Brisbane’s The Calile makes World's 50 Best Hotels list

Want to stay in one of the world’s best hotels? You don’t have to travel far, as Brisbane’s own The Calile Hotel has just been voted in the top 20 around the globe.

Kerry Parnell

@KerryParnell

2 min read

September 21, 2023 - 9:00AM

The Calile hotel in Brisbane has been named 12th best in the world.

Lifestyle

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In the first-ever The World’s 50 Best Hotels awards, The Calile Hotel did Australia proud when it took 12th place on the prestigious list – beating London and Paris.

The inaugural The World’s 50 Best Hotels awards were held in London on Tuesday September 19, with a who’s who of hoteliers gathered at the lavish ceremony. Held in the City of London’s ancient Guildhall, with its excavated Roman amphitheatre in its basement, it was fitting that a gladiator of luxury accommodation won the day – with the number-one spot going to Passalacqua, the fabulous new boutique hotel in Lake Como, Italy.

The little sister to the De Santis family’s Grand Hotel Tremezzo also in Lake Como, once welcomed Napoleon Bonaparte and Winston Churchill and now the historic property is a fashion and celebrity magnet, where Chrissy Teigen and John Legend recently renewed their vows. Expect the super-exclusive 24-room 18th century villa to become even harder to book.

Local De Santis family are the brains behind the hotel, and it’s little surprise that they perfectly understand the art of hospitality, having been in the hotel game for decades.

Tim Brooke-Webb, The World’s 50 Best Hotels’ MD, praised the hotel for achieving top spot having only been open since June 2022. “It’s a true testament to the vision of the De Santis family, who created this sublime sanctuary for guests, with painstaking devotion to design detail, exquisite hospitality and distinctive magic,” he said.

“I’m very emotional,” said jubilant owner, Valentina De Santis. “I’m so proud. It’s a love story since the very first moment,” she said, explaining the hotel was a dream for her family and is proof, “dreams can come true.”

Fighting Passalacqua for top spot, was Rosewood Hong Kong, which took second place and Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, third.

Rosewood Hong Kong took out second place in the rankings.

Hotels were judged by a global panel of 580 industry experts and properties could not nominate themselves. While The Calile Hotel was Australia’s only winner, Europe received the most nominations, with 21, followed by Asia, 18 and North America, six.

London was a favourite city, with three classic properties taking spots - Claridge’s, 16, The Connaught, 22 and The Savoy, 47, plus newcomer NoMad London at 46. The UK also won best boutique hotel for The Newt in Somerset, 37 and the best hospitality in the world gong went to Scotland’s Gleneagles, 32.

Paris also cleaned up, with four winners, Hotel de Crillon, 50, Cheval Blanc, 34, La Reserve, 31 and Le Bristol, 29.

Australia may have only had one hotel make it into the list, but it's a damn good one.

The best new hotel in the world was Capella Bangkok, 11. The 101-room property on the Chao Phraya River has firmly placed itself on the luxury Bangkok scene, facing stiff competition from its neighbouring hotels, including third-place Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, in 10th place and the city’s The Siam Hotel, at number 42.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong got two hotels in the top five – as well as Rosewood Hong Kong in second place, The Upper House won fourth spot. Singapore won twice, with Raffles Singapore at 17 and Capella Singapore at 28.

For those looking for a deluxe beach holiday, the Maldives, unsurprisingly, came in strong, with Soneva Fushi winning Best Beach Hotel and placing at number seven and Soneva Jani at number 36. Founder Sonu Shivdasani also took the Icon Award.

Nihi Sumba, one of the coolest resorts in Indonesia, also made the list.

Finally, it was great news for Indonesia fans, as two properties won – surf-paradise-turned-luxury-villa-escape, NIHI Sumba, came in at number 18 and Bali’s popular beach resort, Desa Potato Head, at 40.

For more, visit theworlds50best.com.