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Properties led by women more than tripled, marking a significant shift in just one year in The World’s 50 Best Hotels. Up from just three in 2023, eleven of the World’s 50 Best Hotels in 2024 are women led or owned. And in more good news, Sonia Cheng, CEO of Rosewood Hotel Group, received the SevenRooms Icon Award, celebrating her achievements in the hotel sector over the last 16 years, including the regional and international expansion of Rosewood Hotel Group under her leadership.
Quick note on how The World’s 50 Best Hotels works: the list and awards are created from a robust voting process from The World’s 50 Best Hotels Academy, which comprises 600 international well-traveled experts within the hotel and travel industry, with a 50/50 gender balance. The Academy is split into nine regions worldwide, each headed up by an Academy Chair. Each member of the Academy has seven votes and they are required to list the seven hotels where they consider they had their ‘best’ experience over the past 18 months. The process is strictly anonymous and confidential and a minimum of 25% of the panel is renewed each year.
In addition to the big reveal gala event and receptions, this second annual convergence of hoteliers in London introduced a new day of thought leadership on luxury travel, 50BestTalks: Unpacked as well as several new award categories
Winning Women for 2024
From Italy to India, women are making their mark in luxury hotels around the world, which is really heartening to witness. “The increase in female leaders on The World’s 50 Best Hotels list can be attributed to several positive industry shifts. Over the past few years, we’ve seen the hospitality sector become more inclusive and supportive of women, with companies making deliberate efforts to accommodate their unique needs, such as providing better work-life balance and support for women returning from maternity leave,” noted Emma Sleight, Head of Content for The World’s 50 Best Hotels. As Marlene Poynder, The Carlyle’s first female GM, mentioned during our 50BestTalks: Unpacked thought leadership event, “these changes are helping to retain talented women in the industry,” as evidenced by this year’s ten award winners.
Listed in order of 2024 ranking (full list of World's 50 Best Hotels at the end):
Passalacqua on Lake Como (#2) Valentina De Santis, Owner, also nabbed the new Carlo Alberto Best Boutique Hotel Award 2024
The Upper House in Hong Kong (#5) Kristina Snaith-Lense, Managing Director
Aman Tokyo (#7) Tomoko Yagi, Managing Director, Aman Japan & Korea
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc (#17) Sophie Volant, Hotel Manager
The Calile in Australia, (#25) Catherine Malouf, Owner, also won The Best Hotel in Oceania 2024
The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel, New York (#30) Marlene Poynder, Managing Director
Four Seasons Madrid (#32) Raphaelle Camilleri, Hotel Manager
Four Seasons at The Surf Club in Miami Beach (#34) Daniela Trovato, Regional VP & General Manager
Castello di Reschio, Lisciano Niccone (#42) Maria Ghebresellasie, General Manager
Suján Jawai (#43) in Rajasthan, India Anjali Singh, Owner
Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman (#45) Diletta Guarino, General Manager
Also notable, hotels in Asia featured prominently among the World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024 with 19 hotels making the list. This year’s big winner is Capella Bangkok (# 1) in Thailand, whose Director of Sales and Marketing is Josephine Png. Overall, Bangkok has solidified its reputation as a global luxury travel destination, boasting four hotels: Capella Bangkok (#1), Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (# 12), Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River (# 14) and The Siam (#26). Perfect timing for Thailand to be in the spotlight, since the country has been confirmed as the destination for Season 3 of White Lotus (albeit at the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, perhaps that resort makes the list in 2025.)The next largest market for winners is Europe (13), North America (9), Africa (4), Oceania (4) and South America (1).
Sonia Cheng, CEO of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts Wins Icon Award
The SevenRooms Icon Award celebrates an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the hotel industry over the course of their career. “Sonia Cheng, CEO of Rosewood Hotel Group, truly represents this. Under her leadership, Rosewood has grown from being well-regarded among US travellers to being world-renowned as a beacon of luxuriousness and individuality, with each property inspired by local culture and history,” Emma Sleight tells us.
She is also recognised as a true inspiration to other hoteliers for her significant contribution to ensuring environmentally friendly and sustainable policies are at the heart of group, as well as for launching Rosewood Impacts, a corporate social impact initiative committed to empowering people in the industry. With more than 40 one-of-a-kind properties in 21 countries and a further 27 in the pipeline, Cheng is leading the brand’s expansion across Europe, the Middle East, China, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and some unexpected locations (Cheng believes Rosewood could help enable travellers to visit new destinations).
Despite not having any hospitality experience before joining Rosewood, Cheng is hands-on in the business, especially when it comes to design and cultivating the next generation of hoteliers. As well as spearheading the regional and international expansion of Rosewood and launching Rosewood Impacts, a corporate social impact initiative committed to empowering people in the industry, Cheng is an executive director of New World Development Company, director of New World China Land Limited and vice-chairman and executive director of her family’s Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, which is one of the world’s largest jewelry companies.
Future of Women in Luxury Hospitality
Reflecting on the week celebrating the World’s 50 Best Hotels, we caught up with Emma Sleight, for some final thoughts on the future for women in luxury travel. “The hospitality industry is filled with inspiring women, excelling across all sectors from hotels, restaurants and bars to the smaller, yet essential, contributing industries. Historically, hospitality has been a male-dominated field, making it especially encouraging to see workplaces evolving to better support women. While there is still more to be done, women have a powerful role in shaping the industry's future. By empowering and uplifting one another, women contribute to a collective effort that will drive meaningful change.”
Cheers to that! Be sure to check out part 2 of our coverage: 50BestTalks: Unpacking Luxury Hospitality this week.
Congrats to all the winners, here is the full list
The World's 50 Best Hotels for 2024
1. Capella, Bangkok
2. Passalacqua, Lake Como
3. Rosewood, Hong Kong
4. Cheval Blanc, Paris
5. The Upper House,Hong Kong
6. Raffles, Singapore
7. Aman, Tokyo
8. Soneva Fushi, Maldives
9. Atlantis The Royal,Dubai
10. Nihi Sumba, Sumba Island
11. Claridge's, London
12. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
13. Raffles London at The OWO
14. Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
15. Hôtel de Crillon, Paris
16. Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá
17. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes
18. Maroma,Riviera Maya
19. Four Seasons Firenze,Florence
20. Borgo Santandrea, Amalfi
21. Desa Potato Head, Bali
22. Bulgari, Tokyo
23. The Lana, Dubai
24. Rosewood, São Paulo
25. The Calile, Brisbane
26. The Siam, Bangkok
27. Park Hyatt, Kyoto
28. Mount Nelson, Cape Town
29. One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit
30. The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel, New York
31. La Mamounia, Marrakech
32. Four Seasons, Madrid
33. Capella, Singapore
34. Four Seasons at The Surf Club, Surfside
35. Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
36. Eden Rock, St. Barths
37. Aman, New York
38. Royal Mansour, Marrakech
39. Amangalla, Galle
40. Le Bristol, Paris
41. Gleneagles, Auchterarder
42. Castello di Reschio, Lisciano Niccone
43. Suján Jawai, Rajasthan
44. Singita, Kruger National Park
45. Six Senses Zighy Bay, Zaghi
46. The Connaught, London
47. The Brando, Tetiaroa
48. Hotel Esencia, Tulum
49. The Tasman, Hobart
50. Kokomo Private Island, Yaukuve Levu Island
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