Where are the best hotels in the world?

The awards for The World's 50 Best Hotels took place yesterday in London, gathering the entire luxury hospitality industry during fashion month. The ceremony, which saw its first edition in 2023, successfully celebrated properties from all continents. Hospitality has now become a very fertile ground for high-end fashion brands, with increasing investments from luxury groups in the hotel sector. Bulgari was among the pioneers, opening the first Bulgari Hotel in Milan in 2004 and over time expanding into six different locations worldwide. Armani opened the first Armani/Hotel in Dubai in 2011, and ten years later decided to open in the heart of the brand's hometown with the Via Manzoni location. Then in 2019, LVMH decided to expand into hospitality by acquiring the luxury hotel chain Belmond, bringing it among the most renowned names in the industry. As seen in the famous HBO TV series The White Lotus, whose third season is expected to be released in the first half of 2025, luxury hotels are everywhere in the world, from metropolitan cities to remote tropical islands. In the list, the winning continent is Asia, which hosts almost half of the awarded properties and manages to secure two spots in the top 3. For Europe, we mainly see France, Italy, and London, with Italy hosting the second-best hotel in the world – on Lake Como. The list also includes several luxury chains: Belmond occupies two spots, Aman three across two continents, and Four Seasons celebrates its name by securing four spots in the ranking. So, which are the best hotels in the world?

The top spot of The World's 50 Best Hotels ranking was awarded to Capella Bangkok, which was also named the best hotel in Asia. With its simple and clean design that harks back to Japanese tradition, the hotel offers every imaginable comfort for its guests: from the Auriga Spa (awarded by both Forbes and the World Spa Awards) to chef Mauro Colagreco's Michelin star. The second place goes to Passalacqua, which evokes an idyllic small portrait of Lake Garda. In addition to winning the silver medal, it was also awarded as the best boutique hotel and best hotel in Europe. The third spot on the podium is taken by Rosewood Hong Kong, consisting of a 65-story skyscraper on Victoria Harbour, which since 2019 has become an integral part of the Cantonese city skyline. The rest of the top 10 features only hotels in Asia: The Upper House in Hong Kong, Raffles Singapore, Aman Tokyo, Soneva Fushi in the Maldives, Atlantis The Royal in Dubai, and Nihi Sumba. Bulgari Tokyo ranks 22nd and is the only fashion flagship on the list, while LVMH's Belmond properties are found in 18th and 28th place, with Maroma, Riviera Maya, and Mount Nelson in Cape Town, respectively.