As American hotel giants such as Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt compete for travelers across Asia, South Korea’s Shilla Hotels & Resorts is building a regional presence of its own. The company has won 11 honors at the 2026 World Luxury Awards, including four top global distinctions, with recognition extending from its flagship Seoul property to a beachfront resort in Vietnam.
The awards highlight the international ambitions of Hotel Shilla, the South Korean hospitality company behind the luxury brand. Its growing presence in Vietnam places it in a broader Asian hotel market where established American chains and regional operators are seeking to attract international travelers.
Shilla now operates 23 hotels across South Korea, China and Vietnam under three brands, The Shilla, Shilla Monogram and Shilla Stay. Its latest expansion came in October with the opening of Shilla Monogram Hanoi Westlake, strengthening its presence in Vietnam beyond its existing resort in Da Nang.
The company’s international ambitions received a boost on November 9, when the World Luxury Awards announced this year’s winners. Shilla Monogram Danang was named the Global Winner for Best Luxury Beach Resort, the highest distinction available in its category.
The Vietnam recognition is particularly significant because Shilla Monogram is designed to take the company’s hospitality experience beyond South Korea while incorporating the distinctive characteristics of each destination. The award marked the brand’s success in securing international recognition outside its domestic market.
Back in Seoul, The Shilla Seoul accounted for seven of the company’s 11 awards, including three Global Winner titles.
The flagship property received the top global honor for Best Luxury Culinary Hotel, along with South Korean awards for Best Luxury Wedding Hotel and Best Luxury City Hotel.
Its restaurants also attracted international recognition. La Yeon, a fine dining restaurant specializing in Korean cuisine, was named Global Winner for Best Korean Cuisine and received the East Asia award for Best Luxury Heritage Restaurant.
Continental, the hotel’s French restaurant, secured the Global Winner title for Best Wine Selection and an East Asia award for Best French Cuisine.
The Shilla Jeju, located on South Korea’s southern resort island, collected three regional and national honors. It was recognized as Best Luxury Ocean View Resort in Asia, Best Luxury Resort in East Asia and Best Luxury Family Resort in South Korea.
The World Luxury Awards are determined through online voting by travelers worldwide rather than financial performance or occupancy figures. Winners are recognized across global, continental, regional and national categories. The hotel awards program began in 2006, followed by the restaurant awards in 2015.
Although the accolades do not establish a competitive advantage over larger international hotel chains, they provide a measure of Shilla’s growing brand recognition as the company expands into overseas markets.
A Shilla Hotels & Resorts representative said the recognition of its Da Nang property was especially meaningful. The company plans to continue combining the hospitality expertise developed in South Korea with local characteristics as it enters new markets.
With international recognition extending across luxury accommodations, fine dining and beachfront resorts, Shilla is pursuing a broader role in Asia’s hospitality industry. Its expanding portfolio in Vietnam offers a concrete example of how the South Korean operator is seeking to turn its domestic hotel experience into an international business.
