Whether you’re one for a teeny-weeny boutique stay in the mountains or a glitzy suite in a city-centre skyscraper, Australia is full of some pretty jaw-dropping hotels. In news that has us brimming with pride, two of our nation’s very best have just been honoured on this year’s World’s 50 Best Hotels list. Brisbane property The Calile Hotel took out the title of the Best Hotel in Oceania for the second year running, while Hobart’s The Tasman made its top 50 debut.
Stacking up against some seriously impressive resorts, hotels, palaces(!) and chalets around the globe, The Calile, which you’ll find in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, scored an outstanding 25th place in the line-up. This is a drop from its 12th-place ranking in the inaugural World’s 50 Best Hotels list in 2023, with the rankings voted on by 600 industry leaders, including hoteliers, travel journalists and luxury travellers.
While you might not immediately associate Brissie with luxury (no shade, guys), The Calile Hotel has made its mark since opening in 2018, drawing in well-heeled clientele from all over the world to the River City. There’s a lot to love about the Calile, with its distinct architecture that perfectly marries curved concrete with pops of tropical lushness. You’ll find a palm tree perched against sleek brickwork at every turn, courtesy of the genius design acumen of firm Richards and Spence. Not to mention that 30-metre pool you would have seen on Instagram, or Hellenika, the bustling Greek restaurant overlooking it.
Who would’ve thought that the only other Australian hotel to make the World’s 50 Best Hotels was a historic hotel in Tasmania? Anchored to Hobart’s buzzing waterfront precinct, The Tasman just made the cut in position 49. The charming hotel’s original sandstone facade houses 152 rooms in three buildings of starkly different eras. You can pick from park-facing Heritage rooms facing the leafy St David’s Park, Pavilion suites with views of the water and Mount Wellington/kunanyi, or Art Deco rooms with bold colour palettes and decor. The Tasman’s signature restaurant Peppina is one of the best in the state, while the hotel’s classy cocktail bar Mary Mary reimagines classics with local fruits and Indigenous botanicals.
Topping the global list is the luxurious riverside Capella Bangkok, with last year’s winner, Passalacqua on Lake Como, sliding into second place. Rosewood Hong Kong claimed third, Paris’ Cheval Blanc took fourth, and The Upper House in Hong Kong rounded out the top five. You can see the full list of the World’s 50 Best Hotels here.
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