Forbes Travel Guide has introduced a new recognition list for storied hotels that have operated under the same name for more than a century. The luxury properties have also earned a 2025 Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating.
Billed as ‘Hotel Icons’, the properties represent a timeless destination where history, character and world-class service continue to inspire travellers around the world.
Twenty-three properties have been labelled as Hotel Icons by Forbes Travel Guide in 2025, including three Rocco Forte Hotels and a trio of Mandarin Oriental hotels.
London dominated the list with five properties, including Brown’s Hotel, London, established in 1832. The oldest property on the list is Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, dating back to 1650. Europe contributed a total 15 Icon properties, with the United States accounting for six and two in Asia.
“To be named as a 2025 Hotel Icon is to stand among the most extraordinary addresses in the world,” said Hermann Elger, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide.
“These legendary properties blend rich heritage with extraordinary service, offering experiences that feel both timeless and distinctly of their place.”
The 2025 Hotel Icons list comprises:
- Hôtel De Paris Monte-Carlo
- Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam
- Brown’s Hotel, A Rocco Forte Hotel, London
- Park Hotel Vitznau, Switzerland
- Chatham Bars Inn, Cape Cod, USA
- Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
- Claridge’s London
- Ocean House, Rhode Island, USA
- Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel, Paris
- Ritz Paris
- The Goring, London
- Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, St. Moritz, Switzerland
- Weekapaug Inn, Rhode Island, USA
- Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid
- The Balmoral, A Rocco Forte Hotel, Edinburgh
- The Savoy, London
- Raffles Hotel Singapore
- Carlton Cannes, A Regent Hotel
- Wequassett Resort and Golf Club, Cape Cod
- Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park, London
- The St. Regis New York
- The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs
- Hotel de la Ville, A Rocco Forte Hotel, Rome
Meanwhile, Forbes has also listed its “Most Anticipated Hotels Openings of 2026“.
That portfolio includes;
- Amanvari, Baja California, Mexico
- Baccarat Hotel Rome
- The Knox Hotel, Auberge Collection, Dallas
- Bvlgari Resort Ranfushi, Maldives
- Four Seasons Resort Mykonos
- Mandarin Oriental Punta Negra, Mallorca
- Fregate Island, Seychelles
- Orient Express Venezia
- A Rocco Forte Hotel, Costa Smeralda, Sardinia
- Park Hyatt Phu Quoc, Vietnam
- Danieli, A Four Seasons Hotel, Venice
- Rosewood Hangzhou, China
- The Cormorant at 55 South, Puerto Williams, Chile
- The St. Regis Costa Mujeres Resort, Cancun
- Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch
- The Cooper, Charleston, South Carolina
- The Lake Como EDITION
- Ubuyu, A Banyan Tree Escape, Tanzania
- Six Senses London
- The Park Gstaad, A Four Seasons Hotels, Switzerland
- Capella Kyoto
- Palazzo Castelluccio, Noto, Sicily
- The Langham, Custom House, Bangkok
