Part of the Swiss Three Lakes Region, Lake Neuchatel is known as the largest lake contained completely within Switzerland. The area villages go back many centuries, and the nearby vineyards add to the charm. Contrasting yet complementing this old-world atmosphere is the Hotel Palafitte, a proudly modern hotel with many rooms literally on the lake (supported by stilts, of course). Its innovative technology system was developed specifically for the hotel in partnership with the Siemens Corporation.

Lake Malawi in East Africa is the ninth largest lake in the world. It's a sweeping setting for Kaya Mawa Lodge, nestled on Likoma Island in the lake's northern waters. In addition to offering tranquil quarters in a spectacular landscape, the resort gives guests the kind of interaction with local culture that one doesn't often find at luxury resorts. "The resort offers the ability to… participate in a remote and fairly isolated culture that would not otherwise be possible," says Lindsey Wallace, president of Linara Travel in Calabasas, Calif.

Located next to the smaller, more famous Lake Placid, the Saranac Lakes evoke the world that existed before mega-resorts, when wealthy New Yorkers retreated to the Adirondacks during the sweltering summer months. Nestled on a peninsula jutting into Upper Saranac, a former Rockefeller summer "camp" has been transformed into The Point resort, an 11-room, adult-only paradise with an emphasis on fine dining (jacket and tie required at dinner) and civilized water activities.

The Taj Lake Palace resort in India's Rajasthan state consumes the entirety of a four-acre island—it looks as though the resort itself is floating in Lake Pichola. The converted 18th century Mewar royal palace offers a 360-degree panorama of the surrounding mountains, and the palaces that dot the shore. The resort itself is a heavenly collection of gardens, pools and Indian opulence.

Against the backdrop of the Julian Alps in Slovenia sits Lake Bled, with its distinctive medieval island castle—it's more than 1,000 years old, and the second most-visited tourist attraction in the country. A 20-minute walk from the village of Bled, the Vila Bled hotel occupies the villa that once served as the summer residence for Yugoslavia's former president, Marshal Tito (until its independence in 1991, Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia).

British Columbia's gem-like Emerald Lake lies in the heart of Yoho National Park, with its spectacular mountains, waterfalls and, yes, lakes. The 24 cabins (and main building) nestled on the water's edge comprise the Emerald Lake Lodge, a hotel that inspires a complete immersion in the beauty of the untouched Canadian wilderness. Rooms have no Internet, no cellphone reception and no televisions, either.

One the country's largest lake, Lake Taupo is justifiably one of New Zealand's key tourist attractions. The owners of the Lake Taupo Lodge, located on the lake's Acacia Bay, built a small resort that is a faithful homage to Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture. Just down a hill from the hotel itself, the lush landscaped gardens give way to the crisp water.

Guatemala's Lake Atitlan is distinguished by the three volcanoes that line its southern shore. It's also surrounded by Mayan villages where the traditional culture flourishes to this day. The Hotel Casa Palopo incorporates the Mayan influence into its design scheme, bringing the local culture right into the hotel. Staff tour guides help guests explore both the culture and the lake.

Thanks in no small part to George Clooney, more Americans are now familiar with Lake Como, one of Italy's most beautiful bodies of water. The Villa D'Este resort, housed in a 16th-century residence of an Italian cardinal, is perhaps the most opulent of the many villas lining the shore. Surrounded by 25 acres of gardens, its setting is "the most beautiful in the Italian lakes," says Daniele Panzarinm CEO of Target Travel in Venice, Italy.

One would be hard-pressed to find a more dramatic setting for a hotel than that of the Explora hotel in Patagonia. Hovering over the Salto Chico Waterfall that separates Lake Nordenskjold and Lake Pehoe, it sits against the backdrop of the dramatic Paine mountain range. Every day, the hotel staff offers five carefully planned excursions for guests to choose from.