World’s best hotels, cities, cruises revealed!

World’s best hotels, cities, cruises revealed!

Sydney shines bright like a diamond on the T+L awards list as home to four out of five of the best beds in the country.

Four Seasons Hotel Sydney took home the top gong as the best hotel in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific in Travel + Leisure’s 2015 World’s Best Awards.

The recognition comes in the wake of numerous refurbishments to the hotel including the opening of Pei Modern by chef Mark Best (Marque, Pei Modern) in October 2014, and the arrival of Endota Spa in November 2014.

The highly rated awards, voted by readers of the US magazine, also put another iconic Sydney property, The Park Hyatt in its Super Hall of Fame after appearing on the coveted list 20 years in a row.

While InterContinental Sydney and Marriott Circular Quay rounded off the list, notably The Langham Melbourne was the only non-harbour city property to make the cut.

The trend continues with Sydney ranking as the top city in the region, followed by Melbourne and Auckland, but Tasmania was voted Best Island.

Overall however, Kyoto, Japan, was ranked as the best city in the world, followed surprisingly for some (or just us) by Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

Meanwhile, two other InterContinental properties made rank for second and third best resorts in the region for its French Polynesia hotels, but Four Seasons Bora-Bora narrowly clipped the resorts to take home the top prize by just 3 points.

When it comes to cruising, Disney does it best when it comes to mega-liners according to T+L readers, but Crystal Cruises and Seabourn also topped the lists in their ship size categories. Viking took home best River Cruise followed by Uniworld and Tauck.

For the full list of award winners click here.

Australia, New Zealand, & the South Pacific | Hotels

NameScore
1.Four Seasons HotelSydney90.19
2.The LanghamMelbourne89.56
3.Super Hall of FameOn the list for 20 years in a rowPark HyattSydney89.11
4.InterContinentalSydney87.20
5.Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay86.30

Australia, New Zealand, & the South Pacific | Resorts

NameScore
1.Four Seasons ResortBora-Bora, French Polynesia92.55
2.InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso SpaFrench Polynesia89.65
3.InterContinental Tahiti Resort & SpaFrench Polynesia77.81

Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific

NameScore
1.Super Hall of FameOn the list for 20 years in a rowSydney87.48
2.Hall of FameOn the list for 10 years in a rowMelbourne85.13
3.AucklandNew Zealand80.35

World’s Best Cities: Top 10 Overall

NameScore
1.KyotoJapan91.22
2.CharlestonSouth Carolina89.84
3.Siem ReapCambodia89.57
4.Hall of FameOn the list for 10 years in a rowFlorence89.43
5.Hall of FameOn the list for 10 years in a rowRome88.99
6.Bangkok88.91
7.KrakówPoland88.69
8.Barcelona88.59
9.Cape Town88.27
10.Jerusalem88.18

Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific: Best Islands

NameScore
1.TasmaniaAustralia88.32
2.MooreaFrench Polynesia87.90
3.Hall of FameOn the list for 10 years in a rowGreat Barrier ReefAustralia87.31
4.Hall of FameOn the list for 10 years in a rowBora-BoraFrench Polynesia86.11
5.Fiji84.78

Best Cruising: Mega-Ship Ocean

NameScore
1.Hall of FameOn the list for 10 years in a rowDisney Cruise Line88.03
2.Hall of FameOn the list for 10 years in a rowPrincess Cruises84.79
3.Super Hall of FameOn the list for 20 years in a rowCelebrity Cruises83.79
4.Super Hall of FameOn the list for 20 years in a rowCunard82.15
5.Royal Caribbean International79.51

River Cruise

NameScore
1.
93.92
2.
93.73
3.
92.69
4.
90.26
5.
83.22 

World’s best international Airports

NameScore
1.
89.55
2.
85.07
3.
 World’s Best Awards Debut
First time on the list

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

79.20
4.
77.19
5.
World’s Best Awards Debut
First time on the list

Munich AirportGermany

75.62
Image: Time Inc

Latest News

  • Cruise

P&O rescues Rotary volunteers after collapse of Air Vanuatu

P&O Cruises Australia has answered a plea for help from a group of young Australian Rotary volunteers, stranded in Vanuatu following the collapse of Air Vanuatu. The students, many of them teenagers from Albury, NSW, were volunteering for a youth project run by the Hive Rotary Club Australia when the airline abruptly cancelled all flights, […]

  • Destinations

Intrepid continues expansions with launch of first DMC in Jordan

Intrepid has increased its presence in the Middle East with the opening of its first destination management company in Jordan. Based in Amman, the local team will operate Intrepid’s range of nine experiential small group tours in Jordan from this summer, with a view to expanding the range for 2025 and beyond. Zina Bencheikh, managing […]

  • Appointments

Minor hotels appoints Puneet Dhawan to key Asia role

Global hotel owner and operator Minor Hotels has appointed Puneet Dhawan as head of Asia as the group plots its growth in Asia and India. From July, Dhawan will be responsible for the performance of all Minor Hotels properties in Asia, working in close collaboration with the Minor Hotels senior leadership team and will report […]

  • Appointments

Abercrombie & Kent and Crystal appoint Evon Ler to director of sales, Asia

Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group have announced that Evon Ler will join them in the new role of director of sales, Asia. She will work closely with Tony Archbold (VP, Sales, APAC, Crystal) and Susan Haberle (VP, Sales & Partnerships, APAC, A&K) with trade support across the region. Ler comes to the A&K family with more […]