One night in Bangkok? Check into the so-called “best hotel in the world.” An exclusive list of just fifty elite lodgings compiled by a noted organization has been announced — and the Capella Bangkok, “a calming riverside oasis” at the heart of the “cacophonous” Thai capital has been ranked number one. The World’s 50 Best Hotels, compiled by the same group responsible for the splashy World’s 50 Best Restaurant awards each year, is a collection of jaw-droppingly attractive — and often shockingly expensive — hostelries from every corner of the globe, including two in NYC.
Bangkok’s long-running reputation for hotel hospitality appears to be in safe hands at the 101-room Capella, opened in 2020. All rooms face the Chao Phraya River at the property, which reviewers said “exudes the elegance of a grande dame” while offering the “intimacy of a boutique hotel.” Voting on the list is conducted by 600 people sitting anonymously on regional panels of hoteliers, travel journalists and seasoned luxury travellers, according to the organization.
Votes are based on stays within a previous 18-month voting period. Voting is reportedly confidential, all the way up until the list announcement. “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,” Emma Sleight, Head of Content for The World’s 50 Best Hotels said in a written statement. “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,” Sleight said. Rates at the Capella Bangkok start at $600 per night, the organization noted.
New York was nudged toward the nether regions of the prestigious list by dazzling spots like the “sumptuous” Passalacqua on Lake Como in Italy (No. 2), tucked into an “18th-century villa whose former premises housed Pope Innocent X.” The highest the Big Apple could manage was No.
30, a slot awarded to the Upper East Side’s storied Carlyle , which reviewers called “an enduring symbol of elegance and sophistication in a discerning city.” On 57th Street, the austere Aman — famed locally for the cast of characters involved in its development and a $135 million penthouse on the residential side that was the city’s most expensive property sold in 2023 — landed at No. 37.
Inhabiting the Beaux-Arts Crown Building, the “hushed eyrie” wowed reviewers with its “understated luxury.” The World’s 50 Best Hotels in 2024 1 Capella Bangkok, Bangkok 2 Passalacqua, Lake Como 3 Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong 4 Cheval Blanc, Paris 5 The Upper House, Hong Kong 6 Raffles Singapore, Singapore 7 Aman Tokyo, Tokyo 8 Soneva Fushi, Maldives 9 Atlantis The Royal, Dubai 10 Nihi Sumba, Sumba Island 11 Claridge’s, London 12 Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bangkok 13 Raffles London at The OWO, London 14 Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Bangkok 15 Hôtel de Crillon, Paris 16 Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá, Mexico 17 Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes, France 18 Maroma Riviera Maya, Mexico 19 Four Seasons Firenze, Florence 20 Borgo Santandrea, Amalfi 21 Desa Potato Head, Bali 22 Bulgari Tokyo, Tokyo 23 The Lana, Dubai 24 Rosewood São Paulo. São Paulo 25 The Calile, Brisbane, Australia 26 The Siam, Bangkok 27 Park Hyatt Kyoto, Kyoto 28 Mount Nelson, Cape Town 29 One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit 30 The Carlyle, New York 31 La Mamounia, Marrakech 32 Four Seasons Madrid, Madrid 33 Capella Singapore, Singapore 34 Four Seasons at The Surf Club, Surfside, Fla.
35 Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles 36 Eden Rock, St. Barths 37 Aman New York. New York 38 Royal Mansour, Marrakech 39 Amangalla, Galle 40 Le Bristol, Paris 41 Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland 42 Castello di Reschio Lisciano, Niccone 43 Suján Jawai, Rajasthan 44 Singita – Kruger National Park, Kruger National Park, South Africa 45 Six Senses Zighy Bay, Zaghi 46 The Connaught, London 47 The Brando, Tetiaroa 48 Hotel Esencia, Tulum, Mexico 49 The Tasman, Hobart, Tasmania 50 Kokomo Private Island, Yaukuve Levu Island.
