Luxury Hotels of the World 🏢

An 18th-century palace overlooking the Place de la Concorde, combining gilded salons with modern design and suites styled by Karl Lagerfeld.

A classic Parisian palace on the Faubourg Saint-Honoré, with a formal French garden, a rooftop pool styled like a yacht deck and classic Parisian service.

Set inside the Art Deco La Samaritaine building by the Pont Neuf, with sweeping Seine views and a long indoor pool.

A couture-chic palace on Avenue Montaigne, known for its red awnings, flower-filled courtyard and Eiffel Tower views.

An intimate Haussmann mansion near the Champs-Élysées, with velvet-and-silk interiors, a library and views of the Eiffel Tower.

The legendary hotel on Place Vendôme since 1898, with gilded salons, the Bar Hemingway and a garden courtyard.

An Art Deco-era palace just off the Champs-Élysées, known for its spectacular floral displays, courtyard dining and Eiffel Tower views.

A gilded palace facing the Tuileries Garden, with 18th-century-style salons, Salvador Dalí history and views over the Paris rooftops.

A contemporary hotel on Rue Saint-Honoré built around a quiet garden courtyard, with a large spa and modern French dining.

A barefoot island in the Maldives with jungle-shaded villas, an open-air cinema and an observatory for stargazing.

A Maldivian island dedicated entirely to wellbeing, with treehouse-like spa pavilions, sound-healing spaces and quiet beach villas.

A small, lush island a short boat ride from Malé, with a house reef for snorkelling, overwater villas and romantic dining.

An art-immersive island resort with villas featuring works by local and international artists, plus overwater pools and a reef.

A large private-island resort with sleek overwater villas, many restaurants and a separate private island for exclusive stays.

A lush island in a UNESCO biosphere reserve, with overwater and beach villas, coral reefs and manta-ray seasons nearby.

A small, free-spirited island with beach and overwater houses, no fixed mealtimes or schedules, and a UNESCO biosphere setting.

A jungle-green island in a UNESCO biosphere reserve, with a kilometre of white beach, on-island marine biologists and speedboat dashes to swim with manta rays and whale sharks.

A Mayfair landmark known for its glamorous Art Deco interiors, afternoon tea in the Foyer and a long tradition of royal and Hollywood guests.

The grand Edwardian Old War Office in Whitehall reborn as a hotel, with marble staircases, historic rooms and many restaurants and bars.

A refined Mayfair townhouse hotel with a celebrated cocktail bar, polished-wood interiors and a quiet, discreet atmosphere.

A grand Edwardian building in Holborn with a cobbled carriage courtyard, a wood-panelled bar and residential-style rooms.

London's famous hotel on the Strand since 1889, with Art Deco and Edwardian interiors, the American Bar and Thames views.

A new classic at Hyde Park Corner, with a calm courtyard, rooftop dining and a fleet of chauffeured cars.

A hushed sanctuary at the top of Otemachi Tower, with a soaring washi-paper lobby, stone and timber interiors and city views to Mount Fuji on clear days.

A refined hotel facing the moats and gardens of the Imperial Palace, with many rooms overlooking the greenery from private balconies.

A modern ryokan tower in Tokyo's business district, with tatami floors, shoes-off corridors and a rooftop hot-spring bath.

Sleek rooms on the upper floors of an Otemachi tower, with views over the Imperial Palace gardens and, on clear days, Mount Fuji.

A creative beachfront village in Seminyak built with recycled materials, combining a famous beach club with music, art and zero-waste ideas.

A clifftop and beachside resort on Bali's southern coast, with ocean-view villas, multiple pools and a large spa.

Hillside pool villas above a secluded beach in Jimbaran, with sunset views over the bay and lush tropical gardens.

Modern villas on a clifftop on Bali's southern tip, with a dramatic cliff-edge cabana and Indian Ocean views.

Adobe-toned suites stepping down to the Sea of Cortez, with private plunge pools, desert gardens and famously attentive service.

A sprawling resort above Santa Maria Bay, one of the calm, swimmable bays in Los Cabos, with clifftop pools and desert gardens.

An all-inclusive resort where every suite faces the Sea of Cortez, with an infinity pool and a large spa.

Stone casitas tucked into orchid-filled cloud-forest gardens at the foot of Machu Picchu.

A former convent in central Cusco built over Inca foundations, with cloistered courtyards, frescoes and an outdoor heated pool.

A small manor house in central Cusco with original colonial details, set around a courtyard on a quiet square.

A jungle retreat on the Ayung River near Ubud, with villas among rice terraces and dinner in bamboo cocoons by the paddies.

A rainforest tented camp near Ubud designed by Bill Bensley, with private pools and explorer-style tents over the river valley.

Open-air villas with no walls in the jungle near Ubud, where you sleep, bathe and swim surrounded by the sounds of the forest.

A low-rise hotel on a Higashiyama hillside near Kodaiji Temple, with garden views over Kyoto's old town and the Yasaka Pagoda.

Built on the former Mitsui family estate near Nijo Castle, with a historic gate, a central garden and a natural hot-spring spa.

A calm riverside hotel on the Kamogawa, with views to the eastern hills and Japanese garden courtyards.

A walled medina within the city where every guest stays in a private riad, showcasing intricate Moroccan craftsmanship and lush gardens.

A storied Marrakech palace hotel surrounded by centuries-old gardens, with Moorish and Art Deco interiors and a large pool among olive trees.

A Moorish-palace-style resort of courtyards, fountains and palm gardens across from the Menara Gardens, with Atlas Mountain views and the medina just minutes away.

A restored Gilded Age mansion joined to a new tower, with richly layered maximalist interiors and a French-Italian restaurant.

A calm retreat in the historic Crown Building on Fifth Avenue, with fireplaces in every room and a large spa and indoor pool.

A warm, homey Tribeca hotel with individually designed rooms and a candlelit pool beneath a reassembled Japanese farmhouse.

An Art Deco-inspired hotel on the Bund at the meeting of the Huangpu and Suzhou Creek, with river views and a rooftop bar.

A design-led hotel near Nanjing West Road with Piero Lissoni interiors, generous studios and large terraces.

Centuries-old Ming and Qing dynasty houses and ancient camphor trees, moved from Jiangxi and rebuilt as a forest sanctuary on Shanghai's quiet edge.

A sleek tower on the Victoria Dockside waterfront with sweeping harbour views, a residential feel and a lively mix of bars and restaurants.

Hong Kong's colonial-era grande dame since 1928, with a fleet of green Rolls-Royces, afternoon tea in the lobby and harbour views.

A waterfront hotel on the Kowloon side with dramatic harbour views from its lobby, rooms and restaurants.

A 16th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal with frescoed and gilded rooms and two private gardens, rare in Venice.

A secluded island hideaway across the lagoon from St Mark's Square, with gardens, a large saltwater pool and a private launch to the city.

A restored convent complex on Giudecca linked to a Palladio-designed church, with gardens, lagoon views and a quiet, residential feel.

A serene, design-led hideaway high above Pacific Place, with André Fu interiors, generous rooms and quiet views over the harbour and the Peak.

A tall hotel above Pacific Place with harbour or Peak views and a soaring atrium hung with a huge Chinese landscape painting.

Cape Town's 'Pink Lady', a historic hotel set in landscaped gardens beneath Table Mountain, famous for its afternoon tea.

Edwardian mansion above the Atlantic in Bantry Bay, filled with South African art and a deep wine cellar.

A Central landmark since 1963, with a classic bar, celebrated restaurants and views over Victoria Harbour.

A harbourfront hotel in Central with sweeping views of Victoria Harbour, a rooftop pool and acclaimed restaurants.

A cluster of wood-and-stone chalets in Courchevel 1850, with direct ski access, a large spa and cosy Alpine interiors.

A ski-in, ski-out hotel on the Jardin Alpin slopes of Courchevel, with colourful contemporary design and a large spa.

A dramatic stacked-block tower at the tip of Palm Jumeirah, with a high-level sky pool, celebrity-chef restaurants and Arabian Gulf views.

A seahorse-shaped island resort with Italian design, a private marina and views back to the Dubai skyline.

An eco-luxury resort on the private atoll once owned by Marlon Brando, with villas on a turquoise lagoon and conservation programs.

Overwater bungalows on a private motu facing the jagged peak of Mount Otemanu, with a lagoon sanctuary for snorkelling among rays and reef fish.

A spacious, wellness-led hotel in Tokyo's new Azabudai Hills district, with a large spa and fitness floor and green views.

A reborn Tokyo classic whose lobby faithfully recreates its famous 1960s modernist design, alongside new towers and a quiet Japanese garden.

Mumbai's domed landmark facing the Gateway of India since 1903, with grand staircases, a historic art collection and harbour views.

A sleek hotel at Nariman Point with Arabian Sea views from its rooms and calm, contemporary interiors.

A calm, nature-focused hotel beside Osaka Castle Park, with views over the castle and a focus on wellness and local craft.

High above JR Osaka Station, mixing New York Art Deco style with Japanese woodwork, with 360-degree views from Osaka Bay to the mountains.

A tranquil tower in the historic Nai Lert Park gardens in central Bangkok, with some of the city's largest suites and a vast wellness space.

A striking tower inspired by the traditional Thai greeting, with lush terraces, a cool urban mood and creative Thai dining.

A clifftop hotel tumbling down to the sea outside Positano, with bougainvillea terraces and a lift through the rock to a private beach.

Film director Franco Zeffirelli's former clifftop estate near Positano, with gardens, villas and steps down to the sea.

A 1930s building overlooking the Mausoleum of Augustus, reworked with Italian marble and design, a jewel-box spa and rooftop views.

A 17th-century palazzo steps from the Pantheon, reimagined with rich period-inspired interiors and rooftop views over Rome's domes.

Secluded cottages scattered over a hillside ranch in the Montecito foothills, with gardens, mountain trails and a long, storied past.

A beachfront resort in Montecito, with shingle-style cottages, ocean-view rooms and a relaxed California coastal mood.

A low-rise riverside retreat on the Chao Phraya where every room faces the water, with lush gardens and a calm, quietly elegant mood.

A garden resort on the banks of the Chao Phraya, with courtyards, water features, a striking art collection and riverside dining.

The colonial landmark that opened in 1887, with white verandas, palm-filled courtyards and the Long Bar where the Singapore Sling was born.

Restored 1880s colonial buildings joined by curving modern wings on Sentosa, set in rainforest with peacocks wandering the lawns.

A domed palace-style hotel on the shores of Lake Pichola, with courtyards, fountains and views across the water to the City Palace.

An 18th-century white marble palace that seems to float on Lake Pichola, reached only by boat.

A Mughal-inspired hotel with terraced fountains and pools, where every room looks out to the Taj Mahal.

Private Sulu Sea island ringed by white sand and reef, with casitas modelled on Filipino stilt houses.

Tented villas set among the sandstone cliffs of the Ashar Valley, a short drive from the ancient tombs of Hegra.

A clifftop hotel on the Amalfi Coast with tiled, sea-facing rooms and a private beach club at the water's edge.

19th-century hotel on the Amstel at the edge of the old centre, with canal and river views from many rooms.

Alpine hotel with an Asian design touch in an old Swiss mountain village, with fireplaces in the rooms and a large spa.

Whitewashed Moorish-style villas strung along the soft white crescent of Maundays Bay, with calm turquoise water steps from every terrace.

A white Riviera mansion set in pine gardens leading down to a saltwater pool cut into the rocks of Cap d'Antibes.

A country house hotel near Ascot with polo fields, stables and an eco spa set in rolling English parkland.

Richard Branson's kasbah retreat in the Atlas foothills, with Berber-style suites, mountain views and village walks.

A grand Scottish country estate in Perthshire, famous for its championship golf courses, outdoor pursuits and Highland scenery.

A Pacific-coast resort on a peninsula near Puerto Vallarta, with casitas, surf beaches and a golf hole on a natural island.

A restored Regency mansion on a vast Irish country estate, with a lake, woodland walks and opulent period interiors.

A riverside grande dame dating to 1876, with a colonial-era Authors' Wing, teak-framed elegance and long afternoons beside the Chao Phraya.

Courtyard rooms tucked into the old hutong lanes just south of Tiananmen Square, blending traditional Beijing architecture with calm contemporary interiors.

A 19th-century Ottoman sultan's palace on the Bosphorus, with marble halls, palace suites and an infinity pool right at the water's edge.

A French Renaissance-style hideaway with private garden villas and a striped-cabana rooftop pool, a short walk from Rodeo Drive.

Restored historic buildings on the Bosphorus waterfront in Karaköy, with views to the Old City and a rooftop restaurant.

Historic villas in an old botanical park on the lake's eastern shore, with a dark-stone floating pool that seems to melt straight into Lake Como.

A chic hillside hotel above a quiet bay near Bodrum, known for its sun decks over the water and relaxed Aegean style.

A 74-acre private island of Balinese-style houses and a hilltop Great House, ringed by coral reefs, white-sand beaches and endless watersports.

A minimalist mountain retreat high in the Dolomites, built around a historic sanatorium with forest-view towers and a strong wellness focus.

Art Nouveau palace facing the Chain Bridge and the Danube, with restored mosaics and wrought-iron gates.

Grand 1930s palace hotel in Recoleta with gilded French-style salons and personal butlers.

A family-run safari camp in the Sabi Sand, known for remarkable leopard sightings and thatched suites along the Sand River.

The white Belle Époque landmark on La Croisette, with its famous twin domes, sea views and a private beach.

A curved, glass-fronted hotel on a hillside above the vineyards of Épernay, with balconies looking over the Marne valley and a large spa.

A restored 19th-century hacienda in the Yucatán jungle, with private pool casitas and a spa built around a natural cenote.

Sleek Italian design on the upper floors of a tower beside Tokyo Station, with city views, an indoor pool and refined Italian dining.

A ranch retreat on thousands of acres of high country near Park City, with mountain views, horses and an outdoor spa.

Wave-shaped lodge looking across Great Oyster Bay to the pink granite peaks of the Hazards.

Villas and treehouses set into jungle-covered cliffs above the Pacific, with rainforest walks and black-sand beaches below.

An 800-year-old castle on the shores of Lough Corrib, with falconry, lake cruises and grand rooms set in sweeping woodland and gardens.

Forty rooms on a national-park island in the far north of the Great Barrier Reef, with more than twenty private beaches.

A lavish resort in Cotai, with a performance lake, sky gondolas and rooms filled with florals and art.

A ski-in, ski-out Alpine hotel with warm timber interiors, a big spa and views across the Rhône Valley.

A Riviera-style resort of colonnades and terracotta roofs at the mouth of Boka Bay, with a private beach and easy boat trips to Kotor and Perast.

Set in one of Lusail's crescent-shaped Katara Towers, where every room is a suite, with butler service, a large spa and Gulf views.

A small modern hotel on the cliffs above the Bay of Biscay, attached to chef Pedro Subijana's famous restaurant.

A family-owned safari reserve along the Sabie River, bordering Kruger National Park, with lodges and open-air treehouse sleep-outs.

A resort in Puglia built to feel like a whitewashed village, with olive groves, a beach club and slow Pugliese traditions.

A Renaissance villa in the hills of Fiesole overlooking Florence, with gardens, a pool and frescoed interiors.

Long-established east-coast beach resort on a calm lagoon, with two championship golf courses on its grounds.

A converted sheep farm under a living roof in a remote valley, with heli-skiing from the door in winter and salmon fishing under the midnight sun in summer.

A Renaissance palazzo and villa set in one of Florence's largest private gardens, with frescoed rooms and a quiet pool under old trees.

Modern inn raised on stilts over the North Atlantic shore of a remote fishing island, with floor-to-ceiling ocean windows.

A breezy, mid-century-inspired urban resort in Brisbane's James Street precinct, built around a palm-fringed pool deck with cabanas.

A pink colonial-style hotel inside Brazil's Iguaçu National Park, with walking access to the waterfalls before the crowds arrive.

A historic colonial-era building inside Galle's UNESCO-listed fort, with wide verandas, teak floors and a slow, old-world pace.

A barefoot hideaway of thatched villas in a coconut grove on Siargao, near the island's famous surf breaks.

1920s-style tented camp perched on a granite boulder pile amid the red dunes of southern Namibia.

Stone-and-timber alpine lodge on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, ringed by the mountains near Glenorchy.

Sleek contemporary resort on Grand Anse beach, centred on an exceptionally long pool that runs toward the sea.

Hotel cut into a moss-covered lava field, with its own private lagoon and suites that open straight onto milky-blue geothermal water.

An intimate hillside hotel above Gustavia harbour, with suites with plunge pools and sea views, and beach club access nearby.

A ryokan in the former summer villa of an imperial prince in the Hakone hills, with private open-air hot-spring baths and seasonal kaiseki dinners.

A fortress-style palace rising out of the towering red dunes of the Empty Quarter, with private pool villas, camel treks and star-filled desert nights.

A theatrical hotel near the Hanoi Opera House, styled by Bill Bensley around the city's 1920s opera scene.

A long-running wellness retreat on the beach at Hua Hin, with tailored health programmes in Thai-style pavilions.

Stone villas with private infinity pools stepping down a hillside to a quiet Cycladic bay close to Athens.

Stone-and-timber retreat on a butte above Jackson Hole, looking straight across the valley to the Tetons.

A restored 19th-century haveli in the heart of Jaipur's jewellers' bazaar, with five gem-themed suites and a vegetarian restaurant.

Villas inspired by traditional Flores architecture, including round, shell-roofed overwater suites on the Flores Sea, near the Komodo islands.

A wild, barefoot resort on a remote Indonesian island, with clifftop villas, a legendary surf break, horse rides on the beach and deep community ties.

A beachfront resort and organic farm on Sumba's wild coastline, with stone-and-timber buildings and Sumbanese-inspired design.

Thatched-roof bungalows (hale) along a lava-rock coast on Hawaiʻi Island, with a beach, a cultural centre and Hawaiian traditions.

Just 15 luxury tents strung along a rushing river in protected rainforest, where guests arrive by zipline over the canopy.

A minimalist desert retreat built into the canyons of southern Utah, with a pool wrapped around a rock outcrop and endless mesas.

A low, curved clifftop lodge on Kangaroo Island facing the wild Southern Ocean, with guided wildlife experiences.

Brick courtyards built around salvaged centuries-old Newari wood carvings, like a living museum of Kathmandu craft.

A barefoot private island with a handful of beach bandas, a ring of coral reef and dolphins, turtles and whale sharks offshore.

Thatched, round forest villas on an eroded volcanic cone near Volcanoes National Park, the base for mountain gorilla treks.

Copenhagen's historic white grand hotel on Kongens Nytorv, with an indoor pool and spa below.

Colonnaded hilltop pavilions inspired by classical temples, above olive groves and the Peloponnese coast.

A castle-like retreat in a remote Bavarian alpine valley, known for its concerts, bookshop, many spas and mountain hikes.

A domed, desert-palace-style hotel on Luxor's West Bank, with lush gardens, antique furnishings and easy access to the Valley of the Kings.

A low-impact resort on a vast, wild nature reserve on Mexico's Pacific coast, with secluded beaches and jungle trails.

Villas and suites hidden in ancient rainforest above a secluded bay on the Andaman Sea, where hornbills and dusky langurs are your neighbours.

A Belle Époque palace on the shore of Lake Geneva, set in lakeside gardens with views across the water to the French Alps.

The former country estate of press baron Lord Beaverbrook in the Surrey Hills, with gardens, a Japanese restaurant and a coach-house spa.

A vast Umbrian estate with a restored medieval castle hotel, rolling hills, horses and design-led rooms crafted by the estate's own workshops.

A Mission-style hideaway in a canyon above Los Angeles, with gardens, a swan lake and pink stucco bungalows.

A hideaway of riverside villas and hilltop tents on stilts, gathered around a jungle waterfall just outside the old royal capital.

A 1910 Belle Époque palace beside the Prado Museum, with a glass-domed courtyard restaurant and refined Madrid style.

A stone, dome-topped retreat facing the ancient Borobudur temple, with villas among rice fields and the Menoreh Hills.

A Makati landmark with a soaring lobby, classic afternoon tea and a central, business-district location.

The Costa del Sol's original beach resort, with whitewashed villas in lush gardens running down to the sea.

A historic former seminary in Milan's fashion district, built around a vast public courtyard with restaurants, shops and a spa.

Chef Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore's country guesthouse outside Modena, mixing contemporary art and vinyl records with Emilian farmhouse cooking.

An 18th-century villa on Lake Como with terraced gardens stepping down to the water, frescoed salons and a handful of grand, antique-filled suites.

A Belle Époque palace on Monaco's Place du Casino since 1864, with a legendary wine cellar and sea-view terraces.

Old Alentejo farm village turned hotel, among vineyards, olive groves and cork oaks near hilltop Monsaraz.

A restored medieval hilltop village in Tuscany on a large estate of vineyards, olive groves and golf, with a spa.

A vast Tuscan wine estate with a medieval hamlet, Brunello vineyards, a private golf course and rolling Val d'Orcia views.

A clifftop retreat on the Argentario coast with terraces, a seawater pool and a glamorous mid-century Italian spirit.

A grand hotel on Tverskaya Street just steps from Red Square, with rooms facing the Kremlin's towers and a rooftop terrace that puts the Kremlin stars at eye level.

Stone-village pool villas in a hidden Musandam cove between mountains and sea, which some guests reach by paraglider.

A former 1915 cold-storage plant on a Patagonian fjord, now an industrial-heritage hotel and museum with glass-walled rooms.

Manor-style hilltop lodge with cottages looking out over the plains of the western Serengeti.

A design-rich safari lodge on an island in the Okavango Delta, with a treehouse for sleeping out and a large African art collection.

A 17th-century convent in Old Nice transformed into a hotel, with terraced gardens, an herbalist's workshop and a Roman-style bathhouse.

A Maldivian island resort with pale, airy over-water and garden villas, generous private pools and a bright, art-filled design.

Volcanic-stone suites with fireplaces and heated plunge pools at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes, the starting point for treks to see mountain gorillas.

A Mediterranean-style resort set in a nature preserve at the headwaters of the Everglades, with golf and a big spa.

Cape Dutch wine farm built around a huge formal fruit and vegetable garden that feeds its restaurants.

An oceanfront resort on a quiet stretch of Florida coast south of Palm Beach, with a beach club and bright coastal style.

The former Club Unión building on the old-town waterfront, restored as a hotel with a rooftop pool overlooking the Pacific and city skyline.

All-inclusive Montana ranch spread over meadows and foothills, built around horseback riding and fly fishing.

A 1929 colonial hotel in central Phnom Penh with tropical gardens, period architecture and a classic Elephant Bar.

A beachfront resort on Phu Quoc's Long Beach, with sleek villas, pools and sunset views over the Gulf of Thailand.

A former monastery on the hillside above Portofino harbour, with terraced gardens, a sea-view pool and long Riviera sunsets.

A 17th-century manor house in the mountains of Mallorca, with gardens, a pool and quiet valley views.

A beachfront hideaway on the Riviera Maya, with whitewashed buildings in lush gardens, a palm-lined beach and Mayan-inspired spa rituals.

Glass-walled lodge deep in the Chocó cloud forest, with a pedal-powered sky bike strung over the canopy.

Rio's white neoclassical landmark facing Copacabana Beach since 1923, with a glamorous poolside scene and classic Carioca style.

A clifftop hotel above Monaco and the Mediterranean, with terraces and sea views from every room.

Hillside villa suites with private pools on the wilder side of St Barths, plus a laid-back beach club.

Private-island resort a short boat ride off Antigua's north coast, with quiet white-sand beaches and villas among the palms.

A hillside retreat among olive groves above the Napa Valley, with sweeping vineyard views from its terrace and rooms.

Hillside suites with the fourth wall left open and infinity pools framing the twin Pitons above the Caribbean.

A 1908 Riviera palace in landscaped parkland on the tip of Cap-Ferrat, with a funicular down to its seaside pool club.

A restored 19th-century manor on a hillside above the Douro River, with vineyards, a spa and a focus on local wines.

A ranch-style estancia on rolling grasslands near José Ignacio, with art-filled rooms, horseback riding and traditional asado.

Villas with private plunge pools set on a desert hillside above the Sea of Cortez, with a spa inspired by local healing traditions.

An adobe-walled desert lodge in San Pedro de Atacama where each room has its own private guide and vehicle for excursions.

A sleek lodge in the green Galápagos highlands, with days spent exploring the islands on its own private yacht.

Set in a restored former maternity hospital plus a planted tower by Jean Nouvel, filled with Brazilian art and craft in a leafy downtown enclave.

12th-century abbey surrounded by its own Duero valley vineyards, with dinner served in the monks' old refectory.

A luxury tented camp on the edge of Ranthambore National Park, styled after old hunting camps, with tiger safaris.

Hotel on the upper floors of Korea's tallest skyscraper, looking down over the Han River and the city.

Eleven villas on a private granite island run as a conservation sanctuary for tortoises and nesting turtles.

A remote, ultra-private island in the far north of the Maldives, with overwater villas, retractable bedroom roofs and a floating 'castaway' villa.

On the top floors of a skyscraper in Futian, with views over parks, the city and Shenzhen Bay toward Hong Kong.

Sky-high rooms on the top floors of a Shinjuku tower, with a famous jazz bar and wide views across Tokyo.

All-inclusive hideaway on a novelist's former estate in the Vermont woods, with art-filled cottages and wood fires.

Clifftop villas on Sri Lanka's south coast, with a crescent-shaped pool looking over the Indian Ocean.

A turreted Alpine palace opened in 1896 overlooking Lake St. Moritz, famous for winter glamour, skiing and old-world service.

A waterfront landmark since 1874 facing the Royal Palace across the water, with grand salons and a large spa.

Housed in the sandstone former Department of Education building near Circular Quay, with an indoor pool, airy rooms and Australian art throughout.

52 private-pool villas curled around a wild white-sand bay on Mahé's south coast, set between the jungle and the Indian Ocean, with some perched on stilts above giant granite boulders.

A former 14th-century convent perched above the Ionian Sea, with cloisters, terraced gardens and views of Mount Etna.

A classic fishing lodge on the banks of the Waikato River near Huka Falls, with private riverside suites and New Zealand country style.

The original Aman, opened in 1988 among coconut palms on a Phuket headland, with Thai-style pavilions and a classic black-tiled pool.

A low-rise waterfront hotel in The Rocks with front-row views of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

One of a string of small Aman lodges across Bhutan's valleys; this one sits in pine forest above the capital.

A cedar inn on a rocky point of Chesterman Beach, famous for watching dramatic Pacific storms from the fireside.

A low, wind-shaped wooden lodge on Lake Sarmiento facing the Torres del Paine massif, with guided hikes and horse rides.

Just nine villas on a secluded sandy bay, each with its own heated pool and butler, and private yacht trips to the Blue Caves and the sea-turtle island offshore.

White canvas camp on the edge of the Makgadikgadi salt pans, famous for walks with habituated meerkats.

Vienna's classic hotel opposite the State Opera since 1876, home of the original Sacher-Torte and plush imperial-era interiors.

Pavilions and villas on a hillside within Núi Chúa National Park, overlooking Vinh Hy Bay, with a lakeside spa and a private beach.

A seaside resort on a pine-covered peninsula south of Athens, with private beaches, sunset views and fresh Greek seafood.

Working farm estate in the Smoky Mountain foothills whose kitchen runs on its own cheese, honey and garden produce.

A restored castle estate and village on the Baltic coast, with thatched cottages, beaches and woodland.

A grand country house set in Oxfordshire parkland, with a Roman-style bathhouse, a members' club feel and lavish interiors.

A former duchess's private beach estate between Tulum and Playa del Carmen, with jungle gardens, a powdery beach and a relaxed, estate feel.

Kerry Hill-designed retreat on a peninsula of Sun Moon Lake, with a long infinity pool facing the water.

A historic family-owned hotel in its own private park at the head of Lake Zurich, a short walk from the city's main shopping street.

Contemporary waterfront villas on the quieter southern coast of Providenciales, with private pools, sunset views and a beach club.

Private island in northern Fiji with about two dozen villas, its own farm, golf course and reef.