The Best Belmond Hotels, Ranked by Guest Reviews
Belmond scored highest of the ten brands we measured. These are its best hotels on guest reviews, led by Monasterio in Cusco.
By Biirdee Travel, Luxury Travel Concierge · Updated October 1, 2026
The Ranking in Brief
- Belmond scored highest of the ten brands we measured: 9.53 out of 10 across 15 hotels, with 89% of recent guests scoring 9 or more and 4.7% under 7. The caveat: that is 15 hotels with enough recent reviews, against 72 for Four Seasons.
- No. 1 on our scoring is Monasterio in Cusco (9.91, with 99% of guests scoring 9 or more), and it is one of the cheapest Belmonds too, at $520–692 a night on our test stays.
- Mount Nelson in Cape Town (9.90) and the Grand Hotel Timeo in Taormina (9.84) follow; the Cipriani is sixth (9.63) and the Copacabana Palace eighth (9.57).
- The lowest recent scores among ranked hotels are Jimbaran Puri (9.04) and El Encanto (9.06), both still above the Ritz-Carlton brand average (8.89).
- In 2026 the Splendido (newly promoted), the Cipriani, Las Casitas and Hotel das Cataratas hold Three MICHELIN Keys.
How We Ranked Them
On 1 October 2026 we scored the 100 most recent verified guest reviews at every Belmond hotel on our booking platform (the engine behind hotels.biirdee.com): the mean out of 10, the share of guests scoring 9 or more and the share scoring under 7. To be ranked, a hotel needed at least 50 recent reviews, all written from June 2024 onward; 15 of Belmond's 28 hotels qualify. We also priced the same stays at every hotel through the same engine (10–13 Nov 2026, 12–15 Mar 2027 and 15–18 Jul 2027). Rates are the lowest per night at booking, taxes collected at the hotel are extra, and live rates change daily, so treat them as the rates on 1 October 2026.
Forbes is the Forbes Travel Guide 2026 Star Awards (a blank means we found no 2026 listing). Awards are the MICHELIN Keys 2026, announced 18 September 2026, and The 50 Best Hotels 2026, whose Nos 1–50 were revealed on 15 September 2026 and Nos 51–100 on 1 September; a blank means none we could confirm. The order is ours and it measures one thing well, how recent guests rated their stay, so read the notes on each hotel as well as the number.
The Top 15 on Recent Guest Reviews
Ranked by the mean of each hotel's 100 most recent verified reviews on our booking platform (out of 10), then the share scoring 9 or more and the share scoring under 7. Only hotels with at least 50 reviews written since June 2024 qualify. Rates: lowest per night on 10–13 Nov 2026, 12–15 Mar 2027 and 15–18 Jul 2027, priced 1 October 2026.
| # | Hotel | City | Guest score (mean · 9+ · under 7) | Forbes 2026 | Awards (2026) | Lowest rate: Nov / Mar / Jul |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monasterio, A Belmond Hotel | Cusco | 9.91 · 99% · 0% | Four-Star | One MICHELIN Key | $520 / $533 / $692 |
| 2 | Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel | Cape Town | 9.90 · 98% · 1% | Five-Star | No. 34 in The 50 Best Hotels | $1,030 / $1,515 / $1,066 |
| 3 | Grand Hotel Timeo, A Belmond Hotel | Taormina | 9.84 · 93% · 0% | Four-Star | Two MICHELIN Keys | $958 / No rooms / $2,345 |
| 4 | Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel | Machu Picchu | 9.82 · 96% · 1% | $2,397 / $1,922 / $2,217 | ||
| 5 | Caruso, A Belmond Hotel | Ravello | 9.72 · 91% · 2% | Five-Star | One MICHELIN Key | No rooms / No rooms / $2,771 |
| 6 | Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel | Venice | 9.63 · 91% · 5% | Five-Star | Three MICHELIN Keys | No rooms / No rooms / $3,535 |
| 7 | La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel | Deià | 9.62 · 91% · 4% | $720 / No rooms / $2,215 | ||
| 8 | Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel | Rio de Janeiro | 9.57 · 89% · 3% | Four-Star | Two MICHELIN Keys; No. 29 in The 50 Best Hotels | $1,112 / $846 / No rooms |
| 9 | Miraflores Park, A Belmond Hotel | Lima | 9.49 · 89% · 4% | Four-Star | One MICHELIN Key | $639 (suites only) / $657 (suites only) / $742 (suites only) |
| 10 | The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel | London | 9.48 · 91% · 6% | Five-Star | Two MICHELIN Keys | $1,133 / $714 / $1,453 |
| 11 | Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel | Anguilla | 9.43 · 87% · 7% | Five-Star | No rooms / $3,519 / $1,536 | |
| 12 | Hotel das Cataratas, A Belmond Hotel | Foz do Iguaçu | 9.23 · 85% · 10% | Five-Star | Three MICHELIN Keys; No. 77 on The 50 Best Hotels 51–100 list | $958 / $877 / $748 |
| 13 | Reid's Palace, A Belmond Hotel | Funchal | 9.23 · 80% · 9% | Recommended | Two MICHELIN Keys | $1,319 (suites only) / $525 / $898 |
| 14 | El Encanto, A Belmond Hotel | Santa Barbara | 9.06 · 78% · 11% | One MICHELIN Key (new in 2026) | $924 / $1,351 / $1,411 | |
| 15 | Jimbaran Puri, A Belmond Hotel | Jimbaran | 9.04 · 81% · 8% | Four-Star | One MICHELIN Key | $281 (suites only) / $291 (suites only) / $435 (suites only) |
The Top Five
1. Monasterio, Cusco (9.91). The most consistent hotel in our Belmond sample: 99% of its 100 most recent reviewers scored it 9 or more, none scored it under 7, and the written reviews that mentioned the service, the breakfast or the food averaged a perfect 10. It is also one of Belmond's cheapest: $520 a night on our November stay with breakfast, and never above $770 in any month we priced. Forbes Four-Star; One MICHELIN Key.
2. Mount Nelson, Cape Town (9.90). The family pick of the top ten: families wrote 47% of its recent reviews, and only 1% of guests scored it under 7. Forbes Five-Star and No. 34 in The 50 Best Hotels 2026. From $1,030 a night with breakfast on our November stay; December is its dearest month ($1,792).
3. Grand Hotel Timeo, Taormina (9.84). The view is the review: 62% of written reviews mention it, those averaged 9.92, and no recent guest scored the hotel under 7. It is the highest-scoring of the three luxury hotels we scored in Taormina, ahead of its sister Villa Sant'Andrea (9.38†, an older review window) and the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace (9.29). Two MICHELIN Keys. The season bites: $958 on our November stay, $2,345 in July.
4. Sanctuary Lodge, Machu Picchu (9.82). The only hotel at the gates of the citadel, and the one Belmond where the rate covers your meals: every rate we saw was full board, at $1,922–2,619 a night across all four of our stays. Food came up in 61% of written reviews (averaging 9.75), more than at any other top-ten hotel.
5. Caruso, Ravello (9.72). A couples' hotel (73% of recent reviews), and the pool earns its fame: 35% of written reviews mention it, the highest share in the top ten. Forbes Five-Star; One MICHELIN Key. Nothing was bookable on our engine from November to March; April is the cheap month ($1,147 midweek) and June the dearest ($3,139).
Six to Ten
6. Hotel Cipriani, Venice (9.63). The flagship scores well rather than top. Breakfast (20% of written reviews, averaging 9.87) and the pool (27%, averaging 9.7) draw the warmest words, while the 12% of reviews that called something dated averaged 8.44. Three MICHELIN Keys and Forbes Five-Star. On our engine it was bookable only from June to September 2027, from $2,207 midweek in July; our 15–18 July stay was $3,535 a night with breakfast. More in our Cipriani guide.
7. La Residencia, Deià (9.62). After Mount Nelson, the most family-heavy hotel in the top ten (families wrote 32% of its reviews). Breakfast comes up in a third of written reviews (34%) and averaged 9.08, a little under the hotel's overall score; the spa (14%, averaging 8.8) is the soft spot. $720 on our November stay against $2,215 in July, and August midweek ($3,876) is its dearest month.
8. Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro (9.57). Service came up in 84% of written reviews (averaging 9.81), and the reviews that mentioned the pool or the breakfast averaged a perfect 10; 16% called something dated (averaging 9.0). Two MICHELIN Keys and No. 29 in The 50 Best Hotels 2026, down from No. 11 in 2025. From $846 a night with breakfast on our March stay; more in our Copacabana Palace guide.
9. Miraflores Park, Lima (9.49). The breakfast hotel: 41% of written reviews mention it (averaging 9.88), the highest share in the top ten, and the reviews that mentioned the food averaged a perfect 10. Only suites were left on our three dates, from $639 a night. One MICHELIN Key.
10. The Cadogan, London (9.48). The second-highest-scoring of the 14 luxury hotels we scored in London, behind only The Connaught (9.79). Its 91% of guests scoring 9 or more matches the Cipriani, but 6% scored it under 7, which pulls its mean down. Room-only rates ran $714 on our March stay and $1,453 in July, with breakfast for two adding $142–167 a night. Forbes Five-Star; Two MICHELIN Keys.
The Five Lowest Recent Guest Scores
Same scoring and eligibility as the ranking above, lowest first.
| Hotel | City | Guest score (mean · 9+ · under 7) | Forbes 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimbaran Puri, A Belmond Hotel | Jimbaran | 9.04 · 81% · 8% | Four-Star |
| El Encanto, A Belmond Hotel | Santa Barbara | 9.06 · 78% · 11% | |
| Reid's Palace, A Belmond Hotel | Funchal | 9.23 · 80% · 9% | Recommended |
| Hotel das Cataratas, A Belmond Hotel | Foz do Iguaçu | 9.23 · 85% · 10% | Five-Star |
| Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel | Anguilla | 9.43 · 87% · 7% | Five-Star |
The Honest Bottom of the List
Low is relative here: the weakest ranked Belmond, Jimbaran Puri, scored 9.04, above the Ritz-Carlton brand average of 8.89. But the gaps are real, and the written reviews show where they are.
Jimbaran Puri (9.04): 17% of written reviews called something dated (those averaged 7.43), and the 12% that mentioned breakfast averaged 7.6. It is also Belmond's cheapest hotel on our dates ($281–435 a night for a cottage suite with breakfast), so for some travelers the trade is worth making.
El Encanto (9.06): the largest share of guests scoring under 7 among the ranked hotels (11%), and reviews mentioning breakfast averaged 8.0. It is second of the three luxury hotels we scored in Santa Barbara, behind Rosewood Miramar Beach (9.28†, older reviews).
Reid's Palace and Hotel das Cataratas (both 9.23): at Reid's, reviews mentioning the pool and the food (32% each) both averaged 8.25; at das Cataratas the food (36% of written reviews) averaged 7.88. Both look better over the long run on our platform (9.6 over 722 reviews and 9.7 over 2,812), so the recent dip is the thing to watch.
Cap Juluca (9.43): 7% of recent guests scored it under 7, but the beach (69% of written reviews, averaging 9.47) and the spa (26%, averaging 9.92) are exactly why people go.
High Scorers We Could Not Rank
Thirteen Belmond hotels sit outside the ranking because their recent reviews are too old (marked †: a review window starting before June 2024) or too few. Several would rank near the top: Villa San Michele above Florence scored 9.90† on only 20 reviews; Palacio Nazarenas in Cusco 9.88† (reviews from April 2024); Rio Sagrado in the Sacred Valley 9.82†; Las Casitas in the Colca Canyon 9.80† on only 20 reviews; Maroma 9.68†; Castello di Casole 9.67†; Casa de Sierra Nevada 9.65†; and the Splendido and Splendido Mare 9.64† each (the Splendido's 64 reviews end in 2022). Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons scored 9.69† on 58 reviews and is closed for renovation.
Lower down, Villa Sant'Andrea scored 9.38† and Romazzino 8.72† on only 36 reviews; La Samanna had too few reviews to score. Several of the unranked hotels carry 2026 honors: Las Casitas and the Splendido hold Three MICHELIN Keys, Maroma is No. 47 in The 50 Best Hotels 2026, and Palacio Nazarenas is No. 54 on its 51–100 list.
The Top Ten
In our ranking order. From rates are the lowest night we could book on our engine on 1 October 2026, across our test stays and a midweek stay in every month to October 2027.
Monasterio, A Belmond Hotel
Cusco, Peru
9.8Exceptional · 523 guest reviewsNo. 1 (9.91): 99% of recent guests scored it 9 or more, none under 7
Guests praiseBeautiful and historic propertyExceptional service and staffGreat location near historical sights
from $520/night (Nov 2026)
Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel
Cape Town, South Africa
9.7Exceptional · 933 guest reviewsNo. 2 (9.90): the family favorite of the top ten, Forbes Five-Star
Guests praiseImpeccable serviceDelicious foodBeautiful setting
from $959/night (Nov 2026)
Grand Hotel Timeo, A Belmond Hotel
Taormina, Sicily
9.7Exceptional · 308 guest reviewsNo. 3 (9.84): no recent guest scored it under 7, and the view is why
Guests praiseExceptional serviceStunning locationBeautiful amenities
from $958/night (Nov 2026)
Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel
Machu Picchu, Peru
9.5Exceptional · 291 guest reviewsNo. 4 (9.82): full board at the gates of the citadel
Guests praiseGreat serviceGood foodPerfect location
from $1,922/night (Feb 2027)
Caruso, A Belmond Hotel
Ravello, Amalfi Coast
9.8Exceptional · 245 guest reviewsNo. 5 (9.72): the couples' pick, and the pool guests write about most
Guests praiseOutstanding serviceBreathtaking viewsIncredible food
from $1,147/night (Apr 2027)
Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel
Giudecca, Venice
9.8Exceptional · 225 guest reviewsNo. 6 (9.63): Three MICHELIN Keys; bookable June to September on our engine
Guests praiseExceptional service and conciergeFantastic seawater pool and gardens
from $2,207/night (Jul 2027)
La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel
Deià, Mallorca
9.5Exceptional · 375 guest reviewsNo. 7 (9.62): families wrote nearly a third of its reviews
Guests praiseExceptional serviceBeautiful locationOutstanding amenities
from $720/night (Nov 2026)
Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
9.5Exceptional · 1,901 guest reviewsNo. 8 (9.57): Two MICHELIN Keys and No. 29 in The 50 Best Hotels 2026
Guests praiseExcellent serviceIconic locationElegant and quiet rooms
from $662/night (Apr 2027)
Miraflores Park, A Belmond Hotel
Lima, Peru
9.6Exceptional · 269 guest reviewsNo. 9 (9.49): the breakfast guests mention most in the top ten
Guests praiseGreat serviceLuxurious rooms
from $551/night (Jan 2027)
The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel
Chelsea, London
10.0Exceptional · 230 guest reviewsNo. 10 (9.48): second of the 14 luxury hotels we scored in London
Guests praiseImpeccable serviceGreat location and amenities
from $693/night (Mar 2027)
Best Belmond Hotels FAQs
What is the best Belmond hotel?
On our scoring of the 100 most recent guest reviews, Monasterio in Cusco: 9.91 out of 10, with 99% of guests scoring 9 or more and none under 7. Mount Nelson in Cape Town (9.90) and the Grand Hotel Timeo in Taormina (9.84) are close behind. By reputation the Cipriani is the flagship; on recent reviews it is sixth (9.63).
Is Belmond the best luxury hotel brand?
On recent guest reviews it was the best of the ten brands we measured: 9.53 out of 10 against 9.40 for Maybourne, 9.26 for The Peninsula and 9.17 for Four Seasons, with the smallest share of unhappy guests (4.7% under 7). Two caveats: the score rests on the 15 Belmond hotels with enough recent reviews, and Belmond holds fewer Forbes Five-Star hotels (7 of 18 rated) than several rivals. The full comparison is in our Belmond guide.
Which Belmond hotels are Forbes Five-Star?
Seven in the Forbes Travel Guide 2026 Star Awards: Cap Juluca, the Caruso, Hotel Cipriani, Hotel das Cataratas, Maroma, Mount Nelson and The Cadogan.
Which Belmond hotels have Three MICHELIN Keys?
In the 2026 selection, announced 18 September 2026: the Splendido in Portofino (newly promoted from Two), Hotel Cipriani in Venice, Las Casitas in Peru's Colca Canyon and Hotel das Cataratas at Iguaçu Falls.
What is the best-value Belmond?
Monasterio, on our numbers: first on guest scores and $520–692 a night on our test stays, breakfast included. Miraflores Park in Lima (ninth, suites from $639) and Hotel das Cataratas (twelfth, $748 on our July stay) are the other strong value plays; prices for every hotel are in Belmond prices.
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