Two bars from Singapore took their spots on the World’s 50 Best Bars list in October, and now it’s time for the award’s hotel-focused counterpart to shine. Currently in its third year, the World’s 50 Best Hotels list was just announced at a ceremony in London, and only one hotel from Singapore made the ranks.
We’re not surprised to hear that it’s none other than the iconic Raffles Singapore – also known as our ‘grande dame’ thanks to its rich colonial heritage and opulent architecture dating back to 1899.
Although the luxurious all-suite Raffles Sentosa Singapore resort just opened its doors in March this year, the original Raffles property along Beach Road is not to be outshone, ranking fifth in the global 50 Best Hotels round-up. This is a slight bump from last year’s position of sixth place.
On the flip side, Capella Singapore, which ranked 33rd last year, has unfortunately fallen off the leaderboard entirely. This is despite Capella Bangkok making the top three, and Capella Sydney ranking 12th as a new entrant. Topped by Rosewood Hong Kong (#1), and Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River (#2), 2025’s winners list also recognises Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (#7), Bulgari Tokyo (#15), and Desa Potato Head (#18) as some of the other top hotels in Asia.
Photograph: Yi by Jereme Leung
Raffles Singapore’s stunning all-white design, tip-top butler service, original Singapore Sling cocktail, and unmistakable Sikh doormen are some of the distinct characteristics highlighted in its 50 Best feature. Beyond that, the hotel boasts a stellar line-up of restaurants including Michelin-Selected Chinese fine-dining venue Yi by Jereme Leung, as well as modern steakhouse Butcher’s Block.
Of course, no one can forget the fact that Raffles Singapore was also featured in the award-winning Crazy Rich Asians film, which further propelled it to worldwide fame and landed it on even more travel bucket lists.
See the full list of the World's 50 Best Hotels in 2025 here.