Canada Scores Highly in New List of World’s Best Hotels; California Dominates Best USA Cities List

Conde Nast Travel has come out with its annual list of the world’s best hotels, and two Canadian properties made it into the top 20. Chicago also scored remarkably well.

Their Readers Choice List of best USA big cities also put three California destinations in the top 10, which is great to see if you’re a guy born and raised in The Golden State.

CANADA’S TEN BEST HOTELS

A corner suite at the SoHo Hotel Toronto. SoHo Hotel Toronto Photo

Condé Nast readers named  The Hazelton Hotel in Toronto’s trendy Yorkville district as the top hotel in the country. It’s a splendid place to stay, as I discovered on a visit a few years ago. Below is the magazine’s top 10 list, along with some thoughts of my own.

1. The Hazelton Hotel, Toronto, Ontario. Score 99.61

2. Fogo Island Inn, Newfoundland and Labrador. Score 99.21 (truly spectacular, remote property that works closely with the local community)

3. Oak Bay Beach Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia. Score 98.91 (only been for lunch, but it’s quite pretty)

4. The St Regis Toronto, Ontario. Score 97.40 (tremendous hotel, with a fine and beautiful restaurant called Louix Louis)

5. 1 Hotel Toronto, Ontario. Score 96.86 (here’s my review from a recent stay)

6. Fairmont Royal York, Toronto, Ontario. Score 95.45 (a regal hotel; the granddaddy of all Toronto hotels)

7. Magnolia Hotel & Spa, Victoria, British Columbia. Score 95.10 (a peaceful, lovely spot in a city Condé Nast has named the world’s best small city for four years in a row).

8. SoHo Hotel Toronto, Ontario. Score 94.59 (here’s my recent review)

9. Fairmont Château Laurier, Ottawa, Ontario. Score 94.49 (splendid spot in the nation’s capital)

10. Drake Devonshire, Wellington, Ontario. Score 94.12 (I had a fine meal here in May and enjoyed their sister property up the road, the Drake Motor Inn)

BEST WORLD HOTELS TOP TWENTY

Here’s the Condé Nast list of the top 10 hotels in the world. The Shangri-La in Toronto was number 15, and the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City was 16th. Note that Chicago scored two spots in the top four!

A corner room at the Shangri-La Hotel Toronto. JIM BYERS PHOTO

(Editor’s Note: I don’t quite understand the system Condé Nast uses. If the Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto is #15 in the world and Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City is #16, why are they not numbers 1 and 2 for their Canada top 10 list?)

1. Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong (never stayed but had a fantastic meal there some years ago)
2. Passalacqua, Lake Como, Italy
3. Park Hyatt, Chicago
4. Le Meridien Essex, Chicago
5. The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto
6. The Joule, Dallas
7. The Thompson Denver, Colorado
8. Madeline Hotel and Residences, Auberge Collection, Telluride, Colorado
9. Park Hyatt, Bangkok
10. Cheval Blanc St. Tropez, France
11. The Lana, Dorchester Collection, Dubai
12. Hotel Barriere, Le Majestic, Cannes, France
13. The Corinthia, London, England
14. La Mamounia, Marrakech, Morocco
15. Shangri-La, Toronto (outstanding hotel with an ultra-swanky lobby)
16. Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City (historic luxury in one of the great cities of North America)
17. Goldener Hirsch, Auberge Collection, Park City, Utah
18. The Jefferson, Washington, D.C.
19. Bvlgari Hotel Roma, Rome, Italy
20. W Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

BEST USA BIG CITIES

My home state of California, and the city of my birth, Oakland, scored very highly in the Condé Nast list of top cities in the U.S. Chicago was tops for the tenth year in a row, while San Francisco ranked number two for the second year running. Oakland was sixth and was cited for its Black culture and nice weather. There’s also an excellent food scene and beautiful parks filled with towering redwoods. San Diego, which might have the best weather in the U.S. came in tenth. Here’s the full top ten list.

Lake Merritt is a fantastic spot to relax and enjoy nature in downtown Oakland. JIM BYERS PHOTO

1. Chicago (here’s my most recent story about the city)
2. San Francisco (here’s a blog post about visiting with our grandson in late 2024)
3. Boston (here’s a story from my recent visit)
4. New York City 
5. Milwaukee (a very cool city I really enjoy)
6. Oakland (here’s a blog post from a few years ago)
7. Portland, Oregon
8. Nashville
9. New Orleans
10. San Diego

BEST USA SMALL CITIES

The lovely and lively Plaza de Armas in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. JIM BYERS PHOTO

1. Charleston, South Carolina
2. Alexandria, Virginia
3. Santa Fe, New Mexico (artsy and fun; try the green chili cheeseburgers)
4. Greenville, South Carolina
5. Santa Barbara (so lovely, with great wineries to visit in town and in the nearby Santa Ynez valley)
6. Lexington, Kentucky
7. Savannah, Georgia
8. Healdsburg, California (super trendy town in the wonderful Sonoma Valley)
9. San Juan, Puerto Rico (extremely colourful and vibrant city I quite like)
10. Saint Augustine, Florida (fabulous history, a cool fort, a fine beach, and more)