
There are rankings of the best hotels in the world. But a new list, released by members-only group LTI Luxury Travel Intelligence, ranks hotel brands rather than individual properties. The ranking analyzes multiple hotels within a brand in "granular detail," using more than 100 "points" to assess a brand's "ability to deliver," ranging from its ethos to its staff, according to a press release. .
Luxury Travel Intelligence memberships cost $700 per year and grant access to the group's travel research. It doesn't sell ads and the search is independent and funded by subscriptions, according to its website.
The Luxury Travel Intelligence rankings for 2023 are:
Mandarin Oriental
Oetker Collection
Auberge Resorts Collection
Six Senses
Aman
Belmond
Four Seasons
One&Only
Rocco Forte Hotels
Rosewood
Peninsula
Raffles
For the first time, Mandarin Oriental topped the Oetker Collection by a very narrow margin, according to the results. The Oetker Collection operates 12 hotels across the globe, including Le Bristol in Paris, Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France and The Lanesborough, London, according to the Oetker Collection website.

The Auberge Resorts Collection ranks third on the list and operates hotels such as Mauna Lani in Hawaii, The Lodge at Blue Sky in Park City, Utah and the Vanderbilt in Newport, Rhode Island. These are just three of the 27 hotels and resorts under the Auberge brand. In 2022, Six Senses was ranked no. 1, followed by Mandarin Oriental (No. 2) and Rosewood (No. 3). Two brands are new to the list this year: Peninsula Hotels and Raffles Hotels & Resorts.
Michael Crompton, co-founder of Luxury Travel Intelligence, said "matching the sector's continued explosive growth with the highest caliber of management and staff is proving to be a significant challenge". He said he expects this to be a determining factor in the group's ranking going forward.

Luxury Travel Intelligence uses an algorithm to rate hotel brands, which has a maximum of 4663 points. This year, it measured 130 "touch points," evaluating factors such as in-room dining, the pre-arrival process of guests and a brand's social media engagement. LTI also highlighted other brands it said were "rated enough" to be monitored.
The brands are: 1 Hotels, Alila, Anantara, Banyan Tree, Como, Dorchester Collection, Firmdale, Jumeirah, Leela, Oberoi, Park Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Shangri-La, Soho House, Red Carnation, St. Regis, Taj, Luxury Collection and Viceroyalty.
Additionally, brands that have less than the minimum 10 properties required to make the list but were highly rated are: Airelles, Althoff Collection, Bulgari, Capella, Cheval Blanc, JK Place, La Reserve, Maybourne, Montage, Nikki Beach, Pendry, Soneva, Ultima Collection and Virgin Limited Edition.