HONG KONG, 26 August 2026: The results of the 2026 Best in Travel Poll for SmartTravelAsia.com readers (June to late August) will appear in the September edition of the 23-year-old magazine for international frequent travellers to and within Asia.
Polled annually since 2005, SmartTravelAsia this year monitors travellers demanding security and service, while Dubai drops out of the top spots as Bangkok, Macau, Tokyo, Vietnam, and Bali climb; Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong gain from rerouted traffic. Here is a peek preview of the rankings and honours in 2026.
Waldorf Astoria Dubai, Qatar Airways fly the desert flag
UAE destinations, airlines and hotels, which had held significant positions in previous years, disappeared from the top 10 lists — this, with two major exceptions: Qatar Airways (first for Business Class) and Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah (Top 10 for Luxury) — as several major brands subsisted on weekend staycation traffic, or closed.
SIA, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines soar
Singapore Airlines easily held on to the first spot as Best Airline Overall Worldwide — first for Cabin Service, followed closely in second place by Cathay Pacific. This poll marked a strong return for Malaysia Airlines (third for Cabin Service and sixth overall). Singapore’s Scoot flew away with the Best Budget Airline in Asia, nudging ahead of long-dominant AirAsia (second) with HK Express third. Boutique carrier Bangkok Airways posted an emphatic sixth place for cabin service, ahead of Thai Airways in eighth.
The search for emotional takeaways — and Service
International travellers looked for safe options with an eye on quality service. The need for an emotional takeaway and human connection was evident in the Best Hotel Service List (the hallmark of quality), which was packed to the rafters — almost every high-ranking property was listed here, and this category received the most votes. Travel uncertainties, combined with higher costs, also created pressure to find value beds without sacrificing service.
Brand recognition is clearly at the heart of it. This year’s top Hotel for Service was the fairly new all-villa Raffles Sentosa Singapore that led a feisty pack just ahead of Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, The Peninsula Manila, and MGM Macau (in joint second place), and Aman Nai Lert Bangkok, The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto and Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok (tied in third).
Top-ranked city-airport combo, boosted local hotels
Bangkok ranked as the top Holiday Destination while its airport was in eighth place. Tokyo ranked second (with its two airports in the top 10), and Bali and Kyoto shared third place. Singapore continued to make a strong showing in the top spot for Business & Meetings with its Changi Airport unopposed at No 1 among the World’s Best Airports. A strong destination-airport combination proved a boon for hotels in several cities.
Hong Kong made a huge comeback after several years in the doldrums. Cathay Pacific Airways ranked second Overall Worldwide (after SIA) and for Cabin Service, while the city placed third for Meetings and fourth for Leisure.
Hong Kong International Airport ranked second worldwide, and the Peninsula Hong Kong (awaiting a huge multimillion-dollar redo) was placed first for Luxury with Regent Hong Kong in third and Upper House fourth.
Revamping Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong and the busy Four Seasons secured a joint second place for Business and Meetings. The tiny neighbouring enclave of Macau (with a struggling airport) placed a strong fifth spot among Top Holiday Destinations in Asia as well as for Meetings, some of this fuelled by Hong Kong’s success. This helped float a few boats — MGM MACAU No 3 for Luxury and MGM COTAI No 3 for Meetings; The Londoner (No 3 for Families), Artyzen Grand Lapa (No 7 Families), Parisian, Wynn, and Grand Lisboa Palace Resort.
Malaysia rocketed up the ranks with KLIA ranking the No 3 Best Airport Worldwide (and five KL hotels in the Top 10) just ahead of Incheon Seoul and Haneda Tokyo
Vietnam made an impressive showing with a range of hotels and destinations in the Top 10 — Mia Saigon was rated the No 1 Boutique Hotel in Asia with Alma Resort Cam Ranh and Park Hyatt Saigon both placing Top 5 in other categories.
Top brands and hotel groups with highest recognition
TOP BRANDS AT A GLANCE 2026: Singapore Airlines (Best Airline Worldwide, and for Cabin Service); Qatar Airways (Best Business Class Worldwide); Scoot (Best Budget Airline Asia); Singapore Changi Airport (Best Airport Worldwide); Bangkok (Best Holiday Destination); Singapore (Best City for Meetings); The Peninsula Hong Kong (Best Luxury Hotel, Asia); Mia Saigon (Best Boutique Hotel, Asia); Andaz Bali (Best Lifestyle Hotel, Asia); Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River (Best Business & Meetings Hotel); Banyan Tree Samui (Best Spa Hotel); AYANA Resort Bali (Best Wedding Hotel); Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya (Best Family Hotel, two years in a row), Raffles Sentosa Singapore (Best Hotel for Service); and the reimagined Anantara Siam Hotel Bangkok (Best New Hotel, after a USD50 million facelift).
TOP HOTEL GROUPS: A few brands dominated the rankings this year. These included Hyatt (with the hugely popular Park Hyatt brand at the fore and Andaz making an impact); InterContinental (rolling out Kimpton, Regent, Holiday Inn, Vignette Collection, and InterCon); Mandarin Oriental (with a clutch of old, new, and the remodelled); Capella (which featured several properties in the Luxury and Boutique Lists); Rosewood; and Shangri-La. Others with a notable number of placements included Aman Resorts; luxe MGM with two wins in Macau; Thailand’s homegrown Centara; and India’s Oberoi and Taj.
JAUNTY INDEPENDENTS: It was equally a celebration of jaunty independents that caught traveller attention — and not for the lowest prices — from Amorita and The Funny Lion in the Philippines to Soori (Penang and Bali), Samode Palace and The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa (India), to Eastern & Oriental Penang, the stately riverfront Mia Saigon, and rambunctious bamboo-inspired Bambu Indah (Bali). Our Top 10 Boutique Hotels List is packed with exciting brands that hold out much promise, from old standout Dwarika’s Kathmandu to Dolkhar Ladakh and Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary.
Reader trips, interests, and engagement
TRIPS GO REGIONAL: Readers on average took 12 air trips (same as in 2025) but with a greater share of these on domestic, short-haul, and regional routes as Mid-East blockages pushed up Southeast Asian travel. And voters’ household income averaged USD156,000 per annum.
TRAVELLER INTERESTS: Key interests were broadly similar to 2025 and demonstrated a strong demand for authentic local engagement — 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 meetings (45%); resort weddings (35%); golf (28%); casinos (26%); cruises (22%); and diving (16%).
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%).
About Smart Travel Asia
Smart Travel Asia launched in February 2003 as the region’s first fully online publication. Many readers from the former print magazines migrated to its online presence. Over 60% visit the magazine directly via bookmarks, referrals, monthly e-newsletters, and social media, as well as through diverse searches via Mojeek, Brave Search, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Baidu, Yandex, Naver, Kagi, SwissCows, ChatGPT, and newer AI platforms.
For more information: Smart Travel Asia.
(Source: Smart Travel Asia)
