National Geographic Names Its 20 Best New Hotels
National Geographic published These Are the 20 Best New Hotels in the World on 2 September 2026. The list is the magazine's first of new hotels worldwide.
The Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort in Fiji leads the article. Green Lodging News read that lead position as the number one spot in a post by Glenn Hasek on 30 September 2026.
The National Geographic article carries no ranking and no numbering. The resort's placement rests on its position in the article order.
The Renovation
The resort completed the most extensive renovation in its three-decade-plus history. The property holds 25 bures, the traditional Fijian thatched huts.
National Geographic describes the 25 bures as transformed from one-bedroom retreats to two-bedroom oceanfront refuges for multigenerational families. A resort announcement records five one-bedroom oceanfront bures reconfigured into two-bedroom, two-bathroom residences with extended decks, daybeds and outdoor dining for six. Trade reports record the remaining bures as rethatched with interiors refreshed.
Magimagi, the woven coconut-fibre rope used across Fijian craft, is worked into beams and structural details. The redesign used locally sourced timber and hand-crafted pieces.
Shared spaces were reworked, including the reception, the dining areas and the main pool.
The Marine Sanctuary And Reef Work
Guests snorkel with resident marine biologists, help restore coral reefs, learn how endangered giant clams are protected, and explore mangrove ecosystems inside a marine sanctuary, National Geographic reports.
The resort names its resident marine biologists as Ofa and Johnny. The marine team leads coral and mangrove restoration alongside reef monitoring, and takes guests on guided snorkelling expeditions over the reefs of Savusavu Bay.
The Family Programme
Younger guests join the complimentary Bula Club and School Under the Sea. The resident marine biologist and naturalists lead reef preservation activities, mangrove walks, glass-bottom boat excursions, rainforest exploration and family snorkelling.
The two-bedroom residences suit extended and multigenerational family stays.
Dining draws on kitchen gardens at the resort and regenerative farms in the area, including traditional lovo feasts.
The Setting
The resort sits on Vanua Levu, the second-largest island in Fiji. National Geographic describes the site as a window onto the marine and cultural heritage of the country.
The Rest Of The List
The US properties on the list are One&Only Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana; Harbor House Inn in Elk, California; and Limelight Boulder in Boulder, Colorado.
National Geographic prints a rate from approximately $1,100 per night for the Cousteau resort.