Capella Bangkok is named number one in the World´s 50 Best Hotels 2024 - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

This evening, the world of travel gathered from all corners of the globe to celebrate each other's achievements at the second annual announcement of The World's 50 Best Hotels. Hosted at the historic Guildhall, the unveiling highlights outstanding hotel experiences across the world in a list that will shape the aspirations of consumers, travellers and hoteliers globally. 

Capella Bangkok, (No.1) overlooking Thailand's majestic Chao Phraya River, takes the top spot on The World's 50 Best Hotels 2024 list, climbing 10 places from No.11 in the 2023 list, to also clinch The Best Hotel in Asia 2024 title. Opened in 2020, the contemporary Capella Bangkok is surrounded by lush gardens and exudes the elegance of a grand dame property combined with the intimacy of a boutique hotel. The dramatic, layered architecture ensures all 101 rooms face the water, while riverside villas and suites also include their own private pool. The renowned Auriga spa is an enclave of relaxation whilst 'Capella Culturalists' – personal butlers with a direct line to the city's finest and most diverse activities – are on hand to help guests get under the skin of the destination.

Emma Sleight, Head of Content for The World's 50 Best Hotels, comments: "It gives us enormous pleasure to share the list of The World's 50 Best Hotels 2024 and to celebrate Capella Bangkok's ranking as No.1. 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. This year's dynamic list underscores the appetite for a range of experiences, from busy city breaks to far-flung escapes, and honours the dedication and passion of the staff who make these exceptional experiences possible, while highlighting the remarkable breadth of talent in the industry worldwide. We look forward to the continued evolution of The World's 50 Best Hotels in 2024 and beyond."

The No.2 spot goes to Passalacqua, set in an 18th-century villa amongst spectacular terraced gardens on the shores of Italy's Lake Como. The hotel is additionally awarded the Carlo Alberto Best Boutique Hotel Award 2024. This award is given to the hotel that places highest on the list and 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. The towering Rosewood Hong Kong in the city's Victoria Dockside arts and design district takes the No.3 spot.

Asia leads the way in The World's 50 Best Hotels 2024 with 19 ranked hotels in total, while Bangkok solidifies its reputation as a global travel hub, boasting 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). 

Further enhancing Asia's presence, Japan has three hotels featured including Aman Tokyo (No.7), Bulgari Tokyo (No.22) – which also wins the Nikka Best New Hotel 2024 – and Park Hyatt Kyoto (No.27). The Nikka Best New Hotel Award goes to the highest-ranked hotel on the list that opened within the 18-month voting period.

Europe boasts 13 of The World's 50 Best Hotels, with France, the UK and Italy each featuring four properties on the list. Some of the high-ranking entries include Cheval Blanc Paris (No.4) and Hôtel de Crillon (No.15) in Paris, Claridge's (No.11) and Raffles London at The OWO (No.13) in the UK capital and Four Seasons Firenze (No.19) in Italy.

North America is home to nine winning properties: Maroma (No.18) is one of four hotels in Mexico to make the ranking, including Chablé Yucatán (No.16), One&Only Mandarina (No.29) and Hotel Esencia (No.48). In New York, The Carlyle enters at No.30, while Aman New York is No.37. Four Seasons at The Surf Club in Florida and LA's Hotel Bel-Air are new additions for 2024, ranking No.34 and No.35 respectively. Eden Rock in St Barths, meanwhile, has climbed five places to claim the No.36 spot on the list.

Africa now boasts four hotels on the list: new entry Mount Nelson (No.28) in Cape Town, La Mamounia (No.31) and Royal Mansour (No.38) in Marrakech, and Singita – Kruger National Park (No.44). Oceania has gone from one to four properties featured, including Brisbane's The Calile (No.25), The Brando (No.47) in French Polynesia, Hobart's The Tasman (No.49) and Kokomo Private Island (No.50) in Fiji.

As The World's 50 Best Hotels returns for its second year, three new awards are announced. Atlantis The Royal in Dubai picks up the Highest Climber Award, moving 35 positions from No.44 to No.9. Raffles London at The OWO (No.13) receives the Lavazza Highest New Entry Award 2024. 

Aman wins the Ferrari Trento Most Admired Hotel Group. Independently voted for as a special award as part of the overall voting process, this accolade honours an exceptional hotel group which has implemented extraordinary measures, innovations or improvements over the past 18 months that have demonstrably and meaningfully impacted the hospitality sector. Aman is recognised for ensuring that its global locations work to integrate into local cultures and heritage. The group's holistic sustainability practices are also highlighted, such as a circular approach to reducing waste employed at many of its properties.

Placed highest on the list and within 20 metres of a beach, Soneva Fushi (No.8) in the Maldives is named winner of the Lost Explorer Best Beach Hotel Award for the second year in a row.

The newly reopened Maroma in the Riviera Maya in Mexico, takes the No.18 spot and is also the winner of the Flor de Caña Eco Hotel Award. Deeply embedded into the soul of the Yucatán, Maroma made a much-anticipated return in 2023 following a careful restoration with Mayan design, traditions and culture at its forefront. Building on its legacy of care for the community and environment, Maroma offers ground-breaking sustainability initiatives: from the protection of the endangered Melipona bee – critical to the ecology of the Yucatán Peninsula –  and an onsite nursery that produces over 2,000 endemic plants to a comprehensive conservation programme. As with its other global awards, 50 Best worked closely with the Sustainable Restaurant Association on the Flor de Caña Eco Hotel Award, inviting all hotels on the list to submit an application outlining their sustainability initiatives and credentials for rigorous review. 

Sonia Cheng, CEO of Rosewood Hotel Group, is voted by the Academy as the winner of the SevenRooms Icon Award, celebrating her achievements in the hotel sector over the last 16 years, including the regional and international expansion of Rosewood Hotel Group. Cheng is recognised as a true inspiration to other hoteliers for her significant contribution to ensuring environmentally friendly and sustainable policies are at the heart of group, as well as for launching Rosewood Impacts, a corporate social impact initiative committed to empowering people in the industry.

The evening also celebrated those honoured with special awards that were pre-announced in the run-up to the ceremony, including The Peninsula Istanbul, set along the dazzling Bosphorus waterfront, which was named the American Express Travel One To Watch winner earlier in the month. Royal Mansour Marrakech (No.38) was announced on 20 August as the winner of the No.3 Gin Art of Hospitality Award, which celebrates a hotel's outstanding service and attention to detail.

The highest-ranked hotel in each continent is, by default, named The Best Hotel in that respective destination:

1.    Capella Bangkok (No.1) in Thailand wins The Best Hotel in Asia 2024

2.    Passalacqua (No.2) in Italy wins The Best Hotel in Europe 2024

3.    Chablé Yucatán (No.16) in Mexico wins The Best Hotel in North America 2024

4.    Rosewood São Paulo (No.24) in Brazil wins The Best Hotel in South America 2024

5.    The Calile (No.25) in Australia wins The Best Hotel in Oceania 2024

6.    Mount Nelson (No.28) in South Africa wins The Best Hotel in Africa 2024

The World's 50 Best Hotels awards 2024 marks the second year of the prestigious global ranking, and another step in 50 Best's journey towards becoming the ultimate global reference point for the very best hospitality experiences across the globe, encompassing restaurants, bars and hotels.

How the 50 Best voting works

The nine Academy Chairs each select a voting panel from their region, ensuring a balance of hoteliers, travel journalists and seasoned luxury travellers. Each Academy member can vote for any hotel they have stayed in around the world, irrespective of their home region. Each voter casts seven votes for hotels in order of preference based on stays experienced in the 18-month voting period. Voting is carried out individually and strictly confidentially on a secure site and remains confidential before the list announcement. Academy Chairs are not privy to, nor have any knowledge of, the votes cast by the voters in their respective regions; furthermore, they are not official spokespeople for the 50 Best brand.  Additional information on the Academy Chairs and how the voting works is available on the 50 Best FAQs page here.

The Academy is the mechanism used to create The World's 50 Best Hotels list. None of the employees of 50 Best nor any sponsors associated with the awards are able to vote, nor do they have any influence over the results. To ensure the 600-voter-strong Academy provides a fair representation of the global hotel scene, the Academy Chairs are split across nine geographical regions, with each Chair selected as an expert on the travel scene in their region, with outstanding hotel sector contacts. A minimum of 25% of the panel will be renewed each year. All voters, aside from the Academy Chairs, will remain anonymous to eliminate the possibility of lobbying.

The World's 50 Best Hotels 2024

The Special Awards 

Image Credit: © 50 Best