Capella Bangkok

It’s no surprise that Capella Bangkok came out top of the 2024 list. Not only does its modern design ensure light-filled spaces that offer you spectacular views of the Chao Phraya River, but it also helps it achieve something seemingly impossible: a peaceful escape in the heart of Bangkok.

The entry-level apartment-sized rooms each come with a terrace with its own lounge, while riverside villas each have a private garden and jacuzzi. Your Travel Counsellor, with the assistance of the hotel’s Capella Culturists, can curate bespoke itineraries for you, from private meditation sessions at a 250-year old temple to a personalised shopping spree in Bangkok’s renowned malls.

Passalacqua, Lake Como

Passalacqua ranks second on the list but also picked up the Carlo Alberto Best Boutique Hotel Award, whilst the prestigious Robb Report states that it has two of the best hotel suites in the world. With 24 rooms, this 18th-century villa and former papal residence - and sister hotel to Grand Hotel Tremezzo - sits on the waterfront of Lake Como. Each room will leave you wowed thanks to original frescoes and ceiling carvings, plus 19th-century portraits.

The newly minted spa is a revelation, set within vaulted stone tunnels reaching from the hotel towards the lake, and a heated indoor pool. There’s a de rigeur ice bath and sauna, as well as amber-lit treatment rooms where you can relax into massages and facials using Tuscan skincare line, Seed to Skin.

Aman Tokyo

Aman was awarded the Ferrari Trento World’s Most Admired Hotel Group – and we partner with all of Aman’s hotels! Its Tokyo outpost, their first-ever urban property, turned ten this year, and it gained a well-deserved seventh place in the overall list. It leans hard into Japanese minimalism, from the 33rd-floor lobby’s white washi paper ceiling that flows towards ceiling-high windows, framing spectacular city views.

This is a place where you’re always aware of Tokyo’s juxtaposition of the traditional and ultra-modern. The exquisite sushi at the eight-seat Musashi is the best you’ll find in the city.

Soneva Fushi, Maldives

Soneva Fushi is a pioneer. When it opened in 1995, its ‘no shoes, no news’ concept was a one-off, and marine conservation and community outreach were seen as niche at best. Now these concepts are found throughout the Maldives, setting the global agenda, too. It remains the very best hotel in the Maldives and ranks number eight in this year's list.

Among its slick city contenders, Soneva Fushi also comes out as the top beach hotel in the world. The Residences, its stunning top-end villas, now come with a personal chef, buggies for getting around the island, and in-villa wellness treatments. The emphasis at Soneva Fushi is on total relaxation, and to be guardians of the places that existed long before the hotel arrived.

Atlantis the Royal, Dubai

Winner of the Highest Climber Award in 2024, and coming in at ninth place overall, Atlantis The Royal is the epitome of over-the-top extravagance and one of Dubai’s best places to stay. Its scale is astonishing: 795 rooms and suites, 90 (yes, 90!) pools including Cloud 22, found on the hotel’s Sky Bridge, and a 32,300 square-foot wellness space.

If that’s not enough to tempt you, then you can check into one of the 44 suites or penthouses, which feature glass-sided swimming pools for a unique view of the sea and the city. The spa has a salt cave and hammam, with treatments using local dates and even desert sand, and the dining is amongst Dubai's best, no mean feat in a city of notable restaurants.

Nihi Sumba, Indonesia

An hour’s flight from Bali on the remote island of Sumba, Nihi is the place to be if you love surfing, hanging out on the beach, or simply relaxing in the world’s most remote and wild places. There are 27 villas here, set on a private beach with access to Occy’s Left, one of the world’s most beloved surf breaks.

It’s not just about the water though; the cliff-top spa features outdoor treatment spaces, while each villa has its own private infinity pool and indoor and outdoor bathrooms. Its Raja Mandaka suite won a place in Robb Report’s definitive list of the best suites in the world.

Discover more of Indonesia's best island retreats here