The Best Hotels of 2024: the Winners and Losers of The World’s 50 Best Hotel’s List

Capella Bangkok wins best hotel in the world

Capella Bangkok is named the Best Hotel in the World in 2024 while two Australian properties also made the much-anticipated best-of list.

Capella’s new property on Bangkok’s River of Kings (Chao Phraya) has been crowned the best hotel in the world by The World’s 50 Best Hotels. Capella Bangkok rose from 11th place in 2023 to the number one spot, dethroning Italy’s Passalacqua, and it also took out the Best Hotel in Asia 2024.

Capella Bangkok wins best hotel of the year - Luxury Escapes
Capella Bangkok takes home the top prize.

“This extraordinary hotel is a rare oasis in the middle of Thailand’s bustling capital, offering world-class service while retaining the intimacy and personality of a boutique hotel – making it a worthy winner of the top prize,” said Emma Sleight, Head of Content for the World’s 50 Best Hotels. “This year’s dynamic list underscores the appetite for a range of experiences, from busy city breaks to far-flung escapes.”

Passalacqua, an 18th-century villa set on Italy’s Lake Como, was pushed to the second spot on the list but also won the Carlo Alberto Best Boutique Hotel Award 2024.

Passalacqua is the number two hotel in the world - Luxury Escapes
Number two hotel in the world, Passalacqua. © Ruben Ortiz

The Rosewood Hong Kong, Cheval Blanc in Paris and The Upper House in Hong Kong round out the top five.

Asia is the home of luxury hotels

Asia did particularly well with 19 Asian addresses making the coveted list, while Bangkok confirms it is a luxury hotel hotspot with four hotels on the list: Capella Bangkok (No.1), Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (No.12), Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River (No.14) and The Siam (No.26). Japan has three hotels featured including Aman Tokyo (No.7), Bulgari Tokyo (No.22) and Park Hyatt Kyoto (No.27).

Europe has 13 properties on the list with the UK and Italy each featuring four properties including Hôtel de Crillon (No.15) in Paris, Claridge’s (No.11) and newcomer Raffles London at The OWO (No.13). Raffles London at The OWO also won the award for highest new entry.

Oceania has gone from one to four properties featured, including two Australian hotels: Brisbane’s The Calile (No.25) and Hobart’s The Tasman (No.49) as well as The Brando (No.47) in French Polynesia and Kokomo Private Island (No.50) in Fiji.

The World's 50 Best Hotels 2024 - Luxury Escapes

The full list of properties can be found here.

Written by Paul Chai

Paul Chai has been a travel writer for over two decades. He has dived with great white sharks in South Australia, walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival and stuffed himself with enough food and wine working on the Good Food Guide to make his GP shake his head. Chai is currently managing editor of Dream by Luxury Escapes.
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