Is it reductive to say that when choosing a hotel in London, you have two options: the past and the future? We don’t think so. As the skyline has risen dramatically over the past couple of decades, visitors have been presented with the opportunity to stay at hotels that occupy sleek, modern high-rises with windows that take in the sweeping cityscape below. For example, Shangri-La The Shard, London, the No. 3 winner and a perennial World’s Best Awards favorite, occupies 18 floors of the tallest building in Western Europe. We’ll argue there’s no better way to see London than from the edge of an infinity pool 52 flights above its maze of streets.
How Voting Works
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, GoTravelDaily 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. Nearly 165,000 GoTravelDaily readers completed the 2023 survey, an increase of nearly 25 percent over pre-pandemic voting levels. A total of more than 685,000 votes were cast across over 8,500 unique properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).
Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the criteria below:
- Rooms/facilities
- Location
- Service
- Food
- Value
For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.
What Readers Loved
While the advances of the 21st-century beckon, London is a city rooted firmly in tradition, and our readers overwhelmingly opt for the stately and historic. At the Hotel Café Royal, tied in the No. 4 spot this year, you can have afternoon tea in the same bar where Oscar Wilde once liked to hang out. At Brown’s Hotel (No. 10), Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call in London. After his surprise election defeat in 1945, Winston Churchill took rooms at Claridge’s (No. 8). London’s most beloved hotels excel at comfort and service, allowing guests to feel connected to other times and worlds.
The Winner
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park: London, England
In 2018, a fire closed this grand Edwardian building for six months — but one of London’s finest properties has come back better than ever. A reader described it as “a stunning, proper luxury hotel,” noting the “professional service and friendly atmosphere.” Consequently, the prime location just opposite the peaceful tree-lined pathways of Hyde Park enhances its allure.
The Full List
1. Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
Reader Score: 98.22
2. One Aldwych
Reader Score: 98.00
Reader Score: 97.59
4. (tie) Hotel Café Royal
Reader Score: 96.00
4. (tie) The Stafford London
Reader Score: 96.00
6. The Lanesborough, Oetker Collection
Reader Score: 95.79
Reader Score: 95.00
8. Claridge’s
Reader Score: 94.36
9. The Goring
Reader Score: 94.00
10. Brown’s Hotel
Reader Score: 93.58
