The list of The World’s 50 Best Hotels has been announced at an awards ceremony in London, and includes hotels from 35 different locations across six continents worldwide.

This 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.

Rosewood Hong Kong (Rank 2). (Supplied)

“Huge congratulations to Passalacqua for the achievement of making it to No.1, just two years after opening,” MD, The World’s 50 Best Hotels, Tim Brooke-Webb, said.

“It’s a true testament to the vision of the De Santis family, who has created this sublime sanctuary for guests with painstaking devotion to design detail, exquisite hospitality and distinctive magic, which has clearly made a lasting impression on our Academy of expert voters.

“After seeing the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry, it’s been especially fulfilling to see so many hoteliers from around the world gather in London to celebrate each other’s achievements under one roof for the first-ever awards ceremony of The World’s 50 Best Hotels.

“Our heartfelt congratulations go out to each and every hotel on the list, and we hope this list inspires travel-lovers to book somewhere truly spectacular for their next trip.”

The inaugural ranking of The World’s 50 Best Hotels reveals that 21 of the winning properties are based in Europe with highlights like London, which is home to four. Asia is home to 18 hotels, including Rosewood Hong Kong, which ranked second. 

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. All voters, aside from the Academy Chairs, remain anonymous to eliminate the possibility of lobbying. At the point of voting, they are simply required to list the seven best hotels they have stayed in over the past 24 months in order of preference. Voting is carried out individually and strictly confidentially on a secure site and the results remain confidential until after the list announcement.

The World’s Top 50 Hotels:

1 Passalacqua – Moltrasio
2 Rosewood Hong Kong – Hong Kong
3 Four Seasons – Bangkok at Chao Phraya River Bangkok
4 The Upper House – Hong Kong
5 Aman Tokyo – Tokyo
6 La Mamounia – Marrakech
7 Soneva Fushi – Maldives
8 One&Only Mandarina – Puerto Vallarta
9 Four Seasons – Firenze Florence
10 Mandarin Oriental – Bangkok Bangkok
11 Capella Bangkok – Bangkok
12 The Calile – Brisbane
13 Chablé Yucatán – Chocholá
14 Aman Venice – Venice
15 Singita Lodges – Kruger National Park Kruger National Park
16 Claridge’s – London
17 Raffles Singapore – Singapore
18 Nihi Sumba – Wanokaka
19 Hotel Esencia – Tulum
20 Le Sirenuse – Positano

Four Bedroom Private Residence at Soneva Fushi. (Supplied)

21 Borgo Egnazia – Savelletri
22 The Connaught – London
23 Royal Mansour – Marrakech
24 Four Seasons Madrid – Madrid
25 Aman New York – New York City
26 The Maybourne Riviera – Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
27 Rosewood São Paulo – São Paulo
28 Capella Singapore – Singapore
29 Le Bristol – Paris
30 Park Hyatt Kyoto – Kyoto
31 La Réserve – Paris
32 Gleneagles – Auchterarder
33 Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc Antibes
34 Cheval Blanc – Paris
35 Four Seasons – Astir Palace Athens
36 Soneva Jani – Maldives
37 The Newt – Bruton
38 Amangalla  -Galle
39 Hoshinoya Tokyo – Tokyo
40 Desa Potato Head – Seminyak
41 Eden Rock St.  -Barths
42 The Siam – Bangkok
43 Badrutt’s Palace – St. Moritz
44 Atlantis The Royal – Dubai
45 The Oberoi Amarvilas – Agra
46 NoMad London – London
47 The Savoy  -London
48 Equinox New York – New York City
49 Six Senses  -Ibiza Portinatx
50 Hôtel de Crillon – Paris