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Two Aussie hotels make World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 list

Eleanor Edström Eleanor Edström
The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 is hot off the press – and Australia has scored big, with two local stays making the cut.

The world doesn’t want for excellent hotels. Boundary-pushing design is rife, and impeccable service is now the benchmark, with new stays cropping up globally faster than we present our passports at check-in. Safe to say it makes earning a place on the annual World’s 50 Best Hotels list – the world’s foremost gauge for hotel excellence – all the more prestigious.  

The rankings for 2025 have just been announced at an awards ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London, where travel industry leaders and enthusiasts convened to celebrate groundbreaking hospitality feats. The list features 22 destinations across six continents, along with several special award categories. Here are the highlights.  

rosewood hong kong views
Look out over dazzling Victoria Harbour. (Supplied: Rosewood Hong Kong)

The results

Climbing two places from no.3 in 2024, Rosewood Hong Kong took home this year’s crowning title of the world’s best hotel. Rising 270 metres above Victoria Harbour, the coveted 413-key address is a shining beacon of art, design and swoon-worthy water views. It has attracted Hong Kong’s elite and a continuous stream of well-heeled travellers since its grand opening in 2019.  

Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River took out second place. (Image: Supplied)

Asia continued its winning streak with 19 other hotels noted on the list – the highest number of any continent. These included Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River and Capella Bangkok in second and third place respectively. Bali’s Desa Potato Head (no.18) was also presented the Eco Hotel Award after a rigorous audit by the Sustainable Restaurant Association. Close on Asia’s heels was Europe with 17 top 50 rankings and North America with six.  

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The Aussie hotels that made the list

capella sydney lobby
Capella Sydney was named the 12th best hotel in the world. (Image: Supplied)

Capella Sydney was named The Best Hotel in Oceania 2025, scoring a strong 12th place in the overall rankings. Housed in an Edwardian sandstone building once home to the Department of Education, the heritage-listed icon exudes contemporary opulence with its grand architectural bones and curated local artwork. Expect personalised touches, intriguing objets d’art and intimate elegance across 192 rooms and suites.  

bedroom at Calile Hotel Brisbane
Pastel hues bring a playful energy to The Calile Hotel. (Image: Supplied)

Meanwhile, The Calile Hotel,  located in Brisbane’s hip hood of Fortitude Valley, was accoladed no.34 in the global rankings. This marks the third consecutive year it has been featured on the list, with the hotel awarded no.12 in 2023 and no.25 in 2024. It’s not hard to see why. The hotel leans hard into a modernist Miami-meets-Palm-Springs energy with 175 guest rooms and suites dressed in pastel palettes. But the pièce de résistance is the breathtaking botanical pool deck, where guests can kick back beneath cute-as-a-button sage umbrellas.  

The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 list

  1. Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong 
  2. Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Bangkok 
  3.  Capella Bangkok, Bangkok 
  4. Passalacqua, Lake Como 
  5. Raffles Singapore, Singapore 
  6. Atlantis The Royal, Dubai 
  7. Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bangkok 
  8. Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá 
  9. Four Seasons Firenze, Florence 
  10. Upper House Hong Kong, Hong Kong 
  11. Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro 
  12. Capella Sydney, Sydney 
  13. Royal Mansour, Marrakech 
  14. Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing 
  15. Bulgari Tokyo, Tokyo 
  16. Claridge’s, London 
  17. Four Seasons Astir Palace, Athens 
  18. Desa Potato Head, Bali 
  19. Le Bristol, Paris 
  20. Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Dubai 
  21. Cheval Blanc Paris, Paris 
  22. Bulgari Roma, Rome 
  23. Hôtel de Crillon, Paris 
  24. Rosewood São Paulo, São Paulo 
  25. Aman Tokyo, Tokyo 
  26. Hotel Il Pellicano, Porto Ercole 
  27. Hôtel du Couvent, Nice 
  28. Soneva Fushi, Maldives 
  29. The Connaught, London 
  30. La Mamounia, Marrakech 
  31. Raffles London at The OWO, London 
  32. The Emory, London 
  33. Maroma, Riviera Maya 
  34. The Calile, Brisbane 
  35. The Lana, Dubai 
  36. Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Monaco 
  37.  Janu Tokyo, Tokyo 
  38. The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai  
  39. One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit 
  40. Singita – Kruger National Park, Kruger National Park 
  41. Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Hong Kong 
  42. Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles 
  43. The Mark, New York 
  44. Las Ventanas al Paraíso, Los Cabos 
  45. The Tokyo Edition Toranomon, Tokyo 
  46.  Hotel The Mitsui, Kyoto 
  47. Estelle Manor, Witney 
  48. Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, Rovinj 
  49. Hotel Sacher Vienna, Vienna 
  50. Mandapa, Bali 

How the 50 Best voting works

The World’s 50 Best Hotels is an annual ranking of the top hotel venues across the globe as voted for by a panel of more than 800 global industry experts. To ensure the panel provides a fair representation, the Academy Chairs are split across 13 geographical regions, with each chair selected as a travel and hotel expert in their region. The 13 Academy Chairs each select a voting panel from their region comprising a balance of hoteliers, travel journalists, hotel educators and consumer travel connoisseurs. 

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Eleanor Edström
Eleanor Edström is Australian Traveller’s Associate Editor. Previously a staff writer at Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel magazines, she's a curious wordsmith with a penchant for conservation, adventure, the arts and design. She discovered her knack for storytelling much earlier, however – penning mermaid sagas in glitter ink at age seven. Proof that her spelling has since improved, she holds an honours degree in English and philosophy, and a French diploma from the University of Sydney. Off duty, you’ll find her pirouetting between Pilates and ballet classes, or testing her friends’ patience with increasingly obscure vocabulary.
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8 Northern Territory secrets the locals don’t want you to know

    Lee Mylne Lee Mylne
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    Summer transforms the Northern Territory into a lush paradise of colour and life, as a visit during the ‘low-season’ reveals secrets the locals willingly share.

    Waterlilies bloom, floodplains are alive with birdlife, waterfalls are gushing, and everywhere the green is dazzling. Summer in the Top End and the Red Centre is a kaleidoscope of unexpected wonders that delight and surprise visitors. Of course, the locals know only too well that the Northern Territory low season is often the best time to see and experience this amazing part of Australia.

    Here are some of the reasons why savvy travellers – avoiding the crowds – are discovering a new dimension to the Territory. Remember that you’ll need a Parks Pass to visit national parks.

    1. Take a dip in the Florence Falls waterhole

    Wander through savanna woodland and monsoon forest to discover the perfect place to cool off – the waterhole at the base of spectacular Florence Falls in the magnificent Litchfield National Park, just 90 minutes’ drive from Darwin. The falls flow year-round but are most spectacular during the summer. Camping is available nearby but bookings are essential and must be made online before you visit.

    Surrounded by lush forest, a woman cools off in Florence Falls, just one of many incredible things to do in the Northern Territory.
    Cool off beneath the cascading waters of Florence Falls. (Image: Joshua Griffin)

    2. Wind down at Buley Rock Hole

    Another popular local swimming spot in Litchfield National Park is Buley Rock Hole, open year-round. This is a great place to wind down after exploring everything the park has to offer, including towering termite mounds. Wade through the rock pools, soak up the scenic bush or just lie back and relax as the cool water rolls over you.

    Buley Rockhole, Litchfield National Park
    Let the cool water wash over you. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    3. Tour the Tiwi Islands

    The Tiwi Islands, a scenic 80km flight from Darwin across the narrow Clarence and Dundas Straits, reveal a different side to the Territory, with their own distinctive culture. Take a day tour with Tiwi by Design to visit Bathurst Island and learn about creation stories, the Mission days, World War II history and the islanders’ obsession with AFL!

    Take a ‘behind-the-scenes’ tour of Tiwi Design’s screen-printing workshop and pick up a great souvenir in the form of art. Choose from contemporary or traditional Tiwi designs and a wide range of work including carvings, paintings, pottery, printmaking, bark paintings and tunga (bark baskets).

    A creative moment shared inside Tiwi Design’s screen-printing space.
    Take a peek inside Tiwi Design’s screen-printing studio. (Image: Tourism NT)

    4. Dine in Darwin

    Foodies are spoilt for choice in multi-cultural Darwin. Try Sri Lankan flavours at Ella by Minoli, where Masterchef contestant Minoli De Silva creates delectable dishes, or head to Charlie’s of Darwin for gin-tasting, cocktails and more. Bowls of fragrant laksa, excellent coffee, fresh vegetables and authentic crafts are all part of a weekend visit to Darwin’s Parap Markets, Rapid Creek Markets and the Nightcliff Markets.

    Prefer to catch your own dinner? Book a Top End fishing charter to bag a barramundi – and from October register for the annual Million Dollar Fish competition. Hooking one of the tagged barra released each year in waterways across the Territory could win you up to $1 million.

    A bowl of Laksa.
    Eat your way through multicultural Darwin. (Image: Tourism NT)

    5. Up close with Uluṟu

    The magnificent monolith Uluṟu is even more magical when the summer rains fall. When it rains on The Rock, the locals come out to watch – consider yourself lucky if that happens when you visit. Waterfalls cascading off the sides of Uluṟu is a sight that relatively few tourists see.

    There’s so much to do at Uluṟu, from guided walks to learn the stories of the Aṉangu people and the ancient landscape they live in to scenic flights for a bird’s-eye view or a leisurely walk around the base of Uluṟu. Book ahead to spend the evening wandering through the Field of Light installation by Bruce Munro.

    A closer look at Uluru and uncover its ancient stories, sacred sites, and striking natural beauty – one of the most iconic things to do in the Northern Territory.
    Discover the details that make Uluṟu truly sacred. (Image: Tourism NT)

    6. Drive the Red Centre Way

    From Alice Springs, take an epic road trip along the Red Centre Way, taking in Uluru and Watarrka National Park, home to the magnificent Kings Canyon. Allow at least a week to drive through the red heart of Australia by 4WD, a little longer on the sealed road by 2WD vehicle, travelling through ochre deserts, palm-lined valleys and dramatic gorges. Stop off at waterholes for a refreshing dip along the way.

    Kings Canyon offers hiking options for all levels of fitness, from the three-hour Rim Walk atop soaring sandstone walls to the gentler Kings Creek Walk. Either way, you’ll have breathtaking views.

    SEIT Outback Australia is a small group touring specialist offering exciting, adventurous, exclusive and specialised iconic, pioneering and cultural touring in the Red Centre of Australia, giving you the time to learn, absorb and relax in the heart of Australia.<br /><br />This innovative tour company focuses on providing clients with the ultimate interpretive touring experiences with a range of products and customised touring itineraries for small groups and bespoke private charters.<br /><br />The company bases its philosophies from the key words of Spirit, Emotion, Intellect and Task (SEIT).
    Drive through Australia’s heart. (Image: Outback Australia Tours)

    7. Take a walk at Kata Tjuṯa

    Head out early to tackle the Valley of the Winds Walk at Kata Tjuṯa. This natural wonder, also known as The Olgas, is a labyrinth of soaring ochre domes that glow golden at sunrise and sunset (the walk may be closed during the middle of the day as temperatures rise).

    Walking trails range from easy to longer, more difficult tracks. At the Kata Tjuṯa dune viewing area, take in the panoramic view of the domes. The longest of the trails is the Valley of the Winds Walk, a 7.4km circuit that winds between the domes and through creek beds. It’s moderately difficult and steep in places, but offers stunning views – and occasional encounters with kangaroos.

    The Valley of the Winds Walk at Kata Tjuta is one of the most awe-inspiring things to do in the Northern Territory, especially at sunrise when the domes glow golden.
    Step into the golden light of Kata Tjuṯa. (Image: Tourism NT)

    8. Explore Tjoritja/West MacDonnell Ranges

    Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park lies 135km west of Alice Springs, with many fascinating natural features to beguile visitors. The ‘West Macs’ formations include chasms, gorges and waterholes – take your swimsuit for a dip at Ormiston Gorge waterhole, open year-round. The Ormiston Pound Walk is a three to four-hour circuit that leaves from the visitor centre and loops back along the gorge via the main waterhole. Other places of interest in the park include Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm, Ellery Creek Big Hole and Glen Helen.

    Soaking in the serenity of Ormiston Gorge, these two travellers enjoy one of the most scenic things to do in the Northern Territory.
    Take the plunge at Ormiston Gorge waterhole. (Image: Joshua Griffin Litchfield)

    Start planning the NT road trip of a lifetime at northernterritory.com