It’s time again for us to tell you about the hotels (and cruises) we really, really love right now. Our annual Gold List collects our editors’ current favourite places to stay and ships to sail (all vetted by our team of contributors and editors around the globe). They’re memorable for many reasons: service that made us feel like Hollywood stars; architecture that transported us to 1920s London or 18th-century Lake Como; and meals in Vietnam, in Australia, and at sea that we know will inspire Proustian responses. What do all of these experiences have in common? We’ll be carrying them with us for years to come. To paraphrase the old saying: New friends are silver, but old friends are gold.
See more from this year's Gold List or navigate through this list by region using the links below:
- Europe and the United Kingdom
- The US, Canada, and the Caribbean
- Mexico, Central, and South America
- Asia
- Africa and the Middle East
- Australasia
Europe and the United Kingdom
Akelarre – San Sebastián, Spain
Perched on the slopes of Monte Igueldo in San Sebastián, with the Bay of Biscay at its feet, Akelarre is home to one of Spain’s most iconic restaurants. Long before the hotel opened in 2017, Pedro Subijana’s kitchen had already earned three Michelin stars and a place in culinary history. Today, his legacy flows into a serene five-star stay led by his daughter, Oihana: just 22 rooms, carved into the hillside, each with panoramic terraces and warm minimalist interiors that echo the raw beauty of the north. There are two restaurants: the three-Michelin-starred Akelarre, where every plate is a tribute to terroir and technique, and Espazio Oteiza, a more relaxed concept. The 8,611-square-foot wellness area, with its hydrotherapy pool, hammam, and treatments, invites deep pause. More than a hotel or a restaurant, Akelarre is a radical, slow vision of hospitality shaped by salt air, silence, and a reverence for place. From £400. María Casbas
Badrutt’s Palace – St Moritz, Switzerland
The finest location in St. Moritz, the most attentive service, the most dazzling guests, the most stunning hotel lobby – Switzerland’s Badrutt’s Palace is one superlative after another. And 2026 will mark an impressive 130 years in operation. The property took a huge leap into the future with its new Serlas Wing, which opened across from the main hotel. The original and new buildings, as well as the Chesa Veglia restaurant, are now connected via underground passageways so that winter guests no longer have to slosh through slush. For the warmer months, when the hotel is typically less crowded, Badrutt’s has added a padel court and an ATP tennis court to the garden, and it continues to offer opportunities to hike, sail, and sunbathe. It’s a fairy tale with resort amenities in St. Moritz. From £821. Dennis Braatz
Beaverbrook – Surrey, UK
A visit to the English countryside doesn’t get much more picturesque than at Beaverbrook. The hotel’s location in Surrey, as well as its heritage – the 470-acre estate dates back to 1866 – makes for an iconic UK stay. Elements of its history are woven into the interiors of the main house, but this is a place that masterfully blends English worldliness with modern finesse. The spa is something of a marvel – all stained-glass ceiling and innovative experiences – and as I pad past the outdoor pool from the cabin-style massage hut, I know the treatments I’ve just had will live in my heart for years to come. We spent the night in the Village, a zippy buggy ride away from the original house. Its appeal lies primarily with families, as rooms are colour-drenched and whimsical, and the restaurant there is a British-style eatery. Elsewhere, food options include a lauded Japanese restaurant and the Instagram-famous summer dining experience that takes place on the grounds under whimsical hot-air balloons. From £490. Sarah Leigh Bannerman
Castelfalfi – Tuscany, Italy
Beauty, comfort, and a vibe of breezy ease are axiomatic at Castelfalfi. Ditto flattering lighting and delectable food. At the whole-village resort, which sprawls over 2,700 acres and has 146 rooms, one main cobblestoned street leads down from the castle to a 13th-century church, a row of boutiques, gelaterias, and pizzerias, and the two hotel buildings. The older of the two – a repurposed 19th-century tobacco warehouse – sits opposite the 1980s-built low-slung main building, which has sublime valley views. This houses the Bar Ecrù & Lounge, one of four restaurants, as well as the indoor pool and spa. Along with outdoor pools and a Montessori children’s club, there’s a woodland adventure centre, a wine and olive oil tasting set-up, and isolated farmhouses operating as villas and apartments with pools. A key attraction is the activity program that offers over 40 experiences from archery, beekeeping, truffle hunting, falconry, and cookery to Pilates and yoga. Transformed by the Milan design company Caberon Caroppi, rooms are fragrant and understated, with a mix of textures – velvet, leather, marble – and a muted earthy palette, silky bed linen, and sculptural Paolo Castelli furnishings. Executive chef Davide De Simone ensures the partially farm-to-table menus include ingredients grown on the resort’s farms. From £532. Adrianne Pielou
Claridge's – London, UK
It may have been drawing such guests as Queen Victoria since 1812, but it wasn’t until the Roaring Twenties that Claridge’s really found its rhythm, constellating Bright Young Things around its jewel box interiors – glimmering Lalique panels, Art Deco mirrors, stained glass butterflies – like moths to a fabulous flame. A century on and this effervescent Jazz Age spirit is as alive as ever. Flower girls skitter across the lobby’s checkerboard floor; the foyer thrums with guests taking afternoon tea; and the dimly lit Fumoir Bar is a sultry backdrop for romance. But while Claridge’s may flirt with its past, recently hosting an Art Deco sleepover with Cecil Beaton cocktails and Charleston lessons, it’s by no means stuck there. The spa is an André Fu-designed subterranean gem; the Painter’s Room holds alternative afternoon teas; and there’s Claridge’s Bakery, which will open later this year. The actor Spencer Tracy said, “Not that I intend to die, but when I do, I don’t want to go to heaven. I want to go to Claridge’s.” And Claridge’s sparkles on. From £956. Olivia Squire
Coworth Park, The Dorchester Collection – Berkshire, UK
This 18th-century estate near Windsor might be 17 minutes from Heathrow Terminal 5, but it’s light-years away in feel. Since 2010 Coworth Park has outdone itself as a Dorchester Collection version of the country – a perfectly pressed London-adjacent micro-break and fresh-air reboot with minimal dirt on the wellies. The 240 acres of handsome parkland folds in well-kept polo fields (complete with exciting matches and a grafted-on social scene), tennis courts, lakes, a sunken garden and wildflower meadow, and a sleek spa that’s just had a makeover. Add in the promise of excellent food (Michelin-starred Woven by Adam Smith is British food at its apex) and there are plenty of treats to enjoy. The best spot on the estate is the meadowland in summer, when pink roses tumble over the gazebo and striped deck chairs line the croquet lawn. In winter, lolling is best done in the warm and cosseting spa. From £559. Lydia Bell
Forestis – Dolomites, Italy
Nature dictates everything at this CO2-neutral A-list hideaway in the Italian Dolomites. The site was chosen for its abundant sunshine, spring water, mountain air, and views of the jagged Odle massif, which is framed by picture windows in all 62 minimalist suites. The landscape is also woven into the biophilic architecture, Celtic wellness rituals, and intricate “forest cuisine.” After hiking or skiing in the Plose mountains, guests can recharge over a tasting menu in the amphitheatre restaurant as the sun sets with all the drama of Mount Doom. The history of the complex is similarly dramatic. It was conceived in 1912 as a sanatorium for Austro-Hungarian aristocrats but lay dormant for years. For its relaunch in 2020, Stefan and Teresa Hinteregger added three 12-story towers and an astonishing spa with a swim-in, swim-out pool. A villa for 10 followed in December 2024, and a concept restaurant, Yera, which celebrates the fruits of the forest around a firepit in a cave, arrived in June. From £754. Lisa Johnson
Four Seasons Astir Palace – Athens, Greece
The modernist white resort perches proudly on pine-scented hills, slowly revealing its geometric lines as one snakes from the dusty thrum of Athens to the glamour-drenched peninsula. Rooms continue the cool, clean palette, most with sweeping terrace views of the Aegean, and immaculately manicured olive trees frame sparkling swimming pools. Our favourite dinner is at the informal Taverna 37 for salt-baked sea bass, but daily tiradito from eatery Helios is a treat, especially as it’s opposite the wood-toy-packed kids club that keeps offspring amused between courses. We discover homegrown brands like Magoosh, Callista, and Zeus & Dione in the on-site boutique, and my daughter’s love affair with drawing comics begins with a brilliant hands-on lesson with an Athenian cartoonist. With a diet of daily tennis lessons, sweeping views, a just-the-right-side-of-glam crowd, and luscious sea swims, you can see why the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens ticks so many boxes for so many people. From £619. Jemima Sissons
Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria – Sorrento, Italy
The Fiorentino family might just have nabbed the finest corner of the Amalfi Coast when they built this grand-tour-era Grand Hotel, sequestered from Piazza Tasso by perfumed orange groves, in the 1830s. Today, fifth-generation Fiorentinos have overseen renovations that restored the hotel’s shine with deference to its old-world elegance. Antique furniture and draping curtains secure a feeling of heritage. Some rooms have views over the lush gardens; the best have sunny terraces and boast a roll call of the hotel’s famous guests (Pavarotti, Caruso, Princess Margaret). Laid-back suppers at Terrazza Vittoria and all-night affairs at Michelin-starred Terrazza Bosquet make an art of Campanian produce; breakfast is taken under the frescoes at Ristorante Vittoria. From the pool, you can gaze at the classical buildings and daydream about the many lives the Vittoria has lived – although snoozing on the striped sun loungers is just as valid. Wherever you stand, this Amalfi landmark’s sense of occasion is as pertinent as ever. From £567. Sarah James
Grand Hotel Son Net – Mallorca, Spain
Located on Mallorca, the Grand Hotel Son Net looks like a classic film set, with the Puig de Galatzó mountain, part of the Serra de Tramuntana, as a dramatic backdrop. The building’s history dates back to 1672 and showcases impressive Balearic architecture, like a terra-cotta exterior, a 17th-century courtyard, gardens, and a private chapel. In 2023, the founders of Finca Cortesin took over management of the property with the aim of regaining the brightness of its glory days. In and outside the main building, 31 suites, some as large as 1,615 square feet, give an idea of how intimate this place wants to be. Lorenzo Castillo has carefully restored the hotel’s original charm by adding elements like canopied beds and cosy furnishings. The extensive spa is a highlight, and the hotel’s cuisine reflects Mallorcan flavours with a subtle touch, emphasising the idea that, even in a place where everything is more, less is more. From £482. David Moralejo
Grand Hôtel Stockholm – Sweden
Few hotels are more deserving of the sobriquet grande dame than the century-and-a-half-old Grand Hôtel Stockholm, where I slept in the Ingrid Bergman suite: wandering around the cheerful, airy space I’d stop periodically to gaze at a black-and-white portrait of the legendary actor hung beside a window that framed a view of the Royal Palace; I was staying in close proximity to two flavors of royalty. The nearness to greatness applies not only to the hotel’s patrons but also to its extraordinary cuisine. The acclaimed Swedish chef Matthias Dhalgren operates two of his restaurants, including the two-year-old Michelin-starred Seafood Gastro, which focuses on Nordic flavours. I lost count of the number of courses, but the sheer bounty of beautifully plated confections involving fish maw and langoustine claw and other briny mysteries bordered on psychedelic. I still think of the alfresco octopus salad and Sancerre I ate at Grand Soleil, and even the lovingly prepared overnight oats that room service brought me while I looked out at the bright waterfront beneath Bergman’s watchful gaze. From £318. Jesse Ashlock
Hotel Il Pellicano – Porto Ercole, Italy
For 60 years, Il Pellicano has been an icon of Italian hospitality. Opened on the wild slopes of Monte Argentario in 1965 by the English American couple Michael and Patsy Graham, it was purchased in 1979 by Roberto Sciò, who had been in love with the place ever since he first frequented it alongside the jet set of the time. The guest list has always been a strong point, but with the arrival of Roberto’s daughter, Marie-Louise Sciò, as new leadership, the hotel’s image has been refreshed, thanks in large part to the book Hotel Il Pellicano, which contains photos by Juergen Teller (in addition to earlier ones by Slim Aarons). The volume has helped to attract a new generation of bohemians from all over the world. This corner of Tuscany is far from Positano; here, there are no designer boutiques. Instead, those who travel here do so because of its slightly magical atmosphere paired with impeccable service, meticulous design, a Michelin-starred restaurant, a new boat, and a boutique that wonderfully expresses the style of the hotel and, more broadly, a certain vision of an Italian holiday. From £531. Sara Magro
Il Salviatino – Florence, Italy
Hidden among the rolling hills of Fiesole, Il Salviatino is set in centuries-old gardens with breathtaking views across the city of Florence. Each of the 39 rooms have been designed with the hotel’s history in mind – delicately painted murals, majestic marble bathrooms, modern pops of colour throughout and, most importantly, windows wherever possible, looking out across the lush Florentine countryside and over to the towering Duomo and terracotta-roofed houses of the city. Underneath the property lies the spa and it might just be the best-kept secret in Fiesole. In what used to be the palazzo’s wine cellar, now sits a pink-hued oasis. Treatments take place in a domed greenhouse room, which at first, feels exposing, but the glass is fully covered by lush greenery and plants. Come for the views, the incredible wellness space and the dreamy rooms. It’s a perfect place to embrace Tuscan heritage among the tranquil countryside, with easy access to Florence city centre. Olivia Morelli
La Reserve – Paris, France
I was there when La Réserve Paris Hotel and Spa opened in 2015 and have returned on numerous occasions since. I was enchanted from day one, and a decade later the spell remains unbroken. Outwardly little about the hotel has changed. Its main restaurant, Le Gabriel, has accumulated first one, then two, and now three Michelin stars. Le Gaspard, its exquisite bar (seats 18) has expanded slightly into the streetside terrace. The foliage in the serene central courtyard has grown ever more dense, treatments in the bijou basement spa ever more sophisticated. With just 40 rooms La Réserve is by far the smallest of the city’s super-elite palace-designated hotels, and it retains a discreet private quality that you might describe as residential – particularly if you are accustomed to discreet private residences that are swathed in silk, velvet, taffeta and cordovan leather, with Versaillais parquet floors, gilded reliefs, and views across Paris from Notre-Dame to the Eiffel Tower. Owner Michel Reybier and designer Jacques Garcia have collaborated on several projects (La Chartreuse de Cos d’Estournel, on the estate of the same name in Bordeaux, is another glorious example). But La Réserve Paris is their masterpiece. From £1,508. Steve King
Lily of the Valley – St Tropez, France
Located not in a valley but on a sunbathed hilltop, Philip Starck’s rustic-modernist vision feels like it was made for this spot on the glitzy French Riviera. It has two bright blue pools, three excellent Provençal restaurants, and a super-techie spa. A beach club is a short shuttle ride away. My city-weary self, drawn by the promise of good food, daily exercise, and swish treatments, arrived for one of its four signature health retreats. I spent my days whipping from reformer Pilates to TRX class and indulging in suspiciously tasty meals (here, caviar scrambled eggs is a diet dish). On the last day I began to cry, my stay proving as much an emotional tune-up as a physical one – a balm for my London-fried soul, with a healthy lashing of Côte d'Azur lasciviousness. From £485. Charley Ward
Maçakizi – Bodrum, Turkey
Over the past decade Bodrum, Türkiye, has picked up the pace: bottle-service beach clubs, raki-soaked parties, and glossy new hotels each season. But above the fray sits Maçakızı, a sprawl of bougainvillaea-covered whitewashed cottages tumbling toward a yacht-filled bay. Just 40 minutes from town, it’s a pulse-slowing alternative. Stray cats nap under tables and well-loved dogs make the rounds. Days revolve around the wooden jetty – swimming, reading, playing backgammon, or doing nothing at all. The best spot? A front lounger near the sea ladder. Service is relaxed, but no one asks for your room number twice. Since the 1970s, when it opened, jet-setting regulars return every summer for the same room, same table, same sunbed. Dinners of grilled octopus, caviar, and just-picked vegetables stretch into the night. Bodrum has changed, but this is still its original grande dame. From £878. Chloe Sachdev
Passalacqua – Lake Como, Italy
From a 12-suite pale amber villa that’s shuttered in sage, seven acres of terraces – containing olive groves, mimosa, David Austin roses, fountains, and magnolias – descend to the glinting enamel blue lake, across which boats etch silent lines like tiny water skeeters. Expectations ran high at the 2022 unveiling of this little sister to the Grand Hotel Tremezzo near Bellagio, which is thrice the size of Passalacqua. (Paolo, Antonella, and daughter Valentina De Santis are also the owners of Tremezzo.) But expectations have been surpassed. Etched mirror work, painted glass, and fine, fragrant leather pieces are ubiquitous. Hand-blown Murano chandeliers and Il Bronzetto light fittings – including a magnificent candelabra of brass oak leaves in the dining room – are stand-outs. Splashed liberally throughout is marble, including the Breccia Pontificia, the stone preferred by Bernini and used for the tomb of Pope Urban VIII in St. Peter’s Basilica. This new iteration of Passalacqua is set around the original villa, its 12 suites Baroquely Italian with original frescoes and ceiling carvings. The other suites are divided among the eight-suite palazzo’s repurposed ancient stables that have hefty exposed beams, and, down by the lake, the four-suite Casa al Lago, a streamlined 1970s house. From £1,442. Lydia Bell
Six Senses Douro Valley – Portugal
The selling point of Six Senses Douro Valley in Portugal, the first European location from the famed luxury wellness brand, is the multiple entry points it affords a traveller. Lean into the location, and by that I mean the wine, and enjoy tours of the vineyards, as well as a personal favourite – the help-yourself wine fridge located on the main floor. Relax in the resort, and enjoy walking through the nine acres of forest, containing more than 500 species (of which 450 are native). Or go full wellness with dedicated multi-day programs that focus on female health and more, featuring the property’s incredible personal trainers, hydro areas, and exquisite health menus. Though the beauty of the place is that it knows how to feasibly be all things at once, should that be more your speed. From £876. Erin Florio
The Venice Venice Hotel – Italy
The 13th-century Ca’ Da Mosto had stood neglected on the Grand Canal for decades when Alessandro Gallo and Francesca Rinaldo, modern merchants of Venice and founders of the wildly successful fashion brand Golden Goose, set about restoring the property to its former glory with a six-year restoration. The result, which opened in 2022, would have impressed Lord Byron on one of his many amorous visits to Venice: candlelit staircases, luxurious draperies, tall gothic windows overlooking the Grand Canal, stone passageways, spacious suites soothed by reflected light and the lap of water on stone outside the window – the sense of Venice as one of the world’s sexiest destinations. Art is part of the hotel’s DNA. Rooms showcase stunning contemporary pieces. Look for the work of artists of the Italian Arte Povera movement like Gilberto Zorio and Jannis Kounellis. On the quayside is Souvenir by Fabio Viale, a re-creation of Michelangelo’s Pieta with the Madonna and the limp Christ figure hauntingly separated. From £531. Stanley Smith
Verina Astra – Sifnos, Greece
The first time I stayed at Verina Astra, in 2015, there were just seven rooms. The cliffside setting on the wild eastern coast of Sifnos, Greece, felt like a gamble. Upon opening, there was no restaurant, but breakfast was a celebration of Sifnian flavours – flaky pies, local cheeses, seasonal fruits – delivered to each suite in a straw basket, served in handmade ceramics crafted by the island’s potters. An infinity pool, added later on, created the illusion of floating on the unbroken horizon. The young owner-managers, Isidora Chandeli and Miltos Salemis, had recently fallen in love and had big dreams for their new venture. Fast-forward a decade and Verina Astra is one of the country’s most exceptional hotels. The 16 rooms and suites have better bathrooms and even bigger terraces than the initial seven but share the same back-to-nature aesthetic. Solicitous staff waft between the alfresco tapas bar and thatched cabanas of the Elemis spa. Chefs tend to the kitchen gardens, harvesting the ingredients for heirloom salads at Bostani, the hopelessly romantic field-to-fork restaurant. Isidora and Miltos are married now, and their hotel baby is all grown-up – but the laid-back vibe and sense of place are very much unchanged. From £264. Rachel Howard
Weissenhaus Private Nature Luxury Resort – Wangels, Germany
This “White House,” as the name of this resort can be translated, is in many ways the opposite of what that name might conjure in English: restful, serene, and situated in Germany along the Baltic Sea. Opened in 2014 on the 185-acre estate of a castle established in 1896, it boasts 60 rooms spread out within the castle itself (and throughout 10 more buildings), with the beach not even a five-minute walk away. But these numbers tell nothing of the amount of heartwarmingly idyllic spots: The pier at the little pond. The sun-soaked terrace of the restaurant Bootshaus by the seaside. The tumbleweed sauna in the award-winning spa. Or the Strandkorbs – roofed wicker beach chairs typical for this coast – that are placed along a divinely beautiful clearing. And because my personal definition of rest also entails a good cuppa, the staff happily brought a pot to this secluded spot, while I got cosy with a book and Weissenhaus towering somewhere behind me. From £480. Kalle Harberg
The US, Canada, and the Caribbean
Amangiri – Utah, USA
If a luxury hotel existed on the moon, it might feel like Amangiri. In the ochre canyons of southern Utah, it’s less resort and more mirage, a minimalist masterpiece carved from desert stone. Though its aesthetic appeal is undeniable (the pool alone deserves design awards), there’s so much more to this unique spot. Sleek service, world-class dining, and immersive cultural experiences make every stay restorative. The design – all clean lines and concrete – cleverly frames its 165-million-year-old sandstone surroundings like art. Each of the 34 suites, which have limestone walls, private terraces, and flickering fireplaces, embodies laid-back luxury. Guests can drift between the serene pool and Aman Spa, or head off on an unforgettable adventure, whether hiking to Broken Arrow Cave to watch resident artist Ulrike Arnold at work, horseback riding through the dramatic landscape to see ancient petroglyphs, or exploring canyons that are 6 million years old with a Navajo guide. If there were ever a place to ditch your phone and completely surround yourself in raw, awe-inspiring nature, this is it. From £3,420. Sarah Allard
Coral Sands – Harbour Island, Bahamas
Have you ever felt like greeting the day as if you were Barbie throwing your doors open to a world bustling with people living ideal lives on a pink beach next to a turquoise sea? Well, if so, Coral Sands Inn & Cottages is for you. This property on Harbour Island in the Bahamas is set on a stretch of beach where the sand is colored pink by a mixture of pulverised coral, tiny red-tinted shells, and foraminifera. A recent redesign of the interiors, unveiled in December 2024, revealed a charming seaside aesthetic: Seashell details are everywhere (7,000 in the restaurant alone), and canopies with wildflower prints are hung over four-poster beds. Days can be spent at the beach bar by the turquoise sea, drinking frosé and eating conch fritters. Begin your evenings with a Pink Mermaid cocktail and then, perhaps, see Harbour Island itself, with its wild chickens and lovely locally owned restaurants. If you can, stay in one of the cottages with wooden steps leading down to the rose-colored shores. From £986. Ruaridh Nicoll
Hermitage Bay – Antigua
This constellation of 30 villa suites, situated on a lush, jungle-covered hillside, features private infinity pools landscaped with pink bougainvillaea, mahogany-trimmed rooms, mosquito-netted beds, rattan ceiling fans, and wraparound terraces with sea views. Guests at the tranquil 14-and-over resort head to the palm-thatched beach bar and white-sand beach. Food at the all-inclusive is a standout (the tarragon lobster is a favourite), not to mention the daily “sunset and sushi” cocktail hour, during which guests can dine on fresh tuna, snapper, and mahi-mahi nigiri made by Nobu-trained chefs. No wonder, considering the property was purchased in 2024 by Daniel Shamoon, co-owner of Luxury Hotel Partners, which boasts Spain's Marbella Club, Puente Romano Marbella, and several Nobu hotels, including one slated to open in 2026 on Antigua's sister island, Barbuda. From £1,470. Adam H. Graham
Hotel Le Toiny – St Barths
The namesake hillside resort set above Toiny Bay gives “wild” an unexpected new meaning when it comes to sceney St Barths: on the shrubby southeastern point of the island, this unfussy haven is where an in-the-know social set head to find serenity. The star amenity here is the private beach, accessible via a three-minute Defender ride down switchbacking roads Le Toiny’s stretch of soft sand is considered the sole private hotel beach on all of St Barths. Plus, some of the oldest traditional English-style cottages on the island, dating back to the 1700s, can be found beside the beach club (one is currently used as treatment areas for the spa). The suites and villas were redesigned in 2024 to create airy living spaces that draw your eye outward to the leafy open-air surroundings and azure water views just beyond your private pool deck. From £1,330. Shannon McMahon
Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort – Hawaii, USA
When I heard the news that the Big Island’s storied Kona Village Resort was set to reopen as a Rosewood after it was destroyed by a tsunami back in 2011, I immediately texted my mom: Do you think it’ll still be as magical? I was lucky enough to grow up visiting the Hawaiian resort with my extended family and – like many of its devoted regulars – felt a deep connection to it that bordered on the spiritual. Set along a rugged stretch of lava rock on the island’s western coast, the resort was a true barefoot hideaway, with simple thatch-roof hale (bungalows), palm trees that swayed in the plumeria-scented tradewinds, and a no-television-or-phones rule that encouraged disconnection. I worried its timeless spirit might not survive the rebuild. But I needn’t have. On my recent visit back as a “legacy guest,” I found a reimagined property that manages to both honour and elevate the original. There are 150 hale now, which have TVs this time around, sure, but still exude a sense of peace by way of soothing wooden walls, neutral palettes, and earth-toned regional art. The iconic Shipwreck Bar & Sushi, a breezy beachfront hangout carved from the original owner’s boat, was lovingly restored and now gleams with a sleek new wooden finish (don’t miss the legendary mai tais). A gorgeous new spa, Asaya, is built into the lava rock and offers luxurious, locally inspired treatments. Legacy guests like me will appreciate these tasteful upgrades. And new guests will feel lucky to join the club. From £892. Annie Daly
Mayfair House Hotel & Garden – Florida, USA
This architectural marvel, first built in 1985, puts you in the middle of the best that Coconut Grove, Florida, has to offer. This hotel lives and breathes style, with moody peacock blue and terra-cotta-toned rooms, some with giant clawfoot tubs; a soaring open atrium lined with lush plants; and a buzzy lobby bar set in a hollowed-out fountain. Rooms range in size from 400 square feet all the way up to 1,000 and, as such, never disappoint in terms of space. Even the balconies (95% of rooms have one) are more than generous, making the property ideal for larger groups and families. Brunches boast avocado toast and Key lime pancakes in the courtyard, while dinner is a heartier affair with dishes of woodfire-grilled snapper and Iberico pork “churrasco” with umami butter. After dinner, rum-centric cocktails are served up nightly with vibey tunes and a view of the Grove that stretches all the way to the bay. From £227. Ayesha Khan
The Beverly Hills Hotel, Dorchester Collection – California, USA
Stepping inside the Beverly Hills Hotel, you instantly feel like the main character in a film. Red-carpeted steps lead into the lobby with its iconic pink and green palm decor. The “Pink Palace” right on Sunset Boulevard, tucked into 12 acres, is like a cocoon. Make like Elizabeth Taylor, who spent six of her eight honeymoons here, and book Bungalow 5, inspired by the legendary actress. The Polo Lounge is the place for a Hollywood power lunch. It’s not just the Old and New Hollywood vibe that makes this hotel fabulous; it’s the way the entire staff treats you like you’re a star. From £795. Dana Kravis
The Gasparilla Inn – Florida, USA
A storied icon of American hospitality, The Gasparilla Inn sits on its eponymous barrier island on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The historic 1913 landmark has evolved into a vibrant pageant of old-Florida grace: an expanded 63-room inn surrounded by yellow clapboard cottages, a golf course on its own island, and a sprawling beach club that’s set amid manicured palms, bougainvillaea, and banyan trees, and fronts one of the state’s most magnificent beaches. Every detail here feels correct: interiors by Kemble Interiors showcase an exuberant mix of coastal maximalism and island whimsy. Each space looks lovingly composed, from the pink-tinged ladies' sitting room and the floral-saturated main hall with its “green goddess” tones and orchids to the coral-and-cream ocean cottages overlooking the Gulf. Owned by just three families throughout its 113-year history, the Inn protects its heritage and privacy with near-reverent care. Tradition still rules here, as brass keys hang where they always have, reservations are made by phone, and loyal guests return season after season to the same beloved rooms. The Gasparilla Inn endures as the epitome of old-Florida magic: historic, timeless, and still undeniably relevant. From £360. Paul Rubio
The Inn on Biltmore Estate – North Carolina, USA
Why is extravagance so alluring? It’s a fair question, especially in earthy Asheville, North Carolina, where tattoos and craft beer are more the norm than 19th-century French Renaissance opulence – with one exception: the Biltmore Estate. George Vanderbilt’s grand 250-room ode to the Gilded Age has remained America’s largest private home and a top state attraction, and The Inn on Biltmore Estate is the ideal way to experience it. With views of the mountains and the estate’s 8,000 acres, the Inn on Biltmore Estate offers luxury hospitality in the vein of the Vanderbilts, but with contemporary amenities and no pretension. Think Gilded Comfort Age. From £266. Stephanie Hunt
The Lodge at Primland, Auberge Collection – Virginia, USA
Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Primland is like a luxury outdoor camp for all ages, complete with horseback riding, hiking, fishing, an aerial adventure course, and nightly s’mores around the firepit. There is plenty in store for those who head to this Virginia gem, not the least of which is its exceptional dining options and world-class golf course with stunning views from every hole. For a real treat, head to the observatory for a guided stargazing session – I can guarantee by the end of it you’ll be interested in buying your own telescope. Due to the massive size of the property, you’ll either make liberal use of the valets to shuttle you around from one activity to the next or want to bring your own car. At the heart of it all is The Lodge, with 23 suites and 30 rooms, but guests can also book the one (slightly removed) luxury six-bedroom residence, a variety of mountain homes, or the tree houses located in a secluded corner of Primland’s 12,000 wooded acres. From £452. Jamie Spain
The Lowell – New York, USA
In an era when what’s newest and fastest often gets the spotlight, The Lowell, quietly holding court on a leafy block on New York City’s Upper East Side since the 1920s, remains a bastion of class and elegance. Sometimes you may need to wait a few minutes for one of the two elevators that service the hotel’s 74 rooms and suites, all reimagined by Michael S Smith, the designer behind the White House updates during Obama’s presidency. But that’s okay; while you wait, you can quite literally stop and smell the flowers – gorgeous fresh bouquets are placed throughout the hotel. There are real room keys and actual light switches to flick, analogue vestiges from simpler days that ironically make things easier than the latest innovations. There are dozens of lovely, throwback touches, such as the Club Room, a sophisticated convivial space off the lobby and adjacent to the hotel’s French restaurant, Majorelle, with oak parquet floors, a fireplace, and a small bar, for the exclusive use of hotel guests. And while this neighbourhood might never be the most avant-garde sweep of Manhattan, it isn’t totally caught in amber. Previously, downtown brands (Foundrae, Khaite, Ulla Johnson, Toteme) have opened outposts on nearby Madison Avenue, and the Frick Collection, a few blocks to the north, recently revealed a massive renovation. It seems like the storied Upper East may just be entering another Gilded Age. From £990. Rebecca Misner
The Point – New York, USA
A one-time Gilded Age escape hatch and the last surviving Adirondacks Great Camp operating as a hotel, The Point was built in the early 1930s by William Avery Rockefeller II and still channels a rustic gentility and simpler way of life. There’s (almost) no WiFi, just 11 rooms, and a vintage-style Hacker-Craft for summer cruises; winter days can be spent snowshoeing or ice skating across the lake. Guests dine communally in the lodge’s great hall (stone hearth, twig chairs, and black-tie nights on Wednesdays and Saturdays) on elevated country fare (foie gras, venison), before ending the night by, say, inner-tubing in tuxes and gowns down a snowbank. While fellow guests become actual friends you’ll swear you’ll return with next year, it’s the staff that make it feel like a home: pop into the kitchen for grilled cheese at midnight (why not? It’s all-inclusive!), ask about local sugaring techniques, and have maple syrup delivered to your room unbidden. When your car’s pulled around for the long drive home, you’ll find a to-go mug of your favourite coffee in the cupholder – because that’s just what family does. From £2,590. Alex Postman
Sheldon Chalet – Alaska, USA
Perched on a five-acre rock outcropping ten miles from the summit of Denali, Sheldon Chalet is a place that defies imagination. Awe sets in as soon as the helicopter departs Anchorage or the frontier town of Talkeetna, and soars above ancient river valleys where wildlife can be spotted. Approaching Denali, guests fly around granite walls through the famous Great Gorge and see the chalet appear like a mirage floating in the clouds. The lodge sits at the head of the roughly 35-mile-long Ruth Glacier and nearly as stunning as the location are the alpine chic interiors and high-touch service. Within minutes of arrival, staff materialise with glasses of Taittinger Champagne. With no cell signal or WiFi, guests unplug. Some sit by the fire in the living room and gape at the snow-capped peaks from the panoramic windows. Others join guided ski tours or glacier treks. In winter, the aurora borealis puts on an unbelievable show, best viewed from the chalet’s observation deck, where staff are at the ready with warm blankets and cocktails. From £24,310 per night. Jen Murphy
Wickaninnish Inn – Tofino, Canada
From November to March, ferocious storms roll through Vancouver Island’s rugged west coast, bringing with them gale-force winds that whip up the waters. The small town of Tofino used to hunker down during those blustery, rainy months, until the Wickaninnish Inn pioneered storm-watching season. Built on a rocky headland surrounded by old-growth rainforest at the north end of Chesterman Beach, the inn has a front-row seat to Mother Nature’s dramatic performances. Expansive hurricane-proof windows are key features in all 75 rooms, and the Pointe Restaurant is wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the Pacific. The concierge team can arrange anything from bear-watching excursions to hikes in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. In winter, intrepid guests don wellies and raincoats and head to the beach to feel the spray of the tempestuous sea, then return to mugs of cocoa and the warmth of the inn’s roaring fire. From £410. Jen Murphy
Mexico, Central, and South America
Inkaterra La Casona – Cusco, Peru
The building that houses Inkaterra La Casona charts the history of Cusco: atop former training grounds for Incan nobility, it was occupied by Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, then by Simón Bolivar, who led the liberation of Peru from Spanish rule in the 19th century. And yet, when you step into the courtyard, where original stone archways and wooden balconies have been beautifully restored during a five-year process, you’ll find one of the city’s finest stays – with just 11 guest rooms that promise timeless luxuries of velvet armchairs, working fireplaces, and freestanding bathtubs adorned with bushels of fresh eucalyptus leaves. From £334. Megan Spurrell
Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort – Punta Mita, Mexico
It isn’t the prime beachfront location that sets the adults-only Naviva apart from the dozen other high-end stays that pepper Mexico’s Pacific-fronting Punta Mita peninsula (45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta), although Naviva certainly has one of the area’s loveliest arcs of golden sand. Nor is it the property’s beautifully designed tented bungalows (each is over 1,200 square feet and has an ocean-facing deck). Rather, it’s the less concrete but equally important vibe of the place: deeply, marvelously relaxing. This is in part due to the all-inclusive nature of Naviva, which means you’re not thinking about the cost of that second paloma or how much to tip the bellhop; it’s remarkable how much deeper you can sink into vacation mode when you get rid of these micro-transactions. The resort’s petite size, just 15 tented bungalows surrounded by 48 forested acres, equals lots of privacy. The absence of typical hotel conceits also adds to the pulse-lowering atmosphere. There’s no formal spa but two private freestanding treatment pods with outdoor soaking tubs, and the restaurant has no fixed hours or set menu: The chef recommends a few dishes, but if you want something else and they have the ingredients, they’ll make it happen. This is next-level luxury indeed. From £2,054. Rebecca Misner
Posada Ayana – José Ignacio, Uruguay
Located in the world’s chicest fishing village, José Ignacio, Uruguay, Posada Ayana is a dreamy bolt-hole for art lovers yearning to immerse themselves in James Turrell’s Ta Khut Skyspace. The interior design of this family-run hotel that operates from November through March draws from hoteliers Edda and Robert Kofler’s personal art collection. Fourteen luxurious suites and two villas are beautifully illuminated by floor-to-ceiling windows, resulting in a sense of serenity. Recharge your batteries by catching Ta Khut’s sunrise light show or sipping a glass of rosé next to the green marble infinity pool. The property recently opened Bliss, a Japanese-inspired fire-fueled kitchen. From £356. Sorrel Moseley-Williams
Ser Casasandra – Holbox, Mexico
Ser Casasandra, a boutique hotel on Quintana Roo’s Holbox that personifies the term barefoot luxury, is run by Sandra Pérez Lozano, a Cuban artist and writer who first came to the Mexican island 25 years ago and quickly fell in love with the laid-back spirit. First built as a family home, it has retained much of that original spirit over the years, albeit with a staff now at your beck and call and a stellar food and beverage program. The hotel, like the island, is in a constant state of evolution. No two rooms are alike across the property’s 18 keys, and Sandra is happy to keep it that size; any larger and you lose the ability for staff to really get to know each visitor. Her personal touch is evident throughout the property, with art on display made by her and other Latin American artists and a wellness program that goes deeper than massages and facials. From £228. Madison Flager
Refugia Chiloé – Chile
Days at the 24-room Refugia Chiloé, located on the serene Rilán Peninsula in southern Chile, are spent hiking through native woodland and along Pacific cliffs, paddling kayaks in glassy waters where dolphins and sea lions play, and visiting friendly islands home to centuries-old wooden churches. There’s a sense of the utopian here, as if some unseen magic is at work. It’s a place to fall for simple, natural pleasures, like enjoying wholesome, nutritious food made with naturally supersized ingredients, sipping a pisco sour as the sky erupts into a surreal sunset, and sleeping with your blinds open to wake with the first glimmers of daylight shimmering on peaceful Pullao Bay. From £1,265. Nicola Chilton
Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa – Trancoso, Brazil
In 2022, Dutch trend analyst Lidewij Edelkoort dedicated a book to Brazil’s famed bohemian bolt-hole UXUA Casa Hotel and Spa, naming it UXUA Utopia: A Very Gifted Guesthouse. Founded in Bahian surf town Trancoso in 2009 by Dutch creative director Wilbert Das and American activist Bob Shevlin, formerly of Italian jeans brand Diesel, UXUA was both a paean to magical homestays and an inclusive craft commune that raised up the work of Pataxó and Afro-Brazilian artisans. Sixteen years on, Das and Shevlin are still reaching for utopia with their planet- and people-forward ethos. In July, they opened another positive-impact project, UXUA Maré: three upcycled farmhouses, conserving a 15-acre coastal plot of Atlantic Forest. From £390. Stephanie Rafanelli
Asia
Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape – Bali, Indonesia
In the three years since Buahan, the hotelier’s first property billed as a Banyan Tree Escape, opened , it has proved itself a true original: cicada alarm calls, baths illuminated by fireflies, volcanic views from bed. The location in Taro village, an area where 100-feet-tall coconut palms, mango, tamarind, and papaya trees, oversized cashew and cacao nuts, streaming vanilla vines, and honey-dripping beehives intermingle, is thought by locals to be the literal centre of the universe. Stone stairs lead to a four-room spa for Balinese massages, a sacred waterfall for energy-cleansing blessings, and 16 open-air pool villas (bales) built without walls or doors. From £554. Lee Cobaj
Cape Weligama – Sri Lanka
Perched on a clifftop in the Southern Riviera of Sri Lanka, Cape Weligama is fresh from a makeover. There’s a shiny new beach club, a new kids’ club, and eight additional interconnecting family suites beside the family pool. Meanwhile, grown-ups will love the infinity pool that sweeps around the headland. The all-day menu at The Atlas keeps everyone happy (try the salt-crusted barramundi fillet), or treat yourself to Tableau, a live cooking experience held on the cliff’s edge. The revamped bar, The Society, serves up inspired tipples within candlelit nooks. When it’s time for bed, retire to one of the 39 gargantuan terra-cotta-tiled suites and villas, which feature marine-inspired interiors. Wake up to a floating breakfast in your pool and a choice of numerous activities, from herbal massages in the Balinese spa to whale watching. From £507. Harriet Compston
Capella Singapore
A hilltop haven on Sentosa Island, a 10-minute drive from Singapore’s city centre, Capella Singapore retains as much tropical magnetism today as it did when it opened in 2009. The hotel is housed in former British Royal Artillery barracks that were built in the 1800s, and today it has a vibe that’s part collonaded, verandaed pomp, part modern architectural flair. Its terra-cotta-roofed heritage buildings rub up against a futuristic Foster+Partners infinity-sign-shaped wing, while André Fu-designed suites and villas are done in forest palettes with midcentury modern touches. Not to be missed: the jungly lipstick-palm- and frangipani-lined paths where hornbills honk; and Cassia’s ever-polished fine dining. But it’s the unfailingly thoughtful and elegant hospitality here that makes stays exceptional, from “Capella Culturists,” who can arrange riotously fun mah-jongg sessions, to staff who materialise poolside, proffering welcome beat-the-heat bucket hats and icy mango smoothies. From £711. Ianthe Butt
Cempedak Island – Indonesia
Much of what has always made this 42-acre private island so special remains unchanged: cooled-by-the-breeze villas – sinuous bamboo topped by alang-alang thatch – atop woodland ridges or fringed by shell-and-rock-strewn sands and the South China Sea, thick forest where monitor lizards and hornbills roam. Dreamed up by hotelier Andrew Dixon with strict sustainability principles, this adults-only getaway serves unrivalled castaway allure. All-bamboo villas have bohemian appeal, swooping architecture, four-poster beds, and droplet-shaped pools, while elevated walkways lead to a restaurant where low-waste Indonesian fare is served. From Balinese massages to water sports and behind-the-scenes eco tours, activities envelop guests into island life while treading lightly on the land. New wellness retreats and murder-mystery weekends offer fresh draw, while Dixon remains an environmental advocate, currently speaking out against a proposed industrial park on a nearby, undeveloped island. From £280. Ianthe Butt
Chiva-Som – Hua Hin, Thailand
This is the grande dame of Asian spas, a quiet beachfront oasis with plenty of soul in the buzzing seaside town of Hua Hin, Thailand. Founded by Boonchu Rojanastien and still run by his son Krip and grandson Win, Chiva Som was an early pioneer of the concept of 360-degree wellness that emphasises both mental and physical health. At this property, management extends this ethos to the staff as well as the guests. In return, the 85-strong army of outstanding naturopaths, therapists, fitness instructors, and physiotherapists – many of whom have been at the resort for more than 10 years – are personally invested in the overall experience at Chiva Som, and their excellent skills show in the quality of therapy. The hard product is nothing to scoff at either: Its public areas and 54 bedrooms got a glow-up in 2020 by the late Ed Tuttle, creator of Aman’s much-copied minimalism. It turned 30 years old in 2025 and remains one of the world’s most well-respected wellness sanctuaries. From £750. Susan D’Arcy
Island Shangri La, Hong Kong
Ask my seven-year-old his favourite hotel, and he’ll tell you it’s the Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong, home to an entire family floor with a toy train chugging through the hallway and suites with secret slides and spaceship beds straight out of Howl’s Moving Castle. These OTT accommodations are part of a top-to-toe revamp of the 30-year-old grande dame that blends its old-world opulence with a modern edge. Other fresh touches include the reimagined Shangri-La Suite, a maze of glossy marble and hand-painted walls; a spa featuring a botanical theme; and a modern Hokkien-style diner, Ming Pavilion. Luckily, the classics remain unchanged: Service is still unparalleled, and chichi Cantonese mainstay Summer Palace continues to dole out the shrimp dumplings that have earned it a loyal following. From £395. Chris Schalkx
Nay Palad Hideaway – Philippines
When former Bayern Munich footballer Bobby Dekeyser conjured this beach retreat on the silver sands of the Philippines’ Siargao island back in 2012, he started with a list of things he didn’t like about resorts: lengthy check-in procedures, constant bill signing, and early alarms to avoid missing breakfast. The result, Nay Palad Hideaway, skips all of that. There are no bills to sign (stays are all-inclusive), no menus to peruse, and if you want to pop behind the bar to fix yourself a calamansi G&T, no one’s going to stop you. Super-typhoon Odette temporarily shuttered this barefoot dream in 2021, but after two years of rebuilding the resort and the surrounding communities, Nay Palad looks better than ever. For the refreshed villas, pool, and restaurant complex, designers doubled down on the whimsical, Mad Hatter tea-party-on-the-beach vibe with intricate wood carvings, bird’s-nest-like lounge nooks, and pointy roofs thatched with nipa palm leaves. In between, gardens frothing with frangipani and bougainvillaea conceal hidey-holes where staff are happy to serve lunch or dinner whenever you want. But that free-wheeling attitude reaches far beyond the resort’s gates: Feel like having lunch in the palm fields? Ask the staff to stock the pastel-hued jeepney with a picnic basket, or take out the boat to a quiet beach on one of the outlying islets for a bonfire night. Anything else? Just ask. This is the kind of can-do, no-fuss hideaway you’ve always dreamed of. From £675. Chris Schalkx
Raya Heritage – Chiang Mai, Thailand
Teak pillars and Lanna roof trims are the norm in Northern Thailand, but Raya Heritage in Chiang Mai city plays a different game. Designer Vichada “Dao” Sitakalin built this riverside retreat, filled with crafts – ceramics, basketry, and hand-dyed indigo textiles – sourced from village artisans and embedded in the decor of every cream-coloured suite. There’s a boutique selling the same pieces, a tea lounge serving local brews, and a restaurant, Khu Khao, that draws on regional influences with dishes such as Burmese mohinga and Yunnanese rice salad. Add a riverfront pool and herb-heavy spa treatments, and you’ve got Chiang Mai’s most rooted – and gorgeous – stay. From £395. Chris Schalkx
Samode Palace – Jaipur, India
Stepping into Samode, 45 kilometres from Jaipur airport in India, feels like entering a half-remembered epic. First the cobbled street of an old village, then four domed gateways, and suddenly, a palace with the Aravalli mountains rising behind it. Each doorway frames the one across from it, creating a hypnotic progression through centuries. Outside it may be the 21st century, but at Samode you are in the era of Rajputana royalty, and that mood carries through everything: the service, the cuisine, the architecture, the decor. What began as a 16th-century fort evolved over generations into a palace. The family still runs it today, and their touch is palpable, from the warm welcome by staff who anticipate needs before they are spoken. Like in all great palaces, intrigue lingers in its details: hidden alcoves, scalloped arches, carved parapets, frescoes of a faded Durga on her tiger, a centuries-old miniature of Radha, and ceilings painted in indigo and rose. The Sheesh Mahal dazzles most dramatically, where 250-year-old Belgian glass mosaics glimmer across vaulted ceilings. The palace has its enchantments, but the kitchens are where the alchemy really happens, recipes tested over centuries: lamb in gently spiced curry, locally grown greens, wines from a cellar stocked with improbable vintages. There are two restaurants at the palace, but the true joy is in its movable feasts – a dinner in the Durbar Hall, lunch at the Sheesh Mahal, a tea in the garden, or supper on the pool deck under the stars. Everything here feels unstaged, unfiltered, and regally authentic. Just as it should be. From £260. Shunali Khullar Shroff
SUJÁN Sher Bagh – Ranthambore, India
While travellers come here hoping to see a tiger during the day, it's at nightfall when Sher Bagh truly shines. Hundreds of lanterns are dotted along the walkways and hung from the trees; the soundscape is a powerful chorus of insects and frogs singing their evening tunes. Located on the edge of India’s famous Ranthambore National Park, Sher Bagh is the most illustrious of the Suján properties, owned by conservation-minded hoteliers Jaisal and Anjali Singh. The camp comprises stone, wood, and canvas-tented pavilions set under peepal trees, with rooms strewn with campaign-style furniture and vintage objects; in the bathrooms lie deep copper tubs. It's 1920s glamour set amid the wild. From £1,025. Mary Holland
The Happy House – Nepal
The Happy House, a historic family home in a Nepalese Himalayan valley east of Mount Everest, was given its name by Sir Edmund Hillary, who used to stay here. The moniker sums up the spirit perfectly, of a guesthouse best booked in its entirety for a group of friends or family. The region, considered the cradle of Buddhist-Sherpa culture, feels like a very long way from the news cycle (but it’s only a 40-minute flight from Kathmandu to the tiny Phaplu airstrip). Highlights include a significant (and very beautiful) monastery, Chiwong, at the head of the valley, with a community of monks closely connected to generations of the Lama family, who are the owners of the Happy House. Hence the deep access, with activities including hikes on pilgrim paths that wind through pine forests, or camping on ridgelines with spectacular views of Everest. Every detail is handmade and elegant: the finest Mongolian cashmere, hand-beaten silver water cups, walls covered in murals by Buddhist thangka painters. But the lifeblood of the house will always be the kitchen, presided over by the most gifted of chefs, Mingma Sherpa – not just because of his extraordinarily delicate palette, or his foraging knowledge (you’ll eat flowers, ferns, and mushrooms as well as vegetables grown in the gardens), but Mingma’s magnetic laughter, which rolls out of the kitchen morning til night. The Happy House is Mingma’s domain, and everyone who has ever been here will tell you the same. From £456. Sophy Roberts
The Nautilus – Maldives
True relaxation is the absence of dress codes and rigid opening hours – so believed the founder of The Nautilus, an elegant resort on tiny Baa Atoll that draws a clientele wanting unfettered barefoot luxury and infinite choice. In any of the 26 spacious thatch-roof houses, guests can select the temperature of their infinity pool and peer through the glass floor at the needlefish and reef sharks below. The resort’s “unscripted dining” ethos means you can request anything on or off the international menu, be it the signature miso cod at Japanese-Latin American restaurant Ocaso or an apple crumble on demand at Zeytoun restaurant, whose most popular table is the private eagle's nest platform overlooking the ocean. The Nautilus’s motto, “Time Stands Still,” is certifiable: our days of manta ray snorkelling, midnight gym sessions, padel tennis court rallies, and spa treatments feel more like a blissful fortnight. From £8,717. Noo Saro-Wiwa
The Oberoi – Mumbai, India
Perched on the tip of South Mumbai, the 237-key Oberoi Mumbai overlooks the glittering lights of the curved bay that forms the Queen’s Necklace. The stark modernist building with its soaring atrium was among the first hotels built by legendary hotelier Biki Oberoi in 1986, setting new standards in design and service for luxury hospitality in India and becoming a defining part of the Mumbai skyline. In the four decades since, the property has remained a grand doyenne of hospitality, even as the city around it has churned and reshaped itself. Walk into the lobby and the first thing that greets you is an ever-smiling member of the staff. The changing colours of the sky and the ever-shifting sea are framed as the perfect artwork in the ocean-view suites, the residences, and at the Art Deco-inspired Eau Bar, one of the best sundowner spots in the city with views of the Arabian Sea. From £185. Diya Kohli
The Peninsula Manila – Philippines
I feel like The Peninsula Manila belongs to my family. No, I’m not a scion of the Kadoories, founders of the first Peninsula hotel, opened in Hong Kong in 1928. No, my parents had no part in the 1976 creation of the second-ever Peninsula, this double-winged Brutalist beauty built on the corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues in Manila. But after countless stays in its serene rooms, afternoon teas in its resplendent lobby, parties in the glamorous Rigodon Ballroom – my own parents’ wedding, among them – yes, I truly feel it is ours. But it’s also everyone’s. Almost every Manileño I know has a story to tell about Manila Pen, as we call it. At this historic place, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, we Filipinos have danced, feasted, mourned, and even instigated political coups. (In 2007, an armoured military vehicle stormed the lobby. Bullet holes in the wall behind the check-in desk are now framed by an artistic copper sculpture.) Travellers are welcome too, of course, and should take advantage of the central location and superb concierges, who can organise cultural tours, shopping trips, and chauffeured airport transfers. I did as much during my most recent stay. I had lunch in the lobby, decked out to the nines for the holidays, and recalled my late mother, who took me there for my first shot of espresso when I was a teen, and to break the news of her cancer diagnosis over afternoon tea years later. I watched families take photos with the quintuple-height Christmas tree, before and after kissing and hugging loved ones. Then I ran into my cousins and friends, and so did the kissing and hugging too. The Peninsula Manila belongs to everyone, I know that. Perhaps what I feel is that I belong only to Manila Pen. From £215. Matt Ortile
The Ritz-Carlton – Kyoto, Japan
When you arrive at The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto, you leave behind the chaotic energy of a tourist-filled city and enter a luxe sanctuary. The landmark hotel was the first big international luxury brand to open in the ancient city, in 2014, and its star power shines as bright today. Situated in a peaceful site overlooking the Kamogawa River, the hotel is a layered contemporary expression of ancient Kyoto. Here, high luxury harmonises with low-key Kyoto discretion. It’s a place where off-duty Hollywood celebs sip tea or cocktails alongside generations-old Kyoto families. In the guest rooms, you’ll find cherry blossom carpets, intricate woodwork, calligraphic artworks, and large bathrooms. Dining options span the globe: Japanese fare at Mizuki, dishes inspired by the country’s 72 micro-seasons at Chef’s Table by Katsuhito Inoue, and Italian specialities at laid-back La Locanda. And for those suffering from Kyoto-temple fatigue? Recovery is nonnegotiable in the moodily lit wellness spaces – whether swimming laps in the basement pool or drifting off with a green tea massage in the spa. From £850. Danielle Demetriou
Welcomhotel By ITC Hotels – Pine N Peak, India
A herd of sheep blocks your car that has so far been gliding down the smooth road in Lidder Valley. The fast-flowing river is your constant companion along the turns and bends, ensuring you know the valley is named after it. The two-and-a-half-hour drive from Srinagar to Pahalgam unspools like a primer on Kashmir's greatest hits: mountains so green you’d think someone turned up the saturation; wild horses grazing in meadows; tiny hamlets of wooden homes with carved windows and pitched roofs; and roadside fruit stands with apples piled high. The road winds upward through a pine forest until you reach a hotel that looks like it has quietly grown out of the hillside: the chalet-style Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, Pine N Peak. Inside, it feels like Kashmir reinterpreted, with its vaulted ceilings, textured walnut-wood doors, and chesterfield sofas upholstered in local fabrics. The kitchen does justice to Kashmir's culinary grammar across three dining venues that offer a plethora of multicuisine dishes. For guests who want wellness indoors, there is a spa with a range of therapies and a well-equipped fitness centre. However, the real sense of well-being is in the outdoors, whether it’s an early-morning stroll through the gardens that spill into the forest, soundtracked by the rushing river below; an afternoon walk on the forest trails or through nearby villages that ends with a picnic by the Lidder; or an evening back at the property, relaxing by a crackling fire. From £235. Shunal Khullar Shroff
Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô – Vietnam
Why does that extended family of 15, ranging in ages from 7 to 70, seem totally at home at this beachfront hotel restaurant overlooking the South China Sea – the adults languidly sipping their rosé while the kids come and go, playing in the waves and then dashing back to the table? In part because they’ve been here for three weeks. Zannier Bãi San Hô, located in the south-central Vietnamese province of Dak Lak and set on 240 acres of verdant hills and ancient rice paddies – and with a mile-long sandy beach – is the type of place guests come back to again and again, staying a little longer each year. The 73 freestanding villas are inspired by traditional styles, such as simple wood fisherman’s homes on stilts or traditional bamboo-clad houses of the Ede and Cham tribes. Interiors spotlight natural materials: rattan furniture, jute lampshades, and gorgeous linen and silk textiles in earthy shades. The food at all four of the dining options is excellent, with the breakfast spread at the all-day Nhà ở being truly impressive. While a day trip to see Cham architectural ruins is a must-do, there isn’t the pressure to pack your days with programming beyond maybe a game of tennis, a spa treatment, or a morning yoga session before hitting the beach. Long live less is more! From £320. Rebecca Misner
Africa and the Middle East
Al Moudira – Luxor, Egypt
The word oasis gets thrown around, but in the case of Al Moudira, it’s merited. On land filled with date palms and next to fields of sugarcanes in Luxor, Egypt’s quiet west bank, this jumble of cupola-topped suites feels a world away from the cruise ship crush across the Nile. Italian Lebanese designer Zeina Aboukheir opened it in 2002, and it’s long been a hideaway for aesthetes like Rick Owens (and Christian Louboutin is often there for lunch). Under new ownership, the property has had a subtle facelift; the new villas with stargazing rooms and salvaged marble and tilework blend right in with the original suites nearby, which are similarly adorned with hand-painted hieroglyphs, trompe l’oeill drapery, and souk-sourced antiques. There’s a farm with ostriches, donkeys, and a new seasonal restaurant by Andalusian chef Gioconda Scott, and a lounger-lined pool that warrants that oasis moniker all on its own. Luxor’s sunrise balloon rides and temple tours await, but no one could judge guests for simply snoozing the day away in this sun-dappled dream. From £250. Chris Schalkx
Bvlgari Resort Dubai – UAE
Located away from Dubai’s main traveller trail, the Bvlgari Resort Dubai feels like a secret refuge. The line-up of supercars on the driveway may hint at a clientele of crypto bros and reality TV influencers, but inside there’s a grown-up, understated crowd. There’s nothing showy about the building, but everything looks and feels expensive, from the gleaming Mongolian black granite in the lobby to the green-and-gold mosaic tiles in the spa and the cashmere blankets in the bedrooms. Gardens are filled with shade-giving palms and fragrant frangipani, the beach is soft and powdery, and the poolside cabanas are perfect for mindless lounging. There’s a cluster of Michelin stars at the Italian and Japanese restaurants – the latter a 17-seat counter that feels straight out of Ginza – and the 20 resort villas are among the best in the city, perfectly private residences for those who don’t want to be seen. From £432. Nicola Chilton
Kinondu Kwetu – Kenya
Twenty years ago, a Nordic couple, Ida and Filip Andersson, relatives of the famous Blixen family, opened their barefoot Indian Ocean retreat along a private stretch of sand at Galu in Diani. Sandwiched between sea and protected forest, a collection of thatched cottages sits in the sands along with two main houses and a modern villa with a private pool. Rise with morning yoga on a clifftop platform, drift away with long lunches in a beached wooden dhow, and take a starry-skied horse ride in the surf at night. But slow doesn’t mean sedentary. A tennis court and stables can be found on-site, and equipment is available for windsurfing, scuba, canoeing, and stand-up paddleboarding. Connecting with the community lies at the heart of this project: A foundation funded by tourism finances the local hospital and primary school, and guests can visit sacred forests with indigenous Digo guides. Aptly, kwetu is the Swahili word for “our home” – a place everyone is invited to share. From £213. Sarah Marshall
Mount Gahinga Lodge – Uganda
You’re back from a thrilling gorilla trek, sipping a cocktail with a view of the Virunga peaks on the Uganda-Rwanda border. This is luxury. Understated luxury is what Volcanoes Safaris does best. Here in southwest Uganda, Mount Gahinga Lodge’s eight bandas (huts) with papyrus roofs and stone walls celebrate local design, from the four-poster bed to African-print dressing gowns. Its founder, conservation-philanthropist Praveen Momam, lived in Uganda until his family, like mine, left during the 1972 Ugandan Asian expulsion. But childhood memories and conservation ambitions inspired his return. The conservation story is a success – 300 mountain gorillas in the 1970s to more than 1,000 today – but the forest-living Batwa community were displaced as a result. Through the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust, Moman has helped resettle some of the displaced Batwa, among other initiatives. By night, we enjoy a fireside drink in the main lounge before dinner at the communal table. Volcanoes’ chefs are wizards with local ingredients: grilled tilapia, chicken luwombo, egg-filled “Rolex” chapati, or steamed plantain. Back in the room, the fire is lit. Golden monkeys await tomorrow – as well as a post-hike massage. Sweet dreams in this corner of Uganda. From £580 per person. Meera Dattani
Our Habitas Alula – Saudi Arabia
For all of Saudi Arabia’s whiplash reinvention – transforming in the span of a few years from a place with no cinemas or tourism into a nation hosting electronic music festivals and cultural seasons that draw millions each year – it is the otherworldly, sandstone-strewn landscape of AlUla that has emerged as its crown jewel. At its heart is this Habitas property, unfurling in a sweep of low-slung, earth-toned villas that seem to dissolve into the burnt-sugar cliffs. Its interiors reveal earthy red textiles, desert-hued ceramics, and design features echoing the artistry of Hegra’s UNESCO-listed tombs, a 20-minute drive away. Dip into the hotel’s infinity pool (a showstopping ribbon of turquoise) and take a complimentary e-bike to ride past colourful art installations by the likes of Lita Albuquerque and Manal Aldowayan that dot the valley. This is the new Saudi Arabia – rooted in history but with a modern flourish that rewards travellers exploring tourism’s newest frontier. From £260. Scott Campbell
Raffles Doha, Qatar
Subtle, the Raffles Doha is not. Shaped like a scimitar and towering over Qatar's Lusail Marina, this landmark hotel makes an entrance long before you step inside. The 138-foot-high lobby dazzles with mirrored walls and kaleidoscopic sky projections, and all its rooms are suites complete with hydromassage steam showers and high-tech customisable scent diffusers. There’s a spa with private hammams; the Blue Cigar Lounge, lined with 7,000 antique books (including first editions of Robinson Crusoe and Moby-Dick); and waffles at breakfast shaped like the hotel. But beneath the pomp, it’s the details that stand out: an oil-infused bath drawn while you’re out dune bashing; your favourite toothpaste discreetly replaced. It’s all a bit over-the-top, but Raffles pulls it off. Proof that sometimes too much is exactly enough. From £410. Chris Schalkx
The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort – Abu Dhabi
The St. Regis Saadiyat Island is the grandest of the all-star lineup of luxury resorts that hug the white sands of Abu Dhabi’s most beautiful beach, all winding palm-lined walkways and palatial Mediterranean-inspired architecture. Inside, the heady scent of jasmine collides with the smell of oud wafting from glamorous guests and the freshly brewed Arabic coffee poured from curved golden pots upon check-in. This is a large resort, with 376 guest rooms and private residences on its grounds, yet it manages not to feel overwhelming, thanks to its many quiet corners, private stretch of idyllic beach, and five swimming pools. Plus, the resort has perhaps the best breakfast spread I have ever encountered; it’s served until 1pm, allowing guests to enjoy leisurely beachside mornings and take their time sampling several plates (trust me, you’ll want to). From £206. Sophie Prideaux
The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah – Al Wadi Desert, UAE
Just an hour’s drive north of Dubai, the Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert Resort, is a dreamy escape where gazelles and Arabian oryx traverse the sands. The resort’s 109 sleek suites and romantic tented villas have long drawn guests with its mix of wildlife spotting, desert adventures, and luxe accommodations, but eight new signature two-bedroom villas take the property to another level. Whenever I stay, I never get over seeing white oryx plodding up the dunes, bee-eaters swooping low over the watering holes, and early morning mist evaporating into peachy desert skies. There are bikes to ride, ATV wildlife safaris in the dunes, and desert trails to explore on horseback, but you could just as easily retreat to the spa for a massage on a bed of warm quartz sand. The real beauty of staying here is the serenity and the opportunity to be embraced by a gentle side of the desert and to live alongside the creatures that make it home. From £350. Nicola Chilton
Somalisa Camp – Zimbabwe
At Somalisa Camp, a safari lodge in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, two lionesses loped along the ridgeline above the impalas, kudu, and waterbucks strewn across the floodplain. Beks Ndlovu, who opened this place nearly two decades ago, followed them and found them lolling and panting beneath an acacia tree, probably overstuffed from breakfast. Wildlife encounters like these – in one of the prettiest and most pristine landscapes in all of Africa – are at the heart of Somalisa’s promise. The lodge is lovely, with tented guest rooms thoughtfully curated with all the accoutrements: freestanding copper tubs, zebra hides, and vintage steamer trunks. But the point is to get out into the bush, in the company of some of the continent’s finest guides. Afterwards, you return to the lodge, enjoy a meal utilising high-quality and sustainably sourced meat and produce, and drink a cocktail or smoke a cigar by the bonfire, feeling the vastness of the African night. From £690. Jesse Ashlock
Sterrekopje Healing Farm – South Africa
The Dutch partners Nicole Boekhoorn and Fleur Huijskens have created such a thoughtful healing hotel that when guests arrive at the 1693 Cape Dutch farmhouse, their stresses seem magically to leech away. On the partners’ 124-acre farm, named after the nearby Star Hill, natural beauty abounds. There’s a spring-filled dam to swim in; Great Danes and fat pigs to stroke; and 20 acres of gardens designed by Leon Kluge and Nicole Boekhoorn to wander in. Afternoons are best spent supine in the Bath House spa, floating in a marble bath, being massaged with botanical oils, and joining sound, breathwork, yoga, and meditation sessions. Guests are encouraged to explore activities that make them feel good; that might mean taking cooking lessons, painting in a light-filled barn, reading on a velvet fireside sofa, sitting in wildflowers, or napping in tasteful, antique-filled interiors. Food is tasty and healthy, and the service sunny. For anyone in need of rest, Sterrekopje Farm has become a guiding light – and South Africa’s wellness star. From £735. Lisa Grainger
Sussurro – Mozambique
There’s artistry in every corner at Sussurro – in the woven sun beds that fringe the pale azure pool, the outdoor stone baths set on the bedroom patios, and the statuesque basins. It’s a vivid contrast from the Mozambique I knew growing up, when my family stayed in modest rondavels on the beach. There’s an abundance of natural beauty here too: the palms that dot the pearly beach, the afternoon light that turns the buildings golden, and the cerulean water that laps the shore. Set on a long, narrow peninsula between a lagoon and the ocean, Sussurro reminds us of the romance of early coastal travel. The journey there – a two-hour drive from the airport, partly along the beach – leads through completely deserted stretches of coastline. When you arrive at the stone-colored property with thatched roofs, African design takes centre stage: woven baskets and hand‑carved Senufo stools. This year, a new family suite was added, featuring two rooms with mosquito-net-draped beds and wood doors that open onto a private pool. The luxury and design isn’t the Mozambique I remember, but the low-key vibe certainly is. From £713. Mary Holland
Wilderness Bisate Lodge – Rwanda
Wilderness remains the gold standard in luxury conservation tourism. Since its 2017 inception on the doorstep of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, bucket-listers and Hollywood A-listers (allegedly) have flocked to this most salubrious of base camps for gorilla trekking. Wilderness Bisate’s six stunning hillside villas, which feature thatch-effect roofing, are shaped like sci-fi orbs, and the interiors are a nod to Rwandan royal palaces with their domed ceilings arching above furnishings accented with splashes of emerald green, black, and white. The balconies open onto lush vegetation and views of three volcanoes soaring above a landscape that Bisate is currently reforesting. Mealtimes include fish, salads fresh from Bisate’s own vegetable garden, and dishes such as Asian-spiced pork belly that can be paired with premium South African reds from the wine cellar. Attentive staff can still provide in-room massages as well as all the equipment you need for your gorilla trek – in case you’ve forgotten that’s what you’re here for. From £2,106. Noo Saro-Wiwa
Australasia
El Questro Homestead – Kimberly, Australia
Three flights and two and a half days later, I finally landed in the Kimberley, Western Australia’s northernmost region. My stay at El Questro Homestead, a cattle station turned luxury property, would end up being not much longer than the journey to reach it. Regardless of the length of my visit, nowhere else could I have experienced all that I did there. This member of Luxury Lodges of Australia has 10 rooms and suites on a clifftop overlooking the Chamberlain River. As part of a 2022 Indigenous Land Use Agreement, the traditional Ngarinyin landowners regained more than 400,000 acres of the property in a historic arrangement that El Questro’s owners say will make it possible to increase Indigenous employment. Many aspects of a stay at El Questro, however, will remain unchanged: in the morning screeching cockatoos act as an alarm clock. In the evening you can sit and watch crocodiles in the waters below. Later, a tree frog may hop its way into your bathroom. Four-wheel drive safaris and helicopter tours will take you to remote waterfalls and hot springs, and here, in one of the most sparsely inhabited regions in the world, new animal and plant species are discovered regularly. I happened to be standing next to a ranger when he came upon what appeared to be a new species of beetle. But I was even more impressed by Injiid Marlabu Calls Us, an immersive experience developed by traditional owners Mary and Nelson O’Reeri and their daughter Shonelle. The family recounts how Nelson's grandmother Injiid grew up on this land and how it was taken away from her by cattle barons; how her son was forced into a state home; and how she found him again decades later. To listen is to learn about the challenges and hopes that life holds for many Aboriginal people today. You will likely be deeply moved, and it may prove to be one of the most lasting memories of your visit. From £1,200. Dennis Braatz
Huka Lodge – Taupō, New Zealand
Allegedly, Queen Elizabeth and Mick Jagger once slept in the same bed, just not at the same time. That bed would be at Huka Lodge, New Zealand. Opened in 1924 as a humble fishing camp, it’s since become a tartan-and-teak retreat with roaring fireplaces and martinis on silver trays. Oversized suites open onto manicured lawns and the Waikato River, with Ralph Lauren-ish decor: lots of tartan, gilt-framed oil paintings, and velvet sofas. You’ll fall asleep to the rush of water and wake to birdsong and woodsmoke. Aperitifs are served at golden hour before long dinners. It’s the original luxury lodge and still the blueprint for all others that follow. From £1,442. Chloe Sachdev
Park Hyatt Sydney – Australia
Celebrating my one-year anniversary as a staff editor at Condé Nast Traveller while on a work trip to Australia, I stayed at this elegant 155-key property right on the edge of Sydney Harbour. On September 11 (yes, it felt strange entering our offices at 1 World Trade Center on my first day), I woke up at the Park Hyatt Sydney to golden light pouring into my room through floor-to-ceiling windows. I stepped out onto a balcony – one of two – and watched the metropolis wake up: the ships and ferries coming into the harbour, good-looking Sydneysiders out for their morning run on the boardwalk, the sun rising behind that iconic sail-shaped opera house. From its prime spot in the Rocks historic neighbourhood on the western side of Sydney Cove, the hotel has offered a front-row seat to this Aussie scene for the past 35 years. That’s 35 New Year’s Eve fireworks displays that the Park Hyatt’s extremely lucky guests have seen from this vantage point: fountains of sparks and chrysanthemums of light bursting from both the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, all ringing in another 365 days of good fortune. And there I stood on an ordinary Wednesday in September, in a plush bathrobe, sipping on a demitasse of espresso and wishing over a pale blue sky the same for myself. I was so happy to mark the occasion of my first work anniversary at this hotel. Sure, I could chalk it up to its large and sumptuously appointed rooms, its team’s attentive service, or its fresh and delicious brekkies that lend credence to the belief that Australians invented avocado toast. But as they say: location, location, location. No matter the occasion, a stay at the Park Hyatt Sydney, I’d venture, gives you the feeling of being exactly where you should be. From $780. Matt Ortile