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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn this year\u2019s black-tie ceremony at London\u2019s Guildhall, \u201cHighest New Entry,\u201d \u201cMost Admired Hotel Group\u201d and \u201cHighest Climber\u201d 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 Ltd., climbed from No. 44 on the 2023 list to No. 9 now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Raffles London at the OWO is among the hotels that benefit from a substantial marketing benefit\u2014it has extraordinary publicity muscle behind it\u2014though 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\u2019s winner, Passalacqua, came in this year at No. 2; overall, half of last year\u2019s top 10 held onto positions within that rarified echelon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 S\u00e3o Paulo).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rankings also speak to trending destinations. In last year\u2019s inaugural list, it was clear that the jury was among the many travellers thrilled to return to Asia in its long-awaited post-Covid reopening; there were a dozen hotels from the continent on the 2023 list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, the centre 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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The US also improved its standing, with four entries, up from just two last year, including 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\u2019s Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being on the list can be a game-changer not just for the hotels that rank but also the destinations or the brands they\u2019re from, says Kristina Snaith-Lense, general manager of Hong Kong\u2019s Upper House, which ranked fourth last year and fifth this year. \u201cIt\u2019s been a great story for Hong Kong\u2014to highlight our recovery after Covid after all the closures,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019 portfolios. Maybourne, Raffles, Oetker Collection and Dorchester Collection all performed well, too, with multiple properties on the list. Perhaps none have more to gain than Capella, which as a smaller and younger brand has less global awareness than some of its peers, and whose standing atop the list will no doubt stoke curiosity about its other hotels in Bali, Singapore and Sydney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But privately, some hoteliers admit it\u2019s now stressful to retain their rankings, saying that the accolade has become valuable for positioning their properties against the competition\u2014and the presence of so many deeper-pocketed, branded properties makes it even harder for independent resorts to break through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, the knock-on effects can\u2019t be underestimated, especially in cities like Thai capital where consumers may have a hard time choosing between a wealth of five-star options. \u201cFor us in such a big competitive bustling destination, it’s wonderful recognition,\u201d says John Blanco, general manager of Capella Bangkok. \u201cIt\u2019s a freaking surprise and a pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making it onto the list gives a great sense of pride, agrees Vincent Billiard, managing director of the Parisian palace H\u00f4tel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel, which this year ranked 15th. It\u2019s also an important marketing tool: \u201cWe have the plaque outside the hotel, write it on every letter we communicate, and it\u2019ll be all over Instagram.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For consumers the list may be little more than a confirmation of their existing hotel bucket list. If the original goals of the World\u2019s 50 Best list, according to its executives, were to spark discovery and media buzz, this year\u2019s list cements the fact that the latter far outweighs the former.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When asked if she was satisfied with the geographic diversity of last year\u2019s list\u2014or concerned by the lack thereof\u2014Emma Sleight, head of content for World\u2019s 50 Best Bars and Hotels says simply that \u201cthere are only 50 spots that we can call out.\u201d Asked again whether there was any interest in tweaking the voting system to make it more equitable, she argued that 50 Best is \u201cnot an arbiter of the list but a reflection of the current travel industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She adds that the company creates year-round content separate from the 50 Best list to give visibility to great hotels that don\u2019t make the cut via its Discovery platform, though it heavily features hotels, restaurants and bars in cities rather than remote locales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the list of the World\u2019s 50 Best hotels in full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
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