Shanghai, Mumbai, Melbourne and beyond: CNBC names the best Asia-Pacific hotels for business travel

Business travelers are on the road again. So there’s no better time for CNBC Travel to name the best hotels for business travel across Asia-Pacific.

CNBC joined with the market and consumer data firm Statista to produce rankings of the “Best Hotels for Business Travelers.” A second list of rankings for hotels in Europe and the Middle East will be published next month.

In total, we analyzed more than 10,000 four- and five-star hotels in 117 locations to produce a list corporate travelers can trust. We did this using a three-step process:

• Asking business travelers and hotel industry professionals to answer a CNBC reader survey which ran from May 3 to June 7, 2022.
• Reviewing more than 1 million hotel data points, which included objective information (location, business facilities, food, leisure activities and room characteristics) and subjective reviews (gathered from Google, TripAdvisor, Expedia and similar websites).
• Weighting the data to prioritize the hotel characteristics deemed most important in the reader survey.

For full details about our research methodology, click here.

From Adelaide to Yokohama, here’s the full list — complete with final scores — of Asia-Pacific’s top hotels for business travelers, many of which are highlighted below.

Melbourne

1. The Como Melbourne – MGallery
   Operated by the French hospitality company Accor, this hotel has suites, apartments and loft-style penthouses. Its customer review score (3.17 out of 4) is commendable, but the hotel’s No. 1 ranking was solidified by an even higher score (3.59) for having a rooftop pool, a swanky South Yarra address and access to medical teleconsultations at no extra cost.
2. Crown Towers Melbourne
3. Pullman Melbourne on the Park
4. Sheraton Melbourne Hotel
5. W Melbourne

Sydney

1. The Branksome Hotel & Residences
   Business travelers exhausted after a long-haul flight to Sydney needn’t travel far to reach this hotel — it’s a five-minute drive to the international airport, and just walking distance to the domestic one. It’s part hotel and part serviced apartment, with kitchens and washers and dryers in the rooms, plus a heated indoor pool and unlimited movies-on-demand for $8 a day.
2. InterContinental Sydney Double Bay
3. Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
4. Sir Stamford at Circular Quay
5. Park Hyatt Sydney

To see hotel rankings in Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth, download the full list here.

Beijing

1. Kerry Hotel Beijing
   Part of the Shangri-La hotel family, Kerry Hotel Beijing is for travelers who prioritize work-life balance, even on quick business trips. Guests can hit the tri-level sports complex in the morning, and the wine bar at night. It’s refined, it’s fun — and it’s got an indoor adventure play area for trips when the family tags along.
2. Crowne Plaza Beijing Lido
3. The PuXuan Hotel and Spa
4. The Peninsula Beijing
5. China World Summit Wing, Beijing

Hong Kong

1. Kerry Hotel Hong Kong
   There are only three Kerry hotels in the world — and two ranked No. 1 on our city lists. Opened in 2017, the brand’s Hong Kong hotel combines creature comforts — such as in-room Nespresso machines and complimentary mini-bars — with expansive panoramas of Victoria Harbour from the Kowloon waterfront.
2. Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
3. Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong
4. The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong
5. Grand Hyatt Hong Kong

Shanghai

1. Fairmont Peace Hotel
   This historical Art-Deco hotel dates to pre-war Shanghai, when the “who’s who” of the city convened there for business by day and high society mingling by night. A three-year $64 million renovation in 2010 restored the landmark hotel, located at the crossroads of two of the city’s most famous streets: the waterfront promenade known as The Bund, and the shoppers’ paradise of Nanjing Road.
2. The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Pudong
3. Park Hyatt Shanghai
4. Bulgari Hotel Shanghai
5. The St. Regis Shanghai Jingan

Shenzhen

1. InterContinental Shenzhen
   A Euro-themed resort or a Chinese business hotel? This hotel is both. It’s got Spanish-style decor, a 22,000-square-foot swimming pool and a range of meetings spaces, including the “Galleon Salon Fiesta” — a replica, albeit double the size, of the “Santa Maria” vessel, used by Christopher Columbus when he landed on North America.
2. Futian Shangri-La, Shenzhen
3. The St. Regis Shenzhen
4. The Langham Shenzhen
5. Crowne Plaza Shenzhen Nanshan

To see hotel rankings in Guangzhou, Macau, Nanjing and Tianjin, download the full list here.

Bangalore

1. Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru at Embassy One
   Four Seasons takes the top prize in Bangalore, a city known as the “Silicon Valley of India.” Opened in 2019, the hotel is luring business travelers with rates that include laundry and ironing services, food and spa discounts and daily breakfast for two.
2. Shangri-La Bengaluru
3. Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway
4. JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru
5. The Den Bengaluru

Mumbai

1. The Leela Mumbai
   Five minutes from Mumbai’s international airport, this near 400-room hotel combines waterfalls and lotus-filled ponds with room rates that come with breakfast, airport transfers, Wi-Fi and a two-hour booking in an on-site meeting room.
2. Grand Hyatt Mumbai Hotel & Residences
3. JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar
4. The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai
5. The Taj Mahal Tower, Mumbai

New Delhi

1. The Leela Palace New Delhi
   Another Leela hotel — 1 of 13 in India — took the top prize in New Delhi, but overall it tied for No. 2 for all hotels in Asia-Pacific. The hotel exudes regal sophistication, while having the added perk of being close to Indira Gandhi International Airport.
2. JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity
3. Radisson Blu Plaza, Delhi Airport
4. Roseate House New Delhi
5. The Imperial, New Delhi

To see hotel rankings in Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune, download the full list here.

Jakarta

1. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Jakarta, Pacific Place
   Ranked first in Jakarta, this hotel also ranked No. 1 in all of Asia-Pacific in terms of total scores. Excellent customer reviews (3.47) combined with an even higher amenities score (3.76) make this hotel, which has direct access to the Indonesia Stock Exchange, the top hotel on the continent, according to CNBC’s list.
2. InterContinental Hotels Jakarta Pondok Indah
3. Shangri-La Jakarta
4. Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta
5. Raffles Jakarta

To see hotel rankings in Bandung and Surabaya, download the full list here.

Osaka

1. The Ritz-Carlton Osaka
   A blend of English sophistication and Japanese minimalism, the Ritz-Carlton in Osaka is home to two Michelin-starred restaurants — La Baie and Tempura by Hanagatami — and a concierge team that customers say makes it easy to book tickets to local baseball games and restaurants before they arrive.
2. Imperial Hotel Osaka
3. Conrad Osaka
4. InterContinental Hotel Osaka
5. The Westin Osaka

Tokyo

1. Park Hyatt Tokyo
   This hotel was an institution long before it was featured in the Academy-award winning movie “Lost in Translation.” Located on the top 14 floors of Shinjuku Park Tower, it attracts business travelers who seek out its luxurious interiors and 360-degree views of Japan’s capital city.
2. Ascott Marunouchi Tokyo
3. Shangri-La Tokyo
4. Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills
5. The Okura Tokyo

To see hotel rankings in Kyoto, Nagoya, Sapporo and Yokohama, download the full list here.

Kuala Lumpur

1. Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara
   Accor has nine hotels in Kuala Lumpur, but the city’s only Sofitel ranked No. 1 in Malaysia’s capital. Named after the affluent Damansara Heights neighborhood on the city’s west side, the hotel has room rates that include breakfast and club room access that are currently around $170 per night.
2. Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur
3. Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur, Mont Kiara
4. Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur
5. EQ Kuala Lumpur

To see hotel rankings in Malacca, download the full list here.

Manila

1. Makati Diamond Residences
   Most of the guestrooms in this serviced apartment in the affluent area of Makati have kitchenettes and stoves, and larger units contain washer and dryers, walk-in closets, dishwashers and office areas. But it’s the extras that win over customers: a private cinema with La-Z-Boy chairs, a whiskey and cigar bar and a dining card that lets guests eat breakfast, which is included in the rate, in the hotel as well as nearby restaurants and cafes.
2. Shangri-La The Fort, Manila
3. Okada Manila
4. City Of Dreams — Nuwa Manila
5. Marco Polo Ortigas Manila

To see hotel rankings in Davao City, download the full list here.

1. Four Seasons Hotel Singapore
   Located near the Singapore Botanic Gardens and the shopping street of Orchard Road, this 20-storey hotel is known for its classically beautiful design and popular champagne Sunday brunch. It also has outdoor tennis courts, a rooftop pool and one of the hottest new restaurants in town — Nobu Singapore, which opened in June 2022.
2. The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
3. Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre
4. Shangri-La Singapore
5. Pan Pacific Singapore

Seoul

1. InterContinental Seoul COEX
   COEX refers to the large exhibition space and mall connected to this hotel, making it a top choice for business travelers in Seoul’s Gangnam district. With more than 600 rooms, it’s huge — but the 30th floor Italian restaurant, Sky Lounge, is an intimate setting for business lunches overlooking the city.
2. Yeouido Park Centre, Seoul – Marriott Executive Apartments
3. The Shilla Seoul
4. JW Marriott Hotel Seoul
5. Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

To see hotel rankings in Busan, Incheon and Kaohsiung, download the full list here.

Taipei

1. W Taipei
   The claim-to-fame of this design-centric hotel is its location — many rooms have views of the entire length of Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world before Dubai’s Burj Khalifa was built. Bold, sleek and popping with color, the W Taipei has travelers covered outside of office hours with 24-hour room service and more on-site bars than restaurants.
2. Shangri-La Far Eastern, Taipei
3. Regent Taipei
4. Hotel Metropolitan Premier Taipei
5. Hotel Royal Beitou

To see hotel rankings in Taichung, download the full list here.

Bangkok

1. The Athenee Hotel
   Part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection of hotels, this hotel has a sweeping lobby staircase, marble bathrooms and free Muay Thai classes, but it’s the 24-hour butlers that take the service to the next level. Butlers come with club rooms and suite bookings, and they do everything from coffee service in the morning to unpacking luggage, shining shoes and ironing clothes.
2. Marriott Executive Apartments Bangkok, Sukhumvit Thonglor
3. Banyan Tree Bangkok
4. Sukhumvit Park, Bangkok — Marriott Executive Apartments
5. Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok 

Hanoi

1. Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
   French colonial influence runs throughout this hotel, from the architecture of the main building built in 1901 to the food at the upscale Le Beaulieu restaurant. The rooms in the historical Metropole Wing are under renovation, but the newer Opera Wing is open. With an overall score of 3.58, the hotel tied for 4th place out of 235 hotels on CNBC’s Asia-Pacific rankings.
2. Soleil Boutique Hotel
3. The Hanoi Tirant Hotel
4. Golden Cyclo Hotel
5. Aira Boutique Hanoi Hotel & Spa

Ho Chi Minh City

1. The Reverie Saigon Residential Suites
   A true stand-out, this hotel ranked No. 2 in customer reviews — and tied with The Leela Palace New Delhi for 2nd place overall — on CNBC’s list of the “Best Hotels for Business Travelers” in Asia-Pacific. Reviewers praise its location near the Saigon River and its “over the top” luxury decor.
2. InterContinental Saigon Residences
3. Lotte Hotel Saigon
4. Sherwood Residence
5. Sherwood Suites

To see hotel rankings in Can Tho and Da Nang, download the full list here.