Two Aussie hotels named among world’s top 50 for 2024

Rachael Thompson Rachael Thompson
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The results for The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024 have just been announced and Australia has made its mark.

Hotels have become a major influence on travel decisions in recent years, often holding equal importance as the destination itself. Accommodations with opulent amenities, unique experiences, and arresting design hold significant appeal for discerning travellers. And The World’s 50 Best Hotels list serves as an annual benchmark for the best hotels and luxury hospitality experiences worth travelling for. 

The results for 2024 have just been announced in London featuring hotels from 36 destinations across six continents, including two Aussie hotels: The Calile, Brisbane and The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart. This reflects the growing recognition and quality of Australian hospitality on a global scale and underscores the unique offerings of Australian hotels. 

The winners

Urban oasis Capella Bangkok claimed the number one spot with its sleek design, lush landscaping, and panoramic views of the Chao Phraya River. The World’s 50 Best highlighted the calming nature of the hotel in one of the world’s most lively cities noting “The Capella is a masterclass in serenity and calm, from the neutral-toned, clean-lined, Japan-esque design to the brilliant and seemingly semi-psychic service that anticipates your every waking need." The recently opened Singapore outpost also featured on the list at no. 33. 

 

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Last year’s winner, luxury boutique hotel Passalacqua, Lake Como, was named no. 2. The palatial lakefront accommodation sits within an 18th-century villa once owned by Pope Innocent XI, and features immaculate terraced gardens and ornate Baroque design.

Passalacqua, Lake Como
Experience la dolce vita at Passalacqua. (Image: Edwina Hart)

The Aussie hotels that made the list

For the second consecutive year, The Calile Hotel is featured on the list. In 2023, it was awarded no.12 and this year it has come in at no. 25 as well as receiving the accolade for The Best Hotel in Oceania 2024. Located in the hip precinct of James Street in Brisbane, The Calile has elevated the city’s design landscape and become a hotspot for stylish Aussies since it opened in 2018.

The Calile Brisbane
The urban resort boasts a retro cool design.

Taking cues from modernist Miami and Palm Springs aesthetics combined with elements of 1960s Australia, the tropical oasis is swathed in a sophisticated palette of rich-veined rose marble, smooth concrete, and blonde timber. 

The Calile Brisbane
The sleek rooms exude calm.

The Tasman Hobart claimed no.49 this year, putting the port city on the map for international travellers. An elegant heritage reconstruction of former state government offices, The Tasman is a study in sensitively bringing a historic building into the 21st century.

The Tasman Hotel Hobart
Rooms and suites boast soaring ceilings. (Image: Adam Gibson)

Sitting pretty on the waterfront, guestrooms feature original Georgian details, exposed sandstone walls, sweeping water views, and custom furnishings. 

The Tasman Hotel Hobart
Old meets new at The Tasman Hotel Hobart. (Image: Sean Fennessy)

Bali-loving Aussies planning on visiting The Island of the Gods in the near future should turn their attention to Seminyak beauty Desa Potato Head which came in at no. 21.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024 list

  1. Capella Bangkok, Bangkok
  2. Passalacqua, Lake Como
  3. Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  4. Cheval Blanc, Paris
  5. The Upper House, Hong Kong
  6. Raffles Singapore, Singapore
  7. Aman Tokyo, Tokyo
  8. Soneva Fushi, Maldives
  9. Atlantis The Royal, Dubai
  10. Nihi Sumba, Sumba Island
  11. Claridge’s, London
  12. Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bangkok
  13. Raffles London at the OWO, London
  14. Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Bangkok
  15. Hôtel de Crillon, Paris
  16. Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá
  17. Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes
  18. Maroma, Riviera Maya
  19. Four Seasons Firenze, Florence
  20. Borgo Santandrea, Amalfi
  21. Desa Potato Head, Bali
  22. Bulgari Tokyo, Tokyo
  23. The Lana, Dubai
  24. Rosewood São Paulo, São Paulo
  25. The Calile, Brisbane
  26. The Siam, Bangkok
  27. Park Hyatt Kyoto, Kyoto
  28. Mount Nelson, Cape Town
  29. One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit
  30. The Carlyle, New York
  31. La Mamounia, Marrakechch
  32. Four Seasons Madrid, Madrid
  33. Capella Singapore, Singapore
  34. Four Seasons at The Surf Club, Surfside
  35. Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
  36. Eden Rock, St. Barths
  37. Aman New York, New York
  38. Royal Mansour, Marrakech
  39. Amangalla, Gaelle
  40. Le Bristol, Paris
  41. Gleneagles, Auchterarder
  42. Castello di Reschio, Lisciano Niccone
  43. Suján Jawai, Rajasthan
  44. Singita – Kruger National Park, Kruger National Park
  45. Six Senses Zighy Bay, Zaghi
  46. The Connaught, London
  47. The Brando, Tetiaroa
  48. Hotel Esencia, Tulum
  49. The Tasman, Hobart
  50. Kokomo Private Island, Yaukuve Levu Island

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Rachael Thompson
Rachael Thompson is Australian Traveller's Evergreen Editor and Hotel Addict. She's responsible for the foundational content on AustralianTraveller.com, helping to manage and grow the brand’s destination guides. With a background in design and travel media, Rachael is dedicated to curating content that is as much informational as it is beautiful. She began her career at Belle magazine, before taking up editorial roles at Homes to Love and Bed Threads. When she's not writing, editing or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list is Lord Howe Island.
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The perfect mid-week reset an hour from Melbourne

    Kellie Floyd Kellie Floyd
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    Winding down in the Yarra Valley, where ‘work from home’ becomes ‘work from wine country’.

    Steam from my morning coffee curls gently into the cool valley air, mist-veiled vineyards stretch out in neat rows below me. Magpies warble from trees, and the morning’s quiet carries the soft bleating of lambs from a nearby paddock. Midweek in the Yarra Valley has its own rhythm. It’s slower, quieter, with more empty tables at cafes and cellar doors, and walking trails I can claim all to myself. It’s as if the entire region takes a deep breath once the weekend crowd leaves.

    walking trails in the Yarra Valley
    You’ll find walking trails are less crowded during the week. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    I haven’t come here for a holiday, but to do a little work somewhere other than my home office, where I spend too much time hunched over my desk. Deadlines still loom, meetings still happen, but with flexible work evolving from ‘work from home’ to ‘work from anywhere’, I’m swapping the view of my front yard to the vineyards.

    A quiet afternoon at Yarra Valley Dairy

    holding a glass of wine at Yarra Valley Dairy
    Wine time at Yarra Valley Dairy, where you can enjoy a toastie or bagel in the cafe. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    With the Yarra Valley just over an hour from the CBD, many Melburnians could drive here in their lunch break. I arrive late in the afternoon and am delighted to discover the Yarra Valley Dairy still open. On weekends, I’ve seen queues spilling out the door, but today there’s only one other couple inside. There’s no need to rush to secure a table; instead I browse the little store, shelves stacked with chutneys, spices, artisan biscuits and gorgeous crockery that would look right at home in my kitchen. It’s hard not to buy the lot.

    a cheese tasting plate atYarra Valley Dairy
    A cheese tasting plate at Yarra Valley Dairy.

    I order a coffee and a small cheese platter, though the dairy has a full menu, and choose a wooden table with bentwood chairs by a wide window. The space feels part farm shed, part cosy café: corrugated iron ceiling, walls painted in muted tones and rustic furniture.

    Outside, cows meander toward milking sheds. If pressed for time, there’s the option of quick cheese tastings – four samples for five dollars in five minutes – but today, I’m in no rush. I sip slowly, watching a grey sky settle over the paddock. Less than an hour ago I was hunched over my home-office desk, and now my racing mind has slowed to match the valley’s pace.

    Checking in for vineyard views at Balgownie Estate

    Restaurant 1309 at Balgownie Estate
    Restaurant 1309 at Balgownie Estate has views across the vines.

    As my car rolls to a stop at Balgownie Estate, I’m quietly excited, and curious to see if my plan to work and play comes off. I’ve chosen a suite with a spacious living area and a separate bedroom so I can keep work away from a good night’s sleep. I could have booked a cosy cottage, complete with open fireplace, a comfy couch and a kettle for endless cups of tea, but as I am still here to get some work done, I opt for a place that takes care of everything. Dinner is served in Restaurant 1309, as is breakfast.

    oysters at Restaurant 1309, Balgownie Estate
    Oysters pair perfectly with a crisp white at Restaurant 1309.

    On my first evening, instead of the usual walk about my neighbourhood, I stroll through the estate at an unhurried pace. There’s no need to rush – someone else is preparing my dinner after all. The walking trails offer beautiful sunsets, and it seems mobs of kangaroos enjoy the view, too. Many appear, grazing lazily on the hillside.

    I wake to the call of birds and, after breakfast, with the mist still lingering over the vineyards, I watch two hot-air balloons silently drift above clouds. Perched on a hill, Balgownie Estate sits above the mist, leaving the valley below veiled white.

    kangaroos in Yarra Valley
    Spotting the locals on an evening walk. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Exploring the Yarra Valley on two wheels

    the Yarra Valley vineyards
    Swap your home office for a view of the vineyards. (Image: Visit Victoria/Cormac Hanrahan)

    Perhaps because the Yarra Valley is relatively close to where I live, I’ve never considered exploring the area any way other than by car or on foot. And with a fear of heights, a hot-air balloon is firmly off the table. But when I discover I can hop on two wheels from the estate and cycle into Yarra Glen, I quickly realise it’s the perfect way to step away from my laptop and experience a different side of the region.

    COG Bike offers pedal-assist e-bikes, and while the bike trail and paths into town aren’t particularly hilly, having an extra bit of ‘oomph’ means I can soak up the surroundings. Those lambs I heard calling early in the morning? I now find them at the paddock fence, sniffing my hands, perhaps hoping for food. Cows idle nearby, and at a fork in the bike path I turn left toward town.

    It’s still morning, and the perfect time for a coffee break at The Vallie Store. If it were the afternoon, I’d likely turn right, in the direction of four wineries with cellar doors. The ride is about 15 kilometres return, but don’t let that put you off. Staying off the highway, the route takes you along quiet backroads where you catch glimpses of local life – farmers on tractors, weathered sheds, rows of vines and the kind of peaceful countryside you don’t see from the main road.

    A detour to the Dandenong Ranges

    legs hanging over the sides of the train, Puffing Billy Railway
    The iconic Puffing Billy runs every day except Christmas Day.

    The beauty of basing myself in the Yarra Valley is how close everything feels. In barely half an hour I’m in the Dandenong Ranges, swapping vineyards for towering mountain ash and fern-filled gullies. The small villages of Olinda and Sassafras burst with cosy teahouses, antique stores and boutiques selling clothing and handmade body care items.

    I’m drawn to RJ Hamer Arboretum – Latin for ‘a place for trees’. Having grown up among tall trees, I’ve always taken comfort in their presence, so this visit feels like a return of sorts. A stroll along the trails offers a choice: wide open views across patchwork paddocks below, or shaded paths that lead you deeper into the quiet hush of the peaceful forest.

    The following day, I settle into a quiet corner on the balcony of Paradise Valley Hotel in Clematis and soon hear Puffing Billy’s whistle and steady chuff as the steam train climbs towards town. Puffing Billy is one of Australia’s most beloved steam trains, running through the Dandenong Ranges on a narrow-gauge track. It’s famous for its open carriages where passengers can sit with their legs hanging over the sides as the train chugs through the forest. This is the perfect spot to wave to those on the train.

    After my midweek break, I find my inbox still full and my to-do list not in the least shrunken, just shifted from one task to another. But I return to my home office feeling lighter, clearer and with a smug satisfaction I’d stolen back a little time for myself. A midweek wind-down made all the difference.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    Balgownie Estate offers everything from cellar door tastings to spa treatments and fine dining – all without leaving the property.

    Playing there

    the TarraWarra Museum of Art, Yarra Valley
    Visit the TarraWarra Museum of Art. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Wander through Alowyn Gardens, including a stunning wisteria tunnel, then explore the collection of contemporary artworks at TarraWarra Museum of Art. Cycle the Yarra Valley with COG Bike to visit local wineries and cellar doors.

    Eating and drinking there

    Olinda Tea House offers an Asian-inspired high tea. Paradise Valley Hotel, Clematis has classic pub fare, while the iconic Yering Station offers wine tastings and a restaurant with seasonal dishes.

    seasonal dishes at the restaurant inside Yering Station
    The restaurant at Yering Station showcases the best produce of the Yarra Valley. (Image: Visit Victoria)