Preferred Hotels & Resorts: Preferred Residences 2025 Edition

Set between Savannah and Hilton Head in South Carolina's Lowcountry, Montage Palmetto Bluff occupies a conservation-minded landscape of rivers, marshes, and maritime forest. The property's 230 rooms and cottages follow the local clapboard vernacular, while a 13,000-square-foot spa, Audubon-certified golf course, and May River water access give it a range that few resort properties in the region match. La Liste ranked it 96.5 points in 2026, and Michelin awarded it 2 Keys in 2024.

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.

Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star since 1976 and rated 95 points on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels list, The Broadmoor occupies 5,000 acres at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado Springs. With 784 rooms, multiple restaurants and bars, and a wilderness extension across an additional 2,000 acres, it represents a scale of resort hospitality that is rare in the American West.

At the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains in northeast Tucson, Ventana Canyon Club and Lodge offers 50 rooms within a setting shaped by the Sonoran Desert. The property occupies a private canyon address that keeps it distinct from the city's larger resort corridor, making it a considered option for travelers who want proximity to wilderness without sacrificing comfort.

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.

Hacienda Encantada Resort & Residences occupies a privileged position along the Tourist Corridor at Km 7.3, spreading across 184 rooms with views toward the Sea of Cortez. The property sits within the mid-to-upper tier of Cabo's resort corridor, distinct from the branded flags that dominate the strip, and draws guests who want scale with a hacienda-style identity rather than a corporate international footprint.

A twelve-room address on Via del Corso places Corso 281 firmly within Rome's small-format boutique tier, where limited keys and a central position between the Trevi Fountain and Piazza del Popolo make for a compressed, personal kind of stay. For travellers who find larger Roman hotels too transactional, the scale here shifts the equation considerably.

Positioned on one of the few swimmable beaches in Los Cabos, Montage Los Cabos sits on 39 acres fronting Bahía Santa María with Sea of Cortez views from all 174 rooms. Ranked #67 on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2025 and awarded Michelin 2 Keys in 2024, it competes directly with the corridor's other credentialed properties while offering a beach access and cove setting that most rivals cannot match.

Perched on Empire Pass with true ski-in/ski-out access to Deer Valley's lifts, Montage Deer Valley holds a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating and a 2024 Michelin Key. Its 220 rooms range from 600-square-foot deluxe rooms with gas fireplaces and marble baths to suites stretching to 3,200 square feet. Five restaurants, a full spa complex, and a bowling alley make it built for extended winter stays.

Montage Big Sky occupies a rare position in Montana's resort hierarchy: a property with Michelin Key recognition and Montage International's service standards set directly against the Lone Mountain terrain. With 150 rooms, ski-in/ski-out access, an 11,000-square-foot spa, and five dining venues drawing on local ranching and fishing traditions, it brings a level of hospitality infrastructure previously absent from Big Sky's accommodation scene.

A 80-room resort in Davenport, Florida, The Visions Resort and SPA sits within easy reach of Central Florida's theme park corridor while offering a self-contained retreat format. The property occupies a quieter tier of the Davenport accommodation market, where mid-scale independent resorts compete less on brand weight and more on spatial comfort and on-site amenities. For visitors seeking a base with resort infrastructure rather than a stripped-back hotel room, it fits a recognizable and practical brief.

Salamander Washington DC occupies a purpose-built 373-room tower at 1330 Maryland Ave SW, placing it squarely in the Southwest Waterfront corridor alongside some of the capital's most reconfigured real estate. The property sits in a large-hotel tier where scale and position — close to the National Mall and The Wharf — define the guest proposition as much as room design or service depth.

A 67-suite Andalusian estate on 530 acres near Casares, Finca Cortesin holds a 2024 Michelin Key and a 96-point ranking in La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels. The property clusters a Cabell B. Robinson golf course, a 65,000-square-foot beach club, five dining venues, and an Asian-focused spa within whitewashed architecture drawn directly from the vernacular of southern Spain.

On Park Lane, where Mayfair meets Hyde Park, Grosvenor House Suites occupies a site with a history stretching back to the Dukes of Westminster. With 130 suites ranging from studios to sprawling three-bedroom apartments, a Les Clefs d'Or concierge team, and a Mayfair penthouse exceeding 4,800 square feet, this is a property built around private-scale hospitality in one of London's most closely watched addresses.

Primus Hotel Shanghai Hongqiao operates across 393 rooms in the Hongqiao corridor, placing it firmly in the large-format business hotel tier that serves Shanghai's western commercial and transport hub. The property sits in a district defined by proximity to Hongqiao Airport and the high-speed rail terminus, making it a practical anchor for travellers moving between the Yangtze Delta cities and Shanghai's inner core.

Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti sits at the upper tier of Italian alpine luxury, earning Michelin 2 Keys and a 90-point La Liste rating in 2026. The property's modernist architecture, locally sourced materials, and four-floor spa complex place it in a distinct peer set among design-led mountain retreats. Rates from $481 per night; 88 suites across the Pinzolo valley.

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 a hillside above Kamala Beach along Phuket's Millionaires' Mile, Andara Resort & Villas offers 63 rooms and villas priced from $739 per night, where private plunge pools, butler service, and Andaman Sea views define the standard. The format sits closer to residential estate than hotel, with freestanding three-to-six-bedroom villas served by private chefs and a pair of rental yachts completing the picture.

Opened in 2012 on the crown of Oberbort hill, The Alpina Gstaad positions itself a tier above Gstaad's established palace hotels through a combination of contemporary design, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and a Six Senses Spa. Scored 98.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking and awarded Michelin 3 Keys, it operates seasonally and draws a clientele that values art-forward interiors and views in equal measure.

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.

Set on 220 acres of East Cork parkland beside the ruins of a 13th-century Templar castle, Castlemartyr Resort occupies a rare position in Irish luxury hospitality: a Georgian manor house with genuine historical depth, multiple dining formats from fine dining to a traditional pub, a full golf course, and an extravagant spa, with room rates from $275 across 103 rooms in three architecturally distinct accommodation zones.

A 330-room beachfront resort on Collins Avenue in Sunny Isles Beach, Trump International Beach Resort Miami combines Atlantic Ocean-facing rooms with an 8,000-square-foot spa, two poolside pools, and Azzurro Italian Restaurant. The resort sits minutes from Bal Harbour Shops and positions itself as a full-service destination for both relaxation and activity-driven stays.

A four-star property on Carrer de Mallorca in the heart of Eixample, Hotel Balmes occupies a calm stretch of Barcelona's grid city within easy reach of Passeig de Gràcia. With 111 rooms, it sits in the mid-tier of the district's accommodation, offering a practical base for the neighbourhood's dense concentration of Modernista architecture, restaurants, and design shops.

Montage Healdsburg transforms 258 acres of pristine Sonoma wine country into Northern California's premier luxury resort, where 130 bungalow-style accommodations nestle among ancient oaks and estate vineyards. This ultra-luxury retreat features its own 15.5-acre vineyard producing exclusive Surveyor wines, Michelin-caliber dining at Hazel Hill, and an 11,500-square-foot spa, all just minutes from historic Healdsburg Plaza.

The Elser Hotel and Residences Miami occupies a 646-room tower at 398 NE 5th St in Miami's downtown core, placing guests within walking distance of Brickell's financial district and the Adrienne Arsht Center. The property sits at the intersection of extended-stay hospitality and full-service hotel programming, appealing to both longer-term residents and short-term visitors who want a city-centre base with residential scale.

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.

Positioned on Tanjong Pagar Road in one of Singapore's most rapidly transformed business districts, Amara Singapore is a 389-room hotel that sits at the intersection of CBD commerce and the neighbourhood's emerging restaurant and bar culture. Its scale places it in a mid-to-upper tier distinct from the intimate luxury of Sentosa or the grand colonial addresses further north, making it a practical base with genuine neighbourhood character.

Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa occupies a state-protected nature preserve on Florida's northeast coast, roughly an hour south of Jacksonville. With 275 suites spread across three towers, two professional golf courses, a water park, and a full-service spa, it functions as a self-contained resort destination — one of the few beachfront properties of this scale along this stretch of the Atlantic coastline.

Leiro Residences sits on the Fuengirola stretch of the Costa del Sol, roughly midway between Málaga city and Marbella, with 50 rooms positioned to serve both the beach corridor and the broader western Costa del Sol itinerary. Compared to Málaga's historic-centre hotels, it trades old-town density for coastal access and the relative ease of the A-7 motorway route.

Houston's independent luxury tier has a clear anchor in Uptown: The Post Oak Hotel at 1600 West Loop South holds a 2024 Michelin Key and a 95.5-point score on the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels list, placing it in competitive alignment with the city's most credentialed addresses. At 250 rooms with a starting rate around $552 per night, it operates at a scale that allows genuine amenity depth without franchise standardization.

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.

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.

HS HOTSSON Hotel CDMX Condesa Sur sits on Avenida Revolución in the Tacubaya pocket of Miguel Hidalgo, offering 103 rooms at the edge of Mexico City's dense mid-city fabric. The property positions itself in the accessible business-and-leisure tier, a workable base for moving between Condesa, Roma, and Polanco without the rate premium of the capital's grand-boulevard flagships.

A 280-room property on Carrer de Ramon Llull in Sant Adrià de Besòs, Tembo Barcelona sits at the edge of the city's coastal expansion zone, where post-Olympic infrastructure meets a quieter, less-tourist-pressured side of the Barcelona metropolitan area. The scale positions it clearly within the full-service, volume-capable tier of the city's accommodation market, distinct from the boutique segment that dominates Eixample and the Gothic Quarter.

Spread across more than 30,000 acres of high-country Wyoming wilderness near Saratoga, Brush Creek Luxury Ranch Collection is an all-inclusive destination where horseback riding, fly fishing, and open-sky solitude meet award-winning hospitality. Recognised by La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking with a score of 93.5 points, the 100-room collection sits in a tier of American wilderness properties where scale and authentic ranch programming coexist with serious comfort.

Hawks Cay Resort occupies Duck Key, a small island in the Florida Keys midway down the Overseas Highway, with 374 rooms spread across a property designed around direct saltwater access. The resort operates at a scale uncommon for the Lower Keys corridor, positioning it as one of the few full-service destinations between Marathon and Key West for travelers who want marina, pool, and dining in a single footprint.

Montage Kapalua Bay earns a 2024 Michelin 2 Keys designation and a place on La Liste's Top Hotels list (96 points, 2026) from its 24-acre oceanfront position on Maui's northwest coast. All 56 units are full-residence suites ranging from 1,250 to 4,055 square feet, flanked by championship golf, a marine reserve, and a 30,000-square-foot spa. Currently operating through an active renovation period.

Sherwood Suites occupies a mid-District 3 address on Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, one of Ho Chi Minh City's quieter boulevards, with 157 rooms positioned at the longer-stay end of the city's serviced-apartment hotel spectrum. For travellers who want neighbourhood character over lobby spectacle, District 3's walkable streets and local dining scene make this a practical and considered base.

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.

The Cooper occupies a 191-room position on Concord Street in Charleston's lower peninsula, placing it within walking distance of the city's most densely concentrated historic district. Forbes Travel Guide has flagged the property for upcoming Star Rating consideration, marking it as part of Charleston's expanding premium hotel tier. For waterfront-adjacent access in a city that books well ahead, it competes in a specific and competitive bracket.