Hotels

Kenya-Tanzania Safari Route · luxury · Kichwa Tembo concession, Masai Mara, Kenya

&Beyond Bateleur Camp, Masai Mara

Private-concession exclusivity leased from Maasai landlords

The concession location is a drive from the reserve’s core crossing points in migration season

Zanzibar · unique · Mnemba Island (private, off the northeast coast)

&Beyond Mnemba Island

A private 1.5km island shared with only a handful of other guests

Very expensive and often requires a minimum-stay commitment

Chiang Mai · boutique · Wat Ket, east bank of the Ping River

137 Pillars House

Built around a restored 19th-century teak homestead that served as the northern headquarters of the Borneo Company, with a small museum of the teak-trade era on site

A 15 to 20 minute walk or short ride from the Old City temples

10 Days in Thailand · boutique · Chiang Mai (near the Ping River)

137 Pillars House Chiang Mai

A restored 1889 teak house with spacious suites

Small property that books out

Madrid · boutique · Calle de Valverde, between Gran Via and Malasana

7 Islas Hotel

One of the few family-run hotels left in central Madrid, opened in 2002 by a family from Lanzarote

Street noise in a busy nightlife-adjacent area

Ella · resort · Passara Road, below Little Adam’s Peak

98 Acres Resort & Spa

Forty-six chalets on a tea estate, with an infinity pool looking across the valley

Outside the town on the Passara road, a tuk-tuk ride to the main street

Athens · value · Monastiraki Square

A for Athens

Rooftop bar looking over Monastiraki Square to the Acropolis, without the luxury-hotel rate

Monastiraki Square is noisy and busy at street level, day and night

Halkidiki · boutique · Afytos village, Kassandra

Achtis Hotel

35 rooms and suites, each decorated individually, inside the prettiest stone village on the peninsula, so dinner and the square are on foot rather than in the car

Half board excludes drinks at dinner, which is a real cost trap on a week’s stay

Dubai · luxury · Downtown Dubai

Address Downtown

Direct views over the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain

Premium priced for the location

Naxos · family · Agios Georgios, Chora

Aeolis Boutique Hotel & Suites

Classic and superior rooms, honeymoon and junior suites and apartments for four or five people

Not a beachfront hotel

Peloponnese · value · Old town, Nafplio

Aetoma

A restored 18th-century house on a small square below the Acronafplia, with a handful of rooms and a family running it

Few rooms, so it sells out early for weekends and holidays

Goa · boutique · Nerul, Dolphin Bay (North Goa)

Ahilya by the Sea

Nine rooms across three villas above a quiet corner of the Mandovi estuary, run in the same house-party register as its sister property Ahilya Fort in Maheshwar

Estuary frontage, not surf: the swimming beach is a drive away

Egypt: Cairo, Luxor & the Nile · boutique · Luxor west bank

Al Moudira Hotel

A 54-suite hand-built palace of domes, courtyards and antiques amid west-bank fields

You are 25 to 40 minutes from the east-bank temples and restaurants

Dubai · boutique · Old Dubai (Bur Dubai, along the Creek)

Al Seef Heritage Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton

Traditional wind-tower "bayt" architecture on Dubai Creek

No standalone pool, gym or spa (uses a sister property with a shuttle)

Great Barrier Reef & Cairns · resort · Palm Cove

Alamanda Palm Cove by Lancemore

Direct beach access from the property, on the Palm Cove sand rather than across the esplanade

Limited walkable dining options beyond the village strip

10 Days in Bali · boutique · Central Ubud

Alaya Resort Ubud

Walking distance to the Monkey Forest and Ubud Palace

On a busy central street with traffic

Ubud · boutique · Central Ubud

Alaya Resort Ubud

Walking distance to the Monkey Forest and Ubud Palace

On a busy central street with traffic

Halkidiki · family · Tripiti, near Ouranoupoli

Alexandros Palace Hotel and Suites

120,000 square metres on a Blue Flag beach with a Splash water park, a PADI dive centre, a spa, a mini club and boat rental, which is the value family option on a peninsula otherwise priced for couples

Seven kilometres outside Ouranoupoli village, so every dinner out and every boat means a car or a shuttle

Sicily · boutique · Syracuse (Ortigia)

Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel

Steps from the sea in Ortigia’s historic center

No sandy beach on site

California Coast Road Trip: Highway 1, San Francisco to Los Angeles · resort · Big Sur

Alila Ventana Big Sur

A 160-acre forest and sea setting with two pools and Japanese hot baths

Very high price point

Lisbon · boutique · Baixa / Chiado

AlmaLusa Baixa/Chiado

On the Praca do Municipio, minutes from the river and Alfama

No pool or spa

Paphos, Cyprus · design · Kato Paphos seafront

Almyra

Gardens on the seafront a short walk from the harbour, the fort and the mosaics

The beach in front is a small municipal one rather than a resort sand bay

Rajasthan Golden Triangle · boutique · Old City, Jaipur

Alsisar Haveli, Jaipur

A genuine 1892 family mansion converted to a hotel

Much smaller and simpler than the palace tier

Argentina: Buenos Aires and Mendoza Wine Country · luxury · Recoleta, Buenos Aires

Alvear Palace Hotel

A 1932 Recoleta landmark and the city’s most famous grand hotel

The formal style is not for minimalists

Tokyo · luxury · Otemachi

Aman Tokyo

Vast, minimalist lobby and rooms inspired by ryokan design

Among the most expensive rooms in Tokyo

Venice · luxury · Palazzo Papadopoli, San Polo, on the Grand Canal

Aman Venice

Occupies Palazzo Papadopoli, a 16th-century palace on the Grand Canal with Tiepolo ceiling paintings in the piano nobile rooms

24 rooms and suites, so dates are effectively fixed a season ahead

Sri Lanka Round Trip · luxury · Galle Fort

Amangalla

The oldest part of the building dates to 1684, inside the UNESCO-listed Galle Fort walls

No beach directly on site

Utah Mighty 5 and Grand Canyon Road Trip · luxury · Canyon Point, near Page

Amangiri

Concrete pavilions set into the desert of southern Utah, with a pool built round a rock outcrop

Several thousand dollars a night

Peloponnese · luxury · Above Porto Heli, Argolida

Amanzoe

Freestanding pavilions of about 210 square metres with private pools, terraced across a hilltop of olive groves above the Argolic coast

Seasonal: the resort closes for the winter, in recent years from mid-November to the end of March, so check the dates before you build a trip around it

Ella · unique · Ambadandegama valley, south-west of Ella

AMBA Estate

Fifteen rooms across four houses on a 120-acre farm of tea, forest and waterfalls, including a 1930s planter’s bungalow and former tea-workers’ line rooms

About 30 minutes’ drive from Ella, Bandarawela or Wellawaya

Peloponnese · boutique · Waterfront, Nafplio

Amphitryon Hotel

45 keys, 43 rooms and 2 suites, every one facing the harbour and the Bourtzi islet from the foot of the Acronafplia rock

A mid-century block rather than a stone mansion; the setting is the luxury, not the architecture

Okinawa · family · Manza peninsula, Onna coast

ANA InterContinental Manza Beach Resort

On its own peninsula facing Cape Manzamo across the bay, with a private beach

A large 1980s resort, however refreshed

Koh Samui · resort · Bophut Beach

Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort

Steps from Fisherman’s Village and its night market

Bophut beach is quieter and shallow at low tide

10 Days in Vietnam · resort · Thu Bon riverside, Hoi An

Anantara Hoi An Resort

Riverfront under a kilometre from the Ancient Town

Low-lying riverside, exposed in the wet season

Hoi An · resort · Thu Bon riverside

Anantara Hoi An Resort

Riverfront on the Thu Bon under a kilometre from the Ancient Town

Riverside setting is low-lying and exposed in the wet season

Koh Phangan · luxury · Thong Nai Pan Noi

Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas

64 pool suites and pool villas of 80 to 110 square metres, every one with its own plunge pool

No published nightly rate; the site sells multi-night packages instead

Paphos, Cyprus · luxury · Neo Chorio, near Latchi

Anassa

A Cypriot-village-styled hillside above its own beach on Chrysochou bay, with the Akamas as the view

About an hour from Paphos town, its sites and its airport

Abu Dhabi · unique · Capital Gate tower, near ADNEC, between downtown and the mosque

Andaz Capital Gate

Occupies the top floors of Capital Gate, certified by Guinness World Records as the world's furthest-leaning man-made tower at eighteen degrees, four times the lean of Pisa: the splayed-glass window geometry inside is unlike any other hotel room in the city

The location is convention-centre land: nothing walkable, everything by taxi

San Francisco and Napa Valley · design · Downtown Napa (West End)

Andaz Napa

Steps from 20-plus tasting rooms and the Wine Train

The concept-boutique feel can read corporate rather than wine-country

Greece in 10 Days: Athens, Mykonos & Santorini · luxury · Oia, Santorini

Andronis Boutique Hotel

24 recently renovated suites and villas perched on the Oia caldera cliff

Adults-only, so it does not work for a family leg of the trip

Cyclades Island Hopping: How to Plan the Route · design · Karavostasis, Folegandros

Anemi Hotel

A few minutes from Karavostasis port with a complimentary transfer, which on a small island matters

At the port rather than in the clifftop Chora, which is the reason most people come

El Nido, Palawan · boutique · Nacpan Beach

ANGKLA Beach Club & Boutique Resort

Directly on Nacpan’s four-kilometre sweep, with the beach club’s pool and bar as the daytime centre of gravity

45 minutes from town over a partly rough road, so boat-tour mornings start early

Corfu · resort · Benitses (southeast of Corfu Town)

Angsana Corfu Resort & Spa

Dramatic hillside setting and infinity pools

Steep, terraced layout means lots of steps and shuttles

St Lucia · resort · Anse Chastanet, north of Soufriere

Anse Chastanet

Rooms scattered from beach level up a rainforest hillside above two soft-sand bays, with the island’s best house snorkelling on the reef right off the beach

The access road from Soufriere is short but famously rough

Seychelles · value · Anse Soleil, Baie Lazare, Mahe

Anse Soleil Beachcomber

Family-owned and open since December 1995, on a small cove at the quiet southwestern corner of Mahe

You need a car: this corner of Mahe is a long way from Victoria and the bus is slow

Paphos, Cyprus · villa · Kouklia, on the ridge above Petra tou Romiou

Aphrodite Hills Resort

A hotel plus a whole estate of villas and apartments on a ridge with long views down the coast

A self-contained resort estate rather than anywhere with local life

Hanoi · boutique · Hoan Kiem, facing the lake on Hang Trong

Apricot Hotel

A working gallery as much as a hotel: more than 600 original works by Vietnamese painters through the lobby, corridors and rooms, with the room categories named Sketch, Canvas, Gallery, Masterpiece and Studio

The neo-classical styling is heavy and dates itself quickly in photographs; the art is better than the furniture

Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · unique · Arenal Volcano National Park boundary, west of La Fortuna

Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails

Describes itself as the only lodge within the national park, on a 352-hectare private reserve with 11 km of its own trails

16 km from La Fortuna on a road that turns to gravel at the end

Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · luxury · Playitas, Manuel Antonio

Arenas del Mar

One of the few luxury hotels in Manuel Antonio with direct beach access, on 11 acres (about 4.5 hectares) of reserve between Playitas and Espadilla

The site is steep; golf carts shuttle guests up and down

Cappadocia · luxury · Uçhisar

Argos in Cappadocia

Built into and around a 2,000-year-old monastery and ancient village over 14 years of restoration

Spread across nine mansions, meaning walking between rooms and facilities

Budapest · boutique · District V, beside St Stephen's Basilica

Aria Hotel Budapest

A music-themed boutique built around a covered garden courtyard one street from the Basilica, with wings themed to classical, opera, jazz and contemporary music and a music director curating the piano lounge

The theme is committed: musical motifs run from carpets to room names, which charms most and cloys for some

Prague · boutique · Mala Strana, Trziste, beside the Vrtba Garden

Aria Hotel Prague

A small music-themed hotel where the four floors are keyed to classical, jazz, opera and contemporary music, with a music director and a listening library: committed enough to be charming rather than decorative

Small rooms in a small building; the drama is the garden and the terrace, not the square metres

Santorini · boutique · Fira

Aria Suites & Villas

Caldera-view courtyard pool right in the heart of Fira

Fira is busier and less picturesque street-to-street than Oia or Imerovigli

Paphos, Cyprus · value · Geroskipou seafront, Paphos

Athena Royal Beach Hotel

A four-star deluxe adult-focused hotel on the seafront, part of the family-run Constantinou Bros group

Adults-only, so it is out for family trips

Athens · design · Koukaki, beside the Acropolis Museum

AthensWas Hotel

Directly on the pedestrian street beside the Acropolis Museum

Premium pricing for the location and design

Dubai · resort · Palm Jumeirah

Atlantis, The Palm

Aquaventure Waterpark and The Lost Chambers Aquarium on-site

Very large and can feel crowded at peak times

San Francisco and Napa Valley · luxury · Rutherford, Napa Valley

Auberge du Soleil

A 33-acre hillside estate with panoramic vineyard views

Requires a car for everything

Prague · luxury · Mala Strana, Letenska, below the castle

Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Prague

Built into a thirteenth-century Augustinian monastery across seven historic buildings, with an active monastic wing still next door: the frescoes, vaults and cloister courtyards are the reason to book, not the marketing

Monastery geometry means some rooms are dark or awkward; ask which courtyard or aspect you are getting rather than booking a category blind

Halkidiki · romantic · Komitsa Bay, Nea Roda, the Athos peninsula

Avaton Luxury Beach Resort

56 suites, villas and rooms on a private bay, a Relais et Chateaux member, which is a harder credential than most in the region

It markets a honeymoon under a name borrowed from the rule that bars women from the monastic territory a few kilometres away, which some guests will notice and some will not

Patagonia: Torres del Paine and El Chalten · luxury · Estancia Tercera Barranca, east of the park

Awasi Patagonia

14 villas on a private estancia, each with its own guide and 4x4 vehicle, so the day is yours

Prices and minimum stays are not published on the pages we read

Lisbon · luxury · Bairro Alto / Chiado

Bairro Alto Hotel

Rooftop terrace with a panoramic river and old-town view

Street and nightlife noise on lower floors in Bairro Alto

Andalusia Road Trip · boutique · Juderia, beside the Mezquita

Balcon de Cordoba

Ten rooms on two floors around three patios of a centuries-old house, with a roof terrace that looks onto the Mezquita’s walls

Ten rooms means it sells out early; book with the Alhambra tickets

Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · boutique · Soldiers Point, Port Stephens

Bannisters Port Stephens

A 1960s motel turned boutique hotel with a bay-facing pool and free on-site parking

The motel bones show: some rooms are small and a studio category has no balcony

Koh Samui · luxury · Lamai

Banyan Tree Samui

All-pool-villa resort on a private bay

Steep hillside layout means lots of buggy rides

Provence · luxury · Val d’Enfer, below Les Baux

Baumanière Les Baux-de-Provence

Founded in 1945, with 53 rooms spread through the valley below the fortress

Among the most expensive stays in the region, priced on the restaurant’s reputation

St Lucia · family · Reduit Beach, Rodney Bay

Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa

Directly on Reduit Beach with the Splash Island inflatable water park moored offshore

A friendly beach resort, not an architectural event: no Piton views here

Algarve · boutique · Praia da Rocha, Portimao

Bela Vista Hotel & Spa

A 1918 clifftop mansion, the Palacete, at the heart of a 38-room Relais & Chateaux property, with original stained glass and azulejo panels

Praia da Rocha around it is a high-rise resort strip, so the refinement ends at the property line

Amalfi Coast · luxury · Ravello

Belmond Hotel Caruso

Set in an 11th-century former palace with clifftop gardens

No direct beach access; the sea is a drive or bus ride below

Peru: Cusco & Machu Picchu · luxury · Cusco historic center

Belmond Hotel Monasterio

A restored 17th-century seminary on Inca foundations two blocks from the Plaza de Armas

Very high price

Peru: Cusco & Machu Picchu · luxury · Machu Picchu citadel gate

Belmond Sanctuary Lodge

The only hotel at the entrance to the Machu Picchu citadel

Among the most expensive hotels in South America

Utah Mighty 5 and Grand Canyon Road Trip · family · Bryce Canyon City

Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn

Open all year at the park gate, on the park shuttle route in season

Large, busy and tour-bus heavy

Mykonos · design · Megali Ammos, near Mykonos Town

Bill & Coo Suites and Lounge

Sea-view suites with a sea-facing infinity pool and Sunset Lounge Bar

Small, intimate property that books out fast in high season

Ubud · boutique · Jalan Bisma, central Ubud

Bisma Eight

Contemporary design in a jungle-edge setting

Compact grounds rather than a sprawling resort

New Zealand South Island Road Trip: The 10-Day Loop · luxury · Glenorchy

Blanket Bay

A lodge on Lake Wakatipu at the foot of the Humboldt Mountains near Glenorchy

Top-of-market lodge pricing

Koh Phangan · unique · Bottle Beach, north coast

Bottle Beach 1 Resort

On Haad Khuat, Bottle Beach, reached only by longtail from Chaloklum or by the jungle trail, with a pool and a restaurant on the sand

Fan only: no air-conditioned category on the site

Utah Mighty 5 and Grand Canyon Road Trip · boutique · Boulder, Scenic Byway 12

Boulder Mountain Lodge

Hell’s Backbone Grill next door, now under the same ownership

Remote, with nothing else in Boulder after dark

Mauritius · unique · Bois Cheri tea estate, south-centre

Bubble Lodge, Bois Cheri

Transparent dome lodges on the Bois Cheri tea estate, half board included, with an 18-hole course and a private beach at La Flibuste thrown in

A bubble is a bubble: no walls, and the plateau nights are cool and often wet

Koh Phangan · boutique · Thong Nai Pan Noi

Buri Rasa Village Phangan

Thai village architecture along the beach at Thong Nai Pan Noi, with reserved loungers for the oceanfront rooms

The oceanfront rooms are for guests aged 16 and over, so families take the garden categories

Venice · boutique · Dorsoduro, beside Santa Maria della Salute

Ca Maria Adele

A 16th-century palazzo on a canal beside the Salute church, with a handful of themed rooms

A historic palazzo with stairs between floors, so confirm lift access and room layout when booking

Utah Mighty 5 and Grand Canyon Road Trip · value · Springdale

Cable Mountain Lodge

At the pedestrian entrance to Zion and the shuttle hub, so the car stays parked

Next to the busiest shops in Springdale

El Nido, Palawan · boutique · Caalan Beach, ten minutes’ walk from town

Cadlao Resort & Restaurant

Quiet Caalan beachfront looking straight at Cadlao Island, close enough to walk into town along the shore

The walk into town is dark and uneven at night; most guests ride

Santorini · luxury · Oia

Canaves Oia Suites

46 suites and villas with some of the best-known caldera views in Oia

Very expensive, especially caldera-view categories

St Lucia · boutique · Smugglers Cove, Cap Estate

Cap Maison

A Relais & Chateaux villa hotel above Smugglers Cove at the island’s northern tip

The cove beach below is small and shared

Mallorca · unique · Cala Blava, Bay of Palma

Cap Rocat

A 19th-century military fortress converted into a hotel, carved into the cliffs of the Bay of Palma

Isolated: a car or transfers needed for everything

Phuket · resort · Cape Panwa (southeast peninsula)

Cape Panwa Hotel

A historic property on a quiet peninsula

Southeast location is far from the west-coast beaches and nightlife

Mirissa · luxury · Kalukanda Road, the Weligama headland

Cape Weligama

Resplendent Ceylon’s cliff-top resort, with a crescent Moon Pool on the edge of the headland and private and shared pools among the villas

From 11 April to 31 August the sun sets behind the headland to the north-west, up to 26 minutes early in June

Sri Lanka Round Trip · resort · Weligama, near Galle

Cape Weligama

Cliff-top setting about 40 metres above the Indian Ocean, roughly 30 minutes from Galle

Not walkable to Galle Fort, a car or tuk-tuk is needed

Hanoi · design · French Quarter, a few minutes from the Opera House

Capella Hanoi

47 rooms and suites, each individually designed by Bill Bensley around the theme of a 1920s opera house, with rooms staged as the dressing rooms and studios of invented performers

The maximalist design is the point and it is relentless; travelers who want calm neutral rooms will find it exhausting

Provence · boutique · Bonnieux, Petit Luberon

Capelongue, a Beaumier Hotel & Spa

Reopened on 1 May 2024 after a two-year renovation by the Beaumier group, with 57 rooms and suites

Older guides still describe the pre-2020 Capelongue under its former chef; that hotel is gone

Cappadocia · value · Göreme

Cappadocia Cave Suites

Real cave rooms at a fraction of Uçhisar’s luxury rates

Simpler finishes than the region’s design-led properties

French Riviera (Cote d'Azur) · luxury · Cannes, La Croisette

Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel

On La Croisette since 1911

Prices spike sharply during the Cannes Film Festival in mid-May

Tel Aviv · luxury · Seafront by the marina, north end of the promenade

Carlton Tel Aviv

Directly above the marina and Atarim seafront with genuine full-sea views from the west-facing rooms, and the rooftop pool deck to match

The immediate landward surroundings, the Atarim plaza, are the least lovely blocks on the seafront pending a long-debated redevelopment

Peru: Cusco & Machu Picchu · value · San Blas, Cusco

Casa Andina Standard Cusco San Blas

A Peruvian chain built around a colonial stone patio

Basic amenities with no spa or pool

Amalfi Coast · design · Praiano

Casa Angelina

An all-white, minimalist design rare on this coast of majolica tile and pastel facades

Seasonal, open only April through October

Rhodes · boutique · Kolymbia

Casa Cook Rhodes

Bohemian low-rise design with swim-up rooms and shared or private pools

The beach is a walk or shuttle away rather than on site

Langkawi · boutique · Pantai Cenang (north end)

Casa del Mar

A small Mediterranean-styled boutique directly on the quieter north end of Cenang beach

Small rooms and grounds by resort standards; this is an intimate property

Malta · romantic · Old Theatre Street, Valletta

Casa Ellul

Only nine suites in a Victorian-period palazzo, with restored patterned tiles and Maltese wooden balconies

No pool that we could find on its site

Morocco: Marrakech, Sahara & Chefchaouen · boutique · Chefchaouen old medina

Casa Hassan

A long-established riad guesthouse in the medina

No pool

Algarve · boutique · Lagos old town

Casa Mae

A small design hotel across three buildings and a garden at the top of Lagos's old town, with its own restaurant, pool and kitchen garden

Not on a beach: the coves are a walk or a short drive

Mexico City · luxury · Polanco, on Luis G. Urbina facing Parque Lincoln

Casa Polanco

A 1940s neocolonial mansion facing Parque Lincoln, restored into a 19-room boutique with a modernist wing: marble bathrooms, a filled library, and the feel of staying in a collector's house rather than a hotel

Among the most expensive addresses in the city, and its manicured corner of Polanco is the least street-food-flavored base in this guide

Fiji · resort · Mamanuca Islands

Castaway Island, Fiji

Family-friendly thatched bures on a private Mamanuca island

Whole-island resort so limited dining variety

Tuscany · luxury · Montalcino, Val d’Orcia

Castello di Velona Resort, Thermal Spa & Winery

An 11th-century fortress overlooking the Val d’Orcia

Expensive

Banff and Lake Louise · romantic · Yoho Valley Road, near Field

Cathedral Mountain Lodge

Log cabins on the Kicking Horse River at the foot of the Yoho Valley Road, on a site first built as miners’ housing in 1930

Open only from late May to early October

Rhodes · value · Rhodes Old Town

Cava d’Oro

A small family-run hotel in a centuries-old stone building by the eastern walls

Simple rooms with the quirks of a very old building

Argentina: Buenos Aires and Mendoza Wine Country · romantic · Alto Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo

Cavas Wine Lodge

Private villas set in a working Malbec estate with Andes views

Isolated by design: every outing needs a driver

Abu Dhabi · value · Yas Island, on the hotel strip near Yas Mall

Centro Yas Island

Rotana's select-service brand done properly: compact modern rooms, a pool, and a location on the Yas hotel strip with the free Yas Express shuttle to the theme parks and beach

Rooms are small and the breakfast operation gets slammed in park season: eat early

Sri Lanka Round Trip · unique · Bogawantalawa Valley, hill country

Ceylon Tea Trails

Five restored colonial tea-planter bungalows on working tea estates

Three to four hours’ drive from Colombo airport, well off the direct Kandy to Ella route

Seychelles · value · Anse Reunion, La Digue

Chalets Bamboo Vert

Ten rooms within walking distance of the harbour, which on a car-free island is the whole game

Simple rooms: this is a guesthouse, not a boutique hotel

Seychelles · apartment · Baie Ste Anne, Praslin

Chalets Cote Mer

A family-run spread of ocean-view rooms, 80 square metre waterfront suites with kitchenettes and larger two and three bedroom villas with barbecues

Baie Ste Anne is a working harbour village, not a beach resort strip: the swimming is better elsewhere on the island

Ella · villa · 6 Mile Post, Passara Road

Chill Ville View Point Hotel

Seven villas, from doubles to family units, around an outdoor pool

At the 6 Mile Post, a tuk-tuk ride from the town and the station

Mexico City · design · Centro Historico, on Republica de Guatemala directly behind the Metropolitan Cathedral

Circulo Mexicano

A 19th-century merchant building turned 25-room hotel by Grupo Habita, with Ambrosi Etchegaray's Shaker-inspired rooms wrapped around a light-well courtyard: the most convincing argument for basing in the Centro

The Centro empties at night: dinner options within a short walk thin out after 9pm and the good evening neighborhoods are a ride away

New York City · design · Bowery / Lower East Side

citizenM New York Bowery

cloudM rooftop bar with skyline views

Small rooms with limited storage

Istanbul · luxury · Beşiktaş (Bosphorus shore)

Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul

A former 19th-century Ottoman palace on the Bosphorus, now a Kempinski hotel, with a redesigned lobby and new restaurants announced on its site in 2026

Away from the Old City sights, needs a taxi, tram or ferry connection

Koh Phangan · family · Leela Beach, Haad Rin

Cocohut Beach Resort

On Leela Beach, the small west-facing bay around the headland from Haad Rin Nai, with its own sand

Minimum stays: five nights in high season and three in low season around every Full Moon date, with no check-in or check-out from the day before a party to the day after; last New Year it asked for seven consecutive nights for any stay in the 27 December to 2 January window, and the 2026 rule was not yet published

Kerala Backwaters · boutique · Kumarakom, on a canal off Vembanad, reached by boat

Coconut Lagoon, CGH Earth

The property is only reachable by boat from the jetty, which starts the stay properly and keeps road noise out entirely

Heritage buildings mean smaller windows, older bathrooms and more insects than a new-build resort; that is the trade

10 Days in Bali · luxury · Sanggingan, Ubud

COMO Uma Ubud

Private-pool villas over the valley

Premium rates

Ubud · luxury · Sanggingan

COMO Uma Ubud

Private-pool villas over the valley

Premium rates

Mexico City · design · Condesa, on Avenida Veracruz facing Parque Espana

Condesa DF

The 1928 triangular apartment building on Parque Espana that launched the neighborhood's hotel scene, with India Mahdavi interiors: wraparound balconies over the trees are the rooms to ask for

Rooms are compact and the scene cuts both ways: the roof and patio carry sound into nearby floors on weekend nights

Bora Bora · luxury · Motu To'opua (southwest)

Conrad Bora Bora Nui

Reopened 1 May 2026 after a winter renovation that refreshed villas and added larger sunset-facing overwater bungalows

No Otemanu-from-bed view; the mountain sits behind you

Sardinia · resort · Chia (Domus de Maria), south coast

Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia

107 rooms and suites in the Chia Laguna resort behind the Chia dunes and lagoon

The beach is a shuttle ride away, not on the doorstep

Maldives Overwater Villas · luxury · Alif Dhaal Atoll (South Ari)

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Home to Ithaa, the all-glass undersea restaurant the resort bills as the world’s first, five metres below the surface since 2005

Ithaa is small (14 seats per service) and books out well in advance

Two Weeks in Japan · luxury · Nakanoshima, Osaka

Conrad Osaka

Occupies floors 33 to 40 of a Nakanoshima tower with river and city views

A taxi or several train changes from Dotonbori’s food streets

Seychelles · luxury · Anse Kerlan, Praslin

Constance Lemuria

Home to the only 18-hole championship golf course in Seychelles, laid out through granite and palm on the island’s northwest tip

Anse Georgette sits behind the resort and the access arrangement for non-guests has been changing: if you are not staying, call ahead rather than turn up

Mauritius · luxury · Poste de Flacq, north-east coast

Constance Prince Maurice

Le Barachois, a floating restaurant reached along a lantern-lit pontoon through the mangroves, is the most distinctive dinner on the east coast

The inlet setting means less classic beach than Belle Mare a few kilometres south

Rio de Janeiro · luxury · Avenida Atlantica, Copacabana

Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel

The 1923 white palace facing the sand is Brazil's grand hotel, and the Mee pan-Asian room and the Pergula terrace are destinations in their own right

The Pool Wing, the spa and the Cipriani restaurant are closed for renovation until 8 October 2026, with a temporary sixth-floor pool as the stand-in; if the famous pool is the point, wait until it reopens

Provence · resort · Gargas, between Apt and Roussillon

Coquillade Provence

A five-star hotel village of 69 rooms on a hilltop vineyard estate, with a private villa for up to 14

At 69 rooms it is the largest of the Luberon estates here and feels less intimate

Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · resort · Airlie Beach

Coral Sea Marina Resort

On the headland above Coral Sea Marina, where the Ocean Rafting boats leave

The walk back from town is steep

Malta · unique · Xaghra, Gozo

Cornucopia Hotel

Converted from a Gozitan farmhouse more than 300 years old

Its old domain, cornucopiahotel.com, is a broken placeholder: use the operator’s page

Andalusia Road Trip · boutique · Alfalfa, Seville

Corral del Rey

A 17th-century casa palacio in the Alfalfa quarter, five minutes from the cathedral, restored around an atrium patio with Roman marble columns

Inside the old-town restricted zone: the car cannot come to the door, so plan the garage first

Provence · unique · Crillon-le-Brave, at the foot of Mont Ventoux

Crillon le Brave

About a dozen seventeenth- and eighteenth-century houses around the village church, turned into 26 rooms and 17 suites by the designer Charles Zana

Rooms are spread across several houses, some a walk from the spa and restaurant

New York City · boutique · SoHo

Crosby Street Hotel

Individually designed rooms by Kit Kemp

Expensive for the room size

Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · resort · Cairns Esplanade

Crystalbrook Riley

Steps from the free Esplanade Lagoon, ten minutes from the airport and the reef terminal

Rooms are on the small side for the price

Malta · boutique · Senglea, the Three Cities

Cugó Gran Macina Malta

Only 21 suites, up to 130 square metres, inside a sixteenth-century harbour fortification built by the Knights

Across the harbour from Valletta, so evenings in the capital mean the ferry or a taxi

Morocco: Marrakech, Sahara & Chefchaouen · boutique · Chefchaouen old medina (near Bab Souk)

Dar Chefchaouen

A preserved building over 250 years old in the heart of the medina

Website does not confirm a pool or spa

Patagonia: Torres del Paine and El Chalten · boutique · Lionel Terray, El Chalten

Destino Sur Hotel & Spa de Montana

Premium rooms of 35 m2 and duplexes of 46 m2 for up to five

Room count not stated

Mirissa · family · Batheegama, Dickwella

Dickwella Resort & Spa

A Browns Hotels resort on a point with beaches on both sides, an ocean-facing pool and the Ayuwasa spa

About 35 kilometres from Mirissa, close to but not on Hiriketiya bay

Mauritius · resort · Le Morne peninsula, south-west

Dinarobin Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa

A dedicated adults-only area with its own pool, plus a free kids' club for 3 to 11, so it works for both

Feels like half of a bigger complex, because it is

Corfu · value · Northwest coast

Dogma Boutique Studios (northwest)

Good value near the northwest coves

Simple, not luxurious

Provence · family · Les Baux-de-Provence

Domaine de Manville

Thirty rooms and nine houses on a golf estate at the foot of Les Baux, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World

More golf resort than Provençal village

Corfu · luxury · Moraitika / near Corfu Town

Domes Miramare, a Luxury Collection Resort

Adults-oriented, quiet, polished service

Expensive

Crete · boutique · Chania Old Town, on the Venetian Harbour

Domus Renier

A restored Venetian noble residence directly on the Old Harbour

No pool

Turks and Caicos · unique · Mudjin Harbour, Middle Caicos

Dragon Cay Resort at Mudjin Harbour

Sits on about 2,200 feet of preserved beachfront at Mudjin Harbour, which is the most dramatic coast in the Turks and Caicos

No real restaurant on site: the property's own dining page points at other venues and acknowledges that villa guests take food home for evenings when nothing is open

Halkidiki · luxury · Ouranoupoli, the Athos peninsula

Eagles Palace

A three-year renovation was completed on 14 May 2026, the final phase covering the reception and adding the Patio Bistro day bar, with every guest room, suite and bungalow, every dining venue and all the public areas touched across the three years, so 2026 is the first season of the finished product

The Athos peninsula is a long transfer, about 121 kilometres and about two hours from the airport

Queenstown · luxury · Queenstown Town Centre (lakefront)

Eichardt’s Private Hotel

A Queenstown institution operating on the same lakefront site since 1861

Very small property, books out early

Two Weeks in New Zealand · luxury · Queenstown

Eichardt’s Private Hotel

A historic lakefront hotel in central Queenstown

Among the most expensive rooms in the country

Ella · boutique · Sandungama Road, Ella

EKHO Ella

Superior and Premier rooms and Junior Suites with private jacuzzis, overlooking the Ella Gap

The room count is not printed on the hotel’s site

California Coast Road Trip: Highway 1, San Francisco to Los Angeles · luxury · Santa Barbara

El Encanto

A hillside property in Santa Barbara’s Riviera district, above the city and the sea

Luxury pricing

Morocco: Marrakech, Sahara & Chefchaouen · luxury · Marrakech Medina (Bab El Ksour)

El Fenn

41 individually styled rooms around an extensive contemporary African art collection

Among the most expensive riads in the medina

Utah Mighty 5 and Grand Canyon Road Trip · luxury · Grand Canyon Village, South Rim

El Tovar Hotel

The 1905 grand lodge of the South Rim, steps from the edge on the Rim Trail

Closed to overnight guests through at least 31 October 2026, after the flood broke the water supply

Athens · luxury · Syntagma / Plaka border

Electra Metropolis Athens

Rooftop pool and restaurant with panoramic Acropolis views

A big hotel rather than an intimate one; can feel corporate for a couples trip

Cape Town & the Winelands · luxury · Bantry Bay (Atlantic Seaboard)

Ellerman House

Edwardian mansion with an extensive private art and wine collection

Expensive and formal for travelers who want a casual stay

Kuala Lumpur · design · Chinatown, in the 1930 Lee Rubber Building on Jalan Tun H.S. Lee

Else Kuala Lumpur

A 49-room conversion of the Lee Rubber Building, the 1930 art-deco block that was once the tallest in the city, with the adaptive reuse led by Studio Bikin keeping the concrete bones and cutting light wells through the floors

The immediate blocks are loud, commercial Chinatown, and street-facing rooms hear the market winding down late

Paphos, Cyprus · resort · Beside the Tombs of the Kings

Elysium

A five-star beachfront resort with the UNESCO necropolis as its immediate neighbour, roughly 500 metres away

Byzantine-revival decor that will not suit everyone

Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · resort · Hastings Street, Noosa Heads

Elysium Noosa Resort, MGallery

The former Sofitel, refitted and rebranded in December 2025, on Hastings Street with Main Beach and the national park walk at the door

Luxury pricing, higher again in school holidays

Banff and Lake Louise · unique · Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park

Emerald Lake Lodge

Established by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1902 on a point in Emerald Lake

No TVs, no in-room WiFi, no cell service and no air conditioning, all stated plainly

Abu Dhabi · luxury · Al Ras Al Akhdar, west end of the Corniche

Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental

A genuine landmark: 394 rooms and suites under gold-leafed domes in gardens running down to a 1.3-kilometre private beach, next door to Qasr Al Watan

The scale is palatial rather than intimate: corridors run to hundreds of metres and the walk to breakfast is real

Patagonia: Torres del Paine and El Chalten · luxury · Estancia Alice, between El Calafate and the glacier

EOLO

17 rooms on a 10,000-acre estancia off the road to the Perito Moreno glacier

A drive to town for anything else

Halkidiki · unique · Nikiti beach, Sithonia

Ergon Beach House Nikiti

36 lodge tents and stone cabanas, some with private pools, built under pine and olive within twenty metres of the water, which is as close as design accommodation gets here

Heat, weather and noise are real at this build type and the site addresses none of it

Madrid · apartment · Calle de San Bernardo, Malasana

Eric Vokel Madrid Suites

A whole-building apartment hotel in Malasana, with apartments for up to six people

Reception is staffed only from 09:00 to 17:00

Los Cabos · luxury · Punta Ballena (Tourist Corridor)

Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection

Set on the bluffs of Punta Ballena over two private coves

Premium pricing even by Los Cabos standards

Patagonia: Torres del Paine and El Chalten · value · Cerro Calafate, above the town

Esplendor El Calafate

Lake-view and mountain-view rooms on the hill above town, about 75 kilometres from the glacier

Uphill from the main street

Hanoi · value · Old Quarter, on Ta Hien

Essence Hanoi Hotel & Spa

A 30-room family-run hotel with a spa, an included breakfast and a level of attentiveness that reads as three categories above the price

Ta Hien is the beer corner and the noise runs late into the night, especially at weekends: this is the trade for the location and it is not negotiable

Zanzibar · resort · Nungwi

Essque Zalu Zanzibar

Distinctive makuti thatched-roof architecture on the northern tip

Expensive relative to the wider Nungwi area

Peloponnese · luxury · Mystras, below the Byzantine city

Euphoria Retreat

45 rooms and suites in a wellness hotel at the foot of the Mystras hill, with the UNESCO site a few minutes away

Those rates are the entry point, and the programmes cost more

Patagonia: Torres del Paine and El Chalten · luxury · Salto Chico, Lago Pehoe, inside the park

Explora Torres del Paine

50 rooms at the Salto Chico outflow of Lago Pehoe, with the Paine massif across the water

Sold as multi-night programmes: its site prices eight nights across two of its lodges from 7,000 dollars a person

Koh Phangan · design · Haad Rin Nai

Explorar Koh Phangan

Listed on booking sites under its former name, The Coast Resort, now rebranded and adults-only from 16, on Haad Rin Nai with the calmer of the two Haad Rin beaches in front

Adults only, so no families

Tel Aviv · design · Nahalat Binyamin, south Lev Ha'ir

Fabric Hotel

An Atlas boutique property in a converted textile-district building between Nahalat Binyamin and Allenby, with a compact rooftop and a lobby bar that functions as a neighborhood hangout

This is the loud, lived-in end of the centre: light sleepers should ask for an upper rear room or look to the Old North

Banff and Lake Louise · luxury · Spray Avenue, Banff

Fairmont Banff Springs

A hotel since 1888 above the Bow Falls, with 724 rooms and suites

Parking is 39 dollars a night self-park and 59 valet

Banff and Lake Louise · luxury · Lake Louise lakeshore

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

539 rooms on the shore of Lake Louise, looking down the lake to Victoria Glacier

Parking is 40 dollars a day self-park and 55 valet

Prague · design · Old Town riverside, namesti Curieovych, facing the Vltava

Fairmont Golden Prague

The 1968 to 1974 InterContinental by Karel Filsak, the first international five-star in Czechoslovakia and the first American investment in the Eastern Bloc, reopened on 15 April 2025 as Fairmont's first Central European hotel after a total rebuild

A large hotel, and it feels like one: the intimacy of the Mala Strana conversions is not on offer here

Banff and Lake Louise · resort · Lac Beauvert, Jasper

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

Cabins and suites around Lac Beauvert on a large resort estate a few minutes from town

The far end of the route, four hours or more back to Lake Louise

San Francisco and Napa Valley · luxury · Nob Hill, San Francisco

Fairmont San Francisco

A 1907 Beaux-Arts landmark with grand public spaces

On a steep hill, a real climb on foot

Kenya-Tanzania Safari Route · value · Talek River, Masai Mara, Kenya

Fig Tree Camp, Masai Mara

Unrestricted reserve access despite a value price

A larger property, so less exclusivity and more of a group feel

Miami · resort · Mid-Beach

Fontainebleau Miami Beach

1954 Morris Lapidus architecture

Enormous scale means it can feel impersonal and crowded

Egypt: Cairo, Luxor & the Nile · luxury · Garden City, Cairo

Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza

364 rooms up a 30-floor tower on the Garden City corniche, most with full-frontal Nile views

A big-city tower rather than a characterful address

Budapest · luxury · District V, facing the Chain Bridge on Szechenyi Istvan square

Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace

The 1906 Gresham Palace itself, one of Europe's great Art Nouveau buildings, restored down to its peacock gates and mosaic floors: sleeping here is sleeping inside the city's best facade

The most expensive rooms in Hungary, and river-view categories carry a steep premium over courtyard-facing ones

Istanbul · luxury · Sultanahmet

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet

Two blocks from Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace

Expensive relative to the neighborhood

Kuala Lumpur · luxury · KLCC, beside the Petronas Towers and KLCC Park

Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur

The best position in KLCC: next door to the towers and overlooking KLCC Park, so the classic KL view, towers plus green, is the window view from the upper floors

A tall corporate tower rather than a place with local character; you could be in several cities from the inside

Madrid · luxury · Centro Canalejas, near Puerta del Sol

Four Seasons Hotel Madrid

Unites seven historic buildings in the Centro Canalejas complex, just off Puerta del Sol

Very busy tourist streets right outside

Mexico City · luxury · On Paseo de la Reforma at the edge of Chapultepec park

Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City

Built hacienda-style around a planted central courtyard, so the whole hotel turns its back on eight lanes of Reforma and faces its own garden: breakfast outside faces planting instead of traffic

International-luxury character rather than a Mexico City one: the courtyard could be in several countries

Lisbon · luxury · Marques de Pombal / Eduardo VII Park

Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon

Ten storeys above Eduardo VII Park with sweeping city views

About 15 minutes by taxi, or a 45-minute walk, from Alfama and the old town

Seoul · luxury · Gwanghwamun / Jongno

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

A 29-story tower designed with references to Korean palace architecture

Expensive relative to Seoul’s midrange hotels

Sydney · luxury · The Rocks / CBD

Four Seasons Hotel Sydney

Sweeping Harbour Bridge and CBD views from upper floors

A big, business-hotel feel rather than boutique

10 Days in Bali · luxury · Sayan, near Ubud

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan

Rice-bowl entry bridge over the Ayung River valley

Very expensive

Ubud · luxury · Sayan

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan

The rice-bowl bridge and the Ayung River valley setting

Very expensive

Bora Bora · luxury · Motu Tehotu (northeast)

Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora

About 100 overwater bungalows plus beachfront villas on a private motu, with one of the island's most photographed sightlines back to Otemanu

Top-of-market rates, and meals and transfers priced to match

Chiang Mai · resort · Mae Rim valley, about 30 minutes north of the city

Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai

Pavilions and pool villas set around working rice terraces with resident water buffalo, one of the most photographed resort settings in Asia

Every restaurant and temple in town is a 30-minute transfer away, so it works as a resort stay with city excursions rather than a city base

Koh Samui · luxury · Laem Yai Bay (northwest)

Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui

Hillside private-pool villas with sweeping bay views

Very expensive

Langkawi · resort · Tanjung Rhu (northeast)

Four Seasons Resort Langkawi

About 90 pavilions and villas along the Tanjung Rhu sand, styled with Moorish and Malay flourishes by designer Bill Bensley

Isolated from the island's restaurant life; count on resort dining most nights

Maldives Overwater Villas · luxury · Baa Atoll

Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru

103 villas across a jungle-covered island inside the Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve

A 35-minute seaplane transfer adds real cost and daylight-hours scheduling

Mallorca · resort · Formentor peninsula

Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor

The storied 1929 Hotel Formentor, reopened in August 2024 after a full restoration

Remote: a winding 20-minute drive from Port de Pollença

Maui and Oahu: Planning the Two-Island Hawaii Trip · luxury · Wailea, Maui

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

The benchmark resort on Wailea Beach, with some of the largest standard rooms on the island at around 600 square feet plus lanai

Among the highest rates in Hawaiʻi, before the roughly 18 percent lodging taxes

Mauritius · luxury · Anahita, east coast near Trou d'Eau Douce

Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita

All-villa layout with private pools

East coast wind in winter

Seychelles · luxury · Petite Anse, Baie Lazare, Mahe

Four Seasons Resort Seychelles

Around 67 villas and residences terraced down a forested hillside to Petite Anse, one of the prettiest small bays on Mahe

The hillside is genuinely steep and you will live in a buggy, which is charming for two days and tiring for ten

Hoi An · luxury · Ha My Beach, Dien Ban Dong ward (north of Hoi An)

Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An

All-villa beachfront resort with three-tier infinity pools

Among the most expensive stays in the region

Kenya-Tanzania Safari Route · resort · Central Serengeti (Seronera), Tanzania

Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti

Full luxury-brand infrastructure rare in so remote a setting, with spa, dining and a waterhole pool

A large, resort-like property that trades bush intimacy for polish

Miami · design · Mid-Beach

Freehand Miami

Design-forward property with the Broken Shaker courtyard bar

Mixes hostel-style dorms with private rooms, so common areas can be noisy and party-oriented

Crete · family · Agia Galini (south coast)

Galini Tropika

Family-run, seventeen suites directly on the beach beside a small river

Simple, low-key suites for two or three people, so larger families need two

Venice · value · Fondamenta Zitelle, Giudecca

Generator Venice

Dorm beds and private rooms in a converted warehouse facing San Marco across the water

Giudecca means the vaporetto for every trip, and the late-night timetable thins out

Rhodes · resort · Gennadi, south coast

Gennadi Grand Resort

A five-star spread of pools and gardens behind a long, uncrowded south-coast beach

Remote from Rhodes Town: about an hour’s drive to the Old Town

Istanbul · boutique · Galata

Georges Hotel Galata

A restored 1882 building with the rooftop restaurant Le Fumoir and Bosphorus views

No pool

Maldives Overwater Villas · luxury · North Male Atoll

Gili Lankanfushi

45 overwater villas and residences, all on stilts over the lagoon

Every villa is over the water, so there is no beach villa option; the island has sandy beaches, but you walk to them rather than step out onto one

Banff and Lake Louise · unique · Columbia Icefield, Icefields Parkway

Glacier View Lodge

Rooms on the third floor of the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre, looking at the glacier or the mountains

Open 1 May to 12 October in 2026 only

Zanzibar · resort · Kendwa

Gold Zanzibar Beach House & Spa

On Kendwa’s tideless white-sand beach

Limited independent dining nearby, most meals are on-site

Prague · boutique · Mala Strana, U Zlate studne, on the castle slope

Golden Well Hotel (U Zlate studne)

A Renaissance house wedged against the castle wall at the top of a cul-de-sac, so the terrace and the upper rooms look straight down over the Palace Gardens and across the whole right bank

The approach is a steep cobbled lane with steps: not a hotel for heavy luggage, tired knees or a late-night taxi that wants to reach the door

Two Weeks in Japan · luxury · Gora, Hakone

Gora Kadan

Built on the grounds of a former Imperial family villa

Expensive relative to Hakone’s midrange ryokans

Utah Mighty 5 and Grand Canyon Road Trip · value · Oljato-Monument Valley, Utah

Goulding’s Lodge

Restaurant, grocery, fuel, museum and tours in one place, which matters out here

A few miles outside the tribal park

Kenya-Tanzania Safari Route · unique · Musiara Marsh, Masai Mara, Kenya

Governors’ Camp, Masai Mara

A prime unfenced site on the Mara River with year-round resident wildlife

Being unfenced on a game path means animals wander through, a real safety-briefing matter

Turks and Caicos · luxury · Grace Bay, Providenciales

Grace Bay Club

Three distinct wings including an adults-only side, so couples and families are not sharing the same pool deck

Two of its six dining venues are shut as we publish: The Grill closed for the season 7 August to 5 November 2026 and Krave 17 August to 15 November 2026

Santorini · luxury · Imerovigli

Grace Hotel Santorini, Auberge Resorts Collection

One of the largest infinity pools on the caldera rim

Only around 20 rooms, so it books out fast

Jeju Island · luxury · Jeju Dream Tower, Yeon-dong, Jeju City

Grand Hyatt Jeju

1,600 suites in the twin towers of Jeju Dream Tower, standard rooms of 65 square metres that the hotel calls the largest in Korea

A 1,600-room tower in the neon district, nowhere near a beach

Los Cabos · resort · Tourist Corridor (Cabo San Lucas side)

Grand Velas Los Cabos

The benchmark for luxury all-inclusive in Los Cabos: suites, spa and a two-Michelin-key level of dining included

The beach in front is often flagged unsafe for swimming; pools are the default

Chiang Mai · value · Old City, near Chang Phueak (North) Gate

Green Tiger House

A friendly guesthouse-scale hotel with a small pool and rooftop lounge, minutes from the North Gate night food market

Rooms are simple and the pool is compact; this is comfort, not luxury

Dubai · luxury · Dubai Marina

Grosvenor House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Dubai

Twin towers directly on the Marina promenade

No direct beach access from the hotel itself

Jeju Island · resort · Pyoseon, south-east coast

Haevichi Hotel & Resort Jeju

An outdoor twin pool facing the sea, open 09:00 to 22:00, plus an indoor pool, a sauna and Spa Ara

Far from both the airport and Jungmun

Maui and Oahu: Planning the Two-Island Hawaii Trip · luxury · Waikīkī, Oʻahu

Halekulani

A century-old Waikīkī institution on the beach at Kalia Road, serene where its neighbors are loud

Formal and quiet by design; travelers wanting a party scene should look elsewhere

Okinawa · luxury · Nakama, Onna coast

Halekulani Okinawa

About a mile of natural coastline inside the Okinawa Kaigan Quasi-National Park, not a built beach

No published rates

Miami · value · Brickell / Downtown

Hampton Inn & Suites Miami/Brickell-Downtown

Reliable midrange standard close to Metromover and Metrorail

No beach nearby, with Miami Beach a 20 minute drive away

Mauritius · romantic · Bel Ombre, south coast

Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Wellness Resort

Plantation-style architecture on the Bel Ombre estate with a nature reserve behind it

Windward coast in winter and a long way from the north

Sri Lanka Round Trip · design · Dambulla, cultural triangle

Heritance Kandalama

A landmark building by architect Geoffrey Bawa set into 211 acres of forest

A drive from central Dambulla and Sigiriya itself, so a car is needed

Athens · boutique · Koukaki / Plaka border, near the Acropolis

Herodion Hotel

Rooftop garden terrace with an unobstructed Acropolis view

Rooms are comfortable rather than design-forward

Jeju Island · design · Yerae, above Jungmun

Hidden Cliff Hotel & Nature

250 rooms in a minimalist building 90 metres up on the Yerae cliff, next to a firefly sanctuary

On a cliff, not a beach

Turkish Riviera (Bodrum to Antalya) · resort · Kalemya Bay, Fethiye

Hillside Beach Club

Its own pine-ringed bay just outside Fethiye, with 330 rooms oriented toward the water

A resort bubble: Fethiye town needs a shuttle or taxi ride

Egypt: Cairo, Luxor & the Nile · resort · Luxor east bank, beside Karnak

Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa

Nile-edge infinity pools looking across to the Theban hills

A 10-to-15-minute ride from Luxor Temple and the town evening

Okinawa · family · Mihama, Chatan

Hilton Okinawa Chatan Resort

Five minutes' walk to American Village and Sunset Beach

No beach of its own

Hoi An · value · Cua Dai road, Hoi An Dong ward

Hoi An Ancient House Resort & Spa

Traditional Hoi An style architecture

Simpler than the luxury resorts

Utah Mighty 5 and Grand Canyon Road Trip · family · Tusayan, South Rim

Holiday Inn Resort Grand Canyon

Open while every lodge inside the park is closed to overnight guests

No canyon views

Argentina: Buenos Aires and Mendoza Wine Country · boutique · Palermo Hollywood, Buenos Aires

Home Hotel

A pioneering Palermo Hollywood boutique with a garden and pool

Rooms are boutique-sized rather than grand

Utah Mighty 5 and Grand Canyon Road Trip · design · Downtown Moab

Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection by Hilton

Downtown, a short walk to the restaurants on Main Street and 100 West

Town views rather than wilderness

Seminyak · value · Double Six / south Seminyak

Horison Seminyak Hotel

Good value a short walk from Double Six Beach

Simple, not luxurious

Kyoto · unique · Arashiyama

Hoshinoya Kyoto

Guests go upriver to the hotel by its own boat from a landing in Arashiyama, a genuine arrival experience; a car takes over when weather or river levels stop the boats

Set apart from downtown Kyoto, adding travel time to most sights

Two Weeks in Japan · luxury · Arashiyama, Kyoto

Hoshinoya Kyoto

Reached by a short boat ride up the Oi River

Boat-only arrival means less flexibility with luggage and timing

Okinawa · romantic · Gima, Yomitan

HOSHINOYA Okinawa

100 suites, all on the ground floor and all facing the sea, inside a walled enclosure modelled on a gusuku

The coast in front is reef and rock rather than a swimming beach

Tokyo · unique · Otemachi

Hoshinoya Tokyo

Every floor is a private ryokan wing with a shared tatami lounge

Shoes-off, low-furniture rooms are not for everyone

Mallorca · boutique · Cas Català (Calvià), west of Palma

Hospes Maricel & Spa

A 1940s seafront palace directly on the water, 15 minutes from Palma’s old town

On the busy coast road; ask for a sea-facing room

Andalusia Road Trip · luxury · City centre, Granada

Hospes Palacio de los Patos

A 19th-century palace on a garden in the flat centre, with a modern wing, a Bodyna spa and a pool

You are not on the Alhambra hill and not in the Albaicin; the postcard views are a walk or a taxi away

Andalusia Road Trip · luxury · North of the Mezquita, Cordoba

Hospes Palacio del Bailio

A 16th-century palace with a glass floor over the remains of a Roman villa in its central patio, frescoed suites and a garden pool

Luxury prices for what is, for most people, a single night

Ibiza · value · Cap Negret, north of Sant Antoni

Hostal La Torre

A clifftop hostal above Cap Negret with one of the island’s most famous sunset terraces

Hostal-level comforts, not resort ones

Patagonia: Torres del Paine and El Chalten · romantic · An island in Lago Pehoe

Hosteria Pehoe

On its own island in Lago Pehoe, reached by a footbridge, with the Cuernos del Paine across the water

2026-27 rates were not yet published when we checked

Venice · value · Santa Croce, near San Stae

Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo

A family-run three-star in a 16th-century palazzo with its own walled courtyard on a side canal

No lift, and roughly ten rooms, so it books out months ahead in season

Andalusia Road Trip · luxury · Beside the Alcazar gardens, Seville

Hotel Alfonso XIII, a Luxury Collection Hotel

Built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition in Mudejar-revival style around a courtyard, and still the hotel the city puts its guests in

Marriott’s site blocks automated visitors, so we could not verify room counts or current rates ourselves; secondary sources put it at 122 rooms and 12 suites

Split to Dubrovnik Road Trip · luxury · West Coast, Split

Hotel Ambasador

Five stars on the seafront of the Split West Coast, 200 metres from the old town and a kilometre from the ferry port

Parking type and fee are not stated

Rio de Janeiro · value · Rua Francisco Otaviano, Arpoador, between Ipanema and Copacabana

Hotel Arpoador

Sits on the short street that joins Ipanema to Copacabana, beside the Arpoador rock and a two-minute walk from both beaches

A simple hotel in a good spot rather than a luxury one: rooms are small and the fit-out is plain

Rome · design · Via Nazionale, near Termini

Hotel Artemide

Ambrosia rooftop restaurant and bar with skyline views

Via Nazionale is a busy traffic corridor, not a quiet lane

Provence · boutique · Lourmarin, southern Luberon

Hôtel Bastide de Lourmarin

A four-star with 17 rooms and two premium suites on the Cucuron road at the edge of the village

Adults only: the hotel states that children are not accepted

Dubrovnik · design · Montovjerna, Pera Čingrije 7

Hotel Bellevue Dubrovnik

Built into a 30-metre cliff above Miramare bay with its own pebble cove at the bottom, and beach service for hotel guests from the 2026 summer season

Down is the operative word: the walk back from the Old Town is uphill, and the cove is a lift and stair descent from reception

Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · boutique · Cerro Plano, Monteverde

Hotel Belmar

Family-owned for 40 years, with its own brewery (Cervecería Belmar) and a farm-to-table restaurant

A steep uphill from the road; not for anyone unsteady on their feet

Andalusia Road Trip · unique · Inside the Gonzalez Byass bodega, Jerez

Hotel Bodega Tio Pepe

The first hotel inside a working sherry house, in the Gonzalez Byass estate beside the cathedral, with the bodega tours starting at the door

Tours and tastings run Tuesday to Sunday only, so a Monday night here is quieter than you planned

Amalfi Coast · value · Ravello

Hotel Bonadies

A 13th-century former convent turned family-run four-star hotel, run by the same family for over 140 years

Simpler rooms than Ravello’s luxury properties

Mallorca · value · Palma (old town)

Hotel Born

A 16th-century palace of the Marquès de Ferrandell steps from Passeig del Born

No pool or spa

Tuscany · boutique · Florence historic center

Hotel Brunelleschi

Built around a Byzantine-era tower predating Florence itself

Expensive for the room size

Patagonia: Torres del Paine and El Chalten · value · Plaza Munoz Gamero, Punta Arenas

Hotel Cabo de Hornos

On the main square of Punta Arenas, a walk from the restaurants

A big city hotel rather than a characterful one

Sardinia · luxury · Costa Smeralda (Cala di Volpe bay)

Hotel Cala di Volpe, a Luxury Collection Hotel

The 1960s Jacques Couëlle original, restyled and reopened for the 2026 season on 16 April

July and August rates sit at the top of the Italian resort market

Andalusia Road Trip · value · Santa Cruz, Seville

Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla

A restored 19th-century house on a lane behind the cathedral, with a rooftop plunge pool that looks straight at the Giralda

Santa Cruz lanes are noisy on feria and Holy Week nights and busy with tour groups by day

Barcelona · luxury · Gràcia / Passeig de Gràcia

Hotel Casa Fuster

A 1908 modernist building by Lluís Domènech i Montaner

Expensive

Andalusia Road Trip · boutique · Lower Albaicin, Granada

Hotel Casa Morisca

A late-15th-century Morisco house at the foot of the Albaicin, restored by the Granada architect Carlos Sanchez and given the Europa Nostra award in 2001, the year it opened

On the Carrera del Darro side of the hill, which is cobbled, narrow and closed to cars; luggage comes in on foot

Venice · luxury · Giudecca

Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel

An Olympic-length outdoor pool and private gardens, both extraordinary on this lagoon

Every trip into the city is a boat ride, which sounds romantic and is occasionally just slow

Barcelona · value · Eixample

Hotel Constanza

Walkable to Casa Batlló, Plaça Catalunya and the Gothic Quarter

Compact rooms typical of the price tier

Dubrovnik · resort · Cavtat, Trumbićev put

Hotel Croatia Cavtat

A five-star resort on a forested peninsula above Cavtat bay, and the group’s own page puts it 5 km from Dubrovnik airport, which on a 06:00 departure is worth more than a view

Nineteen kilometres from the Old Town: this is a base, not a walk

Provence · luxury · Place Crillon, Avignon

Hôtel d’Europe

A coaching inn opened in 1799 and one of the oldest hotels in France still trading, with 44 rooms and suites

Old building, uneven rooms: ask for a specific category

Rome · luxury · Piazza del Popolo / Centro Storico

Hotel de Russie

A tiered Secret Garden courtyard unlike anywhere else in central Rome

Very expensive, especially in peak months

French Riviera (Cote d'Azur) · luxury · Cap d’Antibes

Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc

A nine-hectare private park at the tip of Cap d’Antibes, open since 1870

Among the most expensive hotels in Europe, out of reach for most budgets

Paris · value · Latin Quarter

Hôtel du Levant

Run by the same family since 1920

Simple rooms, not design-forward

Paris · boutique · Le Marais

Hôtel du Petit Moulin

Interiors by Christian Lacroix, with every room decorated differently

Small rooms typical of historic Marais buildings

Dubrovnik · resort · Lapad peninsula, Masarykov put 20

Hotel Dubrovnik Palace

A large seafront resort on the pine end of the Lapad peninsula with Adriatic views from every room, which the group claims and the geometry supports

A few minutes drive north west of the Old Town is the group’s phrasing, and it undersells the distance for anyone on foot

Los Cabos · boutique · Puerto Los Cabos (San José del Cabo)

Hotel El Ganzo

An arts hotel with resident musicians, an underground recording studio and rotating murals

Removed from both town centers; you will taxi or drive everywhere

Paris · boutique · Le Marais

Hôtel Emile

Contemporary design at a fair price for the location

Compact rooms

Rio de Janeiro · design · Avenida Atlantica, Copacabana, near Posto 5

Hotel Emiliano Rio de Janeiro

The Sao Paulo design hotel's Rio outpost, a modern slab on the beachfront with a plant-screened facade, a rooftop pool and the Santapele spa

The rooftop and the pool are compact rather than resort-scale

Dubrovnik · luxury · Ploče, Frana Supila

Hotel Excelsior Dubrovnik

The landmark five-star on the Ploče cliff, refurbished, with the walls and the harbour framed from the tower rooms and a walk of five to eight minutes into the Ploče gate

No on-site parking is stated anywhere on its own pages, and the property sits inside the city’s permit zone: the hotel registers guest vehicles in the city system, and its own notice says that has to be done within three days of check-in

Rio de Janeiro · luxury · Avenida Vieira Souto, Ipanema beachfront

Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro

Philippe Starck's first Brazilian project, styled after 1950s and 60s Ipanema, with 89 rooms on the beachfront

Sea-view rooms face a six-lane avenue; ask for a high floor

Naxos · value · Agios Georgios, Chora

Hotel Galini

Family-run by George and Manolis, 30 metres from Saint George beach

Basic by design

Two Weeks in Japan · value · Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo

Hotel Gracery Shinjuku

A five-minute walk from Shinjuku Station’s east exit

Kabukicho at night is loud outside the hotel

Cyclades Island Hopping: How to Plan the Route · value · Grotta, Naxos Chora

Hotel Grotta

Family-run, on the slope above Naxos Chora with direct views to the sea, the sunset and the Portara

Simple, older-style rooms rather than a design property

Naxos · boutique · Grotta, Chora

Hotel Grotta

Family-run by the Lianos family on the hillside of the Grotta quarter, looking over the sea, the town and the Portara at sunset

No beach at the door: the sand is at Agios Georgios on the other side of town

Prague · design · Old Town, Rybna, between Josefov and Republic Square

Hotel Josef

Eva Jiricna's glass-and-white design hotel from 2002, still the cleanest modern statement in the Old Town and still better looking than most of what has opened since

Minimalist to the point of austere: no lobby theatre, no spa, and the small rooms are genuinely small

Malta · boutique · Spinola Bay, St Julian’s

Hotel Juliani

A family-run hotel in a renovated townhouse on Spinola Bay

St Julian’s is the traffic and nightlife hub, so expect noise

Split to Dubrovnik Road Trip · value · Lapad beach, Dubrovnik

Hotel Kompas

A 4+-star contemporary hotel on the seafront overlooking Lapad beach, with a spa and the rooftop Zenith Bar

Parking is not stated

Dubrovnik · family · Lapad bay, Šetalište Nika i Meda Pucića

Hotel Kompas Dubrovnik

Seafront on Lapad bay, which is the flattest, most walkable beach ground in the city, with the promenade of cafes immediately behind

Less than 4 km still means a bus or taxi every time, and the promenade is busy in August

Split to Dubrovnik Road Trip · boutique · Seafront, Korcula town

Hotel Korsal

A four-star boutique hotel next to a beach in a traffic-free area of Korcula town

No car to the door in a traffic-free area; parking is not stated

Andalusia Road Trip · romantic · Olive groves outside Ronda

Hotel La Fuente de la Higuera

A four-star finca in the countryside north of Ronda with suites, a duplex, a private villa and a pool among the olives

You need the car for everything, including dinner in town

Patagonia: Torres del Paine and El Chalten · unique · Lago Grey, west of the park

Hotel Lago Grey

On the shore of Lago Grey, where icebergs from the glacier drift up to the beach

It recommends at least three nights, which is a lot for one corner of the park

Patagonia: Torres del Paine and El Chalten · unique · Las Torres sector, at the Base Torres trailhead

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

74 rooms on the private Las Torres reserve at the foot of the Ascencio valley

A trailhead hotel, busy with hikers coming and going

Provence · value · Opposite the Roman theatre, Arles

Hôtel Le Calendal

Forty rooms and two apartments in a seventeenth-century building facing the Théâtre Antique

Prices climb well above value in the festival weeks

Dubrovnik · value · Montovjerna, Iva Vojnovića 14

Hotel Lero

The rare Dubrovnik hotel that publishes a straight answer on cars: outdoor parking subject to availability, and a parking garage at extra charge

No room count is published anywhere on its own site, so scale is a surprise on arrival

Bora Bora · value · Matira (main island)

Hotel Maitai Polynesia

The island's established midrange option: garden and ocean-view rooms across the road plus a small set of overwater bungalows far below flagship rates

Three-star polish: simpler rooms, dated corners, no resort machine

Tel Aviv · boutique · Montefiore Street, Lev Ha'ir

Hotel Montefiore

A restored 1920s townhouse with a handful of high-ceilinged rooms, run by the team behind some of the city's defining restaurants, so the brasserie downstairs is a reason to book in itself

Very few rooms, so availability is the real constraint; book far ahead or be flexible

Dubrovnik · luxury · Lapad, Kardinala Stepinca 33

Hotel More

An adults-only, 14 and over, family-owned five-star on the Lapad waterfront, open since 2007, which is a rare combination in a city of group hotels

Adults only is a hard exclusion: no children, at all, under 14

Split to Dubrovnik Road Trip · romantic · Lapad, Dubrovnik

Hotel More

An adults-only (14+) five-star in Lapad, family-owned since 2007

Parking is not stated; ask

Barcelona · luxury · Gothic Quarter

Hotel Neri Relais & Châteaux

A converted 12th-century palace on a quiet Gothic Quarter square

Small property, books out early

Okinawa · resort · Gima, Yomitan

Hotel Nikko Alivila

An outdoor garden pool and an indoor pool

Room count and beach status were not stated on the pages we read

Split to Dubrovnik Road Trip · boutique · Makarska waterfront

Hotel Osejava

A four-star hotel of 45 rooms and 5 suites on the Makarska promenade, in a house with almost a hundred years of history and a nod to the poet Tin Ujevic

Promenade noise on summer nights

Split to Dubrovnik Road Trip · romantic · Mali Ston harbour

Hotel Ostrea

A family house in the centre of Mali Ston, turned into a small hotel by the Kralj family in 1998, with rooms facing the bay

A handful of rooms; the room count is not published

Split to Dubrovnik Road Trip · value · Bacvice, Split

Hotel Park Split

A hotel with a story since 1921 beside Bacvice beach, ten minutes on foot from the palace

Parking price and size are not stated; ask when booking

Paris · unique · Montmartre

Hôtel Particulier Montmartre

Just five suites, 35 to 85 square meters, each designed with visual artists

Very few rooms, books out early

Split to Dubrovnik Road Trip · value · Krvavac, Neretva delta

Hotel Restaurant Villa Neretva

A family hotel and restaurant on the D9 at Krvavac near Metkovic, known for frog and eel dishes

Off the coast, so no sea swimming

Budapest · boutique · District V south, on Kiralyi Pal utca near the Great Market Hall

Hotel Rum Budapest

A compact independent boutique in a converted apartment block on a quiet downtown side street, minimal rooms, local art, and a rooftop restaurant-bar with Basilica-to-castle views

Small operation: no spa, no gym, minimal lobby, and the rooftop bar means some evening noise on top floors

Paris · boutique · Saint-Germain-des-Prés / Rue du Bac

Hôtel Saint Germain

A former 17th-century mansion at 88 Rue du Bac

Some rooms face Rue du Bac rather than the courtyard

Mexico City · boutique · Condesa, on Calle Iztaccihuatl by Parque Mexico

Hotel San Fernando

A 1940s apartment building by Parque Mexico converted by Texas's Bunkhouse group into 19 warm, unfussy rooms: the rare stylish option that undercuts the design-hotel tier

No rooftop, pool or spa: the pitch is location and warmth, not amenities

Amalfi Coast · luxury · Amalfi town

Hotel Santa Caterina

Family-run by the Gambardella family since 1880

A 10 to 15 minute walk from the center of Amalfi town itself

Peru: Cusco & Machu Picchu · boutique · Urubamba, Sacred Valley

Hotel Sol y Luna

Individual stone casita bungalows set in gardens

Outside walking distance of Urubamba town center

Provence · value · Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Hôtel Sous les Figuiers

Fourteen rooms, all on the ground floor, around a garden of hundred-year-old fig trees, with private terraces

Three-star simplicity: breakfast but no restaurant, no spa

Dubrovnik · boutique · Old Town, Od Sigurate 4

Hotel Stari Grad

Eleven rooms and three suites, which is small enough that the building behaves like a house rather than a hotel

Fourteen keys in the most sought-after square kilometre in Croatia means booking months out, especially for June to September

Split to Dubrovnik Road Trip · boutique · Cavtat waterfront

Hotel Supetar

A boutique villa in a three-storey mansion from the turn of the 20th century, built on the remains of ancient Epidaurum, steps from Cavtat’s waterfront

Parking is not stated

Malta · romantic · Sannat, southern Gozo

Hotel Ta’ Cenc & Spa

A 74-room five-star hotel in low stone buildings near the Ta’ Cenc cliffs

Remote: a car is needed for almost everything

Rome · value · Trastevere

Hotel Trastevere

Genuinely inside Trastevere, steps from the restaurant streets

Basic rooms, no spa or restaurant

Madrid · design · Carrera de San Jeronimo, Barrio de las Letras

Hotel Urban

A five-star grand-luxury design hotel five minutes from both Sol and the Paseo del Prado

A busy street outside

Split to Dubrovnik Road Trip · boutique · Inside Diocletian’s Palace, Split

Hotel Vestibul Palace

A boutique hotel in the buildings beside the palace vestibule, with rooms from 23 m2 to a 52 m2 suite

A guarded garage is stated only for The Residence; ask about parking for the main hotel

Maui and Oahu: Planning the Two-Island Hawaii Trip · romantic · Wailea hillside, Maui

Hotel Wailea, Relais & Chateaux

Hawaiʻi’s only adults-only all-suite luxury hotel: 72 suites on 15 garden acres, 300 feet above the coast with a three-island view

Not on the beach: the shore is a shuttle or short drive below

San Francisco and Napa Valley · boutique · Union Square, San Francisco

Hotel Zeppelin

Playful, design-forward rooms two blocks from Union Square

Small rooms typical of pre-war San Francisco buildings

Two Weeks in New Zealand · luxury · Taupō (central North Island)

Huka Lodge

A luxury lodge on the Waikato River above Huka Falls

Very expensive

Okinawa · boutique · Tamagusuku, Nanjo, south coast

Hyakuna Garan

Seventeen rooms facing the sea beside Hyakuna beach, about 35 minutes from the airport

Its booking site blocked our reads, so the details come from its listings rather than its own pages

Okinawa · design · Makishi, Naha

Hyatt Regency Naha, Okinawa

In Makishi, a walk from Kokusai-dori, the public market and the Tsuboya pottery street

A city hotel: no beach

Okinawa · resort · Seragaki, Onna coast

Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island, Okinawa

Sits on Seragaki, a small island joined to the coast by a bridge, with its own natural beach

Hyatt's site blocked our reads on publish day, so these details come from its indexed pages rather than a live read

Mexico City · boutique · Roma Norte, on Calle Jalapa

Ignacia Guest House

A restored circa-1913 Roma mansion with a handful of color-themed rooms arranged around a courtyard garden, named for the housekeeper who kept the house for decades and run more like a private house than a hotel

Very few rooms, so dates sell out far ahead and pricing sits above what the word guesthouse suggests

Halkidiki · resort · Nea Flogita, near Nea Moudania

Ikos Oceania

350 metres of Blue Flag beach, six outdoor pools and five restaurants, with the same Dine Out and Local Drive programmes as its sister

The Nea Moudania end is the least scenic stretch of this coast: flat, built up and close to the main road

Halkidiki · resort · Gerakini, on the Toroneos Gulf

Ikos Olivia

22 acres of olive grove and 450 metres of Blue Flag beach, with six restaurants and bars and four pools including a lagoon pool with a swim-up bar

Seventy kilometres from the airport, the furthest of the two

Venice · design · Zattere, Dorsoduro

Il Palazzo Experimental

32 rooms and suites in a palazzo on the Zattere, with interiors by Dorothee Meilichzon

The smallest rooms start around 12 square metres, which is tight by any standard

Mirissa · boutique · 234 Ekanaykawatta, Kamburugamuwa

Imagine Villa Hotel

Ten beachfront rooms and suites with an infinity pool

Small, so it books out in season

Malta · luxury · St Barbara Bastion, Valletta

Iniala Valletta

A collection of restored buildings along St Barbara Bastion above the Grand Harbour, with a rooftop pool and panoramic dining

Formerly Iniala Harbour House, and some maps and booking pages still use the old name

Bora Bora · resort · Matira Point (main island)

InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort

Overwater and beach bungalows on Matira Point, on the main island: you can walk out of the resort to the public beach, snack bars and the loop road

Bungalows and grounds are more classic than cutting-edge

Hanoi · resort · Tay Ho, on West Lake

InterContinental Hanoi Westlake

Built partly on the water: a main building on the shore plus island pavilions reached by walkways, holding rooms that sit directly above West Lake

Fifteen to twenty-five minutes from the Old Quarter and the sights, and Hanoi traffic makes that number unreliable in the evening rush

Rio de Janeiro · value · Rua Maria Quiteria, Ipanema, one block from the beach

Ipanema Inn

A well-run small hotel one block from Posto 9, with free beach chairs, umbrellas and towels and house bicycles

No pool and no sea view

Rajasthan Golden Triangle · resort · Fatehabad Road, Agra

ITC Mughal, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa

Large Mughal-garden-style grounds that won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture

A modern building in Mughal style, not an original historic property

St Lucia · luxury · Above Anse Chastanet, Soufriere

Jade Mountain

24 sanctuaries, most with private infinity pools, each open on one side to the Pitons and the sea: the architecture is the argument

2026 room-only rates run roughly US$1,575 to US$3,425 a night before tax, service and levy

Rio de Janeiro · boutique · Leblon beachfront

Janeiro Hotel

51 sea-facing rooms on the Leblon beachfront, with the Dois Irmaos on one side and the Cagarras islands on the horizon

Leblon prices, and the smaller room categories are compact for the money

Singapore · value · Tanglin / Orchard

JEN Singapore Tanglin by Shangri-La

Directly connected to Tanglin Mall and near Orchard Boulevard MRT

A 15 to 20 minute MRT ride from Marina Bay and Chinatown

Sri Lanka Round Trip · boutique · Sigiriya

Jetwing Vil Uyana

Standalone dwellings set across five constructed wetland ecosystems

Among the pricier stays in the cultural triangle

Hokkaido · value · Central Sapporo, above Sapporo Station

JR Tower Hotel Nikko Sapporo

Sits directly above Sapporo Station, which cuts down on transfers with luggage

Business-hotel character rather than a boutique feel

Split to Dubrovnik Road Trip · boutique · Narodni trg, Split old town

Judita Palace Heritage Hotel

19 rooms in the Pavlovic Palace on Split’s main square, restored in phases from 2011 to 2019

No parking of its own that we could find; the old town is car-free, so the car belongs to the day you leave

Peloponnese · value · Kalamitsi, outside Kardamyli

Kalamitsi Hotel

Half a kilometre outside the village in its own olive grove, with rooms, studios and apartments with kitchens

The old .com domain is dead; the live site is kalamitsi-hotel.gr, and its own price fields read zero, so book through the embedded engine and check the rate there

Santorini · value · Kamari (southeast coast)

Kamari Beach Hotel

Directly on Kamari’s black-sand beach

No caldera or sunset view

Seminyak · boutique · Petitenget (Desa Potato Head)

Katamama

Handcrafted design in millions of hand-pressed bricks

Compact urban-beach setting rather than a resort

Santorini · luxury · Oia

Katikies Santorini, Pelagos House

Suspended right on the Oia cliff face with sweeping caldera views

Among the most expensive properties on the island

Naxos · villa · Above Agios Prokopios beach

Kavos Naxos

Villas for four to six people plus studios and suites, in gardens above Agios Prokopios with views towards Ios, Sikinos, Santorini and Paros

Ten minutes down means a climb back up

Phuket · design · Kamala (hillside)

Keemala

Striking themed pool villas set in rainforest above Kamala

Hillside terrain means a lot of buggy shuttling

Cappadocia · boutique · Göreme

Kelebek Special Cave Hotel & Spa

Some rooms carved as early as the 8th century, alongside more standard cave-style rooms

Uneven room quality across an older, larger property

Malta · resort · San Lawrenz, western Gozo

Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz

Rooms, suites and residences around an outdoor pool in a quiet village near the Dwejra coast

San Lawrenz is a small inland village and a car is close to essential

Miami · boutique · South Beach

Kimpton Angler’s Hotel South Beach

Boutique Art Deco property with a courtyard pool

Small footprint with limited amenities versus the big resorts

Budapest · design · Bem Jozsef square, on the Buda bank north of Castle Hill

Kimpton BEM Budapest

A 127-room conversion of a 19th-century mansion on Bem square, opened in July 2024 with interiors by Marcel Wanders that fold Hungarian folklore into the boldest design statement on the Buda bank

You are one bridge from the action every evening: easy by tram until midnight, a taxi after

Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · unique · West coast of K'gari (Fraser Island)

Kingfisher Bay Resort

The island's largest resort, with its own 50-minute passenger ferry from River Heads, so the rental can be left in secure parking on the mainland

Eco-lodge rooms are dated and summer reviews complain about the heat

Peloponnese · unique · Agios Stefanos, facing the Monemvasia rock

Kinsterna Hotel

A restored Byzantine, Ottoman and Venetian mansion estate of about 25 acres on the mainland, with its own vineyards, olive and citrus groves and a cistern the house is named after

It is not inside the walled town: the rock is a ten-minute drive away across the causeway

Rhodes · unique · Rhodes Old Town

Kokkini Porta Rossa

Six suites in a restored medieval house at the Red Gate of the walled city

Only six suites, so it books out far ahead

Naxos · unique · Stelida, Agios Prokopios

Kouros Art Hotel

Adults only, on the Stelida hillside, 850 metres from Agios Prokopios beach and 2 kilometres from Agia Anna

Not the Kouros Village hotel, which is on Antiparos: check the name and the domain, kouros-naxos.com, before you pay

Kerala Backwaters · luxury · Kumarakom, on the eastern shore of Vembanad

Kumarakom Lake Resort

Built as a village of relocated and rebuilt heritage Kerala houses along its own canal, so the grounds read as architecture rather than resort blocks

Priced at the top of the region and it knows it; the villa categories with private pools carry a very steep premium

Koh Phangan · villa · The Hin Kong road, west coast

Kupu Kupu Phangan Beach Villas and Spa

37 villas, every one with a private pool, along the shore and up the jungle slope on the Hin Kong road south of Hin Kong, facing west across the Gulf

This stretch of the west coast has a narrow, rocky shore and a sea that goes shallow at low tide: a villa with a view rather than a swimming beach

Peloponnese · unique · Gerolimenas old port, deep Mani

Kyrimai Hotel

A 19th-century merchant’s warehouse and tower complex on the quay of a tiny fishing port, restored and run by the Kyrimis family

Seasonal operation: the site talks of a new season each year without publishing dates, so ask before booking outside May to October

Provence · design · Old town, Arles

L’Arlatan

Forty-one rooms in a historic house whose interior was entirely designed by the artist Jorge Pardo, with thousands of square metres of handmade tiles

The colour and pattern are everywhere; if you want a quiet Provençal room this is not it

Provence · luxury · Gordes village

La Bastide de Gordes

Inside the village, in a sixteenth-century building on the edge of the rock, with terraces and hanging gardens over the Luberon valley

The trading name is La Bastide de Gordes; Airelles is the operator, not part of the name, so search for both

Provence · romantic · Ménerbes, Luberon

La Bastide de Marie

A country house in the middle of its own 30-hectare vineyard, the Domaine de Marie, below Ménerbes

The official site does not print a total room count; ask, if you want to know how small it is

Tuscany · boutique · San Gimignano

La Collegiata

A 16th-century former Capuchin convent with a panoramic pool

A short drive outside the walled town, not inside it

French Riviera (Cote d'Azur) · unique · Saint-Paul-de-Vence

La Colombe d’Or

A small inn whose walls and terraces are hung with original works, informally collected from 20th-century artist guests

Rooms are simpler than the art-world reputation might suggest

Mauritius · boutique · Pointe Malartic, Grand Baie

La Maison 20 Degres Sud

Thirty-six rooms in an old coconut grove on the northern tip, and the island's only Relais & Chateaux member

Small beach, small property: this is a house, not a playground

Provence · luxury · Avignon, behind the Palais des Papes

La Mirande

A cardinal’s palace turned hotel, in the square directly behind the Palais des Papes

Small, so it books out early, above all in July

California Coast Road Trip: Highway 1, San Francisco to Los Angeles · boutique · Carmel-by-the-Sea

La Playa Hotel

A historic property recently renovated

Mid-to-high pricing for what is a boutique inn rather than a resort

Mallorca · luxury · Deià

La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel

Two historic manor houses in olive and citrus gardens on the edge of Deià

Among the most expensive stays on the island

Hoi An · boutique · Hung Vuong street, west of the Ancient Town

La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa

Set among rice fields a few minutes from the old streets

About a kilometre from the old streets, so a walk, a bicycle or the shuttle

Hanoi · boutique · Old Quarter, on Hang Be two minutes from the lake

La Siesta Premium Hang Be

50 rooms and suites in a well-run Vietnamese boutique group, contemporary rather than themed, with French balconies on everything above the entry category

Hang Be is a busy market street and the lower floors get the morning trade noise

St Lucia · unique · Rabot ridge above Soufriere

Ladera Resort

Perched a thousand feet up on a ridge with the Pitons and the sea framed in every room’s missing west wall

No beach: the resort shuttles guests down to the coast

El Nido, Palawan · unique · Lagen Island, Bacuit Bay

Lagen, El Nido

Set against a forested limestone amphitheatre on Lagen Island, with rooms over the water and along the cove

The forest setting means less open beach than Pangulasian

Naxos · boutique · Agios Prokopios village

Lagos Mare Boutique Hotel

Thirty rooms and suites at the entrance to Agios Prokopios, including sea-view suites with jacuzzis

350 metres from the beach, not on it

Mauritius · unique · Piton Canot, Chamarel, inland south-west

Lakaz Chamarel Exclusive Lodge

An eco-lodge in the hills above Chamarel with open-air showers and some private pools, minutes from the Black River Gorges trails

No beach: the sea is a twenty-minute drive

Banff and Lake Louise · value · Lake Louise village

Lake Louise Inn

247 rooms in the village, some with kitchens, jet tubs or balconies

A motel-style village hotel with no lake view

Mirissa · boutique · 71 Galle Road, Kamburugamuwa

Lantern Boutique Hotel by Reveal

Six rooms, Ocean Suites and Deluxe Ocean View, with balconies and terraces facing the sea

The hotel’s page does not mention a pool

Cape Town & the Winelands · resort · Stellenbosch

Lanzerac Wine Estate

A working wine estate dating to the 17th century, with rooms among the vines

A car (or driver) is needed to reach central Stellenbosch and other estates

Crete · boutique · Heraklion, on the Venetian port

Lato Boutique Hotel

Fifty-four rooms, most looking over the Venetian port and the Koules fortress

No beach access; this is a city hotel, not a resort

Seychelles · boutique · La Passe, La Digue

Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie

The most polished property on La Digue, built up a hillside behind La Passe with a spa near the top of it

Not on a beach: the sand is a short walk or ride away

French Riviera (Cote d'Azur) · luxury · Nice, Promenade des Anglais

Le Negresco

A Nice institution since 1913, right on the Promenade des Anglais

Traditional decor will not suit travelers wanting minimalist or modern design

Cape Town & the Winelands · boutique · Franschhoek village

Le Quartier Français

A 25-room boutique hotel in the centre of Franschhoek village

No large grounds or estate views, unlike outlying Winelands properties

Seychelles · boutique · Anse Reunion, La Digue

Le Repaire Boutique Hotel

Eighteen rooms in three grades, from standard through sea view to beachfront, on the west coast strip near the jetty

Small and popular: it books out well ahead over Christmas and in the July and August peak

Amalfi Coast · luxury · Positano

Le Sirenuse

A former private villa (opened as a hotel in 1951) with the Positano cliffside view

Among the most expensive hotels on the coast

Split to Dubrovnik Road Trip · luxury · Korcula old town

Lesic Dimitri Palace

Five residences of one to three bedrooms with kitchens, from 45 to 120 m2, instead of hotel rooms, in a palace in Korcula old town

Korcula old town is car-free; parking is not stated, so plan to leave the car outside the walls

Fiji · luxury · Malolo Island, Mamanucas

Likuliku Lagoon Resort

Fiji’s overwater-bungalow pioneer and adults-only

Overwater bures are scarce and book out far ahead

Rhodes · luxury · Vlycha, near Lindos

Lindos Blu Luxury Hotel & Suites

Adults-only terraces stepped into the hillside above Vlycha Bay

Adults-only excludes family trips

Greece in 10 Days: Athens, Mykonos & Santorini · luxury · Little Venice, Mykonos Town

Little Venice Suites

Steps from the windmills and Little Venice’s cafe-lined waterfront

No pool on site; guests use the beach and beach clubs instead

Ella · unique · Egodawatte Estate, Koslanda

Living Heritage Koslanda

Nine rooms, including villa suites with private courtyards, plunge pools and garden showers

About an hour south of Ella, so not a base for the town

Patagonia: Torres del Paine and El Chalten · boutique · Hillside above the main street, El Chalten

Los Cerros del Chalten

A boutique hotel and spa on the hillside above the village, open October to April

Closed from May to September

Seoul · luxury · Myeongdong

Lotte Hotel Seoul

Directly connected to Lotte Department Store and Myeongdong’s shopping streets

Myeongdong’s crowds start right outside the door

Mauritius · resort · Le Morne peninsula, south-west

LUX* Le Morne

Sits at the foot of the mountain on the sheltered western side of the peninsula, with the sunset horizon open all year

Isolated from restaurant towns; dinner out means a drive to Chamarel or Black River

Maldives Overwater Villas · luxury · South Ari Atoll

LUX* South Ari Atoll

Whale shark snorkel trips from the resort run inside the South Ari Marine Protected Area, where the independent Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme has studied the local sharks since 2006

Larger guest count than boutique private islands means a busier beach and restaurants

Morocco: Marrakech, Sahara & Chefchaouen · unique · Erg Chebbi dunes, near Merzouga

Luxury Camp Merzouga

Deluxe tents with en-suite toilet and shower, unusual for a desert camp

Remote: a long drive from Marrakech even with a stop en route

Jeju Island · value · Yeon-dong, Jeju City

Maison Glad Jeju

A patio pool, sauna and gym in the middle of the Yeon-dong district

A city hotel with no sea

Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · romantic · Manuel Antonio hill, Punta Quepos side

Makanda by the Sea

Adults-only, 33 suites and villas on a hillside above the Pacific

The private beach is small, rocky at high tide and a steep ride down

Koh Phangan · boutique · Chaloklum

Mandalai Hotel

A white boutique hotel on the beach at Chaloklum, the only one of its kind in the village

No restaurant of its own and no pool on the pages we read

Mirissa · resort · 416 A, the Weligama end of Mirissa

Mandara Resort Mirissa

A pool and an Ayurvedic spa where the Polwathumodara river meets the sea, with the beach a few steps away by the hotel’s description

At the Weligama end of the bay, so Coconut Tree Hill and the harbour are a ride away

Turkish Riviera (Bodrum to Antalya) · luxury · Paradise Bay (Cennet Koyu), Göltürkbükü, Bodrum peninsula

Mandarin Oriental Bodrum

A 60-hectare hillside estate descending to two private beaches on Paradise Bay

Rates in high summer are among the highest in Turkey

Kuala Lumpur · luxury · KLCC, adjoining the Petronas Towers

Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur

The original tower-side luxury address, open since 1998 and repeatedly refreshed, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Petronas Towers

A big convention-scale hotel that can feel busy and processional at peak times

Madrid · luxury · Plaza de la Lealtad, Paseo del Prado

Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid

Between the Prado and the Retiro, in the heart of the Art Triangle

A 15 to 20 minute walk from the Malasana and Chueca nightlife

10 Days in Thailand · luxury · Bangkok riverside (Chao Phraya)

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok

Historic riverside property with over a century of guests

Expensive relative to Bangkok norms

Bangkok · luxury · Riverside (Chao Phraya)

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok

A riverside property that has been taking guests for over a century

Expensive relative to Bangkok norms

Peloponnese · resort · Navarino Bay, Messinia

Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino

The smallest and newest of the estate’s four hotels, with about a hundred keys, roughly half of them earth-sheltered villas with private pools cut into the hillside above the bay

Seasonal: the four hotels reopened for 2026 between 27 February and 8 April and close again for winter on unpublished dates, so confirm before booking a late-autumn stay

Egypt: Cairo, Luxor & the Nile · luxury · Aswan, above the first cataract

Mandarin Oriental, Old Cataract Aswan

The 1899 pink-granite grande dame that appears in Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile, now under Mandarin Oriental (rebranded from Sofitel Legend on 1 May 2026)

The Nile Wing is under comprehensive renovation until around July 2027, with the construction presence that implies

Prague · luxury · Mala Strana, Nebovidska, off Kampa

Mandarin Oriental, Prague

A fourteenth-century Dominican monastery turned into a low-rise hotel around gardens and courtyards, a genuine pocket of silence three minutes from Kampa and the Charles Bridge approach

No river or castle view to speak of; the drama here is interior and horticultural, so pay for the building, not the window

Great Barrier Reef & Cairns · value · Cairns Esplanade

Mantra Trilogy Cairns

Directly on the Cairns Esplanade near the Lagoon pool and reef terminal

Simple, not luxurious

Kerala Backwaters · resort · Mararikulam, on the coast 15km north of Alappuzha

Marari Beach, CGH Earth

Thatched fishing-village-style cottages spread through about thirty acres of palm garden behind an unusually empty beach

Deliberately low-tech: expect insects, no television in some categories and a village pace that some travelers read as boredom

Malta · value · St Julian’s

Marco Polo Malta

Dorms of six and twelve beds, female-only dorms and private rooms, some en suite

It calls itself a party hostel, and means it

El Nido, Palawan · boutique · Maremegmeg (Las Cabanas) Beach

Maremegmeg Beach Club

On Maremegmeg (Las Cabanas) beach, the closest genuinely swimmable sunset beach to town, about ten minutes by tricycle

Las Cabanas is popular at sunset, so the beach is shared with day visitors until dusk

Singapore · resort · Marina Bay

Marina Bay Sands

The rooftop infinity pool and SkyPark observation deck

The rooftop pool is for hotel guests only and often crowded even so

Egypt: Cairo, Luxor & the Nile · unique · Giza, at the pyramid gates

Marriott Mena House, Cairo

The 1869 hunting-lodge original in 40 acres of gardens, with the Great Pyramid filling the right rooms’ windows

Pyramid-view rooms carry a serious premium and sell out first

Jeju Island · family · Andeok, south-west

Marriott Resort, Jeju Shinhwa World

One of four hotels on the Shinhwa World estate, which has more than 2,000 rooms in all, a theme park and a water park

A huge inland complex with no beach

Provence · unique · Le Sambuc, Camargue

Mas de Peint

A working manade, a bull and horse ranch, run by the Bon family, with about fifteen rooms and suites

The site gives the split as 8 rooms and 7 junior suites in one place and 8 rooms, 6 junior suites and 1 suite in another

Sicily · resort · Val di Noto (Hyblaean countryside, near Noto)

Masseria degli Ulivi

A restored rural estate among olive and carob groves

A car is required to reach Noto, Modica or Ragusa from here

Budapest · luxury · District V, on the Pest foot of Elisabeth Bridge

Matild Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel

The 1902 Matild Palace, one of a pair of listed palaces guarding the Pest end of Elisabeth Bridge, reopened in 2021 after a full restoration: frescoed cafe, sweeping staircase, crowned corner dome

The Elisabeth Bridge traffic knot at the door is the least romantic junction on the Pest riverfront; ask high and courtyard-side for quiet

Turkish Riviera (Bodrum to Antalya) · family · Kiriş, Kemer

Maxx Royal Kemer Resort

The benchmark for luxury all-inclusive on the Kemer coast, a Leading Hotels of the World member

All-inclusive format means little reason to leave, and outside dining is a taxi ride away

Ella · family · Lower Blackwood, Beragala, west of Haputale

Melheim Resort & Spa

An infinity pool, a spa and a games room

At Beragala, well west of Haputale and more than an hour from Ella

Lisbon · boutique · Alfama

Memmo Alfama

A wine bar and terrace looking over the Alfama rooftops to the river

Steep, cobbled approach makes luggage difficult

New Zealand South Island Road Trip: The 10-Day Loop · unique · Milford Sound

Milford Sound Lodge

The only accommodation at Milford Sound, on the Cleddau River minutes from the foreshore

Remote: no fuel, no shops, no cell coverage to speak of

Cyclades Island Hopping: How to Plan the Route · resort · Agkali, north-east coast, Milos

Milos Cove

42 suites and villas, most with private pools, on a private cove beach

Isolated: a car is essential for Plaka, Sarakiniko and the boat departures at Adamas

Halkidiki · resort · Kanistro, Paliouri, southern Kassandra

Miraggio Thermal Spa Resort

13.6 hectares on a hillside above two beaches at the southern tip of Kassandra, with its own small marina and a genuinely remote position

The far end of the peninsula, about two hours from the airport, with little walkable village life within reach

Kyoto · boutique · Sanjo-dori, near Karasuma Oike

Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Premier

Guest-only large public bath plus a private bath, unusual for a mid-range hotel

A 20-minute walk from Gion and Pontocho, further west than the riverside hotels

Peloponnese · boutique · Inside the castle town, Monemvasia

Moni Emvasis Luxury Suites

Three restored stone houses in the lower town turned into suites, so you are inside the gate after the day visitors leave

Cars stop at the gate: luggage goes in on foot along cobbles

Ibiza · boutique · Vara de Rey, Ibiza Town

Montesol Experimental

The island’s first hotel, a 1933 neo-colonial landmark on Vara de Rey, reimagined by the Experimental Group

No pool, beach or grounds: this is a city hotel

Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · boutique · Santa Elena, Monteverde

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

31 rooms in designed gardens with a private forest patch on site

Older rooms are plain for the rate

Banff and Lake Louise · value · Banff Avenue, Banff

Moose Hotel & Suites

174 air-conditioned rooms a minute’s walk from downtown, with free parking and two Tesla charging stalls

On Banff Avenue, a town hotel rather than a mountain lodge

Banff and Lake Louise · romantic · Moraine Lake, Valley of the Ten Peaks

Moraine Lake Lodge

A lodge designed by Arthur Erickson in 1988 at the outlet of Moraine Lake, which describes itself as curated for couples

Open only from early June to early October

Banff and Lake Louise · unique · Spray Valley Provincial Park, Kananaskis

Mount Engadine Lodge

The only accommodation in Spray Valley Provincial Park, open all year, built in 1987

About 37 kilometres of gravel road to reach it

Zanzibar · value · Paje

Mr. Kahawa (Kite Centre Zanzibar)

Attached to an established IKO kitesurf school operating on Paje beach since 2006

Swimming is tide-dependent, the lagoon empties out at low tide

Cappadocia · luxury · Uçhisar

Museum Hotel Cappadocia

Turkey’s only Relais & Châteaux member, built around a private collection of Anatolian antiques

Among the most expensive properties in the region

Mykonos · resort · Platis Gialos (south coast)

Myconian Ambassador Relais & Châteaux

Sits directly above Platis Gialos beach with a three-minute walk to the sand

5km from Mykonos Town, so a taxi, bus or car is needed most evenings

San Francisco and Napa Valley · boutique · Downtown Napa

Napa River Inn

Rooms in historic riverfront mill buildings

Room character varies a lot across three separate buildings

Cyclades Island Hopping: How to Plan the Route · villa · Stelida, above Agios Prokopios, Naxos

Naxian Collection

Villas and suites in Cycladic style with private or semi-private pools, set in gardens on the Stelida headland

You need a car for Chora and the mountain villages

Naxos · luxury · Stelida, above Agios Prokopios

Naxian Collection

A family-run member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, in suites and villas, not rooms: the 100-square-metre Luxury Villa has a private pool and sleeps four adults and two children, and the Elegant Villa has two pools

The number of units is not published on the official site, and neither are the 2026 season dates

Naxos · romantic · Plaka beach

Naxian on the Beach

Ten sea-view suites designed for couples, directly on Plaka beach

Couples only by design, so no children

Naxos · resort · Agios Prokopios

Naxos Island Hotel

A five-star hotel 30 metres from Agios Prokopios beach, with a rooftop pool and roof bar and restaurant

It is in Agios Prokopios, not Agios Georgios, whatever some listings say

Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · luxury · Volcano road, Arenal

Nayara Springs

Adults-only villas, each with a plunge pool fed by the volcanic springs

Among the most expensive rooms in the country

Hokkaido · resort · Furano

New Furano Prince Hotel

Directly connected to the Furano ski zone with ski-in, ski-out access

Resort-style scale rather than boutique character

Greece in 10 Days: Athens, Mykonos & Santorini · design · Between Syntagma and Plaka

New Hotel, Athens

A Design Hotels property by Fernando and Humberto Campana, built with salvaged materials from the former Olympic Palace Hotel

Design-forward interiors will not suit travelers who want a classic neoclassical feel

Kenya-Tanzania Safari Route · resort · Ngorongoro Crater rim, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

Dramatic rim-edge architecture with uninterrupted crater views

Rim altitude means cold nights, so pack layers

Ella · villa · Demodara Estate, north-east of Ella

Nine Skies

A five-bedroom tea bungalow on the Demodara estate, run by Teardrop Hotels, with a pool, a fireplace and butlers

Only five rooms, so it books out and suits groups that take the whole house

Naxos · boutique · Agios Georgios beach, Chora

Nissaki Beach Hotel

Twenty-four rooms and suites on Saint George beach, entirely renovated, five-star

A town beach, busy in summer

Ibiza · resort · Talamanca Bay

Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay

152 rooms and suites directly on Talamanca’s calm bay, a short hop from Ibiza Town

The bay is sheltered and urban-facing rather than wild

Tokyo · value · Ueno

Nohga Hotel Ueno Tokyo

Rooms feature work from local artisans, not generic hotel decor

Ueno is a longer ride from Shibuya/Shinjuku nightlife

Patagonia: Torres del Paine and El Chalten · boutique · Waterfront, Puerto Natales

NOI Indigo Patagonia

61 rooms on the Natales waterfront, in the centre of town

Parking is not stated on its page

Seychelles · unique · North Island

North Island

Eleven private villas on a granite island that has been through one of the Indian Ocean’s most ambitious rewilding projects

Pricing is on request, which is its own answer

Queenstown · value · Queenstown Town Centre (lakefront)

Novotel Queenstown Lakeside

Lakefront position near the gondola base station at a lower price than the luxury hotels

Standard chain-hotel rooms rather than distinctive design

Ella · value · Passara Road, Ella

Oak Ray Ella Gap

Part of the Oak Ray group of about 15 Sri Lankan hotels

Only one room category is listed and the count is not printed

Mauritius · luxury · Belle Mare peninsula, east coast

One&Only Le Saint Geran

Its own peninsula between the ocean and a lagoon, so there are two kinds of water on the property

East coast: windward from June to September

Okinawa · family · Bise, Motobu peninsula

Orion Hotel Motobu Resort & Spa

Next to Emerald Beach in the Ocean Expo Park, about seven minutes' walk from Churaumi Aquarium

From its own beach the sun sets behind Ie Island from early April to early September

Mykonos · value · Ornos

Ornos Blue Hotel

About 200 metres from Ornos beach

Ornos beach itself is unremarkable next to Psarou or Elia

Turks and Caicos · boutique · Duke Street, Cockburn Town, Grand Turk

Osprey Beach Hotel

Publishes real seasonal rates with real dates, which almost nothing else in the country does: a beachfront king room was 200 dollars for the 21 December 2025 to 30 April 2026 season, suites 220 to 255

Add 22 percent: the quoted rates are subject to 12 percent government tax and 10 percent service charge

Maui and Oahu: Planning the Two-Island Hawaii Trip · resort · Kāʻanapali Beach, Maui

OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort

Long billed as Hawaiʻi’s most Hawaiian hotel, with full-time cultural advisors and complimentary daily cultural programs

A 1960s-era property, updated but simpler than its five-star neighbors

Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · boutique · Woolloomooloo, Sydney

Ovolo Woolloomooloo

Inside the heritage Finger Wharf, a walk from the Royal Botanic Garden and the Opera House

Valet parking is about AUD 95 a night, so collect the car the morning you leave

Sydney · boutique · Woolloomooloo

Ovolo Woolloomooloo

Set in a heritage-listed wharf with marina views

A 15 to 20 minute walk (much of it uphill) to the CBD centre

Argentina: Buenos Aires and Mendoza Wine Country · luxury · Recoleta, Buenos Aires

Palacio Duhau - Park Hyatt Buenos Aires

A restored 1930s palace plus a modern wing joined by terraced gardens