By contrast, even the best-traveled voters are unlikely to have gone on safari or explored the wilds of Patagonia in that recent period, leaving only a small minority of voters with the ability to cast votes for properties in off-the-beaten track destinations. In theory, a global panel of jurors should help, but none are required to cast even a single vote for hotels in their home regions.
That in some ways explains the results. Much of the list was familiar from last year's edition, proving that influential travel pros feel the need to see the highest-ranked places they have not yet visited, creating a sort of echo chamber of positive opinion. That made the biggest surprises the most far-flung resorts, like Kokomo Private Island, in Fiji (No. 50); Suján Jawai, in Rajasthan, India (No. 43); and Six Senses Zighy Bay, in Oman (No. 45).
In this year’s black-tie ceremony at London’s Guildhall, “Highest New Entry,” “Most Admired Hotel Group” and “Highest Climber” awards were doled out for the first time. They went to Raffles London at the OWO, Aman and Atlantis the Royal, respectively. The latter, a $1.2 billion investment from Kerzner International, climbed from No. 44 on the 2023 list to No. 9 now.
The Raffles London at the OWO is among the hotels that benefits from a substantial marketing benefit — it has extraordinary publicity muscle behind it — though indeed it is a worthy contender, opening last fall after a $1.76 billion renovation of a historic building that that served as a base for British military operations throughout both World Wars. Last year’s winner, Passalacqua, came in this year at No. 2; overall, half of last year’s top 10 held onto positions within that rarified echelon.
The geographic distribution was also similarly unchanged. If last year sub-Saharan Africa and South America were represented with one measly entry apiece, the 2024 list did only marginally better, with only two hotels in sub-Saharan Africa ranking (Singita Kruger National Park and Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel ) and one in South America (the Rosewood São Paulo ).
The rankings also speak to trending destinations. In last year’s inaugural list, it was clear that the jury members were among the many travelers thrilled to return to Asia in its long-awaited post-COVID reopening; a dozen hotels from the continent were on the 2023 list.
This year, the center of gravity remained firmly in Asia, where the weak yen has driven interest in Japan and the upcoming season of "The White Lotus" has helped extend a travel boom in Thailand (the two countries claimed a total of seven hotels on the list, with Asia now claiming even more hotels than it did last year).
The U.S. also improved its standing, with four entries, up from just two last year. They include a first-time recognition for the iconic Carlyle Hotel in New York City, the Four Seasons at the Surf Club in Miami and Dorchester Collection’s Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles.
Being on the list can be a game changer not just for the hotels that rank but also the destinations or the brands they’re from, said Kristina Snaith-Lense, general manager of Hong Kong’s Upper House , which ranked fourth last year and fifth this year. “It’s been a great story for Hong Kong — to highlight our recovery after COVID after all the closures,” she said.
The fact that Aman, Rosewood and Four Seasons collectively claimed 11 out of 50 spots adds luster to all of the hotels across those brands’ portfolios. Maybourne, Raffles, Oetker Collection and Dorchester Collection all performed well, too, with multiple properties on the list.
But privately, some hoteliers admit it’s now stressful to retain their rankings, saying the accolade has become valuable for positioning their properties against the competition — and the presence of so many deeper-pocketed, branded properties makes it even harder for independent resorts to break through.
Making it onto the list brings with it a great sense of pride, said Vincent Billiard, managing director of the Parisian palace Hôtel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel, which this year ranked 15th. It’s also an important marketing tool: “We have the plaque outside the hotel, write it on every letter we communicate, and it’ll be all over Instagram.”
For consumers, the list may be little more than a confirmation of their existing hotel bucket list. If the original goals of the World’s 50 Best list were to spark discovery and media buzz, its executives said, this year’s list cements the fact that the former far outweighs the latter.
When asked whether she was satisfied with the geographic diversity of last year’s list — or concerned by the lack thereof — Emma Sleight, head of content for World’s 50 Best Bars and Hotels, said simply that “there are only 50 spots that we can call out.” Asked again whether there was any interest in tweaking the voting system to make it more equitable, she said that 50 Best is “not an arbiter of the list but a reflection of the current travel industry.”
She added that the company creates year-round content separate from the 50 Best list to give visibility to great hotels that don’t make the cut through its Discovery platform, though it heavily features hotels, restaurants and bars in cities rather than remote locales.
Here’s the list of the World’s 50 Best hotels in full.
1. Capella Bangkok (The Best Hotel in Asia)
2. Passalacqua, Lake Como, Italy (Best Boutique Hotel Award)
3. Rosewood Hong Kong
4. Cheval Blanc Paris
5. The Upper House, Hong Kong
6. Raffles Singapore
7. Aman Tokyo
8. Soneva Fushi, Maldives (Lost Explorer Best Beach Hotel Award)
9. Atlantis the Royal, Dubai (Highest Climber Award)
10. Nihi Sumba
11. Claridge’s, London
12. Mandarin Oriental Bangkok
13. Raffles London at the OWO, London (Highest New Entry Award)
14. Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
15. Hôtel de Crillon, Paris
16. Chablé Yucatan, Chocolá, Mexico (The Best Hotel in North America)
17. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes, France
18. Belmond Maroma, Riviera Maya, Mexico (Flor de Caña Eco Hotel Award)
19. Four Seasons Firenze, Florence
20. Borgo Santandrea, Amalfi Coast, Italy
21. Desa Potato Head, Bali
22. Bulgari Tokyo (Nikka Best New Hotel Award)
23. The Lana, Dubai
24. Rosewood São Paulo (The Best Hotel in South America)
25. The Calile, Brisbane (The Best Hotel in Oceania)
26. The Siam, Bangkok
27. Park Hyatt Kyoto
28. Mount Nelson, Cape Town (The Best Hotel in Africa)
29. One & Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
30. The Carlyle, New York City
31. La Mamounia, Marrakech, Morocco
32. Four Seasons Madrid
33. Capella Singapore
34. Four Seasons Surf Club, Miami
35. Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
36. Eden Rock, St. Barths
37. Aman New York
38. Royal Mansour, Marrakech, Morocco (No. 3 Gin Art of Hospitality Award)
39. Amangalla, Sri Lanka
40. Le Bristol, Paris
41. Gleneagles, Scotland
42. Castello di Reschio, Umbria, Italy
43. Suján Jawai, Rajasthan, India
44. Singita Kruger National Park, South Africa
45. Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman
46. The Connaught, London
47. The Brando, Tetiaroa, French Polynesia
48. Hotel Esencia, Tulum, Mexico
49. The Tasman, Hobart, Australia
50. Kokomo Private Island, Fiji
