Score: 93.07
Oman, Vietnam, and the Seychelles. These are just a handful of the exotic locations where the World’s Best hotel brand has properties — so there’s never been a better time to cash in your points or miles for a first-class ticket, and stay at a Six Senses resort. “They have a great balance of luxury, relaxation, great food, and social responsibility,” said one reader of this debut winner, which has 11 properties worldwide. “The locations they have chosen are amazing.”
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. Readers rated hotel brands on their locations, rooms and facilities, food, service, and overall value.
The largest property in the Six Senses portfolio is the 113-room Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain, in Chengdu, the brand’s first foray into China. They will also soon be expanding to destinations including Fiji and Cambodia — and our readers are determined to follow (one said they couldn’t wait for the company to open its five luxury lodges in Bhutan at the end of the year). Clearly, remote locales aren’t a deterrent, but rather a draw for our readers, since this year’s winners also include the India-based Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and the Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts, as well as Alila Hotels & Resorts, a brand known for having properties in China, Indonesia, and the Middle East. One reader specifically called out the Alila Jabal Akhdar, an 86-room resort perched 6,500 feet high in the Al Hajar, or “green” mountains of Oman. “This hotel combines luxury with adventure, walking and hiking,” said the fan.
When it comes to companies that mainly focus on urban properties, readers once again chose the Peninsula Hotels — a brand that prides itself on intuitive service — but also recognized newcomer Rocco Forte Hotels, renowned for its stylish city hotels in European destinations like Berlin, London, and Florence. “We love the Hotel de Russie,” said one reader of this Rocco Forte property (which also happened to win No. 1 in Rome this year). The concierges are amazing, and we consider it a home away from home.”
1. Six Senses
Score: 96.15
Founded in 1995, the Six Senses brand prides itself on a sense of place, sustainable practices, and wellness — all things top-of-mind for travelers these days. “One of the most cutting-edge brands in the market,” said one reader. In-house experts conduct wellness screenings to measure stress as well as discuss sleep health and optimal nutrition. Guests can embrace the local surroundings (say, by sipping Portuguese wines in the Douro Valley) and feel good about their carbon footprint, too, since energy-efficiency and waste-management procedures are strictly followed. Guests can also learn about charity initiatives — including one that helps provide clean drinking water to an on-island kindergarten in Vietnam.
