An iconic American city in every way, San Francisco is in the midst of a big 2025. It’s welcoming the Counterculture Museum at Haight and Ashbury, converting an oceanfront highway into the idyllic Sunset Dunes park, and adding a picnic meadow and food hall to the Presidio. Plus, it has a constantly evolving dining scene that over-delivers from Mission burritos to Michelin kitchens. A 20% service increase from United Airlines at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is making it even easier to get to the already well-connected City by the Bay. It’s no wonder our readers are excited about San Francisco this year—and loyal to its legendary hotels.

How Voting Works

Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe—to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Nearly 180,000 T+L readers completed the 2025 survey. A total of more than 657,000 votes were cast across over 8,700 properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).

Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, inn, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the criteria below:

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Rooms/facilities

Location

Service

Food

Value

For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.

Ron Starr/The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco The Presidential Suite Balcony at The Ritz Carlton, San Francisco. The Presidential Suite Balcony at The Ritz Carlton, San Francisco.

What Readers Loved

What did our readers love in San Francisco in 2025? Shaking up the rankings. This year’s winners represent an entirely new slate from last year, with no hotel from 2024 returning to the list. Aside from the “hip” 1 Hotel San Francisco (No. 5)—which one reader said has “very good food and energy in the evening”—our voters gravitated toward mature properties from heritage brands, like the Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghiradelli Square (No. 3) housed in the historic Ghirardelli Chocolate factory. Meanwhile, the Neoclassical landmark The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, last a World’s Best winner in 2023, rejoins triumphantly at this year’s No. 1 spot.

World’s Best Awards 2025

The Winner

The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco

Don Riddle/The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco City views from the San Francisco Suite at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco. City views from the San Francisco Suite at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco.

While it’s only served as a grand hotel entrance since 1991, the column-lined, temple-like facade of this property has been impressing mere mortals since 1909, when the U-shaped Nob Hill building was constructed as the Pacific HQ for Metropolitan Life Insurance. No insurance needed at the address now; readers say wonderful stays are guaranteed. There’s a worldly timelessness about the property, especially in the swanky lounge, where the “great staff” serves afternoon tea (traditional or gin-spiked), and cocktails whose ice cubes are stamped with the RC logo. When booking, readers recommend upgrading to suites with access to the Club Level for its dedicated concierge and complimentary food and drink served throughout the day.

The Full List

1. The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco

Reader Score: 91.33

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2. Hyatt Regency San Francisco

Reader Score: 89.25

3. Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghirardelli Square

Reader Score: 87.60

4. Fairmont San Francisco Hotel

Reader Score: 86.50

5. 1 Hotel San Francisco

Reader Score: 85.56

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