World's Best

Travel + Leisure Readers' 15 Favorite City Hotels in Asia of 2023

Urban hotels that offered opportunities for cultural immersion captivated T+L readers in our annual "World’s Best Awards" survey for 2023.

By

Peter Terzian

Updated on July 11, 2023

How Voting Works

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. Nearly 165,000 T+L 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

T+L readers cherish the opportunity to find sanctuary in busy cities, and several Bangkok hotels delivered on that front, including the Capella (No. 4). “There are few hotels in the packed city able to create a space that feels truly relaxing, and this is at the top of that list,” wrote one contributor. “It is luxury and serenity incarnate.” The others joining it: the Kimpton Maa-Lai (No. 11), the Mandarin Oriental (No. 13), and the Banyan Tree (No. 15).

Thoughtful, welcoming hospitality is another quality readers prize when choosing where to stay in Asia’s cities. The team at Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto went above and beyond the expected, according to one reader. “Every single aspect of the service at this hotel was impeccable,” praised the guest who stayed at the No. 8 property. “I asked about shopping for Japanese ceramics and tea, and was presented with a written list of the hotel’s recommendations, which was exactly what I was looking for.”

But it takes excelling at every turn for a hotel to stand out enough to take that number one spot amid such a crowded field. Read on to find out why Rosewood Phnom Penh earned the honor of our readers’ favorite city hotel in Asia for 2023.

The Winner

Rosewood Phnom Penh: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Bar seating at Rosewood Phnom Penh — Courtesy of Rosewood Phnom Penh

Spread over the top 14 floors of the sleek Vattanac Capital tower, the 175-room property won over readers seeking an elegant stay in Cambodia’s largest city. One voter described it as “a beautiful hotel in the heart of the city, with stunning views, especially at nighttime. The rooms are spacious and luxurious. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the service was all-around excellent.” Another reader put it simply: “One of the best hotels I’ve ever experienced.” The onsite dining is also impressive, with six venues that either nod to the country’s history (Brasserie Louis serves both French and Khmer dishes) or reflect international influences from places like Japan and China.