Many wealthy people love to travel, as a recent survey showed. They also love to talk about travel. If your clients are global travelers who put a premium on first-class accommodations, the latest edition of The World’s 50 Best Hotels, released Friday, could be a good conversation starter.
The list is created by The World’s 50 Best Hotels Academy, a group of some 800 anonymous well-traveled and gender-balanced experts within the hotel and travel industry. The academy comprises 13 voting regions, each headed up by an academy chair. A minimum of 25% of the panel is renewed each year.
As to what constitutes “best,” that is left to the judgment of the experts. The list is the result of a simple computation of their votes. Although there are no set criteria for voters, strict voting rules apply to ensure the credibility and integrity of the list as a resource for discerning travelers.
Voters range from hoteliers to travel journalists, seasoned luxury travelers, hospitality professionals and other experienced globetrotters. Each member of the academy has seven votes. At the point of voting, they are simply required to list the seven best hotels they have stayed in over the past 24 months in order of preference.
Hotels in Asia dominate this year’s list of the best hotels, with 20 establishments named. Europe followed with 17, North America with six, Africa with three, and Oceania and South American with two apiece.
Two U.S. hostelries made the top 50 list: the Hotel Bel-Air in Beverly Hills and The Mark in New York.
See the gallery for this list of the 10 best hotels in the world, according to the academy.
Photos: William Reed Ltd. 2025, except as noted
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