Japan leads the way in the third annual World’s 50 Best Hotels with four of Asia’s 20 establishments in Tokyo and three in Kyoto, two of which are in the top 100. The capital city claimed Bvlgari Hotel Tokyo (15th), Aman Tokyo (25th), Janu Tokyo (37th) the Tokyo Edition Toranomon (45th) and historic Kyoto collected gongs for Hotel the Mitsui (46th). Meanwhile, Park Hyatt Kyoto (59th) and Aman Kyoto (74th) landed in the top 100.
Featuring hotels from 22 destinations across six continents, plus several special awards, the prestigious list was announced in London in November. Europe claimed 17 finalists, North America six, Africa three while Oceania and South America earned two each.
Rosewood Hong Kong took the top spot over two Bangkok landmarks: Four Seasons and Capella. Judges said, “In a city crowded with skyscrapers, Rosewood Hong Kong stands out. Soaring 270 meters above the city, the 413-room flagship of the ultra-luxury group commands an enviable waterfront location on Victoria Harbour, plus stunning views of Hong Kong’s iconic skyline. Inside is a world of its own: 11 dining and drinking venues, extensive wellness facilities, gallery-worthy art, elegant rooms and suites and top-notch service that attracts movers and shakers.” The hotel features 413 rooms from $650 per night.
Special Awards
- Best Boutique Hotel Award: Passalacqua, Lake Como, Italy
- Eco Hotel Award: Desa Potato Head, Bali
- Best New Hotel: Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing
- Art of Design Award: Singita in Kruger National Park, South Africa
- Most Admired Hotel Group: Four Seasons
- Highest Climber: Royal Mansour, Marrakech
- Highest New Entry Award: Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro
- Best Beach Hotel: Atlantis The Royal, Dubai
Emma Sleight, Head of Content for The World’s 50 Best Hotels, said, “We are delighted to share the list of the world’s 50 best hotels and to celebrate Rosewood Hong Kong’s at number one spot—a property that has featured in the top three since the inception of the awards in 2023. This exceptional hotel offers world-class service and sensational guest experiences in the heart of one of the world’s most bustling and dynamic destinations. Rosewood Hong Kong’s positioning as No. 1 further consolidates Asia as a leading luxury travel destination for both business and leisure travellers.”
Opened in 2019, the 65-story Rosewood Hong Kong boasts extraordinary views over Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong skyline. The contemporary 413-room hotel has 11 restaurants and bars, an impressive harbour-view infinity pool and the renowned multi-level Asaya wellness facility featuring nine treatment rooms offering a variety of therapeutic, aesthetic and holistic treatments.
Judges comments:
The Bulgari Tokyo boasts gilded Italian stylings paired with meticulous Japanese precision. “An escapist taste of Italian fashion fused with a crafted contemporary Japanese edge, hovering in the clouds at the apex of a 45-story skyscraper near Tokyo Station. Picture this: Carrara marble tables and hand-blown Venetian glass lighting sitting comfortably alongside Japanese kimono textiles, serene sweeps of temple-like ceilings and bamboo wall baskets, all harmonized with a starry dose of Bulgari heritage.” This hotel features 98 rooms from $2,000.
Aman Tokyo (above), meanwhile, is a sky-high sanctuary of modern Asian minimalist design. “It may sit in the heart of the sprawling megalopolis of Tokyo, but its sleek, serene and unwaveringly luxe atmosphere belies its location. The hotel became Aman’s first urban outpost when it opened in 2014, smoothly spanning the top six floors of a shiny 38-story skyscraper in the bustling Otemachi financial district. The transition from city to escapism is instantaneous upon arrival at the airy 33rd floor lobby, with its cathedral-high ceiling of crafted white washi paper; abstract seasonal floral and rock displays on reflective waters and iconic city views.” The hotel features 84 rooms from $1,800 per night.
Janu Tokyo (above) boasts a buzzy retreat with a constellation of culinary treats. “Janu Tokyo opened in 2024 as the inaugural flagship of a new brand born from the Aman cosmos. Unlike the coolly escapist luxury bubbles synonymous with all things Aman, Janu—meaning ‘soul’ in Sanskrit—is open, playful and connected to community, with a buzzy urban ambiance and even (something of an Aman anomaly) splashes of color, all anchored in the contemporary luxe DNA of its family roots.” Janu features 122 rooms from $900 per night.
The Tokyo Edition Toranomon (above) offers a fresh take on skyscraper luxury, from jungly lobbies to cloud-brushing terraces. “Forget stiff five-star service. The Tokyo Edition Toranomon has playfully rewritten the rules of luxury hospitality in the Japanese capital since opening its doors in 2020. Spanning the upper echelons of a cloud-grazing tower in the Toranomon business district, the hotel stands out with its contemporary design (courtesy of cult architect Kengo Kuma), classic Tokyo views, quality cuisine and nonchalantly edgy fashion crowds—all threaded together by a refreshingly laid-back sense of luxury, as imagined by Edition founder Ian Schrager. It’s the first of two Edition hotels in Tokyo; its intimate sister hotel opened in Ginza last year.” The hotel features 206 rooms from $700 per night.
The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025
- Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Bangkok
- Capella Bangkok, Bangkok
- Passalacqua, Lake Como
- Raffles Singapore, Singapore
- Atlantis The Royal, Dubai
- Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bangkok
- Chable Yacatan, Chochola
- Four Seasons Firenze, Florence
- Upper House Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro
- Capella Sydney, Sydney
- Royal Mansour, Marrakech
- Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing
- Bulgari Tokyo, Tokyo
- Claridge’s, London
- Four Seasons Astir Palace, Athens
- Desa Potato Head, Bali
- Le Bristol, Paris
- Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Dubai
- Cheval Blanc Paris, Paris
- Bulgari Roma, Rome
- Hotel de Crillon, Paris
- Rosewood Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo
- Aman Tokyo, Tokyo
- Hotel Il Pellicano, Porto Ercole
- Hotel du Couvent, Nice
- Soneva Fushi, Maldives
- The Connaught, London
- La Mamounia, Marrakech
- Raffles London at The OWO, London
- The Emory, London
- Maroma, Riviera Maya
- The Calile, Brisbane
- The Lana, Dubai
- Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Monaco
- Janu Tokyo, Tokyo
- The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai
- One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit
- Singita – Kruger National Park
- Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
- The Mark, New York
- Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Los Cabos
- The Tokyo Edition Toranomon, Tokyo
- Hotel The Mitsui, Kyoto
- Estelle Manor, Witney
- Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, Rovinj
- Hotel Sacher Vienna, Vienna
- Mandapa, Bali
