As global travel rebounds and luxury hospitality flourishes, five-star hotels have become a tangible marker of a city’s tourism ambitions and infrastructural muscle. While the definition of ‘five-star’ can vary across regions, these properties typically offer a consistent level of luxury, service, and amenities that cater to the upper end of the market. So which cities in the world house the most five-star hotels today?
Where does this data come from
For this ranking, we relied on data from Booking.com, one of the world’s largest hotel aggregation platforms. The site uses local classification systems to tag hotels by star rating, offering a consistent global interface. While not an official government source, Booking.com listings reflect what travellers are most likely to encounter when booking luxury stays, making it a useful barometer of real-world availability.
The methodology
We filtered Booking.com’s listings to include only properties currently tagged as five-star in each city, excluding serviced apartments and resorts outside city limits. These counts reflect active listings as of May 2025. While the platform doesn’t publicly share criteria for assigning stars, it aligns its categories with local tourism boards, offering a degree of standardisation across markets.
What the data says
Istanbul leads the global list with 201 five-star hotels, buoyed by its role as a transcontinental hub and the Turkish government’s push to grow its tourism economy. Bangkok and Shanghai follow closely, both major players in Asia’s high-end hospitality scene. Western capitals like London and Paris also feature in the top ten, but it’s clear that Asian cities are dominating when it comes to sheer volume of luxury stays. India doesn’t feature in the top ten, but cities like Delhi and Mumbai each have over 50 five-star properties listed on Booking.com, signalling a strong presence in the luxury segment and steady growth in urban hospitality infrastructure.
The 10 cities with the most five-star hotels, ranked
Istanbul: 201 five-star hotels
Shanghai: 201 five-star hotels
Bangkok: 200 five-star hotels
London: 162 five-star hotels
Dubai: 133 five-star hotels
Manila: 127 five-star hotels
Paris: 116 five-star hotels
Beijing: 112 five-star hotels
Mexico City: 88 five-star hotels
Batumi: 86 five-star hotels
