February 5, 2026, 3:52 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
From the Berlin snark to the typical Bavarian slight brusqueness and the Hessian straightforwardness: Many traits associated with parts of Germany contrast with the warm hospitality often linked to other regions of the world. Countries such as Thailand, Canada, Mexico, or India are considered epitomes of hospitality. Yet, Saxony, a German state, has made it among the world’s most hospitable regions according to user reviews on Booking.com. TRAVELBOOK takes a closer look at this category of this year’s Traveller Review Awards from the travel platform.
Many people rely on user reviews on travel portals when planning vacations–whether for accommodations, car rentals, or airport transfers. For the portals themselves, the reviews provide insight into which providers stand out, consistently offering high quality, good service, and hospitality. Based on this, Booking.com annually awards the Traveller Review Awards to recognize partners who provide travelers with an outstanding experience. Germany traditionally performs well in this regard. Last year, for example, the city of Quedlinburg–a state-recognized resort town known for its UNESCO World Heritage old town–stood out as one of the world’s most hospitable places (TRAVELBOOK reported). In this year’s awards, Saxony is now represented in the category of the world’s most hospitable regions.
How the Most Hospitable Regions Were Determined
With the Traveller Review Awards, Booking.com honors “partners” who impress with a particularly high proportion of excellent reviews. The platform defines partners as businesses offering services to travelers and listed on Booking.com. There are three categories where consistently high ratings, friendliness, and service quality matter:
- Accommodations–from hotels to guesthouses, vacation rentals, holiday homes, and hostels to villas or aparthotels
- Car rental providers, meaning car rental companies present on the platform, and
- Airport transfers, including shuttle, taxi, or bus services that reliably transport travelers from the airport to their accommodations.
The inclusion among the world’s most hospitable regions was determined by the proportion of accommodations with particularly good reviews. Only reviews from real guests who actually used an accommodation were considered. Each hotel, vacation home, or similar had to have between three and ten reviews and achieve an average of at least 8 out of 10 points. Only regions with at least 200 outstanding accommodations were included in the evaluation, and in cities, there had to be at least 50. This analysis shows where especially many hosts are warm and exceptionally service-oriented.
Saxony Scores with Courteous Hosts
According to Booking.com, Saxony’s recognition as one of the world’s most hospitable regions is due to the lived hospitality in its accommodations. Hosts consciously take time for their guests–they greet them personally and offer individual recommendations, such as insider tips for excursions, restaurants, or events. This allows travelers to experience the region authentically. Additionally, Saxony’s diverse accommodations impress with their high service quality. The staff is described as friendly, attentive, and well-organized. Lastly, the region’s attractiveness, with its historic cities and natural and cultural landscapes, contributes to a thoroughly successful stay. This places the state on a prestigious international list.
The Most Hospitable Cities in Germany
The World’s Most Hospitable City Is in Italy
World’s Most Hospitable Regions According to Traveller Review Awards
- Hidalgo (Mexico)
- Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada)
- Navarra (Spain)
- Idaho (USA)
- Himachal Pradesh (India)
- Saxony (Germany)
- Phang-nga (Thailand)
- Overijssel (Netherlands)
- Epirus (Greece)
- Chiriquí (Panama)
Germany Among the Top Countries for Hospitality
Germany plays an important role in terms of hospitality in international comparison. A total of 111,685 partners were awarded the Traveller Review Awards. This places the country fourth worldwide–behind Italy, France, and Spain, but ahead of the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, besides Saxony, no other German state made it among the world’s most hospitable regions.