Three Australian hotels have been named among the world’s best as the rebound in travel after the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
TripAdvisor’s 2023 Travellers Choice Awards, which has been running since 2002, has named Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, India, as the best hotel in the world this year, followed by Ozen Reserve in the Maldives.
Australia has dominated the South Pacific division of the awards, featuring seven times in the top 10, with Pinetrees Lodge on Lord Howe Island taking top gong.
Lord Howe Island lies 780 kilometres north-east of Sydney in the Tasman Sea and is considered part of New South Wales.
The Reef House, in Queensland’s Palm Cove, ranked second in the South Pacific, and Tokoriki Island Resort in Fiji rounded out the top three.
The awards covered 12 months of review data from January 1 to December 31, 2022, with more than 1.5 million hotels assessed across 10 categories, including B&Bs and luxury amenities.
“It’s clear that our community ventured far and wide in the last year: Our 10 subcategories encompass winners from 37 regions around the world and include a wide range of amazing places to stay,” Sarah Firshein, head of editorial at Tripadvisor, said.
The Pinetrees Lodge is described as a place known for “exceptional meals, authentic personal service, elegant accomodation and [a] stunning beachfront location”.
The Reef House, 25 minutes north of Cairns, is a luxury hotel that caters for adults only.
Australia was a particularly strong performer across a variety of categories this year.
Victoria’s Yarra Gables took out the bronze medal for “bed and breakfasts” globally.
Meanwhile, Mount Lofty House in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, ranked 24 in the world for the small hotel category.
A number of trends emerged among travellers in the 2023 awards, too.
Asia was the most popular tourism market, but Brazil took the cake for the most hotel winners in the awards.
More than half of travellers are also prioritising “wellness”, with a rise in so-called relaxation tourism making destinations like the Maldives, Fiji and Bali even more popular after the pandemic.
With that in mind, the best hotel for sleep award this year went to Dromoland Castle Hotel in Ireland, while the best spa hotel was awarded to the Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong.
For those travelling with loved ones, Ikos Andalusia in Spain took the top gong among family-friendly hotels, with Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort in Fiji ranking top for the South Pacific.
