Rosewood Hong Kong
The world’s 50 best hotels were named, ranked and announced at a glitzy ceremony in Les Salles du Carrousel in Paris yesterday - the top spot went to Rosewood Hong Kong for the second year running. But what makes those listed really the best, and how many of these rankings do we really need?
Formerly known as 50 Best, The 50 recognizes the world's most exceptional restaurants, bars, hotels and vineyards, all evolved from an annual list of the 50 best restaurants published by the UK’s Restaurant magazine since 2002.
The magazine, like so much print media, ceased publishing in 2011, but the annual list and its associated ceremony and party continued. The event, run by the magazine’s publisher William Reed, continued to prove so popular that the team decided to expand the rankings to bars and hotels since 2023.
“The travel world does have [several] lists and guides, and that's no bad thing,” says Rikki Tidball, managing director for events at The50.
“There's room for everyone and the variety only enriches the conversation. It's about creating a thriving global hospitality community and fostering meaningful connections amongst talented individuals within the hospitality space. We aim to be a progressive force in the hospitality ecosystem, through our lists and surrounding content throughout the year.”
The hotel list - which actually extends beyond 50 to 100 hotels across six continents - is far from arbitrary, Tidball says. A panel of more than 800 industry experts “including travel journalists, hoteliers and seasoned luxury travelers” vote for their favorites.
Rikki Tidball, Managing Director for events at The50
The panel, referred to by Tidball as the “voting academy”, are “hand-selected… based on their proven expertise in the global hospitality industry, and each voter must have a clear and independent understanding of hotel experiences across a range of styles and regions”.
Each member of the academy ranks their seven favorite hotel experiences over the preceding three years, and the “resultant list is a simple computation of votes”.
All hotels in the world are eligible to be voted for regardless of setting, facilities or number of rooms. “What constitutes best is up to our voters to decide,” she says there are just two caveats.
“It must have been open during the voting period, and it must not be planning to close shortly after we publish the results.”
Tidball bristles at any suggestion that the list may not be truly independent or that hotels might be able to buy a spot on the list.
“The list is truly independent,” she says. “We run a strict no ‘pay-to-play’ policy’ with no costs to be listed or to be eligible for voting.
“Hotels cannot apply or nominate themselves for inclusion, and there is no way to buy or sponsor a place. The list is determined solely by the votes of the Academy, with Deloitte acting as official independent adjudicator to ensure the integrity of the process and results.”
Tidball says a few trends stand out over recent years: “Boutique hotels continue to perform well, with intimate, design-led properties such as Hôtel du Couvent in France, Borgo Santandrea in Italy, Nihi Sumba in Indonesia, and San Ysidro Ranch in California all featuring on last year's lists.”
Popular brands on the list include Rosewood, Four Seasons, Belmond and Aman, which Tidball says is “testament to their commitment to delivering consistently high standards of excellence across their global property portfolios”.
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