If you’re in search of a seriously fancy place to stay, the UK has plenty of establishments that fit the bill. Just last week Michelin awarded its ‘keys’ – the hotel equivalent of restaurant ‘stars’ – to dozens of British hotels. And now yet another British hotel has received praise for its heights of luxury.
This time the accolade comes courtesy of 50 Best, which you might know for its annual rankings of the planet’s top restaurants and bars. In fact, the 2025 50 Best Bars list was announced just the other week, featuring four establishments in London and one in Edinburgh.
50 Best will soon release a new list celebrating the best hotels in the world, which is decided by the votes of a global ‘academy’ of 800 hotel sector experts. The list has teased the top 50 by releasing its extended 51-100 list in advance – and one British institution made the cut.
In 78th place, sandwiched between uber luxe hotels in New York and Venice, was Gleneagles in Scotland. The Auchterarder institution came in the same list’s top 50 last year (placing 41st), but anywhere in the top 100 is still mightily impressive.
Gleneagles (which also received three Michelin keys) is a country hotel best-known for its golf courses, though it also boasts an extravagant spa, Michelin-starred restaurants and countless other activities ranging from shooting and fishing to horse-riding and padel.
Time Out visited Gleneagles in 2024 and awarded the place a full five stars. Our reviewer said that ‘you could easily spend a couple of weeks here and never get bored’, noting that ‘despite the initial impression of grandiosity and splendour, you’ll be made to feel right at home’.
In 50 Best’s 51-100 list for 2025, Europe was the most-awarded region with 17 featured hotels, and Italy was the most decorated country with nine properties. The top 50 will be announced at a ceremony in London on October 30.
The 100 best hotels in London, according to Time Out.
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