Travel
The 25 Best Hotel Brands, According to Travel + Leisure Readers
Once again, Asia dominated this year’s list of the world’s favorite hotel brands, with nearly half hailing from Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, and Indonesia. Travel + Leisure readers appreciate the impeccable service, the gorgeous decor, the personalized touches, and the special moments that make a stay at these top hotels feel magical.
How Voting Works
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Over 186,000 T+L readers completed the 2024 survey. A total of more than 700,000 votes were cast across over 8,700 properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).
Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, inn, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the criteria below:
- Rooms/facilities
- Location
- Service
- Food
- Value
For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.
What Readers Loved
Each of the 25 brands on this year’s list are known for creating escapes that are unique and have a clear sense of place.
One fan of the Hong Kong-based Rosewood Hotels and Resorts (No. 15) wrote, “Each property identifies with the location and brings forward local experiences.” This sentiment was echoed by guests of Auberge Resorts Collection (No. 14), which opened an equestrian-inspired property this year in Fort Worth, Texas. “You very much feel like you’re experiencing the best of a particular destination” when staying at an Auberge property, one reader noted.
Many entities on our list opened new properties across the globe in 2023 and 2024, which got some attention from readers, too. This includes two properties from Raffles Hotels and Resorts (No. 5) in London and Boston; One&Only Resorts (No. 7) in Aesthesis, Greece, and Za’abeel, Dubai; and Six Senses (No. 16) in Rome and Crans-Montana, Switzerland. And more outposts means more places to luxuriate, for those who have a connection to a brand. “I would stay at Six Senses every time I travel somewhere if I could,” one reader wrote.
As always, personalized touches make all the difference. Whether it’s a fashion emergency solved by staff at Oberoi Hotels & Resorts (No. 6) or a spa willing to curate the ideal mindfulness program for you during your stay at a Six Senses property (No. 16), these brands go above and beyond when you’re away from home.
This year’s No. 1 hit all of these marks. Read on for more details on why T+L readers picked Capella Hotels & Resorts as the world’s best hotel brand.
The Winner
Capella Hotels & Resorts
For the second year in a row, Singapore-based Capella takes the No.1 spot as the world’s best hotel brand. Readers were impressed by the polished service, impeccable design, exquisite restaurants, and friendly staff. While most of its nine existing properties are in Asia destinations like Bali, Bangkok, Hanoi, and Singapore, the brand expanded into Australia last year with the opening of the Capella Sydney, which occupies a meticulously renovated government building. The hotel — which has 192 guestsroom and suites, as well as three buzzy restaurants — has been credited with helping to revitalize the city’s Central Business District. As of May 2024, new Capella hotels are under construction in Riyadh, the Maldives, Kyoto, and, coming next this winter, Taipei.
The Full List
Reader Score: 98.52
2. Taj
Reader Score: 98.11
3. The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts
Reader Score: 98.00
4. The Red Carnation Hotel Collection
Reader Score: 97.00
Reader Score: 96.67
Reader Score: 96.64
Reader Score: 95.47
Reader Score: 95.15
Reader Score: 95.10
10. Regent
Reader Score: 95.06
11. Nayara Resorts
Reader Score: 94.93
12. Montage Hotels and Resorts
Reader Score: 94.88
Reader Score: 94.82
14. Auberge Resorts Collection
Reader Score: 94.79
Reader Score: 94.71
16. Six Senses
Reader Score: 94.51
17. Belmond
Reader Score: 94.21
18. Alila
Reader Score: 94.10
19. Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas
Reader Score: 94.05
Reader Score: 93.93
Reader Score: 93.90
Reader Score: 93.85
23. Noble House Hotels & Resorts
Reader Score: 93.83
24. The Langham Hotels & Resorts
Reader Score: 93.68
Reader Score: 93.33