On the banks of the River Maigue, this American-owned imposing Tudor Gothic mansion was home for the earls of Dunraven; the atmosphere still feels familial, albeit a family long on history and wealth. The iconic property maintains the 19th century’s fascination with the medieval, with stone arches, heavy wood and decorated ceilings; the centerpiece is the "Minstrels Gallery," a 132-foot-long room (Ireland’s second largest). Outside, the 840 acres provide plenty of distraction, especially in the beautiful huge gardens and the little namesake village nearby, one of Ireland’s most picturesque. Sights like the Ring of Kerry and the Cliffs of Moher are close enough for day trips. READ FULL REVIEW »

During the Roaring 20s, several wealthy Argentines endeavored to create South America’s finest hotel. No expense was to be spared, and everything from marble columns to delicate etched-glass windows were imported from Europe. Construction cost millions and took more than a decade, but the investors achieved their goal: a place fit for kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, as well as an instant symbol that Buenos Aires had "arrived" as one of the world’s great cities. Eighty years later, the Alvear Palace still sparkles, a hotel of exquisite taste and exemplary service that makes every guest feel regal. The grandiloquent architecture is what blows most people away—the cathedral-like lobby and a dining room modeled after the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. The clientele is also precious: well-heeled Argentines, jet-setting Europeans and an increasing number of Americans who don’t have to ask the price. And even the location can’t be beat—the swish Recoleta district in the heart of BA and right up the road from the cemetery where Eva Perón (and many other Argentine luminaries) sleep for eternity. READ FULL REVIEW »

Set on a former maharaja campground two hours from Jaipur, this lushly landscaped desert oasis incorporates traditional haveli design in its thoroughly modern construction and detailing, hand-rendered in finely hewn marble and pale pink sandstone. Designed by Aman-vet Ed Tuttle, Amanbagh, amid date palms and centuries-old mango trees and still sporting its scent of newness, takes the mod maharaja palace concept to elegant and chic new levels. READ FULL REVIEW »

It’s been 20 years since the Amandari redefined luxury in Bali. In terms of design, this small property is as harmonious and magical as the island itself. Built on the edge of a dramatic river gorge and inspired by the layout of a traditional Balinese village, with river-stone walkways, graceful thatched public spaces and high stone walls, architect Peter Muller’s unique hotel drew magazine photographers and celebrities alike. Since then, Bali has seen its share of new and glamorous resorts, but the Amandari still reigns as one of the island’s landmark destinations. READ FULL REVIEW »

This serene collection of arched ocher pavilions in an oasis of palms and olive groves is set around a huge reflecting irrigation water basin. When Amanresorts opened the doors to its first African property in 2000, it had the effect of waking the world up to Marrakesh’s chic makeover. And with its swimming pool, spa, three restaurants, golf course and typically Zen-like designer-dressed staff, you’ll feel as pampered as Berber royalty. The frenetic souks and squares of the Medina are only 15 minutes away, but they may as well be another world when you’re here in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. READ FULL REVIEW »

Why does Amanpuri always manage to top the lists of best beachfront luxury in Phuket? Perhaps guests’ undying devotion can be attributed to the authentically Thai villas, sprinkled throughout a mature coconut plantation. Or maybe it’s the dramatic views of the teal-blue Andaman Sea from every room. It could also be the service with a smile, or perhaps the fleet of yachts and the spectacular diving. With the opening of the Aman brand’s first full-service spa, there’s yet another reason to stay at Amanpuri. The trick is finding a reason to leave. READ FULL REVIEW »

Shortly before the country was engulfed in the region’s wars and revolutions, Cambodia’s prince and future king, Norodom Sihanouk, tapped French architect Laurent Mondet to design a paean to mid-century modern on the edge of the ancient temple city Angkor Wat. Looking as if it might have been lifted out of swinging Southern California, the one-story Villa Princièr welcomed everyone from Jackie O to Peter O’Toole before falling into disrepair under the Khmer Rouge. Restored and rechristened by the Amanresort group in 2002, this contemporary design gem is once again an elegantly modern perch from which to explore one of the world’s ancient wonders. Perfumed with jasmine and ornamented with stylish objects, the Amansara is among a handful of truly luxe Cambodian properties, but with its breezy Zen decor and intimate vibe it feels more like a private guest house than a hotel. READ FULL REVIEW »

Bali's Jimbaran Bay is beginning to get cluttered with luxury resorts. Bulgari has joined the Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and Karma Resorts—and that’s just on the island’s southernmost tip. But the timeless design of the Amanusa—a complex of stone buildings resembling sleek Mayan temples, surrounded by manicured lawns, blossoming trees and reflecting pools—keeps the 15-year-old property on par with the competition. The now-legendary Aman chain actually has three resorts on the island: Amandari in Ubud for culture seekers and Amankila for honeymooners; Amanusa is prized by the golfing set. The resort looks over the Bali Golf and Country Club, considered by some to be one of Asia's best courses.  READ FULL REVIEW »

The 40-minute drive from the airport to Amanyara culminates on a bumpy, gravelly road bordered by dust-coated scrub brush. Just when you start to seriously believe that your driver has taken a wrong turn, the gravel ends and you arrive. There are no manicured rows of colorful flowers or gushing fountains to greet you. Instead, you step into the uncluttered entry pavilion with white stone floors, a soaring wood-framed roof, and a grand reflection pond. Designed by architect Jean-Michel Gathy, Amanyara, which derives its name from a combination of the Sanskrit word for peace and the Arawak Amerindian word for place, is a hideaway dedicated to quiet—a place for the over-stimulated to unplug and disappear. READ FULL REVIEW »

Never has a former boardinghouse for factory workers climbed so far, so fast and so seamlessly. Credit its good bones. The Kohler bath-fixture bosses provided rooms for their immigrant factory hands in their progressive American Club, a 1918 Tudor-style manse complete with peaks and dormers roofed in slate tile. A 1981 renovation embraced the "club" in its name, creating perhaps the Midwest’s best destination golf resort, with four Pete Dye courses, four restaurants and an aptly water-focused spa. For most travelers it is indeed a destination; once you reach the grounds, located midway up the Lake Michigan shore between Milwaukee and Green Bay, you’re here to stay. READ FULL REVIEW »

Situated in central Moscow, near the Bolshoi Theatre, Kremlin and Red Square, the Ararat is equally convenient and over-the-top. From the soaring, sun-drenched atrium to the glass-encased tenth-floor lounge—featuring stunning Moscow panoramas and nearly $40 cocktails—the Ararat wages a shock-and-awe campaign on your senses and your wallet. The hotel’s sensibilities are more modern than old-world exemplified by see-through glass elevators, a sumptuous spa and a minimalist sushi bar bedecked in beechwood and black granite that attracts newly minted millionaires and bigwig businessmen alike. READ FULL REVIEW »

Designed by an acolyte of Frank Lloyd Wright, who oversaw the creation, the 1929 resort is distinguished by its "Biltmore Blocks," variations on the molded cement blocks Wright used in his Mayan-inspired houses. Gold leafing makes for some inconsistencies with the Craftsman furniture, but there’s no other hotel in the world like this one (Wright’s only hotel, the Imperial in Tokyo, was torn down decades ago). Staying here is an experience somewhere between architectural heaven and a sprawling alternate universe where you can feel the presence of old Hollywood stars. Something about the distinctive architecture provides for an intensely personal experience of this resort, which never seems to be as overwhelmingly large as it really is. READ FULL REVIEW »

Few hotels come with a better pedigree. There has been some kind of inn or mountain refuge here, one of the greatest ski areas in the Alps, since 1386. The current hotel was built in 1956 after a fire destroyed its predecessor, and its most luxurious property to date. Despite a five-star rating and membership of Relais & Chateaux, Arlberg Hospiz manages to retain the warm atmosphere of a family-run place—which is exactly what it is. Since 1997 it has been managed by Florian Werner, whose father Adolf preceded him, and the new generation has invested heavily in refurbishment and expansion. READ FULL REVIEW »

Castle hotels are a dime a dozen in Ireland. What sets Ashford apart from the rest of the medieval rabble is its unwavering dedication to maintaining the feel of its 13th-century origins. Once the private estate of the Guinness family and one of the first Irish castles converted into luxury accommodation, in 1939, Ashford is a place where it’s easy to imagine yourself living in the time when clay pigeon shooting and falconry were typical daily pursuits. And its stout gray walls and battle towers stand on a lonely spit of land overlooking Ireland’s second largest lake. It’s 350 acres of the most gorgeous Irish countryside you’ll ever behold. READ FULL REVIEW »

When it opened in the mid-1980s, Auberge du Soleil helped launch the wine country’s luxury revolution with its Mediterranean-style rooms, suites and private maisons spread over 33 acres of Tuscan-like hillside 90 minutes north of San Francisco. The Auberge began as a provençal-style restaurant with prime vineyard views and an equally eye-catching menu. Eventually, terra-cotta-colored rooms and annexes were added, as was the grand tiled pool shrouded in olive trees, and more recently a sculpture gallery with 110 earthen pieces—all positioned to maximize the surrounding vineyards and redwoods. Auberge du Soleil means "Inn of the Sun" in French, and this now trailblazing retreat continues to shine bright despite a plethora of ambitious upstarts. READ FULL REVIEW »

This eight-year-old, sprawling resort of whitewashed, red-tiled Spanish Colonial buildings is set on 78 beachfront acres in Bacara, Santa Barbara, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains. Its remote location (no shops or restaurants nearby) and meandering layout make it feel like a seaside village, perfect for families who like lots of activities under one roof. Everything is on a grand scale here, from the traditionally furnished, high-ceilinged Lobby Lounge to the three-story spa. But the grandest is not even on site: Bacara has its own 1,000-acre ranch for hotel guests to experience hiking, gardening and the occasional bobcat sighting. READ FULL REVIEW »

An Edwardian grand hotel, The Balmoral nevertheless is infused with a modern flair by its Rocco Forte takeover and Olga Polizzi makeover in 1997. The brown sandstone exterior sits solidly on Edinburgh’s main drag, Princes Street, right above the Waverley Train Station, with the hotel’s landmark clock tower letting travelers know how much time they have to catch their train. Inside, the lobby’s marble floors reflect the hotel’s imposing nature, but just off the lobby, the Drawing Room’s up-to-date sofas and chairs show that the modern flair is never far behind. READ FULL REVIEW »

Stretched over 21 acres of manicured paths and ponds, Banyan Tree is the most luxurious of the five properties forming the 988-acre Laguna Phuket development. But the complex of individually sized and shaped walled villas also comes with one of Thailand’s top spas, making it perfect for hardcore spa-seekers as well. And with its high level of privacy and top-notch recreation amenities such as numerous swimming pools and an on-site par 71 golf course, the resort is perhaps Phuket’s only real competitor to the venerable Amanpuri. No wonder it is popular with the Thai Royal family. READ FULL REVIEW »

This buzzing landmark hotel with a modern edge is one of the last great Venice establishments still in private hands, and its strict, utilitarian facade and subdued interiors are a refreshing antidote to all the gilded and baroque excesses of the city. Refurbished to the tune of $38 million in 1999, it represents an exemplary marriage between cutting-edge technology and good old-fashioned craftsmanship. Behind all the trappings of expensive luxury—local Murano glasswork, rich Rubelli furnishings and Carrara marble floors—it’s a high-tech wonderland, with wireless connections in every room, flat-screen TVs and the very first solar-powered vaporetto in the city, for quiet, ecologically sound, water-bound transfers. READ FULL REVIEW »

The Baur au Lac is as synonymous with Zurich as Claridge’s is with London and the Ritz is with Paris. But unlike those two, the property—named for Johannes Baur, who founded it in 1844—is still family-owned, 162 years later. This rarefied provenance imbues the hotel with character and property, from 18th-century tapestries to Persian carpets and Jugendstil glass. The hotel’s main draw, however, remains its outstanding location, set amid rosebushes and Japanese cherry trees in its own private garden at the end of tony Bahnhofstrasse, within eyeshot of Lake Zurich and adjacent to the Schanzengraben River. READ FULL REVIEW »

Since 1841, the five-star Bayerischer Hof’s many public venues—including the formal Kamin Lounge and the famous Falk’s Bar—have hosted visiting dignitaries, movie stars and the European elite. The Volkhardt family has owned this Munich institution since 1897, and over the last few decades has painstakingly renovated the hotel piece by piece. As a result, the Bayerischer Hof may give the sense of a continual work-in-progress; the elevators are a little temperamental, and the enormous lobby can sometimes feel like an awkward patchwork of several hotels in one. The adjoining Palais Montgelas drips with baronial splendor, while the newly renovated VIP sixth floor of the main building could be a hip Miami boutique. READ FULL REVIEW »

One of Europe’s great mansion hotels, and one of Switzerland’s treasures, the Beau-Rivage has been privately held and family-run since Jean-Jacques Mayer first opened the doors in 1865. On the lake, and just one bridge away from Geneva’s best shopping along rue Du Mont Blanc, this is the best of old-fashioned Europe. The ubiquitous elegance of the décor can become overwhelming at times, but one must remember—that’s why you’re here. This is a grand hotel at its most purple. READ FULL REVIEW »

The Beau-Rivage Palace reigns supreme over all other hotels in the Lake Geneva region. The stately neoclassical property sits pretty on 10 manicured lakeside acres and enjoys what are perhaps the area’s best views of the Alps. And while Old World features come standard in Switzerland, of course, here the expected wall murals, stained glass and brocade fabrics are truly grand. Still, the hotel isn’t caught up in the past: A $91 million renovation has ushered in wifi and other modern twists, as well as a sleek top-ranked spa. READ FULL REVIEW »

The Bellagio’s extravagant entrance still packs the same punch it did when the hotel opened in 1998. A driveway skirts an 8.5-acre artificial lake with 1,200 fountains that "dance" with a pyrotechnical light show, then reaches a grand cobblestoned glass portico. To add to the wow factor, a giant Dale Chihuly glass sculpture of flowers hangs 18 feet over the lobby, there’s an interior garden and the resort’s administrative offices are behind the facade of a two-story Tuscan villa. In a world where pirate ships fire on one another and the Sphinx competes with the Eiffel Tower, the Bellagio’s artifice is refinement. READ FULL REVIEW »

First came the winery—founded 1990 in Carmel Valley, 15 ever-sunnier miles east of Carmel proper, by Dutch wine importer Bernardus "Ben" Pon. Then, in 1999, came the resort—then, as now, a collection of one- and two-story stucco buildings grouped around a croquet lawn and buffered from the road by vineyards and fields of lavender. Although the Monterey peninsula is famous for its golfing, guests (a mix of honeymooners and wine buffs) come inland to Bernardus for three things: eating, drinking and a good night’s sleep. Guests can sleep especially well knowing that the hotel is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and at the cutting edge of the green hotel revolution, using organic produce and employing the latest conservation technologies. READ FULL REVIEW »

Located on legendary Sunset Boulevard in the country’s most celebrated zipcode, 90210, near major movie studios and the famed shops of Rodeo Drive, the equally renowned Beverly Hills Hotel continues to hold its own with the film world’s elite, even wooing a new generation of admirers. Ever since it opened in 1912, the Pink Palace has seen Hollywood’s movers and shakers consummating deals in the Polo Lounge and affairs in the private bungalows. Today, even its trademark cursive logo and palatial pink look haven’t gone out of style—the hotel remains a City of Angels icon. READ FULL REVIEW »

Located at the foot of the designer shops of Rodeo Drive and the Golden Triangle, the Beverly Wilshire Beverly Hills, part of the Four Seasons, has a long tradition as one of the premier places to stay in Los Angeles, although in recent years its faintly stuffy air had sent many to its newer, younger sister hotel, the Four Seasons Los Angeles. But now the landmark Mediterranean-style hotel (with a modern high-rise at its rear) is once again the place to stay. It’s dropped the "Regent" from the name and returned to its original 1928 moniker, but that’s all that’s old about the place. Inside you’ll find newly renovated rooms, new restaurants, a bar and an of-the-moment spa that looks like a cross between Philippe Starck and a Zen retreat. READ FULL REVIEW »

Hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, skiing, fishing—all are just moments away. Granted, the stone-and-timber lodge, with its 30-foot-high Great Room, looks more like it belongs in the Rocky Mountains than the Southern Alps (as New Zealand’s South Island mountains are known), but it’s such a beauty that no one’s going to quibble about local design. Plus, the surrounding scenery (the location for the Lord of the Rings saga) is so staggering in its jagged-mountain and glassy-lake drama that you’re grateful for the tall windows to take it all in. READ FULL REVIEW »

The epitome of the grand country-house hotel, ivy-covered Blantyre, set on 100 acres of prime Lenox territory, transports you to the glory days of the Gilded Age. Like many of its neighboring manses in the verdant Berkshires, the New England resort began life in the early 1900s as a private summer home for a wealthy Englishman, Robert Paterson. And though the attitude may not be stuffy, you still feel all the formality that befits a Tudor castle, complete with turrets, leaded-glass windows and manicured croquet lawns. You may even sense the gargoyles frowning if you put your feet up on the furniture. READ FULL REVIEW »

Secluded on its own motu (small sandy island) on the outer edge of the reef, Bora Bora Lagoon Resort avoids hosting the crowds that have come to plague the South Pacific’s most photogenic island. Anyone who craves hustle and bustle should probably book elsewhere. On the other hand, the resort is tropical nirvana for those seeking a low-key but very comfortable Polynesian getaway. The beach isn’t much to write home about, but the views across the lagoon to iconic Mt. Otemanu are absolutely awesome. READ FULL REVIEW »

Physically and psychologically set apart from the cluster of five-star resorts around Scottsdale’s Camelback Mountain, the Boulders, 25 minutes north, seems to grow organically out of the surrounding rocks. In fact, everything about this resort feels like a natural part of the environment. The adobe buildings are earth hued, as are the massive granite boulders for which the hotel is named. The two golf courses are composed of native grasses that require less water, and bugs are banished with jalapeño pepper spray, not chemicals. A stay here can be a private, serene escape, actively athletic, or completely sybaritic via the Golden Door Spa—though the best is some combination of all three. READ FULL REVIEW »

Rolling moorlands surround this spectacular Edwardian mock-Tudor mansion on a hilltop. Built in 1906, it evolved into one of the grandest country estates in Britain during the 20s and 30s before being neglected. Brought back to life in 2004, it’s a place that today is especially recommended for golfers (the course was designed in the 20s to rival Gleneagle and Turnberry) and hikers. But with the 20s heyday cued by a collection of vintage cars parked out front, it’s also ideal for anyone who loves old-fashioned elegance a la the Orient Express. READ FULL REVIEW »

For more than a century, this Italian Renaissance-style property that sits on 140 manicured beachfront acres has set the standard by which every other Palm Beach hotel is measured. Once inside, it’ll take your eyes a moment to adjust to the lobby’s cool, marble interior—but what a feast for the senses when they do: hand-painted ceilings, Venetian chandeliers and 15th-century Flemish tapestries. Don’t let the ornate surroundings fool you, however. This is still a place of quiet good taste, where Lilly and Lacoste reign. For those whose wardrobes lack the requisite pink-and-green color palette, the shops of Worth Avenue are less than a mile away. READ FULL REVIEW »

Long before Americans turned spa into a verb, travelers from around the world have been checking into stately Brenner’s Park in the spa city of Baden-Baden to relax and rejuvenate. While you could be very comfortable just staying in the hotel, the real point of a visit is taking part in the spa. And spa-ing is done a bit differently here—forget about an herb wrap and starvation. Instead, the spa experience is all about indulgence—a wonderful meal, fine wine, a lovely room, a stroll through the park and a night at the casino. READ FULL REVIEW »

European grandeur with Western touches is a quirky—some might say risky—design approach. But when Spencer Penrose built this pink stucco building with chimes that ring from a tower every quarter hour in 1918, he at least had the good sense to put it at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Today, these grand touches still exist: beams painted with motifs from classical mythology, a marble staircase, ornate chandeliers, ceiling frescoes by European artists. And of course there’s the majestic view of the Rockies. It’s a formula the Broadmoor has used to maintain its appeal, even as it has added guest-room buildings that continue the European elegance with a more contemporary style. READ FULL REVIEW »

Situated a stone’s throw from the Ritz, just off Piccadilly, and once upon a time known as Brown’s & St. George’s Hotel, this collection of 11 Georgian townhouses claims to be London’s oldest hotel, dating back to 1837. In 2003, it joined the exclusive Rocco Forte Collection, and subsequently benefited from a massive makeover supervised by renowned Italian designer Olga Polizzi (who just happens to be Sir Rocco’s wife). The resulting property exhibits a distinctly contemporary polish while still retaining a classic air. The hotel is now once again used by Londoners, which says something. READ FULL REVIEW »

The Bulgari Hotel is in Milan’s ?golden triangle? of culture, history and style; yet its secluded location in a small street behind the La Scala Opera House provides an idyllic, cloistered retreat for businessmen, fashionistas and tourists alike. Architect Antonio Citterio has combined three buildings (one a former convent dating back to the 18th century) behind a modern facade that he describes as a ?blank field,? featuring oak and black granite-framed windows, in contrast to the hotel’s neighboring massive concrete apartment buildings. Inside, open, rectilinear architecture combines with natural, opulent materials such as Zimbabwe marble and solid teak and contemporary Italian furniture for a sumptuous blend of old and new. READ FULL REVIEW »

The world’s first (self-described) seven-star hotel is reached via a private land-bridge. Even though the Burj Al Arab has a mere 202 suites, more than 20,000 square feet of real gold leaf is used throughout the $650 million property, which is linked together via high-speed elevators. And the eye-widening details don’t stop there. Soaring to 1,053 feet, the Burj Al Arab is covered in reflective Teflon and is all about design superlatives: the world’s tallest hotel and the world’s largest atrium—nearly 590-feet-high. The Burj certainly goes to extremes to please its beyond-wealthy clientele. Still, set nearly 900 feet out in the Persian Gulf on a man-made island, this sail-shaped icon has come to signify Dubai’s tourism ascent since its much-anticipated opening in 1999, following five much-hyped years of construction. READ FULL REVIEW »

Located within a private wilderness reserve three hours from Cape Town, this serene ecological sanctuary—created from a derelict, overgrazed farm—is filled with blooming flora, a medicinal herb garden, gamboling fauna (including ostriches, zebra and the odd aardvark) and even an ancient al fresco gallery with 130-plus colorful San Bushman rock-art sites, which helped the reserve become a South African Natural Heritage site. Since opening in 1997, the collection of sumptuous lodges and communal quarters have attracted outdoorsmen eager to mountain-bike the craggy Cederberg Mountains and weary travelers looking to take a spa treatment beneath the starry sky. READ FULL REVIEW »

This contemporary-meets-classical European hotel, ideally set in the "Luxury Corridor" of La Recoleta, celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2007, but its elegant interiors and Old World service suggest it’s been around a lot longer. Set directly opposite the boutiques of Patio Bullrich and a short walk from the Alvear Palace Hotel and the Four Seasons, it manages to combine the refined elegance of the former with the contemporary chic of the latter, the only drawback being the lack of decent views from its lower-floor rooms. That said, it surprises with touches like a boutique wine shop in the lobby and a secret garden out back that you would never know existed from the entrance. READ FULL REVIEW »

Half a block off Union Square and away from the panhandler-ridden Theater District, this boutique hotel caters to the fashion/retail industries. But not the junior buyers; instead, you’ll find their bosses. Or, more likely, their bosses. (And Oscar de la Renta, when he’s in town.) If you’re young and trendy, try the Clift. But if you usually travel by corporate jet, you’ll feel at home here: The atmosphere is hushed, the decor a range of Armani taupes and the service friendly but not overbearing. READ FULL REVIEW »

It’s not hard to see why serious tennis players love this place. Aside from its 11 courts, Caneel Bay has the manners of a well-bred country club. Only with a rustic soul and, of course, Caribbean breezes. Spread over some 170 acres folded into the protected grounds of the 5,000-acre Virgin Islands National Park, this Laurance Rockefeller legacy began its life offering luxury camping. That green mentality continues today, its buildings blending into the park landscape, with no phones or TVs in the rooms; the underlying philosophy is a complete disconnect from the jangle of urban life. Assisting in that effort are the resort’s seven separate beaches. READ FULL REVIEW »

Canoe Bay is nothing short of a find in Wisconsin’s north woods. That is, both literally a find—there are no roadside signs announcing the retreat, which guards its privacy like treasure—and figuratively, as a stand-alone sophisticate. In a region better known for rustic fishing camps, Canoe Bay is a refined camper, with 14 different buildings housing a total of 20 guest units. Most units are cottages designed in Wisconsin native Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie style on 280 acres shared by three private lakes. For maximum bonding with your mate and the natural surroundings, the resort bans children, pets, smoking and hard liquor (BYO or rely on the award-winning wine list), and cellphone service is blessedly spotty at this tranquil getaway. READ FULL REVIEW »

The Cape Grace is universally regarded as one of the top hotels in Africa. But it won’t hit you right away as to why. There’s no sprawling atrium in the lobby, no Old World charm, no hip minimalism. In fact, you may stop by the modest, antique desk that serves as a check-in counter, get comfortable in your room and head to the sunlit library, with shelf after shelf of rare books—with everyone in between suddenly knowing your name—before it hits you: Everything about this hotel feels easy. Still, there is one thing dramatic about this hotel set on a private quay along the Atlantic’s Table Bay: the full-on views of Table Mountain. READ FULL REVIEW »

Ever since the Roman Emperors built their summer palaces high on this rocky outcrop above the emerald waters of the Bay of Naples, Capri has been a haven for the rich and powerful. Today’s celebrities (Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Naomi Campbell), however, escape to Anacapri, the quieter side of the island, taking refuge in the exclusive oasis that is the Capri Palace. Several generations of hoteliers have welcomed guests to this spot for more than 100 years, but the Capri Palace is a new building, conceived in classic Mediterranean style. The taste of cosmopolitan wealth and privilege is immediately tangible; in the lobby the acres of blond marble, white linen and gold leaf stand out against a framework of columns, soaring arches and vaulted ceilings. This is the hub of the hotel, where beautiful people in shades linger and surreptitiously check each other out. If glamour is what you’re after, this is the place to be. READ FULL REVIEW »

The Carlyle, an unabashedly Upper East Side establishment on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue, appeals to those looking for a white-glove type of property in a world where luxury has become dominated by corporate five stars and boutique brands. With its history and reputation for discretion, it is a magnet for royalty, heads of state and old money. Not surprisingly, the old-school vibe can sometimes slip into just plain stuffy. However, the hotel sits in perfect proximity to Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum and the shops of Madison and Fifth Avenues. READ FULL REVIEW »

The Casa de Sierra Nevada is the crown jewel of this charming colonial city. Spread throughout six ornate mansions, the hotel is a mere two blocks from the central square El Jardin, and within walking distance of world-class artisan shopping. Orient-Express took over the hotel in February 2006, and has since completed a $5 million renovation, including the addition of the luxurious Laja Spa, named after the local river. READ FULL REVIEW »

Just a few miles off the coast of northeastern Belize is the kind of exclusive lair where guests live out their recluse fantasies. The five villas and one over-water bungalow in this four-acre private island resort are positioned for privacy; and since all meals and spa treatments are brought to you, you may never see another guest. Because of its extreme intimacy, your personal butler can cater to your every whim, be it a couple’s massage on your private dock or—should the idea of leaving your villa occur to you—a gourmet picnic on a nearby deserted island. In fact, you set the entire schedule: Meals come whenever and wherever you’d like and are created based on a pre-arrival preference survey. READ FULL REVIEW »

A gentlemanly hotel for a genteel city, an aura of sophisticated glamor pervades the Charles Hotel, the newest of the three German hotels in the Rocco Forte Collection. Situated in the museums quarter of Munich, the hotel overlooks the Old Botanical Gardens. It is also convenient for the renaissance of intra-European rail travel as the main train station is only a few minutes walk. The vast portico fronting the art deco-inspired facade identifies the hotel in the ?properly? luxurious sector and leads to the clear layout of the lobby. The hotel boasts a real sense of place with several Bavarian connections. This is seen most obviously in the artwork from local master, Lenbach, and the Nymphenburg porcelain friezes but also in the use of local cherry wood and Jura limestone. READ FULL REVIEW »

>The distinctly Southern gracious grandeur of Charleston Place hits you immediately upon stepping into its sweeping marble lobby: a magnificent Georgian open-arm staircase practically reaches out to hug you, while a 12-foot-tall crystal chandelier sparkles over a display of flowers of equal grandeur. Even Tara was never like this. And this hotel, located in the dead center of the historic district, fits seamlessly into the city of Charleston—one of America’s most gracious. It’s a place where women are called ladies and afternoon tea is de rigueur, served in the formal elegance of the Thoroughbred Club. READ FULL REVIEW »

A grand home rather than a hotel of any category, the Château de Bagnols exists within a magical mystery of moats, drawbridges and lavender-scented formal gardens. The château itself dates to the 13th century, but was gorgeously restored beginning in 1987. Today it’s part of the Rocco Forte portfolio, so not only is it expertly managed, but it’s imbued with history everywhere you turn. Then step outside and you’re surrounded by vineyards, forests and hills—and deep in the heart of Beaujolais country. READ FULL REVIEW »

With its artsy boutiques, charming cafés, narrow streets and commanding view from the crest of a rocky pinnacle overlooking the Riviera, the Château de la Chèvre d’Or offers the best of old and new. Step into the stone-walled lobby and you are transported to the medieval village of Eze. The town, just 20 minutes from Nice, is wonderfully wrapped in the past, by design, with its steep, car-free village pathways, and some rooms of the château open right onto those paths, while many feature a balcony or terrace that takes in the breathtaking sweep of the Côte d’Azur far below. READ FULL REVIEW »

The chefs at this sublime Michelin two-star restaurant know a thing or two about running a hotel as well, and giving your entire night to this intimate property is ineffably rewarding. Walk through the colonnaded front porch and you instantly feel like a distinguished member of the Pommery champagne dynasty, which built the château in a 17-acre park in the early 1900s. READ FULL REVIEW »

A standard-setter since it opened in 1966, this country-house hotel is set in the New Forest, the red brick manse and its sun-streaked public rooms stuffed with deep downy chintz furnishings and English antiques, along with just enough contemporary touches to please the non-traditionalist. This exquisite property is more of a retreat than a full-service resort. Its spa, nine-hole par-3 golf course, rolling expanse of lawn and English country pursuits make it popular with weekending Londoners and wealthy Europeans on holiday, but extremely active Americans might grow restless. READ FULL REVIEW »

You arrive at this classic yet modish bush camp by light aircraft, landing at the resort’s own private, all-weather landing strip. The grounds consist of a dozen luxe thatched pavilions set on raised wooden platforms under canopies of jackalberry trees—and it’s a good thing the platforms are raised. One of only two lodges on remote Chief’s Island in the Moremi concession of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, the surrounding bush at Chief’s Camp is home to scores of wild dog, lion, cheetah and leopard. Yet unlike some remote bush lodges, you don’t have to make many concessions luxury-wise to stay here. Striking rooms, a communal restaurant, and a bar area, fronted by a pool deck lined with sexy daybeds, offer a taste of South Beach chic in the African wild. READ FULL REVIEW »

Chiva-Som isn’t just another beach-spa getaway. With 80 rigorously trained therapists and world-renowned experts in well-being, this is the place to renovate your lifestyle. Sure, there’s the waterfront tai chi and spa cuisine for health junkies, but this resort goes far beyond, with in-depth consulting on health and wellness. There’s even an acupuncture program that can help guests stop smoking. The beach town’s Chiva-Som resort pioneered the Western-friendly health retreat in Asia when it opened seven years ago, and it continues to innovate. Of course, its location is a huge incentive to get healthy. Situated on seven acres on the Gulf of Thailand, the lush landscape fits into the same goal of soothing and renewal. READ FULL REVIEW »

Never resting on its laurels, Claridge’s stays ahead of the game by constantly reinventing itself—first spotting the trend for celebrity chefs, for instance, and securing Gordon Ramsay, and with him, a Michelin star. At the same time, it’s a temple to 1930s art deco chic, with the marble checkerboard hall, the exuberant sweeping staircase, Lalique glass panels, ornate ironwork and banisters, mirror paneling and signature emerald-striped china. At Claridge’s, for all its newfound popularity with a young and fashionable crowd, the grandeur remains undimmed—at once a bastion of British traditionalism as well as a bold trendsetter, exuding a sense of charisma and timeless style. READ FULL REVIEW »

Built by the legendary architect Addison Mizner—best known for designing half of Palm Beach—the Mediterranean-esque Cloister is one of the last, true American resort grande dames. Located on Sea Island—a sliver of land off the Georgia coast near St. Simons Island—the Cloister has served as a retreat for America’s East Coast elite since it opened in 1928. A massive $350 million makeover in 2003 saw the introduction of a 65,000-square-foot spa, cementing the Cloister’s place among the best of Sea Island’s numerous resorts. Indeed, it was polished enough to host the world’s most powerful leaders during the 2004 G8 Summit. Formal enough that men are required to wear jackets at dinner, but still comfortably welcoming children, the Cloister offers accessible grandeur for the entire family. READ FULL REVIEW »

Spread over 20 acres of rain forest outside Ubud, Begawan Giri is more akin to a tropical estate than a hotel. Each of the five residences that comprise the property is based around a single theme: Fire, Water, Wind, Forest and Earth. One of them floats above the jungle like a five-star tree house, while another features a Japanese water garden and private waterfall. And they couldn’t fit in better with the surrounding gardens—flowering trees, lush ferns and wild vines cascading down the side of a river gorge—which took the former owner eight years to sculpt. READ FULL REVIEW »

With its wood paneling, majestic mahogany staircase and leather fenders, The Connaught has the quintessentially English atmosphere and style of a gentleman’s club. However, having managed to keep the outside world at arm’s length, the hotel has had to make certain concessions to a more egalitarian age. Women in trouser suits for instance, or mini bars in the bedrooms, were once considered improper. Even so, many regulars no doubt will continue to prefer to get things done the old-fashioned way, summoning their floor butlers to mix them a gin and tonic or unpack their bags; it is this kind of service, after all, for which the Connaught is justly famed. READ FULL REVIEW »

The Conrad Brussels is a business hotel through and through, but one that’s hidden behind the elegant facade of a fin de siècle mansion. And while the hotel offers fairly cookie-cutter luxury and its guests are largely Eurocrats (beware of when the EU is in session; rooms become incredibly scarce), it’s still the city’s preeminent property. You’ll find a breadth of amenities, a classic decor and above all, a top-notch location: at the corner of Avenue Louise and Boulevard de Waterloo, the city’s upscale boutique axis, within eyeshot of the Palace of Justice and the grandeur of Grand-Place. READ FULL REVIEW »

An elite business hotel in one of the world’s premier business cities, the Conrad is one of Hong Kong’s best places for getting in, getting settled and getting things done. Roughly 95 percent of the Conrad’s business is business—both hosting the meetings themselves and giving international executives a place to prepare and unwind. And nearly all of the Conrad’s clients fly in from abroad; nearly half arrive from the U.S. and Europe alone. Everyone who comes to Hong Kong for business at least considers staying at the Conrad. READ FULL REVIEW »

The big brother of the Istanbul Hilton, the Conrad (named after Paris Hilton’s grandfather) is not as style conscious and caters more for the traveling businessman. Looming 14 floors over the highest point of the hilly neighborhood of Besiktas, adjacent to Yildiz Palace, the hotel offers stunning views of the Bosphorus and the Old City. In this historic city straddling two continents, the Conrad is the closest option for access to both the business district and the bridge over to the Asian side. READ FULL REVIEW »

Offsetting the palatial beauty of Table Mountain outside Capetown, Constantia Uitsig embodies the historic viniculture of South Africa’s Buitenverwachting. With an understated decadence, Constantia Uitsig offers rural charm amongst the sweeping grandeur of the country’s oldest wine region, recalling the palate of Napoleon himself (who was well-acquainted with the local varietal, Pinotage). Equally befitting an emperor is La Colombe, one of the estate’s three restaurants considered by some the finest in all of Africa. READ FULL REVIEW »

A Rio icon, this gorgeous white stucco building’s storied guest list reads like a mid-20th-century Hollywood who’s who: Errol Flynn, Bing Crosby, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Orson Welles, Carmen Miranda and Jayne Mansfield were only a few of its devotees. And the hotel still keeps a "Golden Book" for luminaries to sign. But celebrities alone don’t make a hotel. The Copa fell into disrepair in the 1970s and was restored in the late 1980s, but upkeep waxes and wanes (sofas and linens have looked a bit lovingly worn at times in the past). READ FULL REVIEW »

On an island long favored by the Anglo elite, Cotton House is one of those places where that fellow lounging on the other side of the pool really is that rock star he so closely resembles. And, the stiff-upper-lipped couple sitting next to you at dinner are indeed British royals. Mustique is like that—and so is Cotton House, one of only two hotels on the exclusive little island. Set on heavily wooded hills around a white-sand strand and turquoise bay, the hotel smacks of old English Caribbean, a bygone sugar plantation transformed into a posh playground for the rich and famous. READ FULL REVIEW »

Don’t be scared off or confused by the name: The country club in this case refers to the historic golf course across the street—not the hotel itself. But this old abode in Lima’s swank San Isidro neighborhood does have a clubby sort of atmosphere. Step inside and the bumper-to-bumper traffic, unrelenting noise and pollution that plague the Peruvian capital quickly fade away. The Country Club is too large to be termed a boutique hotel, but it does exude an intimacy lacking in Lima’s larger (mostly Western chain) hotels. Its trump card is stunning architecture: The vintage 1927 mansion blends Spanish colonial icons like red-tile roofs and whitewashed walls with genuine antiques and artwork as well as European neoclassical touches like the stately glass-domed lobby. READ FULL REVIEW »

This ancient labyrinth of four buildings in the heart of Lyon is infused with history, evidenced in the ornately carved interior staircases, statuary and archways that open onto welcoming lounges and the reception area. An ancient passageway leads into an interior courtyard covered with a glass dome that keeps out the rain but lets in the light. Eight other courtyards lie scattered around the four buildings that the Duke of Burgundy plus various merchants, bankers and Jesuits called home from the 1300s to the 1600s. Still, it wasn’t until 2000 that these magnificent buildings were restored and fused to form the Cour des Loges; so, despite the historic backdrop and a smattering of antique pieces, the decor veers sharply into the 21st century—an effect that some find jarring. READ FULL REVIEW »

Intimate and idiosyncratic, the former hospital that is now the Covent Garden Hotel is a bijou hideaway that captures the spirit of the neighborhood after which it is named. In an area known for its colorful traffic-free side streets filled with cafés and one-off boutiques, the hotel’s fun and eclectic style attracts a bohemian crowd of actors and film stars. The entrance hall is suitably dramatic, with a curtain stretched across the proscenium arch, like a stage set in the theater. To one side is lively Max’s brasserie with a striking zinc-topped bar; step on by and the theatrical fantasy continues in the 53-seat cinema, outrageously kitted out in chic Poltrona Frau leather armchairs. READ FULL REVIEW »

One of the pioneers of Caribbean pampering, Curtain Bluff has been around since the days when Kennedy was president, Elvis was king and Gilligan’s Island looked exotic to many Americans. Yet this upscale all-inclusive seems as fresh today as in 1962, when it was the only thing on Antigua’s southwest coast. There still aren’t very many neighbors, the seclusion assured by Curtain Bluff’s location on a private peninsula. True to its name, the resort sprawls like a great muslin cloth along a golden beach and the adjoining rocky heights. Longtime owner Howard Hulford works hard to cultivate a chummy atmosphere for guests, partly by inviting them to his bluff-top home for a weekly cocktail fling. Hulford is also proud of the resort’s copious cigar selection and a wine reserve that runs 25,000 bottles-strong—best cellar in the entire region. READ FULL REVIEW »

The Datai isn’t the only five-star resort on the island of Langkawi—the up-and-coming destination off the west coast of Malaysia—but for its one-of-a-kind location and superior service, the 15-year-old hotel is the best of them, hands down. Hidden away in virgin rain forest, the resort’s main focus is the natural world; the walk to the beach, five minutes away, is along tree-lined paths surrounded by birds and monkeys—an unspoiled stretch of property that leads to a white-sand crescent bay on the crystal waters of the Andaman Sea. READ FULL REVIEW »

The Dorchester has in recent years benefited not so much from a facelift as from serious reconstructive surgery. Injected with new life after a 2003 multimillion-dollar renovation, with new spa, new restaurants and new suites, the place positively hums with energy. The endless lobby is a veritable orgy of gleaming gold and marble, filled morning to midnight with a constant flow of models and maiden aunts, Asian businessmen and Savile Row suits. Shot through with a strong, sometimes campy sense of theater, the Dorchester is all about escapism; you can indulge your Highland fantasies at the Scottish-themed Grill with its outlandish Braveheart-style murals and tartan upholstery, or imagine yourself in decadent 1930s China in the elegant China Tang bar. READ FULL REVIEW »

Dromoland is the Irish castle you’ve always imagined—40 shades of rolling green, romantic turrets and suits of armor. Despite a dash of trite thrown in, Dromoland remains a perennial favorite. Set on 375 gorgeous acres of lush Irish countryside, the 16th-century ancestral seat of the Earl of Thumomd offers history combined with plenty of outdoor activities. Just 10 minutes from Shannon Airport, it’s an ideal way to begin or end an Irish getaway and an excellent base from which to explore the west of Ireland. READ FULL REVIEW »

Set beside Green Park in a quiet cul de sac in the heart of Mayfair, this traditional townhouse is perhaps one of the most quiet and peaceful urban hotels. Turn-of-the-century gas lamps at the entrance set the sedate Victorian tone. Inside this mini-grand, interiors are restful and unostentatious, making it perfect for romantic (and secret) assignations, especially in the conservatory and rose-scented central courtyard with its small fountain. The covert sense of suppressed sinfulness continues to the moody paneled bar, which draws Londoners along with hotel guests for its excellent dry martini cocktail and list of rare cognacs. READ FULL REVIEW »

This history-drenched boutique hotel is housed in a 17th-century complex that once contained the city’s first theater and is located alongside Amsterdam’s widest canal, the Keizersgracht (ideal for wintertime ice skating). The glinting water serves as a backdrop to this mod destination decked out in gold-leaf walls and blood-red leather chairs. Naturally, this attracts the smart and beautiful, clad in designer duds and skinny as their cigarettes. Escape the hullabaloo by heading to the nearby Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House or Van Gogh museum. READ FULL REVIEW »

Occupying the catbird seat in one of the Caribbean’s most luxurious drawing rooms—St-Jean Bay—Eden Rock is St. Barth’s oldest hotel, but also its most youthful. It’s a former mayor’s residence dating to the 1950s, which then evolved into a very casual inn and the island’s social hub. English couple David and Jane Matthews bought the quartzite promontory in 1995 and rebuilt and upgraded the entire facility, respecting original architectural lines. The result is a world-class operation primped with sumptuous whims. One drawback for some: The location stays busy from dawn to dusk. Then again, here, ?busy? also describes a daily parade of young, blonde and bronzed. READ FULL REVIEW »

This glorious British colonial home with salmon-pink walls, wide verandas and lush lawns on a high bluff overlooking the Atlantic was built for cruise-shipping tycoon Sir John Ellerman in the early 1900s. It’s now Cape Town’s most treasured boutique hotel, an all-inclusive property with 11 individually designed rooms decorated with vintage and original Cape furniture and an extensive collection of South African art. In 2005, an angular Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired villa opened on the grounds, adding a Hollywood-esque glamour, but without even a reception area the overall feeling is one of a laid-back private home. It’s a short walk to the beaches of Clifton and a 10-minute drive with the in-house car service to central Cape Town, but feel free to just wander the grounds in your dressing gown. READ FULL REVIEW »

Nestled in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, this designated Dharma Living resort and spa has offered green, near guiltless luxury since its inception in 2003. Its many faces include elaborate, one-of-a-kind suites with art and global decor inspired by countries as disparate as Japan, Morocco and Argentina, as well as adobe-style casitas and mountain suites with a distinct Native American and Northern New Mexico sense of place. The fantastic, furturistic Biolarium and Living Machine, recycling water and generating geo-thermal heating and cooling, are hidden seamlessly among the sustainable landscaping. READ FULL REVIEW »

This $3 billion property, completed in 2005, covers 250 acres—and that’s just the building. The grounds are equally vast, extending for more than one mile, end to end. By itself, the triumphal arch over the entrance drive is larger than many city hotels. Not surprisingly, the arrival of kings and queens, heads of state and similar luminaries is a weekly occurrence—and you’ll be treated like royalty, too. Put simply, the Emirates Palace is one of the most luxurious (and enormous) hotels ever imagined—and the most sumptuous accommodation that Abu Dhabi’s ruling family could build. READ FULL REVIEW »

Orchards and lush greenery may have worked for Adam and Eve, but the ancestors of the Yavapai preferred their Garden of Eden in the Arizona style—dry, earth-toned, rocky. Step into Boynton Canyon, home of the Enchantment Resort, and you’ll immediately start to understand the Native American way of thinking. Soaring in-your-face red rock formations mesmerize those who enter this box canyon, while its energy rising from the earth promises to strengthen one’s inner being. New Age spirit rules in Sedona, and the Enchantment embraces this lifestyle as it caters to honeymooners, families and adventure seekers. READ FULL REVIEW »

One of just six Auberge Resort properties, world renowned for out-pampering even the most jaded five-star habitue, this oceanfront Cabo retreat spared no expense during its 2007 renovation, and attracts guests willing to vacation in a similar mindset. Surprisingly Mexican for the Anglo-sized destination of Cabo San Lucas (basically an extension of San Diego), clusters of boxy, minimalist, freestanding villas have majestic, traditional palm-thatched roofs. Though once inside your cavernous room, you’ll have every modern luxury as well as spectacular views out over the tumultuous Sea of Cortez. READ FULL REVIEW »

An oasis of hip design and comfortable living on the edge of the Andes Mountains and the desert, Hotel de Larache is cobbled together from 20 small farming plots, drawing inspiration from the traditional estancias of northern Chile. Rooms are arranged around large patios and several inviting outdoor pools, where you can gawk at snow-capped volcanoes while floating on your back with cocktail in hand. It normally takes a couple of days to adjust to the altitude (10,000 feet), but once the heart and lungs are acclimatized, guests can dig into several dozen adventures that Explora undertakes in the area, including biking through the eerie Valle de la Luna, horseback riding through the Atacama dunes and flamingo-watching along the edge of local salt lakes. One caveat: Getting here requires a two-hour flight from Santiago and a 90-minute drive straight through the Atacama. READ FULL REVIEW »

Originally conceived as a base camp for serious mountain expeditions, the all-inclusive Salto Chico has evolved into an oasis of soft adventure where guests choose from a menu of daily excursions by foot, horse, boat and four-wheel-drive into the Patagonian wilderness. It would be difficult to find or conceive of a more dramatic location than the Torres del Paine at the southern end of the Andes—the shore of a tranquil alpine lake, overlooking a colossal waterfall, at the foot of one of the world’s most spectacular mountain ranges. At a distance, the stark white structure resembles a factory or warehouse, but the offbeat design is actually a modern take on the utilitarian architecture common in Patagonia for nearly 100 years. The ambience is totally laid-back. It’s the kind of place where you sit around in the late afternoon sipping sundowners while you plan the following day’s excursions with your Chilean guides. Salto Chico is warm and comfy, but don’t expect five-star service and amenities this far out in the sticks—a four-hour flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas followed by a three-hour road journey through one of the most remote parts of South America. READ FULL REVIEW »

This hotel, set in the middle of the dramatic Alberta wilderness, looks on first sight like Hogwarts meets a Disney castle, with a touch of Scottish baronial. You get a plan of the hotel when you check in so that you don’t get lost (though it’s no guarantee), but you may just want to wander, since it’s so impressive: endless staircases, vaulted ceilings, towering stone columns—and the $2.3 million renovation in 2003 only made it more so. Still, this place is about recreation, the outdoors, and drinking in the clean air of the Canadian Rockies. READ FULL REVIEW »

This popular 550-room resort is a scenic year-round destination. Perfectly positioned for ski-in/ski-out access at the base of Blackcomb Mountain in British Columbia, The Fairmont Chateau Whistler is a modern take on the grand Canadian Pacific Railroad hotel. In 1997, Fairmont invested in a massive expansion from which the resort gained 221 new guest rooms. And size will matter when it comes time for Vancouver/Whistler to host the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. READ FULL REVIEW »

Centuries ago, when Dubai was a small, steamy port centered around the pearl trade, local craftsmen developed the barajeel, a rooftop tower capable of catching and funneling even gentle breezes into living spaces, allowing desert visitors to rest in surprising comfort. And from the day it opened in 2002, the Fairmont Dubai’s striking architecture has reflected this tradition—the building itself resembles a 34-story barajeel, presenting an iconic image of comfort before travelers have even arrived. Inside, the Fairmont’s airy interior, plush furnishings, and highly attentive service honor yet another local custom: Arabian hospitality. READ FULL REVIEW »

Mild year-round temps and palm trees make sheltered Montreux one of the most desirable resort towns on the Swiss Riviera. It comes as no surprise, then, that this popular historic hotel is hopping January through December. Once past the red-caped doormen, an air of the good life is apparent at every turn. The sweeping central staircase that anchors the opulent hotel lobby is enough to conjure images of Rhett Butler, and there’s always a parade of jet-setters and well-to-do Swiss misses at the hotel’s upmarket shopping mall. Literary lions Tolstoy, Flaubert and Dostoyevsky all spent time here, but it was controversial Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov who practically made the Montreux Palace his second home. READ FULL REVIEW »

Since opening in 1924, the 12-floor, Italian Renaissance-style Olympic has become a local landmark, with its ostentatious old style that favors Oriental carpets and highly polished wood fixtures (the Olympic was restored in the mid-1980s and spiffed up in 2005). Accordingly, this National Register of Historic Places honoree has served as Seattle’s go-to for honeymooners, politicos and families, whose kids receive cookies and milk upon check-in. But location, not sweets, is the lure: The Fairmont is perched near the Space Needle and Pike Place Market. READ FULL REVIEW »

Located in gilded, suburban Aventura—not hectic Miami proper—this elegant golf resort underwent a $100 million renovation in 2006. It’s on the exclusive Turnberry Isle Country Club, so you enter through secure gates into the Mediterranean-style compound. You’re greeted by three guest-room towers, two 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed fairways (used for several PGA events) and a three-story Willow Stream Spa complex with a cafe and fitness center. Not actually an island, but bordered by the Intracoastal Waterway, the lush grounds include several miles of winding walking paths, some of which accommodate your four-legged best friends—part of Fairmont’s pet-friendly policy. READ FULL REVIEW »

Design takes center stage in this sleek pet project by Rogerio Fasano, scion of the Fasano gastronomic family. Retro-chic furniture from the 1930s and 1940s—suede sofas, teak side tables and Eames lounge—give this boutique city hotel a refined finish in keeping with its location (set among the city’s flashiest shops). Even locals and visitors who aren’t lucky enough to have secured one of the 64 rooms cozy up in the basement bar, the city’s hippest late-night hangout. READ FULL REVIEW »

Inside this modern Greek Revival behemoth you’ll find nothing but Southern charm, from the grand staircase leading down to the lobby to the attendant staff who are there with your chilled towel before you’ve even had a chance to sweat in the fitness center. Set in the heart of Midtown, the hotel is an ideal base camp for families, art enthusiasts and, of course, anyone in town to visit CNN or Coca-Cola. Compared with the city’s other luxe hotels, the Four Seasons wins for style as well as for understated but doting service. READ FULL REVIEW »

This business-traveler favorite was known as the Regent until 2004, when it was re-branded and given a multimillion-dollar facelift. Since the hotel dates to the early 1980s and the high-end competition in Bangkok is famously fierce, the changes were necessary and welcome. Today, this lavish, palace-like hotel may be located in the heart of Bangkok’s business and shopping district, but it also boasts 10 acres of verdant tropical gardens and rooms that feel like villas in the countryside. The Four Seasons has been transformed into a place perfect for anyone needing a break from Bangkok’s legendary smog and nonstop traffic jams. READ FULL REVIEW »

After completing a three-year, $43 million makeover in 2006, the Four Seasons Boston looks fresher than at its 1985 opening. Set directly on Boston’s bucolic Public Gardens and facing gold-domed Beacon Hill, with a new state-of-the-art spa and chef de cuisine—not to mention the best hotel pool in the city—the red-brick hotel is as suitable for a weekend getaway as it is for a week of closing deals. READ FULL REVIEW »

It isn’t hard to figure out why the Four Seasons became an instant hit with local elites and visiting celebrities when it opened in 2001, eclipsing the more famous 1931-built Alvear Palace down the road. Comprising a 12-story main tower and an elegant 1920s belle époque-era mansion with seven lavish period suites, the hotel is handily located in upscale La Recoleta, just minutes from the boutique Patio Bullrich shopping center and Recoleta Cemetery, where Evita is buried. A contemporary refurbishment in 2005 jazzed up the interiors, but sophisticated service and a certain Old World charm remain. READ FULL REVIEW »

Rising along the east banks of the Nile, adjacent to Belle Époque and Art Deco mansions of Garden City, Four Seasons’ second Cairo hotel arrived on the scene in 2004, catering to a slightly more business-oriented crowd than its sibling across the river, the Four Seasons Cairo at the First Residence. Occupying a 30-story tower, central location is a key drawing card—felucca rides are across the street, the all-important Egyptian Museum is a 15-minute walk; the Pyramids of Giza, a 40-minute drive. But for those who don’t venture out, the hotel is a self-contained facility, with a bevy of fine restaurants and the fifth floor turned over to leisure pursuits. Common areas are decorated in equal measure by lavish flower arrangements and striking contemporary Egyptian art. READ FULL REVIEW »

The Four Seasons at The First Residence sits on the Giza side of the Nile with the majestic pyramids sprawling in the distance and amazing views out of every window. True to its name, the hotel is in a residential district, away from the exhausting thick of bustling Cairo. That can be a good thing if you need a break from the madness, but perhaps not the best introduction to Cairo. While the hotel features amazing views of some of the world’s most iconic places, the hotel is also linked directly to a shopping mall (albeit the city’s highest-end mall). It’s not the most Egyptian of locales, but its swanky setting is as luxurious as one would expect a Four Seasons to be. READ FULL REVIEW »

Anglophiles seeking rarefied pomp and circumstance will find it here with the Four Seasons’ grand public spaces, huge flower arrangements and Italian-marble lobby fireplace. But this is no English garden. Set on top of the 900 North Michigan building, the hotel stretches to the 46th floor and cuts off on the 30th to 46th, meaning that mall shoppers scurry about right downstairs. Nevertheless, the hotel feels like its own little universe, especially with sweeping city and lakeside views not visible from inside the lower-level boutiques. READ FULL REVIEW »

When it opened in 2001, the Irish had to warm to this American-style hotel that seemed disproportionately large for the red brick mansions and embassies of Dublin’s leafy Ballsbridge. But now they’re mad for it, and the property’s become a favorite venue for private parties and glitzy premieres, creating a lively backdrop for the leisure traveler. It’s not in the heart of Dublin’s city center (you’re 10 minutes away by taxi), but the neighborhood is cosmopolitan with excellent local restaurants. And come bedtime, you’ll appreciate the quiet locale, well out of earshot of Dublin’s increasingly raucous nightlife. READ FULL REVIEW »

One step inside the marble lobby, with its 17th-century tapestries, Savonnerie carpets and spectacular flower arrangements, and it’s clear that despite being popular with fashionistas, this is not the hotel for fans of cutting-edge minimalism. But traditionalists will feel right at home in this restored 1928 property in the heart of the Golden Triangle. It’s truly the place to have Paris at your feet, with private terraces that command views of the Eiffel Tower and the dazzling lights of the city. But of course that experience doesn’t come without a price tag—you’ll only find it in the highest rooms of this very high-end hotel. READ FULL REVIEW »

This Art Nouveau jewel is located so centrally that you could imagine the famous Chain Bridge over the Danube was installed just to lead up to its door. Originally built in 1904, the building was fully refurbished and reopened as a Four Seasons in 2003, bringing life back to a decrepit building caked with soot. Today, the facade is a gleaming white, and the lobby is adorned with decorative tiling, gorgeous stained glass and wrought-iron gates bearing images of peacocks. By preserving and emphasizing historical details (Art Nouveau corridor carpets, for instance), the hotel retained its essential Hungarian character without making the place feel like a museum piece. READ FULL REVIEW »

Set on atop a rolling estate first mentioned in William the Conqueror’s Domesday Book of 1086, the Four Seasons Hampshire is 500 acres of English countryside centered around a 1729 Georgian manor house. Fishing, horseback riding, tennis, golf, clay pigeon shooting and even falconry are on offer, while nearly nine miles of walking paths beckon you to stroll through meadow and dale. Henry VI visited this estate frequently, and for a time Henry VIII even acquired it for the Crown. Walking the lush countryside, you’ll quickly understand the attraction. READ FULL REVIEW »

Located at the edge of the magnificent Victoria Harbor, and integrated with Hong Kong’s International Finance Center, an upscale retail and commercial complex, the Four Seasons is the best of both worlds—a top-flight business hotel that also offers excellent dining, shopping and recreational opportunities just steps from your door. Film stars have leapt from the IFC more than once—Christian Bale jumped from its tallest tower in The Dark Knight, and Angelina Jolie hopped from nearly the same spot in the second Tomb Raider film. If they had stayed put, they would have found one of the best luxury hotels in Asia. READ FULL REVIEW »

Located within praying distance of both the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, the Four Seasons Istanbul is set in the former neoclassical Sultanhamet prison—once filled with antigovernment intellectuals and Kurdish separatists—whose neoclassical facade, airy courtyard and heavy stone walls now house a different breed of visitor. Opened in 1996, the bijoux Four Seasons may lack prime Bosporus views, but its pristine Old City location oozes with Ottoman-era atmosphere. This is the only luxury hotel in Sultanhamet, a storied alternative to the five-star palaces just 20 minutes by taxi to Istanbul’s commercial core. READ FULL REVIEW »

A rare retreat from the typical Sin City excesses, the Four Seasons is located on the Strip’s southern edges. It may be big by the Canadian company’s standards, but the resort is actually one of the city’s few true hotel gems, with stunning views of the neon city while offering a sense of remove. Perched on the top five floors of the much larger Mandalay Bay resort—but with its own entrance, check-in, reception, elevators, pool, spa, health club and serenely elegant vibe—the Four Seasons could not be more different that its 30-story neighbor just a few floors below. Of course the Four Seasons is directly connected to the Mandalay, just in case you feel the need for a late-night rendezvous with the luck of the draw. READ FULL REVIEW »

A rather unprepossessing building belies the graceful interior that you encounter as you pass through the revolving doors. Sit at one of the two elegant desks to complete the check-in formalities and admire the beautiful white flowers before heading to your room. This is not a hotel to excite—but the well-oiled Four Seasons machinery will ensure that everything runs smoothly. Indeed, the place is hard to fault, just don’t expect it to be big on wow factor. READ FULL REVIEW »

Technically in the area known as “Beverly Hills Adjacent,” the Four Seasons rises above the neighborhood’s apartments and condos, offering panoramic views of the city and the hills. The rectangular straw-yellow building dotted with white balconies seems more residence than hotel, since high-rise hotels so rarely feature windows that open, let alone French doors that open onto balconies. Long a favorite of visiting celebrities and industry heavies, the Four Seasons is equidistant from the designer shops of Beverly Hills and the edgier boutiques of West Hollywood, so well situated that if anyone in Los Angeles actually walked, it would be possible to stroll to one of the area’s iconic restaurants, like the Ivy or Spago. READ FULL REVIEW »

Long before contemporary-cool competitors such as the Bulgari and Park Hyatt arrived in this fashion center, the Four Seasons was the undisputed king of modern Milanese chic. Occupying a choice corner in the heart of the city’s retail fantasyland and elegantly constructed from a onetime 15th-century monastery (cloistered gardens, Renaissance gardens and gilded vaults still intact), the Four Seasons remains a perennial favorite of the world’s most stylish business and leisure nomads. READ FULL REVIEW »

Although just 15-years-old, this 52-story, I.M. Pei-designed limestone hotel—New York’s tallest—has already assumed its place as a midtown landmark. Located amid Manhattan’s best shopping and corporate headquarters, the hotel is popular with deep-pocketed visitors as well as locals looking for a midtown respite. Marble-floored from its soaring columned lobby onward, it is a lesson in dramatic interiors. And staying there is a lesson in superlatives; the Four Seasons leaves even the most luxurious competitors still playing catch up. READ FULL REVIEW »

High-end hotels in close proximity to the historic Jewish Quarter and the Charles Bridge just didn’t exist before the Four Seasons planted itself in the heart of the city center. The company cobbled together four different buildings, mixing modern, baroque, neoclassical and neo-Renaissance styles, and somehow integrated them into a statement on modern Prague. Accessed via a discreet entry portico on a quiet side street far removed from the madding crowds just steps away, the Four Seasons lures mostly well-dressed Americans of a certain age who are in town for either meetings or Prague’s opera and classical music scene. READ FULL REVIEW »

Commissioned by Portugal’s infamous dictator Antonio Salazar in 1953 to house his capital’s visiting elite, the Four Season’s Ritz overflows with a mix of top-quality traditional art and sculpture with Art Deco and French empire furniture. Proudly confident, the Ritz has maintained its landmark status despite the arrival of numerous chic-boutique competitors. True, the hotel’s Park Eduardo VII location is a bit of a stroll from the ultratrendy restaurants and shopping of the Bairro Alto. But Lisbon’s famed Gulbenkian and Tiles museums are moments away by foot, as is the prime shopping along the Avenida da Liberdade. READ FULL REVIEW »

When Four Seasons blew into town in 2001, the property quickly took the city’s top luxury spot—quite a feat considering the city’s crowded hotel market. Housed in the 15th to 17th floors of a downtown skyscraper, the property’s hidden entrance appeals to some visitors; others hate the discreet elevator arrival. But the views of San Francisco Bay and the other downtown skyscrapers are the main draw here. Its location doesn’t hurt, either: close to Union Square, Chinatown and many of the city’s museums. (The Four Seasons even has its own quality art collection, if you’re feeling lazy.) READ FULL REVIEW »

The surrounding neighborhood may still be grungy, but that, like everything else in this supercharged city, is changing by the day. Until the neighborhood reaches its potential, it’s an easy 10-minute stroll from this 37-story nouveau-Shanghai glass tower to the Nanjing Lu shopping strip and historic People’s Square. Inside, this Four Seasons—the country’s first—is a Chinese interpretation of a contemporary five-star hotel, complete with warm golden tones, vast public spaces interspersed with Asian artifacts and splashy contemporary artwork and traditional Chinese instrumentalists playing under petrified palm trees in the Lobby Lounge. READ FULL REVIEW »

This obsessively clean city-state may be tiny, but the competition among five-star hotels is fiercer than ever. So it’s no empty honor that the Four Seasons consistently wins the highest praise. Perhaps it’s the conveniences like air-conditioned tennis courts, in-room spa service or the intimate, clubby lounges. Location could be another driving factor: The Four Seasons is just around the corner from the shopping at Orchard Road, a short drive from the financial district and within easy reach of all of Singapore’s sights. READ FULL REVIEW »

Thanks to the view from any of the newly refurbished 314 north-facing rooms in the 43-story Four Seasons, there’s no chance of forgetting that you’re in Sydney. It’s located right in the center of Circular Quay (where Europeans first settled in 1788). To the left, there’s the Harbour Bridge; to the right, the unmistakable sails of the Opera House. The Four Seasons is as serious a business hotel as you can get in flip-flop-wearing Sydney. Australians never lose sight of the good life, and the hotel is likely to have a fair smattering of expats-made-good who base themselves here for a bit of work and a whole lot of play. READ FULL REVIEW »

With views overlooking the splendid 17-acre Chinzan-so gardens, this Four Seasons (the first in Asia when it opened in 1991) offers an instantly calming ambience in a very sedate, exclusive district. Mint green corridors, adorned with soft furnishings and giant painted porcelain vases, meander in several directions, adding a sense of manor-house mystique. Afternoon tea amid the greenery of the Tea Lounge is a decidedly European pleasure, while a unique no-smoking policy in all restaurants is a welcome relief from other establishments. READ FULL REVIEW »

This high-concept hotel is the Canadian company’s flagship. Despite its 30-plus year run, the 32-story outpost has maintained its freshness through frequent renovations, while keeping signature elements like the lobby’s impressive black and white marble floors and a cove ceiling bathed in soft light. It’s an area that sees plenty of traffic, as it’s constantly abuzz with Canadian power-players, some of whom spill over into the two street-level bars. The Lobby and Avenue bars also draw those who converge on Yorkville, Toronto’s exclusive shopping enclave, for retail therapy. READ FULL REVIEW »

In the most charming section of Washington, DC, the Four Seasons is hardly in close proximity to the Capitol, but instead offers the appeal of the gas lanterns, historic ivy-covered buildings, antique stores and boutiques of Georgetown. In fact, it has the feel of a boutique hotel rather than a worldwide chain, a feeling that’s helped along by a ridiculously large and impressive art collection. Some 2,000 notable works from the private collection of former owner William Louis-Dreyfus (actor Julia’s dad) are scattered throughout, including in each guest room—you might easily find yourself sleeping with a Claes Oldenburg. READ FULL REVIEW »

The resort spreads across a bluff overlooking both the wildlife-rich wetlands of the Batiquitos Lagoon and the sapphire Pacific Ocean, about a 30-minute drive north from the airport in San Diego. The Spanish-colonial-style resort shares its 200 acres with private residences and an Arnold Palmer golf course. But more than anything else, it’s the perfect spot for families, within easy driving range of the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park and Legoland. Because so much of the California coast consists of hillsides and cliffs, few resorts are actually right on the beach—but this makes for even more spectacular views, and the Four Seasons Aviara has some of the best. READ FULL REVIEW »

If you’re looking for an introduction to Bali’s ancient culture, customs and style, you can do a lot worse than a stay at the island’s Four Seasons resort at Jimbaran Bay. Just 10 minutes from the airport, the sprawling resort (which requires golf carts to crisscross) is built to resemble a traditional Balinese village, with temples, gardens and stone architecture overlooking Jimbaran Bay and Mount Agung. Granted, most visitors are honeymooners, but it’s the perfect choice for anyone who wants to experience beachside romance with a healthy dose of Indonesian flair. READ FULL REVIEW »

There are so many luxury resorts in Bali that it’s always getting harder to choose the best of them. But this Four Seasons property—set inland among jungle and mountains—stands out not only for its service (which is at the upper echelon of Four Seasons’ excellent signature service) but also its outrageous architecture. The main structure looks like a spaceship that’s landed along the verdant Ayung River, with a lotus pond for a roof. Once you’ve crossed the bridge and descended to the main lobby, built in the round for 360-degree views, the sight is indeed otherworldly: stepped rice paddies, a lazy river and Mount Batur in the distance. With a Four Seasons also on the coast, most guests couple the two resorts, making for a complete Bali experience. No wonder this is honeymoon central. READ FULL REVIEW »

Nestled in a eucalypt forest on the banks of the River Plate, the Carmelo Resort is designed for pure relaxation and attracts a steady stream of weekenders from nearby Montevideo and Buenos Aires. Cushiony pagodas dot the grounds, making perfect refuges for a siesta or some reading, while the 18-hole golf course, pool, horse ranch, polo field and enormous spa offer any number of physical pursuits, from the upright to the utterly prone. READ FULL REVIEW »

The Four Seasons Chiang Mai was the first five-star property built in or near the northern Thai outpost of Chiang Mai. And what a first it is: A series of exotic Lanna-style pavilions set at the foot of vast rice fields and shrouded in jungle mist. Other upscale chains have raced to catch up, realizing what the owners of this property did all along: that this land—just 20 minutes by car from fast-growing Chiang Mai—is some of the most untouched territory in Thailand. But by now this resort has settled comfortably into its groove and does everything to near perfection. There’s a laid-back feel, with a design that’s unmistakably Thai; the resort even shelters a pair of water buffalo that casually wander the property wearing cowbells that clang in the afternoon heat, adding an air of pastoral authenticity. READ FULL REVIEW »

Costa Rica’s rugged Guanacaste peninsula got a dose of official ultra-luxury with the debut of the Four Seasons in 2004, the swanky hotel group’s first Central American property. Set on a bluff 300 feet above the Pacific and between two blue-water bays, the resort is a meeting of the forest and the sea, where no building rises taller than the treetops, allowing local species like sauco, pagoda and jicaro trees to dominate the resort grounds. That the resort is somewhat remote—up to two flights from the U.S. and at least a 40-minute drive—is part of its appeal, but also its downside: Once you’re here, there’s nowhere else to go for dining or nightlife, two of this property’s weaknesses. READ FULL REVIEW »

Staying at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai is like traveling to a time when package tourists didn’t flood the beaches of Hawaii in search of the perfect sunset and tan. Set on the lush North Kona coast of the Big Island, the meandering resort is a collection of two-story bungalows carved into a lava field (which is still evident in the outdoor showers and curved walls throughout the property). The ultimate goal is to be authentically Hawaiian, and in its own Four Seasons way, it excels. READ FULL REVIEW »

It can be easy to forget there was once a kinder, gentler time in Jamaican tourism. Back before it became a Spring Break haven, the island was full of places like the Jamaica Inn, which ooze old-school charm and low-key sophistication. Mellowness comes with maturity, and this hotel, Jamaica’s best resort, has been around since the days when Harry Belafonte (not Bob Marley) was this island’s most celebrated singer. Nearly everyone who passed through Ocho Rios in those days slept, ate (or drank) at Jamaica Inn—Errol Flynn, Winston Churchill, Katharine Hepburn and Claudette Colbert, just to name a few. But the hotel also has its modern-day habitués, jet-setters like supermodel Kate Moss who leave their party face at home in favor of a laid-back Jamaican sojourn READ FULL REVIEW »

While it may not have invented the private island concept, Jumby Bay has taken it to new levels of luxury and service. Already rated among the world’s best island resorts when it opened in 2002, a 2008 $26-million redesign (including the addition of a new resort spa, oceanfront infinity pool and the total renovation of the open-air Verandah restaurant) has raised the bar even higher. Reached by a scenic launch, Jumby Bay inhabits its own 300-acre island two miles off the coast of Antigua’s "mainland" and 10 minutes from its main airport. With three spectacular white-sand beaches—including one for nesting turtles—hiking and biking trails, and snorkeling the coral reefs lining nearby Bird Island, Jumby Bay has affirmed its status as one of the Caribbean’s most exclusive hideaways. And since it’s all-inclusive—though as far as you can get from the "all-inclusives" made famous by firms like Sandals—the only thing you need to carry around is a bottle of sunscreen. READ FULL REVIEW »

The famous ?wave? design may seem a bit tacky now, but when it opened in 1997, this enormous all-glass structure set the trend in Dubai opulence. Today, it remains a luxury icon, even if the local heavyweight title has since been passed on to the Burj Al Arab. But no one can argue that the hotel has some of the finest views in town; every room faces the crystal-clear waters of the Persian Gulf. However, visitors may find it hard to focus on those tranquil waves when the interior is so busy. From the multicolored, corduroy-clad elevators to a massive 3-D fluorescent-lined mural of the Middle East, you may need a pair of shades to cut down on the larger-than-life hues. It is, however, located on the best beach in the city. READ FULL REVIEW »

Phuket may be a long way from its days as a best-kept traveler’s secret, but it’s still one of the most gorgeous places on the planet, which makes this opulent hideaway all the more special. And it really does feel like a hideaway: low-imprint, three-story buildings are planted among 20 acres of lush tropical gardens and coconut palm groves, with 10 miles of empty beaches at their doorstep (though the rough surf makes the beach less than ideal for anything but a stroll). This isn’t just a hotel for honeymooners; the Marriott’s also come on strong as one of the best family-friendly hotels in Southeast Asia, and earned a reputation as a gastronomic destination par excellence. All the better for avoiding the island masses. READ FULL REVIEW »

It’s not hard to confuse Keswick Estate with nearby Monticello. A grand expanse of a building, Keswick brings the same sophistication that Thomas Jefferson created at his home (albeit with all the expected modern luxuries). Located just outside Charlottesville, the hotel is designed in the style of a grand colonial manor house, three stories of solid brick and mortar surrounded by sweeping lawns and lush woodland. Built in 1912 on the site of an antebellum plantation house, the hotel’s stately facade gives way to an elegant lobby replete with fireplace, original antiques and sweeping staircase—just the sort of place to which Scarlett and Rhett might steal away. READ FULL REVIEW »

Since 1936, the Grecian resort has hosted Prince Ranier, King George II, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra—and everyday travelers seeking a lavish escape. King George is royally located in the heart of Athens’ Constitution Square, situated between the Parliament and the Constitution and near the bustling Stadiou Avenue, with the Acropolis and Old City a short stroll away. The hotel was originally constructed as an urban palais, so expect antique French furnishings and an unflappable staff accustomed to accommodating even the most persnickety request. READ FULL REVIEW »

There’s no shortage of five-star hotels in St. Moritz, which may be why the Kulm styles itself as a six-star property—a category, of course, that does not officially exist. Whether or not you think it deserves the notional extra star depends on your taste. Although many wealthy families with young children enjoy staying here, it’s not really for young honeymooners. This is a plush, somewhat old-fashioned property that from the outside looks unmistakably grand, but perhaps not attractive. The point of St. Moritz, however, is not to look at the hotels—but to look out from them. Significantly higher up the hill than Badrutt’s, the Kulm has the very finest views of the Engadin Valley and its mountains, not to mention the lake on which horse-racing (on ice!) is held in January and February. READ FULL REVIEW »

This classic 18th-century manor stands beside a sentinel of cypress trees among 37 acres of low-lying vines; in summer, it basks in the purple haze and heady scent of the lavender fields that define the Luberon, this romantic corner of Provence. The laid-back atmosphere is immediately evident. There’s no formal reception (though the resident bulldog might manage a thump of his tail as you enter), and oversize sofas, antique dressers and armoires sourced from local flea markets and filled with books and jam jars give a comfortable farmhouse feel. Such lack of pretension is in harmony with the unbuttoned, relaxed spirit of the place and the key to its unique charm. READ FULL REVIEW »

It seems like every hotel is selling itself as a “romantic get-away” these days, but La Casa Que Canta ("the house that sings") deserves the title. The secluded suites make this place feel more like a fabulous Mexican hacienda than a hotel, and couples tend to stay in their private villas for days at a time. Sitting cliffside among La Casa’s adobe-style buildings, you’d think the water just goes on forever. After all, you’re looking out past the terraced swimming pools, which create a property-wide infinity effect over La Ropa beach and Zihuatanejo Bay beyond. READ FULL REVIEW »

Eighty years before art hotels became a global fashion, Paul Roux started a modest cafe in a 16-century house in the hills above the French Riviera. As the business grew into a successful auberge, Henri Matisse became a regular; Marc Chagall, Joan Miró, Jean Renoir and a dizzying array of painters, writers and film artists soon followed, turning the space into a salon and contributing original works in appreciation—or sometimes in exchange for a room. Today, the hotel boasts a breathtaking array of 20th century art—and a clientele whose affection for the place equals that of the artists who built it. READ FULL REVIEW »

Perched in the rugged mountain above St. Lucia’s leeward shore, Ladera breaks the mold on tropical island escape, a resort that proves beyond a shadow of doubt that sea and sand aren’t the only things that guests crave. They also dig funky decor, incredible cuisine, sublime service and views that really do take your breath away—from the altitude, if nothing else. Ladera blows your mind from the get-go, situated so high in the sky it’s like you’re looking down on the island from an airplane. The tradeoff is not having the beach right outside your door. (The nearest strand is Jalousie Bay, about 15 minutes by road straight down the mountain.) But there’s plenty going on at the resort, along with tons of excursions. Or you might well spend a full day just pondering a view that has few equals—in the Caribbean, or for that matter, the entire planet. READ FULL REVIEW »

This minimalist boutique hotel has aspirations to be a little bit funky, a world away from the Mandarin Oriental group’s generally conservative style. Formerly an office building, the hotel is right in the middle of Central District. But when evening comes around, it’s only a short stroll to the nightlife zone of Lan Kwai Fong and its lively near-neighbor, Soho. READ FULL REVIEW »

This museum-size house was originally built as a private home in what was deemed open countryside outside London in 1719. Subsequently it was turned into St. George’s Hospital, which opened in 1733 and remained on this site till 1980; the transformation into a hotel took place only in the early 1990s. Popular with the media and movie stars, the hotel’s regency elegance is still evident, now that the mortuary and operating theaters have been transformed into gracious rooms and salons. READ FULL REVIEW »

Located on a hill high in Lapa—the traditional home of Lisbon’s nobility—this former palace of the Count Valencas was built in 1870 and converted into a hotel in 1992. It was a pretty seamless transition. Set amid other former palaces, various embassies and the botanical gardens, the hotel still feels like a palace, filled with traditional Portuguese decor, marble stucco facades, terra-cotta floors, original tapestries and abundant blue tiling (azulejos) in bathrooms and surrounding the outdoor fountain. READ FULL REVIEW »

It figures that the world’s first luxury ecolodge was built by two Minnesotans. Set in a 1,000-acre private nature reserve where the variety of species is vast enough that new ones are still being discovered, Lapa Rios Ecolodge hovers above an empty expanse and the Pacific beyond. It’s rustic, sure, but the activities, the food and the macaws that are spectators to your swan dives into the pool override any minor inconveniences that come from living in a screened-in suite in the middle of the jungle. READ FULL REVIEW »

When Sir Richard Branson bought La Residencia in 1987 (since sold), he transformed the hillside complex of 16th- and 17th-century manor houses into a jet-set destination. But instead of being overrun by flash, the complex that wends across 30 acres of olive and citrus groves retains a sleepy, small-village feel. Unassuming celebs and the wildly rich mill around the lushly manicured grounds, smacking forehands on the tennis courts or sipping sangria in the nearby cobblestone Deià village. READ FULL REVIEW »

This grande dame of Saint-Martin is perched on a cliff at the southern end of a 55 acre-crescent of tropical bushland, sugary sand and Tiffany-blue water. Built in 1973, La Samanna has hosted successive generations of movers and shakers from Nixon to JFK Jr. and Donald Trump. Beyond the chilled Caribbean vibe and whitewashed Mediterranean-inspired architecture, the French food and impeccably chosen wine list continues to position La Samanna as the place where powerbrokers play. READ FULL REVIEW »

Befitting its name, La Sultana is a place of pure opulence—though you wouldn’t necessarily guess so from the outside. This small hip hotel is delightfully located in the heart of Marrakech’s gold triangle, at the entry of the Imperial City’s walls, just next to the Royal Palaces. A rooftop garden offers a bird’s eye view of the bustling streets below. La Sultana exudes luxury and comfort with a quirky mix of traditional and modern stone, wood, water and greenery. You may get the impression the interior decorator had a sense of humor with some of the more flamboyant touches. That said, it blends with the surrounding area perfectly. READ FULL REVIEW »

Twelve years after its opening redefined a region, making Cabo San Lucas and Baja an option for super-refined getaways, Las Ventanas al Paraíso continues to lead the way. The hotel purveys an atmosphere of desert starkness wrapped in a good-times-for-all beach resort. Throughout, the intimate property attempts—often successfully—to merge with the landscape. A magnificent punched-tin star chandelier hangs from the white adobe entrance framing the dark blue Sea of Cortez, while the low profile of the resort buildings melts toward the sea. Three sinuous infinity pools curve along the sand, giving the impression that the resort grew up organically from the beach. Wide hammocks scattered artfully on the sand only add to the illusion. READ FULL REVIEW »

If you want to be smack in the center of things in Lausanne, then this turn-of-the-century-style "palace" is the place for you. It may be first and foremost a hotel for the business crowd, but there’s no surprise that the setting here appeals not just to harried executives but to anyone who wants to relax among the opulence. And the near-theatrical drama of some of the massive public rooms extends to the ornate furnishings and the larger-than-life crystal chandeliers and tapestries. An air of efficiency permeates the hotel, but for those with more time on their hands there’s an immense terrace overlooking immaculately kept gardens and the lake beyond that’s ideal for whiling away an afternoon. READ FULL REVIEW »

If the Indian fondness for Monty Python and Rowan Atkinson movies doesn’t tip you off to the lingering influence of bygone British colonialism, then their tendency to employ quirky English colloquialisms certainly will. But in Goa, the country’s favorite beach resort, Britannia took a backseat to Portugal during the colonial years. It still shows. The commingling of Portuguese churches—including the Basilica of Bom Jesus, a World Heritage Site—with ancient Hindu temples is enough to make lush, lovely Goa a prime destination. But it’s the beaches that attract one in 10 of the country’s total visitors, and the luckiest of these sunworshippers stay at the Leela Kempinski Goa. READ FULL REVIEW »

The first thing you may notice is the sound—wave after Indian Ocean wave, constantly roaring and crashing nearby. The Legian was built not just to sit at the edge of the water, but to present it. The architecture and landscaping create a tranquil, beautiful frame for the endlessly churning sea. It’s a singularly romantic setting—with rooms and facilities designed to enhance any getaway. READ FULL REVIEW »

Staying here is like stepping back into a gentler, more elegant era where good manners, cream teas and dressing up for dinner are the order of the day. It starts when the gravel crunches beneath your tires as you sweep into the drive. A beaming youth steps out across the threshold of a 17th-century manor house to meet you. Across extensive lawns there is the sound of croquet at play, the gentle thwack of ball and mallet. Inside, a fire crackles in the grate, a carriage clock ticks; there is the rustle of newspapers being read and the whispering of a couple enjoying a game of Scrabble. READ FULL REVIEW »

Several factors set this resort apart from the Bora Bora crowd, including the dramatic Melanesian (rather than Polynesian) architecture. Forsaking the unplugged vibe of so many South Pacific hotels, Le Méridien is wired to the max—satellite TVs, mp3 players, high-speed internet access and DVD libraries for romantic midnight movies. Of course, guests can also go gadget-free. Take a dip in the translucent lagoon, snatch a nap on a hammock strung between two coconut palms or simply gawk at the sunset over Bora Bora’s volcanic hulk on the other side of the lagoon. That’s the beauty of this place—you can choose to go either way with ease. READ FULL REVIEW »

Made famous by both its legendary guests (like Salvador Dalí) and its prime location across from the Tuileries Gardens, this most classic of classic palace hotels effortlessly blends Old World ambience with New World service and amenities. Originally opened in this location in 1835, the Meurice has insisted on staying fresh, with a two-year overhaul guided by Philippe Starck ending in 2007. The result of the new Daliesque decor: a modern yet unpretentious hotel ready to accommodate both a younger, more stylish clientele and its more conventional fan base. READ FULL REVIEW »

A frequent favorite among repeat travelers to Dubai, Le Royal Méridien is one of the Emirates’ classic resorts, offering excellent service and accommodation for any type of visit. Located on a private, quiet stretch of the famous Jumeirah Beach—and convenient to the Marina, the Emirates Golf Course, the massive Mall of the Emirates and Dubai’s bustling Internet and Media City mini-downtowns—Le Royal Méridien is a five-star Swiss army knife that’s a top choice, whether you’re visiting for business, pleasure or simple relaxation. READ FULL REVIEW »

The entrance off the twisting corniche at the upper end of the colorful town of Positano on the Amalfi coast does little to advertise the romantic delights of the hotel within. Once over the threshold, though, it is the view that takes your breath away. Far below, extending to the distant horizon, is that "wine-dark" Tyrrhenian sea and the Galli Islands where the sirens famously led Ulysses astray. A former summer villa of the aristocratic Sersale family, the hotel is conceived as a series of balconies and terraces built into the cliff overlooking the town. Converted into a hotel in the 1950s, it still retains an intimate family feel, with members of the Sersale family dropping in and out, dynastic heirlooms everywhere and Franco Sersale’s framed travel photographs adorning walls. READ FULL REVIEW »

This stately 1844 structure, which has counted Picasso, Dickens and Stravinsky as guests, recently underwent a rigorous 20-month renovation. It reopened in 2006 with modern indulgences alongside glamorous belle époque notes, such as dazzling chandeliers and a soaring, three-floor lobby containing gold-topped columns and an illuminated ceiling, beneath which strut dignitaries and Europe’s crème de la crème. The Rhine-fronting hotel is sited in the old town, within walking distance of numerous museums and enough stores to merit a second (or third) credit card. READ FULL REVIEW »

In April 2007, full management duties at Le Touessrok passed from One&Only to Sun Resorts Limited, when the latter gained full control over four Mauritius properties that had been managed jointly. But the quality of the Le Touessrok experience has hardly suffered as a result of the transition. Set over an evenly spaced archipelago of islands linked by bridges or accessed by boat on the east coast of Mauritius, Le Touessrok celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2008, although it received an early gift with a major redesign and refreshment in 2002. But while its sleek new interiors are reminiscent of a boutique hotel, its sprawling resort feel doesn’t exactly evoke Zen calm. With three restaurants, two pools, a championship golf course, Givenchy Spa and countless water-sports on offer, it’s ideal for families with kids or for couples who want sporty outdoor fun with their high-end comfort. READ FULL REVIEW »

The blue haze that gives these mountains their name is created from sunlight playing off eucalyptus oil droplets. If that sounds refreshing and calming, it is. Relaxation is what Lilianfels has been about since it was built in the 1880s—and why it was transformed into a chic boutique hotel a century later. A 90-minute drive from Sydney, the Orient Express-owned resort has become both a weekend retreat for urban Aussies and a revelation on the wonders of the Blue Mountains for an increasing number of overseas guests. Cave and valley explorations abound in the area, but most opt to lounge around on the property. READ FULL REVIEW »

With an unbeatable location at the base of Aspen Mountain, just 50 steps from the gondola, the Little Nell is the only ski-in/ski-out hotel in Aspen. But location is only one reason to hole up at the elegant and cozy Little Nell; it has one of Aspen’s finest restaurants in Montagna (along with a 15,000-bottle wine cellar). But Aspen’s all about the chic quotient, and here it’s sky-high. The après-ski is the hottest in town, and though the staff keep their lips sealed about exactly who’s registered, celeb sightings are frequent. READ FULL REVIEW »

Set on a private five-acre islet and surrounded by sherbet-green seas, Little Palm intelligently integrates eye-popping ecology with stylish suites, inventive cuisine and a priceless shield of privacy. In a sense, Little Palm Island is travel as theater, where your arrival via wood-paneled launch with a cool drink in hand and the warm Gulf breezes blowing strikes an impressive overture. And sightings of rare Key deer or endangered manatees from a pier perched over virgin marshlands serve as thrilling chaise-side main acts. For a certain type of traveler—deep-pocketed, genteel and in love—Little Palm Island is a slice of paradise, and less than three hours from downtown Miami. READ FULL REVIEW »

Capt. James Cook paid homage to shy monitor lizards when he christened this Tropical North Queensland island on Aug. 12, 1770. Right on the Great Barrier Reef, the alluring single-island resort delivers absolute exclusivity, top-flight dining and a to-do list sure to satiate those who must do. With picture-postcard-worthy views, Lizard’s 24 gorgeous private beaches are best enjoyed by private dinghy with a gourmet picnic lunch and fruity Aussie chardonnay. For both the water-wader or seasoned scuba diver, aquatics are sublime, accentuated by close encounters with brilliant coral, placid turtles, giant clams and the huge and harmless 300-pound Potato Cod in famous Cod Hole. You can whale watch from the beach in season. READ FULL REVIEW »

It’s tea time in the Terrace Lounge, a moment to relax with finger sandwiches and a favored beverage while taking in the view of postcard-perfect Carmel Bay. The only thing between you and the water: the legendary 18th at Pebble Beach, one of the greatest closing holes in the history of golf. Strolling out to the edge of the course, you can almost see Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods striding confidently up the fairway to victory. Savoring the smell of sea air mixing with the scent of Monterey pine, you decide to turn in early; tomorrow morning, you’ll grab your clubs and walk in their footsteps yourself. READ FULL REVIEW »

The soft clop of a distant chip shot mingles with the calls of seagulls. Para-gliders float lazily in the distance, hanging gently on updrafts from the nearby cliffs. It’s morning, and you’ve just awakened to a view of the 18th fairway at one of the world’s great golf courses—the site of Tiger Woods’s 2008 sudden-death U.S. Open victory. And when your day at the links is finished, first-class dining, recreational and spa experiences await just a short walk away. Just another day at Torrey Pines. READ FULL REVIEW »

Established by the pioneering Varty family in 1926 and returning to their management in March 2007 after several years under the auspices of Conservation Corporation Africa, this exclusive quartet of camps within walking distance of each other on the Sands River has a timeless ambience that recalls the early days of African safaris. Thatched chalets, wooden decks, worn leather furnishings and living areas lined with old sepia-tinted photos suit the rugged bush and riverine forest setting perfectly. Old-fashioned comforts apart, the main focus is on the local environment: Several guides have conservation PhDs, and a craft center on the site showcases work by nearby villagers. READ FULL REVIEW »

In a city where "flavor of the month" rarely refers to ice cream, it’s reassuring to know that one can seek refuge in a hotel that is no slave to fashion—and this Upper East Side classic certainly fits the bill. Understated elegance may be a cliché in the hospitality world, but The Lowell has it in spades. The inviting Old World décor, human scale and location five blocks up from the Midtown fray happily conspire to smooth out some of the harder edges of your typical New York City sojourn. READ FULL REVIEW »

Just six miles from the historic spa town of Bath, this is a hotel to live out your Mr. Darcy fantasies as you gaze out on the 500 acres of parkland that surround this Palladian manor. After a milelong avenue of lime and beech trees, you’ll enter into the elegant hall with a welcoming fire crackling in the fireplace and be swept back into Jane Austen’s era. Every care has been taken to ensure the decor fits the period of the building, from the elegant bow-fronted Drawing Room to the wood-paneled library overlooking the so-very-English croquet lawn. READ FULL REVIEW »

Locating lodgings of a quality between Venice’s two extremes—the internationally known names like Cipriani and Danieli and the multitude of modest Days Inn equivalents—can be a challenge. That’s why the Luna Hotel Baglioni, just off the Grand Canal and within sloshing distance of the Piazza San Marco, is such a find. You get, at least with the Luna’s larger rooms, nearly as much comfort as you would at those grand palaces, but without the seriously inflated prices—a superior double at the Luna cost about two-thirds the price of the equivalent at the Danieli. And the location, footsteps to the Basilica, is beyond compare. READ FULL REVIEW »

Madinat is Arabic for "city," and this vast complex certainly fills the bill: Four distinct varieties of accommodation, each patterned on Arabic traditions, surround a central citadel and a modern update of the traditional marketplace, all connected by a series of stunning canals. Adjacent to both Jumeirah Beach and the iconic sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, the Madinat is a sensory banquet—and with more 40 restaurants and pubs located on-site, you’ll be feasting with more than just eyes. READ FULL REVIEW »

Formerly known simply as the Hyde Park Hotel, the London Mandarin is located in a perfect position for shoppers: opposite Harvey Nick’s and the designer boutiques of Sloane Street, with Harrods nearby. The grand, spacious entrance of the Mandarin has a hint of a London gentleman’s club, adorned with huge black and brown marble columns and stylishly decorated with enormous amaryllis flowers in matte black vases. You’ll be in fine company here—your neighbor to the east is the Royal Thames Yacht Club, while to the west you have the Household Cavalry, whose horses make a frequent progress past your windows on their way to and from Buckingham Palace. READ FULL REVIEW »

Literally in the shadow of Kuala Lumpur’s premier office space (not to mention the city’s symbol and biggest tourist attraction), the 88-story twin Petronas Towers, the Mandarin Oriental offers excellent accommodations, several of the city’s top restaurants and simply the best location in the capital. Designed throughout to reflect both traditional and modern Malaysia, the hotel is adjacent to the towers, overlooks the 50-acre KLCC park and sits just a short walk from the city’s convention center, principal concert hall and finest shopping. When you return to your room, this 30-story high-rise offers some of the best views in the city. READ FULL REVIEW »

Set on an island in a posh residential quarter close to the city’s financial district and overlooking Biscayne Bay, the Mandarin Oriental is a world away from the South Beach frenzy. Pairing the scale of an island resort—a soaring atrium lobby, massive bay-front pools and chaise-filled man-made beach—with the efficiency of a business hotel, the Mandarin Oriental is an oasis of Asian calm and order. READ FULL REVIEW »

The tone is high drama from the moment you enter the 35th-floor lobby, from the large, circular marble floor to the Dale Chihuly glass sculpture in the center and the panoramic views of midtown and Central Park viewed through floor-to-ceiling windows. Offering Asian serenity within the hustle and bustle of New York, this branch of the Hong Kong-based company has been competing for top hotel in town since it opened in the Time Warner complex in 2003. While its location just west of Central Park affords those views, that has also been the hotel’s only questionable point: whether the high rollers who stay here want to be on the West Side instead of the 57th Street/Fifth Avenue axis that is the center of Midtown—and the vortex of power. READ FULL REVIEW »

Just 10 years ago, few of Prague’s developers could’ve imagined that a world-class, five-star hotel could survive—thrive, even—on "the other side of the river." But don’t let the location fool you. Prague is so walkable that staying in Mala Strana—across from Old Town via the world-famous Charles Bridge—doesn’t feel like a compromise. In fact, most visitors find this area more appealing, thanks to a quaint, quiet location that attracts fewer of the loud European lads who fill the city center every summer evening. This newcomer—opened in September, 2006—is without peer not only in Mala Strana, but in the city at large. READ FULL REVIEW »

Spread over the top 11 floors of San Francisco’s third-highest office tower, the venerable Asian chain’s first hotel in the U.S. is a dose of the East hidden amid the Financial District’s skyscraper forest. The hotel feels strangely hidden, but is actually mere minutes from San Francisco’s best shopping, dining and deep blue Bay. Of course, the Mandarin is all about its sky-high location; elevator-phobes and those with vertigo should stay elsewhere, as there are no lower-floor rooms. READ FULL REVIEW »

The location is hard to beat, occupying a black glass-encased tower of 38 stories, attached to the Mitsui Building (a registered Tokyo landmark) and close to Tokyo Station. Inside, design plays a crucial role in the property’s regal-yet-soothing feel. A Japanese textile designer was enlisted to help spill the deep, local culture into every inch of the property, with a tree theme and reinterpreted kimono patterns used as bedspreads, and motifs of forest and water. The hotel’s strengths come through most in the details, from the three-tier fireplace in the always-booked-up Chinese restaurant to the LCD touch screens on machines in the state-of-the-art gym. READ FULL REVIEW »

Maroma opened in 1995, long before Mexico’s Caribbean coast became the "Riviera Maya" and the proliferation of resorts kicked off. Built by a Mexican architect on one of the world’s best white-sand beaches—between turquoise waters and 200 acres of wild tropical forest—the resort has only gotten better since Orient-Express bought the property in 2002. The white adobe and thatched-roof design has been carried through to new additions, including a world-class spa that manages to remain true to its Mexican spirit while offering an international menu of treatments and wellness programs. READ FULL REVIEW »

Sometimes it’s Mother Nature (rather than a brutally honest review) that pushes a hotel toward a drastic remake. Such is the case with the Mauna Kea, an all-time Hawaiian classic that was basically on autopilot (and badly in need of renovation) until a 2006 earthquake suddenly rocked its world. Prince Resorts closed the property and pumped $150 million into a two-year nip and tuck. With a soft reopening slated for December 20, 2008 (and a grand reopening in March, 2009), the overall look won’t be that much different—a dramatic post-modern structure looming over one of the best beaches in the Pacific (one of the nation’s 150 best works of architecture according to the American Institute of Architects). But underneath are all sorts of changes, including entirely new guest rooms and restaurants, and a retooled oceanfront golf course. The quake break also provided an excuse for the Mauna Kea to restore its renowned art collection—1,600 Asian and Pacific works amassed by original resort developer Laurence Rockefeller.  READ FULL REVIEW »

This is no cookie-cutter Hawaiian hangout. Expect a tropical blend of environmental awareness with Kohala Coast culture sprawling over 3,200 acres of the Big Island’s western coastline. Resembling a Hawaiian village, the centerpiece is the main hotel with restaurants, the Fire and Ice Spa and a wealth of activities nearby. You can put your car keys away for a few days; everything you need is here, from an Organic Hula Facial to a tee time on one of two golf courses is just a phone call away. READ FULL REVIEW »

Perhaps the only resort in California with a resident croquet pro. But in contrast to the French-Mediterranean look so prevalent throughout the region (including at its famous luxe neighbor, Napa pioneer Auberge du Soleil), Meadowood is all-American. Opened as a private club in 1964, this collection of white-clapboard cottages stretches across 250 acres, with croquet lawns, tennis courts, a golf course, swimming pool, hiking trails and health spa. Rooms are simple, and staffers are dressed like camp counselors in khakis and polo shirts; it’s about as unpretentious a place as you’ll find in an area devoted to oenophiles. READ FULL REVIEW »

Mena House doesn’t hark back to the times of the pharaohs so much as the great sultans of the Middle Ages. Originally unveiled in 1869, Mena House is a veritable palace of carved wooden ceilings and elegant horseshoe arches, brass lanterns and golden filigree—a true Arabian Nights atmosphere within view of the Giza Pyramids. And with Oberoi at the helm, the hotel has made the transition into the modern world as an abode that caters to both the business crowd and those in search of bygone romance. READ FULL REVIEW »

The only hotel in the city to provide a taste of true loft living, the Mercer’s lobby also offers some of the best celebrity-watching in New York. Yet despite its illustrious clientele, this Soho paean to minimalist chic knows that it’s always better to feign modesty, so there’s no sign on Mercer Street to announce it. Just look for the unfeasibly good-looking staff member standing beneath the clock. READ FULL REVIEW »

Set among four beautifully restored Georgian townhouses, the Merrion’s strength is not just its incredible location, right across from the National Gallery and a few minutes’ walk from St. Stephen’s Green, but also its sense of history. The 18th-century buildings are a living museum for this period in the city’s history, with their arch-topped Venetian windows, Roman columns and sweeping staircases (although the property only opened for guests in 1997). Not surprisingly, the Merrion veers toward the overly formal, especially in the stately sitting rooms, but touches like fireside afternoon teas create a cozier feel. READ FULL REVIEW »

Why is this one-of-a-kind property, housed in two adjoining red brick Victorian townhouses that overlook Kensington Gardens, consistently named Americans’ favorite hotel in London? It could be the over-the-top service that feels welcoming to Americans despite being formally British. Or maybe it’s the eclectic rooms, which range from a glam silver-and-hot pink suite inspired by French chanteuse Mistinguett to a baronial chamber, complete with leaded glass windows and a townhouse’s original minstrel’s gallery. Or the quintessentially English public rooms like Stables Bar, a diminutive, clubby affair draped in jockeys’ racing silks; and the Park Lounge, a book-lined salon where guests pour Earl Grey before a roaring fire. READ FULL REVIEW »

An emphasis on spiritual renewal combined with the professional benediction of celebrity doctor Andrew Weil sets this desert resort apart from run-of-the-mill destination spas. As such, the clientele is slightly more Birkenstock than Blahnik. Although the majority of the guest rooms resemble upscale motel rooms—low ceilings, sliding glass doors, beige wall-to-wall carpeting, "colonial" headboards—more than they do $500-a-night lodgings. That price does include three good meals a day, all gratuities and activities (from yoga classes to mountain bike rides to stress-management exercises), one spa treatment—and one freshly renewed spirit. READ FULL REVIEW »

Encompassing more than one third of the magical Okavango Delta, 5,000-square-mile Moremi is Botswana’s oldest wildlife park. Only a few camps lie inside the reserve, but Mombo has an advantage. Being positioned at the north end of long Chief’s Island there’s permanent water on three sides, fostering a diversity of habitats—fertile grounds for herbivores and predators alike. As such, Mombo is often cited by safari experts as Botswana’s richest game-viewing option, the kind of place National Geographic checks in its photographic crews. It also means the camp attracts some guests aiming for bragging rights as much as animal sights; reserving two or three nights in a row during peak season (July to October) requires planning more than a year out. READ FULL REVIEW »

Don’t be overwhelmed by the Montage’s size. Spread out over a hill and spilling off into the Pacific, on the site of what was Laguna Beach’s last mobile-home community, this cheerful retreat is far and away the top dog on the Orange Riviera. And it achieves that level by making for an intimate stay despite its size. Of course it doesn’t hurt that this is one of those rare West Coast resorts with direct access to the water, and along a fabulous beach, to boot. READ FULL REVIEW »

The "pink lady" or "the old Nellie," as it is often called by locals, remains a standout among Cape Town’s social elite as well as one of the most historic hotels in Africa. A more formal alternative to the Cape Grace, this pink stucco edifice opened at the turn of the 20th century at the base of Table Mountain—yet still far enough away to get a full-on view. Today, the Nellie retains many of its original charms (like high tea); and while a 2008 renovation removed its old-fashioned flower scheme (which was decidedly losing its appeal) in favor of a more modern standard, the old girl still feels distinctly English. READ FULL REVIEW »

Who else but Sir Richard Branson would see a barren, rocky 74-acre island in the British Virgin Islands and imagine a Balinese fantasy vacation-compound of thatched-roof, open-air pavilions filled with hard-carved furniture, shimmering silks and batiks? That’s what he did in 1982, followed by another splash two years later when he began to rent it out, turning Necker Island into one of the first private island resorts and allowing similar spotlight-seekers to escape the heat of popping camera flashes. Except for two annual "Celebration Weeks," the rest of the year only one individual or group (up to 28) can stay at any time. Branson’s "mi casa, su casa"; spirit means they have the run of the place and its three freshwater pools, snooker table, dinghies, tennis courts, library, bar, the works—all included in the hefty price of admission. READ FULL REVIEW »

Like the old real estate adage, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is all about location. Perched on the rim of an extinct volcano in northern Tanzania, this upscale wilderness resort overlooks one of East Africa’s most fabled landscapes. If the altitude (7,500 feet) and view aren’t enough to give you palpitations, the animals certainly will—there is no better place on the continent to get so close to so many different large (and potentially dangerous) creatures. Inspired by the shape (round) and materials (thatch and wood) of a traditional Masai dwelling, the architecture is straight out of Africa and the ambience redolent of a time when European royals and literary superstars transformed the safari from mere transport into an African luxury icon. READ FULL REVIEW »

The stately Oberoi Amarvilas is built like a Moghul castle and comes complete with the expected luxuries of this chain. But why you really want to stay here is its location: Just 1,900 feet separate the hotel and the Taj Mahal, and this nearest hotel to the towering white spectacle offers clear views from every guest and common room. Of course, the hotel also offers a drama of its own, with a domed lobby featuring a gold-and-lapis-blue ceiling and cut-glass chandelier, as well as stepped terraces leading to onyx reflecting pools lit by flaming candles come evening. READ FULL REVIEW »

Traveling in India is enormously stimulating. But it can also be draining, with the country’s ubiquitous crowds and never-ending jumbles of activity. The timeless Oberoi Grand Kolkata, housed in a white, Raj-era Victorian building smack dab in the middle of the central Chowringhee district, offers spacious rooms, a storied history that dates to the late 19th century and—perhaps most important—sufficient seclusion for unwinding after a day bounding through the vast metropolis. READ FULL REVIEW »

Perhaps the most secluded hotel in the region, the Oberoi sits on its own golden strand on the northwest shore of Mauritius, where it blends European savoir faire, ancient Indian traditions and a true "lost in paradise" location. With half-submerged stone heads scattered about the infinity pool and graceful columns supporting the cathedral-like thatched roofs of the public areas, it’s a bit like staying in an ancient city. But here, pleasure takes precedence over all else; really the only reason to come is to lose track of time, reclining in the shade of the white beach umbrellas, or to get lost wandering the 20 acres of subtropical gardens. But be sure this is where you want to be—there’s nothing else around for miles. READ FULL REVIEW »

The Oberoi Mumbai’s sense of Indian culture blends seamlessly with contemporary amenities. And while it’s harder to create the former in a high-rise like this (rather than a reimagined palace), local touches still abound, from colorful Indian tapestries decorating the walls to traditional antiques dotting the massive lobby. And it’s all in a formal, tightly run environment that is poised to capitalize on India’s surging economic growth. The heart of Mumbai beats faster every day, making this sleek high-rise on the banks of the Arabian Sea ever more of an escape. READ FULL REVIEW »

Built in 1965, the five-star Oberoi was Delhi’s first luxury hotel. And it remains one of its most celebrated. Located on a quiet patch of the city, the hotel is mercifully shielded from the metropolis’ cacophonous traffic by the greens and fairways of the Delhi Golf Club on one side and a monumental tomb of a 16th-century Mughal emperor on the other. The Oberoi’s rather anonymous, white exterior belies the hotel’s stately interior, which contains dark woods, deep-colored tapestries and intricate chandeliers. READ FULL REVIEW »

Of all the treasures in the Oberoi trove, it is this particular gem, Rajvilas, that Biki Oberoi chose as the setting for his daughter’s wedding party. Located across 32 acres of landscaped gardens in a fort-like setting with the nearby "pink city" of Jaipur as its backdrop, Rajvilas is the perfect symbol of Rajasthan’s exotic romance. Luxury tents and villas are interspersed among reflection pools, fountains and courtyards crisscrossed by quiet pathways. Mimicking a mogul’s palace, the salmon-pink structures are offset by lush gardens edging up to the 250-year-old Shiva Temple located on a tiny island. Here you’re slightly on the outskirts of Jaipur—not in the heart of the action, though for anyone who stays here (including any wedding parties), that’s exactly the point. READ FULL REVIEW »

>The regal Udaivilas may look like an ancient Indian palace, but it’s just a re-creation, albeit a spectacular one. But even if the hotel only dates to 2002, this is hardly Disney. Indian artifacts are scattered throughout, and a hand-painted mural near the lobby, for example, was created to resemble the expertly painted walls of many of the early temples of Udaipur. The effect is rather formal, but the hotel, set on the bank of Lake Pichola, isn’t all about stuffy luxury. A wildlife sanctuary on the grounds, filled with deer and exotic birds, puts a focus on the outdoors while extending the fantasy of Udaivilas as an authentic royal residence. READ FULL REVIEW »

If you thought luxury tent lodges were strictly the purview of Botswana, Tanzania and South Africa, think again. Located at the edge of the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, one of India’s most important protected wildlife areas, the Vanyavilas offers tranquility and adventure set within two dozen tents that happen to be more luxurious than many five-star hotel suites. But this tented resort doesn’t offer hair-raising game drives and safari-style adventure. Wildlife abounds, but in the interest of preservation, access to the national park is tightly controlled. Your chance of spotting a tiger is pretty high across a two- or three-day visit, but there’s no guarantee. Instead, guests come back for unparalleled luxury in an unusually tranquil environment. READ FULL REVIEW »

With its stately Georgian facade and cozy colonial country-house feel, the 100-room Observatory Hotel has more depth and grandeur than most hotels its age. Down by the water in the Rocks, the hotel blends so seamlessly into the historic district that it’s hard to believe it only opened in 1993. Taking its name from the nearby Observatory Hill—with its astronomical tower (where you can name your own star)—the hotel’s stargazing theme runs throughout the fabulously flowery property (and we’re not just talking about the celebrity clientele, like Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Richard Branson). READ FULL REVIEW »

The name and location should give you a clue as to this hotel’s origins. It was originally the Station Hotel, a square concrete box built in the 1960s by British Transport Hotels, who once owned many of the poshest hotels in the UK, including Turnberry, Gleneagles and the Balmoral. The group jumped at the chance to build on the world’s most famous golf course while they could still get permission. The re-named and massively expanded Old Course Hotel is now a luxurious mecca for golf-lovers worldwide, thanks in great part to its nonpareil location. READ FULL REVIEW »

Living up to its name, Ocean Club boasts the one and only 12th-century Augustinian cloisters in all of the Bahamas, and the only garden modeled after Versailles. All of which makes a wonderful sideshow—especially at night when the ancient pillars and statues are discreetly illuminated. But the main attractions are sand, sun and sea in a marvelous location along one of the Bahamas most striking shores. Once the posh private estate of Swedish tycoon yachtsman Axel Wenner-Gren, the resort straddles Paradise Island, the Atlantic on one flank and Nassau Harbor on the other, the rooms, restaurants and sports facilities scattered through wondrous tropical gardens. The club stared alongside Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, the lobby transformed in the movie casino and James Bond himself sipping a martini at the resort’s beachfront bar. READ FULL REVIEW »

When it first opened in 1956, Palmilla was reachable only by private plane. Over the following decades, it has remained the classic resort of Los Cabos, despite regional development that has seen newer five-star spots like Las Ventanas and Esperanza attempt to lure away its exclusive clientele. To maintain Palmilla’s pride of place, One & Only bought the property and spent $90 million on renovations and additions, reopening in 2004 with a big splash hosting John Travolta’s 50th birthday party. Those who feared the resort had been destroyed were pleased to find that its bones remained intact. However, the atmosphere is considerably glitzier than the understated elegance of the Palmilla of old, with a new celebrity-chef restaurant, flashy uniforms, butlers and suites that would pass muster in Dubai. READ FULL REVIEW »

An Arabian palace facing 60 acres of landscaped gardens and a kilometer of private beach, the One&Only Royal Mirage offers a tranquil oasis surprisingly close to Dubai’s throbbing Media City, Knowledge Village and Internet City developments. Adjacent are two sister properties: the Residence & Spa, which offers sumptuous accommodation and treatment options, and the Arabian Court, a group of romantic seaview residences. Together, the trio of properties provide a sterling array of health, recreation and relaxation options—right in the heart of Dubai’s most booming area. READ FULL REVIEW »

Vancouver’s only boutique hotel is also one of the world’s greenest. A founding member of the Green Table Network (an initiative to reduce waste in the hotel industry), Opus is set in a seven-story glass and bare-brick building in the fashionably gentrified Yaletown warehouse district. It combines many boutique standards—designer lobby cocktail bar, contemporary-chic rooms, hip young staff—with an unpretentious Canadian welcome that makes it far more cozy and intimate than its 96 rooms suggest. Of course, some guests feel more welcome than others—during the summer of 2008, the hotel performed a trial-run of a program rewarding guests who arrive in a hybrid vehicle with complimentary valet parking. READ FULL REVIEW »

For a long time, the Oriental banked on its storied past and sat on its laurels, riding the fact that it was established in the 1860s by two Danish sea captains and has long hosted the likes of Graham Greene and Noël Coward. But with increased competition from new properties like the Met and Peninsula, the hotel has put new effort into its service and facilities. Everything from the rooms to the fitness center received an extensive, impressive $28 million refurbishment, which began in 2001 and ended in 2006 in time for the hotel’s 130th anniversary. In January 2008, The Oriental became the first hotel in the world to implement next-generation 802.11n wireless technology throughout its premises.READ FULL REVIEW »

There’s no question that the hotel’s most remarkable feature is the breathtaking views of the Gulf of Salerno and terraced Amalfi Coast. But this 12th-century royal palace, set atop a 1,000-foot cliff in the medieval town of Ravello, more than holds its own with sumptuous historic luxury. The building itself has had a checkered past, opening as a hotel after World War II then closing in the 1970s, only to reopen again in 1997 after a $20-million refurbishment. But today it boasts stunning interiors with vaulted ceilings, arched windows, balconies and a soothing cream palette that won’t distract from why you came here in the first place: the view.READ FULL REVIEW »

Donatella Versace’s glam Italian style is everywhere at the Palazzo Versace on Australia’s Gold Coast. From sheets to furnishings to crockery, you will in fact be hard put to find a surface missing the distinctive Versace medusa motif. Even bath accessories are from the Versace Dreamer collection. Starting at the cavernous marble lobby with enormous pincushion-shaped settees and a chandelier the size of a solar system, the hotel fans out to embrace its own personal marina. Still, Queensland’s Gold Coast considers Florida’s Fort Lauderdale a sister city, and Palazzo Versace at times struggles with its identity. Is it a discreet haven for the mega-rich or a gaudy stop on the tour-bus circuit? Together with the recently completed Versace hotel in Dubai, this is the only place in the world to live out your Versace dream.READ FULL REVIEW »

Just step into the rooms at the Park Hyatt’s eight-year-old flagship property, housed in a 67-story skyscraper overlooking Michigan Avenue, and you’ll see a fitting tribute to the world-famous architectural heritage that surrounds it: the Brno desk chair by Mies van der Rohe and the sitting chair by Eames. Both pieces are as in style today as when they debuted more than 50 years ago. The entire hotel, actually, is an exercise in restrained luxury, aesthetic refinement and fail-safe discretion, assisted by the brand’s emphasis on personal service and unique amenities.READ FULL REVIEW »

There aren’t many luxe chain hotels where you can kick off your shoes, lie on the lawn and snatch an al fresco snooze in the middle of a modern city. Surrounded by lush gardens—and an actual park next door—the Park Hyatt Melbourne and its sleek retro facade blend perfectly into a neighborhood of Gothic spires and Victorian townhouses on the edge of downtown. The casual elegance continues inside, where the oval lobby flaunts the sort of art normally reserved for top museums. But the absolute best thing about the Park Hyatt is a location that puts you within walking distance of nearly all of Melbourne’s hottest spots: the central business district, the wickedly refurbished Southbank of the Yarra River and that wacky multimedia assault-on-the-senses called Federation Square.READ FULL REVIEW »

The Park Hyatt Milano is a fusion of sorts: a business-oriented hotel set in a dramatic late-19th-century palazzo hidden on a side street just seconds from the Piazza del Duomo. Designed by American architect Ed Tuttle, the Milan property displays a sense of La Scala-styled drama. There’s a towering lobby bathed by the sun and crowned with a triumphant glass cupola held afloat by eight circular columns—all anchored by original Etruscan vases and accented by an impressive display of cutting-edge contemporary art. Who said business had to be drab? READ FULL REVIEW »

Just steps from the Place Vendôme, the Park Hyatt Vendôme dared to join the major leagues of grand hotel-dom when it opened four years ago. To the surprise of many Gallic skeptics, it has succeeded by blending a hip style with what may be the best service in Paris. Here, the confetti of small attentions just doesn’t stop, and behind the most classical of all 19th-century French limestone facades, the louche lushness of the place—an edgy mix of New York lounge and Hong Kong exoticism—creates an atmosphere that may not be particularly French, but is appealingly otherworldly.READ FULL REVIEW »

The feeling of staying at the Sydney Park Hyatt is a bit like staying on a cruise ship anchored in one of the world’s most fabulous harbors: a super-swank and highly stylish hotel that floats on a spit of land between Circular Quay and the famous "coat hanger" bridge. There’s even an outdoor swimming pool (with awesome skyline views) on the building’s "top deck." It would be difficult (if not impossible) to find a more perfect location for exploring the city, close to the historic Rocks neighborhood, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Darling Harbour. Or you can hop one of those yellow water taxis right outside the hotel front door to anywhere you wish to venture around the world’s most beautiful harbor. READ FULL REVIEW »

There’s no grand lobby entrance at the Park Hyatt Tokyo, otherwise known as the Lost in Translation hotel. Instead, guests are initially confronted with a thoroughly hip pastry boutique. From there a brisk elevator ride whisks you to the 41st floor, where you walk past two restaurants and through a library before reaching the sit-down reception tables. It’s a deliberately left-field entrance that sets the tone for a hotel that goes out of its way to be unique. The subtly lit, mint green and lacquered black decor accompanies you throughout the room floors (located between the 42nd and 51st floors), all of which yield vistas across Tokyo’s extensive skyline. Specially commissioned artworks and furnishings throughout the hallways are extra diversions.READ FULL REVIEW »

Like its Hong Kong parent, this precocious upstart can arrange for you to be picked up at the airport by Rolls-Royce or helicopter. The gleaming W-shaped 39-story tower rises over the always frenetically teeming Chao Phraya River (although nominally on the "wrong" side) with phenomenal views, while below, its peaked-roofed boats dash across the river on never-ending shuttle missions. READ FULL REVIEW »

Until the run-up to the Olympics boon, Western luxury was harder to find in the Chinese capital than in Shanghai or Hong Kong. And thanks to a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2006, and subsequent renaming, The Peninsula, Beijing became the city’s first truly luxe property. The electronic bedside control panels, 42-inch plasma TVs, upscale shopping arcade and fantastic restaurants may not be surprising to today’s traveler—but not long ago it was an anomaly in Beijing.READ FULL REVIEW »

French Renaissance may seem a peculiar style to choose for a Southern California hotel, but it’s what makes this small property feel so serenely off the beaten path, even though it’s actually on the busy corridor where Beverly Hills becomes Century City. According to industry lore, The Pen Beverly Hills was the birthplace of the Hollywood power breakfast. But it’s not celebrities that make this hotel special, it’s the impeccable service, the light flowing through French doors and the large windows overlooking pocket gardens, giving the Pen the feel of a country chateau. READ FULL REVIEW »

Chicago has successfully cast aside its reputation for being the dowdy Midwestern cousin to its more glamorous counterparts like Los Angeles and New York. And the boldest statement that the Windy City has arrived is arguably the Peninsula Chicago, an offshoot of the Hong Kong flagship and—like its colonial cousin—located in the heart of the city in a historical building right on the Magnificent Mile. The minute you enter the lobby, there’s the hushed but unpretentious atmosphere that marks the best international hotels. All in all, it’s in a new league of the city’s properties. READ FULL REVIEW »

Having recently celebrated its 80th birthday, guests would perhaps understand if the Peninsula became a little doddery. But in fact the opposite has happened. The most famous Hong Kong hotel of them all has positively sprinted into the future, whether it’s internet access in all rooms, flat-screen television screens above the tub or curtains that close with the touch of a button. The hotel has maintained its position at the top of the Hong Kong pile by being willing to mix the cutting-edge with the traditional, Eastern service with Western technology.READ FULL REVIEW »

Sharing a corner with the St. Regis meant that the 20-year-old Peninsula New York has had to step up its game. With a great location and suave demeanor, the hotel treats business travelers to a quiet, unobtrusively elegant room, while its clubby atmosphere and landmark status allow the weekend guest to live it up in style. Entering the circa-1905 Beaux Arts building, a double-staircased grand foyer sets a mood that wavers on the aristocratic side of chic, but with the new addition of rooftop bar Salon de Ning—a nod to the Peninsula’s Hong Kong origins—and newly overhauled fitness and spa areas, the hotel is poised to enter the next decade as a sleeker, less stodgy Midtown player. READ FULL REVIEW »

Of all the private resorts in the Caribbean, Peter Island, part of the British Virgin Islands, is one of the largest. It’s also one of the most democratic. This is not simply a retreat for lovers or for CEOs (although they would feel perfectly at home); the all-inclusive resort also appeals to families and outdoor-lovers of every sort. With its 1,300 acres, a stay here is not just about the sand (although there are five private beaches) or surf (there are moorings for yachts and every water sport alive); the undeveloped interior also attracts hikers, bikers and bird-watchers. READ FULL REVIEW »

The first thing to note about this glitzy, quintessentially American resort is its size: three nine-hole golf courses, nine swimming pools and 250 manicured acres. Yet while it can be easy to feel like a cog in a wheel at this sprawling Phoenician property, the service is surprisingly meticulous and the grounds absolutely gorgeous. The clean-lined modern buildings are centered around roaring fountains, and the sweeping marble main lobby is lighted by massive chandeliers and plate-glass windows with dramatic views of Scottsdale’s iconic red-tinged Camelback Mountain. Everything is designed to inspire awe, and it does, very effectively.READ FULL REVIEW »

It would be nice to think of the Planters Inn as a bastion of antebellum style, genteel manners and fine dining that somehow slipped into the 21st century without a scratch. But it’s all an illusion. The building may date to 1844, but most of it derives from the 1990s. Still, the illusion is pretty good. The inn’s ace of spaces is a most excellent location in the heart of historic Charleston, with trekking distance from the Battery’s historic homes and the excellent Charleston Museum (first and oldest in America). Or you could read in the palm-shaded courtyard, lounge on your loggia or sip fine Kentucky bourbon in the parlor and play along with the magic show.READ FULL REVIEW »

You can build a hotel with all the modern bells and whistles. Or, you can take an old camp on a secluded Adirondack lakeshore, train your staff to never say no and open the front gates—luring in the wealthy and powerful from all over the world to sit around communal tables, share blueberry pancakes and become lifelong friends. Life at The Point isn’t about extravagance or cutting-edge; it’s about feeling at home. Spend your entire stay in the kitchen assisting chef Kevin McCarthy, hike the woods, canoe Upper Saranac Lake or see how much champagne you can drink in one day. The best part is that stays here are all-inclusive. As in: everything.READ FULL REVIEW »

The Portman Ritz-Carlton has become part of the fabric of Shanghai—and its staff know pretty much every nook and cranny of China’s largest city. The Port-a-man, as locals call it, is located in a self-contained foreign enclave, fringed by branches of Starbucks, California Pizza Kitchen, Tony Roma’s, a French fromagerie and European designer-brand stores. The mini-city could be anywhere in the world, but inside the hotel is the constant deal-making between American tycoons, Shanghainese entrepreneurs and Communist Party apparatchiks that has come to define contemporary China. It is perhaps the only hotel in the world that offers the option of city tours by Nazi-era motorcycle and sidecar, or dawn jogging expeditions with a marathon-running general manager.READ FULL REVIEW »

Portrait Suites is too small to be called a hotel; it’s more than that. Each of the 14 suites is a jewel of brilliance that encapsulates everything good about Italian style. The hotel is managed by Lungarno Hotels, the hospitality arm of Florentine fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo; as you would expect, the staff are immaculately turned out. Sitting above the menswear store on Via Condotti, Rome’s fashion street, the hotel couldn’t be better located. The refined elegance and charming unpretentious service scream class and discretion. A well-heeled collection of shoe-related memorabilia and personal effects from the Ferragamo archives line the stairway and is used to decorate the suites.READ FULL REVIEW »

The organic architecture of this 30-room inn that hugs a ridge 1,200 feet above the Pacific on California’s Big Sur coast is so physically and emotionally inspiring it manages to perfectly suit not only the inveterate romantic but the war-weary executive. Glass, redwood, slate and natural light are the buildings’ components, and the Sierra Mar restaurant seems to almost hinge out into the intoxicating blue of the ocean. The inn’s 100 acres are full of majestic redwoods and sequoias, and to make the nature transformation complete, cars are banished to a parking lot, while guests are ferried about by Lexus SUVs.READ FULL REVIEW »

Behind a verdant screen of rock gardens, cypresses and nearly century-old magnolias, this grande dame with a strategic location in the heart of Milan was once part of Aga Khan’s still-lamented CIGA hotel chain, the group that set the gold standard for Italian luxury hotels for many years. Now part of the Dorchester Group, it still breathes a certain pedigreed refinement but has stayed up-to-date with continuous renovations and enhancements—the most famous of which was the addition of one of the most impressive presidential suites in all of Europe. (It includes a 100-foot-long indoor pool.) Today it’s as popular with fashion industry executives who need a flawless full-service address during fashion-collection week as it is with heads of state and with travelers craving a dose of perfect Old World luxury.READ FULL REVIEW »

Pudong has long been the less fashionable side of the river—most of the best dining and nightlife action is on the west bank—but lately the area has seen a building boom. It now bristles with Chicago-style skyscrapers that dwarf the original Shangri-La hotel, one of the first luxury properties to be built there. But the hotel has avoided losing upwardly mobile face (and revenue) by erecting a higher tower of its own, seamlessly linked to the original property by a wide corridor. Now Shanghai’s Shang is huge, and new rooms (as with everything new in Shanghai) are larger and pricier. Fortunately, they also offer great panoramas. While conventional (local) wisdom has it that Pudong is far away, it’s just a 15-minute cab ride—and with the amazing views, feels even closer.READ FULL REVIEW »

The French-colonial-era Grand Hotel d’Angkor opened in 1932, and today has retained that aura of colonists’ privilege tempered by the exigencies of tropical architecture—as well as many of the original deco fixtures and furniture. Potted palms, ceiling fans and rattan all whisper of long-forgotten foreign intrigue. Five miles from Angkor Wat, the hotel reopened after a major restoration by Raffles in 1997 and now sits on 15 acres of French gardens—the perfect escape from the steamy Cambodia sun.READ FULL REVIEW »

Situated right in the heart of Beverly Hills, Raffles L’Ermitage rejects L.A. flash in favor of understated luxury and privacy. Of course, this anti-Hollywood approach—as well as the hotel’s elegant minimalism—attracts the A-listers who bed down here during award shows and premieres. But discretion is key among staffers, leading to a soothing ambience. Frankly, it’s a welcome break from the exhibitionism of the rest of the city, and the kind of place that provokes a sigh of relief when you check in.READ FULL REVIEW »

Trekking to big-sky country need not mean camping in a flimsy tent. This former fishing lodge (dating back to 1919) is positioned in southwestern Montana’s sweet spot, near the holy trinity of Moonlight Basin Ski Resorts, Big Sky Resort and Yellowstone National Park. Pass through the lodge’s weighty pine doors—look closely, the handles are made from fishing-rod reels—to a snug communal room stocked with leather couches, antler chandeliers and a blazing fireplace. It’s relaxed yet refined, with the charming staff adding folksy rural charm.READ FULL REVIEW »

You sit in the private garden patio outside your suite, briefly squinting in the brilliant sun as your eyes search for an orange-crowned warbler trilling in a palm tree. Audible in the other direction is the gentle blonk, plonk, ta-ponk, ponk of a tennis ball’s journey across a hardcourt hidden by tall hedges and bougainvillea. You release a comfortable sigh, and as you exhale, it dawns on you: There are literally no other sounds. ?Retreat? is a word claimed by many hotels, but Rancho Valencia, nestled in 40 acres of rolling hills in Rancho Santa Fe, earns the word.READ FULL REVIEW »

Set on a cliff in Southampton Parish, overlooking a wide, coral-free crescent of beach, this resort is truly relaxed and never stuffy. It’s an attitude that works; this highly personal hotel—somewhere between a cottage colony and a small resort—has welcomed guests to Bermuda since 1947 and attracted a fiercely loyal following. When new ownership took over the salmon-pink property in 2005, regulars braced for changes, but there have been few that they would object to. Many of those favorite staff who have been here for 20-plus years remain, while public areas have been freshened up. All rooms look out onto the ocean—as does the infinity pool—and the beach is just below, unlike other hotels that require a shuttle to reach the sand.READ FULL REVIEW »

Set among 10 acres of lush tropical gardens on a cliff above the Atlantic, the 116-year-old Reid’s Palace is where George Bernard Shaw learned to tango in 1924. And there’s still an in-house instructor to get guests up to speed for Saturday night dinner dances in a turn-of-the-century salon beneath a cloud fresco. But, taken over by Orient-Express, the Edwardian dowager has ditched its starchy reputation with a $10 million-plus 2006 revamp that sacrificed none of its quirky Brideshead Revisited charm. Order a Buck’s Fizz on the veranda and take it all in.READ FULL REVIEW »

While the Adlon is the place for famous actors and politicians on red-carpet press junkets, the Regent is where the same personalities might choose to stay when traveling privately. Although not far away from the Adlon and the Brandenburg Gate, the Regent is on a quiet side street and thus feels hidden away. The lobby is luxuriously appointed with marble floors, silk-covered chairs and intimate couches, but still feels cozy, not soaringly grand. It’s a place to sit with a cup of tea rather than to make an entrance.READ FULL REVIEW »

This 17th-century villa dotted with elderly stone structures sits in the panoramic Tuscan countryside, surrounded by trees, fragrant gardens and vineyards—the Baracchi family has crafted wine here since 1860. Food is the focal point at Il Falconiere (which has a real falcon mascot), with culinary lessons and an internationally acclaimed eatery attracting epicures of all stripes. If you need more culture, just an hour’s drive away awaits art cities such as Florence, Assisi and Arezzo. READ FULL REVIEW »

With an ideal location on Rittenhouse Square and the city’s largest rooms (the smallest are 450 square feet), the benefits of this formal, independently owned and operated hotel often surpass the city’s high-end chains. It certainly feels more grounded in the life of the city than its competitors, which are centered in more commercial—and certainly less charming—neighborhoods. However, the conservative vibe, while fitting for this historic neighborhood, will disappoint guests looking for something hip. General manager David Benton, an affable British transplant who opened the hotel in June 1989, is active in the city’s social and cultural affairs, and stocks rooms with Philadelphia-specific freebies like CD recordings of the Philadelphia Academy of Music. READ FULL REVIEW »

Set along the Blackfoot River (where A River Runs Through It was filmed) in the Rocky Mountains, Paws Up is like a luxury dude ranch for adrenaline junkies who don’t think winter is the best time to cozy up to a fire and read a book (although you can certainly do that here). In the snowy months, guests can ride horses, dogsled and snowshoe through 40,000 acres of wilderness; in summer, fish, whitewater raft and hike on 120 miles of trails cutting through the Lewis & Clark wilderness. Just be warned: During shoulder season, Paws Up is big with the incentive and corporate-retreat crowd.READ FULL REVIEW »

The Ritz Carlton, Bachelor Gulch has perfected the rustic-yet-refined balance that many luxury lodges strive to achieve. The stone-and-timber resort at the base of Beaver Creek mountain (30 minutes from Vail) has the requisite amenities (full-service spa, over-the-top service) one expects from a high-end property, but the casual ski-in/ski-out setting and warm Western-style decor prevent it from being too uptight or museum-like. With its stone fireplace, lodge-pine furniture and oversize windows, The Great Room is the perfect place to curl up with a book and a glass of pinot noir as the snowflakes blanket the slopes; and, a branch of Wolfgang Puck’s Spago opened here in winter 2007, bringing his signature wood-fired gourmet pizzas to the après ski spot in the valley. READ FULL REVIEW »

Of the increasing number of upscale resorts located on Bali’s touristy south side, this tasteful and luxurious property, located along a seaside cliff, feels the most intimate and family-oriented. Thanks to its beautifully fragrant and blooming gardens, a convoy of golf carts at one’s beck and call and about 900 employees, all of whom seem to know your name, the property manages to avoid an overwhelming effect despite its size. And the impressive Balinese-inspired design—carved stone fountains, lily ponds and low, open-air public buildings—gives the resort a healthy sense of place.READ FULL REVIEW »

The Summer Olympics may be over, but Beijing’s red carpet is still out—and nowhere more so than the Ritz-Carlton, a surprisingly spacious high rise at the heart of one of Beijing’s boomingest neighborhoods. Integrated into China Central Place, one of the capital’s most prestigious business and shopping complexes, the Ritz-Carlton was the preferred choice of many international media personnel during the 2008 games—and it might just be your top choice, too.READ FULL REVIEW »

The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin very much reflects the surrounding neighborhood of Potsdamer Platz: flashy and new, a little bit of Las Vegas in the middle of Old Europe. Once a no-man’s land between East and West Berlin, this area is now flush with international headquarters and skyscrapers—and this 18-story building in the heart of the square fits right in. The lobby screams luxury, with its marble columns, sweeping grand staircase and extravagant brassy and gold details—in short, the perfect place for those who like Europe served up grand but also brand-new.READ FULL REVIEW »

The Riviera Maya may have stolen a lot of Cancun’s thunder over the past few years, but the Ritz-Carlton is proof that Mexico’s favorite vacation isle hasn’t lost all of its glitter. Situated about halfway up the Caribbean coast of the number-seven-shaped island, the resort goes way beyond the dazzling white-sand strand and endless ocean views that everyone in Cancun offers into territory explored by few: an opulent spa, world-class culinary college and the best tennis in southern Mexico. It also doubles as a wildlife sanctuary: during the summer months, a slice of the beach is reserved as a sea turtle hatchery. That said, the RC Cancun lacks a Mexican soul—while hard to fault, the resort could be just about anywhere in the tropics. READ FULL REVIEW »

The first thing to note is that the Ritz-Carlton is actually a Four Seasons property, the sister hotel to the one across the street. And like its sister property, this is no stand-alone hotel, but one set atop a mall high above the city. But once you’ve straightened that out, you’ll find all the amenities and level of service you’d expect of either chain. It also has a great location, right in the heart of the action of the Magnificent Mile (though the main entrance is on a side street and thus feels calmer). And the little freebies, like morning tea and coffee and overnight shoeshines give the property a warmer atmosphere than the grand lobby would suggest.READ FULL REVIEW »

You won’t fine a stitch of brocade or even a china hutch at this classy baby Ritz that’s been a hit since it opened its doors in 2003 in a former incinerator, steps away from lively M Street, the heart of the capital’s Georgetown district. A striking lobby lounge lies just off the entrance, and the room, with its soaring ceilings and wood-burning fireplace, is a perfect place to settle in with a book or have a snack—like you might at a small boutique hotel, not your usual grandiose Ritz. How hip is this hotel? A 130-foot smokestack—now part of the restaurant—still stands above the property.READ FULL REVIEW »

Don’t confuse the Ritz-Carlton, Naples with the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples. The former is a beachgoer’s dream (and also one of the Forbes Traveler 400 best hotels in the world). The latter, just three miles away, is a golfer’s paradise. The thing is, by staying at one, you enjoy the facilities of both. So don’t be left behind when your golfing spouse spends days on either of the two Greg Norman-designed courses; simply hop on the complimentary shuttle bus and soak up some sun on the sand, or around the other resort’s three pools. To be fair, the Golf Resort has a pool, too. And a better-than-average spa. But if you’re not an avid linksman, get a room by the beach. READ FULL REVIEW »

Driving south from San Francisco along Highway 1 on a foggy morning—and the odds are depressingly good, in summertime, that you’ll hit such a day—you’d swear you’re not in sunny California but on the rocky, brooding Ayrshire coast. Which is probably why, back in 1973, the first of two championship golf courses (true seaside "links") was built just south of Half Moon Bay, 30 miles from the city, and why Ritz-Carlton opened a rambling, cumulus-gray, cedar-shingled resort next door, overlooking seaside cliffs, in 2001. Now it’s become a popular offsite meeting destination for Bay Area corporations, but you can still almost smell the heather.READ FULL REVIEW »

If you think you prefer trendy, hip hotels, this Ritz Carlton may just convince you otherwise. Firstly, arriving at here is like touching down on an urban island. The hotel imparts a sense of place like no other in Istanbul, partially because of its hillside location away from traffic. The very personalized experience begins the moment the valet opens your door—decked out in stylish garb that would impress even the most jaded fashionista. READ FULL REVIEW »

When the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua was first being built at the beginning of the 1990s, all of Maui rose up to protest the potential desecration of an ancient Hawaiian burial site. Perhaps fearing a luxury poltergeist situation, ownership agreed to move the site of the resort back considerably, leaving the sacred grounds intact on the bluff over the ocean, and ever since, Ritz-Carlton has made an effort to provide guests with as much knowledge of Hawaiian culture as they care to absorb. Yet it’s hardly just a cultural hotel: The plantation-style U-shaped building is set in a former pineapple plantation that’s now home to three championship golf courses, and from the moment guests pass the entry gates it’s like having joined an exclusive country club.READ FULL REVIEW »

The massive Mediterranean-style Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel sits like a fortress atop a cliff overlooking the Pacific, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego. The beach is pristine, the gardens are in bloom and the ocean views stretch to the horizon, making for unforgettable sunsets. Inside the hotel, a $40 million renovation in 2005 tipped the look toward the modern end of the hotel group’s trademark traditional decor, but it’s still unmistakably a Ritz-Carlton. That may seem oddly formal for a Southern California beach escape, but perhaps all that priceless oceanfront real estate deserves a formal salute. READ FULL REVIEW »

Singapore’s Ritz-Carlton is a thing to behold from the outside. It’s also practically a museum of contemporary art on the inside, with 4,200 works by artists like Andy Warhol and Frank Stella. Not surprisingly, since its opening in 1996, this distinctive 32-story high rise has become a Singapore landmark. Set in seven acres of gardens in the Marina Centre, it seems far from the hustle of Singapore, but it’s within easy walking of some of the city’s busiest areas, including the financial district.READ FULL REVIEW »

For luxury-seekers or, okay, anyone desperate for Western five-star efficiency in Moscow, there was a collective sigh of relief when the Ritz-Carlton opened here in the summer of 2007. Resplendent behind a wall of dark gray marble, a stone’s throw away from Red Square, this 11-story five-star is all glittering crystal chandeliers, massive flower arrangements and security men wearing earpieces—just what one would expect from a Ritz-Carlton in the Russian capital. While the location couldn’t be better, the other things they’ve done so right are hotel bars and restaurants: O2, a groovy rooftop lounge is the place to be at night in this city; and Jeroboam, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant run by Michelin three-star Heinz Winkler, is awaiting stars of its own.READ FULL REVIEW »

The Ritz-Carlton Naples is the kind of hotel where no one looks twice when guests in T-shirts and flip-flops stroll over the Oriental rugs and under the crystal chandeliers to grab glasses of lemonade from the lobby. In fact, there’s a good chance that one of the staff will have already poured the drink and have it waiting. That’s exactly what sets the Ritz apart from the other glitzy hotels sharing its pristine (though small) beachfront perch on the Gulf of Mexico: first-rate service minus the fussiness.READ FULL REVIEW »

Forget everything you think about Ritz-Carlton. This downtown hotel steps outside the chain’s traditional comfort zone with an art deco interior reminiscent of a 1920s cruise liner. Like its uptown sister hotel on Central Park South, the hotel attracts its share of celebrities and executives, but here the vibe is low-key and the hip factor high with cool colors, pale woods, plush seating that begs you to dive in and contemporary art from 100 living New York artists. Down at the tip of Manhattan, you’re out of the frenzy—but just a five-minute taxi ride from Soho or Tribeca. And the views are spectacular.READ FULL REVIEW »

As the flipside of its downtown art deco sister, this uptown Ritz-Carlton in a 1930s building has a New York townhouse vibe. Despite the sycamore-paneled walls and ceiling, antique French and Italian crystal chandeliers, early 1920s paintings by Samuel Halpert, and grand piano, the lobby floor Star Lounge is surprisingly casual—you can even order mini-burgers or mac and cheese. You can’t beat the central location, just blocks from 5th Avenue, the Time Warner Center and MoMA, and with views straight down the middle of Central Park.READ FULL REVIEW »

The Ritz-Carlton chooses a very traditional approach in Japan, bypassing the minimalism preferred by so many others. Bringing the idea of the grande dame hotel to Japan’s "second" city, the property has the air of an old European home, thanks to a white-gloved staff, 450 oil paintings, Georgian-style interiors and other period pieces dating to the 19th century. Yet like many hotels in Asia, this one is located in a shopping complex-cum-mall named Herbis Osaka. While this may be an inherent disconnect, it does serve as an excellent location, close to Osaka Castle and the train station.READ FULL REVIEW »

Five grand marble columns flank the staircase entryway of Philly’s Ritz-Carlton, making for a grand entrance even by Ritz standards. Thank its history. The domed, Pantheon-style entryway and lobby was built in 1908 with 9,000 tons of Georgian marble for the Girard Trust Company. And since its opening in 2000, this hotel has maintained the formal feel of a hushed bank, one whose vault now houses a clubby, clandestine lounge and whose Roman-bust-covered, oculus-lit circular main floor serves as a serene lobby bar. And when it’s time to withdraw yourself, you’ll find the hotel is perfectly situation across the street from City Hall and just two blocks from the Avenue of the Arts.READ FULL REVIEW »

San Francisco’s Nob Hill has a wealth of landmark hotels, but the neoclassical edifice, lions heads and Ionic columns of the Ritz-Carlton stand out, more resembling the Supreme Court than a hotel. Built in 1909 as an insurance company headquarters, it’s been the Ritz-Carlton since 1991, and the hotel is a classic in every way, from its formal afternoon tea to the long menu of single-malt scotches in the bar. READ FULL REVIEW »

When the Ritz-Carlton unveiled this property in 2003—its first South American venture—it instantly claimed its crown as Santiago’s best. Granted, the competition wasn’t fierce. But that’s not to detract from the Ritz; while there’s little here that’s overly compelling, there’s a lot that’s very good. Start with the building itself, a sleek 15-story structure clad in light travertine marble and fetching red brick, contrasting with the snowcapped Andes that you can see from many guest rooms on clear days. The interior is equally striking, especially the lobby with its black and gold marble mosaic floor beneath a two-story rotunda. Although largely geared toward business visitors, the hotel is a decent place to base a leisurely stay in Santiago. It may not be close to the hippest restaurants in town, but it’s within walking distance of some upscale shops and restaurants, and within easy reach of the Pueblo los Dominicos art and antique market.READ FULL REVIEW »

This dowager duchess of London hotels is past its hundredth year yet retains the twinkle and spirit of its heyday in the 1920s. The exuberant glamour of Palm Court, with its gilded decor, tinkling piano and sugar-almond palette of pastels, continues to attract hordes for no less than five sittings of high tea a day, served on fine Limoges china complete with tea strainers, lemon squeezers and tiered silver trays of crustless sandwiches, cakes and scones. This is classic London, where jackets and ties are a must. Yet while it should feel intimidating, it does not; the old-fashioned grandeur combines with a seductive intimacy that can’t help but feel welcoming. READ FULL REVIEW »

Round Hill is old school Caribbean—think Harry Belafonte, not Jimmy Buffett—a rambling seafront property carved more than half a century ago from the remains of an old sugar, spice and coconut plantation just west of Montego Bay. Centered around a restored 18th-century plantation house, tropical colonial is the overriding theme, an illusion that maybe the sun never did set on the British Empire. But unlike so many other grand dames, Round Hill has always kept up with the times, with a New Age spa, nouvelle Caribbean cuisine and Jamaica’s best golf among its manifold pleasures. READ FULL REVIEW »

Arguably the jewel in the Rosewood Resorts crown, Little Dix was founded by Laurance Rockefeller in 1964. Today it remains a haven of understated elegance, sitting on just 100 of its 500 acres, with the remaining Virgin Gorda landscape left wild. The grounds are groomed with orchids and bougainvillea, and tumble down to a half-mile of ecru crescent beach; the lush, untamed terrain climbs up gentle hills to a height of 1,359 feet. The beach backdrop of thick vegetation, punctuated by thatched umbrellas, seems stolen from a Hollywood flick, perfect for couples, while a wealth of activities attracts families as well. READ FULL REVIEW »

Built in the early 20th century by local cotton magnate Sheppard King, the justifiably self-proclaimed mansion still has original stained-glass windows imported from England, a 16th-century stone mantel from Germany and cathedral doors from Spain around its marble rotunda. Even after its transformation to hotel in 1981, it still evokes the formality that befits a baron, which, to be honest, can be a bit too much European formality for the Texas heat. Still, the place does come with a pedigree: Its guest list includes FDR (when it was still a private home) as well as Frank and Sammy. READ FULL REVIEW »

If the Queen of England went on safari here, this luxury compound wouldn’t have to change a thing in preparation for Her Majesty’s arrival. Persian carpets, Asian antiques, bronze statues and other one-of-a-kind pieces, such as the carved-wood Hapsburg chairs at the entrance, provide the decor for this elite lodge located in a private 27,000-acre game reserve. (That means other Land Rovers won’t intrude on your Big Five viewing.) Owner Liz Biden’s exceptional taste is apparent in every detail of the lodge, from the silver and crystal employed at dinner to the artisan creations from all over Africa in the gift shop. But the elegance doesn’t detract from the back-to-nature experience. When the lions roar, you hear them? even if it does rattle the crystal a bit.READ FULL REVIEW »

Royal Palms opened in 1948, the dream project of a popular bandleader who’d added onto a then-20-year-old Mediterranean estate, once the spare-no-expense dream house of a retired East Coast executive. Hollywood royalty quickly discovered the intimate, romantic resort. Today Scottsdale may be the home of the mega-resort, but you’ll find Royal Palms remains the small jewel it’s always been. One-story adobe casitas surround courtyards spread out from the original house through flower-, cactus- and citrus-filled gardens. Everywhere you look on this stylized property there’s something new to discover: a bougainvillea-shaded wooden bench, a hidden fireplace, an antique tiled fountain. Even in laid-back Scottsdale, the impulse here is to dress up—the architecture fairly calls for it. READ FULL REVIEW »

Just 10 minutes by boat from Piazza San Marco lies this verdant, 17-acre isle, where you’ll find the chandelier-strewn San Clemente Palace, a 17th-century palazzo surrounded by landscaped gardens and with its own 900-year-old church. There are upsides to staying here: Rooms are larger than at the Danieli and the Gritti, and it’s quieter. And there are downsides: It’s a bit off the beaten path, and you won’t be perched above one of the city’s famed canals. Also, rooms don’t have individual AC controls, and the front desk, should you inquire about the temperature, advises only that you open your window. READ FULL REVIEW »

This is a magnificent spin on a 19th-century great Southern mansion, oceanfront style. The grand entrance hall with opulent sitting rooms and a sweeping Gone with the Wind-style staircase will make you feel you’re about to meet Scarlett O’Hara herself. Beaches, five championship golf courses, tennis and fine dining are all compressed into this environmentally designed semi-tropical, private barrier island paradise. Lest there be a dull moment, you just might encounter one of the island’s treasured occupants: the Loggerhead sea turtle. The resort is casino-free too, and the only dollars you will find on the shore of this Southeastern Atlantic ocean hideaway are sand dollars. Private estates and an upscale shopping center share the island.READ FULL REVIEW »

The swankest resort on Barbados was treated to an extensive refurbishment in September, 2008, making it even more appealing than it was in the old days—when regulars flew down from London on the Concorde and caught the Rolls-Royce shuttle from Grantley Adams Airport. A bastion of British ways and means on the shore of a former colony, Sandy Lane continues to be patronized by a fair number of well-heeled Brits. Setting the tone is a Palladian-style "great house" that harbors both the lobby and the elegant l'Acajou restaurant, which in typical British fashion has French rather than Anglo-Saxon cuisine. Cognacs and caviar are fortes of the nearby Monkey Bar. And so it goes throughout Sandy Lane. You're never more than a few steps away from the main pillar of the bygone British Empire—an uncanny sense of high style in a remote setting. READ FULL REVIEW »

A spectacular vista: 500 acres featuring private bungalows, pristine coastal hillsides, 17 miles of hiking trails and even a citrus grove, all nestled between the Santa Ynez mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Once a way station for Franciscan monks (there’s even a framed certificate near reception, tracing the property’s ownership from a 1769 title held by king of Spain), this Mission-style retreat completed a two-year, $150 million restoration in early 2007. The result: brilliant gardens, ocean views, the wafting scent of eucalyptus, orange and magnolia… and peace. READ FULL REVIEW »

It would be impossible to define Savute Elephant Camp in a single word, but two will do just fine: Orient Express. All of the experience gained in guiding some of the world’s most sumptuous trains over the past 30 years has gone into creating the ultimate African safari camp. Located in the animal-rich Savute area of the vast Chobe National Park in northern Botswana, the camp is all about pampering beneath canvas (rather than on rails): luxury tents with all the bells and whistles, the eye-catching contrast of a human swimming pool beside a wildlife watering hole and one of those restaurants that makes you wonder how in the world they make such marvelous food in the middle of nowhere. READ FULL REVIEW »

Now one of the world’s most respected boutique hotels, the Saxon was once a private residence in the exclusive Sandhurst suburb of Johannesburg. It was also Nelson Mandela’s refuge when he was released from Robben Island, and a refuge it remains—for those who want to escape hectic Johannesburg. Secure and private, hidden behind high walls and coral trees in six acres of lush garden, the hotel keeps the city at arm’s length. Water is exploited to accentuate the sense of sanctuary, and nowhere more so than with the enormous swimming pool. Peace and tranquility aside, however, the Saxon has established itself as the nerve-center for Jo’burg’s glamorous: Resident and visiting film stars, politicians and models congregate in the piano lounge, smoking room and library.READ FULL REVIEW »

The Setai South Beach’s East-meets-West, future-meets-past designs are perfect for the glitzy, deep-pocketed and creative crowd that stays here. So hip, in fact, that in May 2008 the hotel debuted a recording studio outfitted by rocker Lenny Kravitz’s design company. The structure itself is composed of a pair of nearly individual resort towers—one hotel rooms, the other spacious apartments—linked by the Belgian architect Jean-Michel Gathy’s designs and positioned between the hubbub of Collins Avenue and the deep azure Atlantic. Partially set in the former Dempsey Vanderbilt Hotel—a 1930s art deco gem—the Setai has strayed far from its Yankee roots; today it’s filled with antique Asian artworks, rich teak flooring and a lobby walled in bricks originally made in Shanghai some 75 years ago.READ FULL REVIEW »

Bangkok’s newer five-star hotels may be hipper, but when it comes to opulence, there’s only one Shangri-La. A perennial favorite among visiting heads of state and discerning business travelers, the hotel’s twin 25- and 16-story towers sit on the banks of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river. Rooms contain curtains made of Thai silk from Jim Thompson, wooden headboards decorated with golden Buddha images and glittering crystal chandeliers. The Shangri-La is also Bangkok’s only riverside hotel within steps of a Skytrain station, making other parts of the city easier to reach.READ FULL REVIEW »

Located on 15 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens at the top of the thrumming Orchard Road shopping district, the Shangri-La is a lush retreat in the heart of busy Singapore. More than 100,000 plants, flowers and trees decorate the property. You’ll find palms swaying over the Himalayan-costumed doorman, a pool surrounded by coconuts, spider lilies and frangipani, a Display Garden rich with cherry, mango, banana, papaya and numerous other fruit trees, and even an abiu tree planted by the late John Denver. Walking distance from the city’s official Botanical Gardens, the Shangri-La is sometimes described as Singapore’s "other" botanical gardens, with good reason.READ FULL REVIEW »

When Sheen Falls opened in 1991 on its magical 900 woodland acres of County Kerry, it was something new for Ireland—an elegant country sporting resort. It’s since become a role model for the Celtic Tiger’s other rural retreats and has established itself as a classic with a loyal repeat business who return for the Relais Chateaux restaurant; salmon fishing in the Sheen River; and the pleasure of checking into a five-star just off the Ring of Kerry. Irish charm—you’ll be offered Irish coffees before your clay shooting lesson—and true luxury—the smallest room, is 500 square feet—meet in this buttercup-colored lodge that sits on the Marquis of Lansdowne’s summer estate.READ FULL REVIEW »

At 15-years-old, Shutters qualifies as nearly ancient by Southern California hotel standards. Calmly impervious to the ever-growing competition nearby, like the trendy Viceroy, Shutters remains popular with those who toil in the fields of show business—and yet has none of the attitude that sometimes attends celebrity venues. Not only is it smack on the beach—albeit one of the busiest, most crowded strips of the beach—but it’s conveniently close to the airport, the Santa Monica Freeway and the Pacific Coast Highway.READ FULL REVIEW »

Opulent decor and excellent service accompanied by some of the best game viewing in South Africa make Singita arguably the most exquisite game lodge in the country. Located both in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve as well as in a private concession within Kruger National Park, Singita offers five distinctive accommodation choices, each with a common lodge and an outcropping of guest suites. What sets Singita apart from scores of other safari lodges is not just dramatic decor, but an attention to detail that’s painstakingly maintained in the game experience itself. Rangers who oversee your game drives possess an astounding mental history of migrations and herds within the region, and will entertain you with firsthand tales from the bush as you make your way through the savannah.READ FULL REVIEW »

The hotel’s grand old 1920s building represents the last hurrah of Argentina’s heyday. Built by a shipping magnate, its light-filled lobby was once a small cobbled carriageway that drew up to the elegant entrance (now the concierge desk), while its tower, the city’s tallest in its day, allowed the family to see its ships coming in. Located in one of the city’s classiest neighborhoods, the hotel’s neighbors include embassies, upscale art galleries and antique stores. A quiet address among walkable streets, close to both the business district and the city’s major tourist attractions, make it a good option for business travellers and tourists alike. READ FULL REVIEW »

Built in 1901, the Sofitel Metropole is the finest hotel in Hanoi. Located in the city’s leafy downtown area, where women in conical hats hawk fruit from shoulder baskets, the hotel conveys the spirit of the bygone French-colonial era. The building’s ornate white exterior is punctuated by dark green teak window shutters, while the sleek lobby has shiny marble flooring and smartly-unformed attendants at the ready. Once called the Metropole, it was French Indochina’s preeminent hotel. But it became dilapidated during the Vietnam War, and the French Accor group renovated and relaunched it in 1992. READ FULL REVIEW »

Serving sublime organic Pacific Northwest cuisine and holding numerous wine awards, Sinclair and Frederique Philips’ Sooke Harbour House, a 45-minute drive southwest of Victoria on Vancouver Island, is better known for its food than its accommodation. But the charming white clapboard inn on a quiet residential street, with windswept gardens facing the beach and ocean, has a cult following among discerning weekenders who come for the fresh sea air, rural peace and quiet, and beautiful seaview rooms. READ FULL REVIEW »

Americans in particular tend to consider this the perfect small hotel in London. Perhaps this tradition dates back to when the wine cellar sheltered a group of them during the Blitz. Steps from bustling Piccadilly and swanky Jermyn Street, it’s tucked away on a cul-de-sac, accessible from a footpath off Green Park. Once inside, it’s as if you stumbled upon a manor in the countryside, with fabric-filled guest rooms in the main house, an 18th-century carriage house and the Stafford Mews extension, completed in 2007.READ FULL REVIEW »

Stein Eriksen—Olympic gold-medal downhill champ, Norwegian national hero, a World Cup regular—drew on his extensive experience of ski lodges (and après-ski events) to create one of the world’s most luxurious ski lodges in the early 1980s. Like the man himself, the lodge blends sophistication and rugged individualism, modern Scandinavian design with a Rocky Mountain edge. Since it’s set at the foot of the Deer Valley snow sports area, you can ski or snowboard right out of the front door in winter, and hike or mountain bike all over the surrounding terrain in summer. And when you return after a tough day path, Stein Eriksen pampers you with great food, comfy accommodation and eager-to-please staff. But you can be pampered with a clean conscience—in 2008, the Lodge was one of nine lodges recognized by Preferred Hotels & Resorts for outstanding efforts in the areas of philanthropy, environment and community. READ FULL REVIEW »

Built in 1894 and run by the famous hotelier Cesar Ritz, the St. Regis has a lordly place in the wide avenues above the Spanish Steps and the Via Veneto. Fittingly, the palazzo’s interior matches the exterior, decorated in the height of the belle époque’s French and Italian frenzied style. After a $35 million restoration in 2007, the lobby rotunda and grand hall, with their polished floors, stupendous candelabra and Murano chandelier, hold more grandeur than ever. READ FULL REVIEW »

Though constantly facing new competition in every direction from high-end openings, the St. Regis has long been recognized as Beijing’s premier hotel. Set back from the main Jianguomenwai thoroughfare, the hotel is located in the leafy diplomatic and business heartland, a 10-minute cab ride from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Step inside the marble lobby (where you’ll greet your personal butler) and it’s easy to see why—there’s an ambience of classical grandeur, with greenery and layered, theatrical-style balconies. And the lobby is always abuzz; this is a business hotel that’s strong on luxury, but where a sense of deal-making is always tangible. READ FULL REVIEW »

John Jacob Astor built this beaux-arts masterpiece in 1904 to house his society guests in a manner to which they had become accustomed in Europe (including a white marble staircase that cost a whopping $1 million in turn-of-the-century dollars). That old-world grandeur is still on view in the intricate carved moldings, inlaid marble floors, gilded mirrors and doors, and crystal chandeliers that are the hallmark of this urban palace. Apart from the lavish style, though, every experience is a classic here, from formal afternoon tea in the Astor Court to a Bloody Mary (which was invented here) in the dark, inviting King Cole Bar with its famed Maxfield Parrish murals.READ FULL REVIEW »

Relax in guest rooms furnished in soothing earth tones and appointed with natural materials such as leather walls and limestone floors. Sip martinis behind a wall of fire that lends a sense of drama to the intimate lobby bar. Immerse yourself in the soothing waters of a 50-foot heated infinity pool. (For the fourth element, fresh air, visit the fourth-floor garden where executive chef John Jackson grows organic fruits, vegetables and herbs used in the hotel’s restaurants, Vitrine and Ame.) Art lovers will find an enriching cultural experience at the attached Museum of the African Diaspora and the adjacent San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, while the Moscone Center, Yerba Buena Gardens and Union Square are all within walking distance. READ FULL REVIEW »

A few years after its $37-million facelift, the classic Alpine resort at the base of Aspen Mountain is looking more than ever like the grande dame of the ski world. The building itself is an Aspen icon, but it’s the quiet luxury and attention to detail that set this hotel apart. Because it’s the epicenter of such enormous events as the Aspen Food and Wine Festival—the ski town’s social event of the season—its unflappable staff are accustomed to handling huge crowds and unusual requests with aplomb. READ FULL REVIEW »

Nearly hidden in the city center, the Sukhothai has been one of Bangkok’s favorite oases since opening in 1991. This Thai-style idyll is rendered majestically modern via clean lines, graceful pitched roofs and low-lit public spaces. The decor is courtesy of regional taste-makers architect Kerry Hill and interior designer Ed Tuttle, who were inspired by the artistic wonderment of "the Sukhothai"—the first capital of Siam, which reigned during the 13th and 14th centuries. Today, Sukhothai is ground zero for well-heeled locals and style-conscious foreigners who gather among its pavilion-style restaurants, bars and lounges discreetly set within six acres of lotus ponds and flower gardens. READ FULL REVIEW »

It’s easy to imagine yourself an undercover agent as you are ferried through the waters of Lake Pichola on a wooden barge toward this 250-year-old white marble palace in the heart of Rajasthan. And no wonder: The regal Lake Palace hotel was the chief setting for the famous James Bond film Octopussy. Built in 1746 by Maharana Jagat Sing II upon a four-acre island with the Aravalli Mountains as its backdrop, this splendid icon of Indian royalty features massive windows with lake views, a lily-pond courtyard and traditional Rajasthani decor. READ FULL REVIEW »

Originally completed in 1903 and overlooking Mumbai’s landmark Gate of India and the Arabian Sea, the Taj is a red-brick, Victorian-era, East-meets-West architectural triumph—even if the surrounding district bears little of the same splendor. Although not immediately apparent, the hotel is actually divided into two wings, its original Heritage Wing and the 33-year-old modernist Tower Wing. The real thrill is staying in the Heritage Wing. Accessed via a tiny entry, it fans out like an elongated, elegant cross, capped by endless Moghul-styled arches and a monumental neo-Florentine dome. READ FULL REVIEW »

In a separate tower from the rest of the Mandalay Bay complex, THEhotel is a resort within a resort intended to appeal to the younger end of the upscale crowd, people who want stylishness and luxury but aren’t ready for the traditional feel of a Four Seasons. The decor is striking, especially in the Bathhouse Spa, which is entered via a suede hallway and features slate, rock and marble. But you never forget you’re in Las Vegas—in summer of 2008, the hotel debuted a frighteningly realistic ?Shark Reef Aquarium? walk-through virtual reality motion tour. Alain Ducasse’s trendy restaurant and bar on the top floor, Mix, provides the requisite celebrity-chef dining experience—a mere glass-elevator ride away. That’s a good thing, since the resort is some distance from the main part of the Strip—a chic retreat from the throngs, to be sure, but one that requires a cab ride. READ FULL REVIEW »

With enough safari options in East Africa to satisfy anyone’s Hemingway longings, pinpointing one that outdoes the rest is something of a gamble. That said, Tortilis Camp must come pretty close to Papa’s idea of perfection. Named after Africa’s signature flat-topped umbrella thorned tree "acacia tortilis," this ideally situated camp faces the awe-inspiring snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro. Charmingly rustic tents are shaded by a natural forest bustling with bird life; views across the plains seem endless. READ FULL REVIEW »

It’s unlikely Lewis and Clark could have imagined that the punishing and wild terrain they traversed 200 years ago would become the site of a wine- and horse-lover’s luxury resort. But the rugged terrain is a major part of the appeal of Triple Creek Ranch. Opened in 1986 with the capacity for just 56 guests at a time, the retreat stands on 600 acres in the Bitterroot Mountains bordered on three sides by national forest. Fly-fishing, horseback riding and snowshoeing deep into the pine-scented wilderness is what a getaway here is all about, returning home to a log cabin that’s as private as you like (though perhaps not as luxurious as you would expect), with a view of the jagged peaks that you can feel is all your own. READ FULL REVIEW »

Mr. Trump once bragged that his hotel, advantageously situated across from Central Park at Columbus Circle, blocked the park views of the rival Mandarin Oriental one block behind it. And the 52-story tower, designed by architects Philip Johnson and Costas Kondylis (with a reflective bronze-colored glass surface, all the better to check your hair in), does make you feel like a similarly ruthless mogul. From the minute the glass doors open onto a compact lobby gleaming with marble floors, brass doors and crystal chandeliers, and you’re handed personalized stationery, business cards and use of a cellphone—you own New York. READ FULL REVIEW »

If the smell of fresh napalm in the morning isn’t your cup of tea, how about the aroma of a jungle along the edge of a tropical sea? Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola created Turtle as his own personal escape from ?the world? and then decided that other people should be able to savor the inn’s isolated, earthly delights. Wedged between the Belize rainforest and the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere, the Turtle Inn’s chic shack vibe is about as far from apocalypse as you can get on this planet. READ FULL REVIEW »

Sinclair Lewis and his wife, Dorothy Thompson, spent years entertaining luminary guests and family members at their 300-acre Twin Farms estate, and that celebratory, familial spirit still lives on. Guests can be found wandering the Barnard, Vermont, acreage in search of wild berries in summer, or schussing down the private ski runs in winter. Dog-eared books line the shelves of the library for quiet, stormy days spent indoors. Meals are still a social event, with decadent dishes prepared with local produce and served in a firelit room. And to recuperate from all that relaxation, there’s a top-notch spa. READ FULL REVIEW »

Richard Branson’s hotel in the bush may be chiseled out of the Ulusaba rock, and it may rise high above the Sabi Sabi game reserve, but you’re in no danger of having to rough it at this exclusive boutique property. The decor at the main Rock Lodge is pure fantasy: organic materials from the surrounding savanna, rock, wood, pebble, fur and antler contribute to a look that is somewhere between Flintstone-chic and bush-bling. While you may be in the remote middle-of-nowhere, on the shoulder of Kruger National Park, you’re also in the lap of luxury, with air conditioning, phone service, minibars, DVDs, a tennis court, pool and spa. But the draw here is the 13,500 hectares of unspoiled, game-rich bush. READ FULL REVIEW »

Hidden away at the edge of Ubud, the spiritual center of Bali, the Uma Ubud is a serene boutique spa hotel overlooking the Oos river, Tampuhan valley and seemingly endless green fields, coconut palms and banyan trees. Bird life and wild orchids thrive here—and if you’re looking for a calming retreat with an emphasis on balance and well-being, this is it. READ FULL REVIEW »

Sometimes called "India’s Last Palace," the 347-room Umaid Bhawan Palace was indeed completed relatively late in the game—1944. This stunning royal residence stands in stark contrast to what many erroneously consider to be classic Indian architecture—that is, the Moghul tradition as typified by the Taj Mahal. Instead, architect Henry Lanchester looked back to Hindu temples—which predate the Moghuls’ Muslim influence—then added his own dash of era-appropriate art deco. The result is one of the world’s largest private residences—and certainly one of the most stunning. In 1972, a portion of the palace was converted to a luxury hotel, and it’s been a favorite of dignitaries, celebrities and well-heeled honeymooners ever since. READ FULL REVIEW »

An Edwardian grande dame given a spectacular makeover. Built in 1910 by the second son of the namesake president and Civil War general, the property was purchased for $45 million in 2003 by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, who promptly put another $56 million into a top-to-bottom renovation completed in 2006. The results shine from every corner—from the restored marble staircase and chandeliers of the lobby to the Empire furnishings and original French art in the guest room. Thirteen U.S. presidents have stayed in the U.S. Grant over the years, and now the owners of one of the state’s biggest casinos are betting over $100 million that someday you will, too. READ FULL REVIEW »

The Ventana Inn is a favorite romantic getaway for entertainment personalities, who revel in the privacy. In 1975, producer Lawrence Spector took his Easy Rider profits and created the inn on a hillside 1,200 feet above the ocean. The competition is right across the way—the decade-plus-younger Post Ranch Inn. Both properties have loyal customers, and each has had a steady flow of celebrities over the years. Ventana has a bit more of the hippie-era mentality that one associates with Big Sur, including an extra clothing-optional pool and Japanese bath, but generally offers the same opportunity to tune out the stresses of life and commune with forest, cliffs and ocean from rustic-style five-star digs. READ FULL REVIEW »

One block off the beach and a five-minute stroll from the Santa Monica Pier, this fashionable celebrity hangout hides in plain sight, still resembling the nondescript 1969 beachfront high-rise it once was. Inside, however, the Viceroy received an exuberant rehab in 2001, featuring Kelly Wearstler’s funky ?modern British colonial? design, a rapturous mix of Regency details, Lucite tables, shag rugs, jumbo wall-mounted cameos and parrot-green trim. Relaxing in the mustard-hued library or lounging around the lobby-side pool, you might feel as if you’ve slipped into a time-warped hipster pad where Oscar Wilde might chat up Dean Martin.READ FULL REVIEW »

There are five-star Swiss hotels, and then there is the Victoria-Jungfrau. The original Hotel Victoria opened in 1865, but it wasn’t until 1895, when the owners took over the adjacent hotel, that the Victoria-Jungfrau (and its geometrically patterned gardens) was born. Today, the marble floors, vast chandeliers, painted ceilings and colonnaded banquet rooms keep the feeling of royalty alive, even as a more modern note—which blends harmoniously with the old—is being introduced. Conferences and conventions are a hazard, but this is a brilliant venue for exploring some of the most spectacular scenery in the Alps. READ FULL REVIEW »

This cream-colored 16th-century neoclassical palazzo has been a magnet for the world’s famous and fabulous since it opened in 1873. Set behind tall iron gates on the shores of Lake Como (George Clooney and Donatella are nearby homeowners), the property has a very glamorous feel—from the jaw-dropping decor (all rich jewel tones, polished marble and Venetian glass) to the stylish clientele (Prada-toting women in Audrey Hepburn sunglasses and men in impeccably tailored Zegna blazers). READ FULL REVIEW »

The cornerstone of this hotel is the 1904 Gothic-style turreted Villa Speyer, former home to a local banking family. Behind lies a sympathetic extension in similar pale sandstone that has a more ordered Neo-classical approach. The new construct provides an arcaded surround to a courtyard garden that is very much in keeping with the hotel’s suburban location; it’s close enough to be convenient for the city, yet not immersed in the city’s high rises. The interior design by Martin Brudnizki follows something of a 1930s art deco theme, a middle-ground that should appeal to modernists and classicists alike. The judicious insertion of modern artwork—such as the mobile by Patrice Butler in the grand wood paneled stairwell, and more vibrant splashes of color in cushions and upholstery—add to the pleasing integration of old and new. READ FULL REVIEW »

Just outside the city and set on the lush green banks of the eddying Arno, this almond-colored Renaissance villa was built in the 16th century by one of Florence’s most famous noble families as a sylvan escape from the heat of Tuscan summers. Over the years it has seen its share of more modern nobility, from Gregory Peck to Winston Churchill, and today the villa continues to call Firenze visitors to the countryside and offers a taste of this bygone life, amid almost 30 acres of exquisitely landscaped gardens. It serves up a rich and memorable dose of magnificent Old World elegance, while channeling the unique style of titled Italians: friendly and casual. READ FULL REVIEW »

Set 1,200 feet above sea level in the Tuscan hills, 20 minutes from Florence’s center, this former Renaissance Franciscan monastery was transformed into a Tuscan Garden of Eden in the 1950s and is today an easy-access weekend retreat for an atmospheric alternative to Florence’s hotel palaces along the Arno. The hotel’s Michelangelo-designed facade gives it unrivaled authenticity, and helps with its ultimate "My Own Private Palazzo" feel. It’s also a registered National Trust Monument, fittingly teeming with original antiques, but also with high-tech comforts amid the rustic landscaping. READ FULL REVIEW »

Vumbura blows away just about every African safari cliché. Think Frank Lloyd Wright instead of Hemingway: sleek horizontal lines, modern wooden decks and floor-to-ceiling windows that bring the great outdoors right into the bedroom. The location also stands apart: the vast Okavango Delta of northern Botswana, an extraordinary place that blends waterways, grasslands and forest into a vast tableau of African wilderness. Vumbura has its lions and elephants, but there are also strange swamp-dwelling creatures like the spot-necked otter and the red lechwe antelope, and more than 500 bird species—best viewed from your private deck with a gin and tonic in one hand and binoculars in the other. READ FULL REVIEW »

Flanked by the sugarcane sands of the Gulf of Mexico on one side and by brackish dune lakes on the other, the WaterColor Inn doesn’t feel like a hotel; it feels like someone’s (huge) beach house. David Rockwell designed this four-story inn, and his touches show through the exposed rafter rails, trellises and lime-green shutters. But it’s the surrounding land that makes this place special: amid environmentally protected dunes along what is annually lauded as the country’s best beach. And of course, you’re just steps from Seaside, the idyllic pastel village immortalized in Jim Carrey’s The Truman Show. READ FULL REVIEW »

From the minute the ferryman takes your car keys, you know you are arriving somewhere special. Located on its own 310-acre private island, complete with 18-hole Championship golf course, this 15th-century ivy-clad castle with turrets and gargoyles cannot fail to impress those who like the more quirky, lived-in decor that is its hallmark. Step through the front door into the vast, surprisingly light and airy hall—you won’t find designer-boutique style here, but rather a space bedecked with tapestries and stag heads and dominated by a huge stone fireplace. READ FULL REVIEW »

Nine miles away in Nantucket Town, hordes of tourists are stumbling over cobblestone streets. But up here, at the entrance to a nature preserve with 26 miles of untouched beaches, it’s a much more peaceful scene. The patrician, gray-shingled mansion that serves as the main lodge has a touch of Gatsby about it, as does the large lawn facing Nantucket Bay that is dotted with chaise lounges so plush that guests lie down on them and do nothing else for the rest of the day. Others muster the energy to take out a sailfish or walk across the driveway to the Atlantic side and a completely empty beach.READ FULL REVIEW »

The Berkshires have long been the preferred weekend haunt for many stressed-out New Yorkers and Bostonians, and there are plenty of resorts competing for their attention. But there’s none quite so beautiful as this Peabody and Stearns-designed Italianate palazzo, built in the late 1800s (by a Manhattan financier for his daughter) but inspired by 16th-century Florentine architecture. Even the surrounding land has a pedigree—Frederick Law Olmsted (aka Mr. Central Park) was brought in to do the landscaping. For years, it was a working farm. Today, the 380-acre spread within walking distance of Tanglewood (the summer home of the Boston Symphony) is one giant backyard for the lucky few who can get a weekend booking. READ FULL REVIEW »

Set on the edge of Vancouver Island on a promontory jutting into the Pacific, The Wickaninnish is surrounded by fir trees and flanked by a beach. A lovely example of a property perfectly suited to its surroundings, guests go to sleep listening to the muffled sound of waves crashing onto the rocks. Even the architecture of this stylish but rustic lodge emphasizes this closeness to nature: lots of rough-hewn wood, natural stone and earth-tone fabrics. The Wick’s formula for success is no mystery: extreme luxury mixed with good food, a great spa and lots of fresh air. READ FULL REVIEW »

Cobbled together from eight medieval townhouses dating back to 1066, the exterior of this hotel in the middle of Zurich belies the funky, modern interior that lies in wait. The light floods in from the atrium, and having been restored in the 1990s, there’s a bold mix of the very old and cutting-edge new. Wooden beams and stone walls blend in with steel fixtures and fittings, metal-suspended walkways and the ornately carved woodwork of Haus zum Pferch. At every turn, there’s a quirky but chic new touch, making the Widder a furniture and design lover’s wonderland. READ FULL REVIEW »

This estate, some 8,350 feet in the lower Himalayas, isn’t the original structure that became the colonial Raj era’s capital in sweltering summers—that’s long gone. What has replaced it is a gorgeous modern version from the Oberoi group. This hotel, set on 23 pine- and cedar-covered hills, is too modern to call it a faithful re-creation and smells too new to say it harks back to another era. Yet it does one thing very successfully: It takes colonial-era comfort to a much grander scale. And in case you need a dose of Indian authenticity, the markets and monasteries of nearby Shimla are close by. READ FULL REVIEW »

The white neoclassic facade of this inn isn’t nearly as old as it looks, erected in 1937 at the behest of John D. Rockefeller. Still, it displays enough traits to remain true to Rockefeller’s dream of making history come alive. Thoroughly renovated in 2001, the inn spans 200 years of American decorative arts, with 19th-century Regency as the single strongest influence—a mélange of sturdy armchairs and mahogany tables, plush carpets and crystal chandeliers. A Terrace tearoom and Restoration Bar on the first floor were part of the millennium makeover, giving the inn a much jollier mien than previous eras—at least now you can guzzle a cold beer. READ FULL REVIEW »

Following a much-needed re-launch in 1999, the Windsor Arms reclaimed its title as among the best boutique hotels in Canada. Cher, Sean Penn and Kate Hudson seclude themselves away here, perhaps appreciating the non-frenzied atmosphere, which is assisted by the hotel’s location on a leafy side street just steps from tony Bloor Street. READ FULL REVIEW »

A unique experience in French-influenced New Orleans, the Windsor Court is unabashedly English and proud of its rectitude. It’s also impeccably and expensively detailed in the manner of an English Manor home. A spacious art gallery (actually, the reception area) greets guests with $8 million worth of oil paintings, all of them larger-than-life—a Van Dyck, several de Largellieres as well as a Gainsborough and Huysman, among others. The paintings compete for attention with countless objets d’art, 14 chandeliers, an army of leather-backed chairs and the massive George V Cup silver horse-racing trophy from 1910. READ FULL REVIEW »

Developer Steve Wynn has had his finger in nearly every pie on the Las Vegas Strip at one time or another. His eponymous 2005 hotel was meant to change the standard of luxury, and this it does, in an unorthodox way. With rooms flooded in natural light, a pervasive botanical theme and a culinary program that serves as an incubator for ever more celebrity chefs, this casino hotel doesn’t exactly encourage guests to spend their entire time at the tables. Even remembering you’re on the Strip might be tough, since a 140-foot mountain covered with trees sequesters guests from the street (and hides the spaceship-shaped Fashion Show Mall from view). READ FULL REVIEW »

In a city known for its stodgy hotels, the XV Beacon, housed in a 1903 beaux-arts landmark building in Beacon Hill, provides a fresh and hip boutique alternative. Think private club meets stylish townhouse. Interiors blend contemporary amenities with traditional dark woods, and it’s a mix that carries over into the hotel’s ability to balance the needs of business travelers with those just in town for the weekend. READ FULL REVIEW »