Capella Bangkok in Thailand has been named The World's Best Hotel 2024, with two South African hotels featuring in the list of 50 properties.
The list of The World's 50 Best Hotels 2024 was announced at an awards ceremony in London and includes industry-defining hotels from across the globe.
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.
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).
The judges called Singita Kruger National Park “the ultimate safari retreat with serious green credentials” and praised its access to the reserve’s famous wildlife, while ensuring privacy and exclusivity.
The judges described the Mount Nelson as “a Cape Town institution that draws couples in the Planet Bar, families at the poolside and multi-generational groups for afternoon tea.”
They also noted recent efforts to modernize the hotel by “replacing historic oil paintings with emerging African artists and a cool chef partnership,” which impressed them.
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).
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.
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