Following a hugely successful debut in 2023, The World’s 50 Best Hotels returns to London for its sophomore outing with an enhanced event programme, culminating in a live awards ceremony on Tuesday, 17th September. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s edition
The launch of The World’s 50 Best Hotels in 2023 marked a seminal moment for travel lovers. Bringing 50 Best’s decades of experience and expertise within the hospitality sector to the table, the debut list made its mark as the first egalitarian awards, celebrating the finest stays across the world. The resulting ranking spanned 35 destinations across six continents, while the events in London gathered a global community of leading hoteliers together in person.
In September 2024, it marks its return with a bigger and better events programme across the English capital, which includes the introduction of #50BestTalks, an established thought-leadership live-event forum, to the line-up on 16th September.
The live awards ceremony will be held once more at the City of London’s historic Guildhall on 17th September, where the ranking of The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024 will be unveiled, along with a series of special awards.
Live event line-up
The three-day programme of festivities will kick off with the ‘Welcome to London’ event on 15th September, where the 50 Best Hotels Academy Chairs, select industry VIPs and commercial partners will meet for an evening of cocktails and canapes.
The following day will see the debut of #50BestTalks in the hotels space. The renowned series has been a staple of the 50 Best Restaurants programme since its inception in 2014, with icons and pioneers of the hospitality world gathering for each edition to share their wisdom and insight through seminars and demonstrations. This year, it will make its transition into the luxury travel sphere, gathering leading hoteliers to explore a new range of topics pertinent to the industry and consumers alike.
The 2023 Opening Banquet featured food from Michel Roux Jr. and cocktails from Artesian
On the evening of 16th September, the Opening Banquet gathers the teams behind the hotels set to feature in the new ranking to break bread in anticipation of their upcoming achievements. Building on last year’s opulent feast held at The Langham, London – which featured food from acclaimed chef Michel Roux Jr. and cocktails from Artesian, the four-time holder of The World’s Best Bar title – this year’s event promises an unforgettable night of world-leading food and drink at a grand new property in the city.
Finally, on 17th September, the gala awards evening will see the leading lights of the global hotel community walk the red carpet and reunite for an evening of anticipation, celebration and elation. Once the ceremony commences, the countdown will begin, revealing the hotels ranked from No.50 down to the coveted No.1 spot, which will be named The World’s Best Hotel 2024. Inevitably, the ceremony will be followed by an epic after-party.
Special awards
In addition to the main ranking reveal, a host of special accolades will also be bestowed on hotels and individual figures as part of The World’s 50 Best Hotels awards, including the No.3 Gin Art of Hospitality Award, SevenRooms Icon Award, Lost Explorer Best Beach Hotel Award, Carlo Alberto Best Boutique Hotel Award, Nikka Best New Hotel Award, Flor de Caña Eco Hotel Award and One To Watch Award.
Soneva Fushi took home the inaugural Lost Explorer Best Beach Hotel Award
This year’s expanded selection of special awards will also see the introduction of two new titles: the Highest New Entry Award, celebrating the highest ranked venue making its debut on the list, and the Highest Climber Award, for the hotel that has risen the most places from its position in the 2023 ranking.
The list of The World’s 50 Best Hotels remains an egalitarian process for 2024, with any hotel in the world eligible to be featured. This year, it will be voted for by an expanded gender-balanced panel of 600-plus anonymous experts from across the world, selected by the 50 Best Hotels Academy Chairs, comprising hoteliers, travel journalists, educators and seasoned luxury travellers. The voting Academy is refreshed each year with a minimum of 25 per cent new voters per edition.
There are no set criteria for voting – each panellist is simply asked to name their seven ‘best’ stays from the previous 24 months in order of preference. The resulting ranking is a simple computation of these votes. This means there is no ‘pay to play’ element, and hotels cannot apply to be featured on the list. Read more about the voting process here.
Miss last year’s ceremony? Watch the highlights here:
The list of The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024 will be revealed at a live awards ceremony in London on 17th September 2024. Bookmark the 50 Best Hotels website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube for the latest content on the best properties in the world.
