Moves up two places from 2025 in 'Hotels 50 2026,' marking continued gains in global brand standing
- Hotel Shilla ranks 21st in Brand Finance's 'Hotels 50 2026,' the only Korean hotel brand in the Top 50.
- Three-brand portfolio of The Shilla, Shilla Monogram, and Shilla Stay delivers differentiated brand experiences through premium service and culinary excellence.
- Forbes Travel Guide and La Liste recognition, alongside expansion in China and Vietnam, underscores Hotel Shilla's global competitiveness.
SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hotel Shilla, South Korea's leading luxury hospitality company and an affiliate of Samsung Group, ranked 21st among the world's most valuable hotel brands in 'Hotels 50 2026,' published by UK-based brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance.
Brand Finance is a London-headquartered global brand valuation consultancy that values more than 6,000 brands annually and publishes more than 100 industry and country reports. It assesses brand strength based on factors including marketing investment, stakeholder perceptions and business performance, and calculates the economic value of brands using the Royalty Relief methodology in accordance with international standards.
According to 'Hotels 50 2026,' released by Brand Finance in July, Hotel Shilla ranked 21st in global hotel brand value, up two places from 23rd last year. It is the only Korean hotel brand to be included in the Top 50. Brand Finance described Hotel Shilla as an example of a brand that has enhanced both brand strength and brand value through distinctive cultural content and premium service.
The Shilla Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Shilla's hospitality group, encompasses three distinct brands: luxury brand The Shilla, lifestyle brand Shilla Monogram, and business hotel brand Shilla Stay. The Shilla Seoul, its flagship property, has also built a distinctive fine dining portfolio that includes La Yeon for Korean cuisine, Palsun for Chinese cuisine, Ariake for Japanese cuisine, and Continental for French fine dining.
The rise in ranking is particularly notable in a market dominated by major global hotel chains, highlighting Hotel Shilla's growing brand strength through its distinct brand identity and operational competitiveness. The combined brand value of the world's top 50 hotel brands rose 21% year over year to US$69.8 billion in 2026, further illustrating the intensity of competition among leading global hotel brands. Against this backdrop, Hotel Shilla's position as the only Korean hotel brand in the Top 50 underscores the increasing global prominence of Korean luxury hospitality.
The Shilla Hotels & Resorts currently operates 22 properties: two under The Shilla, three under Shilla Monogram, and 17 under Shilla Stay. The portfolio comprises 19 properties in South Korea, two in China, and one in Vietnam, spanning major destinations including Seoul, Jeju, Xi'an, Yancheng, and Da Nang. Experience gained from serving diverse markets and guest segments enables the company to deliver consistent service standards and guest experiences.
Hotel Shilla's service and operational capabilities have also been recognized by leading global hotel authorities. In February 2026, The Shilla Seoul earned a Five-Star rating from Forbes Travel Guide for the eighth consecutive year, becoming the first and only hotel in Korea to achieve the distinction for eight consecutive years. In July, The Shilla Seoul was included in the World's Best Hotels 1000 at the 'La Liste Hotel Awards 2026,' ranking highest among Korean hotels for the second consecutive year.
"This ranking reflects our continued efforts to build distinctive brand experiences and deliver consistently high standards of service across our portfolio," said a spokesperson for Hotel Shilla. "Building on our premium service and culinary excellence, we will continue to expand our presence in key international markets and bring Hotel Shilla's distinctive hospitality to more guests around the world."
Hotel Shilla continues to expand its international hotel portfolio across key Asian markets. In 2026, the company expanded its footprint in China with the opening of Shilla Monogram Xi'an in February, followed by Shilla Stay Yancheng in April. Following the opening of Shilla Monogram Danang in Vietnam in 2020, Hotel Shilla also plans to open a new hotel in Hanoi. Through this continued international expansion, Hotel Shilla aims to further strengthen its position as a leading Korean luxury hotel brand on the global stage.
Reference:
The Shilla Hotels & Resorts Official Website: https://www.shillahotels.com/index.do
Brand Finance Hotels 50 2026: https://brandirectory.com/reports/hotels
About Hotel Shilla
Hotel Shilla, an affiliate of the Samsung Group, is a leading hospitality and travel retail operator based in South Korea, committed to delivering outstanding customer experiences through innovation and service excellence. Its hospitality division, The Shilla Hotels & Resorts, includes three hotel brands: The Shilla, Shilla Monogram, and Shilla Stay, with 22 properties across South Korea, China, and Vietnam. The Shilla Seoul, the company's flagship luxury property, is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) and an APAC Regional Program Partner of Virtuoso, recognized globally for excellence in service and sophistication. In its travel retail division, The Shilla Duty Free is a leading duty-free powerhouse, operating three domestic stores, two overseas branches, and an online platform. Drawing on decades of expertise, Hotel Shilla continues to pursue new opportunities for growth, aiming to become a world-class service distribution leader.
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Hotel Shilla Rises to 21st on Brand Finance's Global Hotel Brand Ranking, the Only Korean Hotel Brand in Top 50
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Climbing icon Tommy Caldwell recently joined TORRAS for a father-son climb with his son Fitz on the Scimitar route near Lake Tahoe. Featuring TORRAS Q3 AIR PRO, the project opened into a candid conversation about resilience, fatherhood and the experiences that have shaped him over a lifetime of climbing.
Strength in Focus
For Tommy, who once saw climbing as the center of his life, losing a finger might have seemed like a nightmare. Yet even in that moment, he found a sense of possibility.
| "I felt uncertainty and fear, but I also felt strangely liberated. There were no expectations anymore—neither from me nor from anyone else. I was starting from the bottom, and every time I proved I could still do something, it was uplifting and invigorating." |
"I felt uncertainty and fear, but I also felt strangely liberated. There were no expectations anymore—neither from me nor from anyone else. I was starting from the bottom, and every time I proved I could still do something, it was uplifting and invigorating."
Despite the extraordinary climbs he went on to achieve after that, Tommy has never seen himself as a naturally gifted climber.
| "Over time, I realized that hard work could still take me to those places. I grew to love getting into the trench and digging a little every day. That process itself became fulfilling. I learned that I was good at focusing on something, being relentless, and moving steadily toward it—so I embraced that strength." |
"Over time, I realized that hard work could still take me to those places. I grew to love getting into the trench and digging a little every day. That process itself became fulfilling. I learned that I was good at focusing on something, being relentless, and moving steadily toward it—so I embraced that strength."
Recording on His Own Terms
Tommy and Kevin Jorgeson's historic Dawn Wall ascent brought their story to a global audience and changed the way Caldwell thought about sharing his experiences.
| "I began to understand that sharing could be meaningful. But I also learned when to put the phone down. At one point I dropped my phone off the wall, and it reminded me that if you become too absorbed in what people are saying, you can stop experiencing the thing itself. The balance matters." |
"I began to understand that sharing could be meaningful. But I also learned when to put the phone down. At one point I dropped my phone off the wall, and it reminded me that if you become too absorbed in what people are saying, you can stop experiencing the thing itself. The balance matters."
Today, Caldwell also captures moments on his own terms. During the climb with Fitz, the TORRAS Q3 Air Pro made it easier to record along the way.
| "I found myself belaying with one hand and recording with the other in a way I would not have felt comfortable doing before. I also clipped the ring to a carabiner on my rack, almost the same way I rack climbing gear. That was a pleasant surprise because it made the phone much faster to access than repeatedly sliding it in and out of a pocket." |
"I found myself belaying with one hand and recording with the other in a way I would not have felt comfortable doing before. I also clipped the ring to a carabiner on my rack, almost the same way I rack climbing gear. That was a pleasant surprise because it made the phone much faster to access than repeatedly sliding it in and out of a pocket."
Passing on Confidence
Scimitar marked one of Fitz's most challenging multi-pitch climbs yet. As he stays close to protect Fitz on the wall, Tommy takes an equally careful approach to fatherhood.
| "I did not want to force him to climb, even though in the back of my mind I hoped he might eventually see what I see in it. The challenge for me is to contain my enthusiasm and let his interest grow naturally, without tying it to ego or to other people's expectations of a professional climber's child." |
"I did not want to force him to climb, even though in the back of my mind I hoped he might eventually see what I see in it. The challenge for me is to contain my enthusiasm and let his interest grow naturally, without tying it to ego or to other people's expectations of a professional climber's child."
Asked what he ultimately hopes for Fitz, Caldwell does not prescribe a destination.
| "First of all, I want him to be his own person and find his own path. I know how to teach him to follow the path I took, but that is not necessarily the path he should take. "I want him to be confident and joyful—to see the world as a wonderful place, to meet people from many places, to notice beauty, and to move through life with openness." |
"First of all, I want him to be his own person and find his own path. I know how to teach him to follow the path I took, but that is not necessarily the path he should take.
"I want him to be confident and joyful—to see the world as a wonderful place, to meet people from many places, to notice beauty, and to move through life with openness."
For Caldwell, what gets passed on is not a path to follow, but the confidence to find one.
Shared Ground: Tommy Caldwell & TORRAS
The sense of focus Caldwell values is what he appreciates about TORRAS as a brand.
| "I think the biggest difference between TORRAS and other brands I've worked with is that they put so much energy into making just a few products very well. It's cool to see all that energy going into a few things and those things being really perfected." |
"I think the biggest difference between TORRAS and other brands I've worked with is that they put so much energy into making just a few products very well. It's cool to see all that energy going into a few things and those things being really perfected."
The connection feels even closer through a shared relationship with climbing.
| "It was exciting to see TORRAS's connection to climbing. There are people within the company who are climbers, and TORRAS supports climbing gyms. Anything close to the climbing world means a lot to me." |
"It was exciting to see TORRAS's connection to climbing. There are people within the company who are climbers, and TORRAS supports climbing gyms. Anything close to the climbing world means a lot to me."
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Strength From Within: A TORRAS Conversation with Tommy Caldwell
