The Best City Hotels in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific in 2018

By John Wogan
July 10, 2018
Credit: Courtesy of The Langham, Melbourne
In T+L’s 2017 World’s Best Awards, Sydney hotels won over our readers, claiming four out of the five slots — including No. 1. But for the 2018 World’s Best Awards, friendly rival Melbourne was back on top, with the Langham Melbourne taking home gold, as it has for eight out of the past 10 years. The hotel earned its win with “outstanding service,” said one reader, as well as its covetable address in the lively Southbank neighborhood, home to numerous restaurants, shops, and bars, and the nearby Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Guest rooms are outfitted with floral fabrics, silk drapes, and marble baths.

Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.

Related: The 2018 World's Best Awards

Meanwhile, the runner-up, Park Hyatt Sydney, is all about sleek modernism; it is housed in a sandstone building near the iconic Harbour Bridge. The 155 contemporary guest rooms are done up in a neutral color palette that never competes with the property’s views of the water and Sydney Opera House. “Location is like no other in the world,” said one fan.

Another Park Hyatt — this one in Melbourne — came in at No. 3. Larger than its sister hotel in Sydney, the 240-room property is prized for its location adjacent to Fitzroy Gardens (one of Melbourne’s largest and loveliest parks) and overlooking the impressive St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Wrote one reader: “The hotel has a perfect location, close to everything.”

Back in Sydney, the Shangri-La Hotel (No. 4 this year) is known for its exceptional spa, Chi, which combines indigenous Australian products and botanicals with Asian wellness practices. Particularly popular is the Chakra Healing Massage, incorporating bodywork, healing crystals, and guided meditation.

Read on for the full list of winners and to see how they scored.
Start Slideshow

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5. The Langham, Sydney

Credit: Courtesy of The Langham, Sydney

Score: 87.37

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4. Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney

Credit: Courtesy of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts

Score: 87.82

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3. Park Hyatt, Melbourne

Credit: Courtesy of Hyatt

Score: 89.76

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2. Park Hyatt, Sydney

Credit: Courtesy of Hyatt

Score: 90.37

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1. The Langham, Melbourne

Credit: Courtesy of The Langham, Melbourne

Score: 92.00

Although a fairly large hotel, the 388-room Langham Melbourne manages to feel cozy — especially in the guest rooms, which give off an intimate yet refined English-country feeling (think warm wooden furniture, floral patterned carpets, silk drapes, and subtly textured wallpaper). The effect is comfortable and inviting, but sophisticated enough to justify the Langham’s place at the top of Melbourne’s hotel world. Its primary restaurant, Melba, is similarly elegant, with front-and-center views of the Yarra River and the city skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows.

See all of our readers' favorite hotels, airlines, cruise lines, and more in the World's Best Awards for 2018.

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