FACT Magazine is setting a new benchmark for regional hospitality.
The FACT Hotel List celebrates the hotels that define the way we travel. Our scope spans the GCC and balances fresh openings with established icons. The final list will be revealed on 9 October 2025, recognising properties that deliver memorable stays through design, service, and a true sense of place.
We begin with a long list built from year-round editorial research, reader tips and a panel of industry experts. From there, our editorial team conducts on-the-ground assessments that include site inspections, hosted and unhosted stays, dining checks, and spa reviews. We value repeat visits, since consistency matters as much as a single standout moment.
Each property is scored across clear criteria. Service and hospitality are paramount, measured by warmth, professionalism, problem-solving, and attention to detail. Design and sense of place consider architecture, interiors and how the hotel reflects its setting. Culinary excellence is assessed across breakfast, signature dining, and casual outlets, with weight given to ingredient quality and beverage programmes. Rooms and sleep quality cover comfort, maintenance and acoustics. Wellness and leisure encompass spa standards, fitness, pools, and activities. Sustainability, community, innovation and technology are also taken into account. Value reflects the fairness of pricing in relation to the overall offer.
Judging is carried out by FACT editors across the UAE, KSA, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait, supported by independent advisors that include travel writers. Commercial activity has no bearing on editorial outcomes. Any contributor with a conflict of interest recuses themselves from the discussion.
The final list will include a ranking of the fifty best hotels in the region, from idyllic beachfront escapes to far-flung desert resorts.
This process is designed to be thorough, fair and transparent. The aim is simple. Reward hotels that deliver genuine hospitality, inspire travel and raise the bar for the region.
The FACT Hotel List 2025 will be unveiled on Thursday, 9 October 2025, marking a new annual tradition that recognises the very best in regional hospitality.
The FACT Hotel List is part of a broader initiative by FACT Magazine FZ LLC, which includes popular dining awards held in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, London, and Saudi Arabia.
Check in with FACT for more information and to view the region’s top 50 hotels when they are revealed.