Macau maintained its status as the city with the most Forbes-recognised five-star hotels in the world, according to the 2026 Star Awards by Forbes Travel Guide. The city now boasts 28 five-star award winners, four more than in the previous year, according to a report published on Wednesday.
Most of Macau’s luxury hotels are located at casino resort properties.
The latest list of Five-Stars properties “demonstrates a new trend: a shift to more exclusive luxury stays,” Forbes stated.
Capella at Galaxy Macau, at the Galaxy Macau complex run by Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd; Paiza Grand, at The Londoner Macao, a resort under Sands China Ltd; and Palazzo Versace Macau, which was already in last year’s list and is part of the Grand Lisboa Palace Macau run by SJM Holdings Ltd, “all provide a hotel-within-a-hotel experience within sprawling integrated resorts,” the release noted.
The Capella at Galaxy Macau hotel – a 17-storey luxury property with 95 suites and penthouses – had an official launch this week, after a soft opening starting in early May last year.
When spas and restaurants are also taken into account, Macau boasted 72 Forbes-rated five-star venues on the 2026 list. One new five-star restaurant was added to the list, meaning it now has 26 top-rated eateries for Macau. The city additionally had 18 spas with a five-star rating in this year’s list.
Top-rated hospitality venues under the banner of Galaxy Entertainment include: Galaxy Hotel, Raffles at Galaxy Macau, the Banyan Tree Macau (pictured above), Hotel Okura Macau, and the Ritz-Carlton, Macau.
The Galaxy Macau resort also features two top-tier spas and four five-star restaurants, including two new entries: Lai Heen, a venue focused on Cantonese cuisine in The Ritz-Carlton; and Sushi Kissho by Miyakawa at Raffles at Galaxy Macau, the first venture outside of Japan by renown chef Masaaki Miyakawa.
Melco’s 17 five-star venues
Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd earned five-star awards for several of its hotels, spas and restaurants in Macau, encompassing its City of Dreams, Studio City, and Altira Macau properties. These included five-star ratings for five hotels, five spas and seven eateries.
Aside from Palazzo Versace Macau, SJM Holdings received additional five-star ratings from Forbes, including for the Grand Lisboa Palace Macau, and The Karl Lagerfeld hotels, two hotels at the Grand Lisboa Palace property (pictured above); and the Grand Lisboa hotel on the Macau peninsula. The firm also boasts four spas and six restaurants with a five-star rating.
Wynn Macau Ltd had five-star awards in Macau distributed among its hotels, restaurants and spas at Wynn Macau on the city’s peninsula, and Wynn Palace, in the Cotai district. These included five-star ratings for three hotels, three spas and five eateries.
Part of the Sands China portfolio, the Four Seasons Hotel Macao, and the Grand Suites at the Four Seasons Hotel Macao, were also awarded five-stars by Forbes. The Four Seasons also had its spa and the Zi Yat Heen restaurant recognised in the top tier of the awards.
Other Sands China’s properties with the highest rating included the British-themed The Londoner Hotel, plus the exclusive Londoner Court, the St. Regis Macao, and the Paiza Lofts at The Parisian Macao complex.
The Huaiyang Garden, at The Londoner Hotel, is listed as five-star restaurant.
Several venues of MGM China Holdings Ltd were also assessed in Forbes’ latest list. The company garnered a total of seven five-star awards for 2026, spread between its MGM Macau and MGM Cotai properties. They were for three hotels, two restaurants and two spas.
Aside from the accolades for the city’s integrated resorts, the Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Macau received a five-star award.
There were also five hotels in Macau rated four-star, and two “recommended” properties. Two of the city’s spas received a four-star award. Eight of the city’s restaurants also received a four-star rating, up from three in the 2025 list.
Asian markets
The latest Forbes Travel Guide also awarded hotels in other Asian destinations, including places with casino industries. The Paiza Collection at Marina Bay Sands, a gaming property run by Sands China’s parent, Las Vegas Sands Corp, maintained its five-star rating. The city-state boasts three hotels rated five-stars, down one property from the 2025 list.
The Marina Bay Sands hotel received a four-star rating in this year’s list. The casino resort complex also features one five-star restaurant and two four-star eateries.
In the Philippines, four hotels have been awarded five-stars by Forbes, including the Okada Manila casino resort (pictured above), run by a unit of Universal Entertainment Corp; Nüwa Manila at City of Dreams Manila, operated by a subsidiary of Melco Resorts; and Sky Tower at Solaire Resort Entertainment City, a property of Bloomberry Resorts Corp.
The Retreat Spa at Okada Manila and the Nüwa Spa Manila and have received top marks in this year’s list.
In Malaysia, the Crockfords at the Resorts World Genting casino resort, run by Genting Malaysia Bhd, was also listed as a five-start hotel.
