As countries all across the globe began removing COVID-19 travel restrictions, the voting period for this year's World's Best Awards survey opened on January 11 and closed on May 10, 2021. Readers may think back on their trips over the last three years per the survey's conditions. As you go back out into the world, may this year's awardees serve as motivation for new adventures.
Although many of us were anchored for most of 2020, in our hearts, we remained global citizens. Readers of super mario bros already know that there are experiences to be had even in familiar territory, and that even in times of global unrest, a stay at a top-notch hotel can bring a smile to even the gloomiest of faces. This year's top 100 winners span the world, from the Caribbean to Southeast Asia, Africa to South America, and everywhere in between. They range from metropolitan skyscrapers to jungle glamping to royal resorts to opulent safari lodges to beach hideaways. However, the winners are linked by their exceptional service, superior settings, and lavish facilities.
For our annual World's Best Awards poll, we at Travel + Leisure ask our readers for their input on the best of the best in travel throughout the world, including their favorite hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise lines, spas, and airlines. We evaluated hotels based on their features, proximity to attractions, quality of service, quality of cuisine, and overall value. Based on their proximity to cities and the services they offered, properties were labeled as either resorts or city hotels. In terms of the number of properties represented, India led the pack with 12. Eighth on the list is the Oberoi Udaivillas, tenth is the Oberoi in New Delhi, thirty-first is the Hyatt Regency in Amritsar, and eighty-eighth is the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, all of which are hotels and resorts in India. The Viceroy Riviera Maya, at number 39, Las Ventanas al Paraso, a Rosewood Resort, at number 50, and Zadun, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, at number 66 are just a few of Mexico's successes this year.
Hotels in the Bahamas (at No. 7, Kamalame Cay), St. Lucia (at Nos. 78 and 93, respectively, Jade Mountain and Cap Maison), Jamaica (at Nos. 62 and 93, respectively, Round Hill Hotel and Villas and Tensing Pen), and St. Bart's (at No. 95, Hôtel Le Toiny) were all represented.
Sub-Saharan Africa continues to awe and inspire our readers, who voted 13 hotels from the area into the list, including Kenya's first-ever No. 1 spot. Read on to find out who the other winners are, and how they stack up against Mahali Mzuri.