18 Asia Hotels Make The Inaugural Ranking Of The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023

The list of The World’s 50 Best Hotels was revealed during an awards ceremony in London held on 19 September 2023, and includes industry-defining hotels from 35 different locations across six continents worldwide. This long-awaited list is 50 Best’s first foray into the travel space, and its first new global ranking since the launch of The World’s 50 Best Bars in 2009.

Passalacqua, the luxury boutique hotel on the shores of Lake Como – which opened in June 2022 – takes the top spot on The World’s 50 Best Hotels list. Located in an 18th century villa with spectacular terraced gardens running down to the water, the De Santis family has created an exquisite 24-room property with the feel of a private home. In the No. 2 spot is the towering Rosewood Hong Kong, set in the city’s Victoria Dockside arts and design district with stunning views over the harbour. I was very blessed to have been the very first paying guest to check into Rosewood Hong Kong on their first day of operations back in 2019, and my stay made me rethink ultra-luxury and what it means to be an outstanding club lounge. 

The inaugural ranking of The World’s 50 Best Hotels reveals that 21 of the winning properties are based in Europe. London solidifies its reputation as a global travel hub, boasting four hotels on the list: Claridge’s (No.16), The Connaught (No. 22), NoMad London (No. 46) and The Savoy (No. 47), while two other UK properties were also winners: Gleneagles in Scotland (No. 32) – recipient of the Art of Hospitality Award announced in August – and The Newt in Bruton, Somerset (No. 37), which was awarded the Carlo Alberto Best Boutique Hotel Award. This award is given to the hotel that places highest on the list that 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.

Meanwhile, Asia is home to 18 of The World’s 50 Best Hotels, many of which sit at the top end of the list: Rosewood Hong Kong (No. 2), The Upper House in Hong Kong (No. 4) and Aman Tokyo (No. 5). Soneva Fushi in the Maldives (No. 7) is also named the Lost Explorer Best Beach Hotel.

Bangkok is home to no less than four properties on the list – Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River (No. 3), Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (No. 10), Capella Bangkok (No. 11) and The Siam (No. 42). Singapore boasts two hotels on the list – Raffles Hotel Singapore (No. 17) and Capella Singapore (No. 28), both of which have received extensive renovations in recent years.

I have stayed at 3 out of the top 5 hotels on The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023 list; 6 hotels within the Top 20; and 9 properties out of the full Top 50 list.

The Nikka Best New Hotel Award is awarded to Capella Bangkok (No. 11), with sweeping riverfront views of the Thai capital, which opened in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Nikka Best New Hotel Award goes to the highest-ranked hotel on the list that opened within the two-year voting window (May 2021 to May 2023).

Singita Lodges in the Kruger National Park in South Africa, the smallest property on the list with just 18 rooms, takes the No. 15 spot, as well as the Flor de Caña Eco Hotel Award. Known for their environmentally conscious hospitality, the lodges are located within 33,000 acres of pristine wilderness where a unique wildlife population thrives across four distinct ecological zones, offering travellers an exciting and luxurious way of experiencing African wildlife, without disturbing the environment. As with its other global awards, 50 Best worked closely with The Sustainable Restaurant Association on the Flor de Caña Eco Hotel Award, which invited all hotels on the list to submit an application outlining their sustainability initiatives and credentials for rigorous review.

Singita Lodges is one of three hotels on the African continent to make the ranking, alongside La Mamounia (No. 6) and Royal Mansour (No. 23), both in Marrakech.

The evening also celebrated those honoured with pre-announced special awards, including The Lodge at Blue Sky, the remote lodge in the picturesque Wasatch Mountain Range in Utah which was named the Lavazza One To Watch earlier in the month. Gleneagles (No. 32) in Scotland was announced on 22 August as the winner of the Art of Hospitality Award, which celebrates a hotel’s outstanding service and attention to detail.

The launch of The World’s 50 Best Hotels is another step in 50 Best’s journey towards becoming the ultimate global reference point for the very best hospitality experiences across the world, encompassing restaurants, bars and now hotels. The list is created from the votes of The World’s 50 Best Hotels Academy, which comprises 580 international well-travelled experts within the hotel and travel industry, with a 50/50 gender balance. The Academy is split into nine regions across the world, where each region is headed up by an Academy Chair. A minimum of 25% of the panel will be renewed each year. 

Here’s the full list: