These are the “50 best hotels” on the planet for 2024

What has 101 suites and villas, views of Bangkok's Chao Phraya River and costs from $600 per night?

Capella Bangkok2024 'best' hotel on the planetbased on “50 Best”.

This is the collective opinion of 600 anonymous voters from all around the world, including travel journalists, hoteliers and experienced travel specialists, who voted for the results of “The 50 best hotels in the world“, was announced on Tuesday at London's historic Guildhall.

The hotel climbed 10 places, from 11th on the 2023 list. It has five dining options, including a Michelin-starred restaurant by chef Mauro Colagreco, as well as a “spa retreat” called Auriga and seven riverside villas with private plunge pools.

After the awards ceremony, the hotel's general manager, John Blanco, told CNBC Travel, “I think we're speechless! So unexpected, flattering, every adjective you can think of. For a small brand like Capella… this is just a wonderful recognition for our people. I'm sure everyone at home is celebrating.”

The hotel's sales and marketing director, Josephine Ping, added: “We are focused on providing our guests with a true Thailand experience. This is a great reward for everyone and their hard work. Our location is truly unique, local, authentic and gives a sense of home on the 'River of Kings'.”

In 2023, the first hotel awards ceremony went to Passalacqua on Lake Como in Italy, which slipped one place to second place in this year's list.

This is the second time that the 50 Best organization has published a hotel ranking. It has long been producing rankings in the culinary world, release “The 50 best restaurants in the world” since 2002 and 'The World's 50 Best Bars' since 2009.

The 50 best hotels in the world

Here is the full list:

1. Capella Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
2. Passalacqua, Lake Como, Italy
3. Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong
4. White Horse, Paris, France
5. The House of Lords, Hong Kong
6. Raffles Singapore, Singapore
7. Aman Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
8. Soneva Fushi, Maldives
9. Atlantis The Royal, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
10. Nihi Sumba, Sumba Island, Indonesia
11. Claridge's, London, United Kingdom
12. Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
13. Raffles London at The OWO, London, UK
14. Four Seasons Bangkok on the Chao Phraya River, Bangkok, Thailand
15. Hotel de Crillon, Paris, France
16. Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá, Mexico
17. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes, France
18. Maroma, Riviera Maya, Mexico
19. Four Seasons Firenze, Florence, Italy
20. Borgo Santandrea, Amalfi, Italy
21. Potato Head Village, Bali, Indonesia
22. Bulgari Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
23. The Lana, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
24. Rosewood São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
25. The Calile, Brisbane, Australia
26. The Siam, Bangkok, Thailand
27. Park Hyatt Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
28. Mount Nelson, Cape Town, South Africa
29. One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
30. The Carlyle, New York, USA
31. La Mamounia, Marrakesh, Morocco
32. Four Seasons Madrid, Madrid, Spain
33. Capella Singapore, Singapore
34. Four Seasons at Surf Club, Surfside, USA
35. Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles, USA
36. Eden Rock, St. Barths, Caribbean
37. Aman New York, New York, USA
38. Royal Mansour, Marrakech, Morocco
39. Amangalla, Galle, Sri Lanka
40. Le Bristol, Paris, France
41. Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland
42. Reschio Castle, Lisciano Niccone, Italy
43. Sujan Jawai, Rajasthan, India
44. Singita – Kruger National Park, Kruger National Park, South Africa
45. Six Senses Zighy Bay, Zighy, Oman
46. The Connaught, London, United Kingdom
47. The Brando, Tetiaroa, French Polynesia
48. Hotel Esencia, Tulum, Mexico
49. The Tasman, Hobart, Australia
50. Kokomo Private Island, Yaukuve Levu Island, Fiji

The 2024 list includes hotels from dozens of destinations on six continents.

With 19 places, Asia has the most hotels on the list, followed by Europe with 13, North America with nine, Africa and Oceania with four each, and South America with one.

The best rated hotels on each continent are:

• Asia – Capella Bangkok (No. 1)
• Europe – Passalacqua (No. 2)
• North America — Chablé Yucatan (No. 16)
• South America Rosewood Sao Paulo (No. 24)
• Oceania — The Calile (No. 25)
• Africa — Mount Nelson (No. 28)

For travelers planning a city break, Bangkok is the top destination on the list with four hotels, followed by London and Paris with three each, and Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and New York with two hotels each.

Further awards

The 50 Best organization also announced individual awards for outstanding hotels in certain categories.

The Highest award for newcomers went to Raffles London at OWO (No. 13), while The award “The Highest Climber” First place went to Atlantis The Royal in Dubai, which improved by 35 places from forty fourth to ninth place.

Bulgari Tokyo (twenty second place) was the best rated hotel to open throughout the two-year voting period and was subsequently awarded the title of “Best new hotelwhile the Peninsula Istanbul, which opened only last year, is “One to keep an eye on” for the best potential to interrupt into the highest 50 list in the longer term.

The Award for the art of hospitality went to the Moroccan King Mansour, and the Award for one of the best beach hotel went to Soneva Fushi within the Maldives.

The Award for “Best Boutique Hotel” was claimed by Passalacqua in Lake Como and the Award for eco-hotels was awarded to Maroma Riviera Maya on the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula for “his commitment to people and the planet.”

Award for the most admired hotel group went to luxury and wellness pioneer Aman, while the Icon Award was presented to Rosewood Hotel Group CEO Sonia Cheng for her “positive impact on the hotel sector”.

The electoral system

Voters from nine regions around the world name, in order of preference, the seven hotels they liked best over the past two years.

Members of the 50 Best organization “don’t vote and don’t have any input into the compilation of the list,” Emma Sleight, head of content for The World's 50 Best Hotels, told CNBC. “It's as much as each individual voter to determine what makes a selected hotel considered one of their 'best' experiences.”

Any hotel can be nominated as long as the voter has spent at least one night there. However, the rules state that a voter cannot nominate more than three hotels from the same hotel group.

“A hotel doesn’t must offer a selected product, be a selected price point or have won some other awards,” said Sleight. “Any style of hotel will be included – whether it’s a brand new hotel or has been open for 100 years – as last 12 months's list shows… Atlantis The Royal in Dubai was included, together with Claridge's, which has been open because the nineteenth century.”