THE 2026 ULTRAS HONOUR THE BEST OF LUXURY TRAVEL AT THE TOWER OF LONDON

The ULTRAs 2026 (Ultimate Luxury Travel Related Awards) have revealed the leading hotels, destinations, airlines and travel brands recognised by Ultratravel magazine readers and members of the GHA DISCOVERY loyalty programme. Held at the Tower of London on 1 October 2026, the awards named Capella Sydney Hotel of the Year, Anantara Hotels & Resorts Luxury Brand of the Year, and Pan Pacific London Best Hotel in Europe, while Japan was selected as the Favourite Country for a Holiday.

Capella Sydney was crowned Ultratravel Collection Hotel of the Year

Capella Sydney named hotel of the year, Anantara Hotels & Resorts voted leading luxury hotel brand and Pan Pacific London crowned best hotel in Europe, Japan shines again as most favourite country for a holiday

The winners of the 2026 ULTRAs at the Tower of London Photo Credit Steve Dunlop Photographer

William E. Heinecke, Founder & Chairman of Minor International, was honoured

with a Lifetime Achievement award

London, United Kingdom, 2nd October 2026: The world’s leading hotels, destinations, airlines, and airports, as voted for by Ultratravel magazine readers and the 38 million members of the GHA DISCOVERY loyalty programme, were revealed at the prestigious ULTRAs awards ceremony, held in London on Thursday 1st October 2026.

Recognising the best in global travel, the ULTRAs (Ultimate Luxury Travel Related Awards) is an eagerly anticipated annual event for the luxury travel industry, organised by Nick Perry, Chairman of multi-media brand Ultratravel, with whom Global Hotel Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands and operator of award-winning loyalty programme GHA DISCOVERY, has a long-standing joint venture – Ultratravel Collection.

Hosted at the Tower of London - Jewel House and The White Tower - this year’s ULTRAs spanned 18 categories, recognising outstanding names in travel as voted for by millions of GHA DISCOVERY members. The awards highlighted the growing global recognition of excellence across the diverse world of luxury travel experiences.

The awards were hosted by well-known UK television presenters Natalie Pinkham and Gethin Jones, with a raft of personalities that included British actor Hugh Bonneville, Sky News presenter Sarah-Jane Mee as well as sporting legends from the world of rugby, Simon Shaw, Alun Wyn Jones, Serge Betsen and Andrew Mehrtens.

The line-up of 2026 winners included Capella Sydney, hailed the ‘Ultratravel Collection Hotel of the Year’; Anantara Hotels & Resorts, which took home the title of ‘Luxury Brand of the Year’ and Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas in Thailand named ‘Best New Hotel in the World’.

Among the most celebrated hotels, Pan Pacific London was crowned ‘Best Hotel in Europe’; Capella Bangkok won ‘Best Hotel in Asia/Pacific’; and Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl in Doha triumphed as ‘Best Hotel in the Middle East/Africa’. The Leela Palace New Delhi was recognised as ‘Best Hotel in India/Indian Ocean’ and The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel, New York, was named ‘Best Hotel in the Americas/Caribbean’.

William E Heinecke, Founder & Chairman of Minor International, was honoured with the prestigious ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’, recognising his exceptional contribution and enduring impact on the global hospitality industry.

Dubai-based Emirates once again claimed the title of ‘Best Airline in the World’ as well as ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’ demonstrating its continued leadership in global aviation and Regent Seven Seas Cruises won ‘Best Luxury Cruise Line’, while Japan was revealed as the ‘Favourite Country for a Holiday’.

Singapore Changi Airport emerged victorious in the hotly contested ‘Best Airport in the World’ category. Lufthansa secured the ‘Best Airline in Europe,’ Singapore Airlines won ‘Best Airline in Asia/Australasia’ and Delta Air Lines took home the trophy for ‘Best Airline in the Americas’.

A special award, newly launched at this year’s ULTRAs for ‘Favourite Luxury Lifestyle Brand’ went to Louis Vuitton, a favourite among GHA DISCOVERY members for its beautifully constructed travel range.

“The ULTRAs offer a powerful reflection of the standards and experiences that matter most to today’s luxury travellers, shaped by the views and preferences of Ultratravel magazine readers, as well thousands of our GHA DISCOVERY members who voted for these awards,” said GHA CEO Chris Hartley. “Congratulations to all this year’s winners for raising the bar and demonstrating the very best of hospitality, aviation and travel.”

For more information visit Global Hotel Alliance, the Ultratravel Collection, Ultratravel, and GHA DISCOVERY

About Ultratravel Collection

Ultratravel Collection brings together hotels of distinction for the discerning traveller. Its membership is reserved for the very best hotels and resorts in the world – genuinely luxurious and iconic properties that deliver the finest service and personalised guest experiences. Member hotels share an integrated global platform for guest recognition and loyalty rewards, the GHA DISCOVERY programme from partner Global Hotel Alliance, as well as a beneficial relationship with the multi-media brand Ultratravel, the other founding partner of Ultratravel Collection. For more information visit ultratravelcollection.com.

About GHA and GHA DISCOVERY:

Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) is the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands with 60 brands and 1,000 hotels across 100 countries. Its award-winning loyalty programme – GHA DISCOVERY – provides 38 million members with recognition, D$ rewards and exclusive experiences across its hotels and partners, both with and without a stay.

Through membership in GHA, brands expand their global reach, drive incremental revenue and reduce dependence on third-party channels, all while maintaining management independence and individual positioning. For more information, visit globalhotelalliance.com or ghadiscovery.com.

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