Capella Bangkok, overlooking Thailand‘s majestic Chao Phraya River, has been named the best hotel in the world for 2024.
It tops this year’s World’s 50 Best Hotels list, with last year’s winner, Passalacqua, set in an 18th-century villa amid ‘spectacular’ terraced gardens on the shores of Italy‘s Lake Como, coming second.
It helps push the number of winning properties in Europe to 13, with the UK, France and Italy each featuring four properties on the list.
The highest-ranked UK hotel is Claridge’s in London, which comes 11th, ahead of Raffles London at The OWO (13th), Gleneagles in Scotland (41st) and The Connaught. The swanky Mayfair property comes 46th.
Flying the flag for France is Cheval Blanc Paris, which comes an impressive fourth overall. That’s no surprise to MailOnline Travel, which rated it five out of five after a stay there and declared it ‘more or less impossible to over-hype’.
The above four images show Capella Bangkok, which has been named the best hotel in the world for 2024
The USA is home to four winning properties, with The Carlyle in New York coming out top for the country at No.30 and beating Aman New York (37th), Four Seasons at The Surf Club in Florida (34th) and LA’s Hotel Bel-Air (35th).
It’s Asia, however, that leads the way in the list, with 19 entries in total.
Capella Bangkok is joined by the likes of Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (12th), Aman Tokyo (seventh), and Park Hyatt Kyoto (27th).
Africa now boasts four hotels on the list: new entry Mount Nelson (28th) in Cape Town, La Mamounia (31st), Royal Mansour (38th) in Marrakech, and Singita – Kruger National Park (44th).
Oceania has gone from one to four properties featured, including Brisbane‘s The Calile (25th), The Brando (47th) in French Polynesia, Hobart’s The Tasman (49th) and Kokomo Private Island (50th) in Fiji.
Lavishing praise on winner Capella Bangkok, which opened in 2020, the awards says: ‘It’s surrounded by lush gardens and exudes the elegance of a grand dame property combined with the intimacy of a boutique hotel.’
Last year’s winner, Passalacqua, set in an 18th-century villa amid ‘spectacular’ terraced gardens on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como, comes second
Rosewood Hong Kong in the city’s Victoria Dockside arts and design district takes the No.3 spot
Flying the flag for France is Cheval Blanc Paris, which comes an impressive fourth overall
The highest-ranked UK hotel is Claridge’s in London, which comes 11th
The Lavazza Highest New Entry Award 2024 goes to Raffles London at The OWO (13th)
It adds: ‘The dramatic, layered architecture at Capella Bangkok 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.
Gleneagles has been named as the 41st best hotel in the world. Pictured above is one of its luxury bedrooms
Way to glow: Swanky Mayfair hotel The Connaught (above) comes 46th
The USA is home to four winning properties, with The Carlyle in New York coming out top for the country at No.30
Soneva Fushi, pictured above, in the Maldives has been named the eighth-best hotel on the planet
Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles has been named as earth’s 35th best hotel
‘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 gongs were handed out last night at an awards ceremony at the historic Guildhall in London.
Borgo Santandrea on Italy’s Amalfi coast – this is the 20th best hotel on the planet, according to the World’s 50 Best Hotels list
Four Seasons Firenze in Florence comes 19th in the 2024 best hotels ranking
No.36 on the list – Eden Rock, St. Barths. It came 41st in the 2023 ranking
Aman New York is one of the high-flyers for America, coming 37th overall
Oceania has gone from one to four properties featured, including Brisbane’s The Calile (25th), pictured above
The Tasman in Hobart, Australia, comes 49th on the list. One of its swanky bedrooms is pictured above
The list is created from votes from ‘The World’s 50 Best Hotels Academy‘, with the voting panel made up of ‘hoteliers, travel journalists and seasoned luxury travellers’.
Other gongs handed out included the Highest Climber Award, which went to Atlantis The Royal in Dubai after it moved from 44th to ninth, and the Lavazza Highest New Entry Award 2024, which went to Raffles London at The OWO (13th).
Aman won the Ferrari Trento Most Admired Hotel Group award.
Scroll down for more pictures of winning entries…
Mount Nelson hotel in Cape Town has come 28th. It’s one of four African hotels on the list
Rosewood Sao Paulo, pictured above, has come 24th in the prestigious ranking
La Mamounia in Marrakech, Morocco, has come 31st in the ranking. The image above shows why it’s so highly regarded
Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman (above) ranks 45th in the World’s Best Hotels list for 2024
In at 48th is Hotel Esencia in Tulum, Mexico. It’s one of four hotels in Mexico to make the ranking
Behold Singita – Kruger National Park, South Africa. It has come 44th in the global round-up
Above is the world’s 29th best hotel – the One&Only Mandarina in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
Nihi Sumba, Sumba Island, Indonesia is the 10th best hotel on earth, according to the World’s Best panel
In at 33rd place is Capella Singapore, which snakes around lush greenery in a beautiful coastal spot
Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá, Mexico, has come 16th in the ranking, which is decided by a voting panel made up of ‘hoteliers, travel journalists and seasoned luxury travellers’
The Highest Climber Award went to Atlantis The Royal in Dubai after it moved from 44th to ninth