World's Best

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

History, art, and stunning European city views captured the hearts of our readers in our annual "World’s Best Awards" survey for 2023.

By

Devorah Lev-Tov

Published on July 11, 2023

Location often becomes the deciding factor for Travel + Leisure readers when they’re considering urban hotels. While many of voters’ picks for the best city hotels in Europe are located in the midst of action-packed central districts, a handful of others provide a quieter, more residential experience in some of the world’s poshest enclaves. Whichever you prefer, you’ll find good options on this year’s list.

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.

View from a guest room at the Shangri La Shard Hotel in London — Courtesy of Shangri-La The Shard London

What Readers Loved

This year’s top two winners illustrate how travelers can get very different (but equally stellar) experiences of one city based on where their hotel is located. The Four Seasons properties in Istanbul sit miles apart in starkly different neighborhoods: one in the old city, near some of the major tourist attractions, the other on the banks of the Bosphorus in the ritzy Nişantaşı quarter.

Nabbing the only slot for Spain is No. 5 Rosewood Villa Magna. The refurbished five-star favorite can be found in the well-heeled Salamanca neighborhood, away from most touristy destinations. “Best hotel in Spain without a doubt,” raved one reader, “and even better now that it is a Rosewood.”

Italy is home to three properties on this year’s list, including The St. Regis Venice, which secured the No. 12 slot thanks to what one reader proclaimed is the “exclusive and best location in Venice.” Another reader went further, describing the hotel's perch as a “magical setting, with perfect views over the Grand Canal.”

Find the full list of readers’ picks for the best city hotels in Europe below.

The Winner

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet: Istanbul, Turkey

View of the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet hotel — Kerem Uzel

A perennial favorite, this regal hotel in Istanbul’s Old City recently unveiled a top-to-bottom refurbishment that preserved its historic neoclassical architecture while also bringing a host of fresh offerings. Updates include a magnificent redesign of the 65 rooms and suites. Guests can admire the Turkish contemporary and Ottoman period art and handwoven Turkish Kilim textiles on display throughout the hotel. A pastry shop in the lobby offers sweet Turkish delicacies, as well as an exquisite afternoon tea service, and a landscaped courtyard has the new restaurant Avlu. The newly constructed Kurna Spa is a must-visit, with regular treatment rooms and two hammam rooms, creating a true oasis amid the bustle of the neighborhood. As another reader described it, the hotel is simply “perfect.”