body + Soul and Punkee. She's addicted to travel but has a terrible sense of direction, so you can usually find her getting lost somewhere new around the world. Luckily, she loves to explore and have new adventures – whether that’s exploring the backstreets, bungee jumping off a bridge or hiking for days. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @probably_kassia.
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Mornington Peninsula’s storied past: war, shipwrecks and a runaway convict 

    Kellie FloydBy Kellie Floyd
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    The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.

    The Mornington Peninsula can be the kind of place where salt-tangled hair feels like a badge of honour – proof you’ve been somewhere wild, raw and real. Peel back the layers and you’ll discover stories that anchor this region to something other than its famed food and wine.

    This land is the traditional Sea Country of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people. Long before grapevines were planted and artisanal goods were crafted, the Bunurong Traditional Owners lived in deep connection with the land and sea. Today, places such as Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary echo that tradition, with families exploring its rockpools in search of colourful sea stars and crabs at low tide and learning how these fragile ecosystems have been cared for across countless generations.

    a group of people visiting the Port Nepean National Park
    Take in the rugged coastal landscape at Port Nepean National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    A visit to Point Nepean National Park feels like stepping back through time. The fort, built in 1882, protected the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay until the end of the Second World War. It was here that the first Allied shot of the First World War was fired – at a German cargo ship trying to escape just hours after war was declared. Nearby, the old Quarantine Station, one of Australia’s first permanent quarantine facilities, established in 1852, still stands. Walking through the hospital and disinfecting complex evokes stories of those who arrived from faraway shores.

    Not far from here is a story of survival that inspired the Aussie phrase ‘you’ve got Buckley’s chance’. In 1803, escaped convict William Buckley vanished into the bush near what’s now Sorrento. Everyone thought he had no hope of surviving, but he reappeared 32 years later, having lived with local Aboriginal people.

    Even the waters here hold history. The infamous stretch known as The Rip, just three kilometres wide at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay, is among the most treacherous waterways. Countless ships were lost here in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in 1967, Australia’s own Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the coast, never to be found.

    a seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay
    A seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    But for all its danger, the sea here also holds extraordinary beauty. Dolphins are often seen near Sorrento’s cliffs, while below the surface, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs teem with life. Marine tours offer a viewing to this underwater wonderland, while back on terra firma, walking trails lead along beaches, through coastal scrub, and over rock pools.

    And if you think you’ll forget about the Mornington Peninsula once you’ve left? You’ve got Buckley’s chance.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the suite interior at InterContinental Sorrento
    Luxury interiors at the historic InterContinental Sorrento. (Image: Greg Elms)

    Point Nepean Discovery Tents is immersive glamping beside the historic Quarantine Station. Or upgrade to luxury at the 1875-built InterContinental Sorrento .

    Playing there

    an aerial view of Cape Schanck Lighthouse
    Make your way to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    Bayplay Adventure Tours offer eco-adventures from snorkelling with sea dragons to kayaking with dolphins and cycling Point Nepean. Cape Schanck Lighthouse is fascinating to explore on a guided tour, which takes you into the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage.

    Eating there

    Portsea Hotel is a beautifully restored 1876 Tudor-style pub right on the beach, serving seasonal local fare.