I visited 27 of the 50 best hotels in the world — here's why some 5-stars will never make the list

What makes a hotel world class? John O'Ceallaigh has visited 27 of the World's 50 Best Hotels and says there's three magic ingredients

Atlantis, The Royal, Dubai, No 44 in the list of the World’s 50 Best Hotels.

Sometimes when I meet new people, they tell me they hate me. It’s invariably uttered after I tell them what I do for a living, and I like to assume it’s said in jest. 

For years I was a travel editor at one of the big daily newspapers in Britain, overseeing all things luxury. During that time I cavorted around the world checking out presidential suites, opining on the merits of Michelin-starred menus, and skipping through superyachts.