I’m assuming I don’t need to tell you the purpose of the World’s 50 Best Hotels list. The clue is right there in the name. Founded in 2023 as an offshoot of foodie publisher William Reed’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants, the awards bring together more than 800 global hospitality experts from 13 voting regions across the world to once and for all (well, until next October at least) crown the very best places to lay your head.

Unveiled on 30 October 2025 in a ceremony at Old Billingsgate Market, four London hotels made the cut this year: Claridge’s (placing 16th), The Connaught (29th), Raffles London at The OWO (31st) and The Emory (32nd), joined by Witney’s Estelle Manor as the only UK hotel outside of London to be on the list. 

But who took those all important top spots? Read on for the 10 best hotels in the world right now.

10. Upper House Hong Kong

Featuring design by British darling Thomas Heatherwick, who took inspiration from Japan’s torii gates, and interiors by André Fu, a palette of creams, browns, and blues is used to create an ‘upward journey’ through the 11 floors of the 117-key hotel, which sits atop Hong Kong’s Admiralty Pacific Palace shopping mall. Its elevated position promises unrivalled views of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island, particularly from its two penthouse suites and 49th floor Salisterra restaurant, serving Mediterranean fine dining by Michelin-starred chef Ricardo Chaneton. 

Other foodie highlights include European-style cafe The Continental, a relaxed tea room and al fresco lawn bar, while an extensive wellness suite comprises a full-service spa with Bamford treatments, yoga, meditation and fitness classes, and a state-of-the-art gym. Truly never want to leave? Invest in one of the hotel’s 268 fully-serviced Pacific Palace branded residences to call the hotel home.

From £470 per night.

9. Four Seasons Firenze, Florence, Italy

Set across the gorgeous estate of a 15th-century Medici palazzo, boasting Florence’s largest private garden and the only hotel within walking distance of the city centre to have an outdoor pool, Four Seasons Firenze opened in 2008 to offer well-heeled tourists a slice of classic Italian hospitality.

Having been lucky enough to visit myself, I can confirm nothing is too much trouble here. From a hankering for peanut butter (not the norm on European hotel breakfast spreads) mentioned in passing and satisfied by the next morning to a live pianist taking requests during dinner at the Michelin-starred Il Palagio restaurant. 

If you can tear yourself away, Four Seasons Firenze offers a shuttle service or complimentary bike use for those wishing to visit the sites of Florence, but with lush grounds, a 10-room spa offering traditional Tuscan treatments, and staff polishing sunglasses and delivering frozen watermelon to your sunbed waiting back at base, that may be harder than it sounds.

From £981 per night.

8. Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá, Mexico

Also scooping the award for Best Hotel in North America at the World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025, Chablé Yucatán is an ultra-luxe wellness-focused resort set in the unique surroundings of Mexico’s Yucatán jungle. Accommodation is suite-only, with options ranging from one- to three-bedrooms, each with their own private pool, outdoor living areas and al fresco moon showers.

The jewel in the crown is, of course, the spa: the first in the world to be built around a cenote, or underground pool, which were considered sacred by the Mayans. Treatment cabins are arranged around the cenote while ceremonies rooted in Mayan healing practices take place in a traditional temazcal, or steam house. At dinner time head to chef Jorge Vallejo’s Ixi’im for seasonal menus created using ingredients from the hotel’s Mayan gardens, or find lighter options at sister restaurant Ki’ol – all complemented, of course, by one of the world’s largest tequila collections.

From £639 per night.

7. Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Thailand

One of the hotels in Bangkok to make the world’s top ten this year, it seems Thailand’s reputation for world-class hospitality is set to remain firmly intact. Having been perched on the banks of the Chao Phraya River for nearly 150 years, and with a guestbook that counts Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and Stanley Tucci among its patrons, it would be easy for Mandarin Oriental Bangkok to rest on its laurels. But, of course, that does not an award-winning hotel make.

Instead, the hotel keeps evolving, having recently added an eatery by multi-Michelin-starred French chef Anne-Sophie Pic to its swathe of fine dining offerings, which also include the Japanese Kinu by Tagaki, a traditional Thai restaurant from Baan Phraya, the riverside Verandah, and a plethora of bars and tea rooms. Elsewhere, spacious rooms and suites come with 24-hour butler service and silk kimonos in place of classic bathrobes, and a lavish spa promises a top notch fitness centre, swimming pool, meditation and yoga classes, and treatments blending ancient Thai techniques with modern science.

From £510 per night.

6. Atlantis The Royal, Dubai, UAE

One of two hotels from the Atlantis Group fringing Dubai’s famous The Palm neighbourhood, if over the top opulence is your vibe, this is the resort for you. Home to 795 rooms and suites, 16 restaurants, 17 boutiques, and 90 swimming pools, one of which hovers 22 storeys up on the hotel’s distinctive Sky Bridge, Atlantis The Royal’s raison d’etre is to make sure no guest is left wanting. For anything. Ever.

Suppliers read like a hit list of the best of the best. Restaurants come from Nobu, Heston Blumenthal, and Carbone, treatments at the vast 32,000 square foot wellness space are by Dr. Barbara Sturm, 111Skin, and Augustinus Bader, and in-room amenities are delivered by Frette, Hermès and Graff. Then, of course, there’s the 105-slide waterpark, helipad, beach club, dolphin bay… See, told you you’d want for nothing.

From £620 per night.

5. Raffles Singapore

What does it take for a hotel that has been standing since 1899 to consistently remain among the top in the world? A steadfast commitment to world-class service, top notch amenities and timeless glamour. A grand dame in the mould of Claridge’s or The Ritz, Raffles Singapore combines the best aspects of European and Asian hospitality into a stunning package that’s hard to beat.

Take a seat at the Long Bar for a Singapore Sling (the cocktail was famously invented here), settle in for contemporary Chinese cuisine at Yì by Jereme Leung, lose yourself in the lush tropical gardens, relax by the rooftop swimming pool or indulge in some me-time with spoiling treatments at the Raffles Spa. Designated a National Monument by the Singapore Government in 1987, even if you never leave you’ll still be soaking up the local culture.

From £570 per night.

4. Passalacqua, Lake Como, Italy

Widely considered one of the most beautiful destinations in Europe, competition for the best hotel on Lake Como is nearly as stiff as that for the best in the world. Fringed by grand baroque palazzos converted into lavish hotels, Passalacua is among the smallest, with just 24 rooms housed in its 18th-century villa. Once home to Pope Innocent XI, composer Vincenzo Bellini, and Count Andrea Lucini-Passalacqua, from whom it takes its name, its modern guise has been curated by current owner Valentina De Santis, whose individually-designed rooms, Italian antique furniture, Murano chandeliers and original frescoes create the vibe of an eclectic private home rather than a luxury hotel.

In keeping with this, don’t expect starry chefs or blingy bars here. F&B is relaxed, casual and authentic, with guests encouraged to stop and have a chat with chef Viviana Varese in her open kitchen and take their meals pretty much anywhere they fancy. Of course, some of the classic attractions remain, and no visit to Passalacqua would be complete without a trip on the hotel’s Riva or zipping around in its open-top Fiat 500.

From £1,050 per night.

3. Capella Bangkok, Thailand

Designed as a serene bubble away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, Capella takes its cues from calming Japanese design and promises all the bells and whistles you’d expect of a hotel ranking this high on the list - meaning guests need never lift a finger. Offering 101 rooms, suites and spacious villas (complete with private gardens and jacuzzi plunge pools), let the in-house Capella Culturists take the stress out of planning your sightseeing with bespoke itineraries ranging from city highlights tours to meditation sessions with local monks.

Food is a real highlight here. For classic Thai with an upscale twist head to the riverside Phra Nakhon, while over at Côte lauded chef Marco Colagreco serves up elegant Mediterranean fare, and at Stella world-class mixologists shake up sophisticated cocktails. The multi-award-winning Auriga spa, meanwhile, is your destination for serene relaxation. Equipped with a vitality pool, water therapy facilities and relaxation lounge, treatments incorporate traditional Thai ingredients, with cutting-edge techniques and products from Synthesis Organic and Biologique Recherche.

From £610 per night.

2. Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River

The only hotel group to have two entries in the top ten, Four Seasons’ Bangkok outpost sits on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, or River of Kings, and is set over multiple storeys to give each of its 299 rooms unbeatable views. This layered approach extends across manicured European-style gardens, a stepped pool area, Jean Michel Gathy-designed communal spaces, and a vast wellness area that turns this urban hotel into an escapist resort. 

When night falls, begin your evening at BKK Social Club, where Philip Bischoff and the team serve up innovative drinks drawing on the bra culture of Mexico and Brazil, before heading to flagship restaurant Yu Ting Yuan for Cantonese cuisine by chef Tommy Cheung. Alternatively, French classics come courtesy of Guillaume Galliot at Palmier or opt for Italian dolce vita at Rive del Fiume.

From £508 per night.

1. Rosewood Hong Kong

Taking the top spot this year is the towering Rosewood Hong Kong, which soars 270 metres above the city’s Victoria Harbour to promise some of the best views in a destination famed for its opulent skyscrapers. The flagship property of the Rosewood hotel group, it boasts 413 rooms, 11 bars and restaurants, and an art collection spanning works by Damien Hirst, Wang Keping and Lynn Chadwick.

Head to the Asaya Spa, helmed by French beauty brand Guerlain, for spoiling massages and facials, hairdressing appointments with Rossano Ferretti and a daily-changing programme of yoga, sound healing and fitness classes. Foodies, meanwhile, can satiate any craving at restaurants running the gamut from Italian and Spanish cuisine to traditional Hong Kong dishes and best-in-class pastry at Jonathan Soukdeo’s Butterfly Patisserie.

From £470 per night.

Read more: The best luxury hotels in the UK for a magical Christmas break