ASIAN TRAVEL POLL

Safety, service and feel-good factors move rankings needle

Readers' Top 10 lists of their favourite Asian hotels and destinations as well as worldwide airlines and airports in the free and open Smart Travel Asia 2026 Best in Travel Poll. The poll has attracted international readers since 2005. Smart Travel Asia was launched in February 2003 as the region's first online magazine.

JUMP TO Best Airlines | Best Business Class | Best Cabin Service | Best Budget Airlines | Best Luxury Hotels | Best Holiday Destinations | Best Cities for Meetings | Best Airports | Best Business, Meetings Hotels | Best New Hotels | Best Spa Hotels | Best Boutique and Lifestyle Hotels | Best Family Hotels | Best Wedding Hotels | Best Hotel Service

IMPACT OF WEST ASIA CONFLICT Our 2026 Smart Travel Asia BEST IN TRAVEL POLL ran in highly unusual circumstances June to late August that saw major flight disruptions and rerouted traffic. This had two visible results. UAE destinations, airlines and hotels, which had held significant positions in previous years, dropped in ranking or disappeared off our TOP 10 Lists — this, with two major exceptions: Qatar Airways and Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah (as several major brands subsisted on weekend staycation traffic or closed). And as Europe-Australia flights rerouted through alternative hubs, votes increased for products in areas like Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and even Hong Kong.

HUNT FOR SAFETY, SERVICE, VALUE International travellers looked for safe options with an eye on quality service. The uncertainties of travel combined with higher costs meant pressure as well to find value beds but not at the cost of service. This year saw recognition of classic high end luxury escapes as well as experiential design-driven local boutiques. And we continued to expand our Best Hotels for Service category recognising its importance in a guest's emotional takeaway. Service is at the heart of brand recognition and recall.

{travellers favoured places that offered genuine cultural or neighbourhood immersion. Safety and service were top of the must-have list...

NEW BUNCH OF WINNERS An enthusiastic response saw more bunching in rankings as vote margins were too close to separate. Some of the strongest gains were posted by hotels in Vietnam and Malaysia while Bangkok, Bali and Singapore coasted along with a raft of well-known names. Tokyo and Kyoto were flavour of the month offering safety, ease of access, and better value as the yen continued to dip. This year marked the return of Hong Kong to the top of our charts along with Macau. Travellers favoured places that offered genuine cultural or neighbourhood immersion. They also ranked up playful gaming hotels for high adrenalin family getaways as well as for conferences and events. Macau’s combination of heritage and neon escape proved particularly seductive for many.

Send us your Feedback / Letter to the Editor / Media Kit with 2026 Reader Profile

OF LIFESTYLE BOUTIQUES AND BRANDS The flurry of new hotel brand names and ‘collections’ continued to befuddle many. It is interesting to note that apex hotel groups have started adding their ‘family brand’ name on new collections (ie: with the suffix, by Hyatt, by IHG, by Marriott etc). We also created separate categories for Boutique and Lifestyle hotels this year, letting readers interpret it their own way. This resulted in some interesting rankings.

MORE SHORTER REGIONAL FLIGHTS As surveyed on our 2026 Best In Travel Poll (running June to late August), our readers on average took 12 annual air trips (roughly the same as in 2025) but with more short-haul and regional routes for business or leisure. They earned an average US$156,000 per annum (household income).

KEY AREAS OF READER ENGAGEMENT Key INTERESTS remained broadly similar to past years— dining and nightlife led the field (76%) followed by; culture, heritage and history (68%); shopping (67%); spas and wellness (67%); adventure and nature (60%). Next in line were child-friendly resorts (60%); conferences and meets (45%); resort weddings (35%); golf (28%); casinos (26%); cruises (22%); and diving (16%). Planned PURCHASES over the year include camera gear and phones (76%); luxury fashion (65%); cars (56%); city or holiday property (55%); duty-free alcohol (52%); and medical tourism (33%). More information...

OVER 23 YEARS Smart Travel Asia launched in February 2003 as the region’s first fully online publication. Many readers from our former print magazines migrated online with us. Over 60% visit the magazine direct via bookmarks, referrals, monthly e-newsletters, social media and our newspaper and magazine columns, as well as through diverse search via Mojeek, Brave Search, Bing, Duck Duck Go, Baidu, Yandex, Naver, Kagi, SwissCows, ChatGPT and newer AI platforms.

Top 10 Airlines WORLDWIDE 2026 Rank 1. Singapore Airlines 2. Cathay Pacific Airways 3. Qatar Airways 4. Japan Airlines 5. Emirates 6. Malaysia Airlines 7. Korean Air 8. All Nippon Airways     Turkish Airlines 9. Air France     SWISS 10. Thai Airways       STARLUX Airlines Top 10 Airlines, Cabin Service WORLDWIDE 2026 Rank 1. Singapore Airlines 2. Cathay Pacific Airways 3. Malaysia Airlines 4. Japan Airlines 5. Garuda Indonesia     Qatar Airways 6. EVA Air     Emirates     Korean Air 7. Bangkok Airways     Turkish Airlines 8. Etihad Airways     Thai Airways 9. STARLUX Airlines     Asiana Airlines 10. Vietnam Airlines Top 10 Holiday Destinations ASIA 2026 Rank 1. Bangkok 2. Tokyo 3. Kyoto     Bali 4. Phuket    Hong Kong 5. Penang    Chiang Mai     Macau     Shanghai 6. Taipei     Samui     Palawan     Da Nang / Hoi An 7. Singapore     Siem Reap / Angkor     Kuala Lumpur 8. Phu Quoc     Labuan Bajo     Ho Chi Minh City     Lijiang 9. Goa     Udaipur      Sabah     Bhutan 10. Ladakh       Luang Prabang       Nha Trang       Zhangjiajie Top 10 Luxury Hotels ASIA 2026 Rank 1. The Peninsula Hong Kong 2. Amanpuri, Phuket     Raffles Singapore     Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi 3. Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur     MGM MACAU     Regent Hong Kong 4. Dusit Thani Bangkok     The Upper House Hong Kong     Amanoi, Vietnam     Janu Tokyo, Azabudai Hills 5. The Imperial New Delhi     Raffles Hotel Le Royal Phnom Penh     Park Hyatt Bangkok     The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok 6. Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Bali     Mia Saigon     Capella Sydney     Amankila Bali 7. The Langham, Sydney     Park Hyatt Kyoto     Soori Bali     Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur 8. The RuMa Hotel and Residences     Signiel Seoul     The Oberoi Sukhvilas Resort & Spa     Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah 9. Mia Resort Nha Trang     Waldorf Astoria Beijing     Fairmont Hanoi     Dinso Resort & Villas Phuket, Vignette Collection         by IHG 10. Dusit Le Palais Tu Hoa Hanoi       Grand Lisboa Palace Resort, Macau       LUX* Chongzuo Guangxi, China       Jumeirah Bali Top 10 Business/ Meetings Hotels ASIA 2026 Rank 1. Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River 2. Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong     The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok     Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong 3. Rosewood Beijing     Regent Hong Kong     MGM COTAI 4. The Peninsula Shanghai     Grand Hyatt Singapore     Rosewood Hong Kong 5. The Leela Palace Bengaluru     Upper House, Shanghai     Park Hyatt Saigon     Andaz One Bangkok     The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore 6. The St Regis Singapore     Conrad Singapore Orchard     Grand Hyatt Hong Kong     InterContinental Bangkok 7. JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok     The Londoner Macao     Four Seasons Hotel Seoul     Mandarin Oriental Taipei 8. PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay,          Singapore     The Oberoi New Delhi     Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok     Sofitel Guangzhou Sunrich 9. Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit     Shangri-La The Fort, Manila     Regent Taipei     Crown Towers Sydney 10. The Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai       Wynn Macau       Grand Hyatt Manila       Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel & Convention               Centre Top 10 Spa Hotels ASIA 2026 Rank 1. Banyan Tree Samui 2. Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan     Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok     Conrad Maldives Rangali Island 3. The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands     Mandarin Oriental Bangkok     AYANA Resort Bali 4. The Datai Langkawi     TIA Wellness Resort Da Nang     The St Regis Bali Resort     Janu Tokyo, Azabudai Hills 5. The Farm at San Benito, Autograph Collection      COMO Metropolitan Singapore     The Royal Pita Maha Bali 6. Chiva-Som, Hua Hin     Namia River Retreat, Hoi An     Kamalaya, Koh Samui 7. Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, Penang     Mandarin Oriental The Landmark, Hong Kong 8. Coconut Lagoon, Kerala     Hyatt Regency Bali     Upper House Shanghai 9. Alma Resort Cam Ranh, Vietnam     PuXuan Hotel and Spa, Beijing     Hotel Tugu Bali 10. The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa, Gulmarg       Grand View Resort Beitou       The PuLi, Shanghai Top 10 Family Hotels ASIA 2026 Rank 1.Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya 2. Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, Penang 3. Shangri-La Golden Sands Penang    The Londoner Macao     Andaz Bali 4. Alma Resort Cam Ranh, Vietnam     Grand Hyatt Bali     Regent Phu Quoc     Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort 5. Andaz Pattaya Jomtien Beach     InterContinental Bali Resort     Holiday Inn Resort Phuket, Patong 6. Meliá Koh Samui     The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa     Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket     MGM COTAI 7. Artyzen Grand Lapa Macau     Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort     Atlantis Sanya     Courtyard Bali Nusa Dua Resort 8. The Lind Boracay     Pullman Phuket Karon Beach Resort     Hyatt Regency Manila, City of Dreams 9. Santiburi Koh Samui    The Parisian Macao     Shangri-La Boracay     The Danna Langkawi 10. Sofitel Sanya Leeman Resort       Holiday Inn Vana Nava Hua Hin       Shangri-La Sanya Top 10 New Hotels ASIA 2026 Rank 1. Anantara Siam Hotel Bangkok 2. Soori Penang     Capella Kyoto     Mandarin Oriental The Landmark, Hong Kong 3. Kimpton Naluria Kuala Lumpur     Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur     The St Regis on the Bund, Shanghai 4. Mandarin Oriental, Desaru Coast     Park Hyatt Tokyo     Rêve Ho Chi Minh City, Vignette Collection by IHG 5. Amorita Resort Puerto Princesa, Palawan     Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur At KL Midtown     Imperial Hotel Kyoto 6. Andaz Shanghai ITC     Kimpton Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong     Grand Nikko Bangkok 7. Fairmont Hanoi    Capella at Galaxy Macau 8. Dusit Le Palais Tu Hoa Hanoi     ANIMA, Saigon     Twinpalms Tented Camp, Phuket 9. 1926 Heritage Hotel Penang     Fufu Tokyo Ginza     KROMO Bangkok 10. Fairmont Bangkok Sukhumvit      Souphattra Heritage Vientiane

Top 10 Airlines, Business Class WORLDWIDE 2026 Rank 1. Qatar Airways 2. Singapore Airlines 3. Cathay Pacific Airways 4. Japan Airlines 5. All Nippon Airways 6. Emirates     Etihad Airways 7. STARLUX Airlines 8. Air France 9. Malaysia Airlines 10. Turkish Airlines     Air New Zealand Top 10 Budget Airlines ASIA 2026 Rank 1. Scoot 2. AirAsia 3. HK Express 4. IndiGo 5. Cebu Pacific 6. Jetstar Airways     Akasa Air 7. flydubai 8. Vietjet Air 9. Peach 10. Spring Airlines       ZIPAIR Top 10 Airports WORLDWIDE 2026 Rank 1. Singapore Changi Airport 2. Hong Kong International Airport 3. Kuala Lumpur International Airport 4. Haneda Airport, Tokyo     Incheon International Airport, Seoul 5. Narita International Airport, Tokyo 6. Munich Airport     Istanbul Airport 7. Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru 8. Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Bangkok 9. Hamad International Airport, Doha 10. Zurich Airport Top 10 Cities for Meetings ASIA 2026 Rank 1. Singapore 2. Tokyo     Bangkok 3. Hong Kong     Kuala Lumpur 4. Da Nang    Ho Chi Minh City 5. Taipei    Macau 6. Pattaya     Sydney 7. Manila     Shanghai 8. Penang     Bangalore 9. Langkawi     Beijing 10. Hanoi Top 10 Boutique Hotels ASIA 2026 Rank 1. Mia Saigon 2. 137 Pillars House, Chiang Mai     Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape 3. Soori Penang     Capella Taipei     Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary, Paro 4. Capella Hanoi     Rêve Ho Chi Minh City, Vignette Collection by IHG 5. Amorita Resort Bohol     The Dwarika's, Kathmandu     COMO Uma Punakha, Bhutan 6. The Funny Lion Puerto Princesa, Palawan     The Slow, Canggu Bali 7. Dolkhar Ladakh     Aleenta Chiang Mai     The Oriental Jade Hotel, Hanoi     Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge 8. Bisma Eight, Ubud Bali     Brunton Boatyard, Kochi     Zazen Boutique Resort and Spa, Samui 9. The Postcard Galle, Sri Lanka     Villa Song Saigon     Cheong Fatt Tze — The Blue Mansion, Penang 10. Humble Boutique Hotel, Taipei       Hotel Indigo Bangkok       Gyeongwonjae By Walkerhill, Incheon Top 10 Lifestyle Hotels ASIA 2026 Rank 1. Andaz Bali 2. Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok 3. COMO Metropolitan Singapore     The Legian Seminyak, Bali 4. Alila Shanghai     Eslite Hotel, Taipei 5. Bambu Indah, Bali     Twinpalms Surin Beach, Phuket 6. The Stones Hotel — Legian, Bali     MOXY Bangkok Ratchaprasong     The Calile Hotel, Brisbane 7. The Singapore EDITION     EQ Kuala Lumpur     JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach 8. Artyzen Singapore     Hyatt Centric City Centre Kuala Lumpur 9. Lanson Place Causeway Bay, Hong Kong 10. W Koh Samui       Naumi Hotel Singapore Top 10 Wedding Hotels ASIA 2026 Rank 1. AYANA Resort Bali 2. Amanoi, Vietnam     Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur 3. Dusit Thani Bangkok     Alila Villas Uluwatu     The Apurva Kempinski Bali 4. Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok     InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort 5. Centara Reserve Samui     Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort 6. Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Penang     The Londoner Macao 7. The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur     The Siam, Bangkok 8. Anantara Siam Hotel Bangkok    InterContinental Koh Samui Resort 9. The Peninsula Manila      Samode Palace      Jumeirah Bali 10. Sofitel Singapore Sentosa       Rosewood Phnom Penh       The Ritz-Carlton, Bali Top 10 Hotels for Service ASIA 2026 Rank 1. Raffles Sentosa Singapore 2. MGM MACAU     Mandarin Oriental Bangkok     The Peninsula Manila 3. Aman Nai Lert, Bangkok     The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto     Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok 4. The Upper House Hong Kong    Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong     JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok 5. Alila Shanghai     The Imperial New Delhi     The Peninsula Hong Kong 6. Raffles Makati     Andaz Bali 7. The St Regis Bangkok     Meliá Pattaya Hotel     The St Regis on the Bund, Shanghai 8. Park Hyatt Sydney     InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort     The Shilla Seoul 9. The Hari, Hong Kong     Azerai Ke Ga Bay 10. Azerai La Residence Hue

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