October 31, 2025 — 12:36pm
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Two Australian hotels have been recognised in the coveted World’s 50 Best Hotels list by a global academy of well-travelled experts in the hotel and travel industry, with new entry Capella Sydney named Best Hotel in Oceania.
Capella Sydney’s Edwardian baroque-style facade, in the former NSW Department of Education building.Timothy Kaye
Capella Sydney’s glass-enclosed atrium with remotely operated artificial flowers that open and close above diners’ heads.
Capella Sydney, operated by high-end Singapore-based Capella Hotels and Resorts group, ranked No.12 this year, with the former top-ranking Australian hotel for two years running, Brisbane’s The Calile, sliding down the list nine places to No.34.
The best hotels for 2025 were announced at a ceremony at London’s Old Billingsgate on Thursday, with luxury Chinese hotel Rosewood Hong Kong finally taking out the number one spot after featuring in the top three since the awards’ inception in 2023.
It is the third edition of the annual hotel rankings for the 50 Best group, known for its annual global top-50 restaurants and bars lists. Compiled by UK-based company William Reed Business Media, the hotel rankings’ debut in 2023 was the group’s first global launch since turning its attention to bars in 2009.
The Calile dropped to No.34 on the World’s 50 Best Hotels rankings for 2025.
The World’s 50 Best Hotels No.1 … Rosewood Hong Kong.
A wraparound terrace and pool at Rosewood Hong Kong.
The Thai capital made a splash this year with two hotels in the top three, and three in the top 10. Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River came in second place, while last year’s No.1 Capella Bangkok followed in third, with Mandarin Oriental Bangkok rounding out the city list at No.7.
Capella Sydney’s general manager, Marc von Arnim, said the team was “humbled and proud to be part of this extraordinary list of the world’s finest hotels”.
Since launching in 2023, Capella Sydney has quickly established itself as one of the city’s most luxurious properties.
Capella Sydney’s 20-metre indoor rooftop pool on level six.Dominic Lorrimer
The suite life … standalone bathtubs at Capella Sydney.
The 192-room, $300 million hotel in the heart of Sydney’s heritage “sandstone precinct”, set within the early 1900s Edwardian baroque former NSW Department of Education building, spared no expense in its thoughtful restoration and reimagining of the property, with art-studded interiors, a luxury spa, indoor rooftop pool and luxury touches like standalone bathtubs.
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For dining and drinking, the street level has three places for guests and the public to congregate: Aperture, Brasserie 1930 and McRae Bar. The adjacent Lands by Capella in the historic Department of Lands building is currently under construction by Capella’s developer arm, Pontiac, and set to open as an events space in February. It plans to house eateries, bars and boutiques.
NSW and Queensland weren’t the only Australian states to receive a 50 Best nod. Baillie Lodges’ ultra-luxury all-inclusive retreat, Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island in South Australia, was named the American Express Travel “One To Watch” last month.
Southern Ocean Lodge has been recognised in the World’s 50 Best Hotels as the “one to watch”.
The high-end retreat was rebuilt following the devastating 2020 bushfires that ravaged Kangaroo Island.
The award marks a turning point for the property, which was destroyed in the January 2020 bushfires and reopened a year ago following a long, painstaking clearing and rebuilding process.
Hobart’s Marriott-run The Tasman, which ranked No.49 in 2024, didn’t make this year’s top-50 list.
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Beyond the top-50 rankings, some properties received special awards, with another former winner, Italy’s Passalacqua in Lake Como (No.4), named Best Boutique Hotel for a second year; Desa Potato Head Bali took out the Eco Hotel Award; Mandarin Oriental Qianmen in Beijing (No.14) was singled out for the Nikka Best New Hotel Award; and Atlantis The Royal in Dubai (No.6) was named Best Beach Hotel.
The academy chair position for the Oceania region, which includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, is held by Melbourne-based food and travel critic Michael Harden, but it’s not known how many of the jurors voting in the awards are Australian or Oceania-based.
The World’s 50 Best Hotels rankings are based on the votes of a collective of 580 jurors spanning nine geographical regions and comprising hoteliers, travel journalists, hotel educators and seasoned luxury travellers. Panel members submit seven votes, in order of preference, based on stays over a two-year period ending in April 2024.
The World’s 50 Best lists have been criticised for favouring European venues and demonstrating a lack of diversity, though measures have been taken to address some of these shortfalls, including mandating a 50/50 gender balance among jurors.
Any hotel is eligible; there is no essential criterion for a property to qualify for a vote, and hotels aren’t required to “pay to play”.
The World’s 50 Best Hotels for 2025Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong KongFour Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, BangkokCapella Bangkok, BangkokPassalacqua, Lake ComoRaffles Singapore, SingaporeAtlantis The Royal, DubaiMandarin Oriental Bangkok, BangkokChablé Yucatán, ChocholáFour Seasons Firenze, FlorenceUpper House Hong Kong, Hong KongCopacabana Palace, Rio de JaneiroCapella Sydney, SydneyRoyal Mansour, MarrakechMandarin Oriental Qianmen, BeijingBulgari Tokyo, TokyoClaridge’s, LondonFour Seasons Astir Palace, AthensDesa Potato Head, BaliLe Bristol, ParisJumeirah Marsa Al Arab, DubaiCheval Blanc Paris, ParisBulgari Roma, RomeHôtel de Crillon, ParisRosewood São Paulo, São PauloAman Tokyo, TokyoHotel Il Pellicano, Porto ErcoleHôtel du Couvent, NiceSoneva Fushi, MaldivesThe Connaught, LondonLa Mamounia, MarrakechRaffles London at The OWO, LondonThe Emory, LondonMaroma, Riviera MayaThe Calile, BrisbaneThe Lana, DubaiHôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, MonacoJanu Tokyo, TokyoThe Taj Mahal Palace, MumbaiOne&Only Mandarina, Riviera NayaritSingita – Kruger National Park, Kruger National ParkMandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Hong KongHotel Bel-Air, Los AngelesThe Mark, New YorkLas Ventanas al Paraíso, Los CabosThe Tokyo Edition Toranomon, TokyoHotel The Mitsui, KyotoEstelle Manor, WitneyGrand Park Hotel Rovinj, RovinjHotel Sacher Vienna, ViennaMandapa, Bali
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