6 Star Hotels: Why No Official Rating Exists, and 9 Hotels Given the Label

There is no official six-star hotel rating. Every national classification and major independent inspection scheme we checked stops at five stars or five diamonds, and the Michelin Guide’s hotel award stops at three Keys. “Six-star” is a marketing and editorial label, and any hotel or developer can use it.

This guide covers what the official systems top out at, where the label comes from, and the nine hotels our original 2021 list called six-star, re-checked against their Michelin Keys, Forbes Travel Guide ratings and the hotels’ own room and suite data. Facts are as of 9 October 2026.

The nine hotels compared

Hotel	City	Rooms	Top suite (size)	Michelin Keys	Forbes Travel Guide	Michelin-starred restaurant in the hotel	Family options
The Connaught	London	122	The Apartment (285 m²)	3	Five-Star	Hélène Darroze at The Connaught (3 stars)	Two-bedroom suites; free connecting room offer
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok	Bangkok	331, incl. 60 suites	Royal Suite (306 m²)	3	Five-Star	Anne-Sophie Pic at Le Normandie (2 stars)	Kids’ club (3 to 12); two-bedroom suites
Taj Falaknuma Palace	Hyderabad	60	Nizam Suite (180 m²)	3	Not listed	None	Interconnected rooms for up to 4
The Peninsula Hong Kong	Hong Kong	300	The Peninsula Suite (377 m²)	2	Five-Star	Spring Moon (1 star), Gaddi’s (1 star)	Connecting rooms on request; two-bedroom suite
Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental	Abu Dhabi	394	Three Bedroom Palace Suite (470 m²)	2	Five-Star (new in 2026)	Talea by Antonio Guida (1 star), Hakkasan (1 star)	Kids’ club (10 months to 12); family rooms
Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace	Budapest	179, incl. 19 suites	Budapest Royal Suite (136 m²)	2	Five-Star	None	Two- or three-bedroom Presidential Suite; connecting rooms
The Oberoi Udaivilas	Udaipur	90 (Michelin figure)	Kohinoor Suite (246 m²)	2	Recommended	None	Two-bedroom Kohinoor Suite; paid children’s activities
Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund	Shanghai	About 260	Not published on a source we could read	1	Four-Star	Ling Long (1 star)	Not published
Raffles Istanbul	Istanbul	185	Raffles Suite (416 m²)	None	Five-Star	None	Not published beyond a family-oriented suite

Order: by Michelin Keys (2026 selection), then by Forbes Travel Guide rating. Michelin Keys and stars are from guide.michelin.com, Forbes ratings from each hotel’s forbestravelguide.com page, both read on 9 October 2026. Room counts and suite sizes are from the hotels’ own sites unless marked. We did not find a dated “from” rate on any hotel’s official site, so no prices are given.

What official hotel ratings top out at

Forbes Travel Guide. Inspectors stay anonymously and assess properties against up to 900 standards. The 2026 Star Awards, published on 11 February 2026, rated 343 hotels Five-Star out of 2,422 properties. Forbes, which started as the Mobil guide, says it created the first Five-Star rating in hospitality in 1960. The 2027 awards are due on 10 February 2027.

AAA. Hotels that pass inspection get one to five Diamonds. AAA describes Five Diamond as “ultimate luxury, sophistication and comfort with extraordinary physical attributes, meticulous personalized service, extensive amenities and impeccable standard of excellence”. For Five Diamond assessments, inspectors stay the night.

Hotelstars Union. The European scheme has five categories. A “Superior” hotel has scored well beyond the threshold for its category without meeting the minimum criteria of the next one up: 5-star needs 610 points and 5-star Superior 710, out of a maximum of 988 under the 2025 to 2030 criteria. Slovakia joined as the 22nd member in April 2026. In the same release, Hotelstars Union asked Booking.com to show stars only for officially classified hotels.

United Kingdom. VisitEngland and the AA now award Quality Star Rated 3 to 5 stars, having dropped one and two stars in 2024. An AA Red Star marks a hotel scoring at the top end of the AA’s assessment within its star level. It is not an extra star.

France. Atout France’s Palace distinction, created in 2010, is given to hotels already classed 5 stars that have exceptional characteristics. 33 hotels held it in the 2026 collection.

Abu Dhabi. The Department of Culture and Tourism’s previous classification manual rated hotels one to five stars and added an optional “Luxury Hotel Designator (5-star Plus)” for five-star hotels scoring at least 95%, with conditions that included at least two presidential suites of 250 m² or more. An updated manual was launched in September 2026. Whether the 5-star Plus designator survives in it has not been reported.

India. The Ministry of Tourism’s voluntary scheme runs from One Star to Five Star Deluxe, alongside Heritage and Legacy Vintage categories. Hotels that make false claims about their classification can be declassified and barred from the scheme for at least two years.

China. The national hotel star standard was last revised as GB/T 14308-2023, in force since 1 March 2024. Secondary sources say a “platinum five-star” level was introduced in the 2003 version, with the first three certificates issued in August 2007. We have not read the full 2023 text, so whether the platinum level continues is unconfirmed.

Michelin Keys. Michelin launched its hotel Keys in 2024. One Key is “a very special stay”, two Keys “an exceptional stay” and three Keys “an extraordinary stay”. Michelin assesses five criteria: architecture and interior design, quality and consistency of service, personality and character, value for the price, and contribution to the neighbourhood or setting. The 2026 selection, announced on 18 September 2026, has 155 Three-Key hotels.

Where “six-star” and “seven-star” come from

The “seven-star” label is usually traced to a British journalist on a press trip before Burj Al Arab opened in Dubai in December 1999. No source we found names the journalist or the original article, and The National has described the claim as “supposedly” made by “a star-struck British travel writer”. The same article says Burj Al Arab is classified like any other hotel, on a scale that tops out at five stars. More on the seven-star label and the hotels it is applied to is in our guide to 7 star hotels.

The only formal “seven-star” certification we found went to the Seven Stars Galleria in Milan (now Galleria Vik), which opened in 2007 and held a “seven-star service certification” from the inspection company SGS until 2011, according to Condé Nast Traveler. SGS no longer offers it.

“Six-star” is used today mostly by developers and by hotels describing themselves:

• Trump International Hotel & Tower Gold Coast, Australia: a A$1.5 billion tower described as including a “six-star hotel” (Forbes Australia, 23 February 2026). Not yet built.
• Kalo Livadi, Mykonos: a “six-star” resort from Naguib Sawiris’s Ora Developers, about €100 million (Proto Thema, 16 September 2026). Not yet built.
• Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming: co-owner Mike Corbat said of a planned base-area hotel, “It’s probably going to be six-star” (Jackson Hole News&Guide, 13 August 2025).
• Viceroy Bali: its own blog calls it “often referred to as Bali’s only 6 Star hotel”, while stating that six-star “is not an official hotel rating” (4 August 2025).

To compare hotels sold as six-star, check the ratings that are inspected: Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five Diamond, Michelin Keys, a national five-star or Palace classification, and The World’s 50 Best Hotels list.

The hotels

The Connaught, London

• Location: Carlos Place, Mayfair
• History: founded in 1815 as the Prince of Saxe-Coburg Hotel and renamed The Connaught during the First World War. Forbes dates the hotel to 1897, the year the current building opened. A £70 million restoration completed in 2007 added a new wing, the Aman Spa and The Apartment.
• Rooms: 122 (Michelin)
• Top suite: The Apartment, a two-bedroom penthouse of 285 m² with a balcony, extendable to three bedrooms or the whole sixth floor. The Four Bedroom Residence (350 m²) is for longer stays.
• Families: six two-bedroom suite types, from the Two Bedroom Adams Suite (56 m²) to The Apartment. The Library Suite (125 m², two bedrooms) is sold as a family suite. The “A Family Story” offer gives a free connecting or nearby room for children up to 16 with a one-bedroom suite, for stays until 30 April 2028.
• Accolades: three Michelin Keys; Forbes Five-Star; No. 49 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 (No. 29 in 2025)
• Dining: Hélène Darroze at The Connaught holds three Michelin stars in the 2026 Michelin Guide United Kingdom. The Connaught Grill is listed without a star.

The Aman Spa is, according to the hotel, the only Aman spa outside an Aman resort. Tadao Ando’s water feature “Silence” stands outside the entrance.

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok

• Location: Charoen Krung Road, Bang Rak, on the Chao Phraya river
• History: opened in 1876 as Thailand’s first luxury hotel and the first on the river. The original building is now the Authors’ Wing, one of three wings. The River Wing was renovated in 2019.
• Rooms: 331, including 60 suites
• Top suite: Royal Suite, 306 m², one bedroom, in the Authors’ Wing with a private lift. It can be connected to the Ambassador Suite for more bedrooms.
• Families: Little Fan’s Club for ages 3 to 12 with a daily programme, a children’s pool, interconnecting rooms and suites, and a Deluxe Two-Bedroom Suite (125 m², up to six guests).
• Accolades: three Michelin Keys; Forbes Five-Star; No. 10 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 (No. 7 in 2025)
• Dining: Anne-Sophie Pic at Le Normandie holds two Michelin stars in the 2026 Thailand guide. The hotel has 12 restaurants and bars, including The Bamboo Bar and afternoon tea in The Authors’ Lounge.

Joseph Conrad, Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene stayed at the hotel, and the Authors’ Suites are named after writer guests.

Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad

• Location: Engine Bowli, Falaknuma, on a hill 609 m above sea level, about 25 minutes by car from the airport
• History: Taj gives 1894 as the build date; the palace was once the private residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad. It was restored under Princess Esra and has been a Taj hotel since 2010 (opening date from Wikipedia).
• Rooms: 60 rooms and suites
• Top suite: Nizam Suite, a 180 m² duplex with a private pool, for up to three guests
• Families: Luxury Rooms (50 to 55 m²) can be interconnected for up to four guests. No kids’ club is listed.
• Accolades: three Michelin Keys. We found no Forbes Travel Guide listing. Not in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 or 2026.
• Dining: we found no Michelin restaurant selection for India, so no restaurant here holds a star. The 101 Dining Hall is named for its table, which Taj calls one of the largest in the world.

Guests arrive by horse-drawn carriage, as they did in our 2021 guide. Michelin notes the palace still belongs to what remains of Hyderabad’s royal family.

The Peninsula Hong Kong

• Location: Salisbury Road, Kowloon
• History: opened in 1928, making it Hong Kong’s oldest hotel according to Forbes. A 30-storey tower with twin helipads was added in 1994.
• Rooms: 300, including 52 suites and two signature suites. The smallest room is 54 m².
• Top suite: The Peninsula Suite, 377 m², at the top of the tower, with a double-height living room and private terrace
• Families: connecting rooms on request. The Marco Polo Suite (210 m²) has two bedrooms. Michelin notes children under 12 stay free using existing beds. We found no kids’ club for this hotel.
• Accolades: two Michelin Keys, awarded in October 2025 in Michelin’s first Hong Kong Key selection; Forbes Five-Star; No. 46 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 (No. 54 in 2025)
• Dining: Spring Moon and Gaddi’s each hold one Michelin star in the 2026 Hong Kong guide.

A new fleet of Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended cars entered service in April 2025. A Rolls-Royce airport transfer costs HK$2,500 one way and a helicopter transfer to the hotel’s helipad HK$45,500 per flight (hotel’s transport page, read 9 October 2026).

Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi

• Location: West Corniche Road, at the western end of the Corniche
• History: opened in 2005. Mandarin Oriental took over management from Kempinski on 1 January 2020 and the hotel was renamed in February 2023. Our 2021 guide listed it as Emirates Palace.
• Rooms: 394 (Michelin). Forbes gives 302 rooms and 88 suites.
• Top suite: Three Bedroom Palace Suite, 470 m², made of three interconnected suites with a majlis, terrace and dining room. The Royal Suite is 280 m².
• Families: Kids Palace, with zones for 10 months to 3 years and 4 to 12 years; family rooms with interconnecting king and twin rooms; connecting rooms across categories; Two and Three Bedroom Palace Suites.
• Accolades: two Michelin Keys; Forbes Five-Star, first awarded in the 2026 Star Awards. Not in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 or 2026.
• Dining: Talea by Antonio Guida and Hakkasan each hold one Michelin star in the 2026 Abu Dhabi guide.

The hotel has a 1.3 km private beach and 85 hectares of gardens, lawns and terraces, with a 6.5 km trail through them. Our 2021 guide gave 100 hectares of gardens; the hotel’s current figure is 85.

Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, Budapest

• Location: Széchenyi István tér, on the Danube at the foot of the Chain Bridge, facing Buda Castle
• History: an Art Nouveau building from 1906, built for the Gresham Life Insurance Company and later used as apartments. It opened as a Four Seasons in June 2004.
• Rooms: 179: 160 rooms and 19 suites
• Top suite: Budapest Royal Suite, 136 m², with a private balcony. The Presidential Suite (130 m²) can be set up with two or three bedrooms.
• Families: the Presidential Suite in two- or three-bedroom form; Park Suites and the Royal Suite can connect to further rooms; cribs, children’s menus and babysitting on request. No kids’ club is listed.
• Accolades: two Michelin Keys; Forbes Five-Star, for the tenth consecutive year in 2026. Not in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 or 2026.
• Dining: KOLLÁZS Brasserie & Bar is in the Michelin Guide Hungary without a star.

The spa is on the top floor, with an infinity pool and Omorovicza treatments.

The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur

• Location: on the banks of Lake Pichola, about 45 minutes from Udaipur airport. The hotel recommends arriving by its private boat.
• History: opened in 2002. Owner EIH Limited listed a renovation as in progress at 31 March 2025; its scope and completion date are not published.
• Rooms: 90 according to Michelin; the hotel does not publish a count
• Top suite: Kohinoor Suite, 246 m², with two bedrooms (one twin), domed gold ceilings and a private pool facing the lake
• Families: the two-bedroom Kohinoor Suite; children’s activities charged separately, such as a treasure hunt at INR 1,000 per child. The main pool is open to all guests and the spa pool is adults only.
• Accolades: two Michelin Keys; Forbes Recommended (not Five-Star); No. 98 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 (not in the 2025 top 100)
• Dining: no Michelin-starred restaurant; we found no Michelin restaurant selection for India.

The grounds cover 30 acres, with gardens Forbes attributes to Bill Bensley.

Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund

• Location: 2 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road, on the Bund
• History: opened in 2010. The Heritage Building is the former Shanghai Club, which Hilton dates to 1911. Our 2021 guide gave 1910.
• Rooms: about 260 (Michelin gives both 257 and 260). The Heritage Building holds 20 suites.
• Top suite: Hilton’s suite pages could not be read and we found no primary source for a size, so none is given.
• Families: not published on the pages we could read
• Accolades: one Michelin Key; Forbes Four-Star. Not in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 or 2026.
• Dining: Ling Long holds one Michelin star in the 2026 Shanghai guide. The Long Bar is 34 m long; Hilton says it was once known as the longest bar in the Far East and was restored when the hotel opened.

This is the only hotel on the list with a Forbes Four-Star rather than Five-Star rating.

Raffles Istanbul

• Location: inside the Zorlu Center, Beşiktaş, with views over the Bosphorus
• History: opened in September 2014
• Rooms: 185 rooms and suites, all with floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies
• Top suite: Raffles Suite, 416 m² across nine rooms, with a grand piano, private cinema and gym. The Continents Suite is 224 m².
• Families: the hotel describes its City View One Bedroom Suite as suitable for a family, and the Raffles Suite includes a “Kids VIP Welcome”. No kids’ club or connecting-room information is published. Dogs up to 5 kg are allowed.
• Accolades: Forbes Five-Star. In the Michelin hotel selection without a Key; Four Seasons Sultanahmet is the only Three-Key hotel in Türkiye in 2026. Not in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 or 2026.
• Dining: no Michelin-listed restaurant in the hotel

Every room is assigned a butler. Artists from Turkey and abroad were commissioned for the hotel’s murals, mosaics, chandeliers and sculptures, and the concierge runs a free 50-minute art tour for guests. The spa covers 3,000 m² and includes a Turkish bath.

What changed since the 2021 version

• All nine hotels are still open under the same operators, except Emirates Palace, which was renamed Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in 2023.
• Corrections: the 2021 guide called Emirates Palace a “Dubai six star hotel”; it is in Abu Dhabi. It said The Connaught had “two Michelin 3-Star Hélène Darroze restaurants”; there is one, with three stars. It captioned a Peninsula Hong Kong photo as Bangkok.
• Waldorf Astoria Shanghai is rated Forbes Four-Star and The Oberoi Udaivilas Forbes Recommended, below the Five-Star level held by six of the other hotels.
• Raffles Istanbul holds Forbes Five-Star but no Michelin Key.
• New data for every hotel: Michelin Keys (introduced in 2024), Forbes 2026 ratings, World’s 50 Best Hotels positions, room counts, top suites and family options.