The World’s 50 Best Hotels in 2025
There’s a reason we remember certain places long after we’ve left them. It’s rarely the thread count or the skyline view, it’s the feeling of belonging somewhere.
Reading through the World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 list feels like revisiting those moments. Announced this week in London, the ranking spans 22 destinations across six continents – a roll call of places that remind us how travel connects us, not just to the world, but to ourselves.
Travel, Connection, and the People Who Make It Matter
The most memorable journeys are rarely about distance, they’re about connection. A familiar voice at breakfast, a view that feels like a secret, the quiet confidence of someone who knows their craft.
This year’s World’s 50 Best Hotels celebrates not just architecture and design, but the people who turn those spaces into something living.
From heritage icons to modern sanctuaries, these are the places shaped by culture, care, and community – the kind of hotels that stay with you long after you check out.
#1 Hotel in the World
Rosewood Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR, China
Perched above Victoria Harbour, Rosewood Hong Kong is both landmark and refuge. Designed by Tony Chi, its 65 floors are filled with contemporary art, muted stone, and the light of the city it reflects. Part hotel, part cultural statement, it shows how modern Hong Kong balances intensity with grace.
#2
Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
Bangkok, Thailand
Set along the city’s storied riverfront, this urban resort opens directly onto water and sky. Art-filled interiors, lush gardens, and Michelin-starred dining flow together seamlessly. It’s a study in rhythm – where Bangkok’s energy slows to a contemplative pace.
#3
Capella Bangkok
Bangkok, Thailand
Neighbouring the Four Seasons yet entirely its own, Capella Bangkok turns hospitality into storytelling.
Personalised service, local craft, and riverside serenity create an atmosphere of quiet depth. A place where every detail – from fragrance to food – feels intentional.
#4
Passalacqua
Lake Como, Italy
(Best Boutique Hotel Award)
A lakeside villa reborn as a 24-room sanctuary, Passalacqua distils Italian elegance into intimacy. Terraced gardens, frescoed ceilings, and home-style dining make it feel like a friend’s grand estate rather than a hotel. It’s Lake Como at its most personal.
#5
Raffles Singapore
Singapore
An icon that needs no introduction, Raffles continues to bridge past and present. White-columned verandas, tropical courtyards, and the legendary Long Bar still anchor it in the city’s heart. More than 130 years on, it remains a masterclass in timeless hospitality.
#6
Atlantis The Royal
Dubai, UAE
(Best Beach Hotel + Best in the Middle East)
A dramatic silhouette rising over Palm Jumeirah, Atlantis The Royal is the city’s most ambitious new landmark. Behind the spectacle lies surprising attention to craft – from design collaborations to culinary artistry. A bold reimagining of what a beach resort can be.
#7
Aman Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
Minimalism at its most meditative, Aman Tokyo brings quiet order to one of the world’s busiest cities.
Tatami textures, washi paper light, and sweeping skyline views remind guests that simplicity can feel like luxury. It’s a pause button in vertical form.
#8
Chablé Yucatán
Chocholá, Mexico
(Best in North America)
Set on a restored 19th-century hacienda, Chablé Yucatán blends Mayan tradition with modern design.
Private casitas open onto tropical forest and cenote pools fed by natural springs. Wellness here feels rooted, not curated – deeply tied to the land.
#9
Four Seasons Hotel Firenze
Florence, Italy
Once a 15th-century palazzo, now a quiet retreat in the heart of Florence, Four Seasons Firenze bridges Renaissance grandeur and contemporary ease. Frescoed ceilings, manicured gardens, and sculpture-lined corridors set a scene of timeless beauty, yet what lingers is the calm — that rare stillness found only a short walk from the Duomo.
#10
Upper House Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR, China
Perched above Pacific Place, The Upper House remains one of Hong Kong’s most quietly powerful stays. Spacious rooms, soft light, and sincere service create a sense of sanctuary within the skyline.
It’s hospitality reduced to its purest form: warmth and calm.
What this year’s list shows, more than anything, is how wide the world still feels. Fifty hotels, fifty interpretations of welcome – each one shaped by its own people and place.
Whether you’re drawn to cities or coastlines, the beauty lies in seeing how differently the idea of “home” can look around the world.