After six intensive rounds of voting, Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets has earned the coveted title of The Most Instagrammable Hotel in the World, presented by Luxury Travel Advisor, for a second year running! As the winner in 2024, the hotel received an automatic entry into this year's contest to defend its title—and it becomes the second hotel ever (following in the footsteps of The Shore Club Turks and Caicos) to win the contest twice. The runner-up was Azerai Ke Ga Bay of Vietnam, which won several close match-ups throughout the contest but ultimately lost out in the final round.
If you were unfamiliar with The Most Instagrammable Hotel in the World contest, we pitted 64 hotels from around the world against each other in a one-versus-one bracket tournament in order to find—as the name suggests—the most photo-worthy luxury hotel out there. We were looking for the photo that any guest would be able to take; the one that when posted online just racks up the likes, heart emojis, comments and DMs saying, "OMG I need to go there!" Readers of Luxury Travel Advisor could vote on any or all match-ups, and the hotel with the most votes at the end of each round moved on to face new competition. The hotel that did so six times was named The Most Instagrammable Hotel in the World for 2025.
The 64 hotels have been broken down into four regional brackets:
- North America
- Latin America and the Caribbean
- Europe, Middle East and Africa
- Asia, the Indian Ocean and South Pacific
Luxury Travel Advisor received hundreds of nominations and our editorial team selected the field of 64 hotels, with Impressions Isla Mujeres by Secrets and Patina Maldives earning automatic bids into the contest as last year's champion and runner-up, respectively. Once the hotels and regional brackets were determined, we randomly paired hotels for their first-round match-up.
The Champion
Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets
Now introducing: The two-time reigning champion! Earning Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets the title of The Most Instagrammable Hotel in the World in both 2024 and 2025 is this shot from the all-inclusive, adults-only resort's rooftop infinity pool. Here, guests can enjoy serene views (particularly at sunset) while relaxing in the pool, sunken lounge spaces or daybeds. The hotel was placed in the Caribbean and Latin America bracket, where it advanced to face the North America bracket champion; from there, it went on to represent the Western Hemisphere in the finals. In the end, it came out victorious a second straight year.
- Round 1: Reigning champion Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets moves on after defeating COMO Parrot Cay with 85 percent of the vote (827-146)
- Round 2: Aiming to become the second hotel to win this contest back-to-back, Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets defeated Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel 732-392 (65 percent of the vote)
- Sweet 16: Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets' quest to run it back remains in place after knocking out Explora Uyuni Salt Flats & Atacama with 72 percent of the vote (1,792 to 700)
- Elite Eight: Back-to-back championships for Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets is still a possibility as it defeated The Retreat Costa Rica 3,507 to 1,381 (72 percent of the vote); at minimum it earns the title of Most Instagrammable Hotel in Latin America and the Caribbean
- Final Four: Representing the Western Hemisphere by way of the Latin America and Caribbean bracket is Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets, which defeated North America champion Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco with 63 percent of the vote (4,844 to 2,832)
- Finals: Earning Impression Isla Mujeres the coveted title of The Most Instagrammable Hotel in the World for a second time, the hotel topped Eastern Hemisphere representative Azerai Ke Gay Bay with 72 percent of the vote (22,136 to 8,477)
The Runner-Up
Azerai Ke Ga Bay
While it didn't come out on top, Azerai Ke Ga Bay of Vietnam claims the spot of runner-up in 2025—as well as the titles of "The Most Instagrammable Hotel in the Eastern Hemisphere" and "The Most Instagrammable Hotel in Asia, the Indian Ocean and South Pacific" for having won each of those regional brackets. What earned this acclaim? Settle in to the sunken lounge at Azerai Ke Ga Bay, where a clean, minimalist aesthetic mixes with elegant white seating and natural wood accents, creating a Insta-worthy setting. Whether at sunrise or sunset, this spot glows in soft, dreamy hues—perfect for your feed.
- Round 1: Azerai Ke Ga Bay topped The Leela Palace Bengaluru 428 to 208 (67 percent of the vote)
- Round 2: Azerai Ke Ga Bay moves on after defeating InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef, 470-225 (68 percent)
- Sweet 16: Earning 66 percent of the vote, Azerai Ke Ga Bay moves onto the Sweet 16, topping The Hari Hong Kong, 1,076 to 545
- Elite Eight: In the highest-scoring contest of the round (over 29,000 total votes), Azerai Ke Ga Bay secured a spot in the semifinals, after taking down Zhiwaling Heritage Hotel with 54 percent of the vote (15,797 to 13,412) and claiming the crown as the Most Instagrammable Hotel in Asia, the Indian Ocean and South Pacific
- Final Four: Azerai Ke Ga Bay overcame a late deficit to take the crown in the Eastern Hemisphere via the Asia, Indian Ocean and South Pacific bracket; it defeated Octant Douro of the Europe, Middle East and Asia bracket with 52 percent of the vote (8,438 to 7,788)
Honorable Mentions
In this new section, we wanted to highlight three properties: Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco; Octant Douro; and Zhiwaling Heritage Hotel. The first two on the list each won their respective regional brackets, making it all the way to the semifinals, before each lost out to the champion and runner-up, respectively.
Zhiwaling Heritage Hotel earns a shoutout for receiving the highest amount of votes in a losing effort in the contest. In the Elite Eight (the quarterfinals), Zhiwaling Heritage Hotel received over 13,000 votes, but it wasn't enough to overcome Azerai Ke Ga Bay's nearly 16,000. Still, it was one of the most impressive performances in the contest and deserved praise.
Congrats again to Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets on the win, thank you to all the hotels and fans that participated, and we hope you have fun! Until next year!
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