Italy Overtakes European Rivals With Nine Luxury Properties Ranked in World’s Best Hotels 2026 Extended List

Written By: Debarati Paul

Debarati Paul

I’m Debarati a postgraduate in Mass Communication and Journalism with a naturally creative mindset and a genuine passion for storytelling. I enjoy transforming ideas into engaging, meaningful content that informs, connects, and inspires. Whether it’s writing, content creation, or creative communication, I believe every piece of content has the power to leave a lasting impression. Driven by curiosity and a love for learning, I continuously explore new ways to express ideas with clarity, creativity, and authenticity. My goal is to create content that not only captures attention but also resonates with people.

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September 3, 2026 14:36 GMT+5:30

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Italy is now the biggest winner in Europe after nine of the country’s hotels made it to the extended list of this year’s The World’s 50 best Hotels 2026.

Italian hotels have edged ahead of accommodations in both France and the UK. This is a true testament to how exceptional Italy’s hospitality is.

The list of extended spots, from 51 to 100, spans hotels along the Italian Riviera in both Positano and Portofino, as well as hotels in Tuscany, Rome, the Dolomites, and Amalfi and Puglia, and Umbria. The hotels were selected to represent accommodations along the coast, in the historic city centers, in the mountains, and in the countryside.

Italy Secures Nine Places in World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 Extended List

Italy’s nine entries make it the leading European country in the extended ranking. France follows with four properties, while the United Kingdom has two.

The recognition gives Italy a strong presence in a global hotel ranking that evaluates properties across different destinations and hospitality styles. Rather than concentrating only on major capital cities, the Italian entries extend from the Amalfi Coast and Italian Riviera to rural estates and alpine surroundings.

The nine properties are:

The spread of locations is significant because it demonstrates that Italy’s strongest hotel recognition is not limited to one tourism centre. The list includes established coastal destinations, a major European capital and properties in less urban settings.

Italy’s Nine Ranked Hotels Cover Coastal, Urban and Countryside Destinations

The Italian entries represent several of the country’s most recognisable travel regions.

Il San Pietro di Positano and Villa Treville, both in Positano, give the Amalfi Coast two places on the list. Splendido Portofino adds a prominent Italian Riviera property, while Borgo Santandrea in Amalfi extends the coastal representation.

Further inland, Castiglion del Bosco in Montalcino and Reschio in Lisciano Niccone bring countryside estates into the ranking. Borgo Egnazia adds a Puglia property, while Orient Express La Minerva represents Rome and Forestis Dolomites brings the Dolomites into the selection.

This geographical range gives the ranking a broader significance for Italy’s hospitality industry. The country’s representation comes from properties operating in different landscapes and destination settings rather than from a single hotel cluster.

Amalfi Coast and Portofino Strengthen Italy’s Coastal Hotel Presence

The Amalfi Coast is one of the most visible parts of Italy’s representation, with three properties appearing in the extended ranking.

Il San Pietro di Positano, ranked No.58, is the highest-ranked Italian property on the list. Its position places Positano among the destinations receiving international attention through the ranking.

Villa Treville, ranked No.91, gives Positano a second entry. The two properties demonstrate the strength of the destination’s hotel representation within the extended list.

Borgo Santandrea, ranked No.84, adds Amalfi to the coastal selection. Together, the three properties connect the ranking with one of Italy’s best-known Mediterranean travel regions.

The Italian Riviera is represented by Splendido Portofino, ranked No.60. Its inclusion gives Portofino a place alongside the Amalfi Coast in the country’s extended-list results.

Tuscany and Umbria Bring Italian Countryside Hotels Into the Ranking

Italy’s extended-list representation also reaches beyond coastal destinations.

Castiglion del Bosco, ranked No.62, is located in Montalcino in Tuscany. Its inclusion places the Tuscan countryside among the Italian destinations represented in the ranking.

Reschio, ranked No.95, is located in Lisciano Niccone in Umbria. The property adds another countryside location to Italy’s nine entries.

These two hotels are important to the geographical picture because they show that the ranking includes properties outside Italy’s most internationally recognised coastal and urban centres.

The presence of both properties gives Italy a more varied representation than a list focused only on seaside resorts or major cities.

Rome and the Dolomites Add Urban and Mountain Representation

Italy’s capital and northern mountain regions also appear in the extended ranking.

Orient Express La Minerva, ranked No.66, represents Rome. Its inclusion gives the Italian capital a place among the country’s nine recognised properties.

Forestis Dolomites, ranked No.68, adds the Dolomites to the list. The property’s location near Brixen brings a mountain destination into the ranking alongside Italy’s coastal and countryside entries.

The two properties demonstrate the range of locations represented by Italy in the extended list, from a major historic capital to an alpine destination.

Borgo Egnazia Adds Puglia to Italy’s Nine-Hotel Selection

Borgo Egnazia, ranked No.88, is located in Savelletri in Puglia.

Its inclusion gives southern Italy another place in the extended ranking and adds to the country’s representation outside the main urban centres.

Puglia joins the Amalfi Coast, Italian Riviera, Tuscany, Umbria, Rome and the Dolomites among the regions and destinations represented by Italy’s nine properties.

The result is a ranking profile that covers several different parts of the country rather than concentrating on one region.

France Secures Four Hotels in World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 Extended Ranking

France has four properties on the extended list, giving it the second-largest European representation after Italy.

The French entries include hotels in Paris, Cannes and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.

La Réserve Paris, ranked No.51, is the highest-ranked French property on the extended list. Ritz Paris, ranked No.72, gives the French capital a second entry.

The remaining two properties represent the French Riviera. Carlton Cannes, ranked No.80, and The Maybourne Riviera, ranked No.93, bring coastal destinations into France’s selection.

France’s four entries show a different geographical pattern from Italy’s nine properties, with Paris and the Riviera accounting for the country’s representation on the list.

United Kingdom Records Two Entries Through London and Scotland

The United Kingdom has two properties on the extended ranking.

Rosewood London, ranked No.56, is the UK’s highest-ranked property on the extended list. Its position places London among the European cities represented in the ranking.

Gleneagles, ranked No.100, adds Scotland to the UK’s selection. The property’s inclusion gives the country a second destination setting beyond the capital.

The two entries show how the UK’s representation combines a major international city with a Scottish countryside property.

Italy’s Nine Hotels Give It the Largest European Share of the Extended List

The European results show a clear difference in the number of properties represented by the three countries.

Italy’s nine properties account for the largest national share among the European entries in the extended ranking. France follows with four, while the United Kingdom has two.

The result gives Italy a stronger presence in the 51–100 list than either of the other two countries. It also highlights the breadth of Italian representation across different destinations.

What Italy’s Ranking Means for Its Hotel Industry

The extended ranking provides international visibility for nine Italian properties and the destinations where they are located.

For the hotels themselves, inclusion places their names before a global audience interested in the world’s leading accommodation. For the destinations, the recognition connects individual properties with the wider travel profile of Positano, Portofino, Tuscany, Rome, the Dolomites, Amalfi, Puglia and Umbria.

The geographical spread also gives Italy a broader presence in the ranking than a result centred on a single city or region would provide.

The final Top 50 announcement in Paris on 15 September 2026 will determine whether any of the extended-list properties move into the main ranking.

Conclusion

Italy has nine entries on the World’s Best Hotels 2026 Extended List, more than any other European country. Italy’s hotel offerings are as diverse as the geography of its Peninsula, and Great Britain and France made the list, but Italy’s 9 entries is the most out of any country. The next big update will be at the Top 50 announcement in Paris. This announcement will show where Italy stands in relation to the rest of the world in the luxury hospitality market.