Raffles Hotel Singapore ranks 17th in fourth edition of The 50 Best Hotels
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It is the only Singapore hotel to make the list.
PHOTO: RAFFLES SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE – Raffles Hotel Singapore made it to the 17th spot in the 2026 edition of The 50 Best Hotels list, and it is the only Singapore hotel to rank in the top 50.
The 139-year-old, 115-key heritage hotel, which was gazetted as a national monument in 1987 in its centenary year, placed fifth in the 2025 edition of the list.
Jesmine Hall, Raffles Hotel Singapore’s director of commercial marketing, says in a statement: “Being recognised once again among The 50 Best Hotels is a meaningful testament to Raffles Hotel Singapore’s ability to evolve while remaining true to the heritage that has shaped us for nearly 140 years.
“Within our historic walls, the spirit of Raffles continues to move with the times, embracing new generations of travellers, introducing fresh expressions of hospitality, and creating experiences that feel relevant today, while preserving the character, rituals and sense of place that have made us so distinctive.”
It opened its doors on Dec 1, 1887, and is widely considered Singapore's oldest operating historic hotel.
The 50 Best Hotels list, formerly The World’s 50 Best Hotels, is now in its fourth showing after its inaugural edition in 2023.
It is produced by British media company William Reed, which also compiles similar lists of restaurants, bars and vineyards under its banner of The 50.
The list is determined by votes from The 50 Best Hotels Academy, comprising more than 800 anonymous voters – travel journalists, hoteliers and seasoned luxury travellers – led by a group of 13 academy chairs.
Rosewood Hong Kong topped the 2026 list, with Thailand’s Capella Bangkok in second place and Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River taking the third spot.
Capella Singapore, a luxury resort hotel in Sentosa, ranked 97th on the list.
These are the properties that made it on The 50 Best Hotels 2026 list:
1. Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2. Capella Bangkok, Bangkok
3. Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Bangkok
4. Atlantis The Royal, Dubai
5. Passalacqua, Lake Como
6. Rosewood Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo
7. Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing
8. Upper House Hong Kong, Hong Kong
9. Chable Yucatan, Chochola
10. Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bangkok
11. Aman Tokyo, Tokyo
12. Four Seasons Firenze, Florence
13. Claridge’s, London
14. Hotel de Crillon, Paris
15. Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Dubai
16. Capella Sydney, Sydney
17. Raffles Singapore, Singapore
18. Casa Maria Luigia, Modena
19. Le Bristol, Paris
20. Cheval Blanc Paris, Paris
21. Desa Potato Head, Bali
22. San Ysidro Ranch, Santa Barbara
23. One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit
24. Bulgari Tokyo, Tokyo
25. Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Los Cabos
26. Royal Mansour, Marrakech
27. Four Seasons Astir Palace, Athens
28. Raffles London at The OWO, London
29. Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro
30. The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai
31. The Peninsula Istanbul, Istanbul
32. Bvlgari Roma, Rome
33. Patina Osaka, Osaka
34. Mount Nelson, Cape Town
35. Nihi Sumba, Sumba Island
36. Badrutt’s Palace, St Moritz
37. Park Hyatt Kyoto, Kyoto
38. Hotel du Couvent, Nice
39. Portrait Milano, Milan
40. Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Monaco
41. Plaza Athenee, Paris
42. Hotel Sacher Vienna, Vienna
43. Estelle Manor, Witney
44. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes
45. Amangiri, Canyon Point
46. The Peninsula Hong Kong, Hong Kong
47. Maroma, Riviera Maya
48. Aman Nai Lert, Bangkok
49. The Connaught, London
50. San Domenico Palace, Taormina