The world's largest travel site, TripAdvisor, has named the world's best hotel in its 15th annual Travellers' Choice Awards, based on millions of reviews and opinions from travellers across the globe.
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Aria Hotel in Budapest took out the No.1 spot for 2017.
Opened in early 2015, the luxurious music-themed boutique hotel in Hungary has an average rate of $382 a night according to TripAdvisor. The former bank houses 49 rooms in a seven-storey neoclassical building, split into four wings inspired by opera, jazz, classical and contemporary music.
Created by famous Library Hotel Collection founder, hotelier Henry Kallan, the hotel features an underground spa, a rooftop bar and a garden courtyard that offers a complimentary cheese and wine reception every afternoon. Portraits of composers and performers including Beethoven, Frank Sinatra and Claude-Achille Debussy hang on the walls and there are daily live piano performances.
Of the 719 reviews on TripAdvisor for the property, 568 rate the palace as excellent with most of the reviewers citing the hospitable staff, inclusions and musical experience. "From the minute we arrived we were treated like the most important people in the hotel. The hotel itself is so beautiful that I would happily not gone outside at all" wrote guest Margaret S.
Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve hotel in Ubud, Indonesia took out second place with a higher average rate of $666 a night. This was followed by Turnin Palace Hotel in Turnin, Italy, which drops down to an average price of $238 a night.
The most expensive stay in the TripAdvisor top 10 was the JA Manafaru, a luxury resort in the Maldives, that will set you back $1075 a night.
Taking the No.1 spot for Australia was Pinetrees Lodge on Lord Howe Island. Opened in 1895, it is the oldest of traditional guest houses on the island. Recently undergoing refurbishments the resort offers elegant en suite rooms, luxury garden cottages and three- and four-bedroom family cottages. At an average rate of $929 a night, Pinetrees features spa treatments, five-course dinners and a beachfront location. With a large emphasis on genuine family hospitality, sixth generations co-owners Dani Rourke and Luke Hanson say they were "amazed" to learn that their simple (no Wi-Fi or pillow menu) approach had paid off.
"As strange as it seems, it works, because without devices guests talk to each other, do things together and make friends. Whoever thought that TripAdvisor's No.1 hotel in Australia wouldn't offer any Wi-Fi?" Hanson says.
Beating major chains such as the Park Hyatt and Primus Hotel, Rourke and Hanson attribute their success to following the tradition of 130 years of service.
"The formula is pretty simple. We provide guests with comfortable accommodation, excellent food and wine, authentic family service and a good selection of world-class activities for all age groups," Hanson says.
Traveller.com.au reader, Moire Berman recently stayed on the island and wrote in to share her experience: "Our accommodation was first class, set in a tropical surround, comfortable beds, everything so spick and span and the staff who are the friendliest and most helpful folks you could wish to meet – nothing was a trouble."
This is continued in the 305 TripAdvisor reviews where 80 per cent of travellers rated their stay as "excellent".
With a modest marketing and media budget and a very loyal following of regular guests who have done their best over the years to keep this resort a secret, this is a significant win for Pinetrees.
"We now have the holy grail of hotel marketing – being the best in Australia, at least for one year, is something that we can always use to entice new guests and reassure regular guests that there's no better holiday in Australia than seven days at Pinetrees," Hanson says.
Sydney is well represented with four central hotels featured, a jump from only having the Park Hyatt (third) in 2016 at $951 a night.
Affordable options also made the cut with Canberra's East Hotel ($170) and Big4 Beacon Resort ($143) in Victoria making their first appearance in the top 10.
Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania was once again named Australia's most luxurious hotel.
The Travellers' Choice awards take into account the quality and quantity of reviews specific to each award category, according to TripAdvisor.
See below for the full list of the world's and Australia's top 10 and click on the links to read Traveller.com.au's own reviews of these properties. Take a look at the properties in the gallery above.
The top 10 hotels in the world.
1. Aria Hotel Budapest – Budapest, Hungary. Average rate of $382 a night. Most affordable month to visit: March ($334).
2. Mandapa, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve – Ubud, Indonesia. Average rate of $666 a night. Most affordable month to visit: May ($595).
3. Turin Palace Hotel – Turin, Italy. Average rate of $238 a night. Most affordable month to visit: August ($197).
4. Hotel The Serras – Barcelona, Spain. Average rate of $557 a night. Most affordable month to visit: January ($327).
5. BoHo Prague Hotel – Prague, Czech Republic. Average rate of $277 a night. Most affordable month to visit: February ($184).
6. Portrait Firenze – Florence, Italy. Average rate of $895 a night. Most affordable month to visit: February ($543).
7. Shinta Mani Resort – Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. Average rate of $199 a night. Most affordable month to visit:June ($175). Read Traveller.com.au's review.
8. Hanoi La Siesta Hotel & Spa – Hanoi, Vietnam. Average rate of $135 a night. Most affordable month to visit: June ($121).
9. Tulemar Bungalows & Villas – Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Average rate of $428 a night. Most affordable month to visit: October ($262).
10. JA Manafaru – Haa Alif Atoll, Maldives. Average rate of $1075 a night. Most affordable month to visit: June ($898).
Top 10 hotels in Australia
1. Pinetrees Lodge – Lord Howe Island. Read Traveller.com.au's review.
2. Ovolo Woolloomooloo - Sydney, NSW. Read Traveller.com.au's review.
3. Park Hyatt Sydney – Sydney, NSW. Read Traveller.com.au's review.
4. Qualia Resort – Hamilton Island. Read Traveller.com.au's review.
5. Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour – Darling Harbour, Sydney.
6. East Hotel – Canberra Read Traveller.com.au's review.
7. Freshwater East Kimberley Apartments – Kununurra, Western Australia
8. Cairns Coconut Holiday Resort – Cairns, Queensland.
9. Primus Hotel Sydney – Sydney, NSW. Read Traveller.com.au's review.
10. Big4 Beacon Resort – Queenscliff, Victoria. Read Traveller.com.au's review.
