From an intimate retreat in bustling Bangkok to a remote private island resort in Cambodia, 2025 has been a good year for hotel openings in Asia. Among them, the cream of the crop – properties so beautiful that they've been given a nod by the prestigious architectural award, Prix Versailles.
Every year, the Prix Versailles crowns gorgeous venues around the world: hotels, airports, passenger stations, and more. This May, they recognised two Asian museums among the world's most beautiful. For the World's Most Beautiful Hotels 2025 list, Prix Versailles considered not only visual appeal but also the blend of innovation, heritage, and sustainability in each property's design.
Out of the 16 newly opened or reopened hotels recognised as the most beautiful this year, Prix Versailles chose five standouts from Asia. Picks range from Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, consisting of refined hutong courtyard houses in Beijing, to Namia River Retreat, a wellness getaway on a peaceful islet near Hoi An, Vietnam.

One notable laureate is Ran Baas The Palace, which reopened in November 2024 within the oldest Sikh fort. It's Punjab's first luxury palace hotel – "a masterclass in heritage restoration – and a joyful celebration of Punjabi culture and heritage", says Time Out travel editor Grace Beard. She was lucky enough to check into the property this year – read her full review of Ran Baas the Palace here.
Another cool addition to the list is MGallery Sosei Sapporo. The hotel is located in Sapporo Factory, a mega shopping and entertainment complex that was once Kaitakushi Brewery. The location is significant, harking back to the beginnings of Western trade and industrialisation on Hokkaido during the Meiji era. Prix Versailles describes it as "a dazzling world of contrasts", with Western-style salons and Japanese living quarters ensconced in an industrial exterior.
And if you ask us, the MGallery hotel collection is one to watch out for – our travel contributor recently visited Legacy Yen Tu MGallery in northern Vietnam and found a wholly unexpected wellness escape.

We'd be remiss not to call out one more laureate: Raffles Sentosa Singapore. It's only been three months since its grand opening, so it must be pretty impressive to make the Prix Versailles list. The Raffles brand is immediately noteworthy thanks to the iconic five-star Raffles Hotel Singapore, but its second property is an entirely different creature.
For one, it feels a world away from Singapore's city centre (while being a mere 15-minute ride from it), set in a leafy 100,000 square metre compound on Sentosa Island. Here, colonial architecture is swapped for a decidedly contemporary feel, with 62 spacious pool villas linked via "meandering footpaths lead[ing] to dining spaces and hidden nooks, all the way down to the seashore". Find out more about Raffles Sentosa Singapore here.
That's plenty to choose from for your next holiday – but if you'd like more inspiration across Asia, here's our round-up of the best hotels in the region right now.
Asia's most beautiful hotels, as recognised by Prix Versailles 2025:
- Mandarin Oriental Qianmen – Beijing, China
- Ran Baas The Palace – Patiala, India
- MGallery Sosei Sapporo – Sapporo, Japan
- Raffles Sentosa Singapore – Singapore
- Namia River Retreat – Hoi An, Vietnam
Have you heard? Two Asian museums were also named among the most beautiful in the world for 2025
Plus: The best museums in Asia
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