SINGAPORE – Tripadvisor, the world’s biggest online travel guidance platform, just announced the best places to stay ahead of the mid-year travel season.
It released the 21st edition of its Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best 2023 rankings across 10 categories for Singapore, Asia and the world on May 24.
This year’s global winner in the Top Hotels category is Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, India, which was built in 1835. Dubbed the “Jewel of Jaipur”, it bagged more than 5,000 five-bubble reviews.
In Singapore, The Barracks Hotel Sentosa managed by Far East Hospitality is No. 1 on the Tripadvisor local list.
Far East Hospitality, a joint venture in 2013 between Far East Orchard and The Straits Trading Co, is an international hospitality owner and operator with a diverse portfolio of 10 brands of hotels, serviced residences and apartment hotels.
Mr Arthur Kiong, chief executive of Far East Hospitality, tells The Straits Times that it has been the company’s aspiration for its Singapore hotel brands to rank among the big global names.
“The team at The Barracks Hotel Sentosa is ecstatic that our hard work, dedication and putting guests first have paid off,” he says.
The Barracks Hotel Sentosa, which opened in 2019, is housed within a former British artillery outpost built in 1904 in a leafy enclave in Palawan Ridge.
“This acknowledgement from our guests is a celebration for a young hotel with only 40 rooms. While it is our mission to provide top-notch Singaporean hospitality to all who come through our doors, this accolade is especially meaningful as it is an affirmation through travellers’ first-hand impressions.”
Two other local hotels owned and managed by Far East Hospitality also made it to this year’s Top 10 – Oasia Hotel Novena, Singapore (No. 7) and The Clan Hotel (No. 8).
The Best of the Best Awards are given to less than 1 per cent of 1.5 million hotels in the survey, based on reviews and ratings posted on Tripadvisor from Jan 1 to Dec 31 each year. Winners are from 90 countries and six continents.
TripAdvisor’s algorithm works with a five-bubble rating system instead of stars to determine the winning stays each year. Hotels with four- or five-bubble ratings also appear higher in the listings than hotels with lesser rankings.
In addition to the list of Top Hotels, there are nine sub-categories such as Bed and Breakfast hotels (B&Bs), Family-Friendly options and Small Hotels. This year, two new additions were featured: Best Hotels for Sleep and Best Hotels with Spas.
In Asia, Indonesia has the most winners with 37 awards, followed by India (29) and the Maldives (28).
Asia also tops the charts this year with 664 Best of the Best Hotels compared with 645 last year, indicating that the region as a whole is rebounding as a tourist destination.
Brazil has notched the most winners across 10 categories this year, with Istanbul emerging as a popular destination for travellers.
Some of the other standout experiences on the list include two winners in the Best Small Hotels category – the White House Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey, which dominated the top spot for the second consecutive year; and the Adiwana Monkey Forest in Ubud, Indonesia, which was ranked the No. 1 Small Hotel in Asia.
In the Best Family-Friendly Hotels category, Tripadvisor looked at hotels that offered a range of fun outings for children as well as perks for parents. Ranked No. 1 in the world is Ikos Andalusia in Spain, while in Asia, the top spot went to Premier Village Danang Resort in Vietnam.
For the Best Hotels with Spas category, The Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong snagged the No. 1 spot.
The hotel occupies the upper portion of the 490m International Commerce Centre building in West Kowloon, from the 102nd to 118th floors. The Ritz-Carlton Spa, which is on the 116th floor, features 11 treatment rooms, offering floor-to-ceiling views of the iconic Hong Kong harbour.
Ms Sarah Firshein, head of editorial at Tripadvisor, says that travellers ventured far and wide in 2022, encompassing 37 regions around the world which include a wide range of places to stay.
“An opulent palace in Jaipur topped the charts, while hotels ranging from a ‘glamping’ retreat in Patagonia to a rock ’n’ roll-themed boutique in Boston, in the United States, made their mark as well,” says Ms Firshein. “As our savvy reviewers know, hotels can sometimes be the entire reason for the trip.”
Tripadvisor World’s Best of the Best Hotels
1. Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, India
2. Ozen Reserve Bolifushi, Bolifushi Island, Maldives
3. Hotel Colline de France, Gramado, Brazil
4. Shangri-La The Shard, London, United Kingdom
5. The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
6. JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
7. Romance Istanbul Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey
8. Ikos Dassia, Corfu, Greece
9. Ikos Andalusia, Estepona, Spain
10. Padma Resort Ubud, Puhu, Indonesia
Singapore’s Top 10 Hotels
1. The Barracks Hotel Sentosa
2. Capella Singapore
3. Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong
4. ParkRoyal Collection, Marina Bay
5. The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore
6. The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore
7. Oasia Hotel Novena, Singapore
8. The Clan Hotel
9. Mandarin Oriental, Singapore
10. Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa