The Hotel Britomart's lobby. Photo / Sam Hartnett
A billion reviews can’t be wrong.
The annual rankings of the best night’s sleep and top hotels in the world have been published by the world’s largest travel review website, Tripadvisor.
The 2023 Traveller’s Choice Awards have looked at 12 months of data and positive user feedback from across 1.5 million hotels in New Zealand and worldwide.
Narrowed down into 10 categories - from B&Bs to luxury resorts - the latest “Best of the Best” has shown that travellers have gone the extra mile to find the perfect stay.
“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,” said Sarah Firshein, the website’s head of editorial.
The top hotel and number one overall was India’s Rambagh Palace, in Jaipur.
With its imposing Mughal towers, the former palace built in 1835 was converted to a luxury hotel containing 33 suites and 45 hotel rooms. The thousands of positive reviews praise the Polo bar and high tea experiences. You could happily spend more than 1001 nights.
The winning hotel in North India reflected a wider trend among Asia as a destination for exciting new hotels, with more than a third of the “Hottest New Hotels” category being in the region.
In a new category, Dromoland Castle Hotel in Ireland’s County Clare was voted “The World’s Best Night’s Sleep”.
The top hotel in New Zealand was in a less romantic location than the Pink City and Amer Fort but no less appealing.
The Hotel Britomart in central Auckland was voted New Zealand’s best hotel. The boutique eco-hotel left an impression on Tripadvisor visitors, with more than 200 five-star reviews praising its distinctive reclaimed-brick architecture as a “little oasis” in the urban centre.
Hotel Britomart general manager Clinton Farley said that the award was welcome news and reflected an “unwavering commitment to establishing a one-of-a-kind hotel brand in the vibrant heart of Britomart, downtown Auckland”.
Auckland pipped resort town Queenstown into second place with nine hotels in New Zealand’s top 25.
Although no Kiwi or Australian stays broke into the top 10 worldwide, the Traveller’s Choice identified unique New Zealand stays that were each winners in their class.
The historic Arcadia Lodge in Russell from 1902 was named New Zealand’s best B&B. With five guest suites overlooking the Bay of Islands, the bed and breakfast also landed bronze place for best in the Pacific.
Hanmer Springs was New Zealand’s big winner in the Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice Awards. The family favourite in Canterbury was found to hold New Zealand’s best small hotel, the Settlers Boutique Motel, and The St James Hanmer was also voted New Zealand’s best luxury hotel.
1. The Hotel Britomart – Auckland Central
2. Tides Hotel – Nelson
3. Sojourn Apartment Hotel – Wellington
4. The Nautilus – Napier
5. Park Hyatt Auckland – Auckland Central
6. Hidden Lake Hotel and Apartments – Cambridge
7. The George Christchurch – Christchurch
8. Scenic Hotel Marlborough – Blenheim
9. Kamana Lakehouse – Queenstown
10. Fable Dunedin – Dunedin
11. Bolton Hotel - Wellington
12. M Social Auckland - Auckland Central
13. QT Auckland - Auckland Central
14. Fable Auckland, MGallery - Auckland Central
15. Sofitel Wellington Hotel - Wellington
16. QT Queenstown - Queenstown
17. Hilton Auckland - Auckland Central
18. Cordis, Auckland by Langham Hospitality Group - Auckland Central
19. Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa - Queenstown
20. Scenic Hotel Te Pania - Napier
21. Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour - Auckland Central
22. Hotel St Moritz Queenstown - MGallery Collection - Queenstown
23. Rydges Latimer Christchurch - Christchurch
24. Adina Apartment Hotel Auckland Britomart - Auckland Central
25. The Rees Hotel, Luxury Apartments and Lakeside Residences - Queenstown