Two Aussies in world’s top 100 hotels

Two Australian accommodation houses have been voted among the world’s elite in Travel+Leisure’s Top 100 Hotels awards.

On this years Asian-dominated list, which is decided by reader votes, Australia is represented by Southern Ocean Lodge on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island (tied in 47^th spot) and Qualia on Queensland’s Hamilton Island (tied in 80^th).

Every year Travel+Leisure invites its readers to weigh in on their best travel experiences around the globe. Hotels are rated on facilities, location, service, food and overall value.

Qualia, which in Latin means ‘a collection of deeper sensory experiences’, is a luxury resort on the secluded northern-most tip of Queensland’s Hamilton Island surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef.

[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”27469″ align=”left” padding=”10″]South Australia’s Southern Ocean Lodge overlooks a rugged stretch of Kangaroo Island coast. Its design as a ‘sanctuary of comfort’ coupled with its commanding views of the Southern Ocean and island wilderness saw it ranked third on the list in 2012. It made 47th spot last year.

The hotel named number one by Travel + Leisure for 2018 is Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan. Entered via a suspension bridge over the Ayung River Valley, each villa in the 60-room property features an outdoor living room, pool, meditation space and lily pond on the roof.

Second place goes to the luxury country house Ballyfin in County Laois, Ireland, with Frangipani Beach Resort in Anguilla voted third best.

This year, 27 of the top 100 hotels are in Asia, the most of any region. They include Temple House in Chengdu, China at 8th, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru in 23rd and Riverside Terrace at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok in 31st spot.

Europe has 18 winners including first time entry the Six Senses Douro Valley in Portugal’s wine country.

The top ten rated hotels are:

1. Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Indonesia
2. Ballyfin, County Laois, Ireland
3. Frangipani Beach Resort, Anguilla
4. Inkaterra La Casona, Cuzco, Peru
5. Inverlochy Castle Hotel, Torlundy, Scotland
6. The Mulia, Bali, Indonesia
7. Tierra Patagonia Hotel & Spa, Torres del Paine, Chile
8. Temple House, Chengdu, China
9. Nihi Sumba Island, Indonesia
10. Nayara Springs, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica

For a full list of winners, see https://www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best/hotels-top-100-overall