The best beach resorts of 2026 share something beyond a beautiful shoreline. They understand pace, privacy and the quiet details that make a stay feel considered. Drawing on this year’s major readers’ choice and world’s best awards, here are five resorts worth knowing.
1. Cheval Blanc Seychelles, Seychelles
Named the number one resort in the world in the Condé Nast Traveler 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, Cheval Blanc Seychelles sits on a private peninsula at Anse Intendance on Mahé. Designed by Jean-Michel Gathy, it offers 52 low-slung villas, each with its own pool, set against jungle and ocean. Dining is a feature in its own right, with five restaurants, while the Cheval Blanc Spa by Guerlain provides eight treatment rooms.
2. Baros Maldives, Maldives
Baros Maldives was ranked second resort in the world and first in Asia in the Travel + Leisure 2026 World’s Best Awards. Opened in 1973, it is often described as one of the original luxury icons of the Maldives, with mature greenery, soft sand and a well-regarded house reef. Its loyal following is telling: close to a third of bookings come from returning guests.
3. Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, French Polynesia
On its own private island, Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora was voted the top resort in Bora Bora in the Condé Nast Traveller UK 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards. Guests stay in overwater bungalow suites or beachfront villa estates, in one of the most recognisable lagoon settings in the world.
4. Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica
Voted the number one resort in Central America in the Condé Nast Traveler 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, this resort sits between tropical dry forest and the Pacific on the Papagayo Peninsula. Rooms, suites and private villas look out over the ocean, and more than 130 experiences span wellness, golf, surfing, culture and nature.
5. Chatham Bars Inn, Cape Cod, USA
Ranked eighteenth in the world and first in New England in the Condé Nast Traveler 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, Chatham Bars Inn proves that a great beach resort does not need a tropical postcard. Its private quarter-mile of beachfront, a farm supplying its dining rooms and a well-regarded spa make it a benchmark for luxury on the Cape.
What They Have in Common
Each of these resorts has a clear sense of place, from Seychelles jungle to Cape Cod shoreline, and each lets that setting shape the experience rather than compete with it. That is the quality that separates a beautiful resort from a memorable one. Awards and rankings are a guide, not a guarantee, so always check current details and availability with each resort before booking.
Related reading: Weekend Notes From InterContinental Hua Hin and Why Holiday Inn Vana Nava Is the Best View in Hua Hin.
