Following the success of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and The World’s 50 Best Bars, 50 Best has just announced The World’s 50 Best Hotels in 2023, marking the brand’s first global launch since 2009. Here at Bespoke Black Book, we are honoured to have worked with some of these incredible resorts so here is our pick of the best of the best.
Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
Surrounded by galleries, boutiques, restaurants and cafés, the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River is a hub of energy and style. Take in sweeping river views from the outdoor lap and infinity pools, savour inventive cuisine in the collection of restaurants, find solace in one of the green courtyards or simply relax in one of the 299 guest rooms or spa. The hotel is also home to BKK Social Club where you can explore Argentinian spirits and an award-winning cocktail menu, also voted Thailand’s best bar on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list for 2022 and 2023. We were thrilled to be one of the first UK publications to visit this unique property and it did not disappoint. Typical for Four Seasons hotels the service was always on point and the decor and facilities were second to none. We can see why it was awarded No.3 in the ‘50 Best’ World’s Top Hotels.
Royal Mansour Marrakech
The Royal Mansour can be counted amongst the few establishments in the world that defy hotel excellence. Just a few steps away from the famous Jemaa El Fna square beats the heart of the Marrakesh Palace, offering travellers the unique concept of a medina within a medina. Each area has been designed to intuitively take guests on a sensory journey. With exceptional accommodation that is private, secluded and opulent, this hotel brings another level of luxury to Morocco.
Also on either side of the hotel’s iconic blue patio and gardens, the Royal Mansour Marrakech restaurants promise an unforgettable sensory experience, orchestrated by the rigour of Chef Karim Ben Baba at La Grande Table Marocaine since 2010, the creativity of Chef Guillaume Laratte at Le Jardin, the passion of Executive Chef Jérôme Videau at La Table and the talent of Massimiliano Alajmo, three Michelin starred Chef for Sesamo. Bespoke Black Book loves visiting this hotel and we always feel so welcome and at home each time.
Four Seasons Firenze Florence
Four Seasons Firenze boasts Florence’s largest private garden providing the tranquil setting for this character-packed Four Seasons property, a beautifully restored 15th-century Medici palace. The hotel opened in 2008 offering 116 bedrooms, of these, 79 are in the Palazzo della Gherardesca and 37 in the Villa, a former 16th-century convent graced with its own reception and butler service.
The hotel’s Michelin-starred Italian restaurant, Il Palagio, meanwhile offers up a cellar of exceptional Italian wines and a menu of regional classics, given a contemporary twist by the culinary team. This hotel is a classic, and lives and breathes all that is beautiful of Italian architecture, we had one of the most memorable nights in all of Bespoke Black Book history here so this hotel always holds fond memories.
The Siam Hotel Bangkok
Set on 3 acres of verdant frontage along the city side of the Chao Phraya River, The Siam Hotel features 38 spacious suites and private pool villas with rooftop terraces located in the Royal Dusit District. Designed by internationally acclaimed architect Bill Bensley, the Art Deco-inspired, Thai antique-infused hotel offers a premier urban resort in a rather crazy capital city. We stayed there not long ago and the hospitality, thanks to GM Nick Dowling and his team, is some of the best I have experienced in the world. Nothing was too much to ask or organise, from river boats to dinner, spa to things to do and see in Bangkok. The best part? Coming back to the oasis of The Siam each day where crisp lines of the architecture are a juxtaposition to its green fringes with orchids, ferns and vines.
Passalacqua Lake Como
While Bespoke Black Book has yet to visit this hotel we want to give a shout-out to Passalacqua Lake Como as firstly it won the No.1 spot in this inaugural ‘50 Best’ World’s Top Hotels but also because it is still family owned and run. This unique hotel has just 24 rooms and overlooks Italy’s Lake Como. It is owned by the De Santis family, local hoteliers for whom hospitality has been a lifelong mission. Indeed, the family’s 41-year-old daughter, Valentina De Santis, conceived and masterfully curated every aspect of the award-winning villa. As a women-founded and run publication we wanted to congratulate Valentina De Santis and her team for this accolade.
