Travel + Leisure Readers' 500 Favorite Hotels and Resorts in the World

These properties scored the highest in Travel + Leisure's most recent World's Best Awards survey.

Drone view of the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
Photo:

Athul Prasad

Sometimes a hotel is so special that it becomes a destination in its own right. If you’re on the hunt for a property worth planning a trip around, look no further than the T+L 500, our annual list of the hotels and resorts our readers love the most. 

Drawn from the results of the World’s Best Awards survey (voted on by our readers), these 500 top scorers deliver the bucket-list locations, outstanding design, and exceptional service our readers want to return to time and time again. 

The honorees are grouped into eight geographic regions: Africa and the Middle East; Asia; Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific; Canada; the Caribbean; Europe; Mexico, Central America, and South America; and the United States.

Below, we highlight 10 properties that embody all of the spectacular charm and amenities one might look for when planning their next dream vacation. You can read the full T+L 500 list in Travel + Leisure's May 2024 issue, on newsstands today, or digitally on Apple News+.

Exterior of the Etereo hotel, seen from a wooden walkway

Courtesy of Etéreo, Auberge Resorts Collection

Etéreo, Auberge Resorts Collection

The name Etéreo, Spanish for “ethereal,” accurately describes this rejuvenating resort on Mexico's Riviera Maya. Known for its elevated restaurants, excellent Sana spa, gorgeous views of the Caribbean Sea, and nearby cenotes, it’s no surprise this property is a family favorite, appealing to multiple generations.

View from a hotel terrace at the Montage Los Cabos

Christian Horan/Courtesy of Montage Los Cabos

Montage Los Cabos

Located on Santa Maria Bay in Los Cabos, Mexico, Montage Los Cabos has 122 guestrooms, suites, and casas, as well as 52 residences. Here, you’ll find fresh Baja-inspired cuisine — and, if your timing is right, the annual grey and humpback whale migration. 

Pair of photos from Kokomo Private Island, showing the beach and a villa deck

Sean Fennessy

Kokomo Private Island Fiji

A quick 45-minute flight from Nadi International Airport gets you to Kokomo, a private island resort in Fiji. Unspoiled and wildly luxurious, this secluded escape has some of the best diving and snorkeling around the world’s fourth largest reef. 

Indoor pool at the Four Seasons Istanbul at the Bosphorus

Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus

With a European address that overlooks Asia, this Four Seasons Hotel holds a unique position along the Bosphorus Strait. After a busy day of shopping in one of Istanbul’s trendiest neighborhoods, the heated outdoor pool is the perfect place to wind down and relax the senses. 

Guest room at the Six Senses Douro Valley Resort

Courtesy of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas

Six Senses Douro Valley

The restored 19th-century manor in Lamego, Portugal has 71 guest rooms with panoramic views of the Douro river, private balconies, and wooden bridges leading to tranquil, secret gardens. 

White walled hotel terrace in Santorini, Greece

Courtesy of Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection

Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection

This top 10 best resort in Europe, according to our 2023 World’s Best Awards, lies in the heart of Santorini’s Imerovigli village. Whether you’re in the infinity pool or in the comfort of your private villa, it’s impossible to miss the bright orange sunset that sets its light over the Aegean Sea. 

A lanai with a fire pit at the Ritz Carlton Maui hotel

Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua

The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua

Deeply rooted in Hawaiian history, The Ritz-Carlton Maui, which underwent a $100-million renovation last year, centers its design around the location’s culture and maintains the nearby Honokahua Preservation Site (a recognized wahi pana, or sacred site, where about 2,000 Hawaiians were buried between 610 C.E. and 1800 C.E.).

Pair of photos from Nayara Tented Camp, one showing an exterior, and one showing a guest bed

Charissa Fay

Nayara Tented Camp

If you’ve ever been to La Fortuna, Costa Rica, you know it's one of the most magical natural places in the world. At Nayara Tented Camp, not only can you revel in the surrounding biodiversity with highly trained naturalist guides, but after a busy day of sightseeing, you can return to your spacious tent with a private pool fed by the volcano’s mineral hot springs. 

Guest room at Little Nell resort in Aspen

Courtesy of The Little Nell

The Little Nell

Aspen’s only ski-in, ski-out hotel has 92 rooms, a new luxury spa, two restaurants, three bars, extraordinary mountain views and, you guessed it — all things après-ski. 

Exterior of the White Barn Inn

Courtesy of White Barn Inn, Auberge Resorts Collection

White Barn Inn, Auberge Resorts Collection

Drive 90 minutes north of Boston to Kennebunkport, Maine, to find the effortlessly cozy and elevated White Barn Inn. Roomy waterfront cottages await with a fireplace, a large living area, and direct access to the heated infinity pool.

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