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-feet-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 REVIEW »

Although only 35 minutes' drive from Victoria, the Aerie Resort, set on the lush slopes of the Chowican Valley, with sweeping ocean views, feels as remote as a monastery. Established on vacant farmland as a simple bed and breakfast in 1991, it's now an opulent Relais & Chateaux. Three separate buildings fuse Mediterranean and contemporary West Coast styles in 85 acres of forested gardens decorated with Italianate statues. The perfect place to nurture your spiritual side, the Aerie offers daily yoga classes, organic meals and fall mushroom-foraging expeditions led by a Benedictine monk.READ REVIEW »

During the Roaring ‘20s several wealthy Argentines endeavored to create South America's finest hotel. No expense would be spared -- everything from marble columns to delicate etched-glass windows would be 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 peacefully.READ REVIEW »

Set on a former maharaja campground two hours from Jaipur -- amid date palms and centuries-old mango trees and still sporting its scent of newness -- 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 takes the mod maharaja palace concept -- originated elsewhere in Rajasthan -- to elegant and chic new levels.READ REVIEW »

When it opened in 1989, the Amandari was a pioneering small luxury property that in terms of design was as harmonious and magical as the island of Bali 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 REVIEW »

The world woke up to Marrakech's chic makeover in 2000 when Amanresorts opened its first -- and so far only -- African property, in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. This serene collection of arched ocher pavilions in an oasis of palms and olive groves is set around a huge reflecting irrigation water basin. And with its swimming pool, spa, three restaurants, golf course, and typically Zenlike 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. READ REVIEW »

Inspired by nearby Borobudur, the magnificent 8th-century Buddhist stupa, the Amanjiwo presents architecture as chakra -- a resort in which every detail is perfectly aligned to achieve both visual and metaphysical harmony. The bell-shaped rotunda (which houses the lobby and dining room) verily hovers over the south Java plains, a foil to the wooded slopes and smoldering volcanoes that loom behind. Villas flow in flowerlike crescents from the main building, reached via stone walkways through verdant tropical vegetation. And with just 35 suites, it's one of the quietist places on earth. Walk through, and you won't even hear your breath being taken away.READ REVIEW »

The mood is set from the start: As guests arrive into the cantilevered porte cochere in their chauffered SUVs, a throng of children in royal dress greet them with a dance choreographed to the echoes of a gamelan. From there, Asian austerity is juxtaposed with Western indulgence, everywhere from the three-tiered pool overlooking the sea to the thatched bales hidden up in the hills for secret picnics.READ REVIEW »

There are lots of options for beachfront luxury in Phuket, but Amanpuri always manages to top the list. 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 easily be the service with a smile, or perhaps the fleet of yachts and 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 way to leave.READ REVIEW »

In 1962, Cambodia's hipster 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 objets, 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 guesthouse than a hotel.READ REVIEW »

Bali's Jimbaran Bay is no stranger to luxury resorts; Bulgari recently joined the Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and Karma Resorts 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, ranked by Fortune magazine as one of Asia's top five courses.READ REVIEW »

Never has a former boardinghouse for factory workers socially 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 REVIEW »

Phoenix's grande dame has grown into a massive resort that somehow manages to remain true to its original spirit. 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 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 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 REVIEW »

When it opened more than two decades ago, 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 REVIEW »

Set on 78 beachfront acres in Santa Barbara, Bacara opened in 2000, a sprawling resort of whitewashed, red-tiled Spanish Colonial buildings. 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 REVIEW »

Ballymaloe, 20 miles east of Cork on the road to Ballycotton, is the original Irish country-house hotel, set on more than 400 acres of gorgeous rolling countryside. It has been featured in the ultrareliable British and Irish Good Hotel Guide ever since the first edition of that book was published back in 1977. The veteran Myrtle Allen, now in her 80s, is still a presiding presence, and the family helps manage the place, making it affable and comfortable. Indeed, the ivy-clad Georgian house still feels like a cultured private home. The surroundings are gorgeous, with an outdoor pool, ponds with ducks and geese, fascinating sculptures, a curious croquet lawn and a wacky six-hole golf course, kept cropped by grazing sheep.READ 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 REVIEW »

It's easy to see why the Banyan Tree is popular with the Thai Royal family: Stretched over 21 acres of manicured paths and ponds, it's 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 hard-core 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.READ REVIEW »

This buzzing landmark hotel with a modern edge is one of the last great Venice establishments still in private hands, its strict, utilitarian facade and subdued interiors providing 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 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 REVIEW »

The pale yellow buildings that comprise almost a block of downtown Munich look more like a prestigious embassy than a hotel. And in a way, the five-star Bayerischer Hof is both. Since 1841, the hotel's many public venues -- from the formal Kamin Lounge to 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 REVIEW »

The Beau-Rivage Palace is every inch a grande dame, reigning 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 recent $91 million renovation brought Wi-Fi and other modern twists, as well as a sleek top-ranked spa.READ 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 REVIEW »

The Bellagio's 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 go into a "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 -- an art gallery and two highly rated restaurants, Le Cirque and Picasso (and, of course, 100,000 square feet of gaming).READ REVIEW »

First, in 1990, came the winery--founded 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.READ REVIEW »

Located on legendary Sunset Boulevard in the country's most celebrated Zip code, 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 REVIEW »

Located right at the foot of the designer shops of Rodeo Drive and the Golden Triangle, the Beverly Wilshire, 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 and returned to its original 1928 name, 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 REVIEW »

When Tom Tusher, the former CEO of Levi Strauss, and his wife, Pauline, bought this piece of secluded wilderness several decades ago, the last thing they intended was to build a hotel. But as their plans became more ambitious, they decided to open it to outside guests -- a lucky stroke for the rest of us. This is where to come for adventure: hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, skiing, fishing -- they're all just moments away. Granted, the stone-and-timber lodge, with its 30-feet-high Great Room, looks like it belongs more 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 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. It certainly feels like a regal experience: Like many of its neighboring manses in the verdant Berkshires, the 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 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 organically grow out of the surrounding rocks. In fact, everything about this resort seems organic: The adobe buildings are the color of the earth and 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 REVIEW »

To experience the natural beauty of the British Isles without making a trip to remote Scotland, pay a visit to this superb hotel in Dartmoor National Park. 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 à la the Orient Express.READ 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 REVIEW »

Since the 1870s -- long before Americans turned spa into a verb -- travelers from around the world have been checking into stately Brenner's Park in the ur-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 REVIEW »

European grandeur and Western touches are a quirky mix. When Spencer Penrose built his resort in 1918, he may have constructed a pink stucco building with chimes that ring from a tower every quarter hour, but he also 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 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 REVIEW »

Soaring to 1,053 feet, the Burj Al Arab is covered in eye-catching, reflective Teflon and is all about design superlatives: the world's tallest hotel, the world's largest atrium -- nearly 590 feet high -- and the world's first (self-described) seven-star hotel. Sure, this is technically hyperbole (though the hotel certainly demands seven-star rates), but the Burj certainly goes to extremes -- which are often ridiculous for most travelers -- to please its über-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 it opened in 1999, following five years of construction. Reached via a private land-bridge, it has a mere 202 suites, but more than 20,000 square feet of real gold leaf was used throughout the $650 million property, linked together via high-speed elevators.READ REVIEW »

Located in the middle of Knightsbridge's ultrafashionable Sloane Street (called "the new Bond Street" these days) is this historic hotel with the feel of an Edwardian townhouse. Indeed, the property originally opened its doors back in 1887, and in its early years it had a certain notoriety: Actress Lillie Langtry, "close friend" of King Edward VII, used to stay here, and Oscar Wilde was arrested in room 118 in 1895 (and all three have suites named after them). Today it's within a few minutes' walking distance of many of the capital's chicest designer boutiques. The interior is somewhat schizophrenic: Its blend of period Edwardian and relatively contemporary styles tends to clash, though it certainly makes for an eclectic environment.READ REVIEW »

This contemporary-meets-classical European hotel, ideally set in the "Luxury Corridor" of La Recoleta, celebrates 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 REVIEW »

Half a block off Union Square (the city's answer to Fifth Avenue) 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 REVIEW »

Caneel Bay has the manners of a well-bred country club, yet 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 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 17 cedar and stone buildings 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 cell phone service is blessedly spotty at this tranquil getaway.READ REVIEW »

The white-on-white Moroccan fantasy of Cap Juluca curves along a sparkling white spit of sand that forms a gentle bay, dissolving like sugar into turquoise water. Why Moroccan? At this point, 18 years since the resort was conceived, who cares? It works, and has been widely imitated across Anguilla, where hoteliers have let loose their Mediterranean fantasies with only the rare nod toward traditional Caribbean architecture. Today, the resort's 12 two-story room-buildings and six villas are marked by arches and domes that are playfully romantic. And at night, from each balcony or terrace, lights from the other villas can be seen illuminating the nearly mile-long bay.READ 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 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: its full-on views of Table Mountain.READ 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 REVIEW »

It’s a rocky road from the airport, but once inside the property’s 15 beach-bound acres, it’s all about clean lines and minimalist chic. In this sister property of London’s One Aldwych, Gordon Campbell Gray brings his contemporary aesthetic to the Caribbean and turns traditional island design upside down. You’ll cross a Japanese bridge, where carp play in the waters below, to a vast entrance area, then inhale the scent of orchids artistically placed by the grand piano. Continue to the tropical gardens, where you’ll find a leather-seated movie screening room and a cool library with Internet stations. Here, even the curved beach takes on a sleek look of its own.READ 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 or 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 slips 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 REVIEW »

Everywhere you turn in San Miguel de Allende there's a hidden fountain or a gorgeous architectural detail, but 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 plans for a $5 million renovation and the addition of a spa.READ REVIEW »

If you've ever had that fantasy about spending the night in a museum, here's your chance: This luxury hotel doubles as an archaeological museum in the heart of Guatemala's most historic city. Located on the eastern edge of Antigua, the sprawling compound started life as a 16th-century Dominican church and convent that was destroyed by an earthquake, then reinvented as a 1980s hotel. Today, its rough-hewn walls, cobblestone hallways and heavy wood-beam ceilings proudly speak to the history here. And this history is why you stay -- expansive rooms and stellar service are terms that haven't yet been invented here.READ REVIEW »

The only thing remotely Neanderthal about The Caves is the burly security at the front gate, whose task it is to keep the paparazzi and hoi polloi at bay. Despite its prehistoric moniker, this ritzy Jamaican resort is all about postmodern pampering of the type that attracts a steady stream of devotees from music, movies and modeling. Secreted behind high walls and set on limestone cliffs at Negril's western extreme, the resort often feels like an island unto itself -- secluded, serene and wildly romantic. Despite continuous upgrades, The Caves retains much of the hippie chic that first made Negril a household name among jet-setters in the 1970s.READ 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 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 REVIEW »

The gracious grandeur of Charleston Place is evident immediately upon stepping into its 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 REVIEW »

Away from the crowds but only a few blocks from Edgartown harbor, tucked away on a quiet street lined with linden and chestnut trees, this inn is truly a throwback to a more gracious time. Every furnishing within the whitewashed 19th-century former whaling merchant's mansion that serves as the main house and the four other houses of the complex is an impressive, carefully chosen antique -- from the grandfather clocks and the mahogany Scottish barrister's desk (on which you write your registration details in the old-style ledger), to the gilt-framed oil paintings and silver dressing-table sets. It's like staying in a museum -- but a cozy, lively one, without the guards or "don't touch" signs. READ REVIEW »

A magical mystery of moats, drawbridges and lavender-scented formal gardens, this is in essence a grand home rather than a hotel of any category. The château itself dates to the 13th century, but was gorgeously restored beginning in 1987. Today it’s a 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 REVIEW »

Step into the stone-walled lobby of the Château de la Chèvre d'Or, and you feel like you're a resident of the medieval village of Eze, with its artsy boutiques, charming cafés, narrow streets and commanding view from the crest of a rocky pinnacle overlooking the Riviera. Eze 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 REVIEW »

If you want to visit Yosemite but want to do so in style, your options are limited to the Ahwah-nee -- in the park itself but with disappointingly Marriott-like guestrooms -- and the Chateau du Sureau, a romantic re-creation of a Teutonic schloss located conveniently just south of the park. Built by the owners of Erna's Elderberry House -- a restaurant that, despite its down-home name, has long been known for extraordinary food -- at the rear of their piney hillside property, the ten-room stucco and stone house is filled with European antiques, giving it the air of a B&B fit for a king. (By the way, sureau is French for "elderberry.")READ REVIEW »

First and foremost, the Château is a sublime Michelin two-star restaurant, and this feature (justifiably) dominates the spotlight. But it turns out the chefs know a thing or two about running a hotel as well, and giving your entire night to this intimate property is replete with rewards. 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 REVIEW »

Although it may be mere steps from its better-known neighbor Amanpuri and suffered serious damage during 2004’s tsunami, the stylish, modernist Chedi easily stands on its own among the luxe Phuket resort crowd. Designed, like Amanpuri, by noted American architect Ed Tuttle, the Chedi is a mixture of traditional Thai designs and modern functionality, focusing on geometric forms that follow the natural, organic shapes of native palms, bushes, shrubs and rocks. Sprawling down a coconut tree-filled hillside and pouring onto cerulean Pansea Beach, the Chedi is the archetypal tropical-luxe hideaway -- only reasonably priced and without all of the attitude.READ 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 antitraditionalist. 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 some über-active Americans might grow restless.READ REVIEW »

If it's predators you're after, this classical yet modish bush camp -- one of only two lodges on remote Chief's Island in the Moremi concession of Botswana's Okavango Delta -- is for you. It consists of a dozen luxe thatched pavilions set on raised wooden platforms under canopies of jackalberry trees, and the surrounding bush 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 REVIEW »

Chiva-Som isn't just another beach 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. 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 REVIEW »

Anyone who's ever felt as if they deserved to live in a palace will feel well-rewarded at the Ciragan Palace. As its name suggests, this waterfront property served as the home of Turkey's last sultan, and includes massive gardens and Bosporus-front promenades of monarchic proportions. Anchored squarely in the center on the city's European side, the hotel is close to both the business of Taksim, and the tourist delights of Dolmabahce palace and the old town of Sultanhamet. Best of all, the waterside setting means views of the city's villa-filled Asian side from every glance.READ REVIEW »

When it opened five years ago, the slim, compact City Club brought a much-welcome dose of 21st-century glamour to slightly staid West 44th Street. Almost hidden among higher-wattage and more historic hotels -- from the Algonquin to the Royalton -- the City Club's chic conversion from a 1904 gentleman's club into a sleek boutique proved that New York truly is the city of reinvention. Overseen by charming owner Jeff Klein -- and his Paul Smith–clad staff -- and decked out in the subdued interiors of fashion-world designer Jeffery Bilhuber, the City Club is the antithesis of the grand Gotham hotel. There's no real reception per se, or barely a sign gracing its front door. This is a hotel where the rooms, the service, an exquisite restaurant and cozy lounge more than speak for themselves.READ REVIEW »

Claridge's is a one-off, managing to be both a bastion of British traditionalism as well as a bold trendsetter, exuding a sense of charisma and timeless style. Never resting on its laurels, it 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.READ 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. Simon Island -- the Cloister has served as a retreat for America's East Coast elite since it opened in 1928. Fresh from a massive $350 million makeover -- including a new 65,000-square-feet spa -- the Cloister today is the best of Sea Island's numerous resorts, 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 REVIEW »

There is an actual, if not metaphoric, whiff of beeswax and brass polish at the prestigious Connaught. In fact, with its wood paneling, majestic mahogany staircase and leather fenders, it 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, once considered improper, are now the norm here. When the hotel closes for six months in mid-2007 to create 35 additional rooms in a fresher contemporary style, as well as an indoor swimming pool and health club, it will be brought firmly into the 21st century. 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 REVIEW »

Make no mistake: 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 as 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 REVIEW »

As iconic as the swirling mosaic promenade of Rio's most famous beach, on which it stands, 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 '80s, but upkeep waxes and wanes (sofas and linens have looked a bit lovingly worn at times in the past). Now the Copa is on an upswing, fresh off a Rolling Stones concert outside its doors and about to open a new spa in December 2006.READ REVIEW »

Cotton House is a compound of 11 separate buildings on 13 acres that flow seamlessly into the rest of the island. It was designed by the late British theatrical designer Oliver Messel, who drew on his flair for elegance, understated and stated. Today, the centerpiece is the Great Room inside an 18th-century warehouse. It’s a study in interpreted British Colonial rule, with a massive brass-edged traveler’s trunk as a centerpiece, scattered sofas, sink-into chairs and groupings of fresh flowers. Of course, celebrities have been coming here for ages, but don’t look too hard; they often stick to their very private properties.READ REVIEW »

The country club in this case refers to the historic golf course across the street rather than 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 in the same breath it exudes 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 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 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 REVIEW »

Perhaps it is this estate that inspired Lewis Carroll (he was a frequent guest) to pen Alice in Wonderland. There's something very Mad Hatter about its über-contemporary landscape -- perhaps it's the lime-green couches, cowhide chairs and Hemphill fabrics that make it feel wild and otherworldly. But there's still a regal, refined sensibility. Few hotels outside of London have managed to be both provincial and urbane, but Cowley succeeds, with its Italianate main house, world-class spa and quirky touches. Until you step out into the 55-acre expanse, in fact, you'd think you were in a hip city hotel.READ REVIEW »

One of the pioneers of Caribbean pampering, Curtain Bluff has been around since the days when Kennedy was president, Elvis was king and The Beverly Hillbillies ruled the airwaves. 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 REVIEW »

There are a handful of five-star resorts 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 the best service around, the Datai wins 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 REVIEW »

The Dorchester, in recent years, has benefited not so much from a face-lift 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 now 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 REVIEW »

It's the Irish castle that you've always imagined -- complete with 40 shades of rolling green, romantic turrets and suits of armor. There's also, unfortunately, a dash of trite, but Dromoland remains a perennial favorite. It's easy to see why. Set on 375 gorgeous acres of lush Irish countryside, the 16th-century ancestral seat of the Earl of Thumomd (who still lives in a gatehouse on the property) offers history combined with plenty of outdoor activities. And, 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 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 of 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 REVIEW »

The Dylan is Amsterdam's answer to New York's Mercer or Miami's Delano; lanky international couples sporting designer sunglasses would never stay anywhere else. Formerly Blake's, the hotel received new management and a stylish makeover in 2005. The designers lightened up the loftlike modern spaces with a white and champagne palette, but otherwise this renovated 17th-century landmark remains the same, from the lacquered reception room filled with scented candles, to the Anoushka Hempel–designed rooms.READ REVIEW »

With its enviable location on the shores of Lake Zurich, this neo-Baroque hotel dates to the early 1900s and still has the scent of rich history about it. From the outside, it looks like an imposing Swiss grande dame, but don’t be fooled. The Eden has been managed by the same family since the 1960s, and with just 50 rooms, the ambience and experience are intimate and familiar. And the views are what staying in a Swiss hotel is all about.READ 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 REVIEW »

Orchards and lush greenery worked for Adam and Eve, but the ancestors of the Yavapai preferred their Garden of Eden dry and rocky. Step into Boynton Canyon, home of the Enchantment Resort, and you'll concur with the Native Americans. 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 REVIEW »

Nha Trang may be best known for its budget backpacker digs, but the Ana Mandara has become a must-stop on Vietnam's luxury trail, a calm fiefdom in a fishing town that at times can seem more chaotic than charming. Set out like a traditional village along its own stretch of private beach, the resort has water views on one side and tropical gardens on the other; the serene landscaping is essential as the entrance is on the city's busiest thoroughfare and almost directly across from the airport. But once inside you feel like you are miles away -- except on the occasion that a flight takes off overhead.READ REVIEW »

A feng shui masterpiece set into a hillside overlooking Thailand's Andaman Sea, Evason Phuket Resort proves that environmental consciousness is next to godliness. Every aspect of the property works in concert with the natural surroundings, from its location on Phuket's sheltered southern tip to its open-walled architecture and locally influenced decor. However, this is not the most lavish of the Evason resorts -- those looking for ostentatious dazzle should look elsewhere. Instead, it seduces the senses gently, with birdsong, warm tropical breezes and lush greenery.READ REVIEW »

Sometimes you're better off sticking to the classics -- especially in Europe. Cologne's awe-inspiring Gothic Dom cathedral is an obvious example. And directly opposite the cathedral lies another case in point, the Excelsior Hotel Ernst. This 140-year-old landmark hotel harks back to another era, featuring Louis XIV-style furniture, a crisply attired staff and a classical French dining room. The Ernst isn't modern or hip, but that's exactly what returning guests like about it.READ REVIEW »

Getting here takes a bit of effort: a two-hour flight from Santiago and 90 minutes by road straight through the Atacama. Once here, though, you'll find the Hotel de Larache an oasis of hip design and comfortable living on the edge of the Andes Mountains and the desert. Cobbled together from 20 small farming plots, it draws 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.READ REVIEW »

It would be difficult to find a more dramatic location -- the shore of a tranquil alpine lake, overlooking a colossal waterfall, at the foot of one of the world's most spectacular mountain ranges -- than the Torres del Paine at the southern end of the Andes. 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. 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 REVIEW »

Designed way back in the 1930s by a New York architect, Bruce Price, renowned for his late Victorian château-inspired lines, this hotel opened for the first time for winter some 40 years later to capture the expanding ski market. The hotel, set in the middle of dramatic 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 is a place about recreation and the outdoors -- and drinking in the clean air of the Canadian Rockies.READ REVIEW »

Surrounded by Banff National Park and sitting directly on the banks of a peacock-colored lake that stretches to the base of jagged Canadian Rockies peaks, the Fairmont Lake Louise is all about location. The peach-colored, crescent-shaped, turreted 12-story hotel leans toward generic, with myriad renovations and additions having diluted the original 1911 feel. But it does attempt to hark back to those glory days with deep wood accents, huge framed windows, and an Old World graciousness in its service. Despite the busloads of nonguests who crowd in to gawk at the view (mainly in summer), the place still feels mostly untouched.READ REVIEW »

Opened in 1989, the 550-room Fairmont Chateau Whistler is a modern take on the grand Canadian Pacific Railroad hotel. In keeping with the tradition of CPR properties, the popular resort, which is perfectly positioned for ski-in, ski-out access at the base of Blackcomb Mountain in British Columbia, is a scenic year-round destination in its own right. 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 REVIEW »

Design takes center stage in this pet project by Rogerio Fasano, scion of the Fasano gastronomic family. Retro-chic furniture from the 1930s and '40s -- 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 REVIEW »

In a city with plenty of stodgy hotels, the XV Beacon, housed in a 1903 Beaux Arts landmark building in Beacon Hill, provides a fresh, 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 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 Coke. Compared with the city’s other luxe hotels, the Four Seasons wins for style as well as for understated but doting service.READ REVIEW »

Austin's Four Seasons manages to encapsulate what everyone loves about the city: a cool urban sophistication in a laid-back rural setting. Set on the banks of Town Lake, its backyard is a lush landscaped garden rolling down to the water. It's also on the edge of downtown, just a short walk to the lively business and nightlife district. Since opening in 1985, the Four Seasons has been the hotel of choice for political bigwigs and visiting music and movie stars, yet it still maintains an easygoing Southwestern style and charm.READ REVIEW »

Known as the Regent until 2004, this business-traveler favorite was given a multimillion-dollar face-lift following its rebranding. Since the hotel dates to the early '80s and the high-end competition in Bangkok is famously fierce, the changes were necessary and welcome. Today, this lavish, palacelike hotel may be located in the heart of Bangkok's business and shopping district, but with 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 REVIEW »

Having just completed a three-year, $43 million makeover, the Four Seasons Boston looks as fresh -- if not fresher -- than it did at its 1985 opening. Set directly on Boston's bucolic Public Gardens and facing gold-capped Beacon Hill, with a new 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 REVIEW »

Comprising a 12-story main tower and an elegant 1920s Belle Epoque–era mansion with seven lavish period suites, the Four Seasons became an instant hit with local elites and visiting celebrities -- among them Madonna and the Stones -- when it opened in 2001, eclipsing the more famous 1931-built Alvear Palace down the road. Handily located in upscale La Recoleta, just minutes' walk 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 REVIEW »

Set on the Giza side of the Nile -- with the majestic pyramids sprawling in the distance -- the Four Seasons at First Residence is, true to its name, in a residential district, hardly in the 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 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 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 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 REVIEW »

Palace, indeed: 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 REVIEW »

Thanks to its infamous past, the Four Seasons Istanbul is the type of hotel people know about even before their first check-in. Located within praying distance of both the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, it's set in the former Sultanhamet prison -- once filled with antigovernment intellectuals -- whose neoclassical facade, airy courtyard and heavy stone walls now house visitors of a decidedly more well-heeled variety. Currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, 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 REVIEW »

A Las Vegas resort without gambling or slot machines sounds like an oxymoron, but that is exactly the idea behind the Four Seasons, a retreat from all of the typical Sin City excesses. Located on the Strip's southern edges, the Four Seasons may be big by Four Seasons standards, but the resort is actually one of the city's few true hotel gems. 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 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 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 along alone French doors that open onto balconies. Long a favorite of visiting celebrities and movers and shakers, 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 REVIEW »

You can't do better than the Four Seasons for location -- on bustling Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City's own Broadway, almost within walking distance of leafy Chapultepec Park. Nor could you top it for hidden glamour -- a modern version of a traditional hacienda shielded behind a somewhat plain facade, soaring to eight floors and anchored around a richly verdant central courtyard and fountain that would make a Colonial-era patron proud. One of Mexico City's first true five-stars, the Four Seasons remains a bastion of formality and refinement. While many of the capital's newer boutiques aggressively embrace style over service, the Four Seasons continues on course, confidently knowing it offers the best of both.READ 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 REVIEW »

Although it is just 13 years old, this 52-story, I.M. Pei-designed limestone hotel -- the city's tallest -- has already taken 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 REVIEW »

The broad Benjamin Franklin Parkway, modeled after the sweeping avenues of Paris, is lined with Philadelphia's proudest institutions: The Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Franklin Institute, the upcoming Barnes Museum…and the Four Seasons Hotel. It's decidedly a formal urban hotel, but with fresh flowers, grass and gardens everywhere, there's no feeling of city claustrophobia. And while obviously popular with business types, locals come here to celebrate their special events over a gracious afternoon tea in the lobby or a gourmet dinner in the restaurant.READ 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 on the banks of the Vlatava 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 city-center 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 REVIEW »

Although it did not begin life as a Four Seasons, Lisbon's venerable Ritz adjusted quickly to its new affiliation after joining the luxe chain in 1998. Commissioned by Portugal's infamous dictator Antonio Salazar in 1953 to house his capital's visiting elite, the hotel overflows with a mix of top-quality traditional art and sculpture with Art Deco and French empire furniture. Proud and 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 über-trendy 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 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-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 (and the Four Seasons even has its own quality art collection, if you're feeling lazy).READ REVIEW »

Four Seasons' first mainland China property opened in 2002, sprouting a nouveau-Shanghai glass tower that stretches to 37 stories. The surrounding neighborhood may by unfortunately grungy, but it's an easy 10-minute stroll to the Nanjing Lu shopping strip and historic People's Square. Inside, this Four Seasons 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 REVIEW »

The competition among five-star hotels in this tiny city state is fierce, but the Four Seasons consistently wins the highest honors. Perhaps it's conveniences like air-conditioned tennis courts, in-room spa service or the intimate, clubby lounges. Location could be another 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 REVIEW »

There's no need to ask, "Where the bloody hell are you?" Choose any of the 314 north-facing rooms in the 43-story Four Seasons, and the iconic view could only be Sydney -- to the left is the Harbour Bridge and to the right the unmistakable sails of the Opera House. It's located right in the center of Circular Quay (where Europeans first settled in 1788). 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 REVIEW »

Soothing the spirits of visiting VIPs, CEOs, rock stars and former presidents is no easy task. But with views overlooking the splendid 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 REVIEW »

Opened in October 2002, this hotel’s concept is “business boutique” -- with just 57 rooms, it’s an intimate alternative to Tokyo’s other Four Seasons -- and the design of both the public spaces and rooms is distinctly contemporary. Step into the cozy lobby lounge, and you’ll find luxurious deep-pile carpet, soft sofas and gas-flame fireplaces lending warmth. Step outside, and you’ll find it’s supremely well located: a stone’s throw from Tokyo Central Station, in the heart of Marunouchi business district and just a short walk both from Ginza and the Imperial Palace.READ REVIEW »

Many travelers accustomed to the exceptional design of newer Four Seasons properties may be surprised that this equally high-concept hotel is the Canadian company's flagship. Despite its 30-year run, the 32-story outpost has maintained its freshness through renovation, 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 REVIEW »

At first it's hard to know where the Pacific Centre shopping complex in the heart of downtown ends and the hotel begins: Glass doors lead from the lobby directly into the Holt Renfrew store, and the lobby has the drab look of a mall to it. But within minutes the sophisticated Four Seasons' style has asserted itself. From the stunning fire-lit fine-dining restaurant Chartwell near the entrance, to spacious city-view bedrooms, to a third-floor indoor-outdoor heated pool with a garden terrace set beneath towering buildings, you soon realize you're in an oasis of urban elegance.READ REVIEW »

In the most charming section of Washington, D.C., 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 REVIEW »

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. 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.READ REVIEW »

Even if you never venture farther afield in Bali, the Four Seasons Resort at Jimbaran Bay is an ample introduction to the island's ancient culture, customs and style. 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 REVIEW »

Luxury resorts in Bali have become a dime a dozen, but this property -- set inland among jungle and mountains -- stands out not only for its service (which is at the upper echelon of Four Seasons' signature service) but for 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 REVIEW »

A series of exotic Lanna-style pavilions set at the foot of vast rice fields and shrouded in jungle mist, the Four Seasons Chiang Mai was the first five-star property built in or near this northern outpost. 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 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 REVIEW »

Staying at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai is like walking back a century, to a time when package tourists didn't flood the beaches of Hawaii in search of the perfect sunset and the ideal 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 REVIEW »

Set on high lava bluffs along Lanai’s dry and hot southern coast, this Four Seasons overlooks dolphin-popular Hulopoe Beach (a five-minute walk away) and feels a million miles from everything. That’s not surprising, of course, since Lanai is practically a private island to itself, with only 30 miles of paved road and no traffic signals. There is another Four Seasons here (taken over from Castle & Cooke Resorts), but as the other is the English-style Lodge at Koele, in the island’s interior, this is your best waterfront option. With a large beach and a Jack Nicklaus oceanfront golf course (and since tiny Lanai is not built for extensive sightseeing), the emphasis is on totally unplugging.READ REVIEW »

Since it debuted in 1990 as the first Four Seasons in Hawaii, this jewel of a property has been winning raves and hospitality awards. Set on the southeast coast of Maui (which also boasts the island’s nicest weather), the resort feels like an oasis of privilege even though it’s surrounded by upscale properties. Site-specific renovations began in August 2006, sparing guests excessive construction hassles but bringing the resort’s decor, which was just starting to look a tad outdated, into the same league as its service. Fortunately, the resort was spared any major damage in the earthquake of October 2006.READ REVIEW »

Besides the Bahamas, tiny Nevis is the only Caribbean outlet where this luxury chain has ventured, which speaks to the magic it found here. Taking over 350 acres at the foot of soaring Mount Nevis, with 800 feet of silky beach spotted with umbrellas and palm trees, the resort offers a wide range of outdoor options for couples and families alike. A tough 18-hole golf course and 10 tennis courts are part of the sprawl, but many people end up in the cozy Library Bar in the Great House. A coffee-colored wooden building with eggshell gingerbread trim, dark woods, crystal chandeliers and masses of fresh flowers, it’s the epitome of understated good taste -- which is what the Four Seasons Nevis is all about.READ REVIEW »

Arriving at the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach is impressive -- you walk into a lobby with acres of gleaming cream and white marble set off by enormous floral arrangements. Across the dazzling lobby is a view that sweeps out over the pool, the beach and the sea beyond. The hotel's location, on a particularly broad expanse of white sand, a 15-minute drive from Worth Avenue, makes it a great retreat for families and others who come to Florida for sun and surf. Though the shopping isn't terrific, the dining and social scenes are big draws.READ REVIEW »

Only 40 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, the Four Seasons has the best location in the area, on a promontory of the Bahia de Banderas facing its own stretch of Pacific and little deserted islands. The property has an impressive 1,500 acres of grounds -- a mix of Mexican desert framed by the mountains with more lush manicured areas -- and feels like its own little country. In fact, since it's such a heavily guarded compound, if you woke up here you wouldn't know it was Mexico. Most people don't come for authentic Mexico, however, but for features like the infinity pool that looks out on the ocean, the yacht for guest use and the Tamai, an adult-oriented pool with private cabanas that come with iPods and Internet access.READ REVIEW »

Much like a biblical legend, the Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh rises like a palatial mirage from the stark Sinai desert, then pours onto the deep sapphire Red Sea from its limestone cliff. Combining desert and water with sublime luxury, the sprawling, villagelike compound of rooms, suites, bungalows, villas and private vacation home is linked by elegantly landscaped courtyards and gardens. It's by far the best hotel in the region and perhaps all of Egypt, the place favored by Egyptian royalty. So unexpectedly grand is the Four Seasons, that its upper and lower quarters are linked by an alpine-style funicular, which whisks guests to and from the beach and pool.READ REVIEW »

With impeccable timing, the Four Seasons Whistler opened its doors in 2004, giving itself a six-year runway to work out any kinks before the inevitable 2010 Winter Olympic Games boom. The only big problem this arriviste property faces is location, location, location. It lies -- literally -- in the shadow of the well-established Fairmont Chateau Whistler, so guests have to schlep (on foot or by five-minute shuttle) to the slopes of Blackcomb Mountain. Still, what it lacks in ski-in, ski-out access, it makes up for with Four Seasons panache and its ability to bring locales to life. At its Whistler resort that means things like poolside hot chocolate service, dogsledding expeditions and a chance to take in cedar forest and mountain scenery from every room, public or private. Its design may be contemporary but a rustic elegance shines through in just about every detail.READ REVIEW »

They're not kidding about the private. This lush 300-acre tropical island is only a 20-minute helicopter jaunt from Mahé, but it feels like a world away. Granite cliffs rise up from seven glistening white beaches and give way to dense green Takamaka forest inhabited by rare birds and giant tortoises. Owned by a secretive German tycoon, it's the kind of place a Bond villain might choose to go underground in. (As it happens, former Bond Pierce Brosnan has been a popular guest.) Barefoot luxury and conservation are the guiding principles: All 16 villas and the main pavilion are made from local stone, wood, bamboo and thatch in keeping with an all-natural aesthetic, and a major highlight is walking the trails with island rangers to spot those rare birds, giant tortoises and green turtles.READ REVIEW »

The Fullerton is a knockout in a city with no shortage of five-star hotels, including the historic Raffles and the distinctively modernist Ritz Carlton -- and the Fullerton somehow manages to combine the best of each. Built on the Singapore River in the Colonial era (1928) as the city's main post office and Chamber of Commerce -- including a lighthouse -- the hotel's exterior Palladian style is monumental, accented by Doric columns dramatically lighted at night. But step inside and you'll find a different aesthetic: the ultramodern decor of the courtyard lobby, drenched in soft light from a glass ceiling and massive windows facing the river. And on the terrace outside is the jewellike infinity pool lined with lounge chairs overlooking the busy river.READ REVIEW »

You could come to Gleneagles for the golf -- the 850-acre estate has three courses, and the Old Course at St. Andrews is just a car ride away -- but then you'd be missing half of the excitement. Built in 1924 by the Caledonian Railway Company as a retreat on the edge of the Highlands, this castlelike resort, surrounded by a moat of green, brings Old World sophistication -- Victorian gardens, Michelin-starred dining -- to age-old pastimes, from falconry and clay-target shooting to horseback riding and off-roading.READ REVIEW »

To stay at the Goring, centrally situated and practically in Buckingham Palace's backyard, is to feel at the lively heart of things. Still owned by the Goring family (who opened it in 1910), it has none of the silent mausoleumlike pall of so many London hotels that trade on their quintessential Englishness. Sedate it is not -- this is a hotel with a pulse. Guests come -- and come back -- for the cheery atmosphere, delightfully cluttered lobby, traditional British comfort food, and the teas and cocktails served in the unprissy paneled sitting room that opens onto the city's largest private hotel garden.READ REVIEW »

In colonial times, Kenya's British governors took royal visitors to this serene spot on a forested bend of the Mara River overlooking the game-rich plains of the reserve. They knew how to pick a campsite. In 1972, the Grammaticas family established the Mara's first luxury tented safari camp on the site, and more than 30 years later it's still the standard by which the others are judged. The location is perfect for spotting all the cats and plains game, but the old-fashioned style is the real draw: luxury canvas tents, no fencing, friendly staff and brilliant Masai game guides, many of whom have been with the camp more than 20 years.READ REVIEW »

Grace Bay wasn't the first resort in the Turks & Caicos, but this is the place that put the sandy archipelago on the jet-set map. It certainly helps being on what many people consider the most beautiful beach in the Caribbean -- 12 miles of talcum-powder-soft white sand set against dabs of turquoise and sapphire sea. But it's the little things that set Grace Bay apart from the other resorts on Provo island: sorbet on the beach, champagne by the pool, chilled towels whenever you please and an attitude that nothing is beyond the realm of possibility.READ REVIEW »

When crack hotelier Bob Burns sold his Regent hotel chain in 1997, he turned right around and bought this historic former home of the famous publishing family. It's easy to see the attraction: Through grand gates in sprawling, manicured grounds, the imposing, crenellated villa commands the shores of Italy's Lake Garda. It dates back to 1892, when staircases were grandly carved in stone and windows cut large to take in the lake views and breezes. Burns soon put his Rolodex to work, calling in designers from around the world to turn the home into one of the most exquisitely restored small hotels on the planet.READ REVIEW »

Hidden away on the tip of the lush secluded peninsula jutting out between Villefranche and Beaulieu, the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat exudes grandeur galore -- you almost expect to see gentlemen in top hats and ladies with parasols strolling through the 15 acres of impeccably manicured gardens and umbrella pines. Built in 1908, this stately white palace, with its cavernous marble ornate lobby and vast grounds, attracts a subdued older affluent crowd who prefer quiet glitz to the raging party scene of Saint-Tropez. The best things about the hotel are the private beach club, for its huge dazzling seawater infinity pool, and dinners al fresco on the tropical garden patio.READ REVIEW »

It’s fitting that Tchaikovsky, Rostropovich, Stravinsky and other all-time-great classical-musical masters have not only stayed here but also rehearsed within the Grand’s walls: It’s directly across the street from the Shostakovich Philharmonia (and just a short walk from the Hermitage). With its Baroque facade, colorful stained-glass windows and Russian antiques peppered throughout the property, the Art Nouveau-style Grand blends perfectly with St. Petersburg’s ancient architecture. But while this building dates to the 1870s and holds the spirits of these classical masters, it still feels as fresh and lively as it must have when it opened.READ REVIEW »

Lots of factors have helped the Grand live up to its name: a city-center location on the quayside, stunning views over the Old Town, 19th-century decor with lots of gilt, artwork and chandeliers, plus an influx of Nobel Prize winners every December. Still, there was a feeling that this historic hotel was resting on its laurels until a recent expansion and extensive renovation brought the Grand back to its proper place in Stockholm society. And the opening in early 2007 of a new restaurant created by one of Sweden's most brilliant chefs has already brought fresh vigor and renewed glamour.READ REVIEW »

Arriving at the Zermatterhof in the car-free alpine village of Zermatt -- home of that iconic pyramidal peak, the Matterhorn -- is a special experience no matter what the season. Normally, the alpine hotel's horse and driver will parade you in an elegant pale blue carriage along the main street, but if it's really snowy you might be transported up the hill from the train station in a hefty two-horse open sleigh. Opened in 1879, this hotel is unique in being neither an independent business nor part of a chain, but actually owned by a cooperative of members of the community here. Hence the locals really care about "their" hotel and make good use of it themselves. It also gives the place a more relaxed air than that of its more formal counterparts. The property itself is well located, transport links to the main lift stations are good and the best shops in town are on your doorstep.READ REVIEW »

Hong Kong should mark time not by B.C. and A.D. but rather before and after arrival of the Grand Hyatt in 1989, a debut that furrowed the brows of the old dowagers and revitalized the local hotel scene. It was no longer enough to be elegant or opulent -- the "GH" proved that you had to be snazzy too. A lobby the size of Grand Central Station. Restaurants with views even more appetizing than the food. A swimming pool big enough for Shamu. Miles Davis rather than Noël Coward at the bar. And martinis instead of gin and tonics. Hong Kong would never be the same. And the Hyatt remains that way today: a hip place to while away nights on the South China Sea.READ REVIEW »

A literal and figurative symbol of the dizzying heights to which Shanghai has climbed, the Grand Hyatt -- which runs from the 53rd to 87th floors of the soaring Jin Mao Tower in Pudong -- is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "Highest Hotel in the World." Staying at this über-mod hotel is to experience the mind-boggling Shanghai boom without even leaving your hotel room. Set in the burgeoning Pudong business and financial center, the Bund and old Shanghai may lie across the river, but their history is a million miles away. Instead, six elevators stand ready to whisk you to the lobby on the 54th floor in 47 seconds flat. It's enough to make your head spin.READ REVIEW »

In 1996, brothers Michael and Tertius Lutzeyer turned 1,700 hectares of farmland between the coastal towns of Hermanus and Gansbaai, an hour's drive southeast of Cape Town, into a cozy bed and breakfast. A decade later, Grootbos is a five-star beach retreat and nature reserve with two sumptuous lodges -- one traditional-rustic, the other contemporary-sleek -- overlooking the protected waters of Walker Bay. Penguins, Cape fur seals and Southern right whales come to play in the bay, you can do horse rides and nature walks on trails in the reserve and you could bump into sometime guest Brad Pitt down on the beach.READ REVIEW »

The Grove is unique; a huge country estate that's within striking distance of London, it offers a combination of rural tranquillity and space with urban, cutting-edge style and state-of-the-art technology and services. Built in the 18th century as the seat of the Earls of Clarendon, this historic building only opened as an hotel in 2003. The beautifully proportioned classical home sits regally amid 300 acres of extensive parkland. Inside, however, what you get is tradition with a twist; the stately spaces display Madonna's basque behind glass, 1950s coffee tables, a video of a man gardening in the nude and naked statues made of vegetables. Who would ever expect such a superglamorous retreat in the less-than-glamorous environs of Walford-suburbia?READ REVIEW »

Looking more like a fairy-tale castle (think Disney’s Sleeping Beauty) than a hotel, this 1913 structure dominates the Gstaad landscape, appearing with almost as much prominence as one of the surrounding Alps. Minor European royalty, American billionaires and Russian oligarchs show up to play among its corridors, though it’s open only for half the year -- during the buzzing winter ski season and the prime summer months (when it’s less swanky and more modest). And yet, for such a grand hotel, the Gstaad Palace has managed to retain its independence, having been owned and managed by the Scherz family since 1947.READ REVIEW »

St. Barts, of course, is celebrity central, but at the Guanahani that fact shouldn’t deter anyone who’s not a star-chaser: In fact, so many big names come here that even when Salma Hayek or Jon Bon Jovi show up, there’s hardly a double-take. That’s only the first upside: The second is the clusters of Creole-styled cottages in M&M colors and gingerbread trim nestled in tropical gardens on a private 16-acre peninsula. It’s truly a place to escape, with two long expanses of beach (one on a lagoon and the other separating a coconut grove from the moody Atlantic) abutting a rocky outcrop where guests climb and join sunning iguanas.READ REVIEW »

When Hawaii’s exoticism was intoxicating and only the most privileged came here to get away, the Halekulani was there. In fact, it’s been here for nearly 100 years. And amazingly, it’s still one of Hawaii’s top hotels and a favorite of honeymooners and vow renewers. No surprise: The Halekulani oozes romance. Made up of five buildings strung along the North Shore, the resort trades floral patterns and tropical kitsch for soothing shades of white and brown. And no one goes without a lanai to catch glimpses of Pacific sunsets and emerald Diamond Head (and a full 90 percent of the rooms have ocean views).READ REVIEW »

With the best views in town of the Washington Monument and the White House, this 1920s Italian Renaissance–inspired hotel would be just another lovely old-school relic if not for the $18-million renovation completed in the spring of 2002. The features that have always made it great -- precise service, plus architectural details like ornate moldings, ornamental fireplaces and formal public rooms -- remain untouched, but are now bolstered by high technology.READ REVIEW »

This resort on its own 726-acre island at the northern end of the Whitsunday archipelago is enjoying its second, make that third, heyday. Adventure writer and keen fisherman Zane Grey was a regular visitor in the 1930s, while the early 1980s saw a tourism boom here as Australians started to embrace the idea of luxury vacationing. The latest reinvention, in 2002, ushered in a breezy, chintz-free style that has given the modernist low-rise a new lease on life. Meandering along the sprawling man-made lagoon on the beachfront, the large 256-room resort has a beach-club feel that appeals to five-star first-timers and honeymooners.READ REVIEW »

In terms of location and star power, nothing competes with the Adlon in Berlin. Constructed in 1907 to be the most opulent hotel in world, the Adlon is where Greta Garbo famously wanted to be alone, and where Michael Jackson performed his baby- dangling stunt. The original property miraculously survived the Second World War, only to fall into disrepair and eventual demolishment in the mid-'80s. But in 1997 the new Adlon opened in all its old-world glory, just steps away from the Brandenburg Gate.READ REVIEW »

One of Europe's grand hotels, the Alfonso XIII was commissioned by the Spanish king for which it's named, and when it opened in 1928 was intended to put all others to shame. It did a good job. The imposing edifice includes towers and Renaissance arched windows, but it's the hotel's interior that's captivating, with its mudejar (Spanish-Moorish architecture) details. The colonnaded courtyard's inlaid marble floors, intricate tile designs and fountain are extraordinary. To stay here -- and the hotel is convenient to Seville's sights -- is to live the Andalusian fantasy you've come to view.READ REVIEW »

"Amigo" -- believe it or not -- means prison in Flemish, and even after this building became a hotel, that's what it felt like. But it's benefited from the trademark Rocco Forte overhaul; what was once a dull, stuffy property is now the hippest place in town. Still, it hasn't forgotten its place, retaining some of the classic touches appropriate for Brussels. And like most Forte hotels, the Amigo is in a prime historical location, across the street from City Hall and only a block from the Grand Palace.READ REVIEW »

Built for the 1992 summer Olympics in Barcelona, the 44-floor skyscraper that houses the 33-story Hotel Arts was designed to showcase a new generation of Catalonian hotel for the Olympics. The hotel wasn't ready on time, but it's making up for that now. A haven for Barcelona's movers and visiting shakers, this hip hotel has stayed on the cutting edge despite its being taken over by the sometimes-dowdy Ritz-Carlton. Its location outside the center of town is a boon to those seeking an amenity-filled beach hotel, and a serious drawback for others who want to be more centrally located. Still, no one complains about the fabulous views out over city and ocean.READ REVIEW »

If you're looking for Hollywood starlets or a lobby with a nightclub vibe, check into the Chateau Marmont or Sunset Tower. Opened in 1946 and set out over 12 canyon acres, this Old World mission-style property and its iconic pink villas keeps its effortless fame tightly wrapped around a discreet atmosphere. Today, it still has the storied feel of a country estate rather than a hotel. There was a $20 million nip and tuck in 2004, but like all good plastic surgery, for the most part you can't see the scars. Instead, you'll see whimsical garden designs and floral decor that can border on kitsch, but the Bel Air doesn't put on airs -- there's a take-it-or-leave-it attitude.READ REVIEW »

In a world of increasingly over-the-top resorts, the Hotel Bora Bora is refreshingly understated, with its collection of thatched-roof buildings clustered along the shore of the island's storied lagoon, on the southwest corner of Mount Otemanu. First opened in 1961 and acquired and updated by Amanresorts in 1989, the property casts a hypnotic spell; privacy seekers especially appreciate the secluded setting and kick-off-your shoes ambience. Black-lava stone paths, edged with banana trees and coconut palms, wind through lush tropical gardens, and even at its busiest the resort feels uncrowded -- one reason it's popular with paparazzi-shy celebs and corporate types.READ REVIEW »

This glittering seaside resort, designed by international playboy Karim Aga Khan IV in 1962 to resemble a rambling fishing village, is the ultimate address on the Costa Smeralda, a jet-set destination on the northeast coast of Sardinia. Staying at this more-than-$1,000-a-night property during the island's summer high season is like jumping into a Ferrari wearing Prada from head to toe; you're telling the world you've made it, Italian style. European luminaries like Princess Caroline of Monaco have been known to sail into the property for lunch, while other boldface names (paging Diddy) are content to set anchor offshore.READ REVIEW »

For sheer romance and drama, Hotel Caruso is hard to beat. First, there's the thrilling drive along the vertiginous Amalfi coast road, then the steep ascent to Ravello itself, set dramatically on a cliff-top that plunges vertically into the inky water below. Caruso is, at its highest point, suspended in formal hanging gardens studded with lemon and jasmine in terra-cotta urns with expansive views to the mountains at its shoulder and the sea at its feet. Formerly a little pensione whose guest book reads like a roll call of the rich and famous, from Greta Garbo to Humphrey Bogart and Jackie Kennedy, this historic little hideaway has been reincarnated as a sumptuous 50-room palazzo hotel, following a $30 million restoration by Orient-Express in 2004.READ REVIEW »

To walk a few steps from Piazza San Marco, pick up a telephone and summon a gleaming teak boat to ferry you across the lagoon, away from the crowds, and back to your hotel standing on its own island is an exquisite experience. In a city that is awash with luxury, the Cipriani sets itself apart thanks to its location, its commitment to old-school indulgence and its illustrious history. Since it opened in 1958, when la dolce vita was at its most dolce, it has been one of the world's great hotels, and it's lost none of its luster over the years, imbuing the summer months (it's open only April to October) with opulence and luxury.READ REVIEW »

Long before Barcelona's current designer hotel boom, the Hotel Claris debuted as one of the city's first style-focused properties. It remains the hippest hotel in Barcelona, but it accomplishes this with a unique mix of contemporary architecture and ancient art. The building itself is the first example, with a central glass atrium set within an expertly renovated 19th-century palace and hidden behind an original Belle Epoque facade. Light pours into the hotel, illuminating not only the modern furniture but also the ancient Roman statues and other original art pieces hanging throughout the hotel, meticulously collected from Egypt, India and Europe.READ REVIEW »

It's the perfect combination of luxury, history and location: Just steps from the Piazza San Marco, these three distinct but interconnecting palaces date back to the 14th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today offer a step into the Old World style of the Italian elite, starting with the Dandolo Palace's almost churchlike Venetian Gothic atrium lobby. Dramatically soaring interiors are topped only by the view across the lagoon to Venice's famed landmarks. But of course, location has its drawbacks: You'll be right on the packed Riva degli Schiavoni.READ REVIEW »

Of all the legendary hotels of Paris, the Crillon might enjoy the grandest setting. It faces the fountains of the Place de la Concorde, overlooking the Tuileries Gardens and the Seine. Originally built as a palace in 1758 by Louis XV, then inhabited by the Count de Crillon, the hotel today is owned and operated by the Taittinger family. Yet for all its grandeur, it's one of the city's more intimate hotels, with only 147 rooms and a history of family ownership. Ironically, it's history that also creates the hotel's biggest drawback: Three of its eight banquet rooms are classified as national historic landmarks, making it a noted venue for high-traffic meetings and events.READ REVIEW »

Built in the shadow of the Papal Palace in Avignon, the austere frontage of this former 18th-century cardinal’s mansion conceals a treasure box of delights. Artfully arranged birdcages, leather-bound volumes placed on mahogany sideboards and tiered displays of jewel-like tarts in the covered courtyard dining room have the inspiring impact of still lifes. Yet for all the impressive artwork and antiques, this is no museum, but a uniquely comfortable hotel that has been welcoming guests since 1990. There are various treats in store for those who stay here, such as the secret walled garden with its giant huckleberry tree (where you can dine in warm weather), the historically re-created kitchens, which are sometimes used for communal dinners and cookery courses, and the small boutique selling objects (linen cushion covers, copper pots and bronzes) that personify the Mirande lifestyle and outlook.READ REVIEW »

It took 60 years for the Hotel de Russie to evolve from one incarnation to the next, but the results were well worth the wait. Once a haunt of Picasso, Cocteau and the Russian nobles for whom it is named, the hotel reopened in 2001 as a new standard in Roman style and service. Located just off of the Piazza del Popolo and across from the Spanish Steps, the Russie's inner calm belies its prime city-center location. Behind a plain 1818 façade, the Russie overflows with grand gardens that ascend via statue-filled terraces up Rome's Pinicio hill. Merely the most eye-catching of owner Rocco Forte's Russie flourishes, the gardens are so verdant that they host an urban butterfly reserve developed by none other than the World Wildlife Fund.READ REVIEW »

When American expatriate couple Gerald and Sara Murphy persuaded the owner of the sleepy seaside Hotel du Cap to stay open throughout the summer of 1923, little did they dream that it would become the Riviera’s glitziest, most outrageously expensive hotel. It’s actually two hotels in one: the majestic Belle Epoque white chateau Eden Roc, and its exclusive all-suite seaside annex, Hotel du Cap. The entire estate is hidden away in a 25-acre pine forest on the wild rocky coast of the Cap d’Antibes, but the glamorous find their way here to swan about the immaculately landscaped palm-shaded gardens and bronze at the pool or in private cabanas along the shore.READ REVIEW »

For all its impressive historic credentials and grand location, the Hotel Eden feels like a private home. The lobby exudes all the unpretentious comfort and coziness of an English drawing room, with a fire in the hearth, Oriental rugs and intimate love-seats. More than 100 years old, this landmark establishment is at the center of things and yet at a peaceful remove from the hustle of Roman street life. It enjoys a lofty position over the Villa Borghese gardens and straddles a quiet crossroads in a neighborhood that sprung up in the late 1800s, but still is only a stroll away from the cafés of Via Veneto.READ REVIEW »

Hip, chic and über-trendy describes both the hotel and its surrounding neighborhood, New York's Meatpacking District. Designer-label outlets are your neighbors and hot-ticket restaurants, such as Pastis and Spice Market, are on the doorstep. Still, all the hipness you need is right in the hotel. This towering glass skyscraper is flooded with light, thanks to its floor-to-ceiling windows, while masculine eelskin-clad columns, marble and steel simply add to the effect.READ REVIEW »

Comprising three medieval townhouses located steps from Mozart's birthplace in the cobble-carpeted and attraction-packed Baroque Alt Stadt, this former coaching inn is a Salzburg institution that has hosted everyone from Picasso to Queen Elizabeth. It's hard to beat the location on Getreidegasse, the main pedestrian-only shopping byway, and just steps from Festspielhaus, the festival hall. But history and charm are why people stay. The elegant 14th-century inn, which will celebrate its 600th anniversary in 2007, has remained virtually unchanged through the years; today it oozes with rusticated alpine warmth that's a throwback to its name -- literally "golden stag." Fittingly, antlers and other high-altitude decorations adorn the warren of antediluvian hallways that connect the hotel's vaulted public spaces.READ REVIEW »

Athens' answer to The Ritz, this historic "grand" hotel was built in 1842 as a private residence and converted into a hotel three decades later. Since then -- even before the 18-month, $100-million renovation that downsized the room numbers and upgraded the public spaces in preparation for the 2004 Olympics -- the Grande Bretagne emerged as abode-of-choice for visiting monarchs, politicians and pop stars. Its location is one reason: right in Syntagma Square, across from the Greek Parliament, and close to just about everything, including the Acropolis, the National Historical Museum and the Old Town.READ REVIEW »

Although the Gritti Palace is a true palace -- it was built in 1525 as the Doge Andrea Gritti's residence -- the grand word fails to convey the intimacy of the place. Entering the lobby, you're not overwhelmed by the height of the ceilings or massive square-footage; you feel, instead, as if you have entered a private club. The patina of age and pedigree is apparent in the speckling of the mirror-paneled walls and the deep gloss of the antique wood commodes -- but the true jewel lies just outside the doors: the Grand Canal.READ REVIEW »

A Hawaiian classic harking back to the days when visitors to the Aloha State were greeted with leis on the tarmac, this 60-year-old resort on the deliciously undeveloped east coast of Maui is not your standard Hawaiian beach hotel. Set on 66 lush acres of a 4,000-acre ranch, the cottage-style property of manicured gardens and grazing horses has the feel of a graceful Hawaiian plantation more than a Honolulu luau. Some well-heeled families have been coming here for generations, but since the resort's much-needed 2002 renovation, movers and shakers as well as serenity seekers have discovered it, coming for the natural Hawaiian setting, daily yoga and award-winning Honua Spa.READ REVIEW »

Ranging from sleek Art Deco to elegant neoclassical, each room is unique. Still, no amount of silk festooning or braid can compensate for the disappointment of some rooms in the classic category, which are small and stuck in the back of the hotel or look out on the street at the lower level. Upgrade at least to the deluxe category and you get the luxury of space and sybaritic bathrooms. The Penthouse in particular stands out for its ornamental garden terrace, its friezes, trompe l'oeil details and Venetian antiques. Or book one of the four rooms in the hotel's new property, the charming Palazzetto on the Spanish Steps; it has all the atmosphere of a boutique hotel (with a martini bar on its rooftop) but with all the services of the Hassler.READ REVIEW »

Imperial, indeed. Set among the 19th-century buildings of Vienna's Ring Boulevard, this deliriously grand European edifice -- an 1863 palace converted into a hotel just 10 years later -- is awash in marble, wood paneling and silk, bas-reliefs and frescoes, and literally dripping crystal chandeliers. The public rooms seem to echo with the footsteps of bygone dignitaries, symphony conductors and temperamental opera stars. You can still see them climbing the grand staircase, which rises to a marble nude framed by Ionic columns, over which hangs an oil portrait of a nobleman -- all carefully calibrated to make your jaw drop.READ REVIEW »

Helsinki’s grande dame hotel stands on the North Esplanade in the heart of town, a perfect location for when you want to pop out to nearby fashionable Finnish stores. Arriving in the circular lobby, you know that this is a hotel that takes a traditional approach: efficient desk staff, monumental flower displays, lots of dark wood and antique prints on the walls. In the rest of the city, Soviet-influenced buildings jostle against modern architecture, while the Kämp retains a more graceful, old-fashioned European vibe. Guests come for the luxurious rooms, great service and the cachet of name-dropping that you're at the Kämp, the city’s most elegant property.READ REVIEW »

This sanctuary of sophistication and tranquillity, just a stone's throw from the Arc de Triomphe, is the ultimate antidote to those designer hotels that are a triumph of style over substance. It is an elegant townhouse that was converted into a hotel in the 1930s by Emile Wolf, and his antiques still grace the corridors today, following a subtle renovation in the ‘90s by the hotelier Grace Leo-Andrieu. Her Eastern influence is evident, especially in the Japanese style-garden -- a perfect place for a drink.READ REVIEW »

It may be just one of the almost criminally large number of Paris grand hotels, but Le Bristol manages to distinguish itself with an elegant-but-quirky character. Blame that on its history -- the mid-18th-century building was originally a home and didn't become a hotel until 1925 -- and on the fact that it's a favorite with those in the city's omnipresent fashion industry (especially as it's close to shops like Hermès). Today, Le Bristol attempts -- usually successfully -- to bridge the gap between its more traditional clientele and the hip fashionistas who set up shop here.READ REVIEW »

The French always say that good things come in petite packages, and Le Toiny is living proof -- a tiny resort hotel that fits the appellation "boutique" better than anything in the Caribbean. The 15 colonial-style bungalows -- replete with whitewashed walls and metallic green roofs -- are scattered across a ridge overlooking secluded Anse de Toiny Bay on the eastern side of St. Barts. Connected by wooden walkways and meandering paths through fragrant vegetation, they offer both privacy and pampering. If Le Toiny has a drawback, it's the fact that the hotel is not situated directly on the beach. But the heated plunge pools behind each bungalow and the breathtaking infinity pool overlooking the sea help compensate for the lack of sand.READ REVIEW »

If art is what attracts us to Florence in the first place, then the Hotel Lungarno, a magnificent treasure trove of 20th-century artwork, is the icing on the cake. Crammed with 450 original masterpieces, including canvases and prints by Picasso and Cocteau, the hotel has the authentic and uncontrived -- if sedate -- elegance of an aristocratic Italian home. The riverside location on the Arno also contributes to the rarefied atmosphere, with the tangible sense of serenity and soothing reflective light that being beside water always imparts. Owned by the Ferragamo luxury goods empire, the hotel is beautifully tailored and polished as befits a fashion house synonymous with quality and meticulous design.READ REVIEW »

The trick to converting a 16th-century Spanish monastery into a hotel is finding a way to keep its bones intact while injecting a bit of indulgence. Hotel Monasterio has been managing this feat since 1995, conserving the original structure -- and even adjoining a nearby fully operational convent chapel, La Capilla de San Antonio Abad (which now holds both masses and meetings), while fully renovating the rooms.READ REVIEW »

Hollywood location scouts cast the Plaza Athénée when they need shorthand to convey Parisian luxury -- most recently in The Devil Wears Prada. It's an easy call. The 1889-era eight-story building, a hotel since 1911, basks in its Louis XVI and Regency glory in the eighth arrondissement, flanked by couture houses and big-label boutiques. Her scarlet balloon awnings are like perfectly made-up eyelids batting coquettishly, signaling it as the perennial first choice for Paris' fashion-industry players.READ 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. 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 REVIEW »

Built as the home for the Duc de Lauzun, this limestone palace has been an imposing presence in the heart of Paris for 300 years. César Ritz turned it into a hotel in 1898, and Mohamed Al Fayed bought it in 1979, investing millions to revive its former glory. Now he is in the middle of another renovation, spending $164 million to revamp while retaining the 18th-century-palace feel. There are edgy splashes of decor, new technology, restaurant updates and the first-ever Chanel Spa coming in 2007 (fitting, since Coco Chanel once lived here). Most important, though, a new team of easygoing 30-somethings -- from the GM to bellhops -- was brought on board to make the place less intimidating. The Devil Wears Prada fashion folks who stay here may have attitudes, but the staff won't.READ REVIEW »

Set on the coastal road just ten minutes from the center of Amalfi, the Hotel Santa Caterina's location and sensibility feel happily removed from the tourist fray of the charming but often overcrowded resort town. Endowed with sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea and perfumed by lemons and oranges from its terraced citrus groves, the hotel exudes an airy, classic chic and the dignity that comes of being family-run since it opened a century ago. Livery-wearing attendants have welcomed the likes of Meryl Streep and Brad Pitt in the bougainvillea-filled circular driveway.READ REVIEW »

Florence has no shortage of spectacular backdrops, but the Piazza Repubblica has to be one of the most beautiful. Housed in a landmark 19th-century building, the Savoy overlooks the square, just minutes from the Duomo, the Piazza Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio. But it's hardly stuck in the Renaissance. The interiors of this Rocco Forte property have been made contemporary by his sister, famed interior designer Olga Polizzi, who has mixed in citrus tones and animal-print furniture -- and, in a nod to the Ferragamo building owners, whimsical images of shoes in an otherwise neutral palette. It's a refreshing break from some of the other fusty grand hotels in town.READ REVIEW »

Occupying a prize spot in the upmarket Ginza district, the Hotel Seiyo’s doors open onto Japan’s premier shopping avenue, filled with brand boutiques, exquisite cafés and a warren of highly explorable side streets. In fact, there’s always something going on -- at night the scene is awash with neon and the buzz of affluence. Inside, the caramel-colored marble lobby is understated and welcoming. Space is, as with all of Tokyo, at a premium, and sometimes the hotel tries to squeeze too much in. Still, it’s a refined, luxurious place in this massive, bustling city.READ REVIEW »

Set in the verdant hills, high enough to overlook the chic harbor town of Portofino, the Splendido was a favorite escape for couples seeking seclusion long before Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton adopted it as their personal hideaway in the 1960s. Its setting has kept it on the world short list for romance: Most rooms have balconies or terraces dripping with mimosa, framing the Mediterranean below and overlooking terraced grounds fragrant with yews, pines, palm trees and olive groves. But the Splendido's not sitting still. In 1998 the hotel opened a small branch, the Splendido Mare, in a town house right on Portofino's famed piazzetta, for those who prefer to sleep within strolling distance of the boutiques and trattorias.READ REVIEW »

Set directly on Munich's Fifth Avenue-like Maximilianstrasse, the Vier Jahreszeiten has long sparred with the nearby Bayerischer Hof for poshest palace hotel status. Smaller and certainly better located than its competitor, the Vier Jahreszeiten -- which first opened in 1852 -- wins this 150-year-old rivalry for its luxe setting and elegant restaurant, despite now being part of Germany's Kempinski hotel chain. While its ownership may have gone corporate, the hotel still lures an exceedingly well-heeled clientele ranging from American culture-vultures to Russian oligarchs (and their retail-frenzied spouses) to Bavaria's old guard elite who check in before Christmas for a spot of luxe holiday shopping, along with numerous execs with well-padded expense accounts.READ REVIEW »

Theoretically, you can reach Huka Lodge by canoeing down the trout-filled Waikato River and jumping ashore when you hear the roar of Huka Falls, but most guests choose a more prosaic way to arrive, driving three hours from Auckland or landing by helicopter on the lawn. The original of New Zealand's famous luxury lodges, Huka is tucked away in the rain forest flanking the Waikato River near Rotarua (New Zealand's answer to Yellowstone National Park) and surrounded by seven acres of landscaped gardens. The interior features muted tones and smooth forms echoing washed river stones, punctuated by the occasional hunting-lodge trophy, creating an elegantly rustic cottage atmosphere aimed squarely at the stealth-wealth set. Hunting may be the hook, but relaxation is really the name of the game.READ REVIEW »

Tucked away between cypress and olive on a rocky promontory on the secluded Argentario peninsula in coastal Tuscany, Il Pellicano, as the gallery of black-and-white photographs in the bar testifies, has long been an exclusive hideaway for reclusive Hollywood divas, rock stars and European royalty. The refined old-world glamour of the resort, its peace and privacy amid scented gardens tumbling down to the sea, cements Il Pellicano as one of Italy’s most romantic retreats. It’s a hotel with its own romantic history; the original proprietors celebrated their liaison by naming the villa and estate after Pelican Point in Monterey, where they first met.READ REVIEW »

The gleaming white Art Deco facade of the Imperial is a testament to the vision the British had of New Delhi: a planned city that would be the very model of a modern major capital. Built by a protégé of Sir Edwin Luytens (New Delhi's main architect) in 1931, the hotel is flanked by a row of royal palms and surrounded by green lawns -- a purpose-built oasis. Inside, a mix of Victorian, Colonial and Deco styles, rich works of art and layout of two wings joined by an atrium create an intimate atmosphere that belies the hotel's size.READ REVIEW »

One might expect to find history in a place with such a grand name. But its past -- opened by royal decree in 1890 and added to by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1923 -- has disappeared. Today the Imperial -- wedged between the bustling Ginza district and leafy Hibiya Park -- offers up two sleek postmodern towers that boast high-speed Internet in every room and the nation's largest hotel business center. If you want to reprise Lost in Translation, this is the place, spacing out beside the indoor pool, tooling around town in one of the hotel's Cadillac limos or seeking your own Scarlett Johansson in the dreamy Aqua Lounge.READ REVIEW »

In the 1970s, chef Patrick O'Connell and business partner Reinhardt Lynch bought a garage in this teeny town of seven streets (population 168) and opened a restaurant, with rooms for diners who might have overindulged on the New American cuisine and excellent wine cellar. Today, countless renovations later, the inn and restaurant are fabulous follies with an almost over-the-top decor yet also decorated with every major honor in the book, from multiple James Beard awards to Zagat's number-one spot.READ REVIEW »

Since only locally sourced natural materials were used to create this 1990 paean to Southwestern style in the heart of Santa Fe, you'd swear it was the handiwork of a Pueblo tribe from the last century. Through massive hand-carved doors are textiles hanging on sandstone walls, baskets on shelves and cacti in terra-cotta pots. If the vibe feels good there's a reason: A Franciscan priest and a Pueblo medicine man both blessed the site.READ REVIEW »

Trend-chasers may flock to the Dylan or the College Hotel, but for first-class service and old-world charm, the Intercontinental Amstel is the lodging of choice in Amsterdam -- just ask the Dutch royal family, or George Clooney and the rest of the cast of Ocean’s Twelve. Sitting grandly alongside its namesake river, this regal 19th-century building is a 10-minute stroll from the city center, but the best way to travel here is by canal boat, which the Amstel will happily arrange.READ REVIEW »

If the hotel were any closer to Hong Kong harbor, there would be water lapping around the lower-level room doors. The InterContinental occupies the prime hotel spot on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, a five-minute stroll from the Star Ferry pier and people-packed Nathan Road. Two thirds of the rooms overlook the crazily busy nautical superhighway that is known as Victoria Harbour, toward the huddled-together skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island. The hotel has worked hard to break the corporate identikit mould -- the unhotel-like Spoon and Nobu are its two flagship dining outlets -- but the sheer size of the InterContinental inhibits any kind of intimate atmosphere prevailing.READ REVIEW »

The Shangri-La formula is one that has been fine-tuned and tweaked over the years -- a bit like the classical music performances that form the aural backdrop to the hotel lobbies. In fact, there is an overall feeling that this is an Asian hotel ensemble where the (Swiss or German or French) conductor has a maestro’s ear for a discordant service note. But try as the management might for intimacy and the personal touch, the sheer vastness and mall-like mien of its glittering Pacific Place home can be impersonal. The upside is everything right at hand: designer stores and restaurants a mere escalator ride away, and the Central Business District a 10-minute, air-conditioned stroll through yet more arcades. In the days of dressing-down and fusion food, the flagship Island Shangri-La (the name differentiates it from a Shang on the other side of the harbor) stoically maintains a tony, fine-dining French restaurant, Petrus, which says a lot about its overall approach to classic style.READ REVIEW »

With all the hoopla over all-inclusive resorts and spring-break shenanigans, it's easy to forget there was a kinder, gentler time in Jamaican tourism -- with places like the Jamaica Inn that ooze old-school charm and low-key sophistication. Mellowness comes with maturity, and this hotel's been around since the days when Harry Belafonte (rather than 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 REVIEW »

The Jefferson is that rare historic hotel with a strong pedigree that's also surprisingly stylish. It's been around since 1895, created by the same architectural team that did Manhattan's New York Public Library. And like the library, this magnificent structure in the heart of downtown has weathered well. It's unmistakably formal, with antique furnishings, rich tapestries and faux-marble columns that grace the luminous public areas, with the lobby crowned by a Tiffany stained-glass ceiling and a marble staircase said to be the inspiration for the one in Gone with the Wind. But there's no stuffiness here: Seeing to that is the marble statue of Thomas Jefferson himself.READ REVIEW »

While it may not have invented the private island concept, Jumby Bay has clearly taken it to new levels of luxury and service. 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; snorkeling the coral reefs lining nearby Bird Island; and a recent $6-million makeover of the rooms, suites and pool area, 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 REVIEW »

It doesn't take long to figure out that the Jumeirah Beach Hotel was constructed to look like a wave. That may seem a bit tacky now, but when it opened in 1997, this enormous all-glass structure was Dubai's most luxurious hotel. The luxury title has since 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 just 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. Still, this hotel is located on the best beach in the city; perhaps that's the benefit of setting a trend in Dubai opulence.READ REVIEW »

The most incredible thing about the Ihilani is not the awesome oceanfront location, the fabulous golf course or the incredible cuisine. It's the fact that Marriott has somehow transformed a suburban setting on the western edge of Honolulu into a vacation oasis that seems more like the end of the earth than a short drive from the biggest city in the entire Pacific. Ihilani is one of the few places in Hawaii where you get the best of both worlds: a tranquil retreat within easy striking distance of killer nightlife; a quintessential seaside setting only minutes away from big-city shopping; strolling along an empty beach by morning and going wild on Waikiki by afternoon. Why bother with the other islands when you can get the whole Hawaiian package in a single place?READ REVIEW »

The buzz is true: Phuket is overvisited. 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 REVIEW »

Carved into the red-brown cliffs of Santorini's volcanic Caldera basin, Katikies is a whitewashed multilevel labyrinth of terraces and alcoves set 300 feet above the Aegean. The ooh and ah factor kicks in the moment you step inside and continues on through the two infinity pools that seem to glide seamlessly to the half-immersed crater in the sea. While this is Santorini's oldest hotel, it's still only 20 years old, and an extensive revamp in 2000 has transformed a stay here into even more of a romantic experience.READ REVIEW »

In a town increasingly known for its historic palace hotels, the Corvinus stands out for its 10-story contemporary design both inside and out. While the hotel's aesthetic is certainly an anomaly amid Budapest's baroque splendor, it evokes an industrial kind of cool that's a welcome change from all the nearby grandeur. Located in the heart of Pest, close to the Danube and the iconic Chain Bridge and with views of both St. Stephen's Basilica and Erzebet Park, the Corvinus is where Madonna famously parked herself for months while filming Evita. The hotel, with its telltale reflective facade and circular, postmodern lobby, may now have some stiff competition from the palatial Four Seasons and the new New York Palace. But the blend of service, design and location still makes it a place the Material Girl would probably call home.READ 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 REVIEW »

You know a hotel is truly legendary when it outdates the country in which it is located. And in the case of the King David, the age difference is nearly an impressive two decades. Built in 1930 -- and partially destroyed by Mandate-era Jewish separatists in 1946 -- the hotel is the best known in all of Israel, the nation's only true grande dame, and it lives up to the hype. Located in the heart of West Jerusalem, the hotel overlooks the Old City, yet is in walking distance of the new city's core commercial and cultural venues. With its cool Jerusalem stone facade and classic, European architecture, the King David evokes the glory of the ancient Levant along with the grandeur of its onetime colonial masters.READ REVIEW »

This massive hotel has, like Hong Kong itself, been through many refurbishments, which have kept it on the forefront of this city’s very competitive hotel scene. The spacious lobby shows off a rather bombastic face, with marble floors, huge pillars and a massive mural, but the rest of the property feels more intimate than its 700 rooms suggest. Its location, too, has kept it a longtime favorite: Not only is it just a 10-minute walk to lively Tsim Sha Tsui, but it’s just five minutes to a new train station with access to the Chinese mainland in under an hour.READ REVIEW »

Modeled in part on the Alhambra Palace in Granada, this hotel is where to live out your Moroccan fantasies. Set outside of town, past the dusty scrub land of the Palmaraie, the hotel transports guests here via its London taxi, just the first of many surreal touches. Arrive through massive gates and a set of golden doors leading to a grand entrance hall with star-shaped holes in the high-domed ceiling to filter the light. Stark and dramatic, it's a fitting introduction to the rest of the hotel -- a series of intricately carved archways opening onto grand courtyards and surrounded by acres of gardens with candlelight reflecting off the pools. Outside of lackluster service, Ksar Char-Bagh makes it easy to imagine yourself a Moroccan king.READ REVIEW »

This classic 18th-century manor stands beside a sentinel of cypress trees among 37 acres of low-lying vines, and 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 REVIEW »

Originally the home of a master potter, this 17th-century Provençal mansion has been painstakingly restored to its former glory by none other than Alain Ducasse, with the help of the best local craftsmen. The focus is, of course, on the restaurant -- nevertheless, it’s a charming French inn. Ocher stone floors, warm wood and yellow, orange and distinctive pale-blue colors are used to clever effect throughout, and the gardens are a treat; here you can relax in a hammock with a glass of wine. But with obviously high expectations for your dinner, you might also meander through the fascinating kitchen garden, which has been organized by cooking use: herbs, salads, root vegetables and plants with healing properties.READ REVIEW »

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. And it's a view that comes even from the secluded suites that make this place feel more like a fabulous Mexican hacienda than a hotel. The word "romantic" has become ubiquitous for hotels, but La Casa Que Canta ("the house that sings") deserves the title; it's the sort of place where couples stay in their private villas for days at a time.READ REVIEW »

Whatever fantasy one might have about visiting Morocco is fulfilled in this boutique hotel set in two adjoining riads -- centuries-old homes -- at the edge of the spice souk in the medina, or old walled city. Like all riads, La Maison Arabe's buildings have anonymous boxlike exteriors, but step through the entrances and you'll be engulfed in two exquisite courtyards, the main one with cobalt-blue wicker chairs centered around a tiled fountain and decorated with palms in old olive jars. A stay here is immersion into the magic of Moroccan architecture -- horseshoe arches, marble or brick floors, intricately carved wood ceilings, traditional zellige tiles, sculpted and carved plaster and tadelakt, plaster hand-polished to a deep shine using soapstone -- but with all the creature comforts like A/C, robes and TV.READ REVIEW »

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 get off on. They also dig funky decor, incredible cuisine, sublime service and views that really do take your breath away -- from the altitude, if nothing else. Perched in the rugged mountain above St. Lucia's leeward shore, 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 -- and it's a big one -- 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 REVIEW »

Lake Placid Lodge has long served as an Adirondack camp for those whose families don't possess their own. Twig furniture, moose heads and landscape paintings set the scene decidedly in the Arts and Crafts epicenter of lake-filled upstate New York. Sadly, a kitchen fire in December 2005 destroyed the main lodge's prime collection of Adirondack furniture and furnishings, much of it antique. Lake Placid Lodge has downscaled while it rebuilds, retaining 12 of its original 17 cabins for guests and using the other five (none of which were fire damaged) for dining, a cinema, game room and administrative facilities. Until the main lodge is rebuilt (contractors aim for the end of 2007 to reconstruct the main lodge, dining room and its 17 lodge guest rooms), the historic timber-cabin compound on Lake Placid operates as an intimate boutique retreat, considerably quieter and more exclusive in the interim.READ REVIEW »

Who stays at the priciest hotel in Hong Kong? Mainly CEOs, which seems fitting, since rooms were once prime-space offices. But the new design has removed all traces of those corporate antecedents, replacing it with a minimalist boutique hotel with aspirations to be a little bit funky, a world away from the Mandarin Oriental group's generally conservative style. Offices are still all around, of course, as the hotel is right in the middle of Central District. And 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 REVIEW »

It may be strange to contemplate, but 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 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 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 façades, terra-cotta floors, original tapestries and abundant blue tiling (azulejos) in bathrooms and surrounding the outdoor fountain.READ 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 REVIEW »

With just 14 suites set over 1,500 acres, this mini-resort on the water between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo is about as luxuriously remote as you can get on the Mexican coast. In fact, you can even fly straight here -- the property has its own landing strip. Its owner is the daughter of magnate and environmentalist Sir James Goldsmith, and the vibe is eco-chic, down to the organic vegetables grown on-site. And despite the eye-popping luxury, this is a place that feels quietly wealthy without being ostentatious. Villa-side candlelit meals served by a private butler are just one symbol of the kind of privacy that reigns here -- which is why Robert De Niro and Brad Pitt are among the guests who have gone below the radar.READ REVIEW »

Las Ventanas al Paraíso redefined a region when it opened a decade ago, making Cabo San Lucas and Baja an option for super-refined getaways. Today, it purveys an atmosphere of desert starkness wrapped in a good-times-for-all beach resort. Throughout, the intimate resort attempts -- often successfully -- to be a part of 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 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 REVIEW »

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. 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.READ REVIEW »

Budapest's most classic, least trendy luxury hotel started out as the 1918 Adria Palace, then did time as an Italian insurance company and police headquarters before housing paying guests in 2000. The designers stayed true to the building's early 20th century heritage, and the lobby is formally decked out with oriental carpets, damask drapes, sparkly chandeliers and an abundance of gold-framed paintings and mirrors. Enter the atrium, and you're immediately captivated by the spectacular Art Deco glass dome. Despite the formality, the overall feeling is warm and comfortable, and the location puts you within walking distance of the Danube, Parliament and St. Stephen's Basilica.READ 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 constructed in 1817, the Meurice has insisted on staying fresh, with a two-year overhaul ending in 2000. The result: a modern yet unpretentious hotel ready to accommodate both a younger, more stylish clientele and its more conventional fan base.READ 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 distant horizons, 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 ‘50s, 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 REVIEW »

Imagine sunset from the balcony of an over-the-water bungalow, exotic mist-shrouded peaks in the distance, a crescent moon hanging above the sea and a vivid glimmer in the night sky -- Venus flashing her ultrabright smile -- and you'll have some idea of what makes this the most seductive hotel in the entire South Pacific. Chic, secluded and drop-dead gorgeous, the resort is set on a sandy, palm-shaded motu on the barrier reef around Taha'a, a large (and largely undiscovered) volcanic island directly east of Bora Bora. An earthy architecture blends traditional Tahitian elements with snippets of Gothic, African and Melanesian design -- thatched roofs, stone walls and sweeping teak staircases. Walkways meander through manicured sand to a nave-shaped wooden lobby (like a South Seas version of Chartres) and twin eateries suspended in the jungle canopy.READ REVIEW »

The lush Blue Mountains stretch over the vast Australian countryside, its valleys filled with the blue haze that gives them their name (created from sunlight merging with eucalyptus oil droplets). There's no reason to rush away, which 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 REVIEW »

Founded by Laurence Rockefeller in 1958, Little Dix is a haven of understated elegance, sitting on just 100 of its 500 acres, with the remaining Virgin Gorda landscape left wild. Little Dix’s grounds, groomed with orchids and bougainvillea, tumble down to a half-mile of ecru crescent beach, while 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 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 keeps its lips sealed about who's staying there, celeb sightings are frequent.READ REVIEW »

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 south of downtown Miami. 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.READ REVIEW »

New Zealand has long cultivated great wilderness lodges, places you can kick back and enjoy the great outdoors in consummate Kiwi style. But when Kauri Cliffs opened in 2001 near the secluded northern tip of the North Island (one hour by helicopter or four by car from Auckland), it raised the bar several notches. Suddenly, in addition to amazing accommodations and cuisine, you could tee off right outside your door -- on one of the best courses in the galaxy. But golf is far from the only way to pass time on this marvelous 6,000-acre seaside estate: There's relaxing on the beach, sailing, kayaking, scuba diving a wreck, fly-fishing and (believe it or not) possum hunting. The architecture is basically a late-model version of the classic British Empire antipodean tropical you find all over the South Pacific, with wraparound verandas and metal roofs. And since it's a working farm, guests can also pull on their wellies and help tend the resident Coopworth sheep and Angus cattle.READ REVIEW »

Set in a grassy vale, Paratiho looks out over lush ranchland where sheep, cattle and deer frolic, and beyond to the sapphire waters of Tasman Bay. It’s easy to see what lured Californians Robert and Sally Hunt here in the late 1990s to create their own nirvana. Today, Paratiho Farms is a secluded splash of extravagance at the northern tip of the South Island -- a 2,000-acre ranch on the edge of Nelson wine country that doubles as a superluxe resort for people who crave fine wine and gourmet cuisine, Oriental carpets and modern art, soothing spa treatments and the great outdoors. Drawing inspiration from the classic Kiwi farmhouse and the traditional English estate, the lodge blends colonial copper roof and Palladian grid pattern, wraparound veranda and formal gardens -- a masterpiece of modern Kiwi design that has earned architectural kudos.READ REVIEW »

Georgia's toniest offshore retreat, the Sea Island development, is best known for its largest resort, the 1928 Addison Mizner-designed Cloister, where families return for generations and dinner is a formal affair. But the 2001-vintage Lodge at Sea Island -- actually on neighboring St. Simons Island -- aims for the intimacy of a clubhouse, with 40 rooms in a Tudor-style, fairway-side inn. The look, with antique-filled living spaces and coffered hallways, is formal, but the feel, befitting its country-club atmosphere, is relaxed. And while guests have access to the entire array of Sea Island resorts, the Lodge benefits by being apart from them, tranquilly residing on the southern end of the island.READ 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 Ph.D.s, and a craft center on the site showcases work by nearby villagers.READ REVIEW »

Taking its name from the renowned painter L.S. Lowry (best known for his matchstick-men pictures), the Lowry opened in 2001 with the high chic quotient that's a signature of Rocco Forte. Heavy on light, glass and steel, it's proven to fill a niche especially with the television and film crowd, who seem to appreciate the bold design. And while it boasts of being Manchester's first five-star hotel, locals consider it to be in much-less-fashionable Salford. It makes little difference; the heart of Manchester city is just across the River Irwell on Santiago Calatrava's stylishly modern Trinity footbridge.READ 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 quintessentially English croquet lawn.READ 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.READ REVIEW »

Competition for the luxury travel market is fierce on Anguilla, where, in addition to several five-star resorts, you can stay at a number of new luxe villa complexes. But the Malliouhana Hotel & Spa has a singular advantage -- the best spot on the island, hands down. The white Mediterranean main building sits on a cliff at one end of its gorgeous beach, offering spectacular sunset views from the Michel Rostang-supervised restaurant. The resort's 26 acres are so lush that the aromas from the flowers, including three varieties of jasmine, can be dizzying.READ 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 REVIEW »

Even by the standards of urban Asian grandiosity, nothing quite beats the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur for location. Set at the base of the iconic Petronas Towers, the hotel faces this 88-story skyscraping duo, affording jaw-dropping views straight from a summer blockbuster. As the Petronas loom above, down below the hotel is linked to the splashy Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), a Rodeo Drive-meets-Time Warner Center mall filled with the world's top brands, and a welcome retreat from KL's endless heat. KLCC also offers a lake-size wading pool for kids, while the Petronas' Skybridge observation deck is a true once-in-a-lifetime thrill just minutes from the hotel.READ 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 literally 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 REVIEW »

The rowdy Munich Hofbräuhaus is just around the corner, but as soon as you enter the intimate lobby of the Mandarin Oriental, you'll feel instantly relaxed. Couples chat in hushed tones in the lobby bar, while upstairs in the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant, Mark's, an older crowd compares notes on young chef Mario Corti's Mediterranean-inspired dishes. While the interior is a bit worn at the edges (the hotel says it will begin a big renovation project in the next year or two), it almost adds to the genteel air of the place. The Mandarin Oriental chain has added a few Asian touches to this stately hotel, but they're subtle -- notice the bonsai tree centerpieces in the lobby bar.READ REVIEW »

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. 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. 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 REVIEW »

The venerable Asian chain's first hotel in the U.S., the Mandarin is a dose of the East hidden amid the Financial District's skyscraper forest, within walking distance of the Transamerica Pyramid Building. Spread over the top 11 floors of San Francisco's third-highest office tower, the hotel feels hidden amid the city's skyscraper forest 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 REVIEW »

Tokyo was a new opening for the Mandarin Oriental brand in 2006, placing it center stage in this highly visible city. The location is hard to beat, occupying a new, 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 regal-yet-soothing feel of this place: 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 gym.READ REVIEW »

If you want to be in the heart of the most powerful place in the world, look no further than the Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C. It may be steps from the National Gallery and Smithsonian Institution, but the hideout-like atmosphere makes you feel miles out of town in a resort, rather than a business hotel -- something no other hotel in town can claim. Staying here practically guarantees a run-in with a major international player (especially if there's a function in the 8,300-square-feet Grand Ballroom), but nevertheless takes a democratic view of its guests.READ REVIEW »

Built in the early 20th century by one of Texas' wealthiest men, 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. And, in a prime example of reality interlacing with fantasy, Dallas star Victoria Principal held her wedding here.READ REVIEW »

Maroma opened in 1995, long before Mexico's Caribbean coast became the "Riviera Maya" and resorts began proliferating madly. 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.READ REVIEW »

A gracious cluster of vintage buildings on the edge of a residential neighborhood, the sky-blue Marquesa suggests the old Key West, before the hordes of cruise-ship visitors and T-shirt merchants won the battle for nearby Duval Street, the main tourist drag. A getaway-within-a-getaway, the hotel’s guests enter through a parlor, with towering dormer windows and chintz settees, leading into a serene tropical garden that surrounds two pools and a terraced waterfall. A truly local touch: Guests will find a fresh orchid placed in their rooms, thanks to the mini orchid nursery on-site.READ REVIEW »

Mauna Kea, built by Laurence Rockefeller in 1965, is the Big Island’s grandam, now somewhat faded from its years as Hawaii’s in spot for the rich and famous. The 60-acre resort has one of the best beaches on the island, a white-sand bay set between black volcanic rocks. The modernist architecture is offset by 1,600 pieces of Asian and Pacific art, some of which are antiques, ranging from Buddhas to tikis. For many, many years Mauna Kea was the only place to stay, but the competition now includes the Four Seasons Hualalai, a tough act to beat. The Japanese-owned Prince Resorts opened the sister Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel next door in 1994, and now the shuttle-connected resorts share restaurants and facilities.READ REVIEW »

This is the closest you can get to staying in an English manor in the United States. Restored in 1992 by a Manhattan couple, the estate, two hours north of New York City, has had everything purposefully chosen for its grounds -- each individual tree, every tapestry, all the antiques. Blanketed with snow in winter, ablaze with color in the fall and lush with green the rest of the year, this formal inn is heaven for nature lovers and anyone who dreams of living in classic Connecticut -- or any city slicker in need of an indulgent spa escape.READ REVIEW »

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 REVIEW »

With the Giza Pyramids in close-up view from rooms, pool and just about anywhere you turn, it's surprising that 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. And with Oberoi at the helm, the hotel has made the transition into the modern world, an abode that caters to both the business crowd and those in search of bygone romance.READ REVIEW »

Just like Chateau Marmont, its sister property in Los Angeles, the Mercer is no stranger to celebrity guests -- or those who want to experience celebrity living. The people-watching in the lobby is some of the best in the city, and the location in the heart of SoHo is ideal for exploring downtown Manhattan. Yet despite its illustrious clientele, this 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 REVIEW »

Set among four beautifully restored Georgian townhouses (including the one where the Duke of Wellington was born), 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 REVIEW »

An emphasis on spiritual renewal combined with outdoorsiness sets this desert resort, 135 acres of palmy oasis in the harsh Santa Catalina foothills 30 miles north of Tucson, apart from run-of-the-mill destination spas. As such, the clientele is slightly more Birkenstock than Blahnik; of course, that may change since Steve Case's Revolution LLC took over in 2005. Although the majority of the guestrooms 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 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 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 recent renovation removed its old-fashioned flower scheme (which was decidedly losing its appeal) in favor of a more modern standard, the grande dame still feels distinctly English.READ REVIEW »

Never one to shun a spotlight, Richard Branson made a splash in 1982 when he bought a barren, rocky 74-acre island in the British Virgin Islands and built a vacation compound, a Balinese fantasy of thatched-roof, open-air pavilions filled with hard-carved furniture, shimmering silks and batiks. He made another splash in 1984 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 REVIEW »

With 2,800 wooded acres hidden among the foliage of Pennsylvania, 335 rooms and its own airstrip, Nemacolin can hardly be called a "resort" -- "city" is more like it. Like a small city, everything from a luxury boutique property (Falling Rock) to an RV park is here, along with golf courses, horse trails and endless options for dining. In fact, everything you could ever imagine you'd like to do with your day (or night) is available within the confines of the resort; the trick is finding your bearings, and finding the time.READ REVIEW »

A short helicopter or boat ride from the main island Mahe, North Island is the ultimate anti-resort: a mere 11 villas featuring barefoot luxury for those who don't like large groups or cruise directors. A former slave post and coconut plantation, it was opened by South African ecolodge company Wilderness in 2003 after years spent returning the local plant, turtle and bird life to its near-original splendor. Guests are ridiculously pampered with a personal villa attendant, breakfasts brought to their room and a chef who asks what they want to eat that day. Robinson Crusoe, eat your heart out.READ REVIEW »

The stately Oberoi Amarvilas is built like a Mogul castle and replete with the expected luxuries of this chain. But why you really want to stay here is its location: Just 1,900 separates 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 REVIEW »

Secluded on its own golden strand on the northwest shore of Mauritius, the Oberoi 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 some 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 REVIEW »

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. The hotel's sense of Indian culture blends seamlessly with contemporary amenities; 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 growing capitalism.READ REVIEW »

It speaks volumes that of all the treasures in the Oberoi trove, it is this particular gem, Rajvilas, that Micky Oberoi himself chose as the setting for his daughter's wedding party. Located across 32 acres of landscaped gardens in a fortlike setting with the "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 REVIEW »

The regal Udaivilas, set on the bank of Lake Pichola, may look like an ancient Indian palace, but it's just a re-creation (albeit a spectacular one) -- the hotel dates to 2002. Still, 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 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 REVIEW »

With its stately Georgian facade and cozy colonial country-house feel, the 100-room Observatory Hotel, down by the water in the Rocks, 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 REVIEW »

Set over an archipelago of islands linked by bridges or accessed by boat on the east coast of Mauritius, Le Touessrok celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2008, although it received an early gift with a major design overhaul 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 REVIEW »

Since its opening in 1956, when it was reachable only by private plane, Palmilla has been the grandam of Los Cabos. In recent years, newer five-star resorts like Las Ventanas and Esperanza began luring away its exclusive clientele, but then 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. People 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 REVIEW »

On a corner of the theater district, where the West End meets the City, is London's most dynamic hotel. The imposing, granite facade of the former Morning Post headquarters gives little away. But cross the threshold into the white cathedral-like space filled with sculptures, giant floral installations and a steel-mesh, fiber-optic wall, and you'll wonder if you're in an art gallery or perhaps one of London's better parties. Somewhat banally named the Lobby Bar, this is really where the unique experience of One Aldwych all begins. The perfect backdrop for owner Gordon Campbell Gray's impressive collection of contemporary art, the striking and comfortable space also serves as an introduction to his particular brand of functional aesthetics and design.READ REVIEW »

This little inn, set on a tree-lined street, is hardly the best place for taking in Glasgow's sights -- it's actually several miles from downtown. But if you don't mind a suburban retreat, it's hard to beat One Devonshire Gardens. The place dates to the 1980s, when Ken McCulloch, the mastermind behind the pioneering boutique hotel chain Malmaison, bought a row of five Victorian town houses and linked them into a stylish inn, with his decorator wife, Amanda Rosa, lending her over-the-top touch. It may be set on the city's periphery, but for reveling in discreet luxury, this is Glasgow's center.READ REVIEW »

For all its reputation as one of the world’s most livable small cities, Vancouver has very few small hotels. Indeed Opus, opened in 2002, is still the only boutique hotel in town. 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.READ REVIEW »

Just the name of this famous hotel on the banks of the Chao Phraya conjures up images of Graham Greene bent over a typewriter, enriching the world of literature from a smoky, fan-cooled room. In fact, the Oriental, banking on its storied past -- established in the 1860s by two Danish sea captains and hosting the likes of Greene and Noël Coward -- sat on its laurels for some time. 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 started in 2001 and ended in 2006 in time for the hotel's 130th anniversary.READ REVIEW »

The Oustau de Baumanière, hidden away in a narrow ravine off the main road leading to the 13th-century fortress village Les Baux, is one of those legendary glamorous country inns that has been around for decades, well before Provence became seriously trendy. Owned and run by two-Michelin-star chef André Charial, who has continually developed the former sheepfold that his grandfather launched in 1942, this peaceful culinary landmark attracts VIPs and political bigwigs from all over the globe. The haute Provençal cuisine is its raison d'être; the inn is a bit past its prime. Still, the beautiful views, outdoor gardens and food make up for it.READ REVIEW »

This fantastical Vegas-meets-Disneyland-in-the-bush two hours' drive north of Johannesburg was created in 1992 by South African hotel and casino magnate Sol Kerzner within his original Sun City casino resort. Perfect for families, golfers and big-spending gamblers, it was based on a story he made up about a fabled lost African city. Today there's a sprawling hotel (the Palace), a golf course and water-world theme park surrounded by the rugged wildlife-rich Pilansberg mountains and game reserve. There's definitely a kitsch factor here, albeit high-end -- from fountains gushing over life-size elephant sculptures at the entrance to towering Renaissance-style ceiling frescoes in the lobby and a man-made lake on the grounds.READ REVIEW »

It’s hard to believe that this majestic hotel, which celebrated its centenary in 2006, was once a military hospital. But after being intermittently knocked around for close to 100 years (it also served as a provisions storage vault during WWII), it has been painstakingly restored to its former true grandeur. The imposing Art Nouveau facade is as good as new, the lofty marble-columned interior sparkles and its ambience is nothing short of regal. Just a few yards from Lake Luzern and five minutes from town, this is the best-positioned and finest hotel in the area. Its motto -- le nouvel art de vivre -- says it all.READ REVIEW »

There's no question that the hotel's most remarkable feature must be 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 REVIEW »

For a glimpse at what life would be like if you walked into your local Versace store and laid down your black Amex, visit the Palazzo Versace on Australia's Gold Coast. Donatella Versace's glam Italian style is everywhere, from sheets to furnishings to crockery. In fact, you'll 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 megarich or a gaudy stop on the tour-bus circuit? Either way, until the second Versace hotel, in Dubai, is completed in 2008, this is the only place in the world to live out your Versace dream.READ REVIEW »

"The Palm," as it's called, is that rare Vegas icon that actually lives up to the hype. It's where the Vegas locals go to gamble but also where the serious celebs -- from Jeremy Piven to Paris Hilton -- drop their Gucci bags when they're ready to hit the Strip. Don't believe us? This is the resort to which Hugh Hefner is lending his name, with the first Playboy Club to open in 25 years (including Philippe Starck-designed Baccarat crystal chandeliers). Anywhere else, this may come off as cheesy, but in Vegas, it's downright restrained. But the real beauty of the Palm is its location: a block west of the Las Vegas Strip. That's close enough to walk to the action, but far enough to be sheltered from the masses of all-you-can-eat tourists who give Vegas its bad name.READ REVIEW »

What looks like a soulless corporate hotel from the entrance transforms into a grand 23-story property with stunning waterfront and mountain views when you take escalators to its second-floor atrium lobby. It was designed to resemble a cruise ship: Balconies lined with boutiques, restaurants and a ballroom narrow toward the glass-walled front lobby and outdoor deck as if it were the bow of a ship. And actual cruise ships dock in the water alongside the hotel, adding to the ocean-bound feel. Built in 1986 for the World's Fair, with a convention center to the left, the World Trade Center to the right and Stanley Park just a short walk or cycle west, it's the perfect location for business or leisure.READ REVIEW »

It is hard to imagine that the simple boardinghouse Villa Pyffer, where Mark Twain and Victor Hugo once lodged, would undergo such a metamorphosis from the early 1900s into the grand Belle Epoque hotel that it is today. Under the shadow of Mount Rigi on the shores of Lake Lucerne, this white-painted, château-like building with its distinctive orange awnings is a place for sitting and watching life on the lake -- be it ducks, fishing boats or steamers -- and forgetting about the hustle and bustle of city life.READ REVIEW »

Vail’s sister resort, Beaver Creek, located just half an hour’s drive away along the I-70, has grown dramatically since it opened two decades ago, and for many years now, the slope-side Hyatt has been one of this ultraluxurious resort’s centerpieces. Many of the design features original to here have been virtually copied by other mountain hotels, notably the vast elk-horn chandelier that dominates the lobby. But even with its warm feel, this hotel’s greatest advantage is its location at the bottom of the roller-coaster Centennial trail and the bottom station of the chairlift of the same name. You can literally ski back onto the terrace.READ REVIEW »

Just step into the rooms at the Park Hyatt's flagship property, housed in a 67-story skyscraper overlooking Michigan Avenue, and you'll see a fitting tribute to the 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 they were when they debuted more than 50 years ago, helping to keep the six-year-old Park Hyatt Chicago current and relevant. 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 REVIEW »

Between the city center and Sandton suburb, with high-end shopping to rival most major First World cities, the safe and leafy Rosebank district is one of the best places to stay in Johannesburg. The 244-room Park Hyatt in Rosebank's Firs Shopping Mall is a gleaming glass-and-black-granite property with all the business, dining and fitness amenities to suit power brokers, but with rooftop pool, spa and idyllic gardens ideal for couples or families who want to relax en route to the bush or Cape beach resorts. While it's more of a layover hotel for tourists, it's an ideal base for the adventurous visitors looking to explore downtown Joburg and the vibrant restaurant and nightlife scene.READ REVIEW »

They weren't kidding when they named the Park Hyatt Melbourne -- 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 hotel 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 REVIEW »

A business-oriented hotel set in a dramatic late-19th-century palazzo (and hidden on a side street just seconds from the Piazza del Duomo) -- it's a fusing called the Park Hyatt Milano, the brand's first in Italy's most stylish destination. 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 REVIEW »

Just steps from the Place Vendôme, home of the benchmark Ritz Hotel, 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 possibly 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 especially French, but is appealingly otherworldly.READ REVIEW »

Imagine being able to lie in bed with the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge just beyond your toes and you'll have an inkling of what makes the Park Hyatt such an extraordinary place to stay. The feeling is a bit like staying on a cruise ship anchored in Sydney's fabulous harbor, a superswank 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 REVIEW »

There's no grand lobby entrance here; instead, guests at the Park Hyatt Tokyo 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 REVIEW »

Christine Ong's exclusive resort occupies an otherwise deserted 1,000-acre island in tropical Turks & Caicos, 35 minutes by boat from the main town of Providenciales, where untamed nature is at her sexy best. Fortunately, guest rooms and public spaces don't compete for attention: The look is understated tropical chic, with bleached woods and little embellishing to get in the way of the island brush and deserted beaches. The only thing that may steal the spotlight is the service.READ REVIEW »

Like its Hong Kong parent, this is simply one of the world's best hotels, and like that long-established hotel, this 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 REVIEW »

When the Peninsula Palace Hotel Beijing was built in 1989, in the city's busy shopping area, near its business, diplomatic and tourist quarters, it was the talk of the town -- if not the world. Even today, Western luxury is harder to find here than in Shanghai or Hong Kong. But that's changing, and increased competition spurred a mid-2006 multimillion-dollar renovation and consequent renaming. The electronic bedside control panels, 42-inch plasma TVs, upscale shopping arcade and fantastic restaurants may not be surprising to today's traveler, but it's all still kind of an anomaly in Beijing.READ REVIEW »

At first, French Renaissance seems 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. For years practically the backyard for CAA's I.M. Pei-designed headquarters next door, 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 -- it all gives the Pen the feel of a country château.READ REVIEW »

In the last few years, Chicago has 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 REVIEW »

As its 80th birthday draws near, guests would perhaps understand if the Peninsula became a little doddery. But that's not the case -- at all. Perhaps the most famous of all Hong Kong's famous hotels has positively sprinted into the future, whether it is Internet access in all rooms, television screens above the tub or curtains that close with a mere button touch. Regulars will know that the Pen is not as formal as its grandly-pillared, playing-fountain exterior suggests. 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 REVIEW »

Of all the private island resorts in the Caribbean, Peter Island -- one 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 REVIEW »

Leave your Jimmy Choos at home -- Petit St. Vincent is simply too casual chic for such formalities. In fact, the whole reason people come to this ultraluxe hideout, a 55-minute journey from Barbados through Union Island, is to chill out on the white crystal sands among the triumvirate of small hills that forms the undulating skyline. Your "hotel" consists of the entire 113 acres of island, which you'll share with just 42 other guests in the 22 luxe cottages. And since those guests may include heads of state or celebs (read: Tony and Cheri Blair), it's not only likely you'll see even fewer people, you'll feel like a celeb yourself.READ REVIEW »

The sprawling Phoenician is one of those quintessentially American resorts, in the optimistic, glitzy, bigger-is-better kind of way. And it is big: The resort has three nine-hole golf courses, nine swimming pools and 250 manicured acres. Yet while it's easy to feel like a cog in a wheel, 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 REVIEW »

The rest of New York may be supercharged and up-to-the-minute, but within the '30s-era walls of this classic, it's still an earlier, more gracious time. Rooms, some of them former apartments, are spacious and residential in feel, the wood-paneled elevators still have welcoming, uniformed operators and the entry from Fifth Avenue has a long, carpeted hallway that could have been the setting for a Fred and Ginger number. That's the good part. The bad part is that all this old-fashioned gentility also translates into old-fashioned fabrics and furniture that have been looking very tired in recent years. But look for this to change: Taj Hotels, which bought the hotel in 2005, is doing a $35-million renovation due to be finished in stages and all by 2008.READ 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 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, 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 REVIEW »

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. 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.READ REVIEW »

Spot the bright red tin roof and a building that looks like an overgrown ski lodge and you'll have found the Post Hotel. Indeed, it did used to be just a winter hotel (originally called the Lake Louise Ski Lodge), but since 1957 has been providing year-round accommodations. The distinctive color scheme of the hotel -- set among the lush green of Banff National Park -- is a pretty good indication that it's a world away from the corporate take of its immediate rivals. And the Post Hotel's current Swiss owners have imported their own brand of alpine charm.READ 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 REVIEW »

Even on a miserable, murky day, the views from this place intrigue, but on a good day (and the region's climate brings many more good days than bad), it amazes. From your aerie-like position you look down onto stunning Lake Lugano and the stylish steamers that ply their way across it as well as the vertiginous, verdant mountainsides beyond. Originally the summer home of Prince Frederic Leopold of Prussia, who lived in it until his death in 1931, this huge villa, built in 1868, became a hotel in 1986.READ REVIEW »

Pudong is the less fashionable side of the river -- most of the best dining and nightlife action is on the west bank -- but it is winning more and more converts. The area now bristles with Chicago-style skyscrapers, dwarfing 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 REVIEW »

Hotel Quinta do Lago is to Portugal's Algarve what the San Roque Club is to the Costa del Sol: a prestigious golf resort within a very ritzy enclave. Thanks to its prime location on the beautiful Ria Formosa estuary and nature reserve, however, the Quinta do Lago offers more than just one of Europe's top 27-hole courses. Whereas much of the Algarve has been overdeveloped, the Quinta do Lago's almost 2,000 acres have remained relatively pristine. Whether or not you're a fan of the hotel's ‘80s-style Mediterranean architecture (the hotel is a somewhat sprawling stucco and concrete building), the natural beauty of its private beach and surrounding bird sanctuary are covetable summer surroundings. Still, one caveat: While Quinta do Lago is considered a five-star resort in Portugal, in the U.S. it would most likely be judged a four-star property.READ REVIEW »

Looking for the potted palms, ceiling fans and rattan that whisper of long-forgotten foreign intrigue? This is it. 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. 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 REVIEW »

A stay at Raffles is more than a luxurious escape in the heart of a modern metropolis; it's a chance to tap in to Singapore's colonial spirit (and live out those Somerset Maugham fantasies). The dainty ivory icon with its neo-Renaissance facade and lavish interiors offers the height of Old World opulence and has been a mecca for celebrities, sultans and statesmen since it opened in 1887. Today, tourists wander the breezy colonnades and luxury shopping arcades, but much of the property is the exclusive preserve of hotel guests. And what a world it is: 700 Oriental carpets, 82 plant species in the lush gardens and 18 restaurants and bars (including Raffles Grill, with Michelin star-rated chefs the Pourcel brothers).READ REVIEW »

The baronial-style Raffles Vier Jahreszeiten (or Four Seasons), a 19th-century townhouse with a distinctive patined roof and stained-glass mullioned windows, occupies the most prized real estate along the western shores of the Binnenalster. Full of formality, it proudly showcases its long history with an expansive collection of antiques -- rare pastoral oil paintings, intricate Oriental rugs, dainty Gobelin tapestries and massive Renaissance chests –- in an antediluvian interior of stucco and hand-carved wood paneling.READ REVIEW »

Mild year-round temps and palm trees make sheltered Montreux one of the most desirable resort towns on the Swiss Riviera, so it comes as no surprise 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 of Lolita fame who practically made the Montreux Palace his second home.READ REVIEW »

Right in the heart of Beverly Hills, Raffles L'Ermitage firmly rejects L.A. flash, offering celebrities and business travelers privacy and understated luxury instead. 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 REVIEW »

Once Andre Balasz got a hold of this diamond in the rough -- originally built by L. Murray Dixon in 1940 -- in 2003, the beachfront property on Collins Avenue was restored to its former Art Deco glory. The Raleigh reeks of Old Hollywood glamour once again, and as a result, draws celebrities who have tired of the Delano and want to kick back in the poolside cabanas (look -- there's Madonna and Guy!). Expect the requisite wannabes and gossip columnists too, so if you're seeking a quiet retreat, look elsewhere. If cocktails at the 300-feet-long private beach (a rarity in Miami) and star-spying is your idea of a good time, however, this is your home away from home.READ REVIEW »

Set on a cliff in Southampton Parish, overlooking a wide, coral-free crescent of beach, this resort is a slice of anti-Bermuda, where the vibe is relaxed, 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 (and sizable repeat guest list). 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 getting a freshening. Today it's an ideal place to enjoy the ocean: 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. It's just another way that the Reefs does things a bit differently in Bermuda.READ 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 feels hidden away. The lobby, while luxuriously appointed with marble floors, silk-covered chairs and intimate couches, is cozy rather than soaringly grand; it's a place to sit with a cup of tea rather than to make an entrance.READ 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 REVIEW »

Picture almost 40,000 acres for you to roam uninterrupted, and you can get a sense of just how vast Paws Up really is. Set along the Blackfoot River (where A River Runs Through It was filmed) in the Rocky Mountains, the resort 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; in summer, fish, white-water 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 REVIEW »

As its name declares, this hotel is set high above the town of Zermatt. What it doesn’t tell you is that up in this rarefied air, the Matterhorn stares you squarely in the face. And while a close-up, 24-hour view of this famous peak is the main highlight here, it’s not the only reason to stay: From the minute you get off at the tiny station and are whisked (by vintage toy-town-style tram in summer and snowcat in winter) up the short, steepish path to the hotel, you can feel the sense of peace and tranquillity that this hotel inspires. This is a place to forget the outside world, a true cocoon hotel that is mesmerizing whether snow-capped or with summer hues. It’s also a hotel with a past: It opened in 1884, but after a checkered history and several periods of closure, it emerged in 2000 as one of the absolute best ski hotels in the world.READ 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 REVIEW »

This dowager duchess of London hotels has just seen its hundredth year but, happily, 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 REVIEW »

Of the many upscale massive resorts located on Bali's touristy south side, this tasteful 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 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 Berlin. 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 REVIEW »

Unlike its contemporary counterpart across Boston Common, this Ritz is old-school New England—a clubby-feeling hotel (complete with paintings of hunting scenes) that never goes out of style among proper Bostonians. But even this timeless grande dame couldn't escape the signs of age, prompting a $60 million face-lift, completed in fall 2002. Like a Botoxed Brahmin, the 1927 property emerged looking much the same, only refreshed. Designers kept the 19th-century artwork and pastel palette regulars have come to expect, but replaced the furniture and carpeting throughout, largely with antique reproductions. Despite its wrinkles, though, it still boasts Boston's best address at Newbury Street and the Public Garden, and the service is first-class.READ REVIEW »

It may be right across the Common from the Ritz-Carlton Boston, but this hip young cousin of its namesake couldn't be more different. There's hardly an august history here: Opened in 2001, the city's newer Ritz is connected to a Loews theater and offers access to a Sports Club/LA, making it more connected to the fabric of the modern Boston neighborhood than to the R-C legacy. Sporting walls adorned with contemporary art, the hotel is something of an anomaly in old-world Boston, but that's exactly what makes it special.READ REVIEW »

How do you add patina and pedigree to a hotel built a mere 30 years ago? Start with crystal chandeliers, marble fireplaces, paneled walls and an impressive 18th- and 19th- century European and American art collection. Consequently, many a resident -- and visitor -- maintains that this is really the only hotel in Atlanta that counts. Located in the city's most prosperous suburb, with the best shops and restaurants nearby, this is the place locals reserve months in advance for weddings, galas and fancy dinners. Hotel guests are more interested in 500-thread-count Egyptian cotton linens and super service.READ REVIEW »

Rather confusingly, the first thing to note is that the Ritz-Carlton is actually a Four Seasons, the sister property to the one across the street. Next is that, like its sister property, this is no stand-alone hotel, but set on top of a mall, high above the city. But once all that's straightened 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 consequently feels calmer). And the little freebies, like complimentary tea and coffee in the morning in the lobby, and overnight shoeshines, give the property a warmer atmosphere than the grand lobby would suggest.READ REVIEW »

You won't find 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 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 in 2001. Now it's become a popular offsite meeting destination for Bay Area corporations, but you can still almost smell the heather.READ REVIEW »

Until the recent flurry of luxury hotel openings in Hong Kong, the Ritz-Carlton held the mantle of new kid on the five-star block for a decade or so. Its newness, though, was only part of its appeal: The building is located no more than a five-minute walk from the powerhouse buildings of Central District. Still, new doesn't necessarily mean hip: The style is clubby to the point of stuffiness, from the English-country-house lounge to the uninspiring room decoration.READ REVIEW »

When the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua was first being built at the beginning of the '90s, all of Maui rose up to protest the potential desecration of an ancient Hawaiian burial site. As a result, the entire resort was moved 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 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 REVIEW »

Not only was Singapore's Ritz-Carlton designed by Pritzker Prize winner John Roche, but it's practically a museum of contemporary art, with 4,200 works including such renowned artists as Andy Warhol and Frank Stella. And 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 -- even the financial district.READ 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 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 here 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 REVIEW »

As the flip side 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 Fifth Avenue, the Time Warner Center, and MoMA, and with views straight down the middle of Central Park.READ REVIEW »

While most Japanese hotels play upon the visually minimalist culture projected in the ‘90s, the Ritz-Carlton takes a very traditional approach, bringing the idea of the grande dame hotel to Japan's "second" city. The air of an old European home is created through a white-gloved staff, 450 oil paintings, Georgian-style interiors and other period pieces dating to the 19th century. Yet the hotel -- like many in Asia -- 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 REVIEW »

Five grand marble columns flank the staircase entryway of Philly's Ritz-Carlton, making for an even grander entrance than other Ritz's. 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 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 REVIEW »

Unveiled in 2003 as the Ritz-Carlton's first South American venture, this hotel instantly claimed its crown as Santiago's best. Granted, the competition wasn't stiff. 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 REVIEW »

While other heavy-hitting hotel brands like the Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental have set up shop downtown in Miami's business center, the Ritz-Carlton's position on Lincoln Road in South Beach offers a more playful location to its upscale crowd. The Ritz-Carlton spent a whopping $200 million to convert the former DiLido hotel into its flagship Miami property, preserving many of the original Art Moderne details put in place by architect Morris Lapidus (including backlit convex mirrors, black terrazzo floors and oversize lamps), while giving the rooms a much-needed overhaul. Still, among the hip designer properties in South Beach, the R-C's corporate overtones can occasionally make it feel a little like the aging guy at a rock concert.READ REVIEW »

Occupying one of Bath's most enviable addresses, in the middle of an elliptical curve of houses designed by John Wood the Younger, the Royal Crescent is a stunning example of the city's superb 18th-century Georgian architecture. The entrance is marked by the number 16, twin stone pillars that frame the Palladian window above the arched doorway and a line of sleek luxury cars idling out front. The interior is cool and composed; surrounded by exquisite 18th-century antiques and beautiful displays of fresh-cut flowers and attended to by an efficient staff, you'll feel like a pampered guest in the home of a prosperous friend.READ REVIEW »

Royal, indeed. If the Queen of England went on safari here, this luxury compound wouldn't have to redecorate. 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 REVIEW »

Royal Palms opened in 1948, the dream project of a popular bandleader who'd added onto a then-20-year-old Mediterranean estate, which was in turn 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 megaresort, 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 (with a new wing due to open in December 2006). 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 REVIEW »

It’s not easy to find your own private island in Venice. But just 10 minutes by boat from Piazza San Marco lies a 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. Would such a thing occur at the Cipriani? Never. But then, it’s three times the cost.READ REVIEW »

The only resort on the north slope of Arizona’s dramatic red Camelback Mountain, Sanctuary’s casitas stagger up the mountain, painted in desert hues (you’d almost think they were part of the natural landscape), with incredible views of Paradise Valley below. Set on the grounds of the 1950s-era Paradise Valley Racquet Club, the 53-acre resort reopened as the Sanctuary in 2001, followed by a 12,000-square-feet-spa one year later. But the work doesn’t stop; in 2005, the resort poured $5 million into refreshing its 74 mountain casitas. The best thing about the Sanctuary: Since the grounds are home to prehistoric ceremonial cave sites and were once home to a Native American reservation, the land is now protected as part of the Echo Canyon Recreation Area, so the sprawl of nearby Scottsdale and Phoenix will stay far away.READ REVIEW »

Back in the day, regulars would fly down from London on the Concorde and catch the Rolls-Royce shuttle from Grantley Adams Airport to their usual digs at Sandy Lane. The world's only supersonic passenger plane is now a museum piece. But the swankest resort on Barbados remains much the same -- a bastion of British ways and means on the shore of a former colony, patronized (no surprise in this) 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 REVIEW »

A former private magnate residence in the exclusive Sandhurst suburb of Johannesburg, the Saxon was famously Nelson Mandela's refuge when he was released from Robben Island. A refuge it still 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, one of the largest hotel pools anywhere. Peace and tranquillity aside, however, the Saxon has established itself as the nerve-center for Joburg's glamorous: resident and visiting film stars, politicians and models congregate in the piano lounge, smoking room and library.READ REVIEW »

It's a shame this jewel isn't closer to Berlin's city center -- it takes almost half an hour to drive to the Brandenburg Gate from the prestigious Grunewald neighborhood. Then again, if the Schlosshotel were more practically located it might not be quite so exclusive. Originally built in 1914, the property is permeated with a sense of history -- especially since, unlike the Adlon, it was never destroyed, so many original details (like the impressive lion staircase in the lounge) are still intact. And with the sumptuous interior design of Karl Lagerfeld, the hotel -- with its deep red French silk-covered walls and gold leaf-covered stucco and doors -- continues to feel like a luxurious private villa.READ REVIEW »

The Setai South Beach's East-meets-West, future-meets-past designs are perfect for the glitzy, deep-pocketed crowd that stays here -- so hip, in fact, that the hotel is soon to debut a recording studio from rocker Lenny Kravitz. The structure itself is actually 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 REVIEW »

Set right on the eastern banks of the Chao Phraya river and close to the Saphan Taksin Skytrain station, the Shangri-La is a massive business traveler and convention hotel popular with Asian execs and well-heeled Western groups just 20 minutes to the city center. As at Shangri-Las worldwide, the hotel's entrance is a soaring showstopper: Marble floors lead to towering crystal chandelier and glass wall after glass wall looking straight onto the river. With its endless range of rooms, exec- and leisure-friendly location and now one of Bangkok's best spas, the Shangri-La is the five-star that offers a little something for everyone.READ REVIEW »

Long before hip neophytes like the W called Seoul home, there was the Shilla -- a bastion of modern Korean design and architecture with a private 23-acre park and linked to one of the city's highest-end shopping centers. Although built in 1979, the Shilla's spare, 23-story facade and prime downtown location have helped it stay on the cutting-edge despite the hip competition. A recently completed two-year renovation also helps, adding a new jazz bar and redesigned restaurant.READ REVIEW »

What a difference a couple of high-wattage names make. When it first opened in late 2001 with a $150-million price tag and elegantly cool David Chipperfield interiors, the hotel's tropical-Zen vibe failed to take off. But nearly three years later, über-hotelier Ian Schrager added the Shore Club to his portfolio and, with the help of Philippe Starck, turned the resort into a bona-fide hipster hit. While the Shore Club retains its original lotus ponds and circular front drive, Starck has added numerous signature pieces -- from Moroccan-style lamps in the reception to oversize planters by the pool. What hasn't changed, however, is the Shore Club's clientele -- from Hollywood A-listers to well-heeled Euros.READ REVIEW »

L.A. is one of the world's few spots where one can combine a big-city business trip with vacation at a seaside resort. Shutters mixes Cape Cod and Craftsman architecture that (so they say) is an homage to the prevailing Southern California coastal style of the '20s and '30s -- something that's impossible to verify, since it's all been rebuilt. The hotel is popular with those who toil in the fields of show business, but actually has none of the attitude that sometimes attends celebrity venues. At 13 years old, by California standards Shutters qualifies as a grandam, calmly impervious to the ever-growing competition nearby, like the trendy Viceroy. 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 REVIEW »

Opulent décor 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 décordecor, 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 REVIEW »

From a gin and tonic on the Nile Terrace to afternoon tea in the lounge, this is the perfect destination for travelers who want their Egyptian experience to have a quintessentially English quality. In fact, no one should check into the 1886-era Old Winter Palace without a swimsuit, some smart clothing and a copy of Death on the Nile. After a dip in the pool, set among beautiful gardens, you need to dress up to enter the Royal Bar, where you can sit and read in surroundings that don't seem to have changed since Agatha Christie was a guest. Don't even think of staying at the adjoining New Winter Palace. Nothing can beat the original.READ REVIEW »

Gray London days never looked so sexy as when observed from this cozy, colorful hidden retreat that opened in 2004 between Dean and Wardour streets, right in the heart of perennially energetic Soho. Here is a true respite from West End sensory overload, but with everything still at your doorstep. It remains one of the most fashionable hotels in the city, a rare marriage of style and substance, in a handsome brick building that you'd never guess used to be a parking garage.READ REVIEW »

No one flies all the way to the Maldives without wanting to get away from it all, and Soneva Fushi, on a remote, private island, delivers. Forget the many places promise that "barefoot" living: Soneva Fushi is the real deal. From the minute your seaplane lands, winging in to the private island from the Maldives' international airport in Male, you can kick off your shoes and leave them on the beach until it's time to go home. In fact, the island doesn't even have roads, only sand paths to bike or stroll. Even the main dining room has a sand floor.READ 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 REVIEW »

The St. Regis Grand Hotel is the perfect antidote to the Ian Schragerization of hostelry. 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 Epoque's French and Italian frenzied style. The lobby rotunda and grand hall, with their polished floors, stupendous candelabra and Murano chandelier, still hold their grandeur more than 110 years after they were born.READ REVIEW »

Set back from the main Jianguomenwai thoroughfare, Beijing's St. Regis is located in the leafy diplomatic and business heartland, a 10-minute cab ride from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Though facing competition from several new high-end openings, it has long been recognized as Beijing's premier hotel. Step inside the marble lobby 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 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 King Cole Bar with its famed Maxfield Parrish murals.READ REVIEW »

Adjacent to Pudong's Lujiazui finance district, this narrow tobacco-leaf-shaped building stands apart from its glass and chrome neighbors. The circular lobby (note the tobacco-leaf-motif flooring and chandelier -- you can guess how the owner made his money) features a sweeping balcony, a café lounge and a piano player. The result is a rarefied atmosphere that blends classical European-style decor, high-tech savvy and a hint of Chinese opera.READ REVIEW »

A year after its $37-million face-lift, the classic Alpine resort at the base of Aspen Mountain is looking more than ever like the grandame 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 is accustomed to handling huge crowds and unusual requests with aplomb.READ REVIEW »

Many visitors consider this the perfect small hotel in London -- Americans in particular, ever since the wine cellar famously 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, which will add 26 more suites upon completion in fall 2007.READ 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 on piste or path, Stein Eriksen pampers you with great food, comfy accommodation and eager-to-please staff.READ REVIEW »

Any hotel that takes its name from its host nation's glorious royal past is either sadly delusional or surprisingly delightful. Bangkok's 15-year-old Sukhothai, happily, is squarely in the latter camp. Nearly hidden in the city center, this traditional Thai-style urban oasis 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 REVIEW »

Located on the bustling Victoria & Albert Waterfront, with dazzling mountain, harbor and ocean views, the Table Bay merges a classical Victorian facade with contemporary-chic interiors that include a state-of-the-art spa, a hi-tech mezzanine-level business center and a terraced waterside restaurant serving sushi and oysters -- for breakfast. Formal and somewhat straightlaced, it may lack the vintage exclusivity of the Mount Nelson or the refined elegance of the Cape Grace, but its easy access to the city, the harbour and the shops of the adjoining Waterfront Mall make it a convenient yet classy alternative.READ 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. One potential downside for a place surrounded by water: Drought has recently affected the lake, and though you can still get to the hotel, a low level of water certainly detracts from the scenery.READ REVIEW »

Like its longtime rival the Oberoi, the Taj Mahal occupies a rarefied place in the Indian capital. But while the Oberoi may win for newness, the Taj is still the better property, and not just because of its ultracentral location (close to the city's historic Mogul core, close to the Gate of India, the country's government complex and the commercial hustle and bustle of Connaught Place). Fronted by a brilliantly illuminated pink sandstone facade, filled with an extensive collection of original Indian artifacts and surrounded by endless greenery, the Taj is a winning combination of serenity and authenticity in India's chaotic capital city.READ REVIEW »

The Taj Mahal is like Hong Kong's Peninsula or Singapore's Raffles -- iconic properties that have outlived colonizers and dictators, riots and revolutions, and still remain at the top of their game. 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-READ 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. Mix, the Alain Ducasse restaurant and bar on the top (43rd) floor, means guests have celebrity-chef dining 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 REVIEW »

Several deluxe properties have now opened on the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls as the country sees its fortunes rise at the expense of neighboring Zimbabwe, but twin Zambezi River lodges Tongabezi and Sindabezi were turning on the style long before this recent revival. Built in 1990, "Tonga" is a classically elegant river lodge, with five opulently furnished stone-and-thatch houses and five newer river cottages set among the trees and reeds on the riverbank. "Sinda" is her more rugged cousin: five rustic thatched chalets wonderfully void of electricity and mod cons, set on raised wood platforms on a private island in the middle of the river, 20 minutes away by boat.READ REVIEW »

Lewis and Clark could never have imagined that the unforgiving land they traversed 200 years ago would become the site of a luxury resort. But the rugged terrain is 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 REVIEW »

With a name like Trump, it's got to be big, bold and brash -- and Trump International Hotel & Tower does not disappoint. The Donald 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 cell phone, you own New York.READ 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 REVIEW »

Richard Branson's hotel in the bush may be chiseled out of the Ulusaba rock itself and rising 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, TV, phone, minibars, DVD, tennis court, pool and spa.READ REVIEW »

Venice in the Desert serves up a sprawling 36-story main building with the newer 14-story Venezia Towers behind it, all themed around Italy's most romantic city. From an entrance modeled on the Doge's Palace with mosaic-tiled walls, marble statues, Renaissance-style fresco ceilings and canals on which gondolas cruise under trompe-l'œil ceilings, to characters in public spaces singing Verdi's operas, you might believe (this is not a joke) that you're actually in Venice. Its cavernous gambling hall apart, the over-the-top splendour is done so well that it manages to avoid the tackiness of other Vegas hotels, and along with the Bellagio, has even brought a more cultured chic to Las Vegas -- check out its Canyon Ranch Spa Club, high-end boutiques such as Jimmy Choo and restaurants that include master-chef Thomas Keller's Bouchon in the Towers.READ 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 over-a-decade-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 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. Yes, conferences and conventions are a hazard, but this is a brilliant venue for exploring some of the most spectacular scenery in the Alps.READ REVIEW »

A truly grand hotel in every sense of the word, this cream-colored neoclassical palazzo, built in 1568, 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 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. Today, the villa still calls 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 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 façade 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 REVIEW »

When the Cessna Caravan that is "Air Wakaya" lands on the grass runway of this elite, nine-bungalow island resort, a 45-minute flight from Fiji's international airport, peregrine falcons scatter into the air. And on the drive to the resort, the Land Rover passes Fiji's only deer, wild horses and pigs. It's a fitting introduction to this remote island -- with its turquoise bays, secluded golden beaches, ferns and banyans -- and this wild, remote resort where everything from Champagne to scuba diving is included in the price. Its exclusivity has made it a discreet haven for celebrities since it opened in 1990, though it does have a Gilligan's Island liability: Put one loud, obnoxious couple here, and the paradisaical equilibrium goes woefully awry.READ REVIEW »

New York's ultimate grande dame, particularly since the Plaza went condo, the Waldorf =Astoria was built on an entire Park Avenue block in 1931, the hyphen derived from the original 1897 coupling of two Astor family hotels on a site 15 blocks south. A gilded Art Deco masterpiece with four restaurants, four bars, over 1,400 rooms and a terraced lobby that's a cross between a marbled museum and Grand Central Station, it may have seen better days, but it still attracts wide-eyed tourists and old-money elites in equal measure, drawn to a vintage glamour that's evident from the valets in top hats at the door to the luxe suites on its high floors.READ 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 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 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 REVIEW »

Opened on the Riverwalk in 2003, in the historic 19th-century L. Frank Saddlery building that once made saddles for the likes of Pancho Villa, the Watermark is set on the quieter edge of the Riverwalk, but close to nightlife, the downtown business district and the Alamo. It's an ideal base for work, pleasure or recuperation, and riverfront seafood restaurant Pesca provides a welcome alternative to Tex-Mex beef and tacos. It also brings the Southwest firmly into the 21st century, with 98 contemporary-chic rooms and a 17,000 square-feet spa. Mesquite scrub and hydrotherapy? Pancho Villa would be so lucky.READ 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 longues 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 REVIEW »

Wharekauhau puts a whole new spin on the traditional New Zealand "farmstay" vacation. A sumptuous abode overlooking the rugged Rimutaka Mountains and Palliser Bay about 10 minutes by helicopter (or two hours by car) southeast of Wellington, this lodge doubles as a 5,000-acre working sheep station. But rather than the modest tin-roofed farmhouses you find on most Kiwi stations, the main lodge is a modern take on the traditional Edwardian country manse, with a grand hall, mullioned windows, sweeping staircase and stone hearths that blaze away both summer and winter. Wharekauhau does double duty as a place of sublime relaxation or a place where you can work up a sweat joining in the farm chores or various sports.READ REVIEW »

Of all the hotels in the Berkshires -- the preferred weekend haunt for many a stressed-out Northeastern urbanite -- 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 (a.k.a. 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 REVIEW »

The White Barn Inn started life as a restaurant so good no one wanted to leave. Now it’s also a luxurious New England guesthouse with more than a hint of English manners, thanks to the slightly formal service (many staff members trained in Europe) and touches like afternoon tea with scones. The common areas showcase the successful marriage between Old World elegance and American luxury: Both the chintzy sitting room with overstuffed couches and the recently added spa feel entirely apropos. Located on the road between Kennebunkport Village and the ever-popular Gooch’s beach, the White Barn Inn is a retreat from the holiday hubbub of each, and still has one of the finest restaurants between New York and the North Pole.READ REVIEW »

The Wickaninnish is an example of a property perfectly suited to its surroundings. Set on the edge of Vancouver Island on a promontory jutting into the Pacific, it’s surrounded by fir trees and flanked by a beach -- guests go to sleep listening to 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 REVIEW »

Cobbled together from 10 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 old and 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 new touch, making for a fun experience.READ 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 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 new Terrace tearoom and Restoration Bar on the first floor were part of the millennium makeover, giving the inn a much more jolly mien than previous eras -- at least now you can guzzle a cold beer.READ REVIEW »

Boutique properties may be all the rage, but Toronto's first is still one of the best. In fact, when it opened in the 1970s it was way before its time -- so much so that it fell into disrepair in the ‘80s. But times have caught up with the idea of intimate and fancy, and having relaunched in 1999, the Windsor Arms has hit its stride. Cher, Sean Penn and Kate Hudson seclude themselves away here, perhaps appreciating the nonfrenzied atmosphere, which is assisted by the hotel's location on a leafy side street just steps from tony Bloor Street.READ 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-feet mountain covered with trees sequesters guests from the street (and hides the spaceship-shaped Fashion Show Mall from view).READ REVIEW »