The first-ever edition of The World’s 50 Best Hotels is set to be revealed at a live awards ceremony hosted at London’s historic Guildhall on 19th September, starting at 20:25 local time. Explore how the list came to be and what exciting events are in store by browsing the digital programme, then read on to find out how to follow the action from home via 50 Best’s Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels
Over a decade in the making, the launch edition of The World’s 50 Best Hotels lands in London on 19th September 2023 to unveil its debut list, voted for by 580 anonymous hotel experts. The latest global launch for the 50 Best brand – which began with The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2002 and incorporated The World’s 50 Best Bars in 2009 – will bring together these three vital and complementary strands of hospitality to create the ultimate global reference point.
As the world’s leading hoteliers descend on the UK’s capital, a full programme of events awaits them over the course of several days, culminating in a live awards ceremony held at the city’s famed Guildhall. The ceremony will count down from the hotel ranked No.50 to the No.1 spot, which will be named the first-ever World’s Best Hotel. Ahead of the highly anticipated reveal, find out everything you need to know in the digital programme, and discover below how you can follow along from home.
The World’s 50 Best Hotels events are by invitation only.
The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023 Awards Ceremony
Tuesday 19th September, 20:25 London time (UTC+1)
Following the glamorous red-carpet arrivals and a drinks reception featuring specially crafted cocktails in the Guildhall’s Old Library and Print Room, attendees will be invited into the venue’s main auditorium for the ceremony. At 20:25, the countdown of the hotels ranked from No.50 will commence, concluding with the establishment named No.1 and The World’s Best Hotel 2023.
In addition to the ranking, there will also be a host of special accolades bestowed during the ceremony, such as the SevenRooms Icon Award, Lost Explorer Best Beach Hotel Award, Flor de Caña Eco Hotel Award and Carlo Alberto Best Boutique Hotel Award, among others. The two previously announced special award winners – Scotland’s Gleneagles, which received the Art of Hospitality Award, and Utah’s The Lodge at Blue Sky, winner of the Lavazza One To Watch Award – will also be recognised at the event on stage. For more information on each of the special accolades, click here.
To follow the action from home, watch the livestream on the 50 Best Hotels YouTube channel and Facebook page. Ahead of the ceremony, tune into the 50 Best Hotels Instagram account to see the highlights from the red carpet.
Curious for more? Here are the other events you can follow from anywhere in the world:
Welcome to London!
Sunday 17th September, 19:00-22:00
The Aubrey will serve as the first meeting point of The World's 50 Best Hotels community
The key stakeholders for The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023 will first be acquainted over bespoke cocktails and canapés created by one of London’s leading bars and Japanese izakayas, The Aubrey, located within the luxurious Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park.
Follow the 50 Best Hotels Instagram page to watch the event unfold.
The Opening Banquet
Monday 18th September, 18:30-22:00
Hoteliers behind the establishments included in the debut ranking will assemble for a feast at The Langham, London
On the day before the awards ceremony, the hoteliers behind the venues due to be included in the debut ranking will meet for the first time at a special event hosted at one of London’s most prestigious venues, The Langham. Guests will enjoy a bespoke dinner curated by renowned chef Michel Roux Jr, paired with cocktails crafted by the hotel’s flagship drinks establishment and four-time World’s Best Bar, Artesian. Following the banquet, guests will be treated to more delicious food and cocktails at The Langham’s onsite traditional English pub, The Wigmore.
For live highlights of the event, follow along on the 50 Best Hotels Instagram page.
Live Interviews: Meet the No.1 and Press Conference
Tuesday 19th September, immediately after the awards ceremony
London's historic Guildhall will host the awards ceremony, press conference and Instagram live interview with the newly-crowned No.1 hotel
Following the conclusion of the awards ceremony, listen in to the exclusive first interview with the team behind the newly-crowned World’s Best Hotel as they share their initial reaction on an Instagram live, hosted on The World’s 50 Best Hotels account.
After sharing their jubilations surrounding the new title, they will move to the official press conference, which will be livestreamed on The World’s 50 Best Hotels YouTube account. Here, the team of the No.1 hotel, alongside other special award recipients, will answer questions from the media to reflect upon their new accolades.
Official 50 Best After Party
Tuesday 19th September, 23:00-03:00
The Official 50 Best After Party will take place within the NoMad London's atrium alongside its lauded bars and eateries
Once celebrations at the Guildhall wrap up, the newly ranked hotels will be invited to board three iconic London double-decker buses, which will transport them to the Official 50 Best After Party in the atrium of the sleek NoMad London. Within, attendees will enjoy an array of exemplary cocktails created by the hotel’s flagship bars, Common Decency and Side Hustle (No.75 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2022), while two DJs soundtrack the event and bring the first-ever edition of The World’s 50 Best Hotels to a poignant close.
Celebrate along from home via the 50 Best Hotels Instagram account.
How the list was created
50 Best set out to create a ranking for hotels that is completely fair, democratic and transparent. The list of The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023 is created from the votes cast by the 50 Best Hotels Academy, a gender-balanced panel comprising 580 industry experts, including travel writers and media, hospitality professionals and seasoned luxury travellers. They are split across nine regions in the world, each headed up by an Academy Chair who selects their respective voting panel, which is refreshed annually by at least 25 per cent.
The World's 50 Best Hotels list is created from the votes cast by the anonymous Academy of industry experts
During the voting, each member of the anonymous Academy is supplied with seven votes and asked to list the best hotels they have stayed in over the course of the previous 24 months. What constitutes ‘best’ is left to the judgement of each well-travelled panellist – they are simply asked to consider all elements of their stay.
Any hotel worldwide is eligible for votes: it does not have to fit any specific criteria to be considered and the awards are not ‘pay-to-play’, meaning there is no fee to enter or be shortlisted. With the inaugural list, travellers can be confident that in booking a 50 Best hotel, they will be staying at a property that is one of the very best in the business.
For more information on the creation of the list, read our page on how the voting works and consult our FAQs.
The first-ever list of The World’s 50 Best Hotels will be revealed on 19th September – set a reminder and watch the livestream here. Bookmark the 50 Best Hotels website and follow the Instagram account, our Facebook page and YouTube channel.
