Every year, 600 industry experts combine forces to declare The World’s 50 Best Hotels, celebrating the very best hotel experiences across the globe. The list is published by William Reed, also responsible for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. In their own words, “50 Best acknowledges the many levels on which hotels operate as well as the people behind them – recognising and celebrating the most outstanding establishments and the individuals who bring them to life”.

 

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This year, the world’s best hotel is officially Capella, an incredible riverside oasis in Bangkok, which knocked last year’s number one, Passalacqua in Lake Como, down to a highly respectable second place. Bangkok had a bumper year, with four hotels on the list, making Capella’s victory all the sweeter. Of Europe’s 13 entries, there were some urban classics, such as The Connaught and Claridge’s in London and Le Bristol and Hotel de Crillon in Paris. There were a notable number of new entries in more remote destinations, including Kokomo Private Island, Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman and The Brando in French Polynesia.

Below, we’ve chosen six of our favourite hotels from the list – in destinations you can travel to with Luxury Gold. If any of them capture your imagination, or you’d just like to experience one of the world’s best hotels for yourself, consider extending your stay at the beginning or end of your journey with us.

Say hello to the world’s best hotels

No. 6: Aman, Tokyo

At number six, this sleek, hard-edged hotel sits right in the thick of Tokyo, somehow maintaining a zen-like calm in all corners. The lines couldn’t be straighter, the windows couldn’t be bigger, the views through floor-to-ceiling windows couldn’t be more mega – and yet “the transition from city to escapism is instantaneous”. The World’s 50 Best draws particular attention to the window-side stone bathtubs, the temple-like spa, the 30-metre swimming pool and the ethereally light-filled lobby.

Majestic Japan is an 11-day journey taking in Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima and more. The last stop is Tokyo, making it easy to add a couple of extra days in the city.

 

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No. 4: Cheval Blanc, Paris

It’s not surprising that LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) makes some of the world’s best hotels, but this is its first maison in a city. It couldn’t be more in Paris – close to the Marais, over the Seine from Saint-Germain, with views of the Eiffel Tower that remain seared in your mind forever. The rooms are chic golden havens, the spa is Dior and Le Tout-Paris is a brasserie that embraces Paris’s skyline like nowhere else. It’s easy to see why this hotel is number 4.

Our Ultimate France journey is two full weeks of French immersion, by way of Monte Carlo, Provence and Bordeaux, finishing – conveniently enough – in Paris.

 

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No. 11: Claridge’s, London

Proving it really is timeless, Mayfair’s art deco icon comes in at number 11. It has been literally and figuratively flying the flag for Great Britain among the world’s best hotels since 1856, but recent years have seen the addition of a five-storey subterranean Japanese-inspired spa and a facelift for many of the sumptuous suites. Known for that very English thing – discretion – Claridge’s remains the host of choice for high society, global dignitaries, designers and celebrities.

Our 10-day British Royal journey starts in London, so you can arrive a little early and start as you mean to go on.

 

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No. 19: Four Seasons Firenze, Florence

There are four Four Seasons hotels on the list this year, all of them completely different in character. At number 19, this one is the most palatial of the properties, surrounded by Florence’s largest private garden, in the impeccably restored 15th-century Medici family palazzo. The interiors fully celebrate the Italian Renaissance, with dramatic floral displays sitting among frescoes, bronze sculptures, mosaics and moldings aplenty.

It’s about three hours to Florence from both Rome and Venice, where Ultimate Italy begins and ends.

 

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Mount Nelson, Cape Town

This is Cape Town’s Grande Dame, affectionately known as The Nellie, or Pink Lady. She’s been with us for over a century and this year she’s the best hotel in Africa, and according to this list, the world’s 28th best hotel. The candyfloss hue of the building flows through the hotel – in the towels, sun loungers, macarons and rose gardens, making for a joyful luxury space. New initiatives include replacing historic oil paintings with emerging African artists. The World’s 50 Best says service is “light-hearted and personality filled”.

Spectacular South Africa is an eight-day journey (or a 10-day journey if you add Victoria Falls), beginning in Cape Town.

 

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No. 43: Suján Jawai, Rajasthan

At number 43 is this rare beauty – a luxury camp set into the plain next to the Aravalli mountains, among billion-year-old granite rock formations, where leopards roam free. It consists of 10 tented suites, each with its own private sit-out in the Jawai wilderness. In the dining tent, meals follow the rhythm of safari – there are no set dining times. At sunrise, freshly-made Indian snacks, tea and coffee are served during the morning game drive, followed by stuffed parathas back at camp.

At the end of our 13-day Imperial Rajasthan journey, most guests fly from Udaipur to Delhi for their homeward flight, but Udaipur happens to be a mere three hours’ drive from Suján Jawai.

 

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The Rest of the Best Hotels in the World 2024:

1. Capella, Bangkok
2. Passalacqua, Lake Como
3. Rosewood, Hong Kong
4. Cheval Blanc, Paris
5. The Upper House, Hong Kong
6. Raffles, Singapore
7. Aman, Tokyo
8. Soneva Fushi, Maldives
9. Atlantis The Royal, Dubai
10. Nihi Sumba, Sumba Island
11. Claridge’s, London
12. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
13. Raffles London at The OWO
14. Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
15. Hôtel de Crillon, Paris
16. Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá
17. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes
18. Maroma, Riviera Maya
19. Four Seasons Firenze, Florence
20. Borgo Santandrea, Amalfi
21. Desa Potato Head, Bali
22. Bulgari, Tokyo
23. The Lana, Dubai
24. Rosewood, São Paulo
25. The Calile, Brisbane
26. The Siam, Bangkok
27. Park Hyatt, Kyoto
28. Mount Nelson, Cape Town
29. One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit
30. The Carlyle, New York
31. La Mamounia, Marrakech
32. Four Seasons, Madrid
33. Capella, Singapore
34. Four Seasons at The Surf Club, Surfside
35. Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
36. Eden Rock, St. Barths
37. Aman, New York
38. Royal Mansour, Marrakech
39. Amangalla, Galle
40. Le Bristol, Paris
41. Gleneagles, Auchterarder
42. Castello di Reschio, Lisciano Niccone
43. Suján Jawai, Rajasthan
44. Singita, Kruger National Park
45. Six Senses Zighy Bay, Zaghi
46. The Connaught, London
47. The Brando, Tetiaroa
48. Hotel Esencia, Tulum
49. The Tasman, Hobart
50. Kokomo Private Island, Yaukuve Levu Island

It’s the ultimate treat: neat trays of cloche-lidded dishes, tiny condiment jars and paper-topped glassware delivered to your room. A feast you can eat in a pristine white towelling bathrobe. A spread of potentially over-ordered, almost certainly mismatched items with no one around to judge. The only thing more luxurious than a late-night order at a hotel is an order at the world’s very best room service hotels.

Aman New York

New York City has perhaps the highest concentration of fabulous in-room dining experiences. Take the recently opened Aman Hotel’s in-room omakase service. Meaning “I leave it up to you”, this Japanese style of dining allows an expert sushi chef to slice and sizzle a curated selection of bite-sized dishes, creating a feast of surprises. Only guests in the Aman Suite, spread across floors 11 and 12 with corner views of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, can request this rarefied private audience with chef Takuma Yonemaru.

The Savoy, London

Adding a bottle of Laurent Perrier champagne, or smoked salmon and caviar, to your room service breakfast is just one opulent room service option at London’s A-list hotel. Past midday there are dedicated oyster and caviar menus, Cornish lobster rolls, Wagyu beef tartare, comfort foods like mac and cheese with black truffle or lobster, and sought-after vintages of Dom Perignon and Krug. Make like past guests Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra and lounge in your monogrammed bathrobe to enjoy.

Intercontinental Bora Bora, French Polynesia

This honeymoon spot makes the list of best room service hotels for its photogenic ‘canoe breakfast’, where breakfast trays of lavish tropical fruits, fresh juices and hot foods arrive floating on a va’a, a traditional wooden outrigger canoe. Decorated with local flowers, the vessel will glide up to your overwater villa, where a waitress in a flower crown serves piles of fresh pastries, melon and pineapple, yoghurt bowls served in half-coconuts, hot omelettes, sausages and more.

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An omakase chef will come to your suite at the Aman New York

Raffles, Doha

In the sculptural, horseshoe-shaped Katara Towers in the Qatari capital, this glossy new Raffles doesn’t do anything by halves. And that includes its in-room dining, where nine-course breakfast trollies are brought to majestic suites (involving Arabic touches such as signature shakshouka and labneh with honey). Meanwhile the all-day menu encompasses foie gras au torchon, wagyu rib-eye steaks, lobster casarecce, sole Meuniere and the signature Gold Cappucino. Want something even more niche? Every guest at this all-suite hotel has a butler on call, 24/7.

Park Lane Hotel, New York

Not every hotel can boast a “Caviar Hotline” ‒ but that’s the room service essential this Central Park-side hotel lays on for its guests. Dial 5 from your in-room telephone and you’ll select your caviar presentation of choice: from the tin, with blinis, creme fraiche, capers and red onion? Or sprinkled on nachos, topping deviled eggs, along with a glass or bottle of Nicolas Feuillatte Brut champagne ‒ or a shooter of Stolichnaya vodka.

Four Seasons Chicago

Whether you’re over or under the age of 21 will dictate which room service treat will bring you back to the FS Chicago. Will it be the legendary in-house ice cream cart? Call down to summon it for a 30-minute spree in your room, choosing between new seasonal flavours dreamt up by the hotel’s chefs, plus toppings from fudge sauce to sprinkles and M&Ms. Or for a more grown-up palate, you might craving the services of the martini cart, which appears with the questions: gin or vodka? Olive or twist? Both options have been delighting guests for nearly 25 years.

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The ice cream cart at Four Seasons Chicago hotel

The Peninsula, Bangkok

In a city known for its affordable, high-quality street food, staying in for tray service may seem especially decadent. But the Peninsula’s breakfast spreads alone are the stuff of legend: there’s a Chinese Breakfast involving dim sum and congee rice porridge, a Thai breakfast packed with fresh fruits and crabmeat omelettes, and a plant-based menu for vegans. Oysters by the half-dozen, and a whole range of Thai specialities from steamed sea bass to roasted duck red curry, give you options from comfort foods to luxury treats.

Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston

Got a VIP – a Very Important Pet, that is – traveling with you? You’re going to want to check in at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, which has a luxe in-room dining menu for guests’ dogs, as well as their humans. Codfish and caviar is the standout dish, though there’s also organic scrambled eggs with kale and quinoa for the health-conscious hound, and beef patties made (naturally) with the finest Aberdeen Angus beef.

Four Seasons Ko Samui

Make your reservations now for this Ko Samui resort – it’ll be booked up for years after its starring role on the next season of The White Lotus. But TV tourism is just one reason to visit: the hotel is known for its in-villa barbecues, where guests are treated to a traditional Thai moo kra ta feast of tiger prawns, Angus beef, pork and chicken cooked in a hot pot over glowing coals. Meanwhile, gourmet picnic baskets can be loaded up for you to enjoy in your villa or around the resort, featuring prawn and pomelo salads, mango and sticky rice and chicken wraps.

Vegan, healthy and even dog options are often available

Pendry Washington DC

With a Potomac river view, a rooftop sushi restaurant and glamorous pool terrace, the Pendry is one of DC’s hottest newcomers. And its in-room dining matches that energy: caviar-topped deviled eggs, Cobb salads sprinkled with lobster, and a New York strip steak with a decadent black truffle gratin. (Pair them with several top champagnes, Napa Valley reds or Provence rosés.) The Maine crab cakes are a real hit with regulars, while California rolls and artisanal cheese plates can be ordered if you get in after hours.

Milestone Hotel, London

Fancy a cocktail, but staying with someone you want to impress? At London’s Milestone Hotel, one of the creative room service options is an audience with one of the hotel’s expert mixologists. They’ll come up to your room to consult on your favourite notes and flavours, then stir you up the perfect aperitif. You could try the hotel’s own Smoky Old Fashioned, request a margarita or Manhattan as you like it, or ask your private bartender to shake up something entirely different. The Milestone is part of the Red Carnation group, the preferred hotels of Luxury Gold groups when staying in Britain.

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