Indian hotel breaks top 50: Explore the full list of World's best hotels

Indian hotel breaks top 50: In a first-ever venture into the realm of hotels, the team behind the World's 50 Best Restaurants and Bars lists has unveiled the world's best hotel, with Lake Como's Passalacqua securing the top spot.

This intimate 24-room hotel, which only opened its doors in June 2022 after an extensive restoration of its 18th-century building, has hosted distinguished guests like Napoleon Bonaparte, Winston Churchill, and Vincenzo Bellini, who made it his home in the 1800s. The rapid ascent of Passalacqua's popularity among the jet-set can be largely attributed to its charismatic owners, Paolo, Antonella, and Valentina De Santis, who have transformed the hotel into a true labor of love. The De Santis family is also renowned for owning the beloved Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como.

The top five hotels on the list include Rosewood Hong Kong, Four Seasons Chao Praya River in Bangkok, The Upper House in Hong Kong, and Aman Tokyo. La Mamounia in Marrakesh, which is still recovering from a devastating earthquake, also secured a spot in the top rankings.

While the top ten featured several iconic Asian hotels, the overall list was European-dominated, with 21 of the 50 hotels located on the continent. Interestingly, independent hotels outperformed branded entities, with Marriott and Hilton having zero entries while Aman and Four Seasons each claimed four spots. Lesser-known brands like Maybourne Hotel Group and Oetker Collection also received recognition.

The announcement was made at London's Guildhall and marks the first-ever hotels-focused list by the World's 50 Best, known for its restaurant and bar rankings. The ranking process involved 580 jurors, who voted for their top seven hotels based on their personal experiences over the past 24 months.

In addition to the top 50 hotels, special awards were presented to six properties, including Soneva Fushi in the Maldives for Best Beach Hotel and Capella Bangkok as the Best New Hotel. Sustainability awards went to Singita Lodges Kruger National Park, which focuses on conservation and social empowerment, and the Carlo Alberto Vermouth Best Boutique Hotel was awarded to The Newt in Somerset.

Sonu Shivdasani, CEO of Soneva, received an individual award for being a positive force in the global hotels sector.

While the pandemic's impact on international travel was considered, geographic diversity remained a challenge in the ranking. The list aimed to reflect the entire globe, but limited representation from regions like South America and Africa highlighted the difficulty in achieving true global diversity.

Overall, the World's 50 Best Hotels list aims to encourage cultural discovery and travel to new parts of the world, sparking discussions about what defines a great hotel and celebrating the diversity of travelers' preferences.

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- With inputs from agencies

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