What Makes Capella World Best?
Above, Capella Kyoto, opened in March. Right, Capella Ubud, an example of how the hotel is at home in Keliki Village
14 July 2026
What makes Capella world best? The answer lies in building a living culture, not in building hotels
Singapore-based Capella Hotels and Resorts retains its title as world’s best hotel brand for the fourth consecutive year, based on voting by Travel + Leisure readers. It’s a feat no other brand currently holds and is extra significant given that the portfolio is just 10 properties, including the latest opening, Capella Kyoto, in March.
The recognition comes alongside individual property wins in Indonesia, Australia/New Zealand and Japan, where Patina Osaka – sister brand Patina Hotels & Resorts – has been voted both World’s No. 1 Best Hotel and Best Hotel in Asia.
Capella Hotel Group attributes the triumphs to a “living culture,” i.e. building every guest experience around local heritage, traditions and community.
For example, Capella Ubud’s distinction as Indonesia’s No. 1 Resort for the third time (2020, 2024 and 2026) is built on eight years of being at home in Keliki Village. Families from the village, some across multiple generations, work at the property; 85 young people have graduated from its English for Brighter Future program; firefly habitats in neighboring Taro Village have been restored through conservation partnerships.
On its eighth anniversary, the property now moves into what it describes as a next chapter – from preservation to cultivation – with experiences that invite guests to plant, harvest and learn alongside the community.
Opened in 2023 in Sydney’s former Department of Education building, a restoration that took seven years, Capella Sydney holds its position as Australia/New Zealand’s No. 1 City Hotel for the second consecutive year, having first won the title before its third year of operation. The Lands by Capella, set in the former Department of Lands across from Capella Sydney, brings the same patience and care to another heritage site.
Patina moment
The second Patina property in the world and its first urban expression after Patina Maldives, Patina Osaka has been voted both The World’s No. 1 Best Hotel and Best Hotel in Asia. It is the first Japanese hotel to receive this recognition in the history of these awards. Patina Osaka’s recognition marks a significant moment for the Patina brand and reflects a growing shift in luxury travel: from consumption to participation, from exclusivity to connection, and from hospitality as service to hospitality as a gateway into the cultural energy of a place.
Roland Fasel, president, Capella Hotel Group, said, “Capella and Patina are brands with distinct identities built on the same belief: that a hotel should genuinely reflect the place it is in and the people who live there. Capella does this through cultural immersion, craft and design rooted in place. Patina does it through creative connection, wellness and a spirit of exploration – bringing guests together with the local creative communities that give each destination its character.
“Our vision has always been to build brands that are purposeful, and hotels that last.”