The World’s 50 Best Hotels for 2024 have been revealed, and two Aussie favourites have also managed to make the list. Find out which local gems are shining on the global stage and what sets them apart from the rest.
The number one hotel in the world, Capella Bangkok, Tea Lounge
Capella Bangkok
Capella Bangkok, overlooking Thailand’s majestic Chao Phraya River, takes the top spot on The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024 list, climbing 10 places from No.11 in the 2023 list, to also clinch The Best Hotel in Asia 2024 title. Opened in 2020, the contemporary Capella Bangkok is surrounded by lush gardens and exudes the elegance of a grand dame property combined with the intimacy of a boutique hotel. The dramatic, layered architecture ensures all 101 rooms face the water, while riverside villas and suites also include their own private pool.
Passalacqua, Lake Como
Passalacqua
The No.2 spot goes to Passalacqua (number 1 last year), set in an 18th-century villa amongst spectacular terraced gardens on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como. The hotel is additionally awarded the Carlo Alberto Best Boutique Hotel Award 2024. This award is given to the hotel that places highest on the list and fits all the criteria of a boutique property. 50 Best defines a boutique hotel as having fewer than 50 rooms and not being part of a large chain or group, showcasing personalised service and idiosyncratic features unique to its destination. The towering Rosewood Hong Kong in the city’s Victoria Dockside arts and design district takes the No.3 spot.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Author’s Wing of the historic Bangkok hotel which took number 12 in the World’s 50 Best Hotels
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Asia leads the way in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024 with 19 ranked hotels in total, while Bangkok solidifies its reputation as a global travel hub, boasting four hotels on the list: Capella Bangkok (No.1), Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (No.12), Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River (No.14) and The Siam (No.26).
Raffles, Whitehall, London was number 13 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024
John Athimaritis
Europe has 13 of The World’s 50 Best Hotels, with France, the UK and Italy each featuring four properties on the list. Among the high-ranking entries are Cheval Blanc Paris (No.4) and Hôtel de Crillon (No.15) in Paris, Claridge’s (No.11) and Raffles London at The OWO (No.13) in the UK capital and Four Seasons Firenze (No.19) in Italy.
Rosewood Carlyle Hotel, New York The Carlyle in New York at No.30 is the top American hotel on the list.
Durston Saylor
The Carlyle in New York at No.30 is the top American hotel on the list. North America is home to nine winning properties: Maroma (No.18) is one of four top hotels in Mexico including ChabléYucatán (No.16), One&Only Mandarina (No.29) and Hotel Esencia (No.48). In New York, The Carlyle enters at No.30, while Aman New York is No.37. Four Seasons at The Surf Club in Florida and LA’s Hotel Bel-Air are new additions for 2024, ranking No.34 and No.35 respectively. Eden Rock in St Barths, meanwhile, has climbed five places to claim the No.36 spot on the list.
The Top Hotels by Continent
Mount Nelson (No.28) in South Africa wins The Best Hotel in Africa 2024.
Mount Nelson
The highest-ranked hotel in each continent is named The Best Hotel in that respective destination: Capella Bangkok (No.1) in Thailand wins The Best Hotel in Asia 2024. Passalacqua (No.2) in Italy wins The Best Hotel in Europe 2024. Chablé Yucatán (No.16) in Mexico wins The Best Hotel in North America 2024. Rosewood São Paulo (No.24) in Brazil wins The Best Hotel in South America 2024. The Calile (No.25) in Australia wins The Best Hotel in Oceania 2024 and Mount Nelson (No.28) in South Africa wins The Best Hotel in Africa 2024.
Hotel de Crillon, Paris, was named number 15 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels
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The Top 50 Hotels for 2024
1.Capella, Bangkok
2.Passalacqua, Lake Como
3.Rosewood, Hong Kong
4.Cheval Blanc, Paris
5.The Upper House, Hong Kong
6.Raffles, Singapore
7.Aman, Tokyo
8.Soneva Fushi, Maldives
9.Atlantis The Royal, Dubai
10.Nihi Sumba, Sumba Island
11.Claridge’s, London
12.Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
13.Raffles London at The OWO
14.Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
15.Hôtel de Crillon, Paris
16.Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá
17.Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes
18.Maroma, Riviera Maya
19.Four Seasons Firenze, Florence
20.Borgo Santandrea, Amalfi
21.Desa Potato Head, Bali
22.Bulgari, Tokyo
23.The Lana, Dubai
24.Rosewood, São Paulo
25.The Calile, Brisbane
26.The Siam, Bangkok
27.Park Hyatt, Kyoto
28.Mount Nelson, Cape Town
29.One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit
30.The Carlyle, New York
31.La Mamounia, Marrakech
32.Four Seasons, Madrid
33.Capella, Singapore
34.Four Seasons at The Surf Club, Surfside
35.Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
36.Eden Rock, St. Barths
37.Aman, New York
38.Royal Mansour, Marrakech
39.Amangalla, Galle
40.Le Bristol, Paris
41.Gleneagles, Auchterarder
42.Castello di Reschio, Lisciano Niccone
43.Suján Jawai, Rajasthan
44.Singita, Kruger National Park
45.Six Senses Zighy Bay, Zaghi
46.The Connaught, London
47.The Brando, Tetiaroa
48.Hotel Esencia, Tulum
49.The Tasman, Hobart
50.Kokomo Private Island, Yaukuve Levu Island
About the Awards
Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá
Chable Yucatan
The World’s 50 Best Hotels list is created by The World’s 50 Best Hotels Academy, an influential group of more than 580 independent leaders overseen by a group of nine industry-leading Academy Chairs. Each voter is selected for their expert opinion of the international hotel scene, a mix of hoteliers, travel journalists, educators and seasoned luxury travellers. Any hotel worldwide is eligible to be voted for; it does not have to fit any criteria or tick any pre-ordained boxes to be considered. The awards are not “pay to play” meaning the venues themselves do not have to pay to enter the awards or invest any fiscal sum in the nomination process.
The first edition of the list was launched in 2023 with Passalacqua in Moltrasio, Lake Como, Italy, chosen as number one.
This story was originally published on forbes.com.
