Two Australian Hotels Have Made the 2025 World’s 50 Best Hotels List

Last night, the third annual World’s 50 Best Hotels ranking was announced at a ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London.

Two Australian hotels made the prestigious list: The Calile in Brisbane and Capella Sydney. 

A newcomer to the list, Capella Sydney came in at number 12. It’s the highest-ranking Australian hotel, and was also awarded the title of Best Hotel in Oceania by the committee.

The 192-room Capella Sydney opened in 2023 in the Edwardian-style Department of Education building. It’s received local acclaim for its in-house restaurant offering and featured on many an Instagram story thanks to its kinetic lighting installation by Dutch artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta which look like gracefully blooming flowers.

The Calile has been featured on every World’s 50 Best Hotels list. It placed 12th in 2023 before falling to number 25 last year. This year it’s ranked 34th.

The Calile’s co-owner Catherine Malouf attended the awards in London. In a statement, she said, “To have been selected three years in a row marks a significant affirmation of The Calile’s place on the global hotel-industry stage … As a family-run business, this acknowledgement is a testament to the values and standards that our team continues to deliver, and we are humbled to again represent Australia and our region.”

The Maloufs are expanding their empire with a second hotel, The Calile Noosa, expected to open around 2028.

Ahead of last night’s ceremony, a third Australian hotel – South Australia’s Southern Ocean Lodge – was honoured with a special accolade, winning the One to Watch Award. The hotel opened in 2008, but was completely destroyed by the Black Summer bushfires on Kangaroo Island. The team rebuilt and welcomed guests again in December 2023.

The World’s 50 Best Hotels list is compiled by a group of over 800 travel experts, including hoteliers, journalists, and seasoned travellers.

Beyond the Australian hotels, Rosewood in Hong Kong on the Kowloon waterfront took out the top spot and also won Best Hotel in Asia. Asia dominated the awards, with the continent boasting 20 hotels on the list.

The full list is available online.

www.theworlds50best.com/hotels/

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