For the second year, the World’s 50 Best hotels have been revealed by the company already known for making an annual ranking of the best restaurants and bars in the world. With hotels joining the lists last year, 50 Best aims to become “the ultimate global reference point for the very best hospitality experiences across the globe, encompassing restaurants, bars and hotels.”
This year’s ranking was unveiled yesterday evening, in London, highlighting “outstanding hotel experiences across the world in a list that will shape the aspirations of consumers, travellers and hoteliers globally”, 59 Best said in a statement.
“This year’s dynamic list underscores the appetite for a range of experiences, from busy city breaks to far-flung escapes, and honours the dedication and passion of the staff who make these exceptional experiences possible, while highlighting the remarkable breadth of talent in the industry worldwide”, said Emma Sleight, Head of Content for The World’s 50 Best Hotels.
Capella Bangkok, overlooking Thailand’s majestic Chao Phraya River, took the top spot, 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. The renowned Auriga spa is an enclave of relaxation whilst ‘Capella Culturalists’ – personal butlers with a direct line to the city’s finest and most diverse activities – are on hand to help guests get under the skin of the destination.
The No.2 spot went to Passalacqua, 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 took the No.3 spot, the second of 19 hotels in Asia featured in the ranking. Besides Capella, three other Bangkok hotels are listed: Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (No.12), Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River (No.14) and The Siam (No.26).
Further enhancing Asia’s presence, Japan has three hotels featured including Aman Tokyo (No.7), Bulgari Tokyo (No.22) – which also won the Nikka Best New Hotel 2024 – and Park Hyatt Kyoto (No.27). The Nikka Best New Hotel Award goes to the highest-ranked hotel on the list that opened within the 18-month voting period.
Europe boasts 13 of The World’s 50 Best Hotels, with France, the UK and Italy each featuring four properties on the list. Some of the high-ranking entries include Cheval Blanc (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.
North America is home to nine winning properties: Maroma (No.18) is one of four hotels in Mexico to make the ranking, including Chablé Yucatán (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.
Africa now boasts four hotels on the list: new entry Mount Nelson (No.28) in Cape Town, La Mamounia (No.31) and Royal Mansour (No.38) in Marrakech, and Singita – Kruger National Park (No.44). Oceania has gone from one to four properties featured, including Brisbane’s The Calile (No.25), The Brando (No.47) in French Polynesia, Hobart’s The Tasman (No.49) and Kokomo Private Island (No.50) in Fiji.
