2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel Collection: The World's Best Hotels

Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star certified since 2018, Fairmont Pacific Rim sits at the Coal Harbour waterfront in downtown Vancouver, one block from the Convention Centre. The 45-storey tower holds 367 rooms and 47 suites designed around warm walnut panelling and marble bathrooms, with a sixth-floor pool terrace, the Willow Stream Spa, and a building-wrap art installation by British artist Liam Gillick.

A working estancia and polo training center set on the pampa outside San Antonio de Areco, La Bamba de Areco earns 90.5 points from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking and holds a 4.5 Google rating across 87 reviews. Rates begin at US$650 per night. The table d'hôtes format and immersive gaucho programming place it firmly in Argentina's owner-operated estancia tier rather than the international resort category.

Anantara Quy Nhon Villas earned 90.5 points on La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, one of two Anantara properties to reach that list this year. Set along the rocky Ghềnh Ráng coastline south of Quy Nhon city, the property offers multi-bedroom and multi-level villas, each with a private pool, alongside access to The Vietage, Anantara's coastal train journey connecting the region's key destinations.

A Leading Hotels of the World member in the Sienese hills of San Casciano dei Bagni, Fonteverde Lifestyle & Thermal Retreat occupies a seventeenth-century Medici villa above one of Tuscany's most historically significant thermal spring sites. The property positions itself at the intersection of architectural heritage and therapeutic wellness, drawing guests who come specifically for the thermal waters rather than proximity to a major city.

Capella Ubud sits in a jungle ravine outside Ubud's Keliki village, where 23 tented villas designed by Bill Bensley replace the standard resort blueprint with something closer to a staged wilderness. Rates start from $926 per night, the property holds Leading Hotels of the World membership, and La Liste awarded it 96 points in 2026. Wellness, cultural programming, and Indonesian dining are built into the daily rate rather than added as extras.

Built in 1939 for Lord and Lady Strickland, The Phoenicia Malta sits at the edge of Valletta's fortified walls as a Living example of Art Deco British colonial hospitality. A multimillion-dollar renovation has restored its 132 rooms to sharp contempory form, while La Liste's 2026 ranking of 91.5 points and Leading Hotels of the World membership place it firmly in Malta's uppermost accommodation tier. Rates from $596 per night.

On Jumeirah Bay Island, a manmade seahorse-shaped landmass connected to central Dubai by a 300-metre bridge, the Bvlgari Resort occupies one of the emirate's most considered addresses. The 158,000-square-metre property combines 101 rooms and suites with 20 pool villas, a private marina, yacht club, and the Italian-led Il Ristorante by Niko Romito, positioning it among Dubai's most architecturally coherent luxury properties.

Positioned at the edge of one of Southern California's most composed coastal villages, L'Auberge Del Mar occupies a site where the Pacific sets the visual agenda. Estate-style rooms, an ocean-view pool, full-service spa, and dining options that draw both resort guests and Del Mar locals make it the architectural and social anchor of a small town that resists overdevelopment.

W Ibiza occupies a palm-fringed beachfront position in Santa Eulalia del Rio, the island's most composed resort town, where the brand's signature high-energy aesthetic meets a slower Mediterranean pace. Rooms and suites lean toward walk-on balconies and sea-facing terraces, placing the property in a different register from Ibiza's club-district hotels. The transfer from the airport runs from €155 one way.

Occupying floors 76 to 101 of Lotte World Tower, the tallest building in South Korea, Signiel Seoul earned 95 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking and holds Leading Hotels of the World membership. The hotel's 260 rooms deliver skyline views across Seoul, with rates from $197 per night. Plan well ahead, particularly for the most-requested corner suites on the west-facing Han River side.

Positioned directly on St George's Bay in St. Julian's, InterContinental Malta brings together a private sandy beach, a lagoon-style pool, and six restaurants and bars within a single large-format property. Seven kilometres from Valletta and within walking distance of the island's main retail and entertainment strip, it occupies a distinct tier among Malta's seafront hotels for guests who want beach access, dining variety, and proximity to the capital in one address.

Operating from the same Amstel riverbank address since 1896, De L'Europe Amsterdam is one of the few hotels in Europe that maintains the full architecture of the classic grand hotel, from Michelin-starred dining and a Dutch High Tea lobby to butler-served signature suites. A Leading Hotels of the World member, it earned 94 points from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, placing it firmly in Amsterdam's upper tier.

The first and only Nobu Ryokan outside Japan occupies a direct oceanfront position on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, with 16 named rooms, a three-to-one staff-to-guest ratio, and all dining supplied around the clock by Nobu Malibu. La Liste awarded the property 91 points in its 2026 Top Hotels ranking. Adults-only, with reservations advised at least two months ahead.

Sitting on the quiet Atlantic edge of Santo Isidoro, north of Lisbon's commuter belt, Immerso earned 92 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking — a signal that places it firmly in Portugal's premium small-hotel tier. The property addresses a stretch of coast that most international visitors pass through rather than pause at, which is precisely what makes the positioning deliberate rather than accidental.

Occupying the top nine floors of a 25-story glass tower in Fukuoka's Daimyo district, the Ritz-Carlton Fukuoka earns its 2024 Michelin 1 Key through a design program that channels the city's textile and culinary traditions through a sharply contemporary lens. With 167 rooms, a spa with an indoor pool, and multiple dining outlets, it anchors the upper tier of Fukuoka's international hotel set.

The Ritz Paris reigns as the legendary birthplace of modern luxury hospitality, where César Ritz and Auguste Escoffier created the gold standard in 1898. This Belle Époque palace at Place Vendôme houses 142 exquisitely appointed rooms and suites, Michelin-starred dining, and Paris's largest hotel pool, continuing its reign as the capital's most prestigious address.

Occupying a medieval church and a Byzantine-era tower steps from the Duomo, Brunelleschi Hotel is one of Florence's most structurally singular addresses. Its 96 rooms combine contemporary-classic design with direct cathedral views, while the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Santa Elisabetta adds serious culinary weight. A Michelin 1 Key property with suite-level personal concierge service and a private Roman ruins museum beneath the floors.

Palazzo Fiuggi sits at the upper tier of Italy's wellness-resort category, earning 91.5 points from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking. Set in the Ciociaria hill town of Fiuggi, long associated with thermal water cures, the property pairs Belle Époque architecture with a contemporary medical wellness program that distinguishes it from the broader luxury spa circuit.

A Leading Hotels of the World member anchoring Kaiser Friedrich Platz in Wiesbaden's historic spa-quarter, Hotel Nassauer Hof has served as the city's formal address of record since the nineteenth century. Its Wilhelmine facade and grand-hotel interiors position it within a small cohort of German city hotels where architectural heritage and current membership standards coexist without apology.

Positioned inside Marrakesh's medina walls since 1923, La Mamounia occupies a tier defined by historical gardens spanning approximately 20 acres, zellige-and-cedar interiors, and cross-platform recognition including a 98.5-point La Liste score and a 2025 World's 50 Best Hotels placement at number 30. With 206 rooms, five restaurants, and rates from around $1,457 per night, it operates at the top of Morocco's luxury hotel market.

A fortified kasbah in Morocco's deep south, Dar Ahlam occupies one of the most architecturally charged settings in the country — a restored riad complex on the edge of Ouarzazate, the gateway to the Draa Valley and the Sahara. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World since 2025, it sits in a small tier of Moroccan properties where scale, design discipline, and location remoteness define the offer more than amenity lists do.

Villa Gallici transforms an 18th-century art dealer's baroque mansion into Aix-en-Provence's most prestigious Relais & Châteaux property, where sumptuous rooms overlook private gardens that once inspired Cézanne, while authentic Provençal dining and artistic heritage create an intimate cultural sanctuary in the heart of Provence.

Positioned between Kolympithres beach and the port town of Naoussa on Paros's northeastern coast, Parilio is a Design Hotels member property where Cycladic vernacular architecture and a tonal, natural-materials palette frame 43 suites and villas. The recently expanded property now includes a Michelin two-star restaurant, a new spa, and room categories from shared-pool suites to five-bedroom villas.

Rosewood Beijing occupies the Jing Guang Centre in Chaoyang District, placing 283 residential-style rooms within a 10-minute taxi ride of the Forbidden City and a short walk from Sanlitun's restaurant and nightlife corridor. Rooms feature original cloisonné metalwork, Frette linens, and floor-to-ceiling city views. La Liste rated it 97 points in 2026, positioning it among Beijing's upper tier of luxury hotels.

Positioned at 60 Huangpu Road in Hongkou District, Regent Shanghai on The Bund occupies the site of the former Seamen's Club and Seagull Hotel, placing guests within direct sightlines of both the Bund heritage strip and the Pudong skyline. The 135-room property operates in the same address tier as The Peninsula Shanghai and Fairmont Peace Hotel, competing on river frontage and architectural lineage rather than scale.

Among Munich's upper tier of luxury hotels, the Rocco Forte Charles Hotel occupies a particular position: a 160-room new-build on Sophienstraße that earns Michelin 2 Keys recognition and La Liste Top Hotels placement (91 points, 2026), all while sitting directly alongside the Old Botanical Gardens. Rates from $563 per night place it squarely in the city's premium bracket, competing with properties like Mandarin Oriental and Rosewood Munich.

Belles Rives Antibes transforms F. Scott Fitzgerald's former 1920s retreat into the French Riviera's most literary luxury hotel, where Michelin-starred dining, Art Deco elegance, and an exclusive Mediterranean beach create an authentic Côte d'Azur experience steeped in three generations of family hospitality.

Positioned on the East Cape of Baja California Sur, adjacent to the UNESCO-listed Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Los Cabos at Costa Palmas occupies one of the region's largest swimmable beaches and earns 92.5 points from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking. With 141 rooms, a 16,000-square-foot spa, six dining concepts including the Latin America debut of estiatorio Milos, and a Robert Trent Jones II golf course, this is the East Cape's most complete luxury address.

Opening in Spring 2026 at 47 King George Street, the InterContinental Jerusalem carries Virtuoso Preview status — a designation reserved for an extremely limited number of properties projected to rank among the world's foremost addresses. Set in one of the most historically layered cities on earth, the hotel positions itself at the intersection of institutional scale and Jerusalem's increasingly sophisticated luxury hospitality market.

Positioned at the edge of the Old City at 11 King Solomon Street, Mamilla Hotel occupies one of Jerusalem's most architecturally charged addresses, designed by Moshe Safdie and Piero Lissoni. Its dining programme spans a rooftop brasserie with Old City views, a Mediterranean seafood restaurant, a wine bar focused on Israeli producers, and the Mirror Bar, a recognised fixture on Jerusalem's nightlife circuit.

Shamwari Private Game Reserve, in South Africa's Eastern Cape near Paterson, holds a Global Winner award for Luxury Private Game Reserve and a Continent Winner award for Luxury All-Inclusive Lodge. Across six architecturally distinct lodges, from the Edwardian Long Lee Manor to the tented Sindile camp, it positions itself within a small tier of malaria-free Big Five reserves that compete on design, exclusivity, and habitat diversity rather than proximity to the Kruger corridor.

Le Barth Villas is a 200-villa collection spread across St. Barts, from clifftop retreats to seafront positions, recognised as the Caribbean's Leading Holiday Villa Rental Company at the 2025 World Travel Awards. Guests receive full concierge services, daily continental breakfast delivery, and exclusive access privileges at Le Barthélemy Hotel, including preferred seating at Amis St. Barth and Abyss restaurants and complimentary use of the Nordic Baths, sauna, and watersport centre.

The Fasano Group's tenth hotel plants itself in Itaim-Bibi, São Paulo's densest intersection of corporate power and high-end dining. Architect Marcio Kogan and aflalo/gasperini have threaded Italian heritage into a contemporary frame, while the second São Paulo outpost of Gero restaurant anchors the food programme. The result sits at the sharper end of the city's business-district hotel tier.

Opened in 2022 inside a late 18th-century villa on Lake Como, Passalacqua holds 24 rooms across three distinct buildings and ranked fourth on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2025. The De Santis family property in Moltrasio occupies seven terraced acres with botanical gardens, a spa carved into an underground tunnel, and dining anchored to the hotel's own kitchen garden. Rates from $1,278 per night position it at the upper tier of Italian lake hospitality.

Occupying a restored 1930s Belle Époque palace and a contemporary tower on Avenida Alvear, Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt sits at the intersection of Buenos Aires' gilded past and its present as a serious luxury address. Recognised in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels at 91.5 points, the 165-room property holds a particular position on Recoleta's most prestigious boulevard, rated 4.7 across nearly 7,700 Google reviews.

Canyon Ranch Lenox brings the original Tucson all-inclusive wellness formula to the Berkshires, operating from a 19th-century mansion on 165 Kemble Street with 126 rooms, a 100,000-square-foot spa, and a health-conscious dining programme that earned Michelin 2 Keys recognition in 2024. The experience rewards advance planning: guests select a wellness pathway before arrival and work with an advisor to schedule activities ranging from medical consultations to hiking and tai chi.

Fronting the Thu Bon River in lush gardens less than a kilometre from Hoi An's UNESCO-listed historic quarter, Anantara Hoi An Resort positions itself in the boutique end of the city's hotel market. Riverfront dining, a spa, and sunset cruises place it close to the ancient town without the noise of the centre, making it a considered base for exploring both the old quarter and the wider Quang Nam province.

W Barcelona occupies the tip of the Barceloneta waterfront on a site that marked the city's decisive turn toward the sea after the 1992 Olympics. The sail-shaped tower remains one of the most architecturally distinct hotels on the Spanish coast, positioning it in a different competitive tier from the city's interior luxury properties. For visitors who want the Mediterranean front and centre, few addresses deliver it as directly.

Villa Dagmar occupies a considered middle ground in Stockholm's Östermalm district: 70 rooms and suites referencing Art Nouveau and a century of eclectic influences, positioned between boutique intimacy and full-service luxury. The hotel operates three distinct dining spaces alongside a small wellness retreat, and sits directly beside the historic Östermalms Saluhall food hall on Nybrogatan.

Zannier Île de Bendor is a forthcoming island hotel from the Zannier Hotels group, projected to open in May 2026 on Île de Bendor off the coast of Bandol in Provence. Accepted into Virtuoso's exclusive Preview Program, it is positioned among a limited tier of pre-opening properties that Virtuoso considers among the world's most anticipated. Advance interest is already high for what will be Zannier's most distinctive Mediterranean address.

Positioned directly on Av. Atlântica at the southern end of Copacabana, Emiliano Rio brings the signature design rigour of São Paulo architect Arthur Casas to one of the world's most recognised seafront addresses. The property sits in a tier of Copacabana hotels defined by restraint and precision rather than scale, offering a quieter counterpoint to the neighbourhood's more theatrical waterfront options.

Due Torri Hotel occupies a medieval palazzo on Piazza Sant'Anastasia, one of Verona's most architecturally charged addresses. A 2025 member of The Leading Hotels of the World, it positions itself within the city's small tier of historically rooted luxury properties. For travellers who read a building's bones as part of the experience, the location alone sets the terms of the stay.

Set on Pařížská — Prague's most architecturally charged boulevard — Fairmont Golden Prague occupies a modernist landmark above the Vltava, recently transformed through a multimillion-dollar renovation. With 320 rooms, six dining venues including rooftop Zlata Praha, and one of the country's most significant private collections of Czech art and film, the hotel positions itself at the intersection of cultural institution and luxury accommodation. Rates from $436 per night.

1 Hotel Mayfair occupies a carefully renovated pair of Georgian-era buildings on Berkeley Street, steps from Green Park, and makes sustainability legible through design rather than signage. Living green walls, organic textures, and Scandinavian-influenced lines run throughout 181 rooms, while the Bamford spa anchors the wellness offer. Rates start around $819, placing the property squarely in Mayfair's premium tier.

At 1 Harbour Drive in Wan Chai, The St. Regis Hong Kong occupies a 129-room property designed by André Fu, whose lantern and shophouse motifs thread through every floor. L'Envol holds a Michelin star under chef Olivier Elzer, the Drawing Room hosts the brand's daily champagne sabrage ritual, and a La Liste score of 94.5 points (2026) places the hotel firmly in Hong Kong's upper tier of luxury addresses.

Scored 94 points on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, The Oberoi Rajvilas sits on Jaipur's Goner Road behind fortress walls that frame an 18th-century Hindu temple and lotus pond. Eighty-three rooms and tented suites come with private plunge pools, a guest-only spa, and a staff-to-guest ratio of five to one — a level of attention that defines the property's place at the upper tier of Rajasthan luxury.

Among Beijing's international luxury hotels, Four Seasons Hotel Beijing sits in a distinct tier: Chaoyang-positioned, design-conscious, and oriented toward business travellers and long-stay guests rather than sightseeing itineraries. Recognised in La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels with 90 points and a 4.6 Google rating across 244 reviews, it trades central-tourist proximity for quieter streets, spacious rooms, and a property experience built around detail rather than spectacle.

Perched on 70 acres atop Bald Head Cliff in Cape Neddick, Cliff House Maine has anchored Southern Maine's coastal hospitality scene since 1872. The 226-room property earned a Michelin One Key in 2024, placing it in a selective tier of American resorts recognized for both setting and experience. All guest rooms open onto private terraces with Atlantic views, and the property operates as a genuine four-season destination.

On O'ahu's North Shore, the Ritz-Carlton Turtle Bay occupies nearly 1,100 acres of coastal land in Kahuku, where the island's windward edge meets miles of largely undeveloped shoreline. The property sits at the intersection of large-scale resort architecture and genuine natural scale, with golf courses, ocean programming, spa facilities, and dining built around local ingredients — all within reach of Honolulu but a world apart from Waikiki.

One of two Ritz-Carlton properties in Beijing, this high-rise hotel anchors the city's Financial Street district, earning 98 points on La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking. Floor-to-ceiling windows, a rose-petal pool on the amenity floor, and an 18th-floor Club Lounge with feng shui-informed design make it a practical choice for business travelers who expect comfort without compromise.

A Georgian-fronted property on Berners Street where Ian Schrager's signature lobby theatrics meet 173 rooms designed around the logic of a private yacht cabin. Berners Tavern, helmed by Jason Atherton, and the punch-focused Punch Room mean there is little reason to venture far from the hotel's own corridors. Google reviewers rate it 4.6 from over 1,600 responses.

Occupying a landmark 1893 building on Piazza della Repubblica, Hotel Savoy is the reference address for luxury stays in central Florence. A 2018 renovation by designer Olga Polizzi reduced the property to 80 rooms, sharpening both the spatial quality and the Florentine character of each accommodation. The hotel scored 97.5 points on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, placing it among Italy's most recognised city properties.

A Leading Hotels of the World member on Seminyak Beach, The Legian trades the private-villa isolation of most Bali resorts for a sociable, design-forward format built around shared spaces, a three-tiered pool deck, and 79 suites with a markedly urban sensibility. From $529 per night, it positions itself as the more architecturally considered option on this stretch of the Indian Ocean coastline.

Islas Secas occupies 14 islands within Panama's Gulf of Chiriquí marine reserve, accommodating just 18 guests across nine open-air casitas. The all-inclusive format covers sport fishing on Pacific grounds, diving, snorkeling, and a culinary program built around fresh local seafood. For the segment of private-island travel where capacity limits are the point, few properties in Central America operate at this scale of restriction.

Château de Berne transforms a historic Roman wine estate into Lorgues' premier luxury destination, where 34 elegant rooms and Michelin-starred dining are set within 1,600 acres of Provençal vineyards. This 5-star Relais & Châteaux property combines centuries of winemaking heritage with contemporary sophistication, featuring organic wine production, Cinq Mondes spa facilities, and immersive terroir experiences just minutes from the French Riviera.

Positioned on Monuments Beach with direct sightlines to Land's End and El Arco, The Cape is Thompson Hotels' first Mexico property — 159 rooms designed around a 1960s Baja-meets-SoCal aesthetic, with the Currents spa, a rooftop lounge, and Manta restaurant overseen by James Beard Award semifinalist Enrique Olvera anchoring the experience along the Tourist Corridor.

Built on the historic Mitsui family estate in Nakagyo-ku, this 160-room property sits directly opposite Nijo-jo Castle and enters through a 300-year-old gate. Awarded Michelin 3 Keys in 2024 and ranked 46th on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2025, it occupies the upper tier of Kyoto luxury alongside peers such as Aman Kyoto. Rates from $1,148 per night.

Positioned on Earlsfort Terrace opposite the National Concert Hall and a short walk from St Stephen's Green, Conrad Dublin occupies one of the city's most strategically placed addresses in the luxury hotel tier. The Coburg brasserie and Lemuel's cocktail bar give the property two distinct food and drink identities, while balconied rooms and pet-friendly policies add practical texture to a hotel that earns its 4.5 Google rating across 1,702 reviews.

A cliff-edge resort in Nusa Dua with 465 rooms, suites, and villas spread across a dramatic Indian Ocean site, The Apurva Kempinski Bali operates one of Bali's more architecturally ambitious hotel formats. Six distinct dining venues span Indonesian coastal cooking, Japanese izakaya, Chinese dim sum and hotpot, and Mediterranean tapas. The property positions itself at the upper tier of the Nusa Dua luxury corridor.

Waldhotel by Bürgenstock is a five-star property within the 140-acre Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, designed by architect Matteo Thun and opened in December 2017. Its 137 rooms and suites occupy a terraced structure of local stone and wood, approximately 30 minutes from Lucerne's city centre. The dining programme spans several distinct concepts, from Persian cuisine to French brasserie classics, anchored by the Verbena Restaurant and Bar.

Scored 93 points by La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, Explora Valle Sagrado sits in the Sacred Valley at Urquillos, where the design logic of the property takes its cues directly from the Andean terrain. The experience is structured around immersive access to one of Peru's most consequential highland corridors, with architecture and landscape working as a single continuous argument for place.

Occupying a low bluff above Psarou beach on Mykonos's southwestern coast, Mykonos Blu is a Grecotel property built around 103 whitewashed bungalows, suites, and villas in Cycladic cubist form. The resort operates across multiple pool configurations, a full spa and fitness facility, and three distinct dining spaces — positioning it as a self-contained retreat that remains within reach of Mykonos Town.

Three historic buildings fused into one address steps from Charles Bridge, Four Seasons Hotel Prague occupies a position few city-centre luxury properties can match. Its 157 rooms sit across classical, Renaissance and 18th-century wings, with river and castle views reserved for the upper categories. La Liste ranked it at 94.5 points in 2026, placing it firmly in Prague's premier tier.

Perched on the medina's edge at Bab Ziat, Palais Faraj Suites & Spa translates the architecture of a 19th-century Moroccan palace into 31 luxury suites with views across the old city. Its restaurants draw on Fez's layered Arab, Berber, Jewish, and French culinary heritage, and the property sits in the smaller tier of design-led palace conversions that define Morocco's most historically serious hospitality addresses.

Part of the Maybourne Hotel Group — the same parent as Claridge's and The Connaught — The Maybourne Beverly Hills brings London-tier service standards to the Golden Triangle, with 201 Art Deco-influenced rooms, a ninth-floor rooftop pool, a Whisky Bar pouring aged Macallan, and Michelin 2 Keys recognition. At $1,434 per night, it competes in Beverly Hills's upper luxury tier.

Positioned on the escarpment edge of Loisaba Conservancy in Kenya's Laikipia plateau, Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp pairs custom-built canvas suites with unobstructed sightlines to Mt Kenya and a conservancy that operates as a functioning ranch. Conservation partnerships with The Nature Conservancy and Space For Giants place it in a category of camps where wildlife access and ecological commitment are structural, not decorative.

A 17th-century clifftop monastery turned 20-suite hotel on the Amalfi Coast, Monastero Santa Rosa sits above Conca dei Marini with four terraced gardens, a cliffside infinity pool, and the Michelin-starred Il Refettorio restaurant. Scoring 97.5 points on La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, it occupies a niche defined by architectural depth and deliberate seclusion rather than beachfront access.

Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto redefines luxury accommodation through its extraordinary 800-year-old ikeniwa pond garden setting in historic Higashiyama district. This sophisticated property combines Kyoto's most spacious guest rooms with authentic cultural experiences, Josper grill dining, and personalized service that reveals the ancient capital's hidden treasures.

Coral Sands occupies a colonial-style cottage compound directly on Harbour Island's Pink Sand Beach, one of the most photographed stretches of shoreline in the Atlantic. The property sits within Dunmore Town's historic core, placing beachside dining and a relaxed but considered Caribbean atmosphere within steps of the island's pastel-painted streets. For a full picture of the island, see our <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/harbour-island">Harbour Island hotels guide</a>.

A 2015-renovated art deco monument at Piazza Duca d'Aosta, the Excelsior Hotel Gallia anchors Milan's Porta Nuova district with 235 rooms and 53 suites designed around pieces by B&B Italia, Cassina, and Fendi Casa. The Cerea Brothers' Terrazza Gallia rooftop restaurant, a panoramic mixology bar, and an 11,000-square-foot Shiseido Spa complete a property that draws repeat visitors as much for its cultural programming as its address.

Bristol Panama occupies the banking district's Aquilino de la Guardia corridor, offering 130 guest rooms with double-glazed windows that seal out the financial district entirely. The 25th-floor spa is the only one in Panama City with panoramic Pacific Ocean and Metropolitan Park views. Salsipuedes restaurant runs Nikkei-inflected ceviche alongside a 48-hour Angus short rib that has become a reference point for the property's food program.

A 28-room boutique property on rue Saint Sulpice, Esprit Saint Germain sits at the quieter end of the Left Bank's boutique hotel tier: fully renovated in 2021, furnished with antiques sourced from neighbourhood dealers, and positioned around an all-inclusive amenity model that removes the friction of nickel-and-diming common at properties twice its size. The Penthouse Suite's private terrace overlooks the rooftops of Saint Sulpice.

Das Achental Resort in Grassau sits in Bavaria's Chiemgau foothills with 179 rooms and a 2024 Michelin Two Keys distinction, placing it in the tier of German resort hotels recognised for hospitality quality as well as physical setting. The property draws guests seeking alpine access alongside the kind of considered guest experience that earns structured recognition from Michelin's hotel guide.

A mid-19th-century Haussmann building on Rue François 1er, Grand Powers sits at the geographic centre of the Golden Triangle, steps from Avenue Montaigne's fashion houses. Awarded a Michelin 1 Key and 90.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels rankings, the 50-room property pairs Art Deco interiors with a full spa, Eiffel Tower views, and Café 52 serving breakfast through dinner.

Positioned on Jianguomenwai Avenue in Beijing's Chaoyang business district, Park Hyatt Beijing draws comparison with the city's upper tier of international luxury hotels. Its 2026 La Liste recognition at 91.5 points places it within a peer set that includes the Four Seasons and Bvlgari, making it a reference point for travellers prioritising address, scale, and brand consistency in a market where location carries real weight.

Ian Fleming's former estate on Jamaica's north coast, GoldenEye sits on a coastal bluff above a private cove near Oracabessa, scoring 90.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. Across 49 rooms spanning original villas, new cottages, and lagoon-facing suites, it occupies a position in Caribbean boutique hospitality that most properties on the island cannot replicate: historically grounded, architecturally low-key, and genuinely unhurried.

Sitting inside the Olare Motorogi Conservancy on Kenya's Mara ecosystem, Mahali Mzuri earned 94 points from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking across just 12 rooms, placing it firmly in East Africa's small-camp, high-credential tier. The conservancy setting keeps game density high and vehicle pressure low, which shapes the whole logic of staying here rather than in the adjacent national reserve.

Hotel Emma occupies a 121-year-old brewhouse in San Antonio's Pearl neighborhood, redesigned by New York firm Roman and Williams into 153 rooms of industrial-chic lodging. Earning Michelin 2 Keys in 2024 and 93.5 points on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, the property anchors one of the country's more coherent mixed-use hospitality districts, with three distinct food and drink venues on-site.

Once King Norodom Sihanouk's private guest house, Amansara is a 24-suite property in Siem Reap scored at 92.5 points by La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking. The resort sits roughly 15 minutes from Siem Reap International Airport, with Angkor's temple complex a short drive away. Rates begin at $1,650 per night, positioning it at the upper tier of Cambodia's luxury accommodation market.

Occupying a clifftop position at Cap Estate's northern tip, Cap Maison is a villa-style resort where colonial Caribbean architecture meets direct beach access at Smuggler's Cove. Rated 93.5 points by La Liste Top Hotels 2026 and holding a 4.7/5 guest score across 139 reviews, it operates at rates from US$738 per night — placing it firmly in St Lucia's upper-tier property set.

Shinola Hotel sits at the intersection of Detroit's manufacturing heritage and its ongoing downtown renewal, occupying a 129-room property on Woodward Avenue with a Michelin 1 Key and 91 points from La Liste (2026). Rates begin at $275 per night. The hotel's 16,000 square feet of food, drink, and retail space — spanning an Italian restaurant, cocktail bar, beer hall, and two fast-casual counters — make it one of the city's most concentrated dining destinations.

Le Logis is a 16th-century private château in the Cognac countryside, available exclusively as a full-property buyout for up to 14 guests. Formerly Grey Goose's invitation-only retreat and now operated by Forbes Travel Guide, it sits within Virtuoso's French château portfolio as the network's only private property in France. Medieval stone walls, 14 individually decorated rooms, and a dedicated staff define the format.

One of Venice's most storied addresses, Hotel Danieli occupies a 14th-century Gothic palazzo on the Riva degli Schiavoni, steps from the Doge's Palace. Recognised in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking with a score of 90.5 points, it sits firmly within the highest tier of Venetian luxury. For travellers who want history woven into the architecture itself, few addresses in Italy make the same argument.

A European luxury brand on Mexico's Caribbean coast, Kempinski Hotel Cancún sits on a near quarter-mile stretch of white sand in the Zona Hotelera, earning 93.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. The property's 363 rooms and suites, oceanfront Culinary Center, and pink blush and black marble interiors position it in Cancún's non-all-inclusive premium tier, where service depth and design coherence matter as much as beach access.

The Yeatman Hotel occupies a hillside position above Vila Nova de Gaia, directly across the Douro River from Porto's historic centre. Its restaurant holds two Michelin stars as of 2025, and rates start from around US$389 per night across 82 rooms and suites. La Liste named it 95.5 points in 2026, placing it among Portugal's most credentialled luxury hotel addresses.

Hotel Colón occupies a landmark position in Seville's Casco Antiguo, steps from the Cathedral and the city's most concentrated stretch of civic architecture. A member of Leading Hotels of the World since 2025, it sits in the upper bracket of the city's traditional grand-hotel tier, distinct from the design-led boutique properties that have reshaped Seville's hospitality market over the past decade.

A 350-room super-boutique hotel occupying a purpose-built tower on Leicester Square, The Londoner positions itself against London's established grand hotel tier with a program of underground wellness, rooftop izakaya dining, and members-only retreat spaces that most West End properties don't attempt. Google reviewers rate it 4.6 across more than 1,700 responses, a strong signal for a hotel of its scale and central location.

San Sebastián's grand hotel benchmark, Hotel Maria Cristina sits on the Urumea riverbank in a Belle Époque mansion that earned 96.5 points from La Liste Top Hotels 2026 and a Michelin 1 Key. With 136 rooms featuring marble bathrooms, river-facing terraces, and original architectural details intact, it occupies a different tier from the city's smaller design properties — rates from around $591 per night reflect that position.

The Peninsula Paris occupies a magnificent 1908 Haussmannian building steps from the Arc de Triomphe, offering 2-Michelin-starred dining and panoramic city views. This luxury flagship seamlessly blends historic French craftsmanship with modern sophistication.

Set within a 1,235-acre protected nature reserve in Ras Al Khaimah's Wadi Khadeja, this 108-villa Ritz-Carlton property operates in a category where address and acreage do most of the work. The 2025 World Travel Awards named it both UAE's Leading Villa Resort and Middle East's Leading Luxury Desert Resort. Complimentary beach access at its sister property adds a coastal dimension rarely available to pure desert retreats.

Occupying the upper floors of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa on the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, The Silo Hotel operates in a category where industrial heritage meets contemporary art patronage. Twenty-eight suites, rates from $1,588, La Liste 95-point recognition in 2026, and exclusive access to the museum below place it in a peer set that very few Cape Town properties can match.

Rebuilt after hurricane devastation in 2017 and now marking its 60th anniversary, Rosewood Little Dix Bay occupies 500 acres of Virgin Gorda wilderness on a half-mile of white sand. Low-lying bungalows, a cliffside spa, four restaurants, and staff who have worked here for decades define a property that operates at a different tempo from the broader Caribbean luxury market. La Liste awarded it 94.5 points in 2026.

W Edinburgh occupies a bronze-ribboned, egg-shaped structure at St James Square — one of the most architecturally arresting hotel exteriors in the Scottish capital. SUSHISAMBA and the rooftop deck with 360-degree city views place it in a different competitive bracket from Edinburgh's Georgian heritage hotels. For travellers who want a design-forward base with serious F&B programming, it registers as a credible alternative to the Old Town establishment.

MEA Wisdom operates a structured midlife learning program across two campuses: a Pacific-facing site in El Pescadero, Baja California Sur, and a private ranch outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. The format combines cohort-based inquiry with extended retreat conditions, placing it in a small category of program-led experiences that prioritize depth of engagement over resort-style programming. It is positioned for adults at a deliberate inflection point, not casual wellness tourism.

On Barbados's platinum west coast, Fairmont Royal Pavilion occupies a stretch of Saint James beachfront where every room is positioned toward the Caribbean Sea. Newly renovated accommodations, a broad watersports programme, and an address roughly 17 miles from Grantley Adams International Airport place it in the upper tier of Holetown's hotel options, sitting alongside Sandy Lane and The Sandpiper as the parish's most-recognised properties.

Park Hyatt Vienna occupies a stately 19th-century bank headquarters at Am Hof 2, squarely inside Vienna's UNESCO World Heritage-listed first district. With 143 rooms, a vault-converted spa, and recognition from both La Liste (97.5 points in 2026) and Michelin (2 Keys in 2024), it sits at the sharper end of the city's luxury hotel tier — a reliable address for those who return to Vienna repeatedly and know exactly what they're getting.

Built in 1740 as a Maharana's summer retreat and scoring 98 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, Taj Lake Palace occupies the entire surface of a small island on Lake Pichola. Its 81 rooms and suites combine original Rajasthani palace architecture with contemporary Taj-group standards, and the boat transfer from the mainland shore sets the tone before guests even reach the front desk.

Built in 1910 by the son of President Ulysses S. Grant, this Marriott Luxury Collection property anchors downtown San Diego's Broadway corridor with 114 years of political history, Prohibition-era intrigue, and rooms dressed in Italian linens and empire-style furnishings. Fifteen U.S. presidents have stayed here, and the 11th-floor Penthouse Suite still draws the celebrity circuit. Complimentary Saturday history tours and a lounge with live entertainment round out the offer.

Two lodges, two distinct ecosystems, and one of Africa's most consequential wetland systems as backdrop: Belmond Safaris operates Eagle Island Lodge in the flooded channels of the Okavango Delta and Savute Elephant Lodge in the drier, elephant-rich terrain around the Savute Channel. The pair are designed to be experienced together, each with its own design register and wildlife dynamic.

On the beachfront at Agios Ioannis, southwest of Mykonos Town, Mykonos Grand Hotel and Resort combines direct sea access with a full amenity set including a spa, pool, and outdoor amphitheatre. The whitewashed Cycladic architecture frames unobstructed views across the Aegean. It is a resort-scale property suited to guests who want facility depth and coastal calm in roughly equal measure.

Built for the Gresham Life Assurance Company in 1906 and restored to its original Art Nouveau detail by 2004, the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace sits directly on the Danube at Széchenyi István tér, overlooking the Chain Bridge. Scoring 92 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it operates at the upper tier of Budapest's luxury hotel market, with 179 rooms, a top-floor spa, and two distinct food and drink venues.

A converted South African Reserve Bank building on Wale Street, Taj Cape Town places 176 rooms across a heritage wing and a modern tower at the edge of the CBD. The Bombay Brasserie brings Indian cooking under a Franco-Indian kitchen team, while Jiva Spa draws on Eastern wellness traditions. Scored 91 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking.

A converted private retreat in Belize's Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve, Blancaneaux Lodge spans 20 units ranging from simple cabanas to the original Coppola family villa. The setting — rainforest meeting tended gardens, with rivers and Mayan ruins nearby — is the defining feature. Dining draws on Guatemalan and Italian traditions, with wines from the Coppola estate.

London's oldest hotel, Brown's opened in 1832 across eleven Georgian townhouses on Albemarle Street in Mayfair. Redesigned by Olga Polizzi for Rocco Forte Hotels, its 117 rooms trade country-house pastiche for a calibrated blend of period detail and contemporary restraint. The Donovan Bar, English Tea Room, and Charlie's restaurant keep the address central to Mayfair's social circuit.

A 750-acre independent resort in the wooded hills of the Pays de Fayence, Terre Blanche reads from a distance like a Provençal village — sun-washed stone, terracotta roofs, winding paths through oak and pine. Look closer and the architecture conceals two championship golf courses, a destination spa, four restaurants, and 115 suites and villas. Holding a 2024 Michelin Key and Leading Hotels of the World membership, it occupies a distinct tier among Riviera-adjacent estates.

A neo-Gothic manor built in 1832 on an 842-acre County Limerick estate, Adare Manor sits in the top tier of Irish country house hotels — rated 99 points by La Liste in 2026 and a member of Leading Hotels of the World. With 103 rooms, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and the 2027 Ryder Cup course on its grounds, it draws guests who want serious architecture alongside serious recreation.

On the shore of Lago Maggiore in Ascona, Hotel Eden Roc combines 132 rooms with a two-Michelin-Star restaurant, three pools, and Leading Hotels of the World membership. Recognised with 94 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking and two Michelin Keys in 2024, it positions itself among Switzerland's most decorated lakeside properties, with a multi-restaurant offer spanning Mediterranean, contemporary, and casual terrace formats.

Among St. Tropez's five-star properties, Villa Cosy Hotel & Spa occupies a quieter register than the port-adjacent flash of its peers. Positioned on the Chemin de la Belle Isnarde, it organises its rooms, suites and villas around a year-round heated pool and an exotic garden, with a Spa by Sothys and a wine cellar holding Grands Crus and prestige Champagnes available around the clock.

Set inside the otherworldly Ashar Valley, Banyan Tree AlUla arranges 47 freestanding villas across ancient sandstone terrain, each finished to a standard that matches the ambition of its surroundings. The property scored 97.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, placing it among Saudi Arabia's most credentialed addresses. From cliff-framed pools to dual-concept dining, it represents what serious resort investment looks like when matched to a genuinely extraordinary site.

On Canal Street at the edge of the French Quarter, the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans occupies a pair of historic Beaux-Arts buildings that once housed the Maison Blanche department store. A Forbes Travel Guide Four Star property scoring 91.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it represents the formal, grand-hotel tier of New Orleans accommodation — positioned above boutique independents and alongside the city's other full-service luxury addresses.

ME Ibiza sits on the S'Argamassa coastline as a Leading Hotels of the World member, placing it in Ibiza's upper tier of resort properties. The hotel draws a crowd that moves between beach and pool with the unhurried rhythm the island's better addresses have learned to choreograph. Forbes Travel Guide has signalled a forthcoming Star Rating for the property.

Positioned at the base of Aspen Mountain between the gondola and Silver Queen lift, The St. Regis Aspen Resort occupies one of the most strategically placed addresses in Colorado ski country. With 179 alpine-chic rooms, a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star spa spanning 15,000 square feet, and five dining options including the after-ski Shadow Mountain Lounge, it competes directly with Aspen's small tier of full-service luxury properties.

A Leading Hotels of the World member positioned directly on the waterfront at Mazzarò, below the clifftop town of Taormina, Mazzarò Sea Palace occupies one of Sicily's most dramatically situated coastal addresses. The property sits where the Ionian Sea defines the experience as much as the architecture, making it a natural base for travellers whose retreat priorities run toward water, light, and the particular quiet of the Sicilian coastline.

A Victorian coaching inn in Cairngorms National Park transformed into one of Scotland's most talked-about stays, The Fife Arms holds 46 rooms and more than 16,000 works of art — including Picassos and a neon chandelier by Richard Jackson. Awarded 97 points by La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, it draws a genuine local-and-visitor crowd to Bertie's Bar and the Clunie Dining Room with equal ease.

Positioned on Talamanca Bay, Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay brings together the global Japanese-Peruvian kitchen of Nobu Matsuhisa and a casual beach-bar format at Chambao, all within 152 rooms and suites designed around white, grey, and teal island tones. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and ranked 91 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels, it occupies a distinct tier among Ibiza's premium seafront properties.

A Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star and 2024 Michelin 2 Keys resort on 30 coastal acres in Laguna Beach, Montage sits atop a rugged cliff 50 feet above the Pacific. Arts and Crafts architecture, 250 rooms with ocean-view balconies, three pools, and a 20,000-square-foot spa frame a dining programme anchored by Studio, one of coastal California's most seriously cited cliff-top restaurants. Rooms from $1,235 per night.

Positioned at 5 Fraser Street in Singapore's Bras Basah Bugis district, Andaz Singapore places guests within walking reach of Kampong Glam, Little India, and the Marina Bay waterfront. The hotel's programming leans into neighbourhood culture rather than generic luxury conventions, making it a reasonable base for travellers who want the city's historic quarters close at hand.

On Beethovenstrasse, a short walk from Paradeplatz and Bahnhofstrasse, Park Hyatt Zurich occupies a position that few city-centre hotels can match for access to Zurich's financial and retail core. With 138 rooms among the largest in the city, a signature restaurant built around a wood-burning oven, and a 2026 La Liste score of 95 points, it sits in the upper tier of Zurich's contemporary hotel set.

Set across 1,210 acres of rural Uruguayan terrain just outside Punta del Este's resort core, Hotel Fasano Punta del Este trades beach-strip proximity for scale, seclusion, and amenity depth. Rooms in both the main building and private bungalows overlook green hillsides through floor-to-ceiling windows. January bookings fill four months in advance; the full property runs November through March only.

Set among the quieter agricultural uplands of eastern Algarve, Octant Vila Monte in Moncarapacho positions itself within a small cohort of Portuguese properties where design-led restraint and ecological attentiveness define the offer. Two restaurants, a private villa of approximately 330 square metres, and a program of curated local experiences anchor a stay that draws from Ria Formosa's rhythms rather than the coastal resort circuit.

On a quiet St James's side street, The Stafford London operates in the tradition of the great English town house hotel: 107 rooms divided across three distinct buildings, wine cellars dating to the 17th century that now hold nearly 8,000 bottles, and an American Bar whose walls constitute a decades-long archive of signed celebrity photographs. Awarded 98 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it earns its place among London's most historically grounded luxury properties.

Opened in August 2024 atop East Gros Ventre Butte, Hotel Yellowstone at Jackson Hole is an adults-only boutique retreat with views across the Teton Range and Snake River Valley. Winner of the 2025 World Travel Award for Wyoming's Leading Boutique Hotel, it occupies a quiet niche in Jackson's luxury tier: intimate in scale, uncompromising in setting, and positioned well away from the town square crowd.

Occupying a converted architecture school a short walk from the Spanish Steps, JK Place Roma is a 27-room boutique property with Michelin 2 Keys recognition and a 96-point score from La Liste 2026. Interior designer Michele Bonan layered ancient marble reproductions against contemporary art throughout, while J.K. Café has become a genuine meeting point for Rome's fashion-conscious crowd. Rates from $951 per night; Leading Hotels of the World member.

Singita Sabi Sand operates across two lodges — Boulders and Ebony — within a privately owned 45,000-acre reserve in South Africa's Sabi Sand, where leopard sightings are among the most consistent on the continent. Both properties run all-inclusive programmes covering twice-daily game drives, guided bush walks, full-board dining, and curated wine tastings. The reserve's wildlife density and Singita's long-standing reputation place it at the top of the private-concession tier in southern Africa.

Occupying a prime address on St Stephen's Green since 1824, The Shelbourne Dublin is a Grand Canal-facing landmark with 265 rooms and 19 suites, a rotating afternoon tea program, an Elemis spa, and an Irish art collection spanning centuries. Scored 91.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it sits at the upper tier of Dublin's city-centre hotel scene.

Ten private apartments on the Place du Trocadéro, ranging from 150 to 300 square metres, position La Réserve Paris as the 16th arrondissement's most discreet residential-style stay. Each comes with a dedicated housekeeper, concierge, and optional in-residence chef, while floor-to-ceiling views frame the Eiffel Tower across the Seine. Minimum three-night stays suit extended visits over short-break hotel alternatives.

Six restored colonial mansions in San Miguel de Allende's historic centre, Casa de Sierra Nevada earned a 2024 Michelin 2 Keys recognition and a 93.5-point rating from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels. Thirty-seven individually configured rooms come with personal butlers, wood-burning fireplaces, and an entirely authentic Mexican dining programme. A 90-minute drive from Del Bajío International Airport places it at the heart of one of Mexico's most architecturally preserved cities.

At 400 Fifth Avenue, The Langham occupies a considered position in Midtown Manhattan's upper hotel tier, scoring 93.5 points on La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking. A recent lobby overhaul introduced two large-scale Alex Katz paintings and a dramatic winding staircase, reshaping the property's public spaces. Guest rooms average 750 square feet, oversized by Manhattan standards, with Swedish Duxiana beds, Italian linens, and marble bathrooms that include rain showers and in-mirror televisions.

Positioned along the Tourist Corridor at Km 18.5, Solaz is a Marriott Luxury Collection property that places the Sea of Cortez at the center of its identity. Five pools, a 10,000-square-foot spa, and a 2,500-vintage wine cellar sit alongside a food program rooted in local fishermen and biodynamic farming. The resort earns a 4.5 Google rating across 576 reviews.

Bernardus Lodge & Spa sits in Carmel Valley's oak-studded hills, 73 rooms arranged around a property that doubles as a working winery estate. Recognised with Michelin 2 Keys in 2024 and a 94.5-point La Liste Top Hotels score in 2026, it occupies the compact tier of California wine-country retreats where room count and estate provenance matter as much as the spa program.

A four-century-old hunting lodge above Merano, Castel Fragsburg holds a Michelin Star, a Green Star, and a 94-point La Liste Top Hotels rating for 2026. Twenty suites with Alpine balconies, an herbalist-led spa, and the Prezioso restaurant place it among South Tyrol's most decorated small hotels. Open April through November; rates from US$511 per night.

A Michelin Key-awarded farm retreat on 325 acres of rolling Tennessee countryside, Southall Farm and Inn sits 25 miles south of Nashville with 78 rooms and cottages designed around exposed timber, soaking tubs, and orchard views. The working farm supplies a 2,000-tree orchard, hydroponic greenhouses, and an apiary to Sojourner, its seasonally driven restaurant. It is the most considered agri-hospitality property in the greater Nashville area.

Beach Village at The Del operates as a self-contained retreat within the historic Hotel del Coronado, a Victorian resort completed in 1888 that ranks among California's few hotels with a legal private beach. The 78-cottage-and-villa enclave delivers a quieter, more residential experience than the main property, with direct boardwalk access, a private beach club open seasonally, and a pre-arrival concierge model that handles nearly any request before you arrive.

Six adjoined 17th-century mansions on Herengracht's Golden Bend house one of Amsterdam's most architecturally serious luxury hotels. The Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam scored 96 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, with rooms that blend understated Dutch design with Guerlain spa access, a vault-set cocktail bar, and Peacock Alley's all-day dining. Part of Hilton Worldwide's portfolio, it operates without a conventional lobby — guests are received as they would be in a private residence.

A neo-Renaissance mansion in Montreal's Golden Square Mile, Le Mount Stephen pairs meticulously preserved 19th-century public spaces with a sharply contemporary 90-room hotel wing. A 2024 Michelin Key recipient and Leading Hotels of the World member, it occupies a distinct tier in the city's luxury market, where architectural heritage and modern comfort share the same address at rates from around $300 per night.

Set directly on Portofino's Piazzetta, Splendido Mare occupies the harbourside position that defines the village's social geometry. The property was reimagined in 2021 with fourteen individually designed rooms and suites, a destination restaurant operated with the Cerea family, and access to the full facilities of sister hotel Splendido. It remains open through 6 January 2026.

On the northern tip of Koh Samui, Six Senses Hideaway Samui distributes 67 sea-facing villas across 20 acres of hillside jungle, earning 2 Michelin Keys in 2024 and 93 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. The property operates within the Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas portfolio and holds a Rooms rate from $665, placing it in the upper tier of the island's resort market alongside Samujana Villas and Banyan Tree Samui.

Opened in 1890 and awarded a Michelin Key in 2024, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise occupies one of the most dramatically positioned hotel sites in North America — a glacial lakeshore two hours west of Calgary, framed by snowfields and vertical rock. With 487 rooms, professional mountain guides, and rates from $715, it operates at a scale and ambience that few mountain properties can match.

Fox Harb'r Resort sits on Nova Scotia's Northumberland Shore, an 88-room property that trades urban proximity for sweeping coastal scale. The resort occupies a working landscape of farmland, shoreline, and purpose-built amenities, placing it in a niche tier of Canadian destination resorts where distance from the city is the point, not the drawback. See our full Fox Harbour guide for broader regional context.

Spread across 2,200 acres of a former sugar plantation on Jamaica's north coast, Tryall Club occupies one of the Caribbean's most architecturally coherent private estates. The 18th-century Georgian Great House anchors the property, while 92 villas range from one to ten bedrooms, each with a private pool. Twelve miles west of Montego Bay, it operates at the quieter, more self-contained end of the island's luxury spectrum.

One&Only Portonovi opened in 2021 as the brand's first European property, occupying a bayfront position on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro near Herceg Novi. The 123-room resort earned 97.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking and anchors its offer around a four-concept dining programme, a 43,000-square-foot Chenot Espace spa, and guided excursions into Boka Bay and the surrounding medieval villages.

A Leading Hotels of the World member and family-owned since 1900, Hotel Continental occupies one of Oslo's most central addresses, steps from the National Theatre and Karl Johans gate. Its 151 individually designed rooms blend patterned wallpaper, tiled bathrooms, and a notable art collection with the kind of unhurried formality that design-led newcomers rarely replicate. Theatercaféen, the hotel's Viennese-style restaurant, is as much a local institution as the hotel itself.

Occupying a listed neoclassical mansion on the corner of San Francisco Plaza in Quito's UNESCO World Heritage Old Town, Casa Gangotena blends Art Deco interiors, painted ceilings, and museum-quality murals with contemporary comforts. Rates from US$279 per night across 31 rooms, with a rooftop terrace overlooking the Avenue of the Volcanoes and an award-winning restaurant grounded in Ecuadorian culinary tradition.

Awarded 2 Michelin Keys and ranked 74th in the World's 50 Best Hotels 2025, Aman Kyoto occupies a private mountainside forest in the city's quiet northeast corner. Twenty-six suites are housed in Kerry Hill-designed black timber pavilions, with hinoki baths and tatami floors. The dining programme runs from kaiseki at Taka-an to contemporary land-to-table cooking in the Living Pavilion, with rates from $3,675 per night.

Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay occupies a privileged position on Morocco's northern Mediterranean coast, where the mountains of the Rif meet the sea near M'diq. A 2025 member of The Leading Hotels of the World, the property belongs to the Royal Mansour group's approach to Moroccan architectural craft translated into a resort format, set against one of the country's least-commercialised stretches of coastline.

A cliff-edge resort on Bali's Bukit Peninsula, Alila Villas Uluwatu earns its place in Bali's upper tier of design-led luxury through architecture that places the Indian Ocean at the centre of almost every sightline. Ranked 49th on Condé Nast's 2025 Best Resorts list and scoring 92.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it pairs villa-scale space with a butler programme built around personal service intensity.

At the end of Old Santa Fe Trail, Inn and Spa at Loretto occupies one of the most architecturally distinctive positions in the Southwest: a building modeled on the Taos Pueblo, one block from Santa Fe Plaza, housing 136 rooms, an award-winning spa, and a sustained artist residency program that makes it as much a cultural institution as a place to sleep.

Positioned directly across the water from Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Qaryat Al Beri occupies a stretch of Abu Dhabi's heritage waterfront that few properties can match for cultural proximity. Four pools, a private beach, abra rides through working canals, and a seafood night at Sofra Bld that draws both guests and city residents make it a serious contender among Abu Dhabi's landmark hotels.

A Leading Hotels of the World member on the Akrotiri peninsula, Lesante Cape occupies one of the more dramatically positioned addresses in Zakynthos. The property sits within the wider Lesante portfolio alongside Lesante Blu and Lesante Classic, with a dining and hospitality programme pitched at the upper tier of the island's luxury market. Plan bookings well in advance for peak summer dates.

Opening in 1926 as one of four railroad hotels serving Grand Central Terminal's most discerning travellers, the InterContinental New York Barclay occupies a singular position in Midtown East's hospitality history. Its Federalist architecture and residential character place it in a different register from the city's newer glass-tower luxury properties, offering proximity to Grand Central, Park Avenue corridors, and the East Side's established commercial core.

A 75-acre private island in French Polynesia's Leeward Islands, Motu Nao Nao offers three handcrafted villas built around the natural contours of the island rather than against them. The property sits in a category of its own among French Polynesian escapes: full-island exclusivity at a scale that keeps the surrounding reef and jungle as the primary architecture. Yoga, massages, and guided exploration fill the days; South Pacific sunsets close them.

Positioned on a protected marine reserve at Grand Cul de Sac, Le Sereno is among St. Barts' most architecturally composed properties — 39 rooms and suites designed by Christian Liaigre, an Italian-led waterfront restaurant, and direct access to one of the island's calmest bays. A Leading Hotels of the World member starting from $1,336 per night, with a three-night minimum stay.

Viceroy Los Cabos occupies a distinct position in San José del Cabo's hotel corridor: architect Miguel Ángel Aragonés designed the property as a series of stark white cantilevers reflected in still blue pools, earning a 95.5-point score from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking. Rates start around $783 per night across 186 rooms and 50 rentable residences, with four organic-focused restaurants and an active arts programming calendar on-site.

Set across seventeen acres of coconut plantation on Vanua Levu's Savusavu Bay, Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort operates 25 private bures designed without televisions or telephones, orienting guests entirely toward the surrounding reef ecosystem. The Cousteau name signals a genuine conservation mandate, not a marketing posture, with an in-house marine biologist leading the dive program. Access requires a one-hour inter-island flight from Nadi to Savusavu Airport.

Crockfords Las Vegas, LXR Hotels & Resorts occupies the upper tier of Resorts World Las Vegas, offering villa-scale accommodations on the upper floors alongside access to a VIP infinity pool and a spa with a six-pool vitality complex. The property sits inside one of the Strip's most food-dense addresses, with 16-stall street food, a caviar bar, and a Cantonese palace all under one roof. It is a study in what happens when a luxury hotel brand operates within a large-format integrated resort.

Built into a cliff's edge a thousand feet above the Bay of Naples, Caesar Augustus has occupied one of the Mediterranean's most dramatic positions since the mid-twentieth century, when its 1850s villa roots were converted into a Relais & Chateaux hotel. With 55 individually appointed rooms, a cliff-terrace infinity pool, and an organic kitchen garden feeding the dinner table, this is Capri's case for intimate luxury over scale.

On Avenida Lucio Costa in Barra da Tijuca, the Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro sits where the Atlantic meets one of the city's longest beach stretches, with Arthur Casas-designed interiors drawing on natural wood, stone, and coastal light. Three signature restaurants, a lagoon-facing spa, and full-balcony suites make it a serious option for travelers who want beach-district positioning without sacrificing city-grade facilities.

Set inside two adjoining palais dating to 1871 and 1872 on Vienna's Ringstrasse, Almanac Palais Vienna brings 111 rooms and suites across a Jaime Beriestain-designed interior that integrates original architecture with contemporary art, including a suite housing a Gustav Klimt original. The Donnersmarkt Restaurant anchors the dining offer with a plant-forward menu, while the Almanac Spa adds pool, sauna, and treatment facilities within the historic shell.

On the private island of Pamalican in the Philippines' Cuyo Archipelago, Amanpulo occupies an airstrip-served coral-ringed atoll with 60 rooms across casitas and villas built in the tradition of native bahay kubo architecture. Rated 93.5 points by La Liste in 2026 and priced from $1,750 per night, it sits at the narrow apex of Philippine resort hospitality, where true remoteness is the primary amenity.

Ranked 45th on the 2025 World's 50 Best Hotels list, The Tokyo Edition Toranomon brings the Edition brand's design-forward, nightlife-inflected personality to Minato City's fast-rising business and cultural corridor. The property sits in a peer set that includes some of Tokyo's most architecturally considered hotels, but its energy skews younger and more socially driven than the traditional luxury flagships nearby.

A Michelin Key-recognised resort on 30 acres of Lake Oconee shoreline, The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds sits roughly 75 miles east of Atlanta inside one of Georgia's most established private luxury communities. The property's Craftsman-inflected architecture, five championship golf courses, and full-service spa anchor a self-contained resort programme that earned La Liste Top Hotels recognition at 92.5 points in 2026 and a Michelin 1 Key in 2024.

Ranked #4 on Condé Nast's 2025 Best Resorts list and carrying a Forbes 4-Star rating, Waldorf Astoria Park City occupies a lodge-scaled position at the higher end of the Wasatch Mountain resort tier. The property sits on Frostwood Boulevard in the Canyons Village area, placing it ski-in/ski-out adjacent within the Park City Mountain Resort network. For guests who want a major-brand guarantee with mountain-lodge atmosphere, it sits comfortably among the top addresses in the valley.

COMO Uma Paro occupies a 38-acre property in the Paro Valley, where Bali-based architect Cheong Yew Kwan drew on local village architecture to shape pavilions that read as genuinely Bhutanese rather than internationally transplanted. The COMO Shambhala Retreat, Bukhari restaurant, and a full adventure programme place it among Bhutan's most structured high-end stays for travellers who want both cultural access and physical engagement.

The Peninsula London occupies a purpose-built tower at 1 Grosvenor Place, Belgravia, bringing a global luxury hotel group's first UK address to one of the city's most coveted postcodes. With 190 Peter Marino-designed rooms, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Brooklands by Claude Bosi, and a La Liste score of 96.5 points in 2026, it represents the most significant new-build luxury hotel opening London has seen in years.

The St. Regis Costa Mujeres Cancun is a Virtuoso Preview Property projected to open Spring 2026, positioning it among the limited-access pre-opening properties Virtuoso tracks for its member advisors. Located along the continental zone facing Isla Mujeres, it brings the St. Regis brand's signature butler service tradition to Mexico's Caribbean coast at a moment when the Cancún luxury tier is actively expanding northward.

Set on 712 acres in Carneros, Stanly Ranch earned a Michelin 1 Key in 2024 and sits in a different tier from the valley's more formal trophy properties. With 135 rooms, a wellness-forward spa at Halehouse, and restaurant Bear's produce-driven menu, it positions itself as the wine country resort most open to the surrounding land — and the community that works it.

Where Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Paradise Valley converge at the base of Camelback Mountain, The Global Ambassador earned a 2024 Michelin Key in a market that already sets a high bar for luxury hospitality. Its 141 Art Deco-inflected rooms, five restaurants drawing from cuisines across multiple continents, and a comprehensive spa position it as a serious competitor in the upper tier of the Phoenix hotel scene.

Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono represents Japan's first Park Hyatt branded residences, where award-winning architecture by Nikken Sekkei creates 100 sophisticated rooms and suites with ski-in/ski-out access to legendary Hokkaido powder, private onsen baths, and three destination restaurants celebrating local ingredients.

The only property on Saint Barthélemy to hold France's official palace hotel classification, Cheval Blanc St-Barth sits on Baie des Flamands with 61 rooms, suites, and bungalows spanning beachfront, garden, and hillside positions. LVMH ownership anchors a Guerlain spa, two restaurants from chef Jean Imbert, and a concierge program that handles everything from deep-sea fishing to sunset cruises. La Liste rates it 96.5 points in 2026.

Occupying the upper floors of Burj Assila, Jeddah's tallest building on the Corniche, Hotel Jeddah scored 98 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. The 220-room property sits within the Jeddah Waterfront development and combines a multi-concept dining program, a destination spa, and sea-facing fitness facilities with direct access to the city's most recognisable landmarks.

Opened by Laurence Rockefeller in 1965, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel set the template for Hawaiian resort luxury that most properties have spent decades trying to replicate. Anchored by Kauna'oa Bay on the Big Island's Kohala Coast, its 252 rooms and suites, mid-century modern architecture, museum-grade art collection, and multi-generational guest loyalties place it in a distinct tier among Hawaii's resort offerings.

Spread across 12 acres of Palm Beach's prime Caribbean shoreline, Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, Spa and Casino holds GBAC Star accreditation and 363 rooms designed around a relaxed tropical aesthetic. Two distinct pool settings, a full-service spa, a 11,200-square-foot casino, and multiple dining venues make it one of Aruba's most self-contained resort addresses for travellers who want structured activity alongside genuine beach access.

Beverly Hills' only independent luxury hotel occupies a quiet stretch of Burton Way, where 116 suites and a mid-century interior defined by Venetian cut-glass and champagne tones make a studied case for privacy over spectacle. Recognised with two Michelin Keys and a La Liste score of 98.5 points in 2026, L'Ermitage operates on the logic that the guests who matter most are the ones who prefer not to be seen.

A nineteenth-century château set on 17 acres of sculpted parkland in Reims, Domaine Les Crayères pairs Michelin 2-starred dining at Le Parc with 20 lavishly decorated rooms and one of the most awarded wine programs in France. Holding Michelin 3 Keys (2024), a 94.5-point La Liste Top Hotels ranking (2026), and three Star Wine List distinctions for 2025, it sits at the top of the Champagne region's château-hotel tier.

BEYOND by Geisel occupies a 19-room property at Marienplatz 22, placing it directly above Munich's central square in the small-luxury tier that prizes discretion over scale. The format combines private bedroom suites, a communal library-living room, and an open kitchen serving breakfast and on-request dishes, supported by round-the-clock concierge. Rates from $509 per night reflect an all-inclusive service model that larger city hotels rarely attempt.

Bowie House brings Auberge Resorts Collection's design-led sensibility to Fort Worth's Cultural District, earning Michelin 2 Keys recognition and 92 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. The 106-room property commits to Texan material culture — cowhide lobby furnishings, local artworks, upscale regional cuisine — without sacrificing the international comfort standards the brand is known for across California and beyond.

Positioned directly on Opernplatz, Sofitel Frankfurt Opera sits at the intersection of the city's financial core and its cultural heart. The 150-room property earned Michelin 2 Keys recognition in 2024, with rooms that translate Parisian design codes into a Frankfurt context, and a restaurant pairing German and French culinary traditions. Rates from $418 per night.

At the summit of Courchevel 1850, Cheval Blanc Courchevel occupies the ski-in, ski-out position that defines the resort's upper tier. Thirty-six rooms, a Guerlain spa, and a Michelin 3 Keys rating place it among the most decorated alpine hotels in France. The gastronomic restaurant Le 1947, helmed by Yannick Alléno, frames the mountain in a menu built around forest and game.

Set against the red rock walls of Boynton Canyon, Mii amo is an adults-only destination spa resort in Sedona, Arizona, with 23 rooms, all-inclusive wellness journeys, and rates from $2,037 per night. A $40 million enhancement expanded both the spa programming and the room count, placing it among the Southwest's most focused retreat properties.

Spread across 37,000 acres of Montana's Blackfoot Valley, Paws Up operates as both a working cattle ranch and a luxury resort, with accommodation ranging from private Wilderness Estates to the adults-only green o enclave. Thirty-five miles northeast of Missoula, it draws guests who want structured wilderness access — fly-fishing, horseback riding, ATV trails — without sacrificing the calibre of lodging they'd expect in a major city.

Canyon Ranch Tucson pioneered the wellness resort concept in 1978, transforming a 42-acre desert ranch into America's premier holistic health destination. This groundbreaking Tucson luxury hotel combines comprehensive wellness programming with stunning Santa Catalina Mountain views, offering personalized fitness, nutrition, and spa experiences in an alcohol-free environment dedicated to sustainable lifestyle transformation.

On the far east coast of Alagoas, Kenoa Exclusive Beach & Spa Resort occupies a narrow strip of land between Atlantic forest and ocean, just nine degrees from the Equator. Its 23 rooms combine rough-hewn stone, indigenous timber, and minimalist fixtures in a format that sits well outside the Brazilian northeast's usual hospitality register. The restaurant, wine bar, and spa draw both guests and local visitors.

Positioned directly alongside the 17th hole of the Old Course, this St. Andrews hotel anchors itself in golf's original geography while running a dining programme that spans formal Scottish fare at Road Hole Restaurant, rooftop small plates at Swilcan Loft, and the ale-and-fire atmosphere of Jigger Inn. Recognised in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels with 94.5 points, it holds a Google rating of 4.7 from over 1,200 reviews.

Aman Venice occupies Palazzo Papadopoli, a meticulously preserved Renaissance palace on the Grand Canal, with 24 rooms, a 2,800-square-foot water-facing garden, and the only Grand Canal garden in the city. Rated 97.5 points by La Liste Top Hotels (2026), ranked #79 by World's 50 Best Hotels (2025), and awarded three Michelin Keys (2024), it operates at the top tier of Venetian luxury accommodation.

A 1930s former Danish embassy converted into 78 rooms of considered luxury, SO/ Berlin Das Stue sits on the edge of the Tiergarten with direct zoo access from the bar terrace. Scored 94.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it holds its own against Berlin's Michelin-keyed competition through a combination of Patricia Urquiola interiors, a Susanne Kaufmann spa, and a private art collection spanning Avedon, Newton, and Penn.

Occupying a landmark Nob Hill mansion that has been drawing guests since the early twentieth century, The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco sits at the intersection of architectural gravity and considered luxury. The building earned its first recognition in 1994 and holds 91 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. The JCB by Jean-Charles Boisset Tasting Lounge and club-level amenities anchor its position among San Francisco's most formally credentialed hotels.

Open since 2008 and recognised by La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking with 92 points, The Ritz-Carlton, Denver occupies 14 floors of a 37-story tower on Curtis Street in downtown Denver. Club Level rooms offer a dedicated lounge with continuous food service and concierge access, while Elway's steakhouse and a 6,000-square-foot spa anchor the property's leisure offering.

Open since 1901, the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi occupies a classical white building in the French Quarter, two blocks from Hoan Kiem Lake. Its 358 rooms divide between the restored Heritage Wing and the neoclassical Opera Wing, with suites named after former guests including Graham Greene and Charlie Chaplin. Rated 97 points by La Liste in 2026, it holds a clear position at the top of Hanoi's historic hotel tier.

Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab occupies a dramatic position on Dubai's Jumeirah Road shoreline, shaped like a super-yacht in permanent dock. The resort holds 386 hotel rooms and suites, 82 private residences, a superyacht marina managed by D-Marin, and a four-restaurant dining programme that draws from Greek, Asian, and global traditions across a beachfront setting in Umm Suqeim.

A Parisian luxury brand's first North American address lands in Tribeca, where Art Deco interiors meet post-industrial brick at 456 Greenwich Street. The 97-room property earned Michelin 2 Keys in 2024 and houses Brasserie Fouquet's, a rooftop bar, and a subterranean spa, placing it firmly in the tier of design-led independent luxury hotels that define lower Manhattan's hospitality character.

Terraced across 53 acres on the northern slope of Camelback Mountain, Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa offers 110 casitas, suites, and 8 private villas in Paradise Valley. The property integrates desert architecture with a 12,000-square-foot spa, signature infinity-edge pool, and the Elements restaurant and Jade Bar, placing it firmly within Arizona's upper tier of landscape-driven resort stays.

The Athens Riviera's most storied address returned as a Four Seasons property in 2019, reclaiming its status among Europe's foremost coastal hotels. Ranked 17th on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2025 and scoring 98 points in La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, the Astir Palace spreads across 74 acres of Vouliagmeni peninsula, 30 minutes from central Athens, with private beaches, fine-dining, and a 700-member staff trained around anticipatory service.

At Karlsplatz 25, the Koenigshof occupies one of Munich's most central addresses, bringing the Luxury Collection's global positioning to a 106-room property that leans into the city's contemporary, cosmopolitan character. A curated modern and contemporary art collection, a destination spa, and a South American restaurant distinguish it from the city's more traditionally Bavarian luxury options. Rates from $529 per night.

On the shore of the Beagle Channel at the southern edge of the inhabited world, Los Cauquenes Resort + Spa + Experiences frames the raw landscape of Tierra del Fuego through lenga wood and stone architecture designed to recede into rather than compete with its surroundings. The property combines adventure programming, spa facilities, and dining against one of the most geographically arresting backdrops in South America.

Set on 155 metres of beachfront in Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula, Nantipa occupies 2.3 hectares of carefully landscaped grounds with 29 bungalows, villas, and suites. The property's restaurant, Manzu, sits directly on the beach under open skies, while the Numu Wellness Center anchors a program that runs from morning yoga to full spa treatments. It is a compact, design-led property in one of Costa Rica's more concentrated surf-and-wellness destinations.

A privately owned boutique property on Praça Luís de Camões, Bairro Alto Hotel earns 91.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking and holds Leading Hotels of the World membership. With 87 rooms across four categories, rooftop river views, a Susanne Kaufman spa, and BAHR's fine Portuguese kitchen, it anchors the upper tier of independent Lisbon accommodation at rates from $482 per night.

Villa La Coste, rated 97 points by La Liste Top Hotels 2026 and awarded Michelin 3 Keys, occupies 600 acres of Provençal parkland in Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade. Its 28 suites sit alongside architecture by Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando, and Oscar Niemeyer, a vineyard designed by Jean Nouvel, and a dining programme that includes Francis Mallmann's first European restaurant. Rates from $1,162 per night.

The first Four Seasons to open in Europe, the Park Lane address has held its position in Mayfair's upper tier for more than fifty years through a series of tasteful renovations rather than reinvention. Across 196 rooms, many with private balconies overlooking Hyde Park or the city skyline, the hotel combines warm contemporary interiors with a tenth-floor spa and Pavyllon London under chef Yannick Alléno. La Liste awarded it 98.5 points in 2026.

Positioned between Nervi's celebrated park gardens and the Ligurian Sea, Capitolo Riviera is a contemporary hotel that places design confidence alongside a setting of considerable natural weight. The property represents a deliberate shift in how the eastern Genoese Riviera presents itself to international travellers seeking something more considered than the standard resort formula.

A 19th-century fixture on Interlaken's Höheweg, the Victoria-Jungfrau earned Michelin 2 Keys in 2024 and a La Liste score of 94.5 points in 2026 alongside Leading Hotels of the World membership. With 216 rooms, a full-scale Spa Nescens, and direct proximity to the Bernese Oberland's lakefront and mountains, it occupies the upper tier of Switzerland's grand hotel tradition — updated carefully enough to remain relevant without abandoning its architectural character.

Among South Beach hotels, The Setai occupies a distinct position: Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rated, Michelin 2 Keys recognised, and La Liste-ranked at 98.5 points, it pairs an Art Deco building with a 40-storey aquamarine tower directly on Collins Avenue. The design draws from Shanghai and Southeast Asia rather than the usual pastel playbook, and the three temperature-varied pools, Valmont spa, and Asian-focused dining reinforce a property that reads more like a private resort than a beach hotel.

On the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, The Peninsula Bangkok has anchored the upper tier of Thai capital luxury since 1998. Its W-shaped tower ensures river views from all 370 rooms, while three restaurants, a colonial-style spa, and a private fleet that includes Rolls-Royces and a helicopter position it among Bangkok's most complete hotel propositions. La Liste awarded it 97.5 points in 2026; Michelin awarded 2 Keys in 2024.

Positioned on a hillside above the Lakes of Killarney, Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa offers 74 rooms and suites with panoramic lake and mountain views, a 10,000-square-foot spa with 11 treatment rooms, and contemporary dining. The five-star property sits just outside Killarney Town, placing it within reach of Kerry's most celebrated landscapes while maintaining a remove that makes the setting its primary architectural statement.

Amanwana occupies a protected marine reserve on Moyo Island, West Nusa Tenggara, where the Aman group's signature low-footprint design philosophy reaches one of its most literal expressions: tented jungle camps set against a coastline that sees a fraction of the traffic directed at Bali. The property sits within a wildlife reserve, which shapes everything from access to architecture to daily rhythm.

The only hotel inside Brazil's Iguaçu National Park, Hotel das Cataratas sits within park boundaries on the Brazilian side, granting guests private access to the falls at dawn and dusk when day-trippers have long since left. The ice-cream pink colonial facade, 187 rooms dressed in Portuguese-style rosewood and hand-painted tile, and a World's 50 Best Hotels ranking (#76, 2025) make the location argument almost secondary — almost.

Open since 1924 and ranked #78 on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2025, Gleneagles occupies 850 acres of Perthshire countryside with three championship golf courses, Scotland's only two-Michelin-starred restaurant, and a whisky bar pouring over 400 drams. The design moves between Edwardian grandeur and modern Scottish restraint, with 222 rooms that balance heritage fabrics against a quietly contemporary sensibility.

Opened in September 2023 at Fashion Island, Pendry Newport Beach brings art deco-inspired design and a resort-like atmosphere to Orange County's most polished retail address. The 295-room property earned a Michelin 1 Key in 2024 and houses multiple dining venues, a substantial spa, and the Elwood Club — the Pendry brand's first members-only wing. Rooms start at 400 square feet, with rates from $418 per night.

Winterlake Lodge sits 198 trail miles northwest of Anchorage on the Historic Iditarod Sled Dog Race Trail, accessible only by floatplane or ski-plane. Six hand-built knotty pine guest cabins overlook a two-mile finger lake in the western Alaska Range. Complimentary cooking classes, wine tastings, yoga, and daily wilderness excursions are included for all guests.

Set against granite outcrops above Liscia di Vacca bay, Hotel Pitrizza occupies a quieter position on the Costa Smeralda than its Porto Cervo neighbours, yet sits ten minutes from the resort's boutiques and marina. Accommodation ranges from classic rooms with terrace views to multi-bedroom villas with direct sea access. The Grill restaurant and a saltwater pool anchor the on-site experience.

Voted the No. 1 hotel in Texas by Condé Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards in 2024, The Crescent Hotel sits at the intersection of Fort Worth's downtown, Cultural District, and historic neighborhoods. The property pairs art-forward guest rooms with Canyon Ranch wellness facilities and two dining spaces, including the Mediterranean-focused Emilia's, positioning it as the city's most culturally anchored luxury address.

Regent Porto Montenegro anchors a purpose-built nautical village on the Bay of Kotor waterfront in Tivat, where a former Yugoslav Navy shipyard has been remade into a superyacht marina and leisure compound. The 175-room hotel channels Venetian palazzo architecture through local stone, terracotta roofing, and maritime interiors by designer Tino Zervudachi. Rates from $353 per night position it at the upper end of Montenegro's Adriatic hotel market.

Set inside a 19th-century building on Calle Velázquez in Madrid's Salamanca district, BLESS Hotel Madrid sits along the Golden Mile shopping corridor and holds membership in the Leading Hotels of the World. A 2026 La Liste Top Hotels score of 94 points places it in a credentialed tier of Madrid luxury addresses, operating with a design-forward identity distinct from the city's grand palace hotels.

Voted No. 1 Hotel in Greece by Condé Nast Traveler in its debut year, THE DOLLI at Acropolis occupies a 46-room hôtel-maison on Mitropoleos 49 in Athens' historical centre, with Acropolis views from its rooftop infinity pool and restaurant. The property positions itself at the intersection of private apartment intimacy and city-hotel access — a format gaining traction across European heritage cities.

Positioned on the edge of Melbourne's CBD at 1 Parliament Square, Park Hyatt Melbourne sits between Fitzroy Gardens and the Parliamentary precinct, placing guests within walking distance of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Collins Street retail, and St Patrick's Cathedral. Recognised by La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels with 93 points and rated 4.6 across more than 2,400 Google reviews, it represents the established tier of Melbourne's inner-city luxury hotel set.

Conrad Bora Bora Nui sits on Motu To'opua, a private islet reached by boat from Motu Mute Airport, placing it among Bora Bora's most geographically removed resort addresses. Part of the Hilton Worldwide portfolio, the property holds 114 villas across overwater, beachfront, garden, and hillside configurations. Google reviewers rate it 4.6 from 996 responses, a signal of consistent delivery at scale.

Housed in a 1930s Beşiktaş building on the European shore of the Bosphorus, Bosphorus earned 94 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking and placed fifth in Condé Nast's 2025 Best Hotels list. Its 186 rooms, dual dining concept spanning Cantonese and all-day Turkish fare, and a collection of more than 1,000 artworks position it at the upper tier of Istanbul's international luxury hotel market.

Rambagh Palace earned 99 points from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, placing it among a narrow tier of palace conversions that function as working luxury hotels rather than heritage museums. Set on Bhawani Singh Road in Jaipur, the property represents the Rajput tradition of ceremonial hospitality translated into contemporary hotel keeping, where scale, staff ratio, and architectural grandeur all operate at a register that few addresses in Rajasthan match.

A 61-room boutique hotel in the Marais awarded a Michelin 1 Key (2024) and Gault & Millau 5pts Exceptional (2025), Le Grand Mazarin sits at 17 Rue de la Verrerie with rates from $736. Designer Martin Brudnizki's maximalist interiors attract the fashion and design set, while chef Assaf Granit's Boubalé restaurant — rooted in Eastern European Ashkenazi cooking — anchors the property firmly in the neighbourhood's social life.

A Gothic Revival mansion built in 1876 on the Holywood Hills above Belfast Lough, Culloden Estate and Spa sits within 12 acres of private woodland and gardens. Once the official residence of the Bishops of Down, it now operates as one of Northern Ireland's most architecturally significant country house hotels, combining period stonework and ecclesiastical heritage with contemporary spa facilities.

A former Franciscan monastery on the hillside above Florence, Villa San Michele holds a La Liste score of 92.5 and a Michelin 1 Key, with a façade attributed to Michelangelo and views across the Florentine city lights from its La Loggia restaurant. The 46-room Belmond property is currently undergoing renovation and is set to reopen in 2026, making now the moment to plan ahead for one of Tuscany's most architecturally significant hotel stays.

Occupying two restored colonial buildings in Singapore's Civic District, The Capitol Kempinski sits at the intersection of heritage architecture and contemporary luxury. With 157 rooms across 50-plus configurations, Singapore's only outdoor saltwater pool, and Restaurant 15 Stamford by Alvin Leung on-site, it belongs to a distinct tier of historically grounded luxury hotels in the city. A Leading Hotels of the World member since 2025.

InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta redefines Southern luxury in the heart of Atlanta's most prestigious district, where 422 elegantly appointed rooms and suites blend regional heritage with international sophistication. Recently transformed by acclaimed designers and crowned Atlanta's #1 hotel by Travel + Leisure, this distinguished property features James Beard winner Scott Conant's Americano restaurant and exclusive Club InterContinental amenities.

Perched at roughly 2,000 metres on Oman's Hajar Mountains, Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort occupies one of the Arabian Peninsula's most dramatic cliff-edge positions. Recognised by La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking with a score of 93 points, it places among the region's most seriously rated mountain properties. For context on the wider Nizwa hospitality scene, see our <a href="https://www.enprimeurclub.com/hotels/nizwa">full Nizwa hotels guide</a>.

Reopened in 2023 after a multi-million-dollar renovation, The Ritz-Carlton, Naples occupies Vanderbilt Beach Road as Florida's Gulf Coast shifts its luxury accommodation tier upward. Five distinct dining concepts, 474 refreshed rooms, and a new 14-floor Vanderbilt Tower with Club Level rooms position it as the reference point for beachside luxury on Florida's southwest shore. A Google rating of 4.7 across 2,658 reviews reflects consistent delivery at scale.

Pacific Resort Aitutaki sits on one of the South Pacific's most photographed lagoons, offering thatched beachfront bungalows and villas that place it firmly within the small-property, design-led tier of Cook Islands accommodation. The resort's architecture draws directly from Polynesian vernacular tradition, with open-air structures framing views across Aitutaki's shallow turquoise waters. For travellers choosing between the region's premium island properties, this is one of the more considered options in the group.

Since 1947, The Colony Hotel has anchored Palm Beach's social calendar in a shade of pink that has become inseparable from the town's identity. Located on Hammon Avenue, a short distance from Worth Avenue and the Atlantic, it has served as a discreet second home for politicians, celebrities, and long-standing local regulars drawn as much by its famous cocktail bar as by its rooms.

The first private game lodge built inside Zambezi National Park, Victoria Falls River Lodge occupies a stretch of riverbank so close to the falls that the spray is visible from the suites. Nineteen accommodations split between tented riverbank suites and raised island treehouses on Kandahar Island place it at the intersection of wilderness immersion and considered design in one of southern Africa's most demanding safari settings.

A five-star boutique property in the village-scale pocket of Double Bay, InterContinental Sydney Double Bay trades on 140 balconied rooms, a rooftop pool with harbour-adjacent views, and a New York-style steakhouse that anchors the dining program. It occupies a distinct position in Sydney's luxury hotel tier: smaller in footprint than the CBD flagships, but more intimate in character and closer to the Eastern Suburbs' high-end retail and café culture.

At Hyde Park Corner, where Mayfair meets Knightsbridge, The Lanesborough occupies a Regency-era building whose interiors run to 2,100 sheets of gold leaf, trompe l'oeil paintwork, and 24-hour butler service across all 93 rooms. La Liste ranked it at 98.5 points in 2026. The Library Bar holds one of London's most concentrated collections of vintage cognac, and the Garden Room cigar lounge operates as a near-secret among even regular London visitors.

Open since 1906 at 150 Piccadilly, The Ritz London has shaped the language of luxury hospitality for over a century. Its 136 rooms wear Louis XVI décor with gold fixtures and marble bathrooms, while the Palm Court and Ritz Restaurant set the standard for grand public spaces in Britain. A Leading Hotels of the World member with 97 points from La Liste 2026.

Set across 37 acres of Mediterranean greenery above the coves of Baja Sardinia, 7Pines Resort occupies a tier of Italian coastal luxury defined by design restraint, botanical scale, and genuine culinary ambition. Seventy-five rooms and suites, four private coves, and a multi-outlet dining program anchored by Chef Pasquale D'Ambrosio place it firmly in the design-led, low-density category of resort that Sardinia's north-east coastline does particularly well.

A 1930s former electricity headquarters in Oslo's Frogner neighbourhood, Sommerro converts Art Deco institutional grandeur into 250-room luxury hotel. The property runs five distinct restaurants and bars, a restored 1932 public bathhouse spa, and a year-round heated rooftop pool, placing it firmly at the upper end of Oslo's heritage-conversion hotel tier. Rates from $261 per night.

On Mauritius's northwest coast, The Oberoi Beach Resort occupies 20 acres of landscaped tropical garden above Turtle Bay's lagoon. Thai architect Lek Bunnag and landscape architect Bill Bensley shaped 71 thatched-roof pavilions and villas into one of the Indian Ocean's most design-considered resort properties, earning 97.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. Rates from $1,081 per night.

Set in the Balinese rainforest above Ubud, COMO Shambhala Estate operates as a structured wellness retreat rather than a conventional luxury hotel. Thirty-one suites and villas across five private residences, spring-fed pools, and a team of specialists spanning Ayurveda, nutrition, and Oriental medicine place it at the serious end of the wellness-resort category. Rated 90.5 points by La Liste in 2026, with rates from $1,690 per night.

Awarded 90.5 points by La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, The Palms Turks and Caicos sits on Grace Bay in The Bight Settlement, placing it among the Caribbean's most formally recognised luxury properties. The address on Princess Drive positions it directly within reach of one of the world's consistently rated beach stretches, and the property competes in a peer set that includes some of the region's most selective resort offerings.

Built in 1889 during Aspen's silver boom, Hotel Jerome holds a Michelin Key and sits at the centre of Main Street with 93 rooms starting at 525 square feet. The mountain-modern interiors, redesigned by Todd-Avery Lenahan in 2012, combine Victorian atmosphere with contemporary wellness amenities, including a spa, two hot tubs, and a newly redesigned pool terrace backed by views of the Elk Mountain Range.

Operating since 1879, the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof is Zermatt's original grand hotel address, where marble bathrooms, oversized rooms, and a professional staff of the traditional European school sit opposite one of the Alps' most recognizable mountain silhouettes. Most of the 78 rooms include balconies facing the Matterhorn directly, making the view an architectural feature rather than an afterthought.

Designed by Costa Rican architect Ronald Zürcher around the forms of cocoons and seashells, Andaz Peninsula Papagayo sits above Culebra Bay on a protected stretch of Guanacaste coastline less than an hour from Liberia airport. The 153-room property belongs to Hyatt's Andaz line and positions itself at the intersection of environmental sensitivity and social luxury, with two private beaches, cascading infinity pools, and an 11,000-square-foot spa. Rates from $600 per night.

Park Hyatt Sydney transforms Australia's most coveted waterfront address into an intimate luxury sanctuary, where 155 rooms and suites with private harbour-view balconies overlook the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, while 24-hour butler service and specially commissioned Australian artworks define this Category 8 harbourfront retreat.

Set on granite outcrops above the Save River valley within Zimbabwe's 130,000-acre Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Singita Pamushana Lodge earned 90.5 points from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking. Seven suites with private pools and outdoor bathrooms anchor an all-inclusive program spanning rhino tracking, wild dog research, and community-sourced contemporary African cuisine.

A Leading Hotels of the World member on Sardinia's northeastern tip, Hotel Capo D'Orso Thalasso and Spa occupies a granite-sculpted headland above the Straits of Bonifacio, where the architecture defers entirely to the rock formations around it. The property sits within the Costa Smeralda corridor, positioning it against a peer set that prizes landscape integration over interior grandeur. For thalassotherapy and coastal seclusion, it represents one of the cleaner arguments in the Gallura region.

A 21-story new-build in Nashville's SoBro district, The Joseph landed on Condé Nast Traveler's Best Hotels list in 2025 and carries a collection of nearly 1,000 original artworks across its floors. The hotel houses four distinct food and drink concepts, a rooftop spa, and a customizable minibar program, positioning it as one of the more considered luxury addresses in a city where the hotel market has grown sharply since 2020.

Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence occupies the western bank of the Nile in Giza, marking the brand's first presence in Egypt. The property's 262 rooms rank among Cairo's largest, while on-site offerings range from the floating First Nile Boat to private Egyptologist-led museum tours. A Google rating of 4.7 across nearly 10,000 reviews reflects sustained guest confidence over two decades of operation.

On Kihavah Huravalhi Island in Baa Atoll's UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas operates at the upper tier of Maldives overwater architecture, with 80 villas, a purpose-built overwater observatory, and a medical-grade spa that arrived in the archipelago before comparable facilities elsewhere. A 2026 La Liste Top Hotels score of 90 points and a Google rating of 4.9 across 601 reviews position it firmly within the Maldives' most closely watched resort set.

Dromoland Castle in County Clare occupies a 19th-century Gothic Revival pile with roots stretching back to the O'Brien clan's rule of medieval Ireland. The 75-room hotel sits within wooded parkland near Shannon Airport, offering formal fine dining at the Earl of Thomond Restaurant alongside golf, shooting, and estate activities. Pricing is available on request, positioning it firmly at the upper tier of Irish castle hotels.

On ten acres above Squam Lake in Holderness, New Hampshire, Van Horn Estate occupies a position that few small New England retreats can match: genuine architectural character, two distinct dining formats, and a spa under the same roof, two hours from Boston. With 20 accommodations ranging from lake-view rooms with wood-burning fireplaces to spa-style suites, it operates as a self-contained property in a region better known for rustic lodges than refined estate stays.

On Ocean Avenue where Santa Monica's coastal light hits hardest, the Regent Santa Monica Beach operates at a tier where rates are quoted on request and the 167-room inventory rarely discusses itself loudly. Floor-to-ceiling Pacific views, a soft-palette interior program, and direct beach path access position it inside Los Angeles's premium oceanfront conversation, a category with very few genuine participants.

Nobu Hotel London Portman Square occupies a 243-room property on Marylebone's Portman Square, holding the 2025 World Travel Award for England's Leading Lifestyle Hotel. The hotel integrates Nobu Restaurant, Nobu Bar, Nobu Terrace, and The Lounge under one roof, alongside a wellness floor that houses the world's first Nobu Pilates Reformer studio. It operates at the intersection of global brand hospitality and central London's residential quiet.

Borgo Santo Pietro transforms an 800-year-old Tuscan estate in Chiusdino into Italy's most authentic luxury sanctuary, where Michelin-starred farm-to-table dining, organic agriculture across 300 acres, and meticulously restored medieval architecture create an unparalleled countryside retreat near the Gothic Abbey of San Galgano.

Occupying a ten-story historic building on Plaza del Carmen, Thompson Madrid by Hyatt positions itself in the design-led boutique tier of Madrid's luxury hotel market. Its 174 rooms and suites, including a two-story Penthouse Suite, draw on warm timber, leather, and marble to interpret Madrilenian residential style. The rooftop terrace offers direct views over the city's characterful roofscape.

The Fairmont Empress has anchored Victoria's Inner Harbour since 1908, earning a Michelin 1 Key in 2024 and remaining the city's most formally credentialed hotel. With 464 rooms, a Willow Stream Spa offering 85 services, and afternoon tea served on china gifted by Queen Elizabeth in 1939, it operates at a tier that no comparable Victoria property has matched. Practical entry starts around $280 per night.

A 5,000-acre medieval estate in the Val d'Orcia UNESCO zone, Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco operates at a tier above most Tuscan countryside hotels — 42 rooms and 11 private villas, a Michelin-starred restaurant, an on-site Brunello di Montalcino winery, and Italy's only private 18-hole golf course, all contained within preserved agricultural land that has been intact for nine centuries.

Sandy Lane Hotel has anchored Barbados's west coast prestige since 1961, drawing a celebrity clientele from Frank Sinatra to Mick Jagger and maintaining that reputation through decades of recalibration. The 47,000-square-foot spa ranks as the largest in the Caribbean, and the Green Monkey golf course — built at an estimated $25 million — remains accessible only to hotel guests. A Leading Hotels of the World member rated 98 points by La Liste in 2026.

Among the Seychelles' most architecturally considered properties, Cheval Blanc Seychelles occupies a private peninsula at Anse Intendance on Mahé, placing LVMH's luxury maison format against one of the Indian Ocean's most dramatic shorelines. Fifty-two villas split between forested hillside and beachfront, with a Guerlain spa and multiple dining venues, set the property in a specific tier: small in scale, uncompromising in execution.

A 127-room estate hotel in Straffan, Co. Kildare, The K Club occupies a nineteenth-century manor set within one of Ireland's most recognisable golf and country house properties. The Barton Restaurant, recognised with a White Star by Star Wine List in 2023, anchors its dining offer. For visitors approaching from Dublin, the Kildare countryside arrival sets the tone before you reach the door.

Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa sits on the crescent-shaped lagoon of Baie de Grand Cul de Sac, within the Nature Reserve of St. Barts. Its 44 rooms and two private villas frame a dining programme spanning fine-dining Abyss, the relaxed Amis St. Barth, and a zodiac-themed cocktail bar. La Liste scored it 95 points in 2026, placing it among the Caribbean's most decorated small-luxury properties.

A La Liste Top Hotels member scoring 92 points in 2026, Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne occupies a historic building with a newer wing and gardens between Lake Geneva and the city centre. With 215 rooms and a 1,500m² spa including indoor and outdoor pools, rates begin around $405 per night. Leading Hotels of the World membership places it in Lausanne's upper tier alongside Beau-Rivage Palace and Lausanne Palace and Spa.

A Leading Hotels of the World member on Stockholm's waterfront since 1874, Grand Hôtel Stockholm faces the Royal Palace across Strömmen and holds one of Sweden's most decorated wine programs, with Star Wine List Grand Prix wins in 2020 and 2022. Its 279 rooms span classical European furnishings, Italian marble baths, and harbour views, with dining guided by chef Mathias Dahlgren across two distinct restaurant concepts.

Occupying a 1927 landmark at the corner of Newbury Street and the Boston Public Garden, The Newbury Boston holds Michelin 2 Keys and a 96-point La Liste Top Hotels rating for 2026. With 286 rooms, 90 suites, interiors by Alexandra Champalimaud, and a 17th-floor Italian restaurant designed by Ken Fulk, it competes directly with Boston's leading luxury addresses on history, location, and design pedigree.

A contemporary interpretation of Minoan architecture spread across lagoon-threaded grounds between a nature reserve and two sandy beaches near Heraklion, Amirandes is among Crete's most spatially ambitious resort properties. Seven restaurants, beachfront villas with private pools, and an Olympic-sized seafront pool define the physical scale. The Grecotel group's flagship Cretan property operates year-round, with enhanced villas and suites positioned for both summer and winter stays.

D Maris Bay occupies a protected nature reserve on Turkey's Datça Peninsula, where the Aegean and Mediterranean converge. A Leading Hotels of the World member with 196 rooms, five beaches, a sprawling spa, and more than a dozen restaurants and bars, it operates at the furthest end of the resort spectrum from mass-market Aegean tourism. The design reads modern and grounded, with Turkish artwork and direct views of volcanic ridgelines and turquoise water.

Set in the quiet Karen suburb with Ngong Hills on the horizon and Nairobi National Park minutes away, Hemingways Nairobi SLH is a 45-suite all-butler property that operates at a remove from central Nairobi's pace. Rates from $507 per night place it in the upper tier of the capital's boutique hotel market, with a brasserie, bar, and estate grounds that make it a coherent base for both city stays and safari transitions.

A Leading Hotels of the World member set among centuries-old olive groves on the Adriatic coast of Puglia, Masseria San Domenico occupies a converted 15th-century watchtower estate between Fasano and the sea. The property operates within a small tier of farmhouse hotels in the Valle d'Itria that prioritise agricultural heritage and low-density hospitality over resort-scale amenity. For travellers arriving in high summer, advance planning is essential.

On Pennsylvania Avenue, a block from the White House, the Willard InterContinental has anchored Washington's political and social life since 1846. The hotel's 335 rooms and suites sit inside a Beaux-Arts shell that has hosted presidents, diplomats, and deal-makers across seventeen decades. Café du Parc, the Round Robin Bar, and afternoon tea in Peacock Alley give guests three distinct reasons to stay planted on site.

A former eleventh-century monastic village in the Chianti hills, Castel Monastero has operated as a Leading Hotels of the World member property from late March through December, with 70 rooms distributed across stone buildings that retain the vaulted ceilings and rough-hewn walls of their medieval origins. Two restaurants, an indoor-outdoor pool complex, and a full spa complete a property priced from $564 per night.

A private villa of 836 square metres set within the grounds of Nymphenburg Palace, the Kempinski Royal Residence offers something structurally different from Munich's hotel tier: not a room in a building, but an entire residence inside a working royal garden. Bespoke dining, formal garden access, and Bavarian cultural programming place it outside standard luxury hotel comparisons entirely.

Amanjiwo occupies a hillside position in central Java that no other luxury property can claim: direct sight lines to Borobudur, the 1,300-year-old Buddhist monument and Indonesia's most significant ancient site. Thirty-one suites echo the temple's stone forms and stepped geometry, while guests hold exclusive dawn access to the monument before public hours. Rates from $1,250 per night.

A restored 19th-century cattle processing plant 5km from Puerto Natales, The Singular Patagonia ranks among the region's top-tier properties with 57 rooms, floor-to-ceiling windows framing the end-of-the-earth landscape, and an all-inclusive format covering food, wine, transport, and guided excursions through Torres del Paine. La Liste awarded it 90 points in 2026; Condé Nast placed it 19th among global resorts in 2025.

Set across 100 acres of mangrove reserve on Mexico's Caribbean coast, Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya earned Forbes 4-Star recognition in 2023 and holds it through 2025. With 173 rooms and suites designed without a trace of tropical kitsch, a Maya-inspired spa, and restaurants anchored in authentic Mexican cooking, it positions itself in the quieter, more considered tier of Riviera Maya luxury.

The Grand York occupies one of the city's most prominent railway-era buildings, with 207 rooms placing it among York's largest hotel properties. The address at Station Rise puts guests within walking distance of the city walls, the Shambles, and York Minster, making it a practical base for extended exploration of one of northern England's most historically layered cities.

Regent Hong Kong holds the No. 1 spot on EP Club's Asia city hotels ranking for the second consecutive year, earning 94 points from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels. Positioned on Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui with harbour views that define its address, the property pairs a post-renovation interior anchored by Lasvit glass brickwork with a steakhouse programme recognised on Star Wine List.

A landmark address on Rajadamri Road, the Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel has occupied one of downtown Bangkok's most coveted sites across multiple hospitality eras, from Peninsula to Four Seasons to its current form as the Anantara group's flagship. Scoring 94.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it delivers 338 rooms, eight food-and-beverage venues, and direct BTS Skytrain access in the Ratchaprasong district.

A Michelin 2-Key boutique hotel on Yorkville Avenue, The Hazelton holds 77 rooms averaging 620 square feet, interiors by Yabu Pushelberg, a Canadian art collection curated through a dedicated art concierge, and a restaurant that anchors the neighbourhood's dining circuit. A member of Leading Hotels of the World and a 2026 La Liste Top Hotels entrant at 97.5 points, it positions firmly at the upper end of Toronto's luxury boutique tier.

Susana Balbo Winemaker's House & Spa Suites in Chacras de Coria, Mendoza delivers a boutique wine-hotel experience with seven spa suites, private gardens and La VidA restaurant. Guests enjoy in-suite spa services such as dry saunas and sensory showers, curated wine fridges stocked from Susana Balbo’s cellar, and seasonal tasting menus paired at La VidA. The Relais & Châteaux property blends modern design, volcanic stone pathways and intimate service to create a quiet, restorative stay focused on wine, wellness and Argentine cuisine. High guest ratings and Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice recognition underline its reputation among discerning travelers.

A grand Liberty-style palazzo on the Ligurian Riviera, Excelsior Palace Portofino Coast occupies a clifftop position above Rapallo with direct views toward the Portofino promontory. The property's 117 rooms place it among the larger historic resort formats on this stretch of coast, where Belle Époque architecture and contemporary Riviera hospitality share the same corridors.

Emporium Hotel South Bank positions itself at the upper end of Brisbane's boutique hotel tier, occupying a Grey Street address that places guests within walking distance of the city's primary cultural institutions. The property's rooftop infinity pool and suite-focused accommodation profile distinguish it from the larger international-flag hotels across the river. For South Bank visits centred on dining, galleries, and the performing arts, it competes in a tight peer set.

Frank Gehry's titanium-clad structure above the 19th-century Marquès de Riscal winery is among the most architecturally striking winery hotels in Europe. The 43-room property pairs Gehry's signature sculptural geometry with a two-Michelin-starred restaurant and a Caudalie vinotherapy spa, set in the Rioja Alavesa wine country of Elciego. Rates from $612 per night reflect placement in Spain's upper tier of design-led wine tourism.

Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok sits within Sindhorn Village on the northern edge of Lumphini Park, positioning 274 rooms and suites at the intersection of Bangkok's greenest district and its most connected business corridor. The hotel took Thailand's Leading Luxury Hotel at the 2025 World Travel Awards, placing it in a competitive tier alongside Pathumwan's most established international addresses.

Tierra Patagonia sits on the edge of Torres del Paine National Park, its low-profile architecture designed to disappear against Lago Sarmiento and the Paine Massif rather than compete with them. The 42-room lodge operates on a full-inclusion model covering meals, excursions, and transfers within a November-to-May season. A 2026 La Liste Top Hotels score of 93.5 points confirms its standing in the top tier of South American wilderness lodges.

Covering 156,439 acres of southcentral New Mexico, Ladder, A Ted Turner Reserve is one of the largest private conservation properties in the American Southwest. Four Rio Grande tributaries cross the land, sustaining ecosystems that run from desert grassland to pine forest, alongside bison, elk, mountain lion, and a recovering population of Rio Grande cutthroat trout. For travelers seeking scale, solitude, and ecological depth, few comparable experiences exist in the continental United States.

After a $100 million post-hurricane rebuild, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas returned with a redesigned interior that trades tired tropicalia for a modern beach-chic aesthetic across 180 ocean-view rooms and suites. Four restaurants, a 55-foot catamaran, and direct beach access make it one of the more self-contained resorts in the U.S. Virgin Islands, sitting within the Marriott International portfolio at the upper end of the St. Thomas market.

A 24-room glass-walled lodge set inside a 3,000-acre private reserve in Ecuador's Chocó-Andean Cloud Forest, Mashpi Lodge scored 95 points on La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels list and ranked 21st in Condé Nast's 2025 Best Resorts. At $723 per night, the property operates as a working conservation and research site as much as a luxury retreat, with guided forest expeditions and an aerial gondola system among its core offerings.

A five-star resort occupying a secluded cove near Vathi on Crete's northeast coast, Daios Cove positions itself at the quiet end of Aegean luxury: architecture that follows the terrain rather than overriding it, six food and beverage outlets, and a 2,500-square-metre wellness facility operated in partnership with Goco. It suits travellers who want seclusion without sacrificing resort infrastructure.

Built into Vienna's Renaissance-era city fortifications, Palais Coburg is a 35-suite luxury hotel occupying a restored 19th-century palace at Coburgbastei 4. Its wine cellars hold more than 60,000 bottles across six vaulted subterranean chambers, and its fine-dining restaurant Silvio Nickol ranks among Europe's most recognised. La Liste awarded it 96.5 points in 2026, and it holds Leading Hotels of the World membership.

Hotel d'Angleterre has occupied Kongens Nytorv since 1755, and its 92 rooms and suites carry that continuity without coasting on it. A La Liste Top Hotels score of 94 points (2026) and Leading Hotels of the World membership place it at the top of Copenhagen's luxury tier. Marchal, Balthazar Champagne Bar, and a full-service spa make it a self-contained address at the city's geographic centre.

Older than its Viennese sister by a full decade, Hotel Sacher Salzburg holds a privileged position along the Salzach riverbank in the heart of the old town. All 113 rooms carry the house's signature 19th-century character, updated without losing its essential gravity. La Liste awarded the property 93.5 points in 2026, and Leading Hotels of the World membership places it in a well-defined peer tier among Salzburg's grand addresses.

Occupying its Beaux Arts corner at 16th and M Streets since 1923, The Jefferson is Washington's most architecturally grounded boutique hotel, four blocks from the White House and steeped in Jeffersonian reference at every turn. The Greenhouse and Quill bar anchor a dining program built around seasonal produce and considered cocktails. For a city where political theatre often overshadows hospitality craft, The Jefferson operates on a different register entirely.

A privately owned boutique on Robson Square, the Wedgewood Hotel earned a Michelin Key in 2024 and holds a 4.6 Google rating across 856 reviews. Eighty-three rooms finished in antique furnishings, Persian rugs, and marble baths sit above one of downtown Vancouver's most central addresses. European-style hospitality, in-house restaurant Bacchus, and four penthouse suites with fireplaces complete the picture.

The London West Hollywood occupies a particular niche in the West Hollywood hotel market: all-suite accommodations on North San Vicente Boulevard, within walking distance of the Sunset Strip and a short drive from Beverly Hills. The rooftop pool with city-facing views positions it in the design-conscious, skyline-aware tier of the neighbourhood's hotel offerings.

United Places Hotel Botanic Gardens sits at 157 Domain Road in South Yarra, steps from the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Recognised by La Liste's Top Hotels 2026 with 91 points, the property positions itself within Australia's small-batch, design-led luxury tier — a cohort defined by limited keys, considered materiality, and an address that trades proximity to parkland over CBD density.

Nayara Bocas del Toro sits on Isla Frangipani in Panama's Bocas del Toro archipelago, a Leading Hotels of the World member ranked 20th on Condé Nast's 2025 Best Resorts list. The property occupies a remote Caribbean island setting where overwater architecture and rainforest meet, drawing travellers who prioritise seclusion and direct access to coral reef and mangrove ecosystems.

Positioned at 1 Queen Street on Waitematā Harbour, InterContinental Auckland occupies one of the city's most strategically considered addresses, where the CBD meets the waterfront. The hotel's Advieh Restaurant and Bar, Club InterContinental lounge, and harbour-facing rooms place it firmly in Auckland's upper tier of full-service luxury accommodation, with Māori heritage and Waiheke Island access woven into the broader guest proposition.

On the narrow northern arc of Eleuthera, The Cove sits where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean in a stretch of island barely two miles wide. The property's recent renovation stripped out the dated resort aesthetic in favor of white walls, modern furniture, and rain showers across 57 rooms. At a 4.6/5 Google rating from 246 reviews and rates from $994, it occupies a clear position in the Bahamas boutique tier alongside Relais & Chateaux membership.

Opened in fall 2022 on a working farm in New York's Hudson Valley, Wildflower Farms earned a Michelin 1 Key in 2024 and holds a 4.6 Google rating across 211 reviews. The Auberge Resorts Collection property offers 65 cabins, the Thistle Spa, and Clay restaurant, where the menu draws directly from the surrounding farmland. Few Hudson Valley properties combine this degree of agricultural immersion with the design discipline Auberge brings from its Napa Valley origins.

The Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates occupies a singular position in Dubai's hotel market: a desert city property with direct sightlines onto an indoor ski slope. Scored 94.5 points by La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, it pairs its well-known Ski Dubai adjacency with 20 standalone chalets — 15 overlooking the slopes, five opening onto outdoor infinity pools — plus a full amenity stack on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Open since 1929 and scoring 93 points on La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, Raffles Hotel Le Royal is Phnom Penh's most historically significant luxury address. Its 208 rooms span colonial-era Landmark suites and four Personality Suites themed around famous guests, while Restaurant Le Royal and the Elephant Bar set the dining and cocktail standard for the city. Rates from $255 per night via Accor.

Opened in September 2024, Alila Shanghai occupies a discreet address on Weihai Road in the historic Jing'an district, positioning itself above the street-level energy of one of downtown Shanghai's most active corridors. The hotel operates as an urban retreat where craft cocktails are served from a rooftop bar with city views, and a dedicated spa provides structured withdrawal from the pace below.

Shangri-La Singapore places guests steps from urban energy in a serene, garden-forward setting. This luxury hotel features a full-service Spa & Wellness centre, multiple dining venues with private rooms, and expansive outdoor pools framed by mature tropical landscaping. The property pairs refined service and attentive concierge support with spacious accommodations — from deluxe rooms to suite options — and flexible event spaces for business or celebration. Expect calm corridors, polished marble details, and the scent of fresh flowers in public foyers that underline a quietly confident, high-touch hospitality experience designed for discerning travelers seeking both convenience and privacy.

Set on 340 acres in Virginia's horse and wine country, Salamander Middleburg earned a Michelin Key in 2024 and a 95-point La Liste Top Hotels ranking in 2026. The 168-room resort, owned by Sheila C. Johnson, anchors equestrian programming around a 22-stall barn, a 23,000-square-foot spa, and culinary studios, all within a seven-minute walk of downtown Middleburg. Starting rates from $990 per night.

Positioned on the Herzliya Marina overlooking the Mediterranean, The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya operates as Israel's first luxury resort hotel, with 197 rooms and suites, a kosher fine-dining restaurant, rooftop pool, and spa. Located roughly 15 minutes north of central Tel Aviv, the property gives direct marina and beach access while placing guests within reach of both the city's cultural quarter and day-trip distances to Jerusalem and Caesarea.

A 97-room luxury resort occupying the western end of Grace Bay Beach, Wymara operates across two distinct properties: the main beachfront hotel and a separate villa compound on Turtle Tail, connected by a 6–8 minute shuttle. The Land + Sea restaurant anchors the dining programme at Sunset Cove, while the Villas + Beach Club carries Green Globe Certification for sustainable operations.

Nine oversized suites occupying a prime Kalākaua Avenue address, ESPACIO The Jewel of Waikiki operates at a scale that separates it from every other hotel on the strip. A 2026 La Liste Top Hotels score of 96.5 points and Leading Hotels of the World membership place it in a narrow peer set of ultra-boutique properties where suite footage, private amenities, and curated access define the offer.

The Loren at Pink Beach in Tucker's Town, Bermuda is a contemporary luxury accommodation blending European-inspired design with Bermudian warmth. Guests relax at the Sisley Spa, dine seaside at the Pink Beach Club with overwater seating, and unwind in two heated pools with direct private beach access. The boutique property emphasizes sustainability, seasonal seafood and attentive service, creating a calm, intimate experience on Bermuda’s distinctive pink sand. Rooms feature Sferra linens, freestanding tubs and private terraces that frame Atlantic views, while Marée Lounge offers crafted cocktails beside the pool. Listed in travel guides and praised by recent reviews, The Loren at Pink Beach pairs modern comforts with island authenticity for discerning travelers seeking privacy and wellness.

Sonora Resort occupies a private island in British Columbia's Discovery Passage, accessible only by floatplane or boat from Vancouver or Campbell River. Rated 93 points by La Liste Top Hotels 2026 and holding a 4.8 Google rating across 130 reviews, it operates in the small tier of Canadian wilderness lodges where grizzly-bear watching and true isolation define the proposition. Rates start from US$1,010 per night.

Founded in 1940 at the foot of Baja California's Mt. Kuchumaa, Rancho La Puerta is widely credited with launching the modern fitness retreat format. The resort draws guests from across North America for week-long immersive programs combining organic cuisine, structured fitness, and spa work in a setting that trades resort polish for something closer to a working hacienda.

A former Cognac distillery reimagined by architect Didier Poignant into a 92-room luxury hotel, Hôtel Chais Monnet sits on the Charente River and holds both 2024 Michelin 2 Keys and a 2025 Gault & Millau 5-point Exceptional Hotel distinction. Rates from $386 place it at the upper end of what Cognac offers, with industrial heritage architecture, a fine-dining restaurant, a cooperage jazz bar, and a full spa complex making the case for that positioning.

Perched at the summit of Èze's medieval cliff village between Nice and Monte Carlo, Château de la Chèvre d'Or holds two Michelin stars (2025), a 2024 Michelin 2 Keys distinction, and a La Liste score of 92.5 points. The 45-room property spans several absorbed village houses, placing its flagship restaurant at the highest point of an already extraordinary promontory, with views across Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat to Cannes.

Robert Redford's 6,000-acre Utah resort sits at the base of 12,000-foot Mt. Timpanogos, an hour from Salt Lake City. Ninety-five mountain cottages, eight private homes, and a new 63-room ski-in/out inn deliver year-round recreation alongside dining at the Tree Room and The Foundry Grill, a spa rooted in Sioux healing traditions, and The Owl Bar's restored 1890s counter.

Potato Head Suites & Studios on Jl. Petitenget earned 91 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, placing it among Seminyak's most recognised design-forward properties. The address sits at the heart of Bali's most commercially dense strip, where the brand's food, drink, and cultural programming has shaped the neighbourhood's social character for over a decade.

Ara Maris occupies a 49-room property on Via Correale in central Sorrento, sitting within the quieter residential belt that separates the clifftop promenade from the town's busier approaches. The address places it close to the historic centre without the noise of the main piazza, making it a considered choice for travellers who want proximity to Sorrento's core without the front-row exposure of the clifftop hotels.

Sitting on Seiser Alm, the largest high-altitude Alpine plateau in Europe, COMO Alpina Dolomites earns its 2024 Michelin Key and La Liste 94-point recognition through a circular building that echoes the peaks surrounding it. Sixty rooms and suites each have a balcony or terrace framing the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites. Full-board inclusions, ski-in/ski-out access, and a panoramic spa pool make it a credible year-round mountain property rather than a seasonal novelty.

Raffles Udaipur sits on a 21-acre private island on Udai Sagar Lake, reached by boat from the lakeshore launch. The Singapore brand's first India address holds 101 rooms and suites — many with lake views — alongside Rajasthani dining, a spa, and the brand-signature Writers Bar. La Liste placed it at 92 points in its 2026 Top Hotels ranking.

The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort sits 21 miles from downtown Charleston on a barrier island that keeps the rest of the world at a deliberate distance. Carrying Five-Star status since 2006 and a 97.5-point score in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, the 255-room property operates in the tier of American resort hotels where golf pedigree, spa depth, and architectural scale converge into a single extended-stay proposition.

Among Orlando's Bonnet Creek corridor properties, Waldorf Astoria Orlando occupies a distinct tier: a Forbes 4-Star, La Liste 91-point address that operates at a different register than its resort-heavy neighbors. Part of the Hilton Worldwide portfolio, it offers a counterpoint to the area's theme-park adjacency — polished, deliberate, and positioned firmly within the upper bracket of Florida luxury hospitality.

Rosewood Munich occupies two restored landmark buildings in the heart of Munich's old town, steps from Marienplatz and the Viktualienmarkt. Its 132 rooms and suites sit within a 19th-century banking headquarters and a 1703 aristocratic palais, framed by baroque and rococo facades. Brasserie Cuvilliés serves seasonally driven Alpine cuisine, while the Asaya Spa spans nearly 14,000 square feet. The property earned Michelin 2 Keys in 2024.

A Belle Époque landmark on Square Beaumarchais, Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo pairs a Gustave Eiffel-designed winter garden with 277 rooms, a Yannick Alléno restaurant, and access to a 75,000-square-foot spa. Awarded 96.5 points by La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking and five points from Gault & Millau's Exceptional Hotel designation, it sits at the upper tier of Monaco's palace hotel circuit alongside Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo.

Perched on a quartz mountain above the cloud forests of Atenas, The Retreat Costa Rica occupies a tier of wellness hospitality that few properties in Central America can credibly claim. Rainforest-clad yoga studios, open-air restaurants, and sun decks frame a program built around the convergence of nature, nutrition, and deep rest. For travelers whose primary goal is restoration rather than activity, this is a serious address.

Occupying seven restored historic buildings at the heart of Madrid's Centro Canalejas complex, Four Seasons Hotel Madrid holds a Michelin 2 Keys distinction and has ranked among the World's 50 Best Hotels in both 2024 and 2025. With 200 rooms, a four-floor spa, a 2,000-piece art collection, and rooftop dining at Dani Brasserie, it is the city's most fully realised luxury address for special-occasion stays.

Bvlgari Hotel Tokyo opened in April 2023 atop the Tokyo Midtown Yaesu tower, bringing 98 rooms of Italian-inflected luxury to a city already rich with high-end accommodation. Ranked #15 in the World's 50 Best Hotels 2025 and awarded three Michelin Keys, it sits at the upper tier of Tokyo's skyscraper hotel category, with rates from around $1,509 per night placing it firmly among the city's most expensive options.

A gracious 18th-century château set in the Normandy countryside near historic Bayeux, Château La Chenevière occupies a different register from the coast's smaller gîtes and functional harbourside hotels. The estate combines formal parkland gardens, a heated outdoor pool, tennis, and a gastronomic dining room in a format that positions it firmly within France's tradition of the grand château-hôtel.

Occupying a prime Marina Bay address since 1987, Mandarin Oriental, Singapore pairs 527 rooms with views across the harbour and city skyline. Rated 92.5 points on La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, the property's fan-shaped atrium, Cherry Garden Cantonese restaurant, and club-floor lounge HAUS 65 position it within Singapore's established luxury tier, with two MRT stations within walking distance.

Positioned on Third Street between the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of the African Diaspora, The St. Regis San Francisco has operated at the upper tier of the city's luxury hotel market since 2005. Earning 90.5 points on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it pairs Marriott International's butler-service infrastructure with a curated art collection and minimalist guest room design.

Santa Monica Proper earned a Michelin 1 Key in 2024, placing it in a tier defined by design-led boutique hotels rather than full-service resort chains. Kelly Wearstler's interiors span 267 rooms across a new build and a restored 1920s Spanish Colonial landmark on Wilshire Boulevard. Rooftop pool access, an Ayurvedic spa, and two distinct dining formats make it the most architecturally coherent option in its Santa Monica price bracket.

A former U.S. Army post turned Michelin 2 Keys lodge, Cavallo Point occupies the Marin Headlands just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, with San Francisco's skyline sitting directly across the water. The 142-room property splits between restored Edwardian officers' quarters and contemporary hillside structures, placing it in a niche peer set where historic preservation and modern design coexist on the same footprint. Rates start at $774 per night.

A 19th-century fort on a private island in Montenegro's Boka Bay, Mamula Island by Banyan Tree converts military stone into 32 rooms, three restaurants, four bars, and a full spa. Encircled by the Adriatic on a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it operates at a scale and remove that separates it from the mainland resort tier along the Montenegrin coast.

Set within Park City's gated Deer Crest community, The St. Regis Deer Valley is a ski-in/ski-out property with direct access to Deer Valley Resort, a daily champagne sabering ritual, and butler service across all rooms and suites. A 2020 renovation refreshed the guest rooms and introduced the Yurt Village private dining experience. The hotel sits one mile from Main Street, with a complimentary on-demand shuttle connecting guests to the broader town.

A 10-acre waterfront property on Mykonos's quieter southeastern shore, Cali Mykonos comprises 40 freestanding suites and villas arranged as a private village above Kalafati Bay. Three on-site restaurants, a 130-metre infinity pool, and a 2-to-1 staff-to-guest ratio place it in the island's upper tier of self-contained resort stays, with private boat transfers to the main beach clubs reducing the need to leave the property at all.

A 100-acre Provençal estate midway between Les Baux-de-Provence and Maussane-les-Alpilles, Domaine de Manville pairs century-old stone architecture with 30 rooms, nine private villas, and a dining programme awarded a 2024 Michelin Key and five Gault &amp; Millau points. Rates from $338 per night position it in the mid-upper tier of the Alpilles boutique hotel set, with an 18-hole golf course and spa completing the offer.

SO/Paris occupies a 19th-century building along the Seine in the Marais's quieter southern edge, where the 4th arrondissement meets the Île Saint-Louis. The property earned a Gault & Millau Exceptional Hotel designation in 2025, placing it in a tier that rewards character over scale. With a Google rating of 4.4 across nearly a thousand reviews, it draws guests who want design-forward Paris without the institutional weight of the palace tier.

At Ko Olina on Oahu's western shore, Four Seasons Resort Oahu sits 25 miles from Waikiki in a deliberately quieter register. The property earned 94.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking and organises its dining across multiple distinct restaurants, an adult infinity pool with private cabanas, a spa with Hawaiian treatments, and activity programming that extends to surfing instruction and chartered yacht cruises.

Positioned on the western cliffs of Ibiza above Cala Codolar, 7Pines Resort Ibiza earned 95 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, placing it in the upper tier of the island's design-led luxury properties. The resort operates under the Destination by Hyatt portfolio, a collection that prizes site-specific architecture and low-density formats over branded uniformity. For Ibiza, that means clifftop sightlines, Mediterranean materiality, and a deliberate distance from the club-circuit energy that defines the island's more central addresses.

The Reef at Atlantis occupies one of Paradise Island's most direct beachfront positions, with Oceanfront Suites designed around residential scale rather than standard hotel rooms. As part of the broader Atlantis resort complex, guests access 141 acres of waterscape, five celebrity-chef restaurants, and the largest open-air marine habitat in the world — all from a quieter residential tower that sits apart from the main resort crowd.

Faena New York occupies a purpose-built tower at 500A West 18th Street in West Chelsea, bringing the brand's signature aesthetic of bold design and theatrical programming to a neighbourhood already defined by serious architecture and contemporary art. With precedents in Buenos Aires and Miami Beach, the property positions itself in the tier of design-led Manhattan hotels where the physical environment is the primary proposition, ahead of food-and-beverage programming or room count.

Set across 17 acres of gardens and waterways in Hangzhou's UNESCO-listed West Lake district, Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake holds 78 rooms spread across traditional pavilions and rates from $660 per night. Forbes Travel Guide-recommended and La Liste Top Hotels-rated at 91 points for 2026, this 81-key property operates at the smaller, design-specific end of the Four Seasons portfolio, where setting and integration with the surrounding landscape carry more weight than scale.

Positioned on Wireless Road within the One Bangkok district, The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok occupies one of the city's most architecturally considered addresses, with park-facing rooms looking directly over Lumpini. Four dining concepts, a dedicated Club Lounge, and spa programming rooted in traditional Thai technique place it firmly in Bangkok's upper tier of full-service luxury hotels.

Originally built in 1953 as a state guesthouse on Renmin Square, the Sofitel Legend Peoples Grand Hotel Xi'an brings 71 rooms of European-inflected luxury to one of China's oldest imperial cities. The property's architectural eclecticism — Art Deco details, French and Russian influences, Chinese artworks — reflects Xi'an's position at the crossroads of civilisations. Starting from $252 per night, it remains a considered choice for business and heritage travellers alike.

Ranked #22 on Condé Nast's 2025 Best Hotels list, The Whitley sits in Atlanta's Buckhead district at the intersection of Peachtree Road and luxury hospitality. The Marriott Luxury Collection property draws both business travelers and leisure guests seeking a polished retreat close to the city's premier shopping and dining corridors. Its Buckhead address places it in direct conversation with Atlanta's most competitive luxury tier.

Aman-i-Khas positions itself at the intersection of Aman's signature minimalism and the raw Rajasthani wilderness surrounding Ranthambore National Park. Eleven tented suites combine Mughal and British colonial aesthetic codes with heated interiors, soaking tubs, and grounds-sourced dining at $1,800 per night — making it the reference address for premium wildlife stays in this corner of Rajasthan.

On the northern tip of Ibiza, away from the island's club circuit, Six Senses Ibiza occupies Xarraca Bay with 137 rooms, a nearly 13,000-square-foot spa, and four restaurants overseen by Israeli chef Eyal Shani. Rated 94 points by La Liste in 2026 and ranked 49th at the World's 50 Best Hotels in 2023, it positions sustainability and wellness as the operating logic, not the marketing footnote.

Titilaka occupies a solitary position on the grassy shoreline of Lake Titicaca, one of the world's highest and largest bodies of water. The 18-suite boutique property positions itself at the premium end of a route better known for backpacker lodges, with a design vocabulary rooted in earthy restraint and picture-window views across the deep blue lake. Arrival by private speedboat sets the tone for what follows.

Perched on Cap Diamant above the St. Lawrence, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is Québec City's most photographed building and one of Canada's great railway hotels. With 610 rooms across six wings, a traditional French restaurant in Le Champlain, and Fairmont Gold floors offering a more intimate experience, it earns 94 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. Rates from $256 per night.

Platte Island sits roughly 120 kilometres south-west of Mahé in the Outer Islands, and the Waldorf Astoria property here operates at a scale and remoteness that separates it from the Seychelles mainstream. Recognised by Forbes with a 5-Star rating and placed at 98 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it represents the category of private-island resort where isolation is the primary architectural decision.

Manhattan's first luxury Downtown boutique hotel, Soho Grand opened on West Broadway in 1996 and set the template for SoHo as a place to stay rather than just visit. Its industrial-gilded design by Cooper Hewitt Award-winner Bill Sofield draws on the neighbourhood's cast-iron loft history, while a permanent art collection and deep community ties keep it anchored to the block it helped transform.

On a private quay at Cape Town's V&A Waterfront, Cape Grace sits between Table Mountain's sandstone cliffs and the working yacht basin of Table Bay. Scoring 97.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, the 112-room Fairmont-managed property reads like an elegantly nautical private residence, with a maritime-themed whisky bar, South African cuisine, and a location that puts the city's dining corridor within walking distance.

Set among Santorini's interior village landscape at Mesariá, Noūs is a five-star property built around space, slowness, and intentional design. Private pools, Jacuzzis, gardens, and a meditative fire pit anchor a wellness-forward programme that reads as a deliberate counter to the island's high-volume caldera circuit. For travellers seeking a slower register on the island, it occupies a distinct position in the local luxury tier.

A Leading Hotels of the World member in Giza's Sheikh Zayed corridor, the Giza Palace Hotel & Spa occupies a large-format position in a market where scale and physical presence still carry weight. With 560 rooms, colonnaded architecture, stone-and-brass bathrooms, and a culinary program led by Chef Sergi Arola, it offers a credible base for Cairo-side travel at rates from $441 per night.

Founded in Montreal in 2012, Rental Escapes is a full-service luxury villa company with a portfolio of more than 5,000 vetted private villas across 170+ destinations worldwide. Named Best Villa Rental Company by both Travel Weekly and Travel Pulse in 2024, the company pairs a hand-picked property collection with a concierge team that handles in-villa staffing and destination experiences end to end.

Few hotels in the world commit to spectacle as deliberately as the Burj Al Arab. Rising from its own purpose-built island off Jumeirah Beach, Dubai's sail-shaped landmark turns 25 this year and earns 99 points from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking. All 202 rooms are duplex suites with 24-karat gold accents, Hermès amenities, and round-the-clock butler service.

On the northern tip of Hamilton Island, Qualia occupies a private peninsula with water on three sides — a position that frames the Whitsundays setting as deliberately as any architectural choice. Rated 93.5 points by La Liste in 2026, the 60-villa property earns its position among Australia's premium island retreats through restrained design, two distinct dining formats, and direct access to the Great Barrier Reef.

ARIA Sky Suites operates as a self-contained hotel-within-a-hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, where all-suite accommodations run to separate living rooms, private kitchenettes, and spa-grade bathrooms with whirlpool tubs and electronic Toto toilets. Butler service, a members-only pool, and tablet-controlled room settings place it in the upper tier of Strip luxury. The lobby lounge rotates its food presentation three times daily, from morning pastries through evening wine and cheese.

A 49-room estate hotel just outside Montpellier, Domaine de Verchant occupies Languedoc countryside with an interior that reads more city boutique than country retreat — by deliberate design. Gault & Millau awarded it five exceptional points in 2025. The restaurant moves between light, produce-led dishes and more traditional southern French cooking, while a full-service spa and acres of parkland complete the picture.

Owned by Telluride Ski Resort and positioned in Mountain Village at 119 Lost Creek Lane, The Inn at Lost Creek offers ski-in/ski-out access with a newly launched ski valet, rooftop hot tubs, and rooms built around timber, stone, and handcrafted furnishings. The property holds a Google rating of 4.8 from over 200 reviews and covers the full range from romantic couples' stays to multi-room family arrangements, with a complimentary breakfast buffet included in every room rate.

Banyan Tree Cabo Marqués elevates Acapulco luxury through 45 tree house-inspired villas perched dramatically on jungle cliffs above the Pacific Ocean. This distinctive 5-star resort combines Asian-inspired architecture with Mexican coastal beauty, featuring private infinity pools, authentic Thai dining at Saffron Restaurant, and the spectacular 65-foot Reflections pool suspended over Puerto Marqués Bay.

Boston Harbor Hotel occupies a prime position on Rowes Wharf, where the harbor meets the Rose Kennedy Greenway. With 232 rooms across harbor-view and skyline-view configurations, La Liste recognition at 96 points (2026), and an annual wine festival that draws serious oenophiles each winter, it anchors the waterfront luxury tier in a city increasingly competitive at the upper end of the hotel market.

Positioned within The National, Dallas' 51-story downtown mixed-use tower, Thompson Dallas brings 219 rooms, 52 suites, and a two-acre ninth-floor pool deck to the city's urban core. Three full-service dining and bar programs, a boutique spa, and the 14,000-square-foot National Ballroom place it among the most comprehensively programmed luxury addresses in downtown Dallas.

Opened in 1815 and ranked 29th on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2025, The Connaught occupies a position among London's most credentialed grand hotels. Part of the Maybourne Hotel Group, it holds 122 rooms across traditional and contemporary wings in the heart of Mayfair, with a private art collection, Aman Spa, and a room programme shaped by Guy Oliver and David Collins.

One of Venice's oldest continuously operating hotels, Baglioni Hotel Luna occupies a prime position steps from Piazza San Marco, with its own private dock and membership in Leading Hotels of the World. The Marco Polo Ballroom's frescoed ceilings and lagoon-facing rooms carry centuries of Venetian hospitality into a contemporary frame. A practical, well-located base for serious exploration of the city.

On the lower slopes of Mount Etna, Monaci delle Terre Nere occupies a volcanic estate where weathered stone farmhouses meet organic farmland and private villas. Awarded a Michelin Key in 2024 and scoring 91 points on La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, the 27-room Relais & Châteaux property combines estate-grown produce, Etna wine tastings, and open views across the lava-black terrain toward the sea.

A 19th-century ducal palace in Madrid's Habsburg quarter, Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques carries a 2024 Michelin Key and 96.5-point La Liste Top Hotels rating into a city already dense with serious luxury options. The 180-room property anchors its interior design around Velázquez's colour palette and houses Dos Cielos, a restaurant run by Michelin-starred Torres brothers. For travellers weighing palace-conversion hotels against international-brand flagships, this one argues its case through architecture first.

Where most Washington hotels face inward toward power corridors and marble lobbies, the Pendry Washington DC at The Wharf turns its back on all of that, trading monuments for Potomac views and political gravity for waterfront ease. Part of Montage International's design-forward portfolio, this 131-room property earned a Michelin 1 Key in 2024, with rooms from $486 and a rooftop sushi bar that reads more Tokyo than D.C.

One&Only Reethi Rah occupies one of the largest private islands in the North Malé Atoll, a purpose-shaped landmass that distributes 118 villas across twelve beaches. Recognised with 96.5 points on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it operates at the upper tier of Maldivian resort accommodation, where scale, marine access, and the depth of its wine cellar set it apart from smaller, design-led competitors.

Designed by architect Lucien Lagrange with a grand Parisian scale and Art Deco polish, the Waldorf Astoria Chicago sits at 11 East Walton Street in the Gold Coast, steps from Oak Street's designer corridor. All 214 rooms read more as suites, finished in Carrara marble and Italian linens. A Michelin Key and 94.5 points from La Liste 2026 confirm its position inside Chicago's top tier of luxury hotels.

Positioned on Long Bay Beach away from the busier Grace Bay strip, The Shore Club Turks & Caicos earned 91 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, placing it among a select tier of Caribbean properties rated for consistent quality. The resort occupies a quieter stretch of Providenciales coastline, appealing to travellers who want direct beach access without the density of the island's main resort corridor.

Occupying the historic Old Post Office Pavilion on Pennsylvania Avenue, Waldorf Astoria Washington DC sits at one of the capital's most architecturally significant addresses. The property earned a 2025 Forbes 4-Star rating and operates within Hilton's luxury portfolio, placing it in the tier of full-service Washington hotels that balance landmark setting with contemporary service standards. Its Pennsylvania Avenue address positions guests within walking distance of the National Mall and federal quarter.

A Leading Hotels of the World member set against the Cordillera de Sal in Chile's Atacama Desert, Nayara Alto Atacama occupies 42 rooms and suites built in terracotta adobe designed to recede into the surrounding salt mountains. The all-inclusive format covers dining at restaurant Caur, guided excursions, and access to the Puri Spa, with a three-night minimum stay and rates from $2,160.

Positioned at the top of Grafton Street and overlooking St. Stephen's Green, The Fitzwilliam Hotel Dublin occupies one of the city's most strategically placed addresses. With 139 rooms across six categories, a Terence Conran-designed interior, and a Google rating of 4.5 from nearly 900 reviews, it sits firmly in Dublin's upper tier of city-centre hotels — equally suited to cultural itineraries and business travel.

A 19th-century palazzo in the little-visited Basilicata village of Bernalda, Palazzo Margherita holds nine suites designed by Jacques Grange, a Michelin Key, and 92 points from La Liste. It is the fifth property in the Family Coppola Hideaways portfolio and occupies a quiet corner of southern Italy that most premium hotel circuits never reach.

A circa-1860s barn and a cluster of restored cottages on the Maine coast, White Barn Inn & Spa holds a Michelin 1 Key, a 2025 Condé Nast Traveler top-20 hotels ranking, and a La Liste Top Hotels score of 93 points. Rates from $929 across 25 rooms place it firmly in New England's upper tier of intimate country house hotels, anchored by a restaurant with international standing.

Hotel Plaza e de Russie sits on Viareggio's seafront in the heart of the Art Nouveau district, offering creative Tuscan cuisine and rates from US$266 per night. Positioned one kilometre from the train station and 30 kilometres from Pisa International Airport, it earns a 4.3/5 Google rating across 348 reviews. A practical base for exploring the Versilian coast and Tuscany's interior.

Positioned along the Bouregreg River between Salé and Rabat, Fairmont La Marina occupies one of the capital region's most architecturally considered hotel sites, where water gardens frame 274 rooms, suites, and long-stay residences. The property sits roughly 20 minutes from Rabat-Salé Airport and within 10 minutes of the Medina and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, making it a practical base for both business travel and cultural exploration.

Open since 1907, The Plaza has anchored the corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South through more than a century of New York history. A Fairmont-managed Four-Star property, it earned 92.5 points on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. Afternoon tea at The Palm Court, the Guerlain Spa, and rooms designed in Beaux Arts style make it one of Manhattan's most historically grounded addresses.

A 17th-century Italianate mansion set within 400 acres of National Trust gardens above the Thames in Berkshire, Cliveden House is among the most architecturally and historically substantial country house hotels in England. With 39 individually named rooms, a formal dining room, Thames boating, and a walled-garden spa, the property scored 94.5 points in La Liste's 2026 rankings. Rates start from US$648 per night.

Castello di Velona occupies a medieval hilltop fortress above Castelnuovo dell'Abate, combining 45 rooms with an on-site winery and thermal spa. The property sits within Montalcino's Brunello zone, placing guests directly inside one of Italy's most serious wine appellations. It competes in the upper tier of boutique Tuscan estate hotels, alongside properties such as Rosewood Castiglion Del Bosco and Castello Banfi - Il Borgo.

Grand Hotel Tremezzo transforms Lake Como's western shore into Italy's most romantic retreat, where Belle Époque architecture and the revolutionary floating WOW pool create an unparalleled luxury experience. This historic 1910 property features coveted Rooftop Corner Suites with private whirlpool terraces, Michelin-caliber Italian dining, and exclusive access to one of Lake Como's largest private botanical gardens.

Al Maha sits inside the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, 50 minutes from the city, offering 42 tented suites at rates from $1,409 per night. Where Dubai's coastline competes on spectacle and scale, Al Maha competes on scarcity: endangered Arabian oryx roam the grounds, activities run from falconry to desert drives, and the all-inclusive format means most guests never need to leave the reserve.

Perched above Ushuaia on Cerro Alarkén, Arakur is one of the few properties in Argentine Patagonia to hold Leading Hotels of the World membership, a credential that places it in a select tier of South American wilderness retreats. The architecture makes the most of its refined position, with design that orients guests toward the Beagle Channel and forested slopes. For travellers routing through Tierra del Fuego, it functions as both destination and base.

Open since 1912 and positioned on Plaza de las Cortes within Madrid's UNESCO-accredited cultural corridor, The Palace sits among the Spanish capital's most storied grand hotels. Its 470 fully renovated rooms draw on Belle Époque design under Rosa-Violán's direction, while La Cúpula Restaurant & Bar and the evening-focused 27 Club anchor an in-house dining program that has served the city's social circuit for over a century.

Fogo Island Inn sits on a remote Newfoundland island where cod-fishing heritage and high-design architecture converge in a 29-room property that earned Michelin 3 Keys and a 98.5-point La Liste rating in 2026. Rates from US$2,416 per night reflect both the isolation and the ambition: daily-changing locavore menus, wilderness excursions, and a community-ownership model that channels revenue back into a place fighting cultural erasure.

On the east bank of the Nile in downtown Cairo, Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza positions itself at the intersection of ancient city and contemporary luxury. With 365 rooms, ten restaurants and lounges, and a programme that includes a Pyramid-side dinner under the stars, it draws both leisure and business travellers seeking a measured, attentive base in one of the world's most demanding cities. Rates start at approximately $490 per night.

A 19th-century hospice transformed into one of Guayaquil's most architecturally singular hotels, Hotel del Parque occupies a 10-acre wildlife sanctuary in Samborondón, earning 90 points on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels list and a 4.8/5 guest rating across more than 1,000 reviews. From US$339 per night, it sits in a category of its own among Ecuador's city-adjacent properties.

The Preserve Sporting Club & Resort in Richmond occupies a distinct tier among activity-led retreats, with 51 rooms oriented around land and water pursuits rather than urban amenity. The property sits on Kingstown Road and draws guests who prioritise access to the outdoors over proximity to a city centre. For those planning a stay, lead times and room availability vary significantly by season.

On the island of Yao Noi in Phang Nga Bay, Six Senses operates 56 villa-style rooms with private infinity pools against a backdrop of limestone karsts rising from calm water. The property earned 2 Michelin Keys in 2024 and a 96.5-point score from La Liste in 2026, placing it firmly in Thailand's upper tier of design-led, low-density resorts. The journey in — luxury car to motorboat from Phuket Airport — sets the register before you arrive.

Evermore Orlando Resort reframes what a Florida resort stay can look like, combining a private 20-acre white sand beach, two Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses, and a spectrum of accommodation from self-contained residential villas to the full-service Conrad Orlando. Positioned directly adjacent to Walt Disney World, it operates at a scale and design ambition that places it in a different competitive tier from the standard theme-park corridor hotel.

At the southern curve of Regent Street, Hotel Café Royal occupies a Georgian building where Oscar Wilde, Andy Warhol and David Bowie once held court. Today, 160 rooms dressed in Carrera marble and pale-grey plaster sit above one of London's most layered in-house dining and spa programs. La Liste awarded it 97.5 points in 2026, placing it firmly among London's upper tier of grand-address luxury.

Positioned at the crown of the Spanish Steps since the 1890s, Hassler Roma is one of Rome's most recognisable address for grand-hotel hospitality, combining six generations of Swiss family ownership with a Michelin-starred rooftop restaurant and 84 individually designed rooms. Awarded a Michelin 1 Key and 97.5 points from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, it sits at the upper tier of Rome's historic luxury hotel set.

Positioned on the quiet stretch of Barro Preto Beach in Aquiraz, roughly 40 minutes from Fortaleza, Carmel Charme Resort operates at the intimate end of Ceará's coastal accommodation spectrum. With 35 sea-facing accommodations across suites and bungalows, the property leans into design-led seclusion rather than resort scale, pairing L'Occitane amenities and thermal pools with the unhurried rhythm of a working fishing village.

Perched on a forested hill above Lake Zurich, The Dolder Grand combines a century-old turreted château with a Norman Foster-designed contemporary extension to create one of Switzerland's most architecturally coherent luxury hotels. With 175 rooms, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, a landmark spa, and a collection that includes works by Warhol, Dalí, and Miró, it operates at the upper tier of Zurich's hotel market.

Set on 2,500 acres of São Paulo countryside, Fasano Boa Vista translates the group's Italian-rooted hospitality into a rural format designed by Isay Weinfeld. Thirty-nine rooms, twin 18-hole golf courses, an equestrian centre, and a restaurant that reflects the Fasano family's original reputation in the kitchen place this among Brazil's most deliberate countryside retreats. La Liste scores it 95.5 points for 2026.

Built in 1927 and known across Waikīkī as the Pink Palace of the Pacific, The Royal Hawaiian occupies one of the most direct beachfront positions on Oahu. Its 528 rooms and suites divide between the landmark Historic Building and the oceanview Mailani Tower, with dining spanning Azure seafood, the Mai Tai Bar, and private Royal Beach Club cabanas steps from the sand.

A seventeenth-century estate on the hills above Cortona, La Corte Dei Papi offers rooms and suites across a family-owned property with private spa options, a restaurant focused on traditional Tuscan cooking, and an outdoor pool. Experiences including Ferrari tours, cooking classes, and hot air balloon rides place it firmly in the activity-rich tier of Tuscan agriturismo.

Perched 1,200 feet above the Pacific within the Santa Lucia Mountains, Alila Ventana Big Sur holds a Michelin 2 Keys distinction and a 92-point La Liste ranking. Fifty-nine rooms and suites spread across 160 acres of redwood and coastal scrub, connected by winding paths rather than grand driveways. The adults-only property prioritises the landscape itself as the primary draw, with architecture that recedes into the terrain rather than competing with it.

Operating from Syntagma Square since 1874, the Grande Bretagne is Athens's most historically loaded address, earning 94 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. Gold-accented palace rooms, a subterranean spa, rooftop Acropolis views, and Alexander's Bar with its 1937 Macallan pours place it firmly at the top of the city's grand-hotel tier, managed under Marriott's Luxury Collection.

A Small Luxury Hotels of the World member on Lake Wakatipu's waterfront, Eichardt's Private Hotel operates just five suites from a building with roots in Queenstown's 1860s gold rush era. Rates from NZD $1,186 per night reflect both the address and the category: this is Queenstown's tightest accommodation footprint, positioned against a small peer set of owner-managed luxury lodges rather than the town's larger resort properties.

On a private peninsula at the west crescent of Palm Jumeirah, One&Only The Palm trades Dubai's characteristic spectacle for Moorish-Andalusian architecture, 90 rooms and villas, and a restaurant program anchored by two Michelin-starred STAY under Yannick Alléno. Scored 96 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it sits at the quieter, design-focused end of Palm Jumeirah's luxury accommodation tier.

Sitting at 1,300 metres on a secluded plateau above Seefeld, Interalpen-Hotel Tyrol is one of the Austrian Alps' most architecturally committed mountain retreats. Its 283 rooms combine floor-to-ceiling glazing, warm timber interiors, and private balconies with a 57,000-square-foot spa complex. La Liste ranked it 98.5 points in 2026, placing it firmly in the upper tier of Alpine luxury hotels.

The 1 Hotels brand has always traded on sustainability as aesthetic rather than sacrifice, and its Kaua'i property on the Princeville bluffs makes that argument most convincingly. With 252 rooms, a 2024 Michelin Key, and rates from $1,399, this is eco-luxury operating at the upper tier of Hawaii's premium hotel market — thoughtfully designed, technically accomplished, and positioned directly above some of the North Shore's most dramatic coastline.

Perched on a promontory above Gustavia's harbor, Fouquet's Saint-Barth distills the island's jet-set register into 21 suites arranged between a Main House and surrounding villas. The property anchors its identity in physical calm rather than programmatic spectacle, pairing harbor-facing terraces with a private beach club at Shell Beach and a Beefbar restaurant that looks directly onto the water.

Occupying three Renaissance-era buildings on a secluded hilltop north of Florence, Collegio alla Querce opened in 2023 as Auberge Resorts Collection's first Italian property. The former Jesuit seminary and adjacent villas now hold 83 rooms and suites, with original frescoes, coffered ceilings, and stone-lined bathrooms intact. A complimentary shuttle reaches the historic center in 15 minutes, positioning the property as a deliberate retreat from the city rather than a base within it.

Set deep within the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana's Okavango Delta, Xigera Safari Lodge (pronounced 'Kee-jera') offers 12 individually designed, solar-powered suites beneath a canopy of indigenous trees. The lodge operates as a celebration of African art, culture, and conservation — structured around guest-led itineraries rather than fixed schedules. Xigera positions itself at the premium end of the Okavango safari tier, where design integrity and ecological commitment define the competitive set.

A private island resort 15 minutes by speedboat from Cambodia's south coast, Six Senses Krabey Island positions 40 jungle-set pool villas against the Gulf of Thailand. Scoring 90 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it pairs a documented eco-philosophy with wellness programming, Khmer-inflected cuisine, and access to Ream National Park — all without sharing the island with anyone else.

Our Habitas AlUla in AlUla offers intimate, design-forward desert accommodation with Desert Wellness Spa, star-lit dining and guided Hegra excursions. Rooms pair natural stone, soft linens and floor-to-ceiling views, creating a calm, tactile retreat after day trips to rock formations and archaeological sites. Guests enjoy curated cultural programming and private transfer options for seamless arrival. The property emphasizes small-scale hospitality, locally sourced cuisine and timed experiences such as sunset terrace tastings and night-sky viewing sessions. Ideal for travelers seeking privacy, authentic regional food and easy access to Hegra, Our Habitas AlUla balances modern comfort with a respectful connection to the surrounding landscape.

Encore at Wynn Las Vegas occupies a distinct tier on the Strip: Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star rated and scoring 96 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it operates as the more intimate counterpart to its sister property Wynn. Bold Murano glass chandeliers, mosaic-tiled floors, and a dedicated Tower Suites entrance with private lobby separate it from the high-volume casino-resort norm.

Rated among Travel + Leisure readers' ten favorite Colorado resorts in 2024, Grand Hyatt Vail sits at Cascade Village with ski-in/ski-out access via a dedicated chairlift directly onto Vail Mountain. The property spans four seasons, from groomed runs in winter to Gold Medal fly fishing on Gore Creek in summer, and positions itself in Vail's upper-tier resort bracket through scale, amenities, and mountain access.

Ancora Cortina occupies a prominent position on Cortina d'Ampezzo's Corso Italia, operating under the Leading Hotels of the World membership that places it within a selective tier of Alpine properties held to consistent standards of space, service, and setting. For travellers arriving in the Dolomites during ski season or the quieter summer months, it represents a considered address on one of Italy's most famous mountain high streets.

A 19th-century clifftop palace above Praia da Rocha beach, Bela Vista stands apart from the Algarve's resort strip through careful preservation of its historic bones and a design sensibility that treats colour and craft as seriously as comfort. With 38 rooms across three houses, rates from US$479 per night, and a 4.5 Google rating across 420 reviews, it occupies a specific niche: heritage property with a genuinely urban design sensibility.

Set within a working tea plantation on the edge of Nyungwe Forest National Park, One&Only Nyungwe House is a 22-room property that earned 95.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. The design keeps the forest at the centre of the experience, with complimentary activities ranging from tea ceremonies to chimpanzee treks, and a kitchen that composes multi-course menus individually for each table.

Celebrating a decade on Palm Beach, The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba anchors the island's premium resort tier with Marriott International's full infrastructure behind it: the largest spa on the island at 15,000 square feet, a matching-footprint casino, two pools, and a Club Level floor that functions as a hotel within the hotel. Google reviewers rate it 4.6 across more than 2,000 submissions.

Occupying floors 37 to 47 of one of Mexico City's tallest towers, the Ritz-Carlton positions itself at the upper end of Reforma Avenue's luxury hotel tier, where altitude is as much a selling point as service. The 153-room property earned 90 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking and pairs its sky-high rooms with the Carlotta Reforma Sky Bar and Samos restaurant's terrace dining.

The Dunlin is the newest Auberge Resorts Collection property in the United States, set along the Kiawah River on Johns Island, 40 minutes from downtown Charleston. Its 72 rooms, suites, and 19 villas draw on classic Sea Island design: gabled roofs, screened porches, and marsh views across 2,000 acres of Lowcountry terrain. Travel + Leisure named it to their 2025 It List of best new hotels.

A Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel at 300 Gravier St in New Orleans's business district, The Windsor Court pairs 314 rooms of traditional English furnishings with bay window views of the Mississippi River or city skyline. Recognised in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking with 90.5 points, it holds a measured position among the city's full-service luxury properties.

Positioned on Miraflores' Malecón clifftop with unobstructed Pacific views, this 87-room Belmond property earned 93.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. Entry-level rooms here are Junior Suites at 484 square feet, reportedly the largest standard accommodation in Lima. The rooftop infinity pool and 24-hour Club Class lounge make it a reference point for the district's luxury hotel tier.

A 1930s hillside estate above the Adriatic, Villa Korta Katarina combines eight Baroque-styled suites with a working Pelješac Peninsula winery. Rates start from US$2,106 per night, and the property operates at a scale — eight rooms, a private yacht, and vine-to-glass hospitality — that places it firmly in Croatia's small-but-serious wine estate hotel category.

Mandarin Oriental Tokyo occupies floors 30 to 38 of the Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, combining panoramic views of Mount Fuji, Tokyo Skytree, and the Sumida River with one of the city's most ambitious hotel dining programs. Recognised with a 2024 Michelin Key, La Liste 94.5 points, and EP Club Pearl Recommended status, it holds 179 rooms and a restaurant lineup that has included a Noma pop-up residency.

Solage sits at the quieter, northern end of Napa Valley in Calistoga, where the Auberge Resorts Collection's formula of relaxed luxury finds one of its most coherent expressions. Standalone bungalows with private patios, a spa built around the town's signature mud bath tradition, and a poolside Mexican bar called Picobar define the property's character: serious amenities delivered without ceremony.

Set across 2,500 acres of native New Zealand forest outside Rotorua, Treetops Lodge & Estate earned 92.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, placing it firmly within New Zealand's small-scale wilderness lodge tier. The property operates as a self-contained estate with guided experiences, accommodation, and a dining programme oriented around the surrounding land.

A former city hall and convent complex on Oudezijds Voorburgwal, Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam occupies one of the most historically layered addresses in the city. The 177-room Accor property places Dutch architectural heritage alongside a two-floor spa, a canal-side location, and Bridges restaurant, which has built a sustained reputation for fish cookery among Amsterdam's serious dining addresses.

Six Senses Ninh Van Bay sits on a sheltered bay south of Nha Trang, accessible only by boat, with 62 private pool villas set against rock formations, forested mountains, and a coral reef. The 2025 World Travel Awards named it both Vietnam's and Asia's Most Romantic Resort. Its spa combines traditional Vietnamese treatments with Six Senses signature wellness programming in open-air pavilions that face directly onto the natural terrain.

Set on the shores of Bacalar's seven-color lagoon, Our Habitas Bacalar puts 34 tented A-frame structures on raised platforms at the edge of Mexico's least-developed Caribbean coastline. Starting from $299 per night, the property combines low-impact construction methods with Maya-influenced wellness programming, locally sourced plant-based dining, and a guest experience designed around direct contact with the lagoon and surrounding jungle.

Set among 20 private cottages on the floor of Peru's Colca Canyon, Las Casitas is Belmond's remote Andean outpost, where stone plunge pools, organic kitchen gardens, and Arequipan cooking frame a stay that is as much about place as comfort. The canyon's scale, the property's small footprint, and the on-site farm make it a different proposition from urban luxury hotels in the region.

A Michelin Key-awarded, Forbes Recommended property on Biscayne Bay, Mr. C Miami – Coconut Grove brings the Cipriani family's Italian hospitality tradition to Miami's oldest neighborhood. The 100-room hotel, designed by Arquitectonica with a nautical-contemporary aesthetic, anchors Coconut Grove's marina district and runs Bellini, a multi-regional Italian restaurant, alongside a spa and poolside dining.

A former 1924 Edwardian banking hall in the City of London, The Ned brings together 250 rooms, 17 bars, a subterranean vault cocktail lounge, and a rooftop pool under one Grade I listed roof. Operated by Soho House & Co in partnership with New York's Sydell Group, it occupies a distinct tier among London's converted-heritage hotel set, where architectural spectacle and social programming drive the offer as much as the rooms themselves.

A Leading Hotels of the World member on Nob Hill's California Street, The Huntington Hotel occupies one of San Francisco's most historically grounded addresses. Low-key by design and deliberate in pace, it operates in a tier of independent luxury where restraint is the selling point. The hotel suits guests who prioritise neighbourhood character and discretion over lobby spectacle.

Ranked #2 on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2025 and awarded 2 Michelin Keys, Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River sits in the Charoen Krung Creative District with 299 rooms, multiple restaurant concepts including a Sushi Saito outpost, and a spa grounded in Thai ritual. At $580 per night, it competes at the upper tier of Bangkok's riverside luxury market.

Amanyangyun occupies a different tier from Shanghai's city-centre luxury hotels, built on a relocated forest of 10,000 ancient camphor trees and dozens of Ming and Qing dynasty villas transported from Jiangxi province. Its 37 rooms and villas sit within a working nature preserve on the southern edge of the city, making it a retreat destination rather than a base for urban exploration. Starting from $843 per night.

Positioned on the hillside above the Gulf of Mirabello, Elounda Gulf Villas offers 18 private villas and 15 suites, each oriented toward open Aegean water and Spinalonga Island. The property sits in Elounda's upper tier of boutique villa-hotels, with private infinity pools, in-villa spa options, and a dedicated beach club connected by complimentary transfers.

On Lisbon's most formal boulevard, the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade occupies a position that few hotels on the street can match for longevity or address recognition. A Leading Hotels of the World member, it draws a clientele that returns not for novelty but for the assurance of a property that has held its place through decades of change on Avenida da Liberdade. The hotel sits at number 185, within walking distance of Marquês de Pombal and the historic Baixa.

Set on Natadola Bay, one of Fiji's most celebrated stretches of sand, InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa arranges its rooms and suites across 35 acres of beachside tropical gardens in a layout that echoes a traditional Fijian village. The resort sits 55 minutes from Nadi International Airport, placing the South Pacific's characteristic warmth and pace within reach of a manageable transfer.

Awarded a Michelin 1 Key in 2024 and 91.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal occupies the only luxury address directly overlooking the Palais Royal gardens. Its 59 rooms and 22 suites, redesigned by Pierre-Yves Rochon and refreshed in a 2023 renovation, sit seconds from the Louvre and the Tuileries — a location that shifts the calculus for first-arrondissement stays.

Spread across seven acres of hillside gardens above Santa Barbara, El Encanto is a Belmond property that earns its Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star rating through architectural restraint rather than scale. The 92 bungalow-style rooms split between California Mission and Craftsman traditions, and the 2024 Michelin Key and Leading Hotels of the World membership confirm its position at the top of the city's hotel tier.

The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul occupies the lower floors of SuzerPlaza in Harbiye, positioning it among the city's international luxury high-rises with panoramic Bosphorus views and 243 refurbished rooms. Glazed Ottoman coin replicas, cobalt-blue Anatolian ceramics, and floor-to-ceiling windows give the rooms a distinctly local texture beneath the chain-hotel format. Club Level access, a Pilates reformer studio, and proximity to Vodafone Park round out a property that appeals to travellers who want landmark views without the Ottoman heritage setting.

On Quai du Mont-Blanc, Hotel d'Angleterre occupies a distinct position among Geneva's lakeshore properties: 45 rooms and suites designed without repetition, each interior a considered collision of pattern, texture, and art. Scoring 90 points on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it operates at the intimate end of the city's luxury spectrum, where pre-arrival communication and handmade Swiss beds replace the standardised grand-hotel playbook.

At the intersection of Wilshire and the Golden Triangle, the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills operates in the upper tier of the city's luxury hotel market, earning 96.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels rankings. With 119 rooms and 51 suites across a 12-floor tower, personalised concierge service, a La Prairie spa, and a rooftop lounge with city views, it sets a specific register that distinguishes it from its Bel-Air and Wilshire corridor peers.

On Avenue George V, within Paris's Golden Triangle, the Four Seasons George V is one of the city's original palace hotels, now in its second century of operation. Three Michelin-starred restaurants, 244 rooms designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon, a 50,000-bottle wine cave, and a 2024 Michelin 3 Keys designation place it among the most credentialed addresses in European luxury hospitality. La Liste scored it 98.5 points in 2026.

Pan Dei Palais anchors the Airelles collection at the heart of Saint-Tropez's Rue Gambetta, earning 94.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. The property belongs to a tier of French Riviera hotels where address precision and brand stewardship carry as much weight as room count. For the Saint-Tropez market, that score places it in direct conversation with the town's most closely watched addresses.

Set within the Los Huemules Conservation Reserve, 17 kilometres from El Chaltén village, Explora El Chaltén opened in December 2021 as a trekking-focused lodge with direct views of the Electric Valley and Marconi Glacier. The property operates within one of Argentine Patagonia's most demanding natural environments, positioning itself as a base for serious exploration rather than passive retreat.

Located inside the curved, scimitar-shaped Katara Towers overlooking the Arabian Gulf in Lusail, Fairmont Doha delivers 362 rooms and suites across a property that earned 94 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. Fairmont Gold rooms operate as a near-autonomous tier within the hotel, with private check-in, a dedicated lounge, and a separate pool. The Presidential Suite spans 8,471 square feet across two levels, with a private cinema and wine cellar.

On Via Vittorio Veneto, the Baglioni Hotel Regina occupies one of Rome's most storied addresses, where Sicilian marble lobbies give way to leopard-print lounge chairs without apology. A Leading Hotels of the World member, it pairs classically proportioned rooms with Brunello Lounge and Restaurant's Mediterranean kitchen. The Roman Penthouse, designed by Rebosio and Spagnulo, sits at the far end of the room spectrum for those measuring a stay in once-in-a-generation terms.

Palmaïa-The House of AïA earned Michelin 2 Keys recognition in 2024 and sits inside Playacar's quieter southern corridor, where 234 ocean-facing and swim-out suites frame a program built around Maya and Ayurvedic wellness, plant-based dining across Japanese, Mediterranean, and Mexican kitchens, and adults-only facilities alongside family accommodations. The all-inclusive format here skews toward ritual and restoration rather than amenity accumulation.

Set on a ridge above Jackson Hole with unobstructed views of the Tetons, Amangani earned Michelin 2 Keys and a La Liste score of 90.5 points in 2026, placing it among the most recognised wilderness retreats in North America. The Aman property pairs sandstone architecture with suites featuring fireplaces, deep soaking tubs, and private decks. Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks sit within short driving distance, making it a credible base for serious alpine and wildlife pursuits.

A 26-room hotel occupying a seven-hundred-year-old cardinal's palace beside the Palais des Papes, La Mirande holds Michelin 2 Keys and 92 points on La Liste Top Hotels 2026. Hand-printed fabrics, original antiques, and an authentically preserved 19th-century kitchen define its aesthetic. The Provençal restaurant and cooking classes make it a considered base for exploring Avignon's walled centre.

On a 22-acre private island in the southern Dhaalu Atoll, The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort reaches guests via a 45-minute seaplane from Malé. Recognised by La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels at 95 points and operating under Marriott International, the resort pairs overwater villa architecture with a service model built around anticipatory, butler-led hospitality. Rated 4.7 from 556 Google reviews.

Perched on the Bellavista hill above Erbusco, L'Albereta anchors the Franciacorta wine country with a combination of hilltop architecture, Franco Pepe pizzas, and proximity to Lake Iseo. Rates start from US$539 per night, placing it in the upper tier of Lombardy's estate hotel category. For visitors using the region as a base for northern Italian exploration, it earns its position as a serious entry point.

A five-star hotel occupying a beautifully restored 19th-century Spanish colonial building on Plaza Independencia, Park Hyatt Mendoza places guests at the geographic and social centre of Argentina's wine capital. With 186 rooms and suites, four dining venues, a spa, and a casino on-site, it operates as a full-service urban anchor for both wine-region exploration and Andean adventure.

Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa occupies South Caicos's quietest shoreline, where 100 rooms and suites face open ocean across private lanais and generous balconies. The property sits within Marriott's Luxury Collection portfolio and draws travellers seeking the kind of remote, low-density Caribbean that the more developed Providenciales no longer delivers. For those willing to make the journey, it represents a credible answer to the question of where Caribbean luxury still has breathing room.

A Bavarian castle property in the Wetterstein mountains, Schloss Elmau earns 99 points from La Liste 2026 and three Michelin Keys alongside a two-star restaurant, IKIGAI. Four distinct spa facilities, a concert hall, two libraries, and 140 rooms position it as one of Germany's most programmatically ambitious luxury retreats, sitting roughly 90 minutes from Munich by car.

Waldorf Astoria Panama rises 36 stories above Panama City as Latin America's first Waldorf Astoria property, where 248 elegant rooms and suites command Pacific skyline views. This award-winning luxury hotel combines sophisticated dining at Matiz, the three-time awarded Panama Spa, and signature Waldorf Service in the heart of Panama's financial district.

At Omesberg 331 in Lech am Arlberg, Kristiania Lech operates at the quieter, more residential end of the resort's premium hotel tier. The property is designed to feel like a private Alpine residence rather than a conventional hotel, with specialist services including a ski valet, bath butler, and a leisure time consultant setting it apart from larger resort competitors.

Vila Vita Parc is a Leading Hotels of the World member on the Algarve's Porches cliffs, open since 1992 and home to the two-Michelin-star Ocean restaurant, ten dining outlets, Portugal's first Sisley spa, and 203 rooms and villas across 50-plus acres. La Liste awarded it 98 points in its 2026 Top Hotels ranking, placing it in the Algarve's tightest luxury tier.

A hamlet of dry-stone houses set back from the Gallura coast near San Pantaleo, Petra Segreta occupies a different register than the resort strip along Costa Smeralda. Rated 93 points by La Liste Top Hotels 2026 and sitting 25 km from Olbia-Costa Smeralda airport, it draws guests who want the Sardinian interior over the marina circuit. Rates from US$390 per night.

Grand Hotel Victoria Menaggio transforms a historic 1892 lakefront villa into Lake Como's most sophisticated luxury address, where 120 elegantly appointed rooms and suites overlook pristine waters while the 1,200-square-meter Erre Spa and Michelin-caliber dining by Chef Maichol Morandi define contemporary Italian hospitality.

The only hotel within the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle occupies a Jules Hardouin-Mansart building dating to the 1680s, reopened in 2021 with 13 rooms and suites, an Alain Ducasse restaurant holding one Michelin Star, and exclusive after-hours access to the Hall of Mirrors. Rated 98 points by La Liste Top Hotels in 2026 and awarded five points by Gault & Millau, it sits at the far end of the French palace-hotel category.

A 800-year-old castle on 350 acres bordering Lough Corrib in County Mayo, Ashford Castle earned 96 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking and holds the only Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star spa in Ireland. With 83 individually designed rooms, Ireland's oldest falconry school on the grounds, and a wine cellar stocking 3,000 bottles, it operates in a category where Irish castle hotels compete on depth of estate programming as much as accommodation quality.

At kilometre 21 of Cancun's Hotel Zone, Nizuc sits apart from the strip's high-density corridor, set within 29 acres of protected mangrove jungle along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. The property earned 96.5 points on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking and holds 274 suites across room categories that each include a private terrace with infinity plunge pool. The spa, the reef access, and the age-segmented beach setup make it one of the Zona Hotelera's more deliberately structured luxury stays.

Island occupies the upper floors of the Pacific Place tower in Admiralty, overlooking Hong Kong Park with views toward Victoria Harbour. Its guest rooms rank among the city's most spacious, decorated in formal European style with Asian lacquerwork and crystal chandeliers. The hotel's 56th-floor restaurant Petrus and a 90-foot outdoor pool are among its most discussed assets. Rated 93 points on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking.

On its own private island in Turks and Caicos, COMO Parrot Cay operates in a tier defined by physical isolation and deliberate design restraint. The 58-room resort draws from the COMO group's Southeast Asian aesthetic, pairing whitewashed modernist architecture with a wellness program that rivals dedicated spa destinations. A 35-minute boat transfer from Providenciales sets the terms of arrival — this is not a hotel you happen upon.

Santiago's only Ritz-Carlton occupies El Golf, the city's financial district, where its brick-and-green-glass exterior holds 205 rooms and a 7,440-square-foot spa with Andes-facing views. Earning 91 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, the property runs on the chain's century-old service standard and adds local texture through its Estró restaurant and a spa menu that incorporates Chilean chocolate treatments.

Wakaya Private Island sits on a 2,200-acre privately held island in Fiji, offering just ten guest bures and two private villas across a landscape of rain forest, white sand beaches, and what is recognised as Fiji's only marine reserve. The scale is deliberately contained: the ratio of land to guests makes near-total privacy the default condition, not a marketing promise.

A Victorian-era property on the shores of the Kenmare River, Park Hotel Kenmare has anchored Ireland's luxury hotel scene for over a century. Following a renovation by Kenmare-raised designer Bryan O'Sullivan, its 46 rooms sit at a point where 19th-century architecture and contemporary comfort intersect without compromise. La Liste ranked it at 91 points in 2026, with rates from €498 per night.

Park Hyatt Doha sits within Msheireb Downtown Doha, the world's first sustainable downtown regeneration project, placing it at the intersection of contemporary Qatari urbanism and international hospitality standards. The property holds 187 rooms and suites across a building that anchors one of the city's most architecturally considered districts. It was named Qatar's Leading Luxury City Hotel at the 2025 World Travel Awards.

Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach is a 290-suite all-suite condo resort occupying a 24-story tower on North Beach's A1A strip, designed by the late Michael Graves with interiors drawing on yacht culture and high-end cruise references. The property earns a 4.7 Google rating (873 reviews) and sits within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio. Suites start at 480 square feet; the sixth-floor Sky Deck pool terrace faces the Atlantic.

A 13th-century fortress remade into a neo-Gothic estate hotel on 40 acres of Umbrian countryside, Borgo dei Conti Resort sits roughly 11 miles from Perugia with 40 rooms that layer contemporary interiors into medieval stonework. Rates from US$965 per night position it in the upper tier of central Italian country-house hotels, with a spa, two restaurants, and private gardens as the operational core.

On Seminyak's Jalan Petitenget strip, W Bali occupies a beachfront position that puts ocean sunsets and the area's most concentrated stretch of bars and restaurants within walking distance. The property runs across guest rooms, villas with private pools, a 24/7 spa, and Woobar — one of the island's most-watched venues for live events and DJ programming.

The Tower at The Boca Raton sits at the apex of one of South Florida's most elaborate resort complexes, a 27-story structure that underwent a $65 million Rockwell Group redesign and earned a Michelin One Key in 2024. With 224 suites, dedicated butler service, and access to more than a dozen dining venues, it occupies the upper tier of Florida resort hotels.

A former nizam's residence perched on a hilltop above Hyderabad, Taj Falaknuma Palace operates at the upper tier of India's palace hotel category — 60 rooms across English-designed halls hung with French tapestries and Venetian chandeliers, earning 98 points from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking. Rates from $620 per night place it squarely in India's highest bracket of heritage accommodation.

Set on the edge of Windsor Great Park and surrounded by 40 acres of grounds, Fairmont Windsor Park occupies a position that few country hotels near London can match on sheer proximity to both royal landscape and Heathrow Airport. The award-winning spa runs to 18 treatment rooms, a traditional Hammam, and a cryotherapy chamber, placing it firmly in the upper tier of British spa hotels. Heritage architecture and contemporary facilities sit side by side throughout.

Built on the site of Newport Beach's former City Hall, Lido House brings Cape Cod architecture into conversation with California coastal living. The Autograph Collection property sits adjacent to Lido Marina Village, placing guests within reach of the Balboa Peninsula's beaches and marina. The Mayor's Table restaurant and Topside rooftop bar anchor the food and drink program.

Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa sits on South Ocean Boulevard in Manalapan, a small oceanfront municipality that separates Palm Beach from the broader South Florida resort corridor. The property's 310 rooms and a 94-point score from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking place it among Florida's credentialed coastal resorts, operating in a tier defined by scale, direct beach access, and spa-led programming.

On Pearl Jumeirah's private shoreline, Nikki Beach Dubai Resort & Spa places itself within the small tier of beachfront properties that trade on direct Gulf access, low-rise design, and a layered food-and-beverage program. Three distinct dining concepts — from all-day café to standalone Mediterranean restaurant — give the resort a range few comparable addresses on the same island can match.

The Delano Miami Beach returns to Collins Avenue in March 2026 after a full reimagining of the property that defined South Beach luxury in the 1990s. Art Deco bones, the landmark pool, and a redesigned Rose Bar anchor a 171-room hotel now positioned within Virtuoso's exclusive Preview Program. Four new food and beverage concepts and a holistic wellness studio complete the relaunch.

One of Edinburgh's defining addresses, The Balmoral has occupied the east end of Princes Street since 1902, combining 186 individually styled rooms, a 500-plus dram whisky bar, and the long-established Number One restaurant. Scored 99 points in La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, it sits directly above Waverley station with Edinburgh Castle views that its Princes Street neighbours cannot match.

Positioned on the edge of Boston Common and the Theater District, The Ritz-Carlton Boston completed a $13 million renovation that reframed its 193 rooms around a mid-century-meets-modern sensibility. The Rockwell Group-designed interiors, La Liste recognition at 93.5 points in 2026, and a Club Lounge with a WineStation dispenser place it squarely in Boston's upper tier of full-service luxury hotels.

A Palladian mansion dating to the eighteenth century, Carton House sits on 1,100 acres of County Kildare parkland and operates today under Fairmont management. The property occupies a specific position in the Irish country-house hotel tier: genuinely historic architecture paired with resort-scale facilities, including two championship golf courses and a spa. It is roughly 25 kilometres west of Dublin city centre, making it the most accessible grand-estate stay in the Leinster region.

A 17th-century Puglian estate converted into a 24-room boutique hotel, Masseria Calderisi sits between Fasano and the Adriatic coast on 24 acres of olive and citrus groves. The property holds a 2024 Michelin Key and runs two bars alongside La Corte, its restaurant focused on locally sourced contemporary Puglian cooking. Among the Savelletri di Fasano masseria set, it operates at a scale that feels measured rather than sprawling.

A 90-room address on the edge of Saint-Tropez's old town, Hotel de Paris occupies one of the Riviera's most recognisable positions — steps from the port, with direct access to the village's galleries, market, and waterfront. It sits in the mid-to-upper tier of the town's hotel offer, alongside properties that trade on location as much as facilities, and draws a European clientele that prefers town-centre access over the seclusion of hillside retreats.

A 500-year-old building steps from the Grand-Place, Hotel Amigo translates its layered history into a specifically Belgian form of luxury: Tintin illustrations on the walls, Magritte-inspired cocktails at the bar, Flemish antiques alongside contemporary fittings. With 173 rooms, a Leading Hotels of the World membership, and a 95.5-point score in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, it occupies a clear tier in the Brussels hotel market.

Tenerife's original luxury resort, open since 1993 and holding a Michelin Key alongside a La Liste score of 95.5 points, Bahia del Duque occupies prime beachfront in Costa Adeje. Nine restaurants, five pools, 289 rooms and 40 colonial villas across grounds planted with nearly 300 species make it the benchmark against which newer arrivals on the island are measured.

Four side-by-side 16th-century townhouses on St. Barbara Bastion, Iniala Harbour House occupies one of Valletta's most commanding positions above the Grand Harbour. With 23 rooms designed by three international studios, a two-Michelin-star rooftop restaurant, and a service model built around a dedicated head butler, it sits at the upper end of Malta's boutique hotel tier. La Liste rates it 92 points in 2026.

Keswick Hall sits on a historic Virginia estate outside Charlottesville, offering 80 rooms across grounds that connect the region's foxhunting heritage to a contemporary hospitality format. The property positions itself within the upper tier of Virginia wine country retreats, where estate scale, dining ambition, and proximity to Monticello define the competitive set.

Albany occupies 600 oceanside acres on New Providence, positioning itself as one of the Caribbean's most infrastructure-heavy resort communities. An Ernie Els-designed golf course, a 71-slip mega-yacht marina, and a spa and wellness complex give it a footprint few island properties can match. It reads less as a hotel than as a self-contained coastal town built around private ownership and resort access.

A 14th-century Dominican monastery on a quiet Malá Strana side street, Mandarin Oriental, Prague translates medieval stone and vaulted ceilings into nearly 100 rooms with no two identical configurations. Rated 93 points on La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels list, it sits at the upper tier of Prague's historic-conversion hotel category, with Les Clefs d'Or concierges and a spa set inside a former chapel.

A Leading Hotels of the World member set in a 19th-century manor on Sintra's historic ridge, Valverde Sintra occupies a position where Romantic-era architecture meets the kind of considered restraint that defines Portugal's smaller heritage properties. For travellers who want proximity to the palaces without the scale of a resort, the address on Rua Barbosa du Bocage places it within walking distance of the town's UNESCO-listed centre.

A medieval château in the Charente countryside, Domaine des Étangs holds two Michelin Keys and a La Liste Top Hotels score of 94.5 points — while doing something most castle hotels avoid: spreading its 17 rooms across the estate rather than cramming them into a single historic shell. Restaurant Dyades anchors the food program with Charente produce and a serious cognac selection.

A 32-story Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star property on Marina Bay, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore pairs Kevin Roche's angular architecture with one of Southeast Asia's largest hotel art collections — 4,200 pieces spanning Warhol, Hockney, and Chihuly. Rooms start at 550 square feet, and the La Mer partner spa was the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region. Scored 90.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking.

Perched on the cliffs above Sorrento's harbour since 1834, Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria occupies three adjoining 19th-century villas set within orange groves and parkland just behind Piazza Tasso. A 2024 Michelin Key and 2026 La Liste 90-point recognition mark it as the reference address in this tier of the Campania coast, with 81 rooms, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and a spa housed in a converted Victorian greenhouse.

Inside Carcassonne's medieval walls, Hôtel de la Cité - MGallery occupies a position that few hotels in France can replicate: a Gothic Revival property so physically embedded in its listed UNESCO World Heritage surroundings that separating the building from the citadel it inhabits is almost an architectural impossibility. Recognised by Gault & Millau with a 5-point Exceptional Hotel designation in 2025, it holds a 4.6 Google rating across more than 1,200 reviews.

Part of the Maybourne Hotel Group and holding a La Liste Top Hotels score of 98 points in 2026, The Berkeley occupies a particular position in Knightsbridge: a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star property that has quietly resisted the urge to define itself by grandeur alone. With 190 rooms, the Surrenne spa, Marcus restaurant, and the Cedric Grolet Goutea afternoon tea, it rewards guests who prioritise comfort, design cohesion, and an address that places Hyde Park and Harrods within a short walk.

Singita Kwitonda Lodge sits along a 1.2-kilometre border with Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda's Musanze District, positioning it closer to active mountain gorilla habitat than any comparable property in the region. With the park's trekking headquarters less than ten minutes away and guest suites featuring private heated plunge pools and fireplaces, it anchors a conservation-led model of high-altitude wilderness lodging that few African properties have matched.

Opened in 1933 and sitting atop Pat's Hill on 300 acres of formal gardens, The Hotel Hershey is a Forbes Travel Guide Recommended property that fuses Mediterranean-revival architecture with Pennsylvania countryside views. Woodside Cottages deliver the most substantial accommodation, while the hotel's deep integration with Hersheypark and local attractions makes it a rare resort where adult luxury and family programming coexist without obvious compromise.

Explora Rapa Nui — known locally as Posada de Mike Rapu — places 30 rooms on the world's most remote inhabited island, 3,700 kilometres from the South American mainland. Rounded forms in raw concrete and unfinished wood frame wide Pacific views, while small-group guided tours to the island's archaeological sites give the property its defining purpose. A three-night minimum applies.

Regent Phu Quoc earned 91.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, placing it among Vietnam's most decorated resort properties. The Marina Integrated Resort Complex address puts guests on Bai Truong beach with five pools, villa accommodation, and the island's only omakase counter at Japanese-French restaurant Oku. Google reviewers rate it 4.9 from 989 responses.

The Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero occupies the upper floors of the 345 California Center on Sansome Street, earning Michelin 2 Keys in 2024 and 94 points on the 2026 La Liste ranking. The 155-room property combines Financial District walkability with high-altitude bay views, a post-2022 marble renovation, and Orafo, a California-Italian restaurant with an independent following. Rooms start at $540.

At the foot of Canal Street, the Four Seasons New Orleans occupies a position that few hotels in the American South can match: a riverfront address with serious dining, a 15,000-crystal chandelier bar, and an 75-foot rooftop infinity pool. Recognized on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels list with 92 points, it sets the standard for full-service luxury in a city that rewards staying somewhere with real culinary ambition.

Occupying a narrow building where the Gothic Quarter meets Port Vell, Serras Barcelona operates in the upper tier of the city's boutique hotel scene — 28 rooms, a Michelin-recognised dining program across three distinct formats, and a rooftop pool with marina views. Awarded a Michelin Key in 2024 and 95 points from La Liste in 2026, it positions itself against Barcelona's most credentialed small-scale properties.

In Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward, where most overnight options have historically been thin, FORTH Hotel occupies a thoughtful position: 196 rooms with floor-to-ceiling park views, a Morris Adjmi-designed glass-and-concrete facade, and a rooftop bar that draws the neighbourhood as much as its guests. From the team behind Ponce City Market, it reads as a deliberate bet on where Atlanta's cultural gravity is shifting.

Silversands Grenada at Grand Anse sits on one of the Caribbean's most sought-after stretches of white sand, pairing minimalist architecture with a service culture that reads anticipatory rather than transactional. A Leading Hotels of the World member since 2025 and a La Liste Top Hotels entrant scoring 96 points in 2026, it occupies the upper tier of Grenada's small luxury hotel market.

Among Gangnam's glassy towers, Park Hyatt Seoul takes a deliberately restrained approach to luxury: a porte cochère that deflects attention, a lobby positioned 24 floors up, and guest rooms starting at 600 square feet that rank among Seoul's most spacious. Recognised in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels rankings with 94.5 points, it positions itself against other low-key, design-led properties rather than the district's more theatrical international flagships.

A European-style mountain inn at the foot of Deer Valley's Silver Lake Express lift, Goldener Hirsch has anchored Silver Lake Village for over 30 years. Now part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, the renovated property pairs its original old-world architecture with contemporary alpine residences designed by architect Tom Kundig, offering ski-in, ski-out access and year-round backcountry activities.

A family-run winery estate in the Alentejo plains, L'AND Vineyards sits 103 km from Lisbon with rates from US$251 per night. The property produces organic wine and occupies a lakeside position among its own vineyards, placing it firmly in Portugal's growing category of design-led rural retreats that prioritise agricultural context over resort-scale amenity. Rated 4.1/5 across 511 Google reviews.

A Leading Hotels of the World member on Bali's west-central coast, Soori Bali positions 46 villas across a stretch of black-sand beach where the Indian Ocean meets working rice paddies. Rates from $760 place it in Bali's design-led luxury tier, and the property sits roughly 90 minutes from Denpasar Airport in the quieter Tabanan regency.

Perched 400 metres above the Mediterranean on the ramparts of Èze's medieval village, Château Eza compresses 14 rooms and a Michelin-starred restaurant into stone walls that predate the phrase 'luxury hotel' by several centuries. It holds 2024 Michelin 2 Keys recognition and membership in Small Luxury Hotels of the World, placing it among the Riviera's most architecturally serious small properties. Rates from $633 per night.

Designed by Jean-Michel Gathy and opened in 2013, The Chedi Andermatt brings an East-meets-West design sensibility to the Swiss Alps that sits outside the conventions of traditional alpine hospitality. Its two-Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant, 16-foot cheese library, and ski butler service place it in a distinct tier among Switzerland's mountain properties. La Liste awarded it 97.5 points in 2026.

The Datai Langkawi is a luxury rainforest resort on Langkawi’s northwest coast, offering private beach access at Datai Bay, dedicated spa villas and a Nature Center. Accommodations range from rainforest villas with direct wildlife views to beach collection villas steps from white sand. Guests can wake to langur sightings, explore a 10-million-year-old forest, and follow a secluded footpath to an award-recognized beach. The resort’s Datai Pledge guides conservation-led experiences and sustainability practices, blending refined Malaysian design by Kerry Hill with modern wellness. Expect personalized service, quiet outdoor spaces, and curated nature programs that make The Datai as much about restoration and relaxation as refined beachfront living.

Operating from its hillside position above Taormina's Greek Theatre since 1873, Grand Hotel Timeo holds Michelin 2 Keys recognition and a La Liste score of 92.5 points (2026). The 70-room Belmond property anchors the town's upper tier of historic luxury hotels, with restaurant Otto Geleng serving innovative Sicilian cuisine and Bar Timeo's terrace carrying a literary pedigree stretching back a century.

Awarded Michelin 2 Keys in 2024 and listed in La Liste's Top Hotels at 90.5 points, Ambiente occupies three acres of Sedona's red rock terrain with 40 freestanding Atrium units, each designed to dissolve the boundary between interior comfort and the desert outside. The on-site restaurant, Forty1, draws on Verde Valley organic produce for its Modern American programme. Rates are available on request only.

The only grand palace hotel on Gstaad's chalet-lined main street, Le Grand Bellevue has anchored the town's luxury tier since 1912. With 57 rooms, a Michelin 2 Keys rating, and a La Liste 92.5-point recognition in 2026, it occupies a distinct position among the resort's four historic luxury properties: high-calibre without the ostentation that dominates much of Gstaad's retail strip.

Park Hyatt Kyoto occupies a low-profile position in the Higashiyama district, with 70 rooms, a Michelin Key, and a World's 50 Best Hotels ranking that has climbed from #30 in 2023 to #59 in 2025. Rates from $1,229 per night place it in the upper tier of Kyoto luxury. The hotel operates in a ryokan-influenced contemporary style, with three restaurant outlets including a Kyoto kaiseki institution dating to 1877.

Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li occupies a restored shikumen laneway compound in Xuhui, with 55 villa-style rooms ranging from 1,195 to 3,283 square feet. The property holds Leading Hotels of the World membership, scored 93 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, and houses Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire, the Michelin-starred chef's first mainland China restaurant. Rates from $667 per night.

A Spanish Colonial resort on 220 acres at the edge of Los Padres National Forest, Ojai Valley Inn has been receiving guests since 1923 and earned a place on La Liste's Top Hotels list in 2026 with 93 points. The property spans a golf course with Senior PGA Tour history, a destination spa drawing on Chumash valley traditions, and multiple dining formats from California-Italian to Sunday bluegrass brunch.

A Habsburg-era palace on the Adriatic coast, Kempinski Palace Portorož has anchored Portorož's luxury hospitality identity since 1910. Behind its grand facade, 182 rooms and suites divide across a traditional and a modern wing, with a Michelin Plate-awarded restaurant, a spa drawing on Adriatic and Istrian ingredients, and access by private airport ten minutes away.

A family-run Relais & Châteaux property at the foot of the Matterhorn in Breuil-Cervinia, Hermitage Hotel & Spa sits within one of Europe's largest ski resort networks and operates year-round. With a 4.6 Google rating from guests and rates from US$337 per night, it occupies the upper tier of Alpine accommodation in the Aosta Valley, where the mountain architecture and proximity to high-altitude terrain define the guest experience.

Zemi Beach House, part of Hilton's LXR Hotels & Resorts portfolio, occupies Shoal Bay East with a design that channels the geometry of its surroundings into a zigzag pool pointing directly toward the Caribbean. A 2025 Forbes Recommended property with a 4.6 Google rating across 361 reviews, it sits in Anguilla's premium independent tier alongside Cap Juluca and Four Seasons, but with a distinctly residential scale.

Designed by I.M. Pei and positioned on Billionaire's Row at 57 East 57th Street, Four Seasons Hotel New York sits between Park and Madison Avenue, steps from Central Park. The hotel houses the Ty Bar, an Art Deco-inspired cocktail venue with a custom-barrel Hudson Bourbon program, alongside an Italian restaurant serving all-day dining. It is one of Midtown Manhattan's most architecturally distinctive luxury addresses.

The most formally appointed of the three resorts within the Baha Mar development on Cable Beach, Rosewood Baha Mar earns 91 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. Its 231 rooms and suites occupy a 12-story British Colonial-style building, with dining that spans Indian, Mexican, and Bahamian cuisines across multiple restaurants and bars, all accessible via a single room charge across 40-plus Baha Mar venues.

A restored 18th-century mansion on Calle Santo Domingo in Cartagena's walled city, Casa Pestagua translates colonial grandeur into eleven rooms arranged around a palm-shaded courtyard. Rates from US$381 per night position it in the upper tier of boutique heritage stays in El Centro, and a rooftop jacuzzi adds a quietly modern counterpoint to the antique furnishings throughout.

On the shore of Hamburg's Binnenalster, Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten has anchored the city's luxury hotel conversation since the late 19th century. The 156-room property holds Michelin 3 Keys (2024) and a 99-point score from La Liste Top Hotels (2026), and rates from around $429 per night. Dining ranges from French-inspired fine dining at Restaurant Haerlin to Japanese-Peruvian cuisine at NIKKEI NINE, with a notably local guest mix at both tables.

Projected to open in Summer 2026, Borgo Pignano Florence occupies a historic address on Via Bolognese and has already earned entry into Virtuoso's exclusive Preview Program, a designation reserved for an extremely limited number of properties expected to rank among the world's foremost. It arrives in a Florence hotel market defined by fierce competition at the upper tier, which makes its pre-opening status worth tracking closely.

Capella Bangkok occupies a low-rise garden estate on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River, 101 rooms and seven private riverfront villas delivering a resort scale that is unusual for a capital city. Ranked first on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2024 and holding two Michelin Keys, it also houses Côte by Mauro Colagreco, the Michelin-starred Mediterranean fine dining restaurant with a 550-label wine list. Rates from $1,195.

Hotel Fasano São Paulo sits on the private avenue bearing its founding family's name in the Jardins neighbourhood, where over a century of Italian-rooted hospitality shapes everything from the English red-brick façade to the sommelier-curated wine list. Rated 93 points by La Liste Top Hotels 2026 and holding a Google score of 4.8 from over 2,000 reviews, the 64-room property pairs discreet 1930s-inflected design with a penthouse spa, single malt bar, and direct access to São Paulo's restaurant row.

A Renaissance palazzo on the Tyrrhenian coast, La Posta Vecchia Hotel occupies a 1640 hunting lodge built by the Orsini family and later furnished by American oil magnate Paul Getty with papal velvets and ecclesiastical antiques. Now part of the Pellicano Hotels group and a Leading Hotels of the World member, its 21 rooms and suites sit thirty minutes from Rome by train, in near-total coastal silence.

Carved into the cliffs between Amalfi and Positano, Borgo Santandrea ranks #53 on the World's 50 Best Hotels 2025 list and holds Michelin 2 Keys. The 45-room property occupies a mid-century modernist structure renovated by architect Rino Gambardella, with interiors drawn from the owner's private collection of vintage Italian furniture. Rates start from US$1,667 per night, with a private pebble beach and terrace restaurant among its defining features.

Cambridge House at 94 Piccadilly is a Grade I-listed Georgian mansion being reimagined by Auberge Resorts Collection as a 102-room luxury hotel in Mayfair. A Virtuoso Preview Property with a provenance stretching from the Duke of Cambridge to Queen Victoria, it occupies one of London's most storied residential addresses. The dining and social programming is expected to set a new benchmark for the neighbourhood.

A 14-room boutique hotel fashioned from the village buildings of a working medieval castle, Castello Banfi Il Borgo earned a Michelin 1 Key in 2024 and sits above nearly two thousand acres of Brunello vineyards outside Montalcino. Rates from $1,018 per night include a sommelier-led vineyard tour, cellar tasting, and access to two Tuscan restaurants, placing it squarely in the upper tier of Montalcino's estate-hotel category.

One&Only Aesthesis sits on the Athenian Riviera in Glyfada, roughly 30 minutes from the Acropolis, where the One&Only group brings its low-key-luxury template to a stretch of Aegean coastline that reads more like the Côte d'Azur than most visitors expect. The property positions itself in the upper tier of Athens coastal hotels, alongside the Four Seasons Astir Palace, but with a smaller, more curated footprint that the One&Only brand favours across its global portfolio.

Rebuilt on the bones of the historic Hotel de la Paix, Park Hyatt Siem Reap sits at the walkable centre of town on Sivutha Boulevard, a few hundred feet from the Old Market and the royal residence. Its 107 rooms and suites wrap a Khmer-inflected courtyard, and the three-storey Spa Indochine gives the property a genuine retreat dimension that most of its city-centre competitors cannot match. Rates from $367 per night.

Built in 1833 and awarded a Michelin Key in 2024, The Aurora Inn sits at the northern end of Cayuga Lake in one of the Finger Lakes region's most architecturally preserved villages. The stately brick building pairs period character with contemporary comforts, from Frette linens and marble baths to a lakeside fire pit and the on-site 1833 Kitchen & Bar. It is the kind of property that rewards slow travel: kayaks, wine trails, and a full spa within easy reach.

Sixty-five kilometers northwest of San José, El Silencio Lodge and Spa occupies a private cloud forest valley in the Cordillera Central with 16 suites and eight villas priced from US$502 per night. The property integrates organic farm-to-table dining, an open-air wellness sanctuary, and a structured activity program spanning cloud forest hikes, waterfall rappelling, and zip-lining across the forest canopy. Inspector-rated 4.7/5, with a Google score of 4.8 across 487 reviews.

On a private island in the Whitsundays, InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef sits at the upper tier of Australia's resort hotel category, recognised with 91 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. The property operates as a self-contained destination, surrounded by Coral Sea waters and positioned within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. For travellers planning time in the Whitsundays, it sets the benchmark against which other island stays are measured.

A Philippe Starck-designed wellness retreat in La Croix-Valmer, twenty minutes from Saint-Tropez, Hôtel Lily of the Valley combines Leading Hotels of the World membership with a structured health and fitness programme across 53 rooms. Gault & Millau awarded it 5 points as an Exceptional Hotel in 2025, and La Liste ranked it 94 points in its 2026 Top Hotels list. The Vista restaurant's plant-forward menu and a 25-metre outdoor pool anchor the experience, with Gigaro Beach a short walk away.

A five-century-old colonial palace opposite Cusco's Temple of the Sun, Palacio del Inka sits within the Marriott Luxury Collection and earned 92 points in La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking. Its 203 rooms and suites carry vaulted, hand-painted ceilings and baroque antiques from Peru's colonial era, placing it among the city's most historically layered addresses for travellers who want proximity to the Plaza de Armas alongside genuine architectural weight.

A Tudor Revival landmark dating to 1915, Claremont Resort & Club occupies 22 acres in the Berkeley Hills with direct sightlines to San Francisco Bay. The property's spa, three heated pools, and tennis facilities place it in a distinct tier among East Bay hotels — a full-scale resort operating at the edge of a major university city.

Château de la Barre has been the seat of the de Vanssay family for more than 615 years, and a stay here operates on different rules from conventional luxury hospitality: access requires a Virtuoso agent or a personal invitation from the owners. Set within a 100-acre private park in the Loire Valley, the château accommodates up to 20 guests across nine rooms and suites furnished with 18th-century antiques.

A 32-room boutique property minutes from Piazza San Marco, Violino D'Oro occupies a quieter register than Venice's grand palace hotels. Family-owned and operated, with every interior element sourced from Italian makers, it sits in the Leading Hotels of the World portfolio from around $639 per night. Il Piccolo bar and restaurant, where barman Francesco Adragna has built a local following, completes the picture.

Five restored 1804 brick residences at the corner of George Street and East Bay form one of Charleston's most private small hotels. Zero George occupies a different register than the Peninsula's larger properties: crushed oystershell garden paths, flickering lanterns, and a labyrinthine interior courtyard that reads more like a personal residence than a commercial lodging. Part of the Easton Porter Group, the property has held a 4.8-star rating across more than 900 Google reviews since opening in 2013.

The Rome EDITION occupies a quiet address just off Piazza Barberini, placing guests within walking distance of the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and Borghese Gardens without the noise of Rome's main tourist corridors. Seventh-floor roof access, travertine plunge pool, and suites finished in Carrara marble and walnut herringbone position it inside the smaller, design-led tier of Roman luxury hotels.

Positioned on a private island above Fiji's Astrolabe Reef, Kokomo combines thatched-roof architecture with globally sourced interiors across 21 beachfront villas and five residences. The 2024 World's 50 Best Hotels ranked it at number 50, while La Liste placed it at 94 points in 2026. An on-site marine biologist, coral restoration program, and fully all-inclusive format set it apart from Fiji's broader luxury resort tier.

The Oberoi Zahra is one of the most spacious luxury river cruisers operating between Luxor and Aswan, carrying 28 cabins and suites under the Oberoi Hotels & Resorts banner. It is the only vessel on the Nile with a full-service spa, and sails 3-, 4-, and 7-night itineraries with daily-changing à la carte menus, an onboard Egyptologist, and private docking areas at temple sites.

A Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star property on a quiet Knightsbridge terrace, Egerton House Hotel earns a 98.5-point score on La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking. Across 28 rooms and suites housed in two joined Victorian townhouses, the experience is built around deliberate, personalised touches — from martinis served at -7°F to an in-house art collection that includes Picasso and Toulouse-Lautrec.

Acqualina Resort and Residences on the Beach sits on Sunny Isles Beach with a 94-point La Liste Top Hotels rating (2026) and Leading Hotels of the World membership. The property runs five dining outlets, a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Italian restaurant, and a spa complex with private beach access. Service is notably personalised, with staff routinely addressing guests by name from the first day.

Sequoia Lodge sits within the Mount Lofty House estate in the Adelaide Hills, offering 14 adults-only suites designed around local Basket Range sandstone, open-plan living, and direct views across the highlands. Included on-site experiences, a private lounge, and a heated plunge pool place it in a small tier of Australian lodge properties where the program of activities matters as much as the room itself.

On a barrier island where the Atlantic meets preserved Florida wilderness, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island occupies an unusually unhurried position within the Marriott luxury portfolio. Sand dunes, ocean-view terraces, and a fine-dining restaurant with Le Bernardin lineage set it apart from Florida's more frenetic resort corridor. La Liste awarded it 91 points in 2026, placing it firmly in the upper tier of American coastal hotels.

A working sheep station above the cliffs of Palliser Bay, Wharekauhau Country Estate offers 17 freestanding cottage suites across a vast pastoral and coastal setting in the Wairarapa. Rated 94.5 points by La Liste in 2026, with a guest score of 4.8/5, it sits among New Zealand's most celebrated lodge properties. Rates from US$1,623 per night reflect its position in the country's premium rural accommodation tier.

A Small Luxury Hotels of the World member on Via Laietana in Barcelona's Ciutat Vella, Grand Hotel Central occupies a restored early 20th-century building at the edge of the Gothic Quarter. Its rooftop pool and considered approach to heritage hospitality place it within Barcelona's design-led independent hotel tier, alongside properties competing on character rather than chain scale.

The Dupont Circle is the Washington DC flagship of the Doyle Collection, occupying a prime position directly across from Dupont Circle metro in one of the capital's most active residential and diplomatic quarters. The 327-room property houses Pembroke restaurant, singled out by Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema, and Doyle bar, built around mid-century cocktail culture and an Irish whiskey collection. A Penthouse Level of 15 individually designed suites, most with private terraces, anchors the upper tier of the offering.

Le Calette N°5 in Cefalu is an intimate boutique hotel combining contemporary design and Sicilian character. Accommodations include Superior Rooms, Deluxe Sea-View Rooms and a signature suite with private balcony. Guests relax on sea-view terraces and an elevated pool lounge, dine on a seasonal Sicilian menu in the dining room, and use a dedicated concierge for boat excursions and guided walks. The property emphasizes personalized service, quiet coastal views and locally sourced cuisine. Expect warm stone textures, polished wood finishes, Mediterranean light and attentive hospitality that makes Le Calette N°5 a sought-after choice for travelers who value calm, convenience and place-driven dining.

A 2,700-acre medieval borgo in the Tuscan hills, Castelfalfi holds Michelin 2 Keys recognition and a 97-point La Liste Top Hotels score for 2026. The estate runs its own winery, hosts Tuscany's largest golf course across 27 holes, and anchors wellness through RAKxa — the Thai integrative brand's first European address. Accommodation spans 151 rooms across the main building and restored village structures, with five restaurants and bars on site.

Ranked #12 on the 2025 World's 50 Best Hotels list, Capella Sydney occupies a restored Baroque-style government building steps from Circular Quay, with 192 rooms, a rooftop pool, Auriga Spa, and a food and beverage program by chef Brent Savage and sommelier Nick Hildebrandt. The hotel's commitment to First Nations art and history runs through every public space, making it one of the most culturally grounded luxury stays in Australia.

Opened in 2024 on Royal Palm Way, Palm House marks the U.S. debut of London-based L+R Hotels' Iconic Luxury Hotels collection. The 79-room Mediterranean-revival property sat vacant for nearly two decades before an extensive renovation restored its coral facade and pool courtyard while adding sixties-inspired interiors, Art Deco suites, and the pink Murano glass-chandelier Palm bar. Rates from $996 per night.

Set on a 44-acre estate in Rancho Santa Fe, one of Southern California's most affluent enclaves, Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa earns a 97-point score from La Liste (2026) and a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating. Forty-nine hacienda-style casita suites, a Balinese-inspired yoga pavilion, tennis courts, and beaches within 20 minutes position it as one of the San Diego area's most complete wellness retreats, from US$1,066 per night.

Spread across 7,000 acres outside La Romana, Casa de Campo has operated as the Dominican Republic's most complete resort address for decades, drawing guests from Bill and Hillary Clinton to Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Three championship golf courses, a full-service marina, offshore island excursions, and a spa anchor an itinerary that scales from active to entirely unhurried. Villa guests receive butler service, a private pool, and daily in-room breakfast.

Sitting directly on Santa Fe's historic Plaza, Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi earned a Michelin 1 Key in 2024 and a 90.5-point La Liste Top Hotels ranking in 2026. The 58-room property frames its cooking and design through the material culture of the Southwest, with the Anasazi Restaurant's New Mexican menu and a dedicated Tequila Table among the most considered food-and-drink programmes in the city centre.

Alila Napa Valley occupies a farmhouse-inflected property on Main Street in St. Helena, where Yabu Pushelberg-designed rooms open onto vineyard views and private fire-pit patios. Part of the Hyatt-owned Alila portfolio, it sits in the mid-to-upper tier of Napa wine country hotels, offering a direct footbridge to Beringer Vineyards and an on-site restaurant drawing from the valley's farm-driven cooking tradition. Google reviewers rate it 4.5 across 476 responses.

Hamilton Princess & Beach Club occupies a singular position in Bermuda's accommodation hierarchy: a harbour-front grand hotel with more than a century of history, Fairmont management, and the operational scale to have hosted the 35th America's Cup and inaugural Sail GP. The Pink Palace remains the reference point against which every other property on the island is measured.

Fifteen private pool residences on a tree-lined hillside above Layan Beach give Anantara's residence concept its most location-specific expression in Phuket. Each two-storey villa operates independently, with live-in butler service and rooftop access, while the adjacent Anantara Layan Phuket Resort extends the programme to five-star facilities. The address sits in the quieter Cherngtalay corridor, well clear of the island's crowded southern bays.

Positioned directly opposite Bern's central station on Bahnhofplatz, Hotel Schweizerhof Bern has anchored the city's grand hotel tier for well over a century. A 2026 La Liste Top Hotels score of 93 points and membership of Leading Hotels of the World place it in Switzerland's most credentialed urban hotel peer set, alongside properties in Zurich, Basel, and Geneva.

Seven architects, one remote Alpine valley, and a pair of Michelin Stars: 7132 Hotel in Vals, Switzerland, is where serious architectural pilgrimage meets thermal wellness. Built around Peter Zumthor's celebrated quartzite baths, the 22-room property draws from four Pritzker-level practices to produce a hotel that functions as a working argument about what luxury in the mountains can mean. Rates from $734 per night.

A former Ferragamo family summer estate in the Tuscan hills above Reggello, Viesca Toscana has been converted into a private luxury retreat of villas and suites set across landscaped grounds. The property sits within a category of Italian country-house hotels where heritage provenance and architectural restraint carry as much weight as amenity counts. For EP Club readers, it represents the quieter, estate-led end of Tuscany's premium accommodation offer.

At the base of Camelback Mountain, The Phoenician occupies 250 acres of sculpted Sonoran Desert terrain, placing it in a different competitive tier from Scottsdale's more compact luxury hotels. With 645 accommodations, three pools anchored by a hand-tiled mother-of-pearl swimming hole, a full spa and athletic club, and a 2026 La Liste score of 90.5, it remains one of the valley's most complete resort addresses.

La Réserve Paris occupies a 19th-century hôtel particulier at 42 Avenue Gabriel, steps from the Elysée Palace, with 40 rooms and no key cards — physical keys only. Rated 99.5 points by La Liste 2026, ranked No. 31 at World's 50 Best Hotels 2023, and awarded Michelin 3 Keys 2024, it sits at the quieter, more private end of Paris's palace-hotel tier. Two-Michelin-starred dining and a 1,500-label wine list complete the proposition.

A 15th-century castle with documented ties to Robert the Bruce and the grounds once owned by Charles Macintosh, Crossbasket Castle sits in the South Lanarkshire countryside near High Blantyre. The property offers castle accommodation where history is structural, not decorative — the Duke of Cambridge's wardrobe is a room fixture, not a brochure claim. For castle stays in the greater Glasgow area, it occupies a tier of its own.

A former National Bank of Scotland building on St Andrew Square, The Edinburgh Grand operates as a Luxury Collection all-apartment residence offering 50 serviced apartments for stays from one night to a year or more. Historic architectural details — original dark wood panelling, decorative cornicing, original fireplaces — sit alongside contemporary interiors, placing it in a distinct tier among Edinburgh's longer-stay luxury options.

Positioned within the Al Mouj master development on Muscat's northern coastline, Kempinski Hotel Muscat combines 310 rooms with eleven restaurants and lounges, two kilometres of beach, and direct access to Al Mouj Marina and a PGA-standard golf course. The architectural reference point is the late Sultan's Al Alam Palace, rendered in a contemporary register. For beach resort formats at this tier, the dining breadth is the differentiating factor.

Sitting at the junction of Toronto's financial, entertainment, and waterfront districts, The Ritz-Carlton occupies a position few downtown hotels can match for sheer convenience. Rooms among the largest in the city pair with floor-to-ceiling Lake Ontario and CN Tower views, a cheese-cave restaurant, and a spa specialising in personalised skin care. La Liste awarded the hotel 97 points in its 2026 Top Hotels ranking.

A 40-suite colonial property on Barbados's west coast, Cobblers Cove occupies a 1943 plantation house built by one of the island's sugar baronage families. Where mega-resorts dominate the Barbados package market, this Speightstown address offers coral-and-white architecture, Egyptian cotton linens, and a design vocabulary rooted in the island's planter-class past — from wicker and terra cotta tiles to sea-view terraces and a rum punch that arrives before you've unpacked.

Miraval Berkshires occupies 380 acres of western Massachusetts countryside in Lenox, operating as an adults-only wellness resort within the Miraval brand. The property's defining architectural feature is a network of windowed, heated passageways connecting the entire resort, designed to keep guests immersed in the environment without stepping outside. For travelers seeking structured wellness programming in a New England setting, it sits in a distinct tier among the region's retreat-oriented properties.

A Michelin 1 Key property and Leading Hotels of the World member occupying a 19th-century Victorian mansion adjacent to Forsyth Park, Hotel Bardo Savannah sets itself apart from the city's preserved-in-amber mansion hotels with 149 spacious rooms, a spa, pool deck, and Saint Bibiana, a restaurant earning recognition for its coastal Italian programme. It reads like a resort that happens to be inside city limits.

Amanjena sits 12 kilometres south of Marrakesh on the Route de Ouarzazate, 40 pavilions and maisons arranged around a reflecting pool amid date palms and olive groves. Designed by Ed Tuttle in dialogue with Moorish and Islamic architectural traditions, the property belongs to Aman's compact, design-led tier of sub-50-key escapes. Rates from $1,569 per night position it at the upper end of Marrakesh's luxury accommodation market.

On Maximilianstraße, Munich's premier luxury boulevard, Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski has operated since 1858 and earned 97 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. The 298-room property pairs Gothic Revival lobby architecture with thoroughly modernised rooms, a glass-domed rooftop spa, and a Kempinski-wide butler programme. Rates begin around $440 per night.

A 59-room clifftop resort on Mexico's Pacific coast, Cala de Mar earns 90 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking at rates from $266 per night. The property's vertical architecture cascades rooms and suites down toward the water, with plunge pools and sea-facing orientations throughout. For Pacific Mexico, it sits in a class of its own for setting and finish.

Banyan Tree Samui earned Michelin 2 Keys recognition in 2024 and sits among Koh Samui's most accomplished hill-to-sea retreats, with 88 private-pool villas occupying a secluded inlet on the island's less-developed southern coast. Rates from $675 per night position it squarely within the island's upper tier, where the emphasis falls on contained, unhurried privacy rather than the beach-club energy that defines Chaweng and Lamai.

France's Champagne region waited a long time for a destination hotel worthy of its reputation, and Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa delivers on that promise. A 47-room property combining a 19th-century coaching inn with a modernist wing, it holds Michelin 3 Keys recognition, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and a 16,000-square-foot spa overlooking some of the world's most storied vineyards. Rates from approximately $1,028 per night.

Orient Express Venezia is projected to open in Spring 2026 along Strada Nova, bringing the storied Orient Express name to one of Italy's most demanding luxury hotel markets. Already enrolled in Virtuoso's exclusive Preview Program — a designation reserved for a limited number of pre-opening properties — it arrives with significant institutional backing and a guest-service model calibrated to Venice's upper tier.

Set within Catalan forest an hour from Barcelona, Hotel Camiral anchors Spain's top-ranked golf resort, home to the 2031 Ryder Cup. The 138-room property pairs two championship courses with a 1,000m² wellness centre and five dining options, positioning it firmly in the European resort tier where sport, recovery, and landscape converge at serious scale.

Set across 500 acres of Carmel Valley's oak-studded terrain, Carmel Valley Ranch is a resort built around landscape as amenity: a Pete Dye-designed championship golf course, a spa grounded in natural therapies, a working creamery, and a recently reimagined dining program at Valley Kitchen. The scale is deliberate, and the programming spans every age group without defaulting to the anonymous efficiency of a conference-hotel footprint.

At Marina Grande, JK Place Capri occupies one of the few positions on the island where a hotel sits directly above the water. The 22-room property holds Michelin 3 Keys and La Liste Top Hotels recognition (99.5 points in 2026), with interiors by Michele Bonan that read as classically Italian while avoiding the heaviness of grand-hotel conventions. It belongs to a small tier of Capri addresses where design restraint and scale discipline define the offer.

Pikaia Lodge occupies the edge of a volcanic caldera on Santa Cruz, making a pointed case for land-based exploration of the Galápagos over the conventional naturalist cruise. Fourteen rooms and suites wrap floor-to-ceiling glass around panoramic Pacific views, with all-inclusive rates from US$3,278 per night and a 4.8/5 rating across 122 Google reviews. The property is a Relais & Châteaux member and the archipelago's first designated luxury hotel.

At the edge of Oualidia's protected lagoon, La Sultana occupies a small stretch of Morocco's Atlantic coast where the line between infinity pool and open water is genuinely difficult to locate. Eleven rooms, two restaurants, and a spa built around tadelakt stone and Moorish detailing make this the reference property for a fishing village that Marrakchis have long treated as their coastal escape. Rates from $766 per night.

Few Paris hotels carry the weight of 17th-century architecture alongside a Michelin-starred restaurant and a Gault & Millau five-point Exceptional Hotel rating. Le Pavillon de la Reine occupies 28 Place des Vosges at the heart of the Marais, operating 57 rooms across a mansion that reads more country house than city hotel. Rates from around $781 per night position it squarely in Paris's boutique luxury tier.

An independent landmark at 205 Meeting Street, The Charleston Place occupies the center of Charleston's historic district with a dining program spanning fine dining, Lowcountry cooking, and poolside fare alongside a full-service spa and Club Level accommodations. The lobby has long served as a gathering point for the city, and the property's scale and breadth of amenities place it in a different tier from the smaller boutique hotels surrounding it.

On Emboodhu Finolhu in South Malé Atoll, Taj Exotica Resort and Spa sits within the Indian Hotels Company Limited portfolio as one of the Maldives' most recognisable overwater addresses. Rated 90 points on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels list and holding a 4.6 Google rating across nearly 1,000 reviews, it pairs 64 sea-view villas and suites with specialty dining formats and a Jiva Spa program grounded in Ayurvedic tradition.

Housed in a former 15th-century Milanese convent on Via Gesù, Four Seasons Hotel Milano occupies one of the Quadrilatero d'Oro's most architecturally significant addresses. Renaissance frescoes, ogival vaults, and ancient fireplaces coexist with interiors refreshed by Patricia Urquiola and Pierre-Yves Rochon. With 118 rooms, an 800-square-metre spa, and a cloister garden that muffles the city entirely, it positions itself at the upper tier of Milan's luxury hotel market.

A 16th-century former convent on Calle Nazarenas, Palacio Nazarenas is Cusco's only hotel with a heated outdoor pool at altitude — a detail that signals its wellness orientation as clearly as its World's 50 Best Hotels ranking (#87, 2025). Belmond's approach here favours oxygen-enriched suites, butler service, and preserved colonial fabric over scale, placing it in a tighter peer set than the city's larger luxury conversions.

Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort occupies 15 acres of Mokapu Beach frontage on Maui's southwest shore, where 320 rooms and 30 residential-style villas sit within a low-rise design that keeps the Pacific as the dominant visual. Four distinct dining outlets, a custom-blend spa, and a non-traditional Andaz service format position it inside Wailea's upper resort tier, closer in character to a lifestyle property than a convention-scale hotel.

Eden Rock occupies a volcanic promontory above Baie de St Jean, the position that made it St Barths' first hotel and still its most architecturally singular address. Thirty-seven rooms and suites designed by Jane Matthews sit alongside a villa rental portfolio spanning more than 220 properties across the island. The culinary program operates under Jean-Georges Vongerichten's direction, placing the property inside a very specific bracket of Caribbean luxury.

Built in 1938 by architect Alejandro Bustillo and set within a national park between lakes Nahuel Huapi and Moreno, Llao Llao Resort, Golf & Spa occupies a position in Argentine Patagonia that few properties can match for sheer architectural coherence with its surroundings. With 168 rooms, 32 suites, an 18-hole golf course, and multiple dining formats anchored by the Asador Criollo, it represents the benchmark of resort-scale hospitality in the lake district.

LUX* Grand Baie Mauritius pioneers rooftop luxury in the Indian Ocean, where Kelly Hoppen's contemporary design and Mauritius's first adults-only rooftop destination create an unprecedented island resort experience. This flagship boutique property features 86 suites and villas with private pools, innovative dining at Bisou raw restaurant, and next-generation wellness programs across a pristine Grand Baie beachfront.

King George, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens transforms a 1930s royal palace into Syntagma Square's most prestigious address, where neoclassical grandeur meets contemporary luxury across elegantly appointed suites with private Acropolis views and award-winning dining at the seventh-floor Tudor Hall Restaurant.

A Leading Hotels of the World member awarded a 2024 Michelin Key and 92.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, Villa d'Este has operated as a hotel since 1873 from its Renaissance palace on Lake Como's western shore. With 152 rooms across two buildings, 25 acres of Italian gardens designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and alfresco dining overseen by executive chef Michele Zambanini, it occupies a distinct position among Italy's grand hotel tier.

Inside the Domaine de Chantilly, Auberge du Jeu de Paume occupies a position few French hotels can claim: a Relais & Châteaux property set within a working historic estate, awarded a Michelin Key and five Gault & Millau points in 2025. Rates from US$310 per night place it in the accessible tier of French château hotels, with a 6,500-square-foot spa and family-friendly format rounding out the offer.

Set on a hillside above Uçhisar, Ariana Sustainable Luxury Lodge occupies a distinctive position in Cappadocia's boutique hotel tier: eleven rooms that split between genuine cave dwellings and contemporary above-ground suites, unified by a design approach that weights modernist furniture and natural materials equally. At around $408 per night, it sits in the upper bracket of the region's small-property market, with a glass-walled restaurant, on-site gardens, and a vineyard that set it apart from neighbours.

Raffles Dubai occupies a distinctive position among the city's five-star addresses, earning 90.5 points on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking. Set in the Wafi district, the property draws on the Raffles brand's century-long heritage while sitting within a mid-city neighbourhood that predates Dubai's more recent coastal development. For travellers comparing grand-hotel pedigree across the Gulf, it represents a different proposition from the waterfront-first properties that now dominate the market.

Bangkok's oldest luxury hotel, operating since 1876 on the Chao Phraya River, holds a position few riverfront properties in Southeast Asia can match. Ranked #7 in the 2025 World's 50 Best Hotels and awarded Michelin 3 Keys in 2024, its 331 rooms, twelve dining outlets, and a river-crossed spa define what long-form institutional hospitality looks like in practice.

Operating continuously since 1865 and still family-owned, Beau-Rivage Geneva sits on Quai du Mont-Blanc with direct views of the Jet d'Eau and 90 rooms redesigned by Pierre-Yves Rochon. The hotel holds Michelin 3 Keys and a 95-point score from La Liste Top Hotels 2026, placing it among Geneva's most credentialed lakefront addresses. Rates from $1,208 per night reflect its position at the top of the city's independent luxury tier.

XV Beacon occupies a 1903 Federalist building on Beacon Hill, one of Boston's most architecturally consistent neighbourhoods, offering 60 rooms and a level of personalised service — including a dedicated house Lexus with chauffeur — that places it firmly in the boutique luxury tier. Recognised in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking with a score of 90.5 points, it draws a repeat clientele who treat it less as a hotel than as a private address in the city.

The St. Regis Cap Cana Resort brings the brand's signature butler service and multi-outlet dining to Cap Cana's Punta Espada enclave. Across 200 rooms and suites, nine food and beverage venues range from a celebrity chef-led signature restaurant to a barefoot beach bar. The property holds membership in Virtuoso's Preview Program, positioning it within the brand's top-tier international openings.

Overlooking the Brandenburg Gate at Unter den Linden 77, Hotel Adlon Kempinski is Berlin's most historically weighted address, operating since its 1997 reconstruction on the site of the 1907 original. With 382 rooms, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and a 98.5-point score from La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking, it sits in a distinct tier of European grand hotels where institutional memory is as much a selling point as the thread count.

Sport Hotel Hermitage & Spa occupies the most privileged position in Soldeu: slope-side at the base of the Grandvalira ski area, with the gondola station integrated into the building. A Leading Hotels of the World member with 120 rooms, three floors of spa facilities, and whirlpool-equipped balcony rooms, it sits at the top of the Sport Hotels portfolio and prices accordingly, from around $384 per night.

Built in 1822 and a short promenade from the Piazzetta, Hotel La Palma is Capri's oldest hotel and now part of the Oetker Collection. With 50 rooms, Gennaro's restaurant, and a rooftop terrace that references the island's 1950s golden era, it sits at the upper end of Capri's small-luxury tier — a property shaped as much by island history as by contemporary hospitality standards.

Paradise Beach Nevis occupies a private stretch of Nevisian coastline where ten villas share aquamarine water and palm-shaded beach without the infrastructure of a large resort. The scale is deliberately contained, placing it in the small-inventory, high-intimacy tier of Caribbean accommodation rather than the branded full-service category. Charlestown's quiet capital sits nearby, and the wider island is one of the least developed in the Leeward chain.

At 199 George Street in The Rocks, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney positions 531 recently refreshed rooms directly against the harbour skyline, with most offering water views toward the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Grain bar's whisky program and a concierge team with deep local connections give the property operational texture beyond the address. Rates from AUD $449 per night. Recognised in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels at 91 points.

One&Only Kéa Island occupies a secluded bay on Kéa, a Greek island less than ninety minutes by ferry from Athens' Lavrio port. The property works within a contemporary Hellenic design framework, positioning itself at the quieter, less-trafficked end of Aegean luxury. For travellers who find the Cycladic circuit overfamiliar, Kéa offers a different register entirely.

Positioned in Nişantaşı, Istanbul's high-fashion district, The St. Regis Istanbul pairs 118 rooms with Marmara marble bathrooms, a 10,225-square-foot spa, and two distinct dining destinations including Wolfgang Puck's Spago. Recognised on La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels list with 95 points, it operates at the upper tier of the city's international luxury hotel market, with a starting rate around $544 per night.

At 166 Balnarring Rd, Merricks North VIC 3926, Jackalope Hotel sits inside Mornington Peninsula wine country with a design identity that has nothing to do with pastoral convention. Forty-four rooms, a chandelier of 10,000 globes, and a floor-to-ceiling glass wine cellar earned it 91.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking and membership of Leading Hotels of the World in 2025.

Opened in July 2024 in the Al Maaden district, Park Hyatt Marrakech occupies a private-estate-scale compound at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, adjacent to the Al Maaden Golf course. Ochre architecture, generous room proportions, and a full spa and pool complex position it within Marrakech's larger resort tier, distinct from the medina-based riad format that defines much of the city's premium accommodation.

Viceroy Snowmass sits at 130 Wood Road in Snowmass Village, positioning itself at the intersection of high-altitude comfort and outdoor access. The property runs a structured kids program alongside spa facilities and mountain dining, making it a considered choice for families who want resort infrastructure without sacrificing proximity to serious terrain.

On Piazza Ognissanti, steps from the Arno and the Ponte Vecchio, The Excelsior occupies a position that took centuries to earn. Formed in 1927 from two neighboring hotels with roots reaching back seven centuries, its 171 rooms and glass-enclosed rooftop restaurant represent Florence's grand-hotel tradition at its most consequential address. The service model is built around anticipation, not reaction.

LVMH's second hotel venture, opened in 2013, Cheval Blanc Randheli occupies a private island in the largely untouched Noonu Atoll. Its 46 villas — overwater and garden-facing — are distinguished by natural Asian materials, French art installations, and a Guerlain spa that sits on its own separate island. Pricing is on request, placing it firmly in the allocation tier of Maldivian luxury.

Set within Antwerp's historic botanical gardens, Botanic Sanctuary occupies a monastery complex with roots stretching to the 12th century, now converted into a 108-room luxury hotel with a celebrated spa. Four on-site restaurants carry four Michelin stars between them, including an outpost of Bruges-based Hertog Jan. Rooms from around $506 per night place it firmly in the city's upper tier.

Peter Island Resort returned to the British Virgin Islands in 2024 after a seven-year closure forced by Hurricane Irma, emerging with a quietly recalibrated identity. The private-island property occupies one of the BVI's most sheltered anchorages, with architecture and interiors rebuilt to reflect a more contemporary Caribbean sensibility. Explore our full guide below.