Over a dozen different luxury hotels, restaurants, and spas on-site and near Walt Disney World and Disneyland are among the winners of the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide’s 2026 Star Awards. This covers the distinguished properties that were recognized around WDW, along with our thoughts about each of the ones we’ve experienced.
The Forbes Travel Guide’s 2026 Star Awards is similar to AAA Diamond designations or Michelin stars for restaurants, minus the whole “awarded by the automotive industry” angle. Like Michelin and AAA, Forbes is considered the gold standard for luxury in the hospitality industry, celebrating the finest hotels, spas, restaurants, ocean cruises and cruise restaurants.
We pay attention to the Forbes, AAA, and Michelin awards because they’re unbiased and objective. Or at least, less biased and subjective. There’s legit criticism of all three, but they’re still truly prestigious and rare honors celebrating the creme de la creme. This is unlike a lot of other awards, which are either reader’s choice (casual tourists don’t know what they don’t know) or thinly-veiled paid advertisements.
Now in its 68th year, the 2026 edition of the Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards is the most expansive yet. The company’s footprint has grown to more than 100 countries, with a wide range of new destinations such as Bhutan, Croatia, Poland, Tanzania and Uzbekistan. Meaning that Disney destinations are being compared with luxury resorts in tropical escapes and major cities all across the world.
According to the organization, Forbes Travel Guide’s ratings are objective, independent and data-driven. Incognito inspectors pose as everyday guests; they check into hotels, board cruises, try spa treatments, and dine at restaurants.
In so doing, these independent inspectors test hundreds of exacting standards, and always paying. While the quality and condition of the facilities remain vital, exceptional service accounts for 70% of a property’s rating, reflecting the human element at the heart of luxury.
Forbes Travel Guide inspectors also assess the inarticulable intangibles behind a truly remarkable luxury guest experience. Does a particular property allow you to continue a health-conscious lifestyle and enhance your well-being? Whether the location or design conjures a strong sense of place; does the staff delivers all components seamlessly, culminating in an unforgettable stay.
See the full list of 2026 Star Awards winners. Below, we’re sharing the Forbes Travel Guide’s 2026 Star Award Winners in Orlando and Anaheim:
Orlando Forbes Travel Guide’s 2026 Star Award Winners
- Bull & Bear Orlando – Recommended
- Capa – Recommended
- Conrad Orlando – 4-Star
- Conrad Spa, Orlando – 4-Star
- Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort – 4-Star
- JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa – Recommended
- JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes – 4-Star
- Knife & Spoon – 4-Star
- Lake Nona Wave Hotel – Recommended
- Primo – 4-Star
- The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes – 5-Star
- The Ritz-Carlton Spa Orlando, Grande Lakes – 4-Star
- The Spa at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort – 4-Star
- Spa by JW at JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa – 4-Star
- Victoria & Albert’s – 5-Star
- Waldorf Astoria Orlando – 4-Star
- Waldorf Astoria Spa Orlando – 4-Star
Anaheim Forbes Travel Guide’s 2026 Star Award Winners
- Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa – Recommended
- Napa Rose – 4-Star
- Tenaya Stone Spa – 4-Star
I’m honestly surprised that the Westin Anaheim and JW Marriott Anaheim were not recognized in addition to the Grand Californian. If the JW Marriott Orlando is the bar, both of those clear it.
There are several other luxury resorts and restaurants recognized in Orange County, California, but almost all of these are in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, or Laguna Niguel. These cities are a bit far from the parks to be considered for a Disneyland stay. We’ve stayed at some and visited most of the hotels, and they’re all spectacular.
With the lists out of the way, let’s quickly run through a few of the recognized resorts where we’ve stayed at or near Walt Disney World…
JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa – This is one of the newer on-site hotels at Walt Disney World, and between that and this brand’s reputation, it’s slightly disappointing that the JW Marriott at Bonnet Creek isn’t better. It’s still very good, just not quite what we expected from this tier of the chain. Honestly, if this is the bar for Forbes Travel Guide “Recommended” status, we believe about a dozen other hotels clear it. Including several Disney-owned ones.
This isn’t to be overly critical of the JW Marriott Orlando. It’s absolutely one of the best on-site hotels at Walt Disney World, it just falls a bit short of non-urban JW resort standards. We love its smart styling and modern design. Both the guest rooms and common areas are incredibly nice, and to our tastes. It’s a luxurious hotel that offers a formidable slate of amenities that should make it appealing to couples or solo travelers looking for a more adult option with convenient access to (or even isolation from) the parks.
The JW Marriott is not for everyone. In particular, we have a more difficult time recommending it to families. It’s not that the hotel isn’t kid-friendly—to the contrary, it’s laid back and not even remotely stuffy or unapproachable. It’s more that other resorts cater to families better and have a fuller feature set. In particular, the pool area is relatively pedestrian, with no waterslide, lazy river, or other fun features you might find at many hotels in Orlando. The dining is exceptional, though.
Waldorf Astoria Orlando — Arguably one of the most iconic hotel labels in the world, the Waldorf Astoria offers exceptional quality at prices that won’t make you sell a kidney to afford a stay here. Nestled in the serene 482-acre Bonnet Creek nature preserve and conveniently surrounded by Walt Disney World, this is an on-site hotel that’s eligible for certain perks (such as Early Entry).
The Waldorf Astoria recently completed a property-wide reimagination that includes a floor-to-ceiling transformation inclusive of all 502 guest rooms and suites, the lobby arrival experience, new design and culinary innovations at the award-winning restaurants Bull & Bear and Peacock Alley, enhancements to The Waldorf Astoria Spa and a complete restoration of the esteemed 18-hole Waldorf Astoria Golf Club.
The Waldorf Astoria offers a superlative stay, but also a stuffy one. If you’re looking for a more inviting option, the Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek is a sister property of sorts to the Waldorf Astoria. It’s not quite as nice or luxurious, but has a lot of family-friendly amenities, some of which are shared between the two.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando – Located on-site at Walt Disney World, the Four Seasons Orlando is the gold standard of WDW luxury resorts. As we’ve pointed out countless times, the whole reason it exists on-site is Disney’s decision to aim more upmarket, with the company cognizant that it couldn’t compete with real world luxury properties among discerning and demanding clientele. Between service and (if we’re being honest) name cachet, even the flagship Grand Floridian falls short.
The sprawling Four Seasons complex is inside the private Golden Oaks community and behind Fort Wilderness. It’s surrounded by natural beauty, including an Everglades sanctuary, and it feels like tropical paradise meets a country club. Of course, the rooms are luxurious and well-appointed, the dining is phenomenal, and there’s an array of amenities you’d expect from the Four Seasons.
Outside, the grounds of the Four Seasons Orlando are a veritable oasis. The pool areas are brilliantly suited to both kids and adults, with an area called Explorer Island, delightful lazy river, and secluded areas for lounge chairs amidst a lush environment and canopy of palm trees. We’d argue that it’s a better pound for pound pool area than Stormalong Bay at Yacht & Beach Club.
The Four Seasons Orlando is far and away the nicest and most luxurious hotel in Orlando, Disney-owned or otherwise. However, it no longer is our unequivocal #1 pick for hotels near Walt Disney World, because a new contender to the throne has emerged, that has already won several of same prestigious awards from AAA and Forbes as the Four Seasons…
Conrad Orlando at Evermore – The newest luxury hotel near the parks, the Conrad Orlando technically is not on-site at Walt Disney World, but it’s a stone’s throw from Fort Wilderness and about the same distance from Magic Kingdom as Port Orleans, making it closer to the park than most on-site hotels at Walt Disney World. The Conrad offers views of the EPCOT fireworks, and we could hear the Electrical Water Pageant from our room.
Like the Four Seasons Orlando, it’s also one of only three hotels to win 2026 Forbes Travel Guide 4-Star Awards and AAA Five Diamond hotels near Walt Disney World. The third is the Ritz Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes, which is a bit farther away and actually beat both by earning a 5-Star rating from Forbes!
The 433-room luxury Conrad Orlando hotel offers upscale accommodations, a range of restaurants (including one of my favorite-ever burgers), and all of the other amenities you’d expect of a luxury hotel. We really like the calming, coastal modern rooms; they feel at once luxurious and relaxed–nice pops of color and stylish.
The Conrad Orland’s marquee amenity is exclusive access to Evermore Bay, Orlando’s first and only beach with 8 acres of crystal-clear water and 20 acres of soft white sand. That bright blue lagoon is eye-catching, stopping you in your tracks when you first enter the lobby and see it out the floor to ceiling windows. And it’s not just superficial, as there are a ton of activities you can enjoy on and around the lagoon, making the Conrad Orlando a true self-contained resort experience.
While the hotel as a whole is nice, the stunning, crystalline Evermore Bay is the flagship feature of the Conrad Orlando. The Four Seasons Orlando beats it on luxuriousness, overall polish and service. The vibe is totally different at the Conrad Orlando, which is less stuffy, more inviting and laid back. Evermor Bay plus the unpretentious atmosphere work in the Conrad Orlando’s favor, making it the #1 luxury hotel near Walt Disney World for many families.
Why Didn’t More Disney Resorts & Restaurants Win?
Cynics might argue that Disney still isn’t taken seriously in the luxury travel sphere. That resorts like Yacht Club and Grand Floridian are, at minimum, deserving for consideration on a list like this. Perhaps even Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge.
This is an argument to which I’m receptive, but don’t buy completely. My perspective is that Disney has a higher bar to clear, but isn’t disqualified from contention completely. I especially believe this after the recent refurbishments and reimagining at Yacht Club and Grand Floridian, which I suspect were not taken into account despite this purporting to be a 2026 list.
This is likely true because Napa Rose made the cut, despite being closed for the bulk of the last year, and not reopening until within the last week. Forbes clearly reviewed the old version of Napa Rose, which was frankly less deserving than the newly-reimagined Napa Rose. Regardless, the presence of the Grand Californian, Napa Rose, and Victoria & Albert’s suggests that Disney-owned hotels are not disqualified from consideration.
Instead, the explanation likely lies in the Forbes Travel Guide criteria: “While the quality and condition of the facilities remain vital, exceptional service accounts for 70% of a property’s rating, reflecting the human element at the heart of luxury.”
Honestly, this is kind of insane–and slightly unbelievable. The notion that I could buy a Motel 6 in rural Iowa, but then poach top talent from the best Four Seasons Resorts in the world and win a Forbes star rating is nonsense on its face. Such a hotel would not win any awards, or even be reviewed in the first place. Every single hotel on the above list has a spectacular hard product. Some have incredible locations and grounds worth (literally) hundreds of millions of dollars.
The notion that all of this only counts for 30% is hogwash, and I don’t care what Forbes claims. Service and soft product are too subject, even at their absolute best. Service should not count for that much, and I suspect the 70% claim is spurious; something that sounds good to the affluent readers of the FTG. Obviously, service is of paramount importance to the luxury-minded, but c’mon. Take this to the extreme of my example above and it should be pretty obvious why this falls apart.
In any case, the reason Disney-owned resorts and restaurants largely did not make the list is almost certainly because of that supposed 70% exceptional service weighting. We’ve made this point before many times, but Disney simply is not a great hotelier or hospitality company by luxury standards.
This is a bit difficult to explain, but there’s a distinction between the warm and friendly service offered by Disney Cast Members and the attentive and pampering service offered by luxury hotels. If you’ve experienced both, you likely fully understand and appreciate the distinction.
Discerning (such a pompous and condescending term, but it is what it is) clientele who consult resources like Forbes favor the more luxurious service, but I’d argue that there’s also something to be said for the warm and personal quality of the Disney approach. For a lot of families, the best Cast Members are better than the most superlative, seasoned staff at luxury hotels. Honestly, we kind of feel this way!
An equally significant problem, and one where I’d argue Walt Disney World actually does stumble is in the consistency of the service. This is one of those things that you may not realize until you’ve received poor service or had a problem arise that frontline Cast Members simply were not empowered to resolve.
These are the types of issues and inconveniences that an average luxury hotel at the price point would fix the instant it was brought to their attention. But ideally, it wouldn’t need to be brought to their attention because they’d address it preemptively.
Guest recovery is all over the place at Walt Disney World; sometimes it’s above and beyond, sometimes it’s painfully lacking. True luxury hotels are much better at removing friction from the guest experience and addressing potential problems in advance.
Also frustrating is that there’s really no service hierarchy at Walt Disney World. I suppose it could be argued that this follows the old “every guest is a VIP” model. But I nevertheless find it odd that I’ve had repeatedly exceptional service at All Star Sports in the last 4 years (I’ve said it before, but Sports is an underrated gem) and much more mixed results at Deluxe Resorts.
I’d think that Disney would promote the best Cast Members to the most expensive resorts and empower them to make magic, but that isn’t really the case. Regardless of how you feel about all of this, it’s unlikely that Walt Disney World resorts will ever win “serious” awards so long as this is how service works.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Have you stayed at any of the 2026 Forbes Travel Guide Award Winners? Think these resorts or restaurants are worthy of their wins? Anywhere around Walt Disney World or Disneyland that you think was snubbed? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of the distinction between WDW service vs. real world luxury service? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!