For 24 years, Condé Nast Traveler has compiled its Hot List, a compendium of the best new hotels and cruises in the word—but never before has the leading travel magazine published the annual list at a time when most of us are staying close to home, and many on this list have had to, at least temporarily, close their newly opened doors.

In this unprecedented moment, our editorial team aims to champion an industry that has been abruptly brought to a standstill, and provide hope and inspiration to readers for future trips.

“At Condé Nast Traveler, our hearts go out to every business, destination and individual who has been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic,” said Jesse Ashlock, U.S. Editor of Condé Nast Traveler. “We are honored to provide a platform for an industry that has been so deeply devastated, and to recognize the properties and ships that captured our editors in the last year when travel was thriving and no one saw this coming.”

The Hot List honorees are selected as part of a rigorous year-long vetting process. Our team of editors and experts reviewed more than 400 hotels and ships firsthand, and whittled the group of worthy contenders down to the 76 outstanding hotels and 10 ships and routes on this year’s list.

“We still believe in travel—truly, madly, deeply—and hope to inspire readers to dream about that next big trip, because when the time comes, travel will be what helps us to start moving forward again,” said Ashlock.

The 2020 Hot List can be found on Condé Nast Traveler’s website and in the May/June issue.