Atlantis The Royal on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah is the only hotel from the Middle East to find a place in the inaugural list of the World’s 50 Best Hotels in 2023.

The ultra-luxury hotel, which opened in January this year, is ranked 44th on the list, the World’s 50 Best Hotels Academy said in a statement.

It houses 795 rooms and suites, 17 restaurants and bars, 17 boutiques, a 32,300 square foot wellness space, and no fewer than 90 swimming pools including Cloud 22 perched high on top of the sky bridge.

Atlantis The Royal has big-name brands, including Nobu and Hakkasan, to offerings from six big-name chefs including Heston Blumenthal, José Andrés, Ariana Bundy and Gordon Ramsay.

The hotel’s lavishness steps up with the suites and the penthouses, where 44 come complete with their own glass-sided swimming pools.

The room rates start from $460 per night.

Passalacqua, the luxury boutique hotel on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, takes the top spot on The World’s 50 Best Hotels list, followed by Rosewood Hong Kong and Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River in Bangkok.

The inaugural ranking reveals that 21 of the best properties are based in Europe. London solidifies its reputation as a global travel hub, boasting four hotels on the list: Claridge’s (16), The Connaught (22), NoMad London (46) and The Savoy 47).

Meanwhile, the continent of Asia is home to 18 of the top 50 hotels. The World’s 50 Best Hotels list is compiled by The World’s 50 Best Hotels Academy, comprising 580 hotel and travel industry experts.

(Editing by Seban Scaria seban.scaria@lseg.com)