All Hip Hotels


All Hip Hotels - 149

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  1. Amansara Hotel

    Siem Reap, Cambodia

    When visiting dignitaries such as Brezhnev, Ho Chi Minh or Jackie Kennedy were invited to Siem Reap in the early 1960s for a private tour of the temples of Angkor, they would be put up in the guest villa of Prince Norodom Sihanouk – the same villa complex that is now Amansara.

    Designed by French architect Laurent Mondet, Amansara is a sleek collection of low horizontal lines and capacious circular domes. It retains the feel of staying in someone’s villa without the occasional headache of having to be nice to the host. The place benefits hugely from the Aman group’s commitment to aesthetic perfection. Guests lounge by the pool in Californian Palm Springs fashion - it’s just that the golf courses are replaced by the world’s most captivating temples.

    Simply put, Angkor is overwhelming, and Amansara's pristine sixties-inspired modernism with an Asian twist is just what you need after the carved cacophony of the Khmer temples.

    Photos of Amansara

    • Amansara's pristine sixties-inspired modernism with an Asian twist is just what you need after the carved cacophony of the Khmer temples.
    • Amansara's pristine sixties-inspired modernism with an Asian twist is just what you need after the carved cacophony of the Khmer temples.
    • it's the scale of Amansara that makes it so comfortable: it retains the feel of staying in someone's villa.

    Prices from:

    £3369 pp

    Stay when the rains are passing their peak

  2. La Résidence d’Angkor Hotel

    Siem Reap, Cambodia

    La Résidence d’Angkor, in the heart of the small but pretty tree-lined town of Siem Reap, is an exotic, dark-wooden-panelled escape. The guest rooms have the luxury of space, with bathrooms the size of an average Paris hotel room. The décor combines earthy Asian signatures with a contemporary flourish. Then there’s the pool: a sumptuous 130-foot-long stretch of emerald green tiles with two Hindu-inspired fountains.

    The most puzzling thing about the ruins of Angkor is how little survives of the day-to-day existence of the people of the Khmer Empire.
    You go there to marvel at the engineering feats and the sheer number of magnificent temples they constructed.

    In the heart of Siem Reap, it’s an exotic escape from the heat and bustle of the outdoors.

    Photos of La Residence d'Angkor

    • The hotel is based on the houses built by monks. At the peak of the Khmer empire, kings lived in wooden palaces; stone structures were reserved for the gods.
    • The hotel is based on the houses built by monks. At the peak of the Khmer empire, kings lived in wooden palaces; stone structures were reserved for the gods.
    • The guest rooms have bathrooms the size of an average Paris hotel room. The decor combines and earthy Asian signatures with a contemporary flourish.
    • La Résidence d’Angkor is in the heart of the small but pretty tree-lined town of Siem Reap. From here you are ideally placed to explore the temples of Angkor Wat.

    Prices from:

    £1399 pp

    Stay when the rains are passing their peak

  3. Buffalo Mountain Lodge (so named because the mountain it sits on was said by indigenous peoples to resemble a buffalo lying down) is a timber and fieldstone complex on the slopes of Tunnel Mountain, in 9 acres of woodland.

    The owners, the O’Connors, firmly believe that Canada's mountain sanctuaries are without equal, even the food they serve at Buffalo Mountain Lodge – local game, indigenous berries, wild fruits – is sourced from their own ranch.

    This mountain retreat is completely in harmony with its surroundings. Rooms achieve a rugged effect with a large wood-burning fieldstone fireplace in the corner, two Adirondack chairs, and lots of exposed timber. Hiding in a large timber cupboard is a gigantic cable television. Bathrooms of the premier rooms have heating under the floor and both a clawfoot bath and a separate shower booth.

    The food, the ambience and the architecture are all wholly in sympathy with a setting that is among the most picturesque in the world.

    Photos of Buffalo Mountain Lodge

    • Built in the post and beam style, Buffalo Mountain Lodge is a mountain retreat is completely in harmony with its surroundings.
    • Built in the post and beam style, Buffalo Mountain Lodge is a mountain retreat is completely in harmony with its surroundings.
    • Rooms achieve a rugged effect with a large fieldstone fireplace and lots of exposed timber.
    • The nearest mountain is a small family resort called Norquay Further afield is Sunshine Mountain, famous for having the best snow in Canada.
    • An enormous, 25-person hot tub sits between the lodge and the guest rooms.

    Prices from:

    £1,030 pp

    Skiing Season!

  4. Cap Juluca

    Anguilla, Caribbean

    Special Offer

    To make the best of these noble intentions, this 179 acre resort has just completed a 22 million dollar renovation. The emphasis of this project was to rejuvenate in terms of technology and features without altering the distinctive all-white Moorish signature that has made it so unique in the Caribbean.

    Sixty thousand plants were added to the gardens, 40-inch HD TVs and iPod docking stations were added to the rooms (as well as free wireless) and the three restaurants were completely renovated.

    What has not changed is the white sand of the Cap Juluca beach that stretches for almost a mile from one end of crescent-shaped Maundays Bay to the other. With a view of the mountains of St. Maarten in the near distance, the true magic of Cap Juluca is its location.



    Inspired by Juluca, the ancient Arawak’s rainbow spirit, Cap Juluca continues the Arawak tradition of cultivating a culture of tranquillity on the island of Anguilla.

    Photos of Cap Juluca

    • Vivid white Moorish domes, turquoise water, crescent-shaped white sand, Cap Juluca is a study in contrasting shapes and spectacle.
    • Vivid white Moorish domes, turquoise water, crescent-shaped white sand, Cap Juluca is a study in contrasting shapes and spectacle.
    • Every room at Cap Juluca has an ocean view, and each room is only a few steps from the white, powdery sand.
    • Maundays Club is on Maundays Bay beach, with a panoramic view of neighbouring St. Maarten.
    • There are three restaurants. What all three have in common is a Moroccan-inspired décor and an ocean view.

    Prices from:

    £1,949 pp

    Free night offer!

  5. Carlisle Bay Hotel

    Antigua, Caribbean

    Special Offer

    The lush countryside, the warm disposition of the people – these might be what distinguish Antigua from other Caribbean islands, but for Gordon Campbell Gray, proprietor of London's One Aldwych, the decision to invest in Antigua was swayed by the special beauty of Carlisle Bay.
    From the lights that illuminate the garden at night, to the bleached grey stain of the outdoor timber, to the abundance of orchids, to the custom-made furniture and interiors designed by Mary Fox Linton – no detail large or small has escaped Gordon's magnificent obsession. The swimming pool tiles were brought in from Bali and a black-painted orchid pool with its flaming torches defines the entrance.
    The all-suites hotel opened in late 2003 and the guest reaps the benefit of Gordon Campbell Gray's almost manic attention to detail in a wild and ruggedly natural setting.

    With the proprietor's assured taste, Carlisle Bay has been groomed as a Caribbean option for discerning adults.

    Photos of Carlisle Bay

    • With the proprietor's assured taste, Carlisle Bay has been groomed as a Caribbean option for discerning adults.
    • With the proprietor's assured taste, Carlisle Bay has been groomed as a Caribbean option for discerning adults.
    • Table for two? They don't come much more romantic.
    • Nestling on the magnificent undeveloped south coast of Antigua – set in a sweeping bay on a ravishing beach with a backdrop of rolling hills and lush tropical rainforest.
    • Health, wellbeing and feeling fantastic… all three fundamental to Carlisle Bay’s philosophy.

    Prices from:

    £1,599 pp

    on our Why Wait offer for travel before 22nd December

  6. Compass Point Resort

    Bahamas, Caribbean

    Compass Point is a strikingly bold and funky statement of individuality. A collection of timber cabins arranged along an idyllic point, every one opens out to an unimpeded view of crystal-clear turquoise waters and a private beach is no more than 100 yds away.

    The restaurant, perched on the very edge of the sea wall and looking out towards the lagoon that defines the resort, is booked solid every night. Decor, ambience and location have a lot to do with it, but so too does the food, which is exactly what one expects in the Caribbean: lots of seafood and lots of spices.

    Compass Point may well be the most colourful little retreat in the world

    Photos of Compass Point

    • Compass Point may well be the most colourful little retreat in the world
    • Compass Point may well be the most colourful little retreat in the world
    • Vibrant yet calm, with a hint of colour on the individual bathrobes, help to bring a little of outside colour in
    • The jetty is a popular bar, perfect for a tropical cocktail like the ‘Kamanawanalaya’
    • The restaurant, perched on the very edge of the sea wall and looking out towards the lagoon, is booked solid every night

    Prices from:

    £1,499 pp

    upgrade your room from only £25 per night

  7. One&Only Ocean Club

    Bahamas, Caribbean

    In truth, it looks even smarter in real life: an unusually successful blend of shiny new world bling and old world class. It doesn’t come as a surprise to learn that it was once the private estate of Huntington Hartford II, heir to the A&P Supermarket fortune. It still has the feel – that “je ne sais quoi” – of old money. This beautiful house was built on the best location in the Bahamas, and no matter how much the estate has changed, the foundation of discerning taste is still there.
    What really stands out about the Ocean Club is its ability to combine the casual beach chic that you would expect from the Bahamas with the polished formality of a summer house built on a Versailles scale.

    Some people will recognise the One&Only Ocean Club from the recent James Bond film Casino Royale. If ever there was a place perfectly suited to driving in with an Aston Martin, this is it.

    Photos of One&Only Ocean Club

    • James Bond bling in an elegant, colonial-style estate bordered by a soft dune beach.
    • James Bond bling in an elegant, colonial-style estate bordered by a soft dune beach.
    • Guests are genuinely made to feel like guests.  The prevailing ambience is that of a stately, elegant home.
    • The Dune Bar is situated on a white sand bluff overlooking the sea.  It is a perfect spot for breakfast or an early evening cocktail.
    • Renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is responsible for the menu at Dune, and the style is courtesy of renowned French designer Christian Liaigre.

    Prices from:

    1,699 pp

    Free night offer!

  8. Pink Sands Resort

    Bahamas, Caribbean

    Designed by Barbara Hulanicki, who became a legend in the Swinging Sixties in London with her Biba store, a favourite with glam-rock stars like David Bowie, this twenty acre retreat comprises twenty five pastel-coloured cottages scattered throughout its lush tropical grounds that border the famous Pink Sands beach.
    Some cottages lead directly to the beach, others are camouflaged by the verdant, jungle-like gardens. Privacy is assured, and everything is designed for relaxed, easy enjoyment of what must be one of the prettiest places in the Caribbean.
    Pink Sands Resort is in complete harmony with the unspoiled, charming beauty of Harbour Island. Neither the island nor the resort bombard you with choices. You are free to enjoy one of the most bewitching places in the Bahamas your way.


    Harbour Island’s Pink Sands Resort is exactly what it says on the box: a 3-mile-long pink sand beach with guest bungalows.

    Photos of Pink Sands Resort

    • A collection of colourful cottages on a three-mile stretch of pink powdery sand.
    • A collection of colourful cottages on a three-mile stretch of pink powdery sand.
    • Guest accommodation is in twenty five pastel-coloured cottages scattered throughout the twenty acre estate.
    • The bar is part of the restaurant at the Garden Terrace, but many guests prefer to enjoy a cocktail on their own patio.
    • Dining is alfresco in the Garden Terrace restaurant.  The cuisine is Caribbean with emphasis on fresh fish.

    Prices from:

    £2,399 pp

    Stay in your own bungalow on the 3 mile pink sand beach

  9. Sandy Lane Resort

    Barbados, Caribbean

    Special Offer

    First opened in 1961, it was a success from the very start and in 1998 the property was rebuilt from scratch in order to provide for the modern standards of luxury demanded such as a world-class spa and championship golf. In rebuilding this famous hotel, the porches, the staircases, the walls, the symmetry, the columns -every characteristic Caribbean Georgian detail – were carefully adhered to. The end result is a hotel that looks like it hasn’t been touched on the outside but with a thoroughly modern hotel on the inside. The hotel is distinguished inside and out by its render of crushed coral limestone. It is unashamedly luxurious.

    In the sleepy, laid-back Caribbean, Sandy Lane is almost a miracle. The place is a well-oiled machine that seems to operate without hiccup or glitch.

    Focus on the many ways you can be spoilt. Because for the true hedonist, Sandy Lane is very hip indeed.

    Photos of Sandy Lane

    • Focus on the many ways you can be spoilt. Because for the true hedonist, Sandy Lane is very hip indeed.
    • Focus on the many ways you can be spoilt. Because for the true hedonist, Sandy Lane is very hip indeed.
    • At an average size of 900sq. ft, the rooms here are  unashamedly luxurious.
    • The monkey bar is not as fanciful as it might seem. This part of Barbados still has an actively naughty population of wild monkeys.
    • Choose from exquisite fine dining at l’Acajou, ocean-front dining at Bajan Blue, or the Country Club and Spa Café, open for lunch.

    Prices from:

    £2,219 pp

  10. The House

    Barbados, Caribbean

    Special Offer

    With only 34 rooms and suites, the proprietor’s chose the name to suggest the ambience of renting a villa as opposed to staying in a hotel. Only, in this adults-only villa, they serve up complimentary Champagne breakfasts and assign each guest a personal ambassador to cater to every whim!

    On a design front its combination of, ornate Persian-style screens with teak furniture and floors, is suitably exotic. It's a beautifully intimate place with plenty of privacy for romantic dining. For food lovers the House may be one of the best hunting grounds on the island, because the most acclaimed addition to the Barbados restaurant scene is the adjacent Daphne’s. Located bang on the beach, this satellite of the famous London restaurant, is regarded by many as better than the original.

    The House is the beachside version of a hip downtown hotel.

    Photos of The House

    • The House is the beachside version of a hip downtown hotel
    • The House is the beachside version of a hip downtown hotel
    • The House is the venue for an extremely laid-back ritual that alternates between swimming, sitting in the sun, drinking in the lounge……
    • Located bang on the beach, this satellite of the famous London restaurant, Daphne’s, is regarded by many as better than the original is next door.
    • Set on a pristine stretch of white sand on Barbados’ west coast

    Prices from:

    £1,399 pp

    for stays this summer or from just £1,599 pp if you book before 19th August for this winter

  11. Necker Island

    British Virgin Islands, Caribbean

    Necker, Sir Richard Branson’s private island paradise, is situated in the British Virgin Islands, a stunning and unspoilt area of the Caribbean. At 74 acres, Necker sits in turquoise waters surrounded by coral reefs and fringed with beautiful white sandy beaches.
    With a maximum capacity for 28 guests, Necker consists of 9 bedrooms in the Great House and 5 beautiful private Balinese Houses which are available for exclusive hire, however individual rooms can be rented during selected Celebration Weeks.

    Enjoy lazy days on the beaches or swim in two infinity pools. Take to the ocean with some snorkeling or learn one of many water sports available with professional instructors. Perfect your tennis skills with the resident coach, get pampered by the therapists in the Bali Leha Spa. Dine by candle light, firelight or starlight in one of many stunning locations.

    Necker can become your own private hideaway; away from the stresses and strains of daily life.

    Photos of Necker Island

    • This majestic, airy Balinese villa is the hub of the Island, located on Devil’s Hill and boasting panoramic views of the Caribbean, the Atlantic Ocean and neighbouring islands.
    • This majestic, airy Balinese villa is the hub of the Island, located on Devil’s Hill and boasting panoramic views of the Caribbean, the Atlantic Ocean and neighbouring islands.
    • Bedrooms in The Great House are bright and airy, some feature outdoor bathrooms with views over the Island to the surrounding turquoise water. The individual Bali Houses are in the distance.
    • Fine food is the highlight of any guest’s stay, meals can be enjoyed by firelight, candlelight or starlight and the chefs will prepare whatever guests desire.
    • Situated in the British Virgin Islands, Necker sits in turquoise waters surrounded by coral reefs and fringed with the beautiful white sandy beaches.

    Prices from:

    £9,395 pp

    Celebration weeks throughout the year

  12. Santa Isabel Hotel

    Cuba, Caribbean

    Vieja Habana is popular with visitors, and for good reason. Havana is authentic, even if the odd building could do with a lick of paint. For fans of colonial Cuba, the place to stay is the Hotel Santa Isabel.

    Located in the Plaza de Armas, there is a bar with live music on every corner of the surrounding streets, and not just one guy with a guitar, but bands that number on average eight. It makes you realise what people used to do before they invented television. And these are trained jazz musicians able to play many instruments. To wander from bar to bar and take in the music is a treat and privilege, a privilege unique to Old Havana. The overwhelming impression is that people in Cuba focus on having fun.

    In this hotel it is easy to imagine life in the city when its plantations supplied the world with sugar, tobacco and mahogany.

    Photos of Santa Isabel

    • For fans of colonial Cuba, the place to stay is the Hotel Santa Isabel.
    • For fans of colonial Cuba, the place to stay is the Hotel Santa Isabel.
    • My favourite room was the restaurant, or more accurately the two rooms - one a dusty pink and the other painted a shade of blue somewhere between royal and navy.
    • Set on historic Plaza de Armas - it was the first hotel in Havana.

    Prices from:

    £799 pp

  13. Saratoga Hotel

    Cuba, Caribbean

    The Saratoga “certainly has, without a doubt, the best view”. From the rooftop restaurant and pool you have a 200 and something degree view of the city, with the impressive Capitolio and Teatro Nacional just across the street.

    At its zenith in the Thirties an all-girl swing band called Anacaona made the hotel one of Havana’s hotspots: today, Saratoga brings a certain style from that era to its contemporary interior. The restaurant is red and Moroccan, the atrium bar looks like it could still host the band. It’s a surprisingly stylish hotel, none of which is obvious from the exterior. Apart from the pool on the roof, which is a very sophisticated and welcome touch, they also must have one of the best located restaurants in the city with Old Havana stretching out below.

    Contemporary interiors with a certain style from the Thirties and a superb location in Old Havana.

    Photos of Saratoga

    • The history of the hotel dates back to the mid 1800s and has been an institution in the city for well over 100 years.
    • The history of the hotel dates back to the mid 1800s and has been an institution in the city for well over 100 years.
    • It certainly has, without a doubt, the best view.  From the rooftop restaurant and swimming pool you have a 200 and something degree view of the city.

    Prices from:

    £899 pp

  14. Laluna Hotel

    Grenada, Caribbean

    Special Offer

    It’s not a surprise to discover that Laluna is the vision of an intrepid Italian; they seem to have a knack for places like this. Bernardo Bertucci arrived here just over 10 years ago, and fell in love with the island, and the fact that it was not as commercial as other Caribbean islands.

    This hotel is far more colourful and ethnic than any of the other hotels. The owner decided to focus on a décor and design much more in tune with the surrounding jungle. Laluna is for people who embrace the chance to escape to a bungalow disguised by the verdant green of a tropical island, just above a beach that is hidden away for all but the guests of the property.

    This is a place where you forget time, routine and protocol, and focus instead on the natural beauty of these volcanic Caribbean islands.

    Photos of Laluna

    • This hotel is the ‘outsider’ on Grenada.  For starters, it’s the only place not on Great Anse Beach.  It’s also far more colourful and ethnic than any of the other islands’ hotels.
    • This hotel is the ‘outsider’ on Grenada.  For starters, it’s the only place not on Great Anse Beach.  It’s also far more colourful and ethnic than any of the other islands’ hotels.
    • La luna is for people who embrace the chance to escape to a bungalow disguised by the green of a tropical island.
    • This is a place where you forget time and focus instead on the natural beauty of these volcanic Caribbean islands.

    Prices from:

    £1,299 pp

    Includes 1 free night

  15. Mount Cinnamon Hotel

    Grenada, Caribbean

    Special Offer

    ... a collection of red-roofed villas tucked into the dense greenery of Mount Cinnamon. They each have a brilliant view of the bay that defines Grenada and of the starting point of Great Anse beach.

    These are villas in the true domestic context of the word, they are houses with proper living rooms, kitchens, terraces, and completely separate bedrooms; houses that are perfect for people with children.

    The rest of the hotel is just down the hill from the villas. It’s not huge, and that is its charm. It is all on a scale that feels cosy and comfortable. One thing is certain; the hotel has a great view, probably the best on the island, a great location, a two minute stroll from the beach, and a very comfortable scale.

    Peter de Savary’s Mount Cinnamon is a new and fun boutique resort set on the beautiful Grand Anse Beach.

    Photos of Mount Cinnamon

    Prices from:

    £1,369 pp

    Book by 31st May to receive 2 complimentary spa treatments

  16. Spice Island Beach Resort

    Grenada, Caribbean

    Special Offer

    Of all the hotels along Grand Anse Beach, Spice Island definitely has the best location. Tucked just behind the dunes, the whole resort is literally a stone’s throw from the beach.
    Spice Island’s beach bungalows are the most sought - after rooms on the island. The terrace end of their open plan interior leads directly onto the beach; thirty paces from your bed. The same is true for the restaurants (there are two), the colonial bar and the pool.
    It is considered the best hotel in Grenada, and deservedly so. It runs like clockwork, the service is personable and professional, and the style is a cool and contemporary version of a Caribbean classic, limestone colonial. A lot of effort has gone into creating a look that appears effortless. It’s a laidback place that makes running a hotel look easy.

    To be a guest at Spice Island Beach Resort, is to live in elegant luxury on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

    Photos of Spice Island Beach Resort

    • This hotel does not rest on its laurels, the service is personable and professional, and the style is a cool and contemporary version of a Caribbean classic, limestone colonial.
    • This hotel does not rest on its laurels, the service is personable and professional, and the style is a cool and contemporary version of a Caribbean classic, limestone colonial.
    • Spice Island’s beach bungalows are the most sought-after rooms on the island.  The terrace end of their open plan interior leads directly onto the beach; thirty paces from your bed.
    • Both Oliver’s restaurant and the Sea and Surf Terrace & Bar combine the best of international and creole cuisine to the backdrop of Grenada’s calyso, reggae and steel bands.
    • The gorgeous free-form swimming pool is equally as tempting as the turquoise waters of the sea.

    Prices from:

    £2,095 pp

    Perfect for families

  17. Geejam

    Jamaica, Caribbean

    Special Offer

    Set in the jungle on the secluded and unspoilt northeast coast, Geejam is a stone’s throw from the island’s most beautiful and charming beaches, and only a short journey from the island’s most renowned waterfalls. Geejam is an exclusive collection of deluxe cabins and villas with the added street cred of also being a fully fledged recording studio.

    Musicians need privacy when they are recording an album, but they also need comfort and inspiration. With room names like Ska, Rocksteady, Drum&Bass this retreat openly celebrates its musical pedigree and the design only amplifies it, with hidden speakers and the fusion of sleek design.
    Organic elegance best describes the style of this six acre estate. A duo of three hundred year old fig trees also serve as the foundation of the Bushbar. It’s all a well balanced mix of upscale interiors – Hansgrohe taps, Starck bathtubs –natural environment – the property has its own waterfall -and the “we know how to chill” shabby chic that has come to typify the Island Outpost group.

    Music is as much a part of Jamaica as its mountains, beaches and jungle. Combine all these attributes, condense them, and you end up with Geejam

    Photos of Geejam

    • Chill like a rockstar in a stylish mix of sleek design and tropical attitude.
    • Chill like a rockstar in a stylish mix of sleek design and tropical attitude.
    • In contrast to the authentic rootsy tropical architecture of the public areas, the rooms use sleek design to juxtapose with the dominant natural beauty.
    • Two 300-year-old fig trees form the very centre of this Caribbean Garden of Eden.  The majestic sweep of its verdant canopies are the roof of one of the funkiest bars in Jamaica.
    • The kitchen’s specialty is a unique fusion of Jamaican and Asian affair, served in true rockstar fashion; where you want, when you want.

    Prices from:

    £1,799 pp

  18. Round Hill Resort

    Jamaica, Caribbean

    Special Offer

    Round Hill is where Jacqueline and JFK spent their honeymoon, where Rodgers and Hammerstein played chess, where Hitchcock got sunburned and where Noel Coward, if egged on enough, would sing for the guests.

    After 50 years, Round Hill has a million stories to tell, but most impressive is how little it has changed. The place today offers the same blend of qualities that has always pulled the famous names and faces; namely a well-preserved slice of old Jamaica.

    Today you still enjoy its stylish architecture and a predictably colonial pace of life, but with the added pull of an oceanfront spa and refurbished hotel rooms designed for beach living by Ralph Lauren, (perhaps whilst visiting his own villa at Round Hill).

    A former pineapple plantation on the outskirts of Montego Bay, what is it about Round Hill that makes it such a magnet?

    Photos of Round Hill

    • After 50 years, Round Hill has a million stories to tell, but most impressive is how little it has changed.
    • After 50 years, Round Hill has a million stories to tell, but most impressive is how little it has changed.
    • Make sure you have a drink in the semi-enclosed lounge, listening to the strains of the piano and watching the sun set.
    • Having Noel Coward as one of the first guests was a huge coup for Round Hill. Today it offers the same blend of qualities that has always pulled the famous faces.
    • What is it about Round Hill that makes it such a magnet? A significant part of the equation is Jamaica itself.

    Prices from:

    £1,499 pp

    For 2 weeks with our Stay 14 Pay 7 in September!

  19. Strawberry Hill Resort

    Jamaica, Caribbean

    Special Offer

    Strawberry Hill is a former coffee plantation perched on a plateau 3,100 feet above sea level. It looks down on the sprawling city of Kingston below and the blue-green waters of the Caribbean beyond.

    The architecture and design of Strawberry Hill’s twelve guest villas are stunning. With their awnings, verandas and mountain vistas, they are apparently a self-contained world set apart from local life. But in fact the place continues to play a role in Jamaican society – key members of Kingston’s urban set make the forty-five minute drive to the renowned restaurant each week to eat, discuss and linger until sunset.

    Aside from the food, the spectacular location and the cool temperatures, Strawberry Hill is also renowned as an Aveda spa.

    Colonial plantation style meets island cool in the misty blue mountains of Jamaica.

    Photos of Strawberry Hill

    • Colonial plantation style meets island cool in the misty blue mountains of Jamaica.
    • Colonial plantation style meets island cool in the misty blue mountains of Jamaica.
    • With their awnings, verandas and mountain vistas -The architecture and design of Strawberry Hill's twelve guest villas are stunning.
    • Key members of Kingston’s urban set make the forty five minute drive each week to eat, discuss and linger till sunset.

    Prices from:

    £1,299 pp

  20. The Caves Hotel

    Jamaica, Caribbean

    Perched on craggy cliffs thirty feet above a translucent emerald green sea, this hotel is unique in the Caribbean. The sea caves are filled with the inhabitants of the coral reef: eels, parrot fish and rays. Some of the caves are large enough to take boats into, and of course it's a paradise for diving and snorkelling. Equipment is all included in the room rates; all you have to do is launch yourself into the twenty-foot waters below.

    The caves are just part of an experience that is totally Jamaican. From the hand-made wooden furniture to the colourful fabrics and local works of art. The food is wholesome, with an emphasis on fresh fish, Jamaican-style vegetables and tropical fruit. Reggae and blues are played in the thatched cliff-side pavilion where meals are served. There are no televisions; evening entertainment consists of lively conversation enhanced by rum cocktails.

    It is a small jungle-clad retreat of thatched timber huts that literally sit on and between some of the most spectacular sea caves in the world.

    Photos of The Caves

    • It is a small jungle-clad retreat of thatched timber huts that literally sit on and between some of the most spectacular sea caves in the world.
    • It is a small jungle-clad retreat of thatched timber huts that literally sit on and between some of the most spectacular sea caves in the world.
    • The rooms, or more accurately, the guest bungalows, redefine the notion of a thatched hut.
    • Reggae and blues are played in the thatched cliff side pavilion.
    • The food is wholesome, tasty Jamaican fare, with an emphasis on fresh fish.

    Prices from:

    £1,789 pp

    For a week's All Inclusive stay this June with added VHIP extras!

  21. The Cotton House Hotel

    Mustique, St Vincent & Grenadines, Caribbean

    In 1959 Lord Glenconner bought the entire island for £45,000, a small fortune then for an island without buildings, services or water. He created the hotel to encourage guests to visit and purchase land – to this day this exclusive island is privately owned by those who chose to be homeowners on this earthly paradise.

    Today the restored remains of the plantation including the windmill and warehouse form the core of the Cotton House hotel, the dining room, the ballroom, and the popular Monkey Bar, and guests are accommodated in individual houses of their own each with a view. It has the best location on this man-made Eden, on a promontory that divides windswept L'Ansecoy Bay from the calm green waters on the other side.

    Cotton House is a collection of individual “residences” dotted around a lush old sugar plantation estate.

    Photos of The Cotton House

    • Cotton House is based in a collection of old plantation buildings, the imposing storage house has been used for the dining room, the ballroom and the popular monkey bar.
    • Cotton House is based in a collection of old plantation buildings, the imposing storage house has been used for the dining room, the ballroom and the popular monkey bar.
    • Dotted around the lush estate, guests are accommodated in houses of their own, finished in classical, colonial style, with linens, cottons, rattan furniture and polished wooden floors.
    • The Monkey bar is as legendary as the island’s eccentric founder- a perfect name for a bar intended for misbehaving.
    • A 3-course gastronomic dinner is included at The Veranda restaurant.

    Prices from:

    £1,649 pp

    Free night offer!

  22. Jade Mountain

    St Lucia, Caribbean

    Special Offer

    The hotel corridor, for instance, has been replaced by a suspended sky bridge. The fourth wall of your room is irrelevant because there is no fourth wall – it has been left out to transform the sweeping space into a stage for the dazzling view of the Pitons.

    From the outset it was architect and proprietor Nick Troubetzkoy’s desire for guests to become part of the unforgettable view. To do this, he not only abandoned the fourth wall, but he enhanced the panorama by the strategic placement of a large private infinity pool. You can, as a guest, literally dive into the view below.

    This is a place where you leave your mobile and laptop behind and allow your private sanctuary to orchestrate an extraordinary series of sensory experiences.

    Sanctuary is the key word for Jade Mountain. It is not a hotel, it is a sanctuary, or a collection of sanctuaries.

    Photos of Jade Mountain

    • A sanctuary and a sensation.  Leave your inhibition behind and enjoy a journey into unexplored sensory territory. If this place doesn’t give you stories to tell, nowhere will.
    • A sanctuary and a sensation.  Leave your inhibition behind and enjoy a journey into unexplored sensory territory. If this place doesn’t give you stories to tell, nowhere will.
    • Guests get a sanctuary, and each sanctuary is rated according to the size of its infinity pool – a fundamental, almost primary element of Troubetzkoy’s design.
    • The bar & dining terrace offers the same exceptional views. Guests are also welcome to use the bar facilities of Anse Chastanet, located below Jade Mountain.
    • Every meal, any meal, any time, is the mantra of Jade Mountain, and hence local Caribbean dishes can be served in your sanctuary.

    Prices from:

    £2,649 pp

  23. Ladera Resort

    St Lucia, Caribbean

    It’s all about the view. From the restaurant, from the bar, from the pool from your room, the Pitons are bang in front of you with their jungle-clad volcanic stone faces plummeting into the placid blue Caribbean below.
    It is also one of the most discreet views. From a distance Ladera is invisible. Hidden in the dense verdant jungle that covers most of the island’s mountains, it is a stellar example of how to build in a beautiful location without wrecking it.

    Green, moreover, is very much the dominant theme here, especially in the context of the environment. To start with it’s not air conditioned and for good reason, you don’t need it. All the buildings are open, exposed to the cool winds that tend to swirl around the mountaintops.

    Ladera is that rare find, a hotel that is a completely individual and totally unique proposition

    Photos of Ladera Resort

    • Hidden in the dense verdant jungle that covers most of the island’s mountains, Ladera is a stellar example of how to build in a beautiful location without wrecking it
    • Hidden in the dense verdant jungle that covers most of the island’s mountains, Ladera is a stellar example of how to build in a beautiful location without wrecking it
    • The guest suites have three walls - they are open and fully exposed to the view and to the breeze on the side that counts

    Prices from:

    £1,499 pp

    Includes $100 spa credit and 1 free night

  24. Marigot Bay Hotel

    St Lucia, Caribbean

    Special Offer

    Facing west, it provided shelter from storms and it was also the setting for a famous sea battle between the navies of France and Britain. Today, this is the setting for the Marigot Bay Hotel, a 30 acre eco-friendly retreat with a stylishly chic collection of 56 suites and 66 rooms, many with their own private pool.

    The famous marina at Marigot Bay is just next door, with lively local restaurants and bars, it accommodates some of the world’s most impressive mega yachts. Marigot Bay has become a well-known holiday destination; the perfect place if you are the type that does not like being locked away in an isolated retreat. Apart from the bay itself, there are also St. Lucia’s lush rainforest and mountain peaks to explore.

    The bay, described by novelist James Michener as “the most beautiful bay in the Caribbean”, was once a favourite haunt of pirates.

    Photos of Marigot Bay Hotel

    • Conceived as an intimate and luxurious retreat for people that agree with James Michener (that it is “the most beautiful bay in the Caribbean”).
    • Conceived as an intimate and luxurious retreat for people that agree with James Michener (that it is “the most beautiful bay in the Caribbean”).
    • Enjoy a bay view suite with spacious deck and fully decked out kitchen.
    • Named after the captain who built the first hotel on Marigot Bay, Boudreau offers fine dining in a French colonial atmosphere.
    • Located alongside Marigot Bay the hotel makes the best of a bay that was long a favourite of pirates of the Caribbean (real ones).

    Prices from:

    £1,095 pp

    Or from £985pp for 7 nights based on 2 adults and 2 children sharing a 1 bed suite– stay 7, pay 5, travelling July to September 2010

  25. Parrot Cay Resort

    Turks and Caicos Islands, Caribbean

    First and foremost it’s all about the beach. Parrot Cay’s beach is a long curving strip of blindingly white powdery sand - imagine a beach made of talcum powder and you’ll start to get the idea. Without exaggeration, it is probably one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean.

    As a guest you don’t just have the beach to yourself, you have the island to yourself. The relaxed ambience has a lot to do with the fact that here there are no distractions. There is nothing to do but the worthwhile simple things, such as swimming in the turquoise waters, checking into the spa for a bit of ‘me’ time, or dining alfresco by the swimming pool by candlelight at night.

    Parrot Cay is the essence of what it means to get away from it all.

    Photos of Parrot Cay

    • The island is remote enough to not be surrounded by development, and large enough to sustain its own mini culture.
    • Parrot Cay’s beach is a long curving strip of blindingly white powdery sand - imagine a beach made of talcum powder and you’ll start to get the idea.

    Prices from:

    £1,969 pp

    Free night Offer

  26. The hotel offers 42 villas (236 rooms) designed by twelve different architects, scattered along the two-thousand acre property, culminating in a large pavilion that houses two restaurants, three bars, a swimming pool and a reception lobby.

    The drive to the Great Wall takes under an hour from the centre of Beijing, but the total change in environment and ambience makes it feel like you’ve travelled for weeks.

    The best words to describe the Commune by the Great Wall are fearless and experimental; fearless in its willingness to take risks and experimental in openly embracing the new. It is a creative showcase of Asian talent: a collection of houses, all inspiringly different, adjacent to one the Wonders of the World –
    the Great Wall of China.

    “…. the new revolution in the People’s Republic of China – a design revolution – one of the most compelling hotels in Asia.”

    Photos of Commune by the Great Wall

    • “…. the new revolution in the People’s Republic of China – a design revolution – one of the most compelling hotels in Asia.”
    • “…. the new revolution in the People’s Republic of China – a design revolution – one of the most compelling hotels in Asia.”

    Prices from:

    £845 pp

    Perfect as part of a tailormade tour of China

  27. The China Club

    Beijing, China

    Situated down a quiet hutong not far from Tiananmen Square, this former palace has changed little since it was built in the seventeenth century for a son of Emperor Kang Xi. Remarkably, virtually all of its architectural features have survived intact.

    The guestrooms are unlike any you're likely to have been in before but the true beauty of the place is the way it's divided into pavilions. Everywhere you go, there's another hidden courtyard, private dining room or secret bar.

    The China Club plays host to one of Beijing's most successful `scenes’. Every evening at around 7pm, an entire convoy of shiny black limousines with tinted windows pulls into the courtyard.

    Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. These were the first words a friend in Hong Kong used to described the China Club in Beijing. ‘You'll love it: it’s just like staying in the film but with great food.’ And she was right.

    Photos of The China Club

    • The true beauty of the place is the way it's divided into pavilions. Everywhere you go, there's another hidden courtyard, private dining room or secret bar.
    • The true beauty of the place is the way it's divided into pavilions. Everywhere you go, there's another hidden courtyard, private dining room or secret bar.
    • In the guestrooms, colour has been limited to dark red or chartreuse green. The bed is hidden, divided from the living room by trellis panels that also provide a decorative focus.
    • Authentic Sichuan cuisine and a 920’s style bar and cigar bar.
    • Restaurant at the China Club

    Prices from:

    £899 pp

    Go for a Winter Break

  28. The Opposite House

    Beijing, China

    Special Offer

    The name derives from the ancient custom that the guest house is always situated on the opposite end of a traditional courtyard home. It is also a reference to the hotel’s fondness for contrast. Situated in the village of Sanlitun, a community based on traditional, low-build Beijing hutongs, The Opposite House stands out with its striking emerald glass exterior, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. The colour is traditional but the design certainly is not.

    With 98 studios, three restaurants, (including Mediterranean Sureno and North Asian Bei), two bars and a state-of-the-art fitness centre with the a unique stainless steel pool, The Opposite House does not lack for facilities, yet the approach is still very much that of a small, individually minded outsider.

    Timeless tradition and a captivating, contemporary dynamic are the opposing ying and yang that successfully juxtapose to make this Beijing hotel.

    Photos of The Opposite House

    • Art and innovation is juxtaposed with tradition and historical order.
    • Art and innovation is juxtaposed with tradition and historical order.
    • High ceilings and open-plan living evoke the atmosphere of a loft.  Under floor heating and large, spa-inspired bathrooms provide the comfort.
    • Punk takes luxury underground and a cool cocktail lounge called Mesh serves an eclectic menu in a chilled atmosphere.
    • Sureño has a wood-fire oven and specialises in flavours of the Mediterranean.  Bei is all about reinterpreting dishes from Japan, Northern China and Korea.

    Prices from:

    £999 pp

    Free night offer!

  29. A complex of traditional style Chinese villas nestled into the mountainous landscape of South Western China. Lijiang has to be one of the best preserved traditional Chinese towns and the Banyan Tree Lijiang is the closest one can get to experiencing the magic of old China.

    Each guest is spoiled with a villa; your own walled complex which adds to the prevailing feeling of authenticity. Each has either a jet-pool or a private swimming pool, and each of the pools have a view of the spectacular 5,600 metre Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

    Set in a traditional pavilion along a reflecting pool, the bar is situated to take in the most spectacular view of the compound. A place to enjoy the magnificence of the surroundings.

    ‘House of Flying Daggers’ with room service and a fabulous wine list.

    Photos of Banyan Tree Lijiang

    • Each guest is spoiled with a villa built in the distinct form and style of Lijiang architecture – your own walled complex which adds to the prevailing feeling of authenticity.
    • Each guest is spoiled with a villa built in the distinct form and style of Lijiang architecture – your own walled complex which adds to the prevailing feeling of authenticity.
    • Each and every guest villa has either a jet-pool or a private plunge pool, and each of the villa plunge pools have a view of the spectacular 5,600 metre Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
    • Set in a traditional pavilion along a vast basin and reflecting pool, the bar is situated to take in the most spectacular view of the compound.
    • There are two restaurants at Banyan Tree Lijiang; Bai Yun is an intimate space that focuses on local specialities.

    Prices from:

    £1,129 pp

    Perfect when twinned with Ringha

  30. At an altitude of 3,200 metres, Banyan Tree Ringha is the part of Tibet known, appropriately enough, as Shangri La.

    Ringha is an extraordinary story which started with the purchase of 20 old traditional Tibetan farmhouses and the subsequent deconstruction of each house supervised by the former owners, and the reconstruction of the same houses on an idyllic site by a river that snakes through a verdant mountainscape.

    With a very large fireplace and a view of the surrounding wooded mountains, the bar is the perfect place to kick back after a day of trekking – very, very ‘A River Runs Through It’

    Not a room, a house. Every guest gets their own Tibetan farmhouse – a funky Himalayan loft with a fireplace in the middle.

    Photos of Banyan Tree Ringha

    • More a handful of authentic 30 year old Tibetan farm houses than a hotel, Banyan Tree Ringha is a community unto itself in one of the most spectacular locations on earth.
    • More a handful of authentic 30 year old Tibetan farm houses than a hotel, Banyan Tree Ringha is a community unto itself in one of the most spectacular locations on earth.
    • Not a room, a house.  Every guest gets their own 30 year old Tibetan farm house – a funky Himalayan loft with a fireplace in the middle.
    • With a very large fireplace and a view of the surrounding wooded mountains, the bar is the perfect place to kick back after a day of trekking – very, very ‘A River Runs Through It’.
    • There are two restaurants, one of which is an all red Tibetan affair that dominates the upper storey of a house dedicated purely to eating.

    Prices from:

    £400 pp

    Perfect when twinned with Lijang

  31. JIA Hotel

    Shanghai, China

    Definitely the most cutting edge property to be added to the Shanghai hotel scene. JIA gives the city street cred in terms of overnight accommodation that it already has in spades in the art world. Set in a stunning 1920’s building in the heart of Shanghai, JIA offers a stylish yet informal environment for people who want to get away from convention and predictability.

    A dark sexy affair, the bar is on the ground floor just off the lobby, a cocktail joint in the new spirit of Shanghai. More like lofts than rooms, each guest apartment features a proper living area complete with slouch couch and coffee table, and the bathrooms are havens of mosaic chic.

    JIA offers contemporary China chic in one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities

    Photos of JIA Shanghai

    • The most cutting edge property to be added to the Shanghai hotel scene, JIA gives the city street cred in terms of overnight accommodation that it already has in spades in the art world.
    • The most cutting edge property to be added to the Shanghai hotel scene, JIA gives the city street cred in terms of overnight accommodation that it already has in spades in the art world.
    • More like lofts than rooms, each guest apartment features a proper living area complete with slouch couch and dining table, fully-equipped kitchenettes, and the bathrooms are havens of mosaic chic.
    • A dark affair, the bar is on the ground floor just off the lobby, a cocktail joint in the new spirit of Shanghai.
    • Find Italian flair in Shanghai. Italian food can (and should) be great, with Issimo re-creating an authentic Italian eating experience.

    Prices from:

    £935 pp

    Complimentary Breakfast

  32. URBN Hotel

    Shanghai, China

    URBN is a small, groovy, Highly Individual Place that has made global warming a central theme. It is probably the first hotel to make carbon neutral as much a part of its makeup as restaurants, bars and room service. In a rapidly growing city, URBN distinguishes itself with six square metres of green space per hotel guest, with plenty of trees and lot of bamboo. There are five different types of room, all using a combination of natural materials such as linen, silk and wood - distinctly contemporary but nonetheless Asian.

    Two blocks from Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s high-end shopping, entertainment and business district, URBN is a downtown hotel in the midst of a vibrant hub of the city, close to the colonial lane houses and the former French Concession – possibly the most photographed part of historic Shanghai.

    Urban hedonism with a twist … eat, drink and party with a clear conscience.

    Photos of URBN

    • URBN is a small, groovy, Highly Individual Place that has made global warming a central theme.
    • URBN is a small, groovy, Highly Individual Place that has made global warming a central theme.
    • What all rooms have in common is the approach; a combination of natural materials executed in a distinctly contemporary but nonetheless Asian way.
    • The bar is part of Roomtwentyeight Restaurant, which is operated by a crew from Wagas who have made a bit of a name and reputation in Shanghai for cutting edge eateries.
    • Small, casual and smart, the restaurant called Roomtwentyeight has a wall of glass with a view of the bamboo garden.  High ceilings, black wooden floors and a marble-clad bar set the tone, but the view of some welcome green sets it apart.

    Prices from:

    £929 pp

    Both an alternative city break or the gateway to HIP China

  33. Al Moudira Hotel

    Luxor, Egypt

    Al Moudira is a fantasy palace built by a lady from Beirut with extravagant taste. It’s a cross between a 19th century Cairo mansion and a luxurious harem.

    The beauty of Al Moudira is grounded in the traditions of the Arabic world, but it is also beautiful in the sense that it is so quiet and remote, yet only a stone’s throw from the Valley of the Kings. Luxor is popular as a tourist destination for good reason – because there is so much to see. But of course that doesn’t mean you necessarily want to be surrounded by the madding crowd all the time. Visit a tomb or a temple, or simply stay by the pool – that’s the true luxury of Al Moudira.

    Vaulted ceilings with multicoloured skylights, Turkish baths, traditional wooden screens, fountains everywhere and the odd burst of colour from a bush of bougainvillea

    Photos of Al Moudira

    • Al Moudira is a fantasy palace built with extravagant taste. It’s a cross between a 19th century Cairo mansion and a luxurious harem.
    • Al Moudira is a fantasy palace built with extravagant taste. It’s a cross between a 19th century Cairo mansion and a luxurious harem.
    • Vaulted ceilings with multicoloured skylights, sunken baths in the middle of the room, traditional wooden screens called moucharabieh
    • Al Moudira features every signature and trait that we associate with our more exotic impressions of the Arabic world.
    • Located near the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, and thirty-five minutes from the temples of Luxor and forty minutes from Karnak

    Prices from:

    £1096 pp

    Hot Winter Break!

  34. Set beside an enormous saltwater lake, it’s hard to believe that you’re in the middle of the world’s largest sand deposit. It’s not only comfortable, it’s actually quite luxurious. The architecture, decoration and building materials are just as they would have been more than two thousand years ago.

    You may ask how comfortable is it to live without electricity or modern telecommunications? The answer, surprisingly perhaps, is that it’s not only comfortable, it’s actually quite luxurious. There are bathrooms galore, with plenty of hot water and water pressure, but the real luxury of this hotel is the experience. No one needs to be convinced of the romance of dining by candlelight, but the experience of a bedroom and bathroom illuminated solely by dozens of candles is something few of us have encountered. Suddenly your skin looks radiant and you can forget about everything.

    “Adrère Amellal offers the most complete escape imaginable, not just from daily routine but from the world as we know it”.

    Photos of Adrere Amellal

    • Adrère Amellal offers the most complete escape imaginable, not just from daily routine but from the world as we know it.
    • Adrère Amellal offers the most complete escape imaginable, not just from daily routine but from the world as we know it.
    • Unlikely as it might seem, the walls of some of the guest rooms are made from cakes of salt embedded in mud.
    • As the sun is going down you will be served mint tea and later on a delicious cocktail.
    • Lit with lanterns and natural beeswax candles – guaranteed to re-kindle romance.

    Prices from:

    £1895 pp

    Hot Winter Break!

  35. Four Seasons, Hong Kong

    Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    It doesn’t have one pool, it has two, one infinity edge, one lap pool, both with underwater music and both on the roof with one of the best views of Hong Kong. Instead of the usual cocktail by the pool, at the Four Seasons there is a Pool Terrace alongside, providing light meals with the same spectacular views. The gym is equally impressive, with an extraordinary view of Hong Kong’s famous harbour from every machine

    And then there is the shopping. The Four Seasons is connected to the International Finance Centre, the most upmarket and exclusive mall in Hong Kong, where the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Bvlgari and Loro Piana to name but a few all have their stores.

    To make your mark as a hotel in a town like this you don’t need to impress, you need to dazzle. And that’s exactly what the Four Seasons does.

    Photos of Four Seasons, Hong Kong

    • Four Seasons redefines luxury and excellence in a city renowned for exceptional accommodation.
    • Four Seasons redefines luxury and excellence in a city renowned for exceptional accommodation.
    • The Four Seasons has 399 guest rooms and suites, which offer a variety of views from large wall-to-wall windows.
    • Four Seasons Bar
    • Four Seasons Restaurant

    Prices from:

    £1,035 pp

    Go for a Summer City Break

  36. LKF Hotel

    Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    LKF is the popular abbreviation of Lan Kwai Fong, the hottest, busiest and most club-infested area in Hong Kong. This is party central for HK. The only thing that was lacking in this neighbourhood was a hotel. Hotel LKF fits the bill perfectly.

    The best part of Hotel LKF is on the roof, where they have built a very sexy and inviting duplex bar and restaurant complex. The bar is dark, glamorous and plush, and then an architecturally imposing winding staircase takes you up into a huge double-height massive volume space with extraordinary views of the city below that functions as Hotel LKF’s restaurant. Unlike Hong Kong’s big hotels, Hotel LKF only has one bar and one restaurant, but when you have one like this why would you need another?

    The style of LKF is like the area: hip, contemporary, with a bit of edge.

    Photos of Hotel LKF

    • The style of Hotel LKF is like the area Lan Kwai Fong: hip, contemporary, with a bit of edge, and a significant step away from the brand name dominated culture of Hong Kong.
    • The style of Hotel LKF is like the area Lan Kwai Fong: hip, contemporary, with a bit of edge, and a significant step away from the brand name dominated culture of Hong Kong.
    • The rooms can compete in comfort and luxury with most of the better-known chain hotels.  The look is pared down and minimal, like a sophisticated city apartment with a Zen twist.
    • Azure Restaurant Slash Bar is a very sexy and inviting duplex bar and restaurant complex on the roof, which was awarded one of the “Best Restaurant” by Hong Kong Tatler.
    • Unlike Hong Kong’s big hotels, Hotel LKF only has one bar and one restaurant, but when you have one like this why would you need another?

    Prices from:

    £769 pp

    Hip hotel in an even Hipper location

  37. JIA Hotel

    Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    In Mandarin, ‘Jia’ means home and the JIA was originally designed by Philippe Starck for long-term residents so even the smallest rooms are apartment style. JIA gives you a real city pad in the thick of one of the world’s most exciting cities.

    JIA could not be more Hong Kong. Located in the heart of Causeway Bay, the most concentrated shopping strip on the island, JIA is surrounded by more neon, more people and more frenetic bee-like activity than in the busiest street scene of a futuristic sci-fi film. Nearby Times Square offers the world's largest collection of theme restaurants under one roof: if you want a swap from traditional Szechuan to fusion Japanese, for example, just take the escalator to the next floor.

    "The real triumph of JIA is the design by Philippe Starck - I've never come across space that has been so carefully and cleverly utilized".

    Photos of JIA Hong Kong

    • In Mandarin, ‘JIA’ means home. The name is intended to be taken literally, as in the place where you live.
    • In Mandarin, ‘JIA’ means home. The name is intended to be taken literally, as in the place where you live.
    • JIA was designed with a home with facilities you would find in an apartment
    • Enjoy a drink or bite to eat Al Fresco on the terrace
    • JIA could not be more Hong Kong. Located in the heart of Causeway Bay, the most concentrated shopping strip on the island.

    Prices from:

    £819 pp

    Ideal for shopping in Causeway Bay

  38. The Luxe Manor Hotel

    Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    To understand what The Luxe Manor is, it’s easier to list what it’s not: it is not a business hotel, this is not where you meet clients in the lobby because the lobby is more like an Art Gallery. The Luxe Manor is quirky and fun. The rooms are funky, fresh and unexpected, and stylish in a surreal way. They are equipped with faux fireplaces, and the beds are so large you can sleep sideways. But aside from the rooms, one of its draw cards is definitely its location - situated bang in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, the real retail heart of Hong Kong.

    Located on the Kowloon side, Tsim Sha Tsui is packed with little shirt makers, tailors, watch shops and more - it is definitely not the shopping mall experience of the main island. It’s a fantastically fun place to shop. Tsim Sha Tsui is the real Hong Kong.

    The Luxe Manor is quirky and fun.

    Photos of Luxe Manor

    • Cool and quirky, a bit rococo, the hotel succeeds by outstanding from the usual black, beige and gold signature of luxury business hotels.
    • Cool and quirky, a bit rococo, the hotel succeeds by outstanding from the usual black, beige and gold signature of luxury business hotels.
    • The most stylish rooms in the far east, but they are unquestionably luxurious, lavishly comfortable and surprisingly functional.
    • The extension of the surreal world where you may find contrast of Heaven & Hell, Modern & Traditions.
    • The only place in this surreal hotel which is unexpectedly high end. A sophisticated menu in a creatively informal atmosphere.

    Prices from:

    £799 pp

    A Quirky and fun hotel!

  39. W Hong Kong

    Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    The brand new W Hong Kong does its setting proud, with one of the world’s highest rooftop pools, top-class restaurants, white-hot nightlife and the first Bliss® Spa in Asia. Add to that a high-tech gym, skyline views from every room, Whatever/Whenever® room service and fully-wired technology, and you’re in HK hotel heaven. Whatever/Whenever is the W’s own take on the trusty hotel concierge. An interpretation that’s leaves no doubt as to what a concierge should deliver. Be sure to test them out and get help to explore all that is both old and new in Kowloon….the Cultural Centre, Lan Kwai Fong, the largest mall in the city and the night markets of Temple Street.

    Kowloon is the Hong Kong suburb that puts the chi in chic, with giant Buddhas and skyscrapers sharing a horizon, and a buzzing atmosphere at ground level.

    Photos of W Hong Kong

    • The brand new W Hong Kong does its setting proud, with one of the world’s highest rooftop pools, top-class restaurants, white-hot nightlife and the first Bliss® Spa in Asia.
    • The brand new W Hong Kong does its setting proud, with one of the world’s highest rooftop pools, top-class restaurants, white-hot nightlife and the first Bliss® Spa in Asia.
    • Fabulous Room
    • Top-class restaurant.

    Prices from:

    £849 pp

    Ideal for shopping, Spa and nightlife

  40. Amanusa Hotel

    Bali, Bali

    Nusa Dua is blessed with Bali’s most beautiful beach, and Amanusa is situated within walking distance of it. The fact that the property also borders a beautifully crafted golf course with its inspired landscaping is a bonus.

    From its raised position, the view is a panorama of surrounding treetops and the Indian Ocean in the near distance... the only way you can eat in the restaurant and drink in the bar and not be exposed to this extraordinary view is to close your eyes.

    Monumental view, kick-ass beach and stunning golf course.

    Photos of Amanusa

    • Built like a temple rising from the hills behind Nusa Dua’s pristine beach, Amanusa is that rare combination: a monumental hotel that still manages to be personable and endearing.
    • Built like a temple rising from the hills behind Nusa Dua’s pristine beach, Amanusa is that rare combination: a monumental hotel that still manages to be personable and endearing.
    • Tucked away along beautifully landscaped narrow stone-clad pathways, the guest villas are immaculate bungalows with stone floors, four poster beds and loft like space.
    • The bar is perched on a temple-like structure overlooking the golf course and the massive pool.
    • Lovely views overlooking the golf course and the massive pool on one side, and the beach on the other.

    Prices from:

    £2,285 pp

    Escape the winter blues

  41. The Bulgari Resort Bali has set the new benchmark for charismatic luxury. Perched on a cliff, canyon-like rock face that plummets perfectly vertically to the turquoise blue of the Indian Ocean below, it is by far the most dramatic location in Bali, if not in all of Asia. Nestled between the cliff and the ocean, a 1.5 kilometre long beach is accessible only by the resort’s inclined elevator.

    The villas ooze wow factor with antique art, thatched roof, lava stone walls, private terrace, plunge pool, unobstructed views, Bang and Olufsen surround sound and bathroom set in a private courtyard garden. But it is also about the food.

    Bulgari is a company based in Rome, and Romans know how to eat. Thus the two restaurants, despite the remote location, serve Italian and Asian food that qualifies as dining, not just eating. The standards are extraordinarily high, and that in a nutshell just about sums up the Bulgari experience – a taste of Bali without compromise.

    Bulgari – they know luxury better than anyone.

    Photos of Bulgari Resort Bali

    • Blending the traditional Balinese style with contemporary Italian design, the Bulgari Resort Bali is located on the island’s far southwestern tip.
    • Blending the traditional Balinese style with contemporary Italian design, the Bulgari Resort Bali is located on the island’s far southwestern tip.
    • The villas ooze wow factor with antique art, thatched roof, lava stone walls, private terrace, plunge pool, unobstructed views.
    • Bar at Bulgari Resort Bali
    • Overlooking a reflection pool, the resort’s signature Italian fine dining, Il Ristorante, pays homage to classical Italian specialties.

    Prices from:

    £2,649 pp

    Free night offer

  42. The Balé Hotel

    Bali, Bali

    The new ethos of Asian design is less dependent on tradition and more concerned with quality and modernity.

    Located on the Bukit Peninsula, just down the road is Seminyak, the epicentre of Balinese tourism and home to some of the island’s trendiest restaurants and nightclubs. In short, this is the most cosmopolitan part of Bali and the Balé is its most cosmopolitan overnight address.

    There are twenty-eight
    swimming pools, not bad for a hotel that only has twenty-nine rooms. Then again, the word ‘room’ is hardly an adequate description, as they are individual bungalows – sleek streamlined pavilions – complete with private swimming pool, outdoor entertainment area and a sweeping view of the crescent-shaped beaches of Nusa Dua below.

    “The Balé is the most booked-out hotel on the entire island. That’s because consumers recognise a good deal when they see one. Privacy, luxury and modernity – the Balé has it all”.

    Photos of The Balé

    • The Bale is a magnificently luxurious experience – one international architecture magazine described the Balé as having 'a majestic quality, like a modern Persepolis'.
    • The Bale is a magnificently luxurious experience – one international architecture magazine described the Balé as having 'a majestic quality, like a modern Persepolis'.
    • At the Balé, every guest is accommodated in their own individual pavilion, complete with a private swimming pool (which you access directly from your bathroom).
    • Bar
    • A culinary team pay special attention to your dining needs, be it in-room, a private BBQ or personally tailored menu to complement your wellness programme.

    Prices from:

    £1,845 pp

    Free night offer

  43. The Legian

    Bali, Bali

    Special Offer

    It has the advantage of being right on the beach with a horizon pool on the very edge of the sand and the service and the food is exceptional, even by Balinese standards. Over the past decade, Seminyak has changed beyond recognition. It has accumulated countless cutting-edge boutiques and lots of interesting fusion restaurants, all adding to the benefit of the visitor who has chosen Seminyak as their destination.

    The villas at The Legian have re-established the style pecking order. Each villa, set in its own landscaped garden, has a swimming pool and outdoor living area, an indoor living room and a bathroom the size of a normal hotel room, as well as a separate kitchen for entertaining in your own poolside pavilion. The style is a cross between an Indonesian long room, a Thai timber house and a Japanese tea room. The villas have their own restaurant, built overlooking an enormous pool reserved just for villa guests.

    There are a few institutions in Bali, and The Legian in Seminyak is certainly one of them.

    Photos of The Legian

    • A luxurious legend on the beach in the best location of ultra trendy Seminyak.
    • A luxurious legend on the beach in the best location of ultra trendy Seminyak.
    • The best rooms are definitely the newly opened villas.
    • The service and the food is exceptional even by Balinese standards.
    • Situated bang on Seminyak’s volcanic beach next to Ku De Ta, The Legian has the best location in town.

    Prices from:

    £1,699 pp

    Free night offer!

  44. Uma Ubud

    Bali, Bali

    Bali's spirituality is a big part of its attraction. In Ubud, the people still feel a strong sense of community and have thus retained the emotively colourful spectacle of the Balinese faith. Uma is so perfect for Ubud because not only is it in tune with its location; it's also in tune with its spirit.

    A charming thatched roof enclave set amidst the verdant jungle landscape, on the edge of a steep ravine that tumbles down to the river Ayung below. Arranged along the slopes that lead down to the river, the guest accommodation is in houses that are traditional on the exterior and white and contemporary on the interior.

    At the property’s highest point, kick back on the pool terrace or in the open-air bar. Overlooking the waterfall-fed pond, Kemiri restaurant offers up modern Asian fusion or the Como Shambhala healthy living menu designed to complement your treatments from a spa that is one of Asia’s finest.

    Contemporary style and timeless tradition are combined in exactly the right measure.

    Photos of Uma Ubud

    • A charming thatched roof enclave set amidst the verdant jungle landscape of Ubud. Contemporary style and timeless tradition are combined in exactly the right measure.
    • A charming thatched roof enclave set amidst the verdant jungle landscape of Ubud. Contemporary style and timeless tradition are combined in exactly the right measure.
    • The guest accommodation is in houses that are traditional on the exterior and white and contemporary on the interior.
    • The bar is white, open-plan and without walls, overlooking the pool on the property’s highest point.
    • Surrounded by water set in a lofty pavilion of pillars without doors and walls, the restaurant combines an authentic Balinese setting with modern Asian fusion cuisine.

    Prices from:

    £1,899 pp

    For 10 night Ubud and Seminyak Beach Twin Centre this winter.

  45. Tortilis Camp

    Amboseli, Kenya

    From its elevated position Tortilis camp is perched like an observatory of Africa’s highest peak (and the world’s highest freestanding mountain). Named after the flat-top umbrella thorn tree (acacia tortilis), Tortilis camp is also distinguished by its local elephant population. There are more than a thousand elephants within Amboseli, including some of the largest ever seen in Africa. Big seems to be a keyword for this camp – big scenery, big elephants, big mountain and big adventure. With a private game concession of 30,000 acres as well as complete access to the surrounding National Park, guests at Tortilis camp are guaranteed a spectacular wildlife experience.


    Guests are housed in tents, and each tent is housed under a hand-crafted roof of makuti – traditional thatch made from palm leaves. The effect is simultaneously romantic and reassuring. This is what you want a safari camp to look like.

    The sudden enormity of Kilimanjaro sticking out of the African bush never ceases to amaze.

    Photos of Tortilis Camp

    • Tortilis camp, named after the flat-top umbrella thorn tree (acacia tortilis) is distinguished both by its unrivalled views of Kilimanjaro as well as the local elephant population.
    • Tortilis camp, named after the flat-top umbrella thorn tree (acacia tortilis) is distinguished both by its unrivalled views of Kilimanjaro as well as the local elephant population.
    • Guests are housed in tents, and each tent is housed under a hand-crafted roof of makuti – traditional thatch made from palm leaves,
    • The bar is under the main thatched area that also includes a lounge and a dining room.
    • Dining takes place in a purpose-built thatched hut with the distinction of a spectacular view of Kilimanjaro.

    Prices from:

    £1,539 pp

    Full board basis

  46. Kiwayu

    Lamu, Kenya

    Nothing has been done to ruin the exquisite beauty of this sheltered bay at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Hidden by dunes and sheltered by Kiwayu Island, Kiwayu is a collection of Swahili bandas, built from dried palm fronds and mangrove poles, spread along a kilometre of powdery white sand and turquoise water completely unspoiled by any building or structure.

    It has been this way for thirty five years because Italian founder Alfredo Pelizzoli (from Venice) and family created the camp and still manage it on a day-to-day basis. Since the very beginning there has always been ice for the gin & tonic, so it may be secluded but it’s certainly not uncivilised. Dining is in a communal banda on the beach and the Italian influence sees fresh pasta added to the moveable seafood feast. There is infinite pleasure to be had from walking along isolated beaches and dunes, and there is snorkelling on coral reefs, sailing the turquoise water and windsurfing and waterskiing amongst the many things to do.

    A bikini (or board shorts), a kikoi (sarong) and a hat are all you need to immerse yourself in one of the finest barefoot luxury experiences on the planet.

    Photos of Kiwayu

    • Immerse yourself in one of the finest barefoot experiences on the planet.
    • Immerse yourself in one of the finest barefoot experiences on the planet.
    • Each beautifully rustic Swahili Banda has a bedroom, en-suite dressing room and veranda with uninterrupted ocean views.
    • Set directly on the beach, decorated with colourful kanga cushions and natural drift wood, accompanied by the sound of the lapping waves.
    • Dining is in a communal banda on the beach. The food is all about the sea.

    Prices from:

    £2,189 pp

    Half board basis

  47. Cottars 1920s

    Masai Mara, Kenya

    This is the real thing; the authentic canvas safari experience. Not only has the Cottar family provided guests with the highest standard of safari service for ninety years, they also have the distinct advantage of operating a concession near the Maasai Mara in an area untouched by tourism or development.

    First registered by Chas Cottar in 1919 as a safari expedition, the camp remains in the family today and preserves a timeless adventure. Dinner is served in a tent designated for dinner – a rustic but nonetheless elegant affair that strikes a delicate balance between linen, silver and crystal glassware and the great outdoors. And with a cheeky wink towards a bygone era, there are butlers on hand to cater to your every need. The bar is the bush, and vice-versa. Drinks following long established tradition are at sundown, and directors chairs are set up wherever guests fancy, in a manner that hasn’t changed since Roosevelt and Hemingway. Guided game activities are available several times a day but there is no pressure to participate if your idea of ultimate adventure is to sit in the library tent with a good book, occasionally gazing out at the timeless beauty of the African bush.

    A visit not just to the Masai Mara, but to the golden era of safari – with the spirit of romance, adventure and luxury.

    Photos of Cottars 1920s

    • A visit not just to the Masai Mara, but to the golden era of safari – with the spirit of romance, adventure and luxury.
    • A visit not just to the Masai Mara, but to the golden era of safari – with the spirit of romance, adventure and luxury.
    • Cottars has inspired countless versions of African safari chic, and the camp could easily double as the location for an epic film like <i>Out of Africa</i>.
    • Drinks following long established tradition are at sundown, and directors chairs are set up wherever guests fancy, in a manner that hasn’t changed since Roosevelt and Hemingway.
    • A tent is designated for dinner, a rustic but nonetheless elegant affair that strikes a delicate balance between linen, silver and crystal glassware and the great outdoors.

    Prices from:

    £1,899 pp

    Includes meals and game drives

  48. Naibor

    Masai Mara, Kenya

    Naibor is a contemporary tented camp hidden by a grove of trees on the banks of the Talek River, 2 km from where it meets the Mara River. As such, it is perfectly placed for all major crossing sites to witness the spectacle of the annual wildebeest migration. Quite aside from this however, Naibor’s location in the very heart of the Masai Mara means fabulous wildlife viewing year round.

    At Naibor, day-to-day life is very much according to the rhythm of a genuine camp, with sundown drinks at the evening camp fire as the focal point. The seven tents with contemporary interiors are large and luxurious with shaded verandas, en-suite bathrooms and safari showers. Meals are created by experienced chefs working with local fresh ingredients and served in the mess tent under the shade of the trees on a long banquet table, surrounded by comfortable floor cushions, rugs and sofas.

    Emerge from your night under canvas in the African bush for breakfast by the river watched by a pod of resident hippos.

    Photos of Naibor

    • Located in the heart of the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Naibor camp consists of a small group of tents hidden by a grove of trees on the banks of the Talek River.
    • Located in the heart of the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Naibor camp consists of a small group of tents hidden by a grove of trees on the banks of the Talek River.
    • Large and luxurious tents have shaded verandas and en-suite safari showers with contemporary interiors.
    • A gin & tonic on a floor cushion of the mess tent by the evening campfire looking out on the pod of resident hippos.
    • Meals are created by experienced chefs working with local fresh ingredients and served in the mess tent under the shade of the trees.

    Prices from:

    £1,599 pp

    Full board basis

  49. Olarro

    Masai Mara, Kenya

    Olarro is situated in south west Kenya, 200 kilometres from Nairobi, at 6,000 feet above sea level on a 40,000 acre private concession, along the corridor of the annual wildebeest migration. Olarro’s concession is surrounded by a much larger conservancy called Maji Moto Group Ranch – owned by the Maasai people. This indigenous community is employed in all roles within the lodge and with permission from the local chief guests can visit the local homestead.

    Constructed with local materials, 7 cool white cottages with thatched roofs and en-suite showers are powered by state of the art solar and wind power. With its unusual string of small connected swimming pools and its freeform sweeping organic shapes, Olarro is like a series of beautifully interlinked platforms built with 180 degree panoramic views to allow the guest to best appreciate the great African outdoors.

    Olarro, the Maasai term for buffalo, is a stylish organically shaped, exciting piece of bush architecture in the Loita Hills of Kenya.

    Photos of Olarro

    • Olarro is a stylish, organic creation in the Loita Hills of Kenya.
    • Olarro is a stylish, organic creation in the Loita Hills of Kenya.
    • The undulating curves of its architecture mimic the rolling hills of its location.
    • The bar area is in the northern lounge which overlooks the savannah and features an under-the-stars open fireplace.
    • Meals are served in the lounge or at a poolside table under the stars with an emphasis is on fine, fresh ingredients.

    Prices from:

    £1549 pp

    Full board basis

  50. Shompole Hotel

    Masai Mara, Kenya

    Framed by the Nguruman escarpment in southern Kenya, Shompole offers vast bush platforms, dedicated to allowing the visitor to enjoy the surroundings in as laid-back a fashion as possible.

    Disturbing the environment with intrusive ‘mod cons’, such as air-conditioning, glass or concrete, was however not an option. Fresh spring water runs down gullies, cascades down the back of the bed and eventually empties into a personal plunge pool. The water keeps moving, so there is no need to add in chlorine – the presence of water, in conjunction with a slight breeze, acts as a natural air-conditioner, without that annoying humming.

    At night, the open pavilions sport enormous zipped mesh tents. You maintain the sensation of sleeping in the great outdoors, with only a roof of thatch over your head, while you are in fact neatly cocooned in a mosquito-net marquee.

    Shompole is unique because it offers a very stylish, ‘back to nature’ experience in a completely untouched part of Africa.

    Photos of Shompole

    • In terms of looks and experience, there’s nothing like it in Africa.
    • In terms of looks and experience, there’s nothing like it in Africa.
    • As for sleeping at night,  you maintain the sensation of sleeping in the great outdoors, with only a roof of thatch over your head, while you are in fact neatly cocooned in a mosquito-net marquee.
    • Shompole is a collection of villas that are completely minimal in their absence of decoration, but bewitchingly in tune with their environment.
    • This stretch of southern Kenya is framed by the massive Nguruman mountain ridge and is home only to the odd traditional Masai village, as well as herds of zebra, wildebeest and giraffes.

    Prices from:

    £1210 pp

    Winter Safari Getaway

  51. Giraffe Manor

    Nairobi, Kenya

    Set in 140 acres of forest on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital, Giraffe Manor was built in 1932 by David Duncan of the ‘Macintosh Toffee’ family. Inspired by Scottish hunting lodges, it earned its unusual name as a result of an effort by Jock & Bette Leslie Melville (who had bought the Manor from David Duncan) to save two highly endangered Rothschild giraffe. They were moved onto the estate and they thrived, as did future generations. So much so that the property is now also home to the Giraffe Centre, established by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife.

    Judging from the four poster beds, the stone fireplaces, the big beams, the leaded windows and the panelled doors, you really could be in a lodge in Scotland. That is, until a giraffe sticks its head through the window and tries to steal your toast from the breakfast tray. This being a manor, there is a dining room, not a restaurant and the bar is a living room with big, overstuffed club chairs and a large stone fireplace. The food is fresh and homemade, like what you would expect from a hunting lodge in Scotland with an African twist.

    Giraffe Manor is a legend; a small hotel just outside Nairobi with a big reputation.

    Photos of Giraffe Manor

    • The Giraffe Manor is a legend; a small hotel just outside Nairobi with a big reputation.
    • The Giraffe Manor is a legend; a small hotel just outside Nairobi with a big reputation.
    • Four poster beds, big beams, leaded windows and panelled doors; you could be in a lodge in Scotland.
    • In the classic British country house model, the bar is a living room with big, overstuffed club chairs and couches, a large stone fireplace and mahogany butler tables.
    • This being a manor, there is a dining room with a set menu, not a restaurant. The food is fresh and homemade, like what you would expect from a hunting lodge in Scotland with an African twist.

    Prices from:

    £1,469 pp

    Half board

  52. Tribe

    Nairobi, Kenya

    The philosophy is; one planet, one tribe, we share in the things we want, especially when it comes to travel. We want comfort, security and peace of mind and we want personal service, but we also want things to be fun and different. All these things is what Tribe strives to be.

    Set in Nairobi’s leafy diplomatic suburb of Gigiri, ten minutes from the city centre, Tribe has the unparalleled advantage of being next door to the Village Market. It is ultra luxurious and comfortable, and equipped to the eyeballs with all the high tech gear any traveller might desire. But it is also so different that it will put you under the African skies at night while dining on epic food seated at islands in a vast swimming pool. It will give you and your wife a cosy fireplace to take the chill off the night, with the one difference that the fireplace is in the swimming pool. Expose yourself to the exciting dynamic side of East Africa instead of hiding away in a boring multinational brand name.

    Tribe is a place that has flipped the conventional business hotel on its East African ear.

    Photos of Tribe

    • Tribe is a place that has flipped the conventional business hotel on its East African ear.
    • Tribe is a place that has flipped the conventional business hotel on its East African ear.
    • Striking African fabrics, textures, colours and handmade furniture contrast with king sized beds, flat screen TVs and open plan bathrooms.
    • Picture a couple lounging by a bar on a starry African night with a fireplace to take the chill off, and then imagine the whole setting in a pool.
    • The restaurant’s name is Epic, and it was designed to be exactly that.  Guests dine on islands in a shallow pool under the starry African night.

    Prices from:

    £899 pp

    Bed and breakfast

  53. Kasbah Tamadot

    Atlas Mountains, Morocco

    The views in every direction are inspiring, while inside the protective walls guests will discover beautiful gardens and an extensive and inviting complex of staircases and courtyards. There are 24 bedrooms and suites all individually designed using traditional Moroccan furnishings and antiques, with a hint of the contemporary.

    In the beautifully tended gardens, find the seasonal pool bar and terrace for light lunches, from which a grand staircase leads down to the infinity-edge pool and a gym. Past the two tennis courts you will find the herb and vegetable garden, where some of the ingredients are incorporated into the restaurant menus. Local and International cuisine is served at the main restaurant Kanoun. Unwind by the indoor pool, in the sauna, or a treatment in the Asounfou Spa or with a traditional hammam.

    Kasbah Tamadot is a stunning retreat set at the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains, one hour from Marrakech.

    Photos of Kasbah Tamadot

    • The award-winning Kasbah Tamadot was bought by Sir Richard Branson during one of his famous ballooning expeditions. The extensive grounds are filled with staircases, courtyards and gardens to explore.
    • The award-winning Kasbah Tamadot was bought by Sir Richard Branson during one of his famous ballooning expeditions. The extensive grounds are filled with staircases, courtyards and gardens to explore.
    • Named Jacaranda this Deluxe Room has views over the pool and gardens towards the Atlas Mountains. Featuring an antique ceiling and furniture, enjoy the sun rise over the mountains from the terrace.
    • An intimate fireside bar comes alive during the cooler months, during the warm months enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail at the infinity pool bar, or the rooftop terrace underneath the stars.
    • A stunning dining area complete with terrace dining, and breathtaking views, Kanoun restaurant serves delicious local and international cuisine. The infinity pool bar is ideal for al fresco lunches.

    Prices from:

    £725 pp

    Great rates this summer

  54. Amanjena

    Marrakech, Morocco

    Special Offer

    The entire setup is so stylishly seductive and luxuriously comfortable that it is tempting not to leave one's private compound. That would be a shame. Amanjena is minutes away from the medina of Marrakech, one of the few intact medieval cities in the world.

    “It's not just authenticity and style that make Amanjena the best hotel in Marrakech; there is also its unashamed devotion to luxury. Each guest is cocooned within a magnificent circular space complete with domed ceiling and fireplace. The en suite bathroom alone is the size of a Paris apartment, and each maison opens onto a private courtyard furnished as an outdoor living area in Moroccan style, complete with fountain and minzah or gazebo”.

    You should drag yourself away from Aman's hedonistic clutches and experience the intoxicating sights, smells and sounds of one of the most exotic cities on the planet.

    Photos of Amanjena Marrakech

    • Amanjena's forms echo those of Marrakech's famous Menara gardens. The Arabic emphasis on water was a great influence. The buildings are arranged around a huge square reflecting basin on one side and along tiled avenues of fountains and pools on the other.
    • Amanjena's forms echo those of Marrakech's famous Menara gardens. The Arabic emphasis on water was a great influence. The buildings are arranged around a huge square reflecting basin on one side and along tiled avenues of fountains and pools on the other.
    • Each guest is cocooned within a magnificent circular space complete with domed ceiling and fireplace.
    • There is a bar, but many guests prefer to use their own private outdoor entertaining areas.
    • Each pavilion has its own private courtyard along with a fountain and a pillared minzah (gazebo) for dining and lounging.

    Prices from:

    £1,249 pp

  55. Angsana Riads

    Marrakech, Morocco

    The overpoweringly exotic experience of staying in the heart of one of the world’s few authentic medieval cities.

    Photos of Angsana Riads

    • In step with the medieval authenticity of the Marrakech Medina, the hotel is a collection of six ultra-opulent riads.
    • In step with the medieval authenticity of the Marrakech Medina, the hotel is a collection of six ultra-opulent riads.
    • An architectural masterpiece distinguished by vivid, brilliant colours.
    • These are exquisite houses, not hotels, so the bar is wherever you want it to be.  Whilst you are in residence it is your home.
    • Si Said features traditional Moroccan cuisine, and Bab Firdaus offers a Thai menu.  Both are open to guests of the other riads, and each riad also offers an all-day in-house dining menu that includes salads, sandwiches and international specialities.

    Prices from:

    £625 pp

    Includes €100 food and beverage credit

  56. Jnane Tamsna

    Marrakech, Morocco

    Marrakech is a dream; but much as I love the city and its mad, medieval Medina, I prefer to stay in the Palmeraie – the vast and wild palm grove that stands between the city and the Atlas Mountains. The Palmeraie is beautiful and exotic, and it is quiet. This beauty and the quiet are amplified in a place like Jnane Tamsna – it is an oasis in the true sense.

    The gardens surrounding the five villas are extensive with five pools spread throughout. Even better, the interiors are as inspiring as the gardens. Both are a result of the proprietors. He is an acclaimed botanist, she is a renowned decorator and designer. There is a restaurant, and it is frequented for breakfast, and in the winter it is augmented for dinner with blazing fireplace but meals are served in surprise places throughout the property.

    It is not a hotel, it is a fabulous collection of villas set in the splendour of one of the most beautiful gardens on southern Morocco.

    Photos of Jnane Tamsna

    • A collection of elegant bungalows set in five hectares of lush palm-studded gardens in the Palmeraie.
    • A collection of elegant bungalows set in five hectares of lush palm-studded gardens in the Palmeraie.
    • Exotic bathrooms and a beautifully pared-down décor set the tone for a sophisticated yet understated escape.
    • Jnane Tamsna is run like an aristocratic home.  The bar is where you want it to be, and with five hectares of space that leaves lots of options.
    • There is a restaurant but the true luxury of Jnane Tamsna is that meals are served in different places throughout the property.

    Prices from:

    £499 pp

    Incudes 1 free night

  57. Situated on the northernmost tip of Arabia, on the Musandam Peninsula…

    At first glance, this doesn’t look like a hotel – it looks and feels like an authentic Omani village. Appropriate and authentic are the first words that come to mind. Zighy Bay is done in a style that adds powerfully to the experience, it capitalises on this sensation of splendid isolation.

    It’s all about creating a memorable experience, and to that extent Zighy Bay has gone to extraordinary lengths. Not only do the guest houses resemble traditional Musandam dwellings, but the raw, rugged simplicity of the style carries on in the interior and yet all the refinements guests expect are here also. The bathrooms are open plan, each villa has its own swimming pool, and there is a spa, three restaurants, two bars and a tasting cellar.

    Zighy Bay is a spectacle, a raw, rugged magnificent spectacle.

    Photos of Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay

    • At first glance, this doesn’t look like a hotel – it looks and feels like an authentic Omani village.
    • At first glance, this doesn’t look like a hotel – it looks and feels like an authentic Omani village.
    • … traditional Musandam dwellings, …  The bathrooms are open plan and loft-like, each villa has its own swimming pool.
    • There are 3 restaurants - one of them called Dining On the Edge is perched on the very top of the jagged stone peaks that surround the bay, it is literally on the edge – of a thousand-odd drop to the bay below.
    • Situated on the northernmost tip of Arabia, on the Musandam Peninsula: a piece of the Sultanate of Oman separated from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates.

    Prices from:

    £1,899 pp

    Includes 2 free nights

  58. Chedi Muscat Hotel

    Muscat, Oman

    The Chedi Muscat is modern and thoroughly luxurious, but it also retains details that define Oman’s culture. Situated on the outskirts of Muscat on a spacious estate on the beach, you would never know that you’re in a city of nearly 1 million people. The Chedi’s signature approach is to take beautiful surroundings and make them even more breathtaking with the addition of landscaping and design.

    With one of the best restaurants in Muscat, a traditional Balinese spa, a stunning library for those guests in the Club Rooms or Suites, an ocean-side gym and two vastly different but equally stunning pools, the property has so much to offer you really have to be motivated to venture beyond its walls. Without question, The Chedi Muscat gets my vote as the premier property in the Middle East.

    The Chedi Muscat could be the advertisement for Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s approach.

    Photos of Chedi Muscat

    • The Chedi’s signature approach is to take beautiful surroundings and make them even more breathtaking with the addition of landscaping and design.
    • The Chedi’s signature approach is to take beautiful surroundings and make them even more breathtaking with the addition of landscaping and design.
    • All rooms are stylish with fantastic views of the Gulf of Oman or Haajjar Mountains.
    • The Chedi Muscat houses one of the best restaurants in Muscat.
    • Situated on the outskirts of Muscat on a spacious estate on the beach, The Chedi Muscat is set in beautifully manicured premises.

    Prices from:

    £899 pp

    Ideal for a relaxing break

  59. Banyan Tree Resort

    Mahe, Seychelles

    The Seychelles are probably the most evocative of all tropical island destinations; not only because of the swaying palms, the turquoise water and the powdery white beaches, but because these islands remain exclusive and elusive.

    It’s all about the integrity of the experience. This is a tropical island that is still wild and green and largely untouched. Tucked away in colonial plantation-style bungalows in Intendance Bay, guests get the charm and the authenticity of wooden houses with verandas from the days of French plantations, with the signature luxury of Banyan Tree resorts.

    You get the beach, the turquoise waters, the swaying palms and the jungle-clad mountains, but you also get a private pool with your villa, a comprehensive spa and a choice of six different dining options.

    A successful combination of romance, exotic sensuality and local style.

    Photos of Banyan Tree Seychelles

    • Enjoy a position high on the hill with glorious ocean views and serene rainforest all around.
    • Enjoy a position high on the hill with glorious ocean views and serene rainforest all around.
    • Snuggled artfully among the virgin jungle vegetation are the eight beautiful hillside pavilions of the award-winning Banyan Tree Spa.

    Prices from:

    £2,699 pp

    Free night offer

  60. North Island Resort

    North Island, Seychelles

    North Island wasn't so much created as nurtured – gently coaxed to maturity with an inordinate amount of attention. The eleven guest villas, each with a roof of traditional ylang ylang thatch, were built by a team of craftsmen from Africa, Zanzibar, Bali and the Seychelles. More thought went into the door handles here than most hotel projects get in total.

    The whole North Island experience was designed to be exactly that – an experience, its purpose is to reconnect us with the tides, the elements, the sun, the moon, the joy of eating on a beach under the stars or swimming by moonlight as white-tipped sharks circle about, It's an experience designed to strike a primal chord.

    These are the Seychelles, tiny tropical packages of green water, blue sky, white sand, verdant jungle and they made North Island authentic with a capital A.

    Photos of North Island

    • The eleven guest villas, each with a roof of traditional ylang ylang thatch, were built by a team of craftsmen from Africa, Zanzibar, Bali and the Seychelles.
    • The eleven guest villas, each with a roof of traditional ylang ylang thatch, were built by a team of craftsmen from Africa, Zanzibar, Bali and the Seychelles.
    • The overwhelming attention to detail is part of a planned process which the architects are convinced enhances the feeling of escape.

    Prices from:

    £11,980 pp

    An ultra luxurious getaway in an ultra exclusive resort

  61. Ellerman House

    Cape Town, South Africa

    Situated on the most spectacular position on Kloof Road in the premium Cape Town suburb of Bantry Bay, Ellerman House is a reminder of Cape Town’s geographic and historic splendour. The Ocean is the big attraction with shaded verandas and tiered gardens overlooking the Atlantic and Robben Island.

    It’s not surprising that this Relais & Chateaux property is so popular with honeymoon couples. Large balconies, sea views and the levels of personal hedonism that Relais & Chateaux usually guarantee make this elegant, historic mansion one of the most romantic hideaways in Cape Town. The 3 bedroom villa in the gardens of the House is a 21st century contrast designed to fully open out into its stunning vistas. Apart from the architecture and the location, there is also the art collection that comprises an intriguing overview of South African art of the past 100 years.

    A former aristocrat’s home in Bantry Bay combines magnificent sea views with refined elegance and hedonistic luxury.

    Photos of Ellerman House

    • A former aristocrat’s home in Bantry Bay combines magnificent sea views with refined elegance and hedonistic luxury.
    • A former aristocrat’s home in Bantry Bay combines magnificent sea views with refined elegance and hedonistic luxury.
    • Most of the 11 rooms and 1 villa are sea facing with dimensions that one would expect from a Cape Town Edwardian mansion.
    • Shaded verandas overlooking the Atlantic and Robben Island.
    • Ellerman serves sublime food on the outdoor terrace overlooking the Atlantic and Robben Island.

    Prices from:

    £1,499 pp

    One of Cape town's most luxurious hotels

  62. More Cape Cadogan & More Quarters

    Cape Town, South Africa

    Special Offer

    In a Georgian house that is actually a national monument, Cape Cadogan is for people who prefer a certain level of style, sophistication and comfort with magnificent personal service. There is a lounge room where you’ll find port and snacks pre-dinner, a library, a garden with small pool for hot days and an indoor outdoor breakfast room. Two minutes walk takes you onto fashionable Kloof Street. Trendy cafés, shops and restaurants define this part of Cape Town so it’s a location for self-exploration.

    This is a chic, bohemian bolthole that feels like an elegant home from home.

    Photos of More Cape Cadogan & More Quarters

    • A bohemian bolthole in a historic building on Kloof Street, the most fashionable address in town.
    • A bohemian bolthole in a historic building on Kloof Street, the most fashionable address in town.
    • Designed by David Strauss, the look of the rooms in the hotel, the apartments and the villa is a result of an eclectic mix of contemporary and antique.
    • Breakfast is served in the breakfast room, all other meals you have to find for yourself, which on Kloof Street is a cinch.
    • A plunge pool is great for lounging by on a hot day.

    Prices from:

    £985 pp

    Includes 1 free night. Or from £1,165 pp based on 5 nights (1 night free).

  63. One & Only Cape Town

    Cape Town, South Africa

    Special Offer

    Cape Town is without question one of the most charismatic cities. It is blessed with dramatic geography, surrounded by white sandy beaches, pounded by blue water surf, and it sits under the looming presence of Table Mountain. Like Sydney and Rio, it is one of the few cities that is able to combine a beach culture with the trappings of a cosmopolitan metropolis.

    At One & Only, you get views of Table Mountain and the benefit of being right on the waterfront. Guests can choose between the urban or escape options that this collection of suites puts on offer and with two famous restaurants, a spa and a bar with a real buzz, the One & Only adds to the excitement of this city in a sophisticated way.

    Situated on the waterfront in Cape Town’s picturesque Victoria and Alfred docks this contemporary urban resort combines the signature style of a One & Only retreat with the convenience of being in the heart of one of Africa’s most famous cities.

    Photos of One&Only Cape Town

    • A sleek and stylish contemporary collection of suites and apartments in the historic heart of Cape Town.
    • A sleek and stylish contemporary collection of suites and apartments in the historic heart of Cape Town.
    • African woods and contemporary artwork by local artists in a palate of muted tones that recall Africa’s savannahs.
    • The Vista Bar is exactly that, a spectacular eight-metre-high wall of glass framing a stunning view of Table Mountain.
    • Two big-name restaurants, Matsuhisa’s Nobu and Gordon Ramsay’s Maze.  The cult of the superstar chef arrives in Cape Town.

    Prices from:

    £1,249 pp

    with our Stay 3 Pay 2 this summer

  64. La Residence Hotel

    Franschhoek Valley, South Africa

    Surrounded by tall, jagged mountains that attract the odd snow flurry in winter, Franschhoek is the perfect combination of rugged natural beauty and the refined ambience that can be found in areas famous for making wine. The village is a charming collection of small boutiques, splendid little restaurants and cute cafés, mostly executed in the very distinct style known as Cape Dutch.

    Although the colonial splendour of its great hall gives the impression it’s been around since the French arrived, it was actually created recently to be able to host visitors to Franschhoek in a style equal to the surrounding area. The property has only 11 suites, although these are suites where the bathrooms are the size of a normal hotel room.

    Franschhoek is a sophisticated location – perfect for a place like La Residence.

    Photos of La Residence

    • The idea of La Residence was to create a level of luxury that once would have been reserved only for the most prosperous of the Cape Dutch Boers.
    • The idea of La Residence was to create a level of luxury that once would have been reserved only for the most prosperous of the Cape Dutch Boers.
    • It has only eleven rooms and these are suites where the bathrooms are the size of a normal hotel room.
    • Enjoy a drink surrounded by an eclectic mix of objects d’art.
    • World-class dining complemented by the best South African wines.

    Prices from:

    £1,679 pp

    Enjoy fantastic South African wine tasting!

  65. Birkenhead House Hotel

    Hermanus, South Africa

    It’s easy to see why people and whales are attracted to the place. Hermanus is a huge natural bay with rolling surf, big beaches, grassy dunes and the odd chunk of volcanic rock standing guard, sticking out of the sand. Birkenhead House has, without a doubt, the best location on the entire beach. Not surprisingly, this hotel started life as a beach house.

    Originally, it was Liz Biden’s family home in Hermanus.

    “Personally, I can’t imagine ever giving up a house such as this to be converted to a hotel, but I am certainly grateful that they did”

    Situated at the edge of the surf, it’s the beach hotel of your dreams; warm, welcoming, stylish, with dramatic views all around.

    Photos of Birkenhead House

    • Situated at the edge of the surf, it’s the beach house of your dreams; warm, welcoming, stylish, with dramatic views all around.
    • Situated at the edge of the surf, it’s the beach house of your dreams; warm, welcoming, stylish, with dramatic views all around.
    • Individually decorated luxurious rooms enjoy either sea or mountain views.
    • Warm, welcoming and stylish
    • Stylish, with dramatic views all around

    Prices from:

    £1,299 pp

    Go in peak whale watching season!

  66. Phantom Forest

    Knysna, South Africa

    With a name like Phantom Forest, this is not going to be your average South African hotel. Situated in the heart of the Garden Route, guests are accommodated in treehouses, and the inspiration for this 137 hectare nature reserve is to offer guests a chance to experience the unique biodiversity of the Forest. Drawing inspiration from this unique setting, the ingredients of the camp, from the ragged thatch of forest canopy to freshwater nature pools, furniture, roofs and boardwalks, were all made in a sustainable way from cleared, alien vegetation. Meandering boardwalks snake through the trees leading to magical places such as the private ‘tree-suites’ (which come in Classic, Upper or Moroccan varieties), the Body Boma spa, the Eyrie bar lounge with superb views, the award-winning Boma restaurant and the north African inspired Chutzpah.

    A magic world of romantic eco-sensitive treehouses nestled in the wooded magnificence of the Afromontane Forest, on the edge of the exotic Knysna lagoon.

    Photos of Phantom Forest

    • A magic world of romantic eco-sensitive treehouses nestled in the wooded magnificence of the Afromontane Forest, on the edge of the exotic Knysna lagoon.
    • A magic world of romantic eco-sensitive treehouses nestled in the wooded magnificence of the Afromontane Forest, on the edge of the exotic Knysna lagoon.
    • Not a room but a private treehouse with luxury bathroom overlooking the forest.
    • The Bar is called Eyrie, a place for drinks and spectacular sunsets in summer and pre-dinner cocktails around a log fire in winter.
    • There are two. The Boma is a thatched affair serving cuisine with a local twist, and Chutzpah is Moroccan-inspired setting.

    Prices from:

    £1,099 pp

    stay in your very own Tree House

  67. Singita Lebombo Hotel

    Kruger Park, South Africa

    Sweni and Lebombo, give you all the ingredients that have made the Singita name famous worldwide; the flawless logistics, the knowledgeable rangers, the abundant wildlife, the sophisticated food, more luxury than a five-star city hotel, plus an eye for design and architecture that is simultaneously innovative and eco-sensitive – a daring approach that has taken the safari camp to the next level.

    In terms of location in north-eastern Kruger, Sweni is not far from Lebombo, but in terms of ambience and atmosphere, it is vastly different. Where Lebombo is light, open and bright, Sweni is dark, cool and sexy.
    Singita combines the expansive beauty of the African veld (bush) with the adrenaline rush of coming face-to-face with the planet’s most charismatic and fascinating wild beasts.

    A successful game drive is still rewarded, in the manner of the British colonials, by drinks and dinner in refined style.

    Photos of Singita Lebombo

    • A successful game drive is still rewarded, in the manner of the British colonials, by drinks and dinner in refined style.
    • A successful game drive is still rewarded, in the manner of the British colonials, by drinks and dinner in refined style.

    Prices from:

    £2,379 pp

    Enjoy fantastic safari experience in gaming season!

  68. Singita Sweni Lodge

    Kruger Park, South Africa

    Sweni and Lebombo, give you all the ingredients that have made the Singita name famous worldwide; the flawless logistics, the knowledgeable rangers, the abundant wildlife, the sophisticated food, more luxury than a five-star city hotel, plus an eye for design and architecture that is simultaneously innovative and eco-sensitive – a daring approach that has taken the safari camp to the next level.

    In terms of location in north-eastern Kruger, Sweni is not far from Lebombo, but in terms of ambience and atmosphere, it is vastly different. Where Lebombo is light, open and bright, Sweni is dark, cool and sexy.
    Singita combines the expansive beauty of the African veldt (bush) with the adrenaline rush of coming face-to-face with the planet’s most charismatic and fascinating wild beasts.

    A successful game drive is still rewarded, in the manner of the British colonials, by drinks and dinner in refined style.

    Photos of Singita Sweni

    • The six-room Sweni Lodge gives you all the ingredients - the flawless logistics, knowledgeable rangers, abundant wildlife, sophisticated food, more luxury than a five-star city hotel, plus an eye for design and architecture.
    • The six-room Sweni Lodge gives you all the ingredients - the flawless logistics, knowledgeable rangers, abundant wildlife, sophisticated food, more luxury than a five-star city hotel, plus an eye for design and architecture.
    • Riverside suites with game-viewing deck with a day bed
    • Open boma bar area and access to the wine cellar
    • A successful game drive is still rewarded, in the manner of the British colonials, by drinks and dinner in refined style.

    Prices from:

    £2,379 pp

    Enjoy fantastic safari experience in gaming season!

  69. Lion Sands

    Sabi Sand, South Africa

    Nestled on the banks of the Sabie River on the border of Kruger national park, the Game Reserve is limited as an experience only to guests. With a lot of land and very little foot traffic you will have a great shot at seeing the Big Five in your daily game drives. Also included are hippo tours, bush walks, astronomy, open-fire dinners and lectures from Lion Sands’ own ecologist.

    Accommodation is in the ultra luxurious but uncluttered Ivory Lodge – 6 villas with plunge pool and views of the Sabie river and its wildlife. Or the more earthy 1933 Lodge is available for exclusive use, which is set directly on the canopied banks of the Sabie River and comes with its own rangers and sleeps up to 17.

    The story of Lion Sands is like something from Out of Africa – an American fortune hunter stumbled across the untouched beauty of the Kingstown Estate in the early 1900s and the property has not left the family since.

    Photos of Lion Sands

    • A private and exclusive game reserve on a property bordering Kruger National Park that has been in the same family for four generations.
    • A private and exclusive game reserve on a property bordering Kruger National Park that has been in the same family for four generations.
    • Ivory Lodge has a private bar with a fireplace, the 1933 Lodge is a private, family affair where drinks are served on the wooden deck.
    • Dinner is in a boma under the stars, or in an indoor dining area with a view of the flowing river.
    • Each lodge has its own heated pool.

    Prices from:

    £2,955 pp

    Special offer available when combined with Cape Cadagon

  70. Singita Boulder Lodge

    Sabi Sand, South Africa

    Contemporary design, a modern health spa, indulgent cuisine and a wine cellar with a wine list that encompasses approximately 200 labels: these are things not normally associated with a safari expedition. But at Singita Sabi Sands they are exactly what you get. This is an African experience for people who have no interest in sacrificing creature comforts for the sake of adventure. Singita is split into two separate lodges, each situated on the banks of the Sand River, and in both, the accommodation is an elaborate 'all suite' affair.

    I don't care how long you've subscribed to National Geographic or how many wildlife documentaries you've seen – nothing, absolutely nothing can hold a candle to the adrenalin rush of experiencing the African wilderness at first hand. And luckily for Singita, no amount of luxury and pampering can deflate the thrill.

    Be prepared for the shout 'there's a hippo on the lawn’, because at dusk they're often found feeding in the grounds.

    Photos of Singita Boulder Lodge

    • Chances are you will be roused on your first morning at dawn – dawn and dusk are when the veld comes alive.
    • Chances are you will be roused on your first morning at dawn – dawn and dusk are when the veld comes alive.
    • Boulders features twelve guest suites (air-conditioned, of course) each with their own living area, double-sided fireplace and private swimming pool.
    • Indulgent cuisine and a wine cellar with twelve thousand vintage bottles: these are things not normally associated with a safari expedition.

    Prices from:

    £3,495 pp

    Includes all game drives

  71. Singita Ebony Lodge

    Sabi Sand, South Africa

    Contemporary design, a modern health spa, indulgent cuisine and a wine cellar with a wine list that encompasses approximately 200 labels: these are things not normally associated with a safari expedition. But at Singita Sabi Sand they are exactly what you get. This is an African experience for people who have no interest in sacrificing creature comforts for the sake of adventure. Singita Sabi Sand is split into two separate lodges, each situated on the banks of the Sand River, and in both, the accommodation is an elaborate 'all suite' affair.

    I don't care how long you've subscribed to National Geographic or how many wildlife documentaries you've seen – nothing, absolutely nothing can hold a candle to the adrenalin rush of experiencing the African wilderness at first hand. And luckily for Singita, no amount of luxury and pampering can deflate the thrill.

    Be prepared for the shout 'there's a hippo on the lawn’, because at dusk they're often found feeding in the grounds.

    Photos of Singita Ebony Lodge & Singita Boulders Lodge

    • This is an African experience for people who have no interest in sacrificing creature comforts for the sake of adventure
    • This is an African experience for people who have no interest in sacrificing creature comforts for the sake of adventure
    • The accommodation is an elaborate 'all suite' affair,it's a miracle that guests can be lured from their sumptuous suites at all
    • Dinner in the open-air reed boma (the palisaded dining area)
    • Extending over 45,000 acres of the Sabi Sand ecosystem, it is in the very heartland of Africa and is home to giraffes, lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and zebras

    Prices from:

    £3,495 pp

    Includes all game drives

  72. Ulusaba Rock Lodge

    Sabi Sand, South Africa

    Special Offer

    Sir Richard Branson’s Ulusaba Private Game Reserve is set in the heart of the Sabi Sand reserve on the border of Kruger National Park. Here, guests enjoy the privilege of 13,500 hectares of game-rich bush in near solitude. Ulusaba has 21 rooms spread over 2 lodges and guests can share their time between each. Rock Lodge is perched high on the summit of a koppie with views of the dramatic Drakensberg Mountain range in the far distance. Safari Lodge is built along the banks of a dry riverbed, where guests cross swing bridges between exquisite tree house rooms.

    When not occupied on a walking safari or twice daily game drive, take a dip in the swimming pool, indulge in a beauty treatment; for the more active there are tennis courts available. Try a few South African wines from the cellar, and after dinner enjoy a spot of stargazing at the bush observatory.

    Ulusaba is a once in a lifetime experience, (although you'll want to go twice!)

    Photos of Ulusaba

    • Rock Lodge is perched high on the summit of a koppie and provides panoramic views over miles of bush, the wildlife roaming within and the beauty of the lowveld below.
    • Rock Lodge is perched high on the summit of a koppie and provides panoramic views over miles of bush, the wildlife roaming within and the beauty of the lowveld below.
    • The Makwela Suite is named after a very special leopard who’s territory is around the hills of Rock Lodge. This beautiful suite features a spacious bedroom and lounge area complete with outdoor deck and infinity plunge pool.
    • The Rock Lodge bar is set in front of the large panoramic windows offering incredible views over miles of bush as well as nearby Xikwenga Dam.
    • The contemporary African Safari Lodge Dining Room is built on stilts above the bush overlooking the Mabrak dry riverbed and waterhole, great for spotting passing game.

    Prices from:

    £2,599 pp

    Stay at Rock Lodge from £2,739pp

  73. Amangalla Hotel

    Galle, Sri Lanka

    Situated within the walls of the old Dutch trading port of Galle, Amangalla is in the midst of a well preserved colonial town with views of the Indian Ocean and impressive banyan trees that provide shade for children getting ready to go to school in their British era uniforms. In other words, it is in the heart of a beautiful colonial setting that remains charmingly unchanged.

    True to past traditions, the bar is wherever you want to have a drink on the ground floor, and the best place of all is the veranda – a perfect spot for lingering over a Singapore/Sri Lankan Sling. The dining room is grand Victorian in style with mahogany, silver and lots of people in pressed linen uniforms

    Tucked away in a hidden courtyard, the pool is the hotel’s big surprise - a metaphor for the entire project - a seductive mix of contemporary attitude with a sensitivity to colonial authenticity.

    "Without a doubt the most charming and charismatic of all colonial era hotels in Asia".

    Photos of Amangalla

    • Comfortable and classic, the hotel has nonetheless introduced luxurious contemporary flourishes that enhance its history rather than detract from it.
    • Comfortable and classic, the hotel has nonetheless introduced luxurious contemporary flourishes that enhance its history rather than detract from it.
    • High ceilings, wooden floors, colonial four posters.  Lloyd Loom chairs, with funky bathrooms and loft-like spaces.
    • True to tradition, the bar is wherever you want to have a drink on the ground floor. The best place is the veranda – the perfect spot for a Sri Lankan Sling.

    Prices from:

    £2,499 pp

    Stunning Sri Lankan getaway

  74. The Dutch House

    Galle, Sri Lanka

    Set high on a hillside with an idyllic view of the Bay of Galle, this former admiral's house is a particularly attractive example of Dutch colonial architecture in the tropics. The effect is at once terribly grand and surprisingly cosy. Various rooms and spaces are used much as they would have been originally, and the guest experiences something not dissimilar to staying with the admiral himself.

    Each of the staterooms is immense and so are the bathrooms. Dutch House also has beautiful gardens, with the recent addition of an infinity pool discreetly tucked away on one side of the estate.

    But Dutch House's real draw-card is the seductive pace of the place; you're left with the impression that all the guests have been here for so long that they have completely adjusted to the Sri Lankan way of life - even if they only arrived yesterday.

    There's simply nothing else like it in the Orient, and that in itself is reason enough to stay here.

    Photos of The Dutch House

    • There's simply nothing else like it in the Orient, and that in itself is reason enough to stay here.
    • There's simply nothing else like it in the Orient, and that in itself is reason enough to stay here.
    • Not only is each of the staterooms immense, but so are the bathrooms.
    • Set high on a hillside with an idyllic view of the bay of Galle, the former admiral’s house is a particularly attractive example of Dutch colonial architecture in the tropics.
    • The gardens are beautiful and with the recent addition of an infinity pool discreetly tucked away on one side of the estate, it’s easy to forget that you’re staying a hotel.

    Prices from:

    £1,549 pp

    The Sun House also available

  75. Vil Uyana, Sigiriya

    Sigriya, Sri Lanka

    This hotel is for nature lovers who wish to go on an unforgettable adventure of cultural discovery while being pampered in contemporary luxury.

    Photos of Vil Uyana, Sigiriya

    • An exotic collection of bungalows built with due deference to cultural traditions above lakes and pa
    • An exotic collection of bungalows built with due deference to cultural traditions above lakes and pa
    • Your dwelling can be over-water with private deck, within the paddy field habitat with private plung
    • Located close to Sigirya, the site of the Lion Fortress, a perfect base for all the sites within the
    • Your tranquil experience is enhanced by a wonderful swimming pool in a serene setting.

    Prices from:

  76. Amanwella Hotel

    Tangalle, Sri Lanka

    On one of the last pristine, untouched, moon-shaped bays of the Sri Lankan southern coast, Amanwella comes with the added plus of knowing that this is the only building that will be allowed on this bay.

    Each guest bungalow is as large and immaculate as the perfect holiday villa rental. The pool is just short of Olympic size, not to mention the fact that it is perched just above the beach, which gives the swimmer an unbroken horizon across the Indian Ocean. The open plan bar looks out over the pool and beach on one side, and a lawn covered courtyard on the other.

    Swaying palm trees, white sand, turquoise water with foaming white crests as the waves break on the reef – the view from Amanwella is the perfect tropical island post card, add a superb hotel with Aman service and you have a very special holiday destination.

    Contemporary Asian architectural masterpiece meets barefoot in the sand.

    Photos of Amanwella

    • Inspired by the architecture of Sri Lankan legend Jeffrey Bawa and situated on an idyllic stretch of deserted beach, Amanwella is the perfect barefoot escape for style aficionados.
    • Inspired by the architecture of Sri Lankan legend Jeffrey Bawa and situated on an idyllic stretch of deserted beach, Amanwella is the perfect barefoot escape for style aficionados.
    • Each guest bungalow is as large and immaculate as the perfect holiday villa rental, with full hotel service of the kind Aman has become famous for.
    • The bar is a perfect synthesis of tropical sensibility and Asian contemporary architecture. Open plan with a polished stone floor, it has amazing views.
    • Many guests love to dine on the restaurant’s terrace which is kept cool by a breeze off the Indian Ocean.

    Prices from:

    £2,499 pp

    Ideal as part of a tailor made tour

  77. The Metropolitan Hotel

    Bangkok, Thailand

    The Metropolitan is a three dimensional metaphor for the city itself; a heady combination of cool contemporary with reinvented tradition. Beautiful wooden floors are combined with pieces by Thai artist Natee Utarit and an ultra-slick lighting scheme from London’s Isometrix.

    Of all the hotels in Bangkok, the Metropolitan is the first in step with the city’s new energy. The Met Bar is at the cutting edge of Bangkok’s appetite for the contemporary and the restaurant, Cy’an, is Asia’s answer to Nobu, serving some of the best and most inventive food in Bangkok.

    Guestrooms that feel more like a downtown studio than a box, understated splashes of Jim Thompson silk, a gym that is not just an afterthought, an alternative health food restaurant called Glow and COMO's trendsetting Shambhala spa, it's more than just a look that sets this hotel apart.

    Unapologetically modern but distinctly Asian, the interiors are the work of Singapore-based Kathryn Kng. The Aesthetic is a pared down mix of East meets West.

    Photos of The Metropolitan

    • The Metropolitan is a heady combination of cool contemporary with reinvented tradition. Beautiful wooden floors are combined with pieces by Thai artist Natee Utarit and an ultra-slick lighting scheme from London’s Isometrix.
    • The Metropolitan is a heady combination of cool contemporary with reinvented tradition. Beautiful wooden floors are combined with pieces by Thai artist Natee Utarit and an ultra-slick lighting scheme from London’s Isometrix.
    • The rooms are like lofts; open-plan and flooded with light
    • Order a Tom Yumtini or Pineapple Martini, signature drink  designed by the hotel’s famous sister Met Bar in London.
    • Cy’an is Asia’s answer to Nobu. It serves some of the best most inventive food in Bangkok. Or try Glow restaurant showcasing healthful, natural and organic COMO Shambhala cuisine.

    Prices from:

    £839 pp

    Includes 1 free night!

  78. Chedi Chiang Mai

    Chiang Mai, Thailand

    Stunningly contemporary in appearance, the stylishly modern Chedi is an unexpected find in an area more renowned for its scenic mountains, ethnic hill tribes and ancient shrines.

    Photos of Chedi Chiang Mai

    • Cool in climate, cool in appearance, the Chedi Chiang Mai is an unashamedly modern and quintessentially luxurious addition to a historic Thai city.
    • Cool in climate, cool in appearance, the Chedi Chiang Mai is an unashamedly modern and quintessentially luxurious addition to a historic Thai city.
    • Private courtyards, open balconies, breathtaking views… each room provides a vista outside and a slice of Thai modern on the inside.
    • A beautiful almost zen-like pool area is bordered by water-lilies.

    Prices from:

  79. Four Seasons Tented Camp

    Chiang Rai, Thailand

    A once-in-a-lifetime experience inspired to combine the luxury of a bygone era with the thrill of interacting with Thailand’s treasured national symbols (elephants).

    Photos of Four Seasons Tented Camp

    • An inspired travel experience that combines the luxury of a bygone era with the thrill of interacting with Thailand’s treasured national symbols (elephants).
    • An inspired travel experience that combines the luxury of a bygone era with the thrill of interacting with Thailand’s treasured national symbols (elephants).
    • With hurricane lamps, suede chairs and an open fire pit, the ambience is rustic, but the detail such as white linen, glassware and silver cutlery, is refined.
    • Set amidst the bamboo forests the spa at Four Seasons Tented Camp is all about rejuvenating and healing.
    • From the elevated position of your camp, the view is of Burma’s Ruak River, the nearby mountains of Laos and the surrounding jungle of the Golden Triangle.

    Prices from:

  80. AKA Hua Hin Hotel

    Hua Hin, Thailand

    Situated in the hills behind Hua Hin, it is hard to believe that this splendidly isolated resort is only 2½ hours from the pulsating metropolis of Bangkok.

    Hills, forest, pastures, rice paddies: AKA makes the most of its authentic Thai setting. Located on a ten acre plot, including its own organic farm, it is an exclusive retreat fringed by mountains and lakes, and offers almost monastic tranquility.

    The beach is 10 minutes drive away but you may never tear yourself from the one and two bedroom villas (complete with roof terrace, water garden and a personal emerald green swimming pool) that are AKA’s version of a room!

    The main lake-side pool is 35 metres in length, the type of pool that would make real swimmers very happy. Big villa, big restaurant reputation, big spa menu and competitive price equals big value.

    AKA is the kind of place you’re not likely to want to leave, which is exactly what was intended.

    Photos of AKA Hua Hin

    • A luxurious complex of elegantly spacious villas, AKA is the kind of place you’re not likely to want to leave, which is exactly what was intended.
    • A luxurious complex of elegantly spacious villas, AKA is the kind of place you’re not likely to want to leave, which is exactly what was intended.
    • A one or two bedroom villa with a roof terrace, a water garden and an emerald green swimming pool is AKA’s version of a room
    • The bar is where you want it to be; there are areas all over the resort where you can meet for a drink,
    • The restaurants present a choice of French cuisine or mouth-watering traditional Thai and are reason enough to make the drive from Bangkok.

    Prices from:

    £1,165 pp

    Perfect for families

  81. Evason Hua Hin Hotel

    Hua Hin, Thailand

    Special Offer

    Situated at Pranburi on the Gulf of Siam, just 30 mins south of Hua Hin, it’s a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the capital city. The nearest other hotel on the beach is not even in view, and at the Evason Hua Hin all the guest bungalows are all less than a hundred yards from the beach.

    Apart from the beach one of the strongest attractions here is the spa – a huge, well organised affair that revels in the one thing that Thailand does best. The rustic but luxurious pool villas are a ‘must’ with their own private plunge pool and garden, a lotus pond and even an outdoor bathtub - luckily, there’s also a wall for complete seclusion!

    A tranquil retreat in a wonderful beachside setting surrounded by acres of lotus ponds and lush gardens - the perfect place to relax.

    Photos of Evason Hua Hin & Six Senses Spa

    • A tranquil retreat in a wonderful beachside setting surrounded by acres of lotus ponds and lush gardens - the perfect place to relax.
    • A tranquil retreat in a wonderful beachside setting surrounded by acres of lotus ponds and lush gardens - the perfect place to relax.
    • Evason Pool Villas have their own private plunge pool and garden, a lotus pond and even an outdoor bathtub - luckily, there’s also a wall for complete seclusion.
    • For stunning views over the Gulf of Siam head to The Bar and relax with a drink.
    • The restaurants use local ingredients, herbs and vegetables from their own gardens.

    Prices from:

    £765 pp

    Book by 31st March

  82. Four Seasons Hotel

    Koh Samui, Thailand

    Set in a former coconut plantation of magnificent swaying palms on the northern tip, it is spectacular both in terms of its setting and in terms of its guest facilities.

    It starts at the top of a mountain, at the very tip of the island where a constant sea breeze keeps the various cantilevered decks used for bars and restaurants cool and comfortable. The views, as might be expected, are magnificent and the resort tumbles down a very steep incline to the sea and the private beach below.

    ‘Villa’ is a much overused word when it comes to resort hotels, but at Four Seasons Koh Samui the word is exactly right. These are real guest villas, with plenty of space, tons of privacy, lots of ceiling height and, for once, a real swimming pool.

    Koh Samui has gone upmarket, and nowhere is this more evident than in the opening of the Four Seasons.

    Photos of Four Seasons, Koh Samui

    • Four Seasons has not only raised the bar in terms of tropical resort, but they have redefined the genre.
    • Four Seasons has not only raised the bar in terms of tropical resort, but they have redefined the genre.
    • These are real guest villas, with plenty of space, tons of privacy, lots of ceiling height and, for once, a real swimming pool.
    • Separated by vast amounts of space, both vertical and horizontal, there are two bars. One at the very top of the mountain, and one at the very bottom by the main pool.
    • Dining is a similar story to the bar; either on top of the mountain or down below by the sea.

    Prices from:

    £2169 pp

    Great way to start the Autumn

  83. Six Senses Hideaway Resort

    Koh Samui, Thailand

    Special Offer

    The sweeping vista of palm-clustered islands and shimmering seas brings to mind all the fantasies we have of the Orient's beaches.

    The resort is made up of a stunning collection of bamboo-clad villas, most with their own infinity-edge swimming pool looking out over the Gulf of Thailand. A modern interpretation of a traditional Thai residence, with open-plan spaces combined with a loft-like arrangement. The restaurants and bars are open pavilions, deriving their aesthetic from the communal longhouses of traditional river communities. The view, the architecture, the style and even the temperature intentionally immerse the guest in the location.

    This is back to nature – without a hint of roughing it. The Hideaway gives you a lot, including a comprehensive spa that offers every conceivable treatment in Asia...with a brilliant view to boot.

    When you arrive at the Six Senses Hideaway Samui the view is at once exhilarating and strangely familiar

    Photos of Six Senses Hideaway Samui

    • Six Senses is the embodiment of a new kind of hotel. The focus is on space, privacy and personal indulgence.
    • Six Senses is the embodiment of a new kind of hotel. The focus is on space, privacy and personal indulgence.
    • At the Hideaway there are only villas. The resort is made up of a stunning collection of bamboo-clad villas, most with their own infinity-edge swimming pool looking out over the Andaman Sea below.
    • The restaurant and bar are open pavilions deriving their aesthetic from the communal longhouses of traditional river communities.
    • The ‘Dining on the Rocks’ restaurant made up of nine terraced decks built off the headland making the most of the stunning views of the surrounding islands and the Gulf of Siam.

    Prices from:

    £1,315 pp

    Includes 2 free nights

  84. The Library Hotel

    Koh Samui, Thailand

    Special Offer

    Bang in the heart of Chaweng Beach, The Library makes the most of its absolute beach frontage. It has the turquoise water but it also has a charm which keeps those who have discovered it coming back.

    White minimal lofts arranged along a wooden jetty leading to the beach, with a blood red swimming pool and a startlingly white media room; The Library breaks all the rules.Not many hotels can boast a blood red pool. Nothing about this place is conventional, why stop with the pool?

    An air-conditioned pavilion houses a floor to ceiling wine cellar, and a beachside bistro open to the elements – the dining experience at The Library is in keeping with Koh Samui’s emergence as a sophisticated escape destination.

    Accommodation at The Library feels more like you’ve borrowed a cool friend’s beach apartment than staying in a hotel.

    Photos of The Library

    • Accommodation at The Library feels more like you’ve borrowed a cool friend’s beach apartment than staying in a hotel.
    • Accommodation at The Library feels more like you’ve borrowed a cool friend’s beach apartment than staying in a hotel.
    • More a loft than a room, seamless white spaces, generous in terms of size and strikingly minimal in terms of style – perfect for a new generation beach hedonist.
    • Arranged along a raised timber deck directly adjacent to the beach, the bar is a perfect place to watch the sun go down.
    • Divided into two spaces – an air-conditioned pavilion with a floor to ceiling wine cellar and a beachside bistro open to the elements.

    Prices from:

    £1,365 pp

    Free night offer with complimentary breakfast

  85. Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi

    Koh Yao Noi, Thailand

    Special Offer

    This remote retreat on a small island in the Andaman Sea has one of the most spectacular views in Asia. Thai resorts and beaches are renowned for their beauty, but this escape destination takes it to another level. Camouflaged by the island’s dense foliage, the beautifully rustic but thoroughly contemporary guest villas all benefit from a constant vista of a collection of limestone sentinels sticking out of the turquoise Andaman Sea with purposeful monumentality.
    This spectacle continues throughout the property. From the bar, the restaurant, the beach etc, the view is consistent and unavoidably dominant.

    This remote retreat on a small island in the Andaman Sea has one of the most spectacular views in Asia. Thai resorts and beaches are renowned for their beauty, but this escape destination takes it to another level.

    Photos of Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi

    • A lost world all of your own with a much better view.
    • A lost world all of your own with a much better view.
    • Every guest gets a compound, not a room.  You have your own swimming pool and outdoor living area, a huge open-plan bedroom and bath space, all dominated by that singularly spectacular view.
    • Situated in the tranquil, turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea, halfway between Phuket and Krabi, Koh Yao Noi is an hour’s journey by boat from the southern tip of Phuket.
    • The most engaging view in Asia.

    Prices from:

    £1,499 pp

    with our Stay 7 Pay 5 offer this summer

  86. Amanpuri Hotel

    Phuket, Thailand

    This extraordinary complex on Phuket's Pansea Beach is still the most mesmerizing hotel in Thailand. It's not just because of its idyllic location on a private crescent of white sand framed by a verdant amphitheatre of palm tree-clad hills; or its super-chic, all-black horizon pool; or the food, which is quite simply superb.

    There’s really no such thing as a room at Amanpuri. Guests each get their own pavilion, which is neatly divided into areas for sitting, lounging, reading and sleeping. It’s not size that sets Amanpuri apart, it’s the aesthetics. It’s not so different from an elegant house or apartment, but different enough to know that you are in Thailand ..... and being spoilt to death.

    Amanpuri means ‘place of peace’ in Sanskrit, a good name for a twenty acre coconut grove on the edge of a beach.

    Photos of Amanpuri

    • This extraordinary complex on Phuket’s Pansea Beach is still the most mesmerising hotel in Thailand. If anything it looks better than when it first opened in 1988, because the landscaping has had chance to mature.
    • This extraordinary complex on Phuket’s Pansea Beach is still the most mesmerising hotel in Thailand. If anything it looks better than when it first opened in 1988, because the landscaping has had chance to mature.
    • There’s really no such thing as a room at Amanpuri. Guests each get their own pavilion, which is neatly divided into areas for lounging, reading and sleeping. It’s not size that sets Amanpuri apart, it’s aesthetics.
    • Photo of bar
    • Photo of restaurant

    Prices from:

    £2,849 pp

    Perfect for a summer escape to Thailand

  87. Evason Phuket Hotel

    Phuket, Thailand

    Special Offer

    Spread across 64 acres the Evason Phuket & Six Senses Spa has three different swimming pools, three restaurants and a handful of different bars. Some of the guest bungalows have their own swimming pools, and the resort is big enough to cater to different demands and different budgets. There are pools for parents and children; there are pools for adults only, and pools with waterfalls, all of it done in the signature hand-made organic style that has come to distinguish the Evason properties.

    The hotel even has its own private destination island. Guests take a traditional-style Thai boat to an idyllic tropical isle; a powdery white beach in a turquoise pool. There is a treetop cottage for honeymoon couples, and a restaurant and cabanas on the beach for day use.

    Some hotels have spectacular pools, some have amazing beaches, but few hotels have their own beautiful private island.

    Photos of Evason Phuket

    • The Evason Phuket is set amongst 64 acres of beautifully landscaped tropical gardens, facing the Andaman Sea.
    • The Evason Phuket is set amongst 64 acres of beautifully landscaped tropical gardens, facing the Andaman Sea.

    Prices from:

    £1,135 pp

    Early booking offer

  88. Indigo Pearl Hotel

    Phuket, Thailand

    Special Offer

    Indigo Pearl is located on Nai Yang Beach, just 10 minutes from Phuket International Airport, but because it’s situated next to Sirinath National Park it’s one of the quietest areas on the island – although the hustle and bustle of places like Patong are only 30 minutes away.

    The open air lounge bar is set in a raised pavilion that catches glimpses of the beach, and Rebar neatly sums up Indigo Pearl’s ambience ie funky and blue. There are four different restaurants, the most spectacular being Black Ginger, a traditional Thai building on stilts in a man made lake with an all black interior accented by cobalt blue chandeliers. Alternatively, help create your own flavours of Thai cuisine at Moo’s Kitchen, Indigo Pearl’s Thai cooking school.

    Moody blue lighting and traditional touches expressed in a new Thai modernity.

    Photos of Indigo Pearl

    • The open air lounge bar is set in a raised pavilion that catches glimpses of the beach, and Rebar neatly sums up Indigo Pearl’s ambience ie funky and blue.
    • The open air lounge bar is set in a raised pavilion that catches glimpses of the beach, and Rebar neatly sums up Indigo Pearl’s ambience ie funky and blue.
    • A combination of rugged industrial textures and tones expressed in traditional Thai patterns, and a modernity which has a focus on the colour indigo.
    • The authenticity of the inspiration can be found in the billiard room bar Tongkah Tin Syndicate, which not too long ago was still one of the mine’s surveyor sheds.
    • Of the four restaurants, the most spectacular is Black Ginger, a traditional Thai building on stilts in a lake with an all black interior accented by cobalt blue chandeliers.

    Prices from:

    £875 pp

    Give your self a real break! 3 weeks from £1,189pp

  89. Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa

    Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    As a guest here your luxurious bungalow tent comes complete with huge bathroom, sitting area, entrance foyer, veranda and a private swimming pool. This is a tent in the same way that Formula 1 is a car.

    There is something quite mesmerising about navigating the wind-blown peaks and troughs of a fine sand desert, it awakens a sense of adventure and mystery, and freedom. At Al Maha there is no target or agenda, it’s just driving in the desert in whatever direction takes your fancy, and Al Maha is particularly well equipped for it. They operate a fleet of Toyota Land Cruisers for covering as much of the desert as possible but there are other ways to get around. Experience the romance of dunes at sunrise from horseback (or even camelback) – unique ways to explore a unique landscape!

    Every guest that comes to Al Maha leaves with the same conclusion; “The desert is a very special place”.

    Photos of Al Maha Desert Resort

    • The hotel is set in a chunk of land dedicated to the preservation of the desert and its indigenous species.
    • The hotel is set in a chunk of land dedicated to the preservation of the desert and its indigenous species.
    • As a guest your suite comes complete with huge bathroom, sitting area, entrance foyer, veranda, swimming pool etc.

    Prices from:

    £999 pp

    Includes 1 free night

  90. Madinat Dar Al Masyaf

    Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Dar Al Masyaf is for the guest who seeks privacy within an authentic, Middle Eastern, intimate setting.

    Photos of Madinat Dar Al Masyaf

    • While everything in Dubai is getting taller and shinier, Dar Al Masyaf has returned to its roots. It provides guests with the privacy, culture and experience that recalls the rich traditions of Arabia.
    • While everything in Dubai is getting taller and shinier, Dar Al Masyaf has returned to its roots. It provides guests with the privacy, culture and experience that recalls the rich traditions of Arabia.
    • There are two types of accommodation at Dar Al Masyaf; the Arabian Summer Houses that are built around a courtyard, and the Gulf Summer Houses that offer access to the beach.
    • Khaymat Al Bahar – literally ‘the tent of the beach’, is a reflection of Bedouin structure and it serves the beach and pool during the day and into the night.
    • Al Muna offers an authentic Arabian ambience for an international offering with regional overtones.

    Prices from:

    £1,099 pp

    Or from £885 pp for 5 nights including breakfast,with our special offer fare on VAA plus great summer rates - book by 20th July

  91. One & Only Hotel

    Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Here the scale is still old world, and harks back to a time when Dubai was a fishing village. One&Only has truly created an oasis, and to their credit they have made sure it is in an Arabic style.

    A lot of thought has been given to the entertainment of the guests. That’s why the swimming pools are as large as lakes, and the Nina restaurant, a colourful Oriental number, serves Euro-Indian fusion food. Then there are the bars. The rooftop bar has a Bedouin tent-like interior on the roof to allow guests to enjoy a night time view of Dubai’s ever-changing skyline.

    As a guest you feel special. And with this they have achieved the most genuine of all Bedouin traits, a natural sense of hospitality.

    The One&Only Royal Mirage looks like a fantasy and works like a dream. An Oasis offering a genuine sense of hospitality.

    Photos of One&Only Residence

    • One&Only has truly created an oasis of gardens, beautiful fountains and exotic trees.
    • One&Only has truly created an oasis of gardens, beautiful fountains and exotic trees.
    • A Bedouin tent-like interior has been created at the rooftop bar which allows guests to enjoy a night time view of Dubai’s ever-changing skyline.
    • Nina restaurant, a colourful Oriental number, serves Euro-Indian fusion food
    • The swimming pools are as large as lakes.

    Prices from:

    £1,169 pp

    Free night offer available

  92. Park Hyatt Hotel

    Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The same patch of palm trees and rolling green lawns that host the hotel is also the venue for Dubai’s yacht club and its premier golf course. Here you have the space and facilities to enjoy Dubai’s sunshine and climate,this is probably the best location in town.

    There are three restaurants, choose from middle eastern, Thai or modern-European cuisine, or kick back on The Terrace, an indoor-outdoor venue with a raw bar and marina views. The Amara Spa is styled on a Moroccan palace and opens out onto a serene pool and deck; at night it’s torch-lit, perfect for a swim in the Arabian Night!

    The guest rooms are among the most attractive in Dubai. They are like contemporary lofts with an Arabic twist. The bathroom and bedroom are open-plan, and blend seamlessly into each other.

    Timeless modernity is mixed with Moroccan detailing - Park Hyatt Dubai is a luxury hotel in an Arabic style.

    Photos of Park Hyatt Dubai

    • A luxury hotel in Moorish Mediterranean style.
    • A luxury hotel in Moorish Mediterranean style.
    • Kick back on The Terrace, an indoor - outdoor venue with a raw bar and marina views.
    • Thai, Eastern and European Cuisine and The Terrace and Traiteur bar with Creek views.
    • Serene, palm fringed pool with hydrotherapy jets - lit by fire torches at night – very Arabian nights.

    Prices from:

    £849 pp

  93. Bauhaus in the snow: simple streamlined architecture, big wide spaces and floor to ceiling windows that frame idyllic mountain views. Set in a park of streams, footpaths, wooden bridges and ponds, in a location that commands an impressive view of Aspen's ski mountains. Throughout the complex the emphasis is on space. The rooms are huge, in fact they are apartments, each with a separate bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room. Entire walls of glass bring the mountains into your room and even in the winter months an impressive amount of daylight is reflected off the snow.

    Situated on the outskirts of town, Aspen Meadows is close enough to nip in for dinner or shopping, but far away enough for you to be conscious of why Aspen is such a magnet – namely the beauty of the mountains and the superb quality of the skiing.

    “Staying here is an experience completely unlike that of any ski hotel I have been to”.

    Photos of Aspen Meadows

    • Aspen Meadows is where the Bauhaus model comes closer to being realised than anywhere else and all in a location that commands an impressive view of Aspen's ski mountains.
    • Aspen Meadows is where the Bauhaus model comes closer to being realised than anywhere else and all in a location that commands an impressive view of Aspen's ski mountains.
    • The rooms are apartments with a separate bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room and study area.  Entire walls of glass bring the mountains into your room.
    • Big wide spaces unencumbered by superfluous decoration, floor to ceiling windows that frame idyllic mountain views
    • Aspen Meadows is close enough to town for dinner or shopping, but far away enough for understanding why Aspen is such a magnet – namely the beauty of the mountains and the superb skiing.

    Prices from:

    £1,279 pp

    In Ski Season

  94. Post Ranch Inn

    Big Sur, USA

    The organic architecture is as adventurous as the location. You approach along a private small mountain road that winds its way through dense forest until you arrive at reception. A series of treehouses and ocean rooms gaze across to the mountains or vast expanse of sea and sky. The treehouses are suspended on timber stilts, a mélange of triangular shapes creating an interior unlike any other. The ocean houses are similarly innovative, virtually buried in the side of the steep slope from which they look out, with roofs covered in topsoil and planted. The architect, Mickey Muennig’s fusion of glass, stone, slate and native woods reflects a lifelong commitment to environmentally appropriate design.
    Extraordinary location, extraordinary architecture – but even these are not the only drawing cards of Post Ranch Inn. Because many guests come first and foremost for the food at Sierra Mar. New California cuisine is truly world-class and floor-to-ceiling glass affords magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean.

    Spectacularly situated, perched on a ridge that drops one thousand feet down to the azure lapping waves of the Pacific.

    Photos of Post Ranch Inn

    • Extraordinary location, extraordinary architecture.
    • Extraordinary location, extraordinary architecture.
    • A series of treehouses and ocean rooms gaze across to the mountains or vast expanse of sea and sky
    • Award winning wine cellar shows an unpretentious passion for wine.
    • Sierra Mar where many guests come first and foremost for the food.

    Prices from:

    £629 pp

    Perfect add on to San Fran!

  95. Originally the extravagant Medinah Athletic Club its doors first opened in 1929, and shut again in 1934, one more victim of the catastrophic Wall Street Crash.

    One of the amazing spaces remaining from that era is the pool situated between the eleventh and twelfth floors, set in a soaring space and flanked by elaborate walls of leaded glass. On first impression, this is not a swimming pool, it's a cathedral filled with water, and even after eighty years it's this that remains the hotel's star attraction.

    The Intercontinental group embarked on a quarter-billion dollar restoration that not only recreated the original designs in authentic detail, but also laid on all the high-tech extras and opened a series of trend-setting bars and restaurants. For lots of different reasons, the hotel has become a focal point in the city -a hive of activity with a real buzz.

    Extravagant and eccentric - it will never win any awards for streamlining, but who cares when it's so much fun to stay there?

    Photos of InterContinental Chicago

    • InterContinental Chicago is a lot like the city itself: historic but hip, refined but relaxed, cultured but comfortable.
    • InterContinental Chicago is a lot like the city itself: historic but hip, refined but relaxed, cultured but comfortable.
    • Historic but hip, refined but relaxed, cultured but comfortable.
    • The InterContinental group opened a series of trend-setting bars and restaurants that have become favourites in Chicago.
    • The jewel of Chicago’s magnificent mile - on Michigan Avenue, the hotel is within easy reach of excellent museums, shops, theatres and restaurants.

    Prices from:

    £745 pp

    Don't miss Lake Michigan in the Summer!

  96. The Peninsula, Chicago

    Chicago, USA

    The Peninsula is chic, elegant and subdued. The rooms are large and luxuriously appointed, with exquisite marble bathrooms, down pillows, understated furniture, and soft amber lighting. So far, so good. There is also an amazing spa that most guests find hard to leave. There's a beautiful aqua mosaic-tiled pool, flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows, on the twentieth floor. The view is straight out to the shores of Lake Michigan (a stone’s throw from the hotel). For those with the time (and you should really make the time) the spa has a whirlpool and lap pool, gym, yoga room and steam room, and any number of oriental treatments.

    Almost all the stores worth going to are no more than a mile from the hotel. There's also plenty of culture to divert you in Chicago: you could take a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural legacy, or you could make time to visit the Art Institute of Chicago. But my hunch is that you will almost certainly be too busy indulging yourself.

    It's all about dressing up in your best clothes for dinner, ordering late-night snacks with champagne, recovering in the spa, and hitting the town feeling like a million bucks.

    Photos of The Peninsula, Chicago

    • An elegant, refined refuge in a “Go get ‘em” town.
    • An elegant, refined refuge in a “Go get ‘em” town.
    • The Peninsula is chic, elegant and subdued
    • The bar is what you would expect from Chicago; dark and moody with lots of atmosphere and always full after 5pm.
    • Avenue is the acclaimed gourmet restaurant and Shanghai Terrace is the Asian influence whilst the lobby caters to the Asian tradition of afternoon tea.

    Prices from:

    £1,195 pp

    A Hip hotel in a fabulous location

  97. Amangani

    Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA

    The old cattle town of Jackson is protected by national wilderness status, and in winter it's not unusual to find the odd Elk roaming between the clapboard houses on its main street. Amangani is spectacularly situated on a ridge just outside the old gunslinging town of Jackson, facing the most impressive aspect of the Tetons. The views, mesmerizing in their majesty, are not limited to the odd corner room or well-positioned public space. Every room, every bathroom, every balcony, the health club, restaurant, and even the heated outdoor swimming pool enjoy the same spectacle.

    In responding to the extraordinary beauty of the setting, Ed Tuttle – architect has created a masterpiece of American modernism that is rugged yet refined.
    If Frank Lloyd Wright had been a skier he would have been first to check in.

    Amangani feels, big, open and ruggedly beautiful – just how you want the American West to be.

    Photos of Amangani

    • A modernist masterpiece in the wilds of Wyoming.
    • A modernist masterpiece in the wilds of Wyoming.
    • More an apartment than a room, the accommodation at Amangani is one of pared-down chic enriched by the best mountain views in the American West.
    • A Zen-like space with an extraordinary view and the warmth of faux wolf fur upholstery.
    • The restaurant is a vast horizontal space with yet another impressive view, and a kitchen that features fusion cuisine with emphasis on local ingredients.

    Prices from:

    £2,149 pp

    In ski Season

  98. THEhotel at Mandalay Bay was created in recognition of the fact that, for some people, less is more and has opted for refined luxury as its signature. The rooms are all suites; each guest gets a separate living room and bedroom regardless of whether you’re a high roller or not.

    The miX bar and the miX restaurant are exceptional enough to stand alone. Situated on the top floor of the tower that houses THEhotel, miX not only has some of the best views in Vegas but also some of the best reviews. It’s the home of the three Michelin star talent of Alain Ducasse, and the space is as big as its reputation.

    THEhotel seems to follow the philosophy of Oscar Wilde; “I have but the simplest taste - I am always satisfied with the best”.

    Photos of THEhotel at Mandalay Bay

    • THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, at least by Vegas standards, is smaller and less monumental. Instead of a guiding theme or icon, it has opted for refined luxury as its signature.
    • THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, at least by Vegas standards, is smaller and less monumental. Instead of a guiding theme or icon, it has opted for refined luxury as its signature.
    • The rooms for instance are all suites; each guest gets a separate living room and bedroom regardless of whether you’re a high roller or not.
    • The lounge - Located in THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, the lounge is a swank, contemporary hangout. Sink into plush, club chairs, sit at the bar and watch the game, or have a game of your own in the billiards room.
    • Instead of a virtual A-Z of restaurant choices, it has only one, and only one bar.  But both the miX bar and the miX restaurant are exceptional enough to stand alone.

    Prices from:

    £799 pp

    Includes one free night

  99. Wynn Hotel

    Las Vegas, USA

    For the Wynn, hotel is a strangely inappropriate description. It should be called Wynn environment. It has more upmarket brand-name boutiques than the most cosmopolitan shopping mall, more famous restaurants than most cities, and only London’s West End and Broadway have more shows. From the Manolo Blahnik boutique to the surreal Lake of Dreams, from shows such as Le Rêve to the waterfall inside Tryst nightclub and from the huge Ferrari-Maserati dealership to the 140 ft man-made mountain, the Wynn has merged fantasy with luxury in a way that will blow your mind. There is also an award-winning casino of course, but compared to all the other casinos on the strip, Wynn is very, very different as it is filled with light.

    The opening of Wynn was the three-dimensional realisation of Steve Wynn’s dream – to make Vegas a destination for people with money and taste.

    Photos of Wynn, Las Vegas

    • Wynn is whimsical and colourful in a very charming sort of way.  It is Rococo-like with all the colour and flourish, but without the heavy touches.
    • Wynn is whimsical and colourful in a very charming sort of way.  It is Rococo-like with all the colour and flourish, but without the heavy touches.
    • Room image
    • In the middle of ‘The Strip’ next to the Venetian and opposite the Fashion Show mall.
    • The outdoor pool complex has 2 main pools, smaller pools, Jacuzzis and pool bar.

    Prices from:

    £1,125 pp

    Perfect winter break

  100. Avalon Hotel

    Los Angeles, USA

    By Hollywood standards the Avalon has history. When it was still the Beverly Carlton, Marilyn Monroe lived here for two years and the hotel's reception area regularly featured in I Love Lucy.

    Photos of Avalon

    • Design-wise, the greatest achievement of Avalon Hotel today is that it feels like a well-preserved gem, a 1950s building that has been beautifully maintained.
    • Design-wise, the greatest achievement of Avalon Hotel today is that it feels like a well-preserved gem, a 1950s building that has been beautifully maintained.
    • Room image
    • Bar image
    • Eat at the award-winning cuisine of the Avalon’s Blue on Blue restaurant and enjoy views over the hour-glass shaped pool.

    Prices from:

    £929 pp

    Stay in this classic Beverly Hills hotel

  101. Chateau Marmont Hotel

    Los Angeles, USA

    “Location, history, scandal, intrigue, vice…the Chateau is the most Hollywood hotel in La La Land.”

    Photos of Chateau Marmont

    • Chateau Marmont is a legend. Think of a name, any famous name, from the world of showbiz -past or present, film, music or television - and there's certain to be a Chateau Marmont anecdote, scandal or connection.
    • Chateau Marmont is a legend. Think of a name, any famous name, from the world of showbiz -past or present, film, music or television - and there's certain to be a Chateau Marmont anecdote, scandal or connection.
    • Despite being recently upgraded, the Marmont still looks as you would imagine it has always looked.  The layout and size of the rooms owe their generous proportions to the simple fact that they were originally designed as apartments.
    • The colonnaded private courtyard is a popular spot for breakfast, a quiet coffee or a late afternoon drink.
    • Surprisingly if you’re a guest here, it’s not too difficult to get a table for dinner because many stars never leave their rooms.

    Prices from:

    £1,030 pp

    The ultimate Hollywood hideaway

  102. Maison 140

    Los Angeles, USA

    Special Offer

    Spend a few nights living a fantasy – staying in an environment quite unlike your own.

    Photos of Maison 140

    • The building - a brownstone built around 1939 – is  uncharacteristic for Beverly Hills, a break from the mid-century modernism that is so prevalent in Los Angeles.
    • The building - a brownstone built around 1939 – is  uncharacteristic for Beverly Hills, a break from the mid-century modernism that is so prevalent in Los Angeles.
    • Different floors feature different colour schemes.
    • For irresistible cocktails and candle-lit conversation, immerse yourself in the seductive ambiance of French mandarin inspired Bar Noir.
    • Restaurant image

    Prices from:

    £845 pp

    Includes complimentary breakfast

  103. Standard, Downtown Hotel

    Los Angeles, USA

    Like all buildings in the downtown district of Los Angeles, this used to be an office block, and because it was built by an oil company it is a luxurious office block – with high ceilings, marble floors and bronze oil rigs on decorative panels – in other words, perfect for a funky hotel.

    Bright red vibrating circular water beds in Star Trek-esque space pods, orange banquettes, white fifties plastic furniture, red Astroturf and a rooftop swimming pool (complete with nightly skinny dippers).

    Los Angeles like you’ve never seen it before. Lunch in the yellow 1960s diner, drinks in the pink and black lobby, cocktails at the rooftop bar, clubbing by the pool after dark – this is Tinsel Town.

    Photos of Standard Downtown Los Angeles

    • Downtown L.A., after hours, used to be a ghost town of deserted office blocks. But the opening of the Standard has changed all that.
    • Downtown L.A., after hours, used to be a ghost town of deserted office blocks. But the opening of the Standard has changed all that.
    • The rooms are tall and spacious with open-plan white mosaic-tiled bathrooms and the odd splash of sixties furniture.  They are marketed like Gap T-shirts sizes, with Humungous, Gigantic and Wow!
    • For the first time, LA suits have a place to go after work.
    • Open 24/7, this is a bright yellow, shiny, padded diner – very Dean Martin – what else would you expect from Tinsel Town?

    Prices from:

    £859 pp

    September Dates

  104. Sunset Strip is where the Hollywood legend began. Over the years places closed and places opened, but the Strip endured as the place to hang out.

    Photos of The Standard, Hollywood

    • The Standard was created for a younger clientele, sophisticated in taste but limited in means. This was a niche specifically identified by Andre Balazs, proprietor of successful hotels like the Mercer in New York.
    • The Standard was created for a younger clientele, sophisticated in taste but limited in means. This was a niche specifically identified by Andre Balazs, proprietor of successful hotels like the Mercer in New York.
    • The Cactus Lounge features a wall-to-wall desertscape mural of a kind last seen (some may say thankfully) in the seventies.

    Prices from:

    £989 pp

    The best place to party in Hollwood!

  105. Viceroy Hotel

    Los Angeles, USA

    Special Offer

    Glamour, innovation, style – this hotel is all you could want in Los Angeles.

    Photos of Viceroy Santa Monica

    • Opened in July 2002, it only took a few months for the Viceroy to become the hangout of choice in Santa Monica.
    • Opened in July 2002, it only took a few months for the Viceroy to become the hangout of choice in Santa Monica.
    • The design scheme, courtesy Kelly Wearstler, manages to appeal to the older as well as the cutting-edge art world and the actors and directors who choose to live near the beach.
    • Among the poolside palms, guests can recline in Moroccan-inspired cabanas.
    • Also spilling outdoors, is the Whist Restaurant. Since opening this has become one of the most sought-after reservations in Santa Monica.

    Prices from:

    £959 pp

    Reduced rates for stays this spring

  106. The Delano Hotel

    Miami, USA

    When it opened in 1995 the Delano must have set a world record for the number of press inches devoted to a new hotel. Journalists not normally easily impressed waxed lyrical about the white rooms, the white marble, the white-clad staff and the all-white spa.


    Starck's design for the Delano's public spaces is, it has achieved the status that all architects and designers long for: recognition as a 'classic', with its soaring ceiling height and forest of imposing columns, it offers great visual drama. Ten years on, this place has still got what it takes - Messieurs Starck and Schrager: take a bow.

    The Delano is on Collins with direct access to the beach. Collins Avenue offers more restaurants, bars and nightclubs in a row than any other area of South Beach and still has the Latin energy that makes the city such a hot destination.

    Delano is the perfect symbol of the new Miami – hip, young and design-conscious.

    Photos of Delano

    • Delano is the ultimate world-class urban resort and self-contained destination. It is a cool haven of relaxation in the middle of one of the world’s most vibrant cities.
    • Delano is the ultimate world-class urban resort and self-contained destination. It is a cool haven of relaxation in the middle of one of the world’s most vibrant cities.
    • Delano’s guestrooms are a vision in calming white, with a modern simplicity
    • Florida Room where a Lucite grand piano has been played by music legends like Lenny Kravitz and Jamie Foxx
    • Delano's wonderful Blue Door restaurant

    Prices from:

    £1,079 pp

    Perfect for some winter sun

  107. Gansevoort South

    Miami, USA

    The Gansevoort in New York built its appeal not so much as a hotel but as a scene on the roof. It is this roof scene that the Gansevoort have brought south to Miami. Except this time it’s bigger and better. The pool on the roof is 110 feet long, and the party scene is spread out over 26,000 square feet.

    The rooms at Gansevoort South are huge. Each room has a living area with couch and two chairs, a glass desk that doubles as a table, and a very large bed. The rooms are like lofts, and although guests might be tempted to spend more time in them, I honestly doubt it.

    The Gansevoort is planning to open another restaurant; Miami’s STK steakhouse, a large spa based on the success of the same in New York, and the hotel will feature the first Dave Barton gym in South Beach.

    It is not so much a hotel but a scene that the Gansevoort have brought south to Miami.

    Photos of Gansevoort South

    • The Gansevoort in New York built its appeal not so much as a hotel but as a scene on the roof.  It is this roof scene that the Gansevoort have brought south to Miami.
    • The Gansevoort in New York built its appeal not so much as a hotel but as a scene on the roof.  It is this roof scene that the Gansevoort have brought south to Miami.
    • On one of the largest private beaches on South Beach.

    Prices from:

    £929 pp

    Party in Miami in the Summer!

  108. The Mondrian South Beach is a curved piece of modernist architecture with an interior designed by controversial Marcel Wanders. The style is definitely post minimalist with a sophisticated colour palette of gold, black and white. With his trademark chandeliers throughout, comfort in the sensual sense is given centre stage inside and out. The huge pool with private cabanas and individual plunge pools, surrounded by a lush garden, lounge areas, secret pathways and kissing areas is definitely not your average pool.

    The setting is straight out of CSI Miami, the silhouette of downtown Miami is behind the expansive blue waters of Biscayne Bay. Because it faces west it also has the sunsets; best watched with a mojito in hand from the bayside bar or private rooftop bar.


    There are no rooms! Every guest gets a studio or apartment - The convenience of a residence with the luxury of hotel service.

    Photos of Mondrian South Beach

    • A curved piece of modernist architecture with an interior designed by controversial Marcel Wanders.
    • A curved piece of modernist architecture with an interior designed by controversial Marcel Wanders.
    • No rooms.  Every guest gets a studio or apartment, or a penthouse.  The convenience of a residence with the luxury of hotel service.
    • There is a bay-side bar and a private rooftop bar.  One is more for the day, the other is for the night.
    • Asia De Cuba is the 5* restaurant you’ll not want to miss.

    Prices from:

    £849 pp

    Upgrade to a Bay View room from £16pppn

  109. The Raleigh is among the many architectural treasures that have survived from Miami’s golden age; today it still embodies the dual art deco philosophy of seductive show and the art of living. The result is neither loud nor flashy, but memorable in a more subtle way – like an exquisitely tailored suit, whose quality, originality and impeccable taste reveal themselves without the need for fanfare.

    And it has the pool – immortalised in the movies of synchronised swimmer Esther Williams; voted by Travel&Leisure magazine as one of the ten most beautiful in the world. This giant pastiche of baroque curves surrounded by Moroccan medjul palm trees can still decades on, elicit oohs and ahs from new guests taken with the sensational impact of the jewel like Art Deco lagoon.

    A consummate mix of style and understatement, of elegance and comfort, of glamour and warmth, an original Art Deco jewel.

    Photos of Raleigh on the Ocean

    • Lauded by Life magazine in the fifties as the most glamorous pool in Florida, it still, more than six decades later, elicits oohs and ahs from new guests.
    • Lauded by Life magazine in the fifties as the most glamorous pool in Florida, it still, more than six decades later, elicits oohs and ahs from new guests.
    • Among the many architectural treasures that have survived from Miami’s golden age, the Raleigh has always been able to claim the best bones.
    • Lauded by Life magazine in the fifties as the most glamorous pool in Florida, it still, more than six decades later, elicits oohs and ahs from new guests.

    Prices from:

    £879 pp

    Ideal place for some summer sun!

  110. Special Offer

    Designed by famed British architect David Chipperfield, merging two existing beach front properties with a brand new, purpose-built tower, Schrager later added his signature touches.

    The whole of the ground floor, leading all the way to the beach, has been turned into one seamless nocturnal play zone for grown-ups. The lighting is low, with a few thousand candles; the music is seductive and the design is a mix of every ethnic style that has ever contributed to the culture of chilling out – Greek tavern stools, Moroccan daybeds, Rajasthani palace chairs, African tribal stools, cushions and more cushions in hare Krishna colours. Rooms are loaded with the latest high-tech options, as well as more old-fashioned creature comforts such as plenty of closet space and enormous bathrooms.

    Redefining cool on Miami's South Beach, The Shore Club combines classic minimalist design with quirky twists.

    Photos of The Shore Club

    • Loaded with the latest high-tech options, as well as more old-fashioned creature comforts such as plenty of closet space and enormous bathrooms.
    • Loaded with the latest high-tech options, as well as more old-fashioned creature comforts such as plenty of closet space and enormous bathrooms.
    • The whole of the ground floor, leading all the way to the beach, has been turned into one seamless nocturnal play zone for grown-ups.
    • One of the most ambitious South Beach hotel projects to date

    Prices from:

    £999 pp

    For 4nts this spring.

  111. If there is a standard to the Standard, it is to, whenever possible, break with convention. Located on Belle Isle, overlooking the waters of Biscayne Bay, five minutes from the beach, the hotel’s waterfront has private boating docks and views of Miami’s sunsets. The restaurants are open for any meal, any time of the day and most of the accommodation is in Sixties-style cabanas on a stretch of land with the Miami lagoon as its backyard.

    The hotel is also a holistic and hydrotherapy oriented spa, inspired by the social bath house rituals of the ancient Romans, Russians and Turks; communal bathing is encouraged. Indoor and outdoor baths include a Turkish Hamman and Roman Steam Room.

    The Standard hotels are consistently fun, imaginative, sexy and unconventional.

    Photos of The Standard, Miami

    • The Standard hotels are consistently fun, imaginative, sexy and unconventional.
    • The Standard hotels are consistently fun, imaginative, sexy and unconventional.
    • Most of the accommodation is in Sixties-style cabanas on a stretch of land with the Miami lagoon as its backyard.
    • Located on Belle Isle, overlooking the waters of Biscayne Bay.
    • A magnificent pool with sea views.

    Prices from:

    £829 pp

    Relax this summer in this stunning spa hotel

  112. 60 Thompson Hotel

    New York, USA

    60 Thompson is one of the highest buildings in the area and is also no slouch when it comes to design. The architect, Steven Jacobs, was a pioneer in turning SoHo’s industrial spaces into residential lofts.

    Interiors are by Thomas O'Brien, whose past work includes apartments for high-profile clients such as Giorgio Armani and Donna Karan. The primary inspiration for the lobby space - a long rectangular hall on the first floor was, oddly, an old photo of Burt Lancaster lounging on an impossibly long couch at his home in Malibu. Hence the deep-buttoned velvet banquette that stretches the entire length of the hotel!

    Here the guest is most definitely King. The guest rooms are very comfortable, the high-tech end is well catered to and you have an ideal location on a rare quiet stretch right in the heart of SoHo.

    Great views from the hotel's rooftop, where the terrace bar has become a SoHo summer destination in its own right.

    Photos of 60 Thompson

    • Steven Jacobs was a pioneer in turning Soho and Tribeca’s industrial spaces into residential lofts… exactly the right person for giving the building the ambience of an old loft.
    • Steven Jacobs was a pioneer in turning Soho and Tribeca’s industrial spaces into residential lofts… exactly the right person for giving the building the ambience of an old loft.
    • The guest is once again king.
    • Great views from the hotel's rooftop, where the terrace bar has become a SoHo summer destination in its own right.
    • The stylish bar and restaurant and the roof terrace are reason alone to stay here. The menu is as chic as the interior – a meeting of Thai and Japanese.

    Prices from:

    £1,029 pp

    The ideal place to keep warm this winter

  113. Ace Hotel

    New York, USA

    This new ACE hotel is located in the geographic centre of Manhattan in the latest area to be reinvented; NoMad (North of Madison Square Park) is a zone filled with architectural jewels. Formerly the Breslin Hotel, the original mosaic floor and marble columns have been restored and the new lobby is home to a Stumptown coffee bar, a Rudy’s barbershop and a historically-inspired gastro pub that recalls the saloons of late 19th century Manhattan, when this area was known as the Times Square of its day.
    Designers Roman & Williams combine period refined (elegant French doors, claw foot tubs and parquet flooring) with the whimsical (soap on a rope and chalk walls you can scrawl on). But the emphasis ultimately is on experience. Rooms have the vibe of a cool friend’s apartment with Smeg fridges fully stocked with real food, beer kegs and a mini-bar full of classic New York deli items. Many also have a sleek turntable with vinyl collection and for those who want to explore their own creative side, a Gibson guitar and some blank sheet music.

    Truly individual, ACE hotels "just loving doing things our way" which is both basic and sophisticated with retro roots in the heyday of Portland artistic bohemia!

    Photos of Ace Hotel

    • An urban hotel that is an interesting mix of the basic with the sophisticated, a hip place that still strives to be affordable.
    • An urban hotel that is an interesting mix of the basic with the sophisticated, a hip place that still strives to be affordable.
    • Many deluxe rooms include SMEG Refrigerators, turn tables and vintage furniture.
    • From those responsible for the legendary Spotted Pig heralds the Breslin Bar & Grill
    • Situated in the newly minted NoMad neighbourhood, Ace is part of an ongoing renaissance of an area that is technically the very centre of Manhattan

    Prices from:

    £749 pp

    Truly individual Hip hotel

  114. Chambers Hotel

    New York, USA

    The art consciousness that one would expect from SoHo or Tribeca has been mixed with the more formal, well dressed profile of a 5th Avenue address. Chambers is in one of the most desirable Midtown areas – on the northern frontier just below Central Park.

    Architect David Rockwell was brought in to realise an interior to go with the art. The property features a substantial permanent collection of contemporary art. A fascinating mix of photography, painting, works on paper and sculpture, the likes of which you would normally not find in one place.

    With raw concrete ceilings, industrial lamps bolted to the walls and polished concrete floors in the bathroom, the interiors are not what you would expect from a hotel around the corner from Tiffany’s. But that’s exactly why it works.

    Chambers, located in the heart of midtown, offers a seamless fusion of uptown luxury and downtown cool.

    Photos of Chambers

    • Chambers, located in the heart of midtown, offers a seamless fusion of uptown luxury and downtown cool.
    • Chambers, located in the heart of midtown, offers a seamless fusion of uptown luxury and downtown cool.
    • The interiors are not what you would expect from a hotel around the corner from Tiffany’s.
    • Enjoy a drink at the lobby or the seating area.
    • Architect David Rockwell, a veteran of some very famous restaurant installations, was brought in to realise an interior to go with the art.

    Prices from:

    £869 pp

    The perfect location in the heart of midtown

  115. City Club Hotel

    New York, USA

    Proprietor Jeff Klein`s mission, when he acquired what used to be the clubhouse of the City Club of New York was to restore a club-like feeling to this stately building.

    The City Club is all about the guest rooms, not the public spaces. These are rooms where you can comfortably and cosily cocoon away from the hubbub of the metropolis. Be sure to book one of the duplex suites with a living room on one floor and a bedroom on the next, below an ornate, late-Victorian ceiling - the two levels are connected by a winding staircase and with extraordinary classic windows reaching the full two stories, these could be the most glamorous hotel rooms in New York.

    When you go downstairs to dine in DB Bistro Moderne, you'll experience some of the best cuisine available in Manhattan right now.

    City Club is a small hotel with big ambitions.

    Photos of City Club

    • City Club is a small hotel with big ambitions
    • City Club is a small hotel with big ambitions
    • With their ornate ceilings and Corbousier inspired spiral staircases, the duplex suites may well be the most memorable guestrooms in Manhattan
    • The nightly scramble for tables is typically New York: frantic and insistent
    • When you go downstairs to dine in DB Bistro Moderne, you'll experience some of the best cuisine available in Manhattan right now

    Prices from:

    £829 pp

    Perfect winter break

  116. Dream

    New York, USA

    From Ethiopia to the cover of Asian Forbes, the story of Vikram Chatwal is surely the quintessential American dream. But he had a more surreal definition in mind when he commenced the overhaul of the former Majestic. That’s how a suspended crystal galleon, a monumental copper statue of Catherine the Great in Mongolian clothes, and the largest tropical fish tank in the northern hemisphere ended up being together in one place. The contribution of author and physician Deepak Chopra whose New York headquarters is within the hotel is effective and authentic ayurvedic treatments and complimentary yoga and meditation. At the other end of the dosha scale, Dream’s Ava bar has one of the best views of Times Square anywhere in New York.

    Dream was conceived by Vikram Chatwal to facilitate dreams, and the hotel’s slogan, “You provide the dream, we provide the service” says it all.

    A bold bit of fantasy and imagination with a rock and roll attitude in the heart of Manhattan’s Midtown.

    Photos of Dream

    • A bold bit of fantasy and imagination with a rock and roll attitude in the heart of Manhattan’s Midtown.
    • A bold bit of fantasy and imagination with a rock and roll attitude in the heart of Manhattan’s Midtown.
    • Bright white with a hint of blue during the day, the colour schemes are reversed at night thanks to blue lights hidden under the bed.
    • Situated on the top floor with its roof terrace, there are many moods to Ava depending on which room you are sitting in.
    • Situated on the ground floor, Serafina is an Italian restaurant with a rock and roll edge, but not so much that it would put off families.

    Prices from:

    £715 pp

    Reduced rates throughout the year

  117. The Gansevoort Hotel

    New York, USA

    With all the different bars and lounges on the roof, the new age Japanese restaurant Ono on the ground floor, the bamboo pavilion Chinese-inspired bar, and the day spa that turns into a subterranean lounge after hours, there’s no shortage of entertainment on offer. The elevator to the rooftop must log more miles each night than a yellow cab during rush hour. With a big swimming pool and a view of the setting sun over the Hudson River, it’s not hard to understand why.

    The Gansevoort is not just a ‘scene’ but a collection of scenes. You don’t ever need to venture out of the building to enjoy the hedonistic energy of Manhattan. By contrast, considering for instance the enormous paintings of Yakuza tattoos in the restaurant, the rooms themselves are a sedate.

    Too much is never enough. If this is your mantra, then Gansevoort is your hotel.

    Photos of Gansevoort

    • Too much is never enough.  If this is your mantra, then Gansevoort is your hotel.
    • Too much is never enough.  If this is your mantra, then Gansevoort is your hotel.
    • Rooms are decorated in shades of grey, with tasteful but not particularly inventive contemporary furniture – to provide a restrained repose from all the frantic partying going on in the rest of the hotel
    • With four separate lounges covering 5,000 sq. ft of glass enclosed space, the Gansevoort has thoroughly put its stamp on the  rooftop playground
    • On the ground floor, new age Japanese restaurant, Ono, with its paintings of Yakusa tatoos, is heavily booked up

    Prices from:

    £789 pp

    This Hip hotel is in a great location

  118. Gramercy Park Hotel

    New York, USA

    When the Hotel first opened its doors in 1925 it quickly became the place for artists, adventurers and bon vivants to rub elbows. Babe Ruth liked to drink at the bar, Humphrey Bogart was married here and Mark Twain liked to play pool in the park. Ian Schrager’s idea was to renew the bohemian edge and to achieve this he enlisted the artist Julian Schnabel. The Gramercy was not so much designed as collected; voluptuous velvet curtains suspended from bronze rods, hand tufted rugs, colours inspired by the renaissance, juxtaposed with daring contemporary art. The overwhelming ambience is that of an artist’s lair. Exciting and original public spaces are a Schrager trademark and here guests can enjoy two bars, a private rooftop garden with both indoor and outdoor lounging and dining space, a new Danny Meyer restaurant and as a resident, albeit temporary, you will be given keyed access to the Park itself!

    The only private park in New York, Gramercy Park was inspired by the glamour and charm of a London square.

    Photos of Gramercy Park Hotel

    • A bohemian hangout in one of the most eccentric parts of Manhattan, overlooking the city’s only private park.
    • A bohemian hangout in one of the most eccentric parts of Manhattan, overlooking the city’s only private park.
    • Hand tufted rugs, velvet curtains and Renaissance colours are juxtaposed with daring, contemporary art.  The rooms were created by the eye of an artist.
    • The Rose bar and Jade bar have soaring spaces that combine the intimacy of candlelight with the intensity of work by Schnabel, Warhol, and Hirst.
    • 2010 sees the opening of a new restaurant by award-winning chef Danny Meyer. The food is inspired by the chef’s love of Italy.

    Prices from:

    £785 pp

    For our Stay 3, Pay 2 in a Deluxe Room

  119. Hotel on Rivington

    New York, USA

    Built from scratch by a creative team, The Marcel Wanders designed entrance is a hit, the completely off the wall Thor restaurant on the ground floor is consistently voted in New York’s top 100, and the rooms, with their all yellow or all black bathrooms are a sumptuously spacious alternative to smaller spaces elsewhere in Manhattan.



    Thor is the Viking God of the area, a thunderbolt of a restaurant enhanced by Wanders’ wild wallpaper and his outhouse in the middle of the space. But the real plus of Hotel on Rivington came as a surprise to everyone, including the owners. There had never been a tower in this area, so no one knew that it would have such an amazing view. A view of New York’s famous skyline from a completely new perspective.

    Situated right in the middle of the Lower East Side, Hotel on Rivington is a study in contrast; a shiny glass and steel tower in a neighbourhood of tenement buildings

    Photos of Hotel on Rivington

    • Situated right in the middle of the Lower East Side, a shiny glass and steel tower in a neighbourhood of tenement buildings
    • Situated right in the middle of the Lower East Side, a shiny glass and steel tower in a neighbourhood of tenement buildings
    • The rooms, with their all yellow or all black bathrooms are a sumptuously spacious alternative to smaller spaces elsewhere in Manhattan
    • A lively bar scene for guests and locals into the late hours
    • The completely off the wall Thor restaurant on the ground floor is consistently voted in New York’s top 100

    Prices from:

    £749 pp

    with a complimentary room upgrade!

  120. Soho Grand Hotel

    New York, USA

    Special Offer

    It is Soho’s great collection of cast-iron architecture that sets the local precedent for the Egyptian columns, Oriental lanterns and turn of the century crafts ornaments that distinguish the Soho Grand’s interior. Plus a century old city ordinance prohibition on using the ground floor led the designer to create an entrance that is quite out of the ordinary. Serving as an anteroom to the main lobby and reception above it heightens the impact not just of the lobby, but also of the staircase that is embedded with the glass bottle-bottoms traditionally used along SoHo sidewalks. The design of the guest rooms is contemporary with arts and crafts style furniture and vintage Manhattan photography that reflect the history and ambience of the area. The Soho Grand is gutsy, industrial and artistic, an apt metaphor for SoHo itself.

    A 363 room homage to the industrial and artistic loft heritage of this unique part of downtown Manhattan

    Photos of Soho Grand Hotel

    • A 363 room homage to the industrial and artistic loft heritage of this unique part of downtown Manhattan
    • A 363 room homage to the industrial and artistic loft heritage of this unique part of downtown Manhattan
    • The design of the guest rooms is contemporary with arts and crafts style furniture and vintage Manhattan photography that reflect the history and ambience of the area.
    • A relaxed and open space that thanks to its elevation has a framed view of SoHo’s signature warehouses and water storage tanks.
    • The Grand Bar & Lounge features contemporary American cuisine in a very casual open-plan atmosphere

    Prices from:

    £749 pp

    Upgrade from just £14 pppn

  121. Soho House Hotel

    New York, USA

    The rules are simple, if you’re not a guest you cannot eat in the restaurant, swim in the pool, lunch on the roof, have a drink in the bar, watch a film in the private screening room, throw a private party in the library, or chill out in the Cowshed – the club’s famous spa… unless you’re a member. But one thing it is not, is stuffy. As a club, it has managed to attract the kind of people that normally never belong to clubs. Film directors, writers, artists, creative types in all fields make up the member roster, and yet Soho is not painfully arty either.

    The look, if it has to be defined as such, is a mix of laid back modern and iconic antique, with the odd bit of bling. The rooms are bohemian loft with soaring ceilings, exposed beams, chandeliers and big, baroque carved beds. The Playhouse and Playground rooms have giant egg-shaped baths big enough for two. But more important than how it looks is how it feels with just the right balance of cosy and trendy.

    Soho House is not a hotel, it’s a private club – the hottest private club in New York – that happens to have a small hotel.

    Photos of Soho House

    • This converted warehouse is part private members’ club, part swish hotel, and shot to fame when it was featured in an episode of Sex and the City.
    • This converted warehouse is part private members’ club, part swish hotel, and shot to fame when it was featured in an episode of Sex and the City.
    • Soho House gives you bohemian loft – big, baroque carved beds, egg shaped tubs, French style cupboards, 50s consoles, 60s lamps.
    • Soho House is not a hotel, it’s a private club – the hottest private club in New York
    • Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in The Club, an expanse of original wooden flooring broken up into a lounge, bar and dining-room on the sixth floor.

    Prices from:

    £1,039 pp

    Upgrade to a Playroom from £89pppn

  122. Sunset Beach Hotel

    New York, USA

    Shelter Island is a place of green forests and country roads that wind past rustic clapboard and shingle farmhouses. The only way to reach it is still by water from Long Island, and in an age of instant gratification, most people haven't the patience to wait for a ferry that can only carry fifteen cars at a time. The place is simple, unspoilt and unpretentious.

    The hotel is completely in step with the rhythm and pace of the island. There are twenty rooms, all with a spacious terrace, a separate sitting area, a simple king-size bed and a generous pile of fluffy white towels. On the food side, Sunset has a café/diner for breakfast and brunch, and a tree-covered outdoor terrace for lunch and dinner. Needless to say, both are literally a stone's throw from the beach and offer uninterrupted views of one of the prettiest bays on Shelter Island.

    Island life is about beaches, sailing, water-skiing and cycling… all of which is why Sunset Beach is such a perfect escape.

    Photos of Sunset Beach

    • The seductive, wholesome outdoor life and seafood of New England can still be found less than three hours away from New York City.
    • The seductive, wholesome outdoor life and seafood of New England can still be found less than three hours away from New York City.
    • There are twenty rooms, all with a spacious terrace, a separate sitting area, a simple king-size bed and a generous pile of fluffy white towels
    • Enjoy a cold evening drink at the lively French beach bar, with amazing sunset views.
    • A tree-covered outdoor terrace for lunch and dinner, literally a stone's throw from the beach, offers uninterrupted views of one of the prettiest bays on Shelter Island

    Prices from:

    £1,175 pp

    Perfect in Summer

  123. The Carlyle is the Upper East Side, and vice versa. All the values of patrician New York are the qualities that define The Carlyle. Woody Allen can often be found jamming on his clarinet with the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band in the Café Carlyle (resident caberet jazz/venue) on a Monday night. A neighbourhood that has a world class museum on practically every other corner, not to mention the proximity of Central Park, The Upper East Side is interesting precisely because it's not like the rest of New York. The doormen with their traditional brass-buttoned coats and caps, school children in blazers and ties, discreet little restaurants tucked into the brownstones on gentrified side streets, and, of course, the shopping, all give this part of New York a signature as distinctive as the tenement housing of the Lower East Side.

    One of New York's most genuine and charismatic experiences.

    Photos of The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel

    • This hotel offers one of New York's most genuine and charismatic experiences, and has been home to society leaders for many years.
    • This hotel offers one of New York's most genuine and charismatic experiences, and has been home to society leaders for many years.
    • The rooms are refined – designed by many a famous name and updated to add a contemporary touch.
    • Bemelmans Bar is a true New York experience. Woody Allen can often be found jamming with his clarinet in the Carlyle Café on a Monday night.
    • A favourite of east side socialites, the restaurant offers elegant eating with a nod to English manor house dining.

    Prices from:

    £869 pp

    Stay in this Classic New York hotel

  124. The Greenwich Hotel

    New York, USA

    Special Offer

    The classic lobby and drawing room with eclectic furniture and original artwork open on to a courtyard garden. Upstairs the eighty eight rooms are all unique with hand loomed Tibetan silk rugs and Moroccan tiled rain showers. The result is a hotel that feels like a film director’s house. Downstairs, Shibui Spa is the hotel’s big extravagance. Reserved exclusively for hotel guests, with treatment rooms, a Japanese bathing room, a 1,000 sq ft fitness room, and a pool like no other in New York. The lantern-lit swimming pool is housed in an authentic 250-year old Japanese bamboo farmhouse, painstakingly reconstructed by Japanese craftsmen inside the hotel.

    TriBeCa is an intoxicating blend of downtown street cred, loft living and a handful of sympathetic boutiques, restaurants and bars. The hotel’s own restaurant, Locanda Verde is in the style of a neighbourhood Italian tavern. With a wood burning oven, chairs and tables on the sidewalk and an open kitchen.

    Robert De Niro, a long term resident of TriBeCa, the city’s most sought after neighbourhood, has created the area’s iconic hotel with the look and feel of a chic members club

    Photos of The Greenwich Hotel

    • A hotel that feels and looks like a chic members club.  Old money, quality and charm instead of new money bling.
    • A hotel that feels and looks like a chic members club.  Old money, quality and charm instead of new money bling.
    • Eighty eight rooms and yet no two are alike.  Hand loomed Tibetan silk rugs, Moroccan tiles, built in libraries, results in a hotel that feels like a film director’s house.
    • Enjoy a drink in the lounge area with eclectic furniture and original artwork.
    • Locanda Verde –in the style of a neighbourhood Italian tavern with a wood burning oven, chairs and tables on the sidewalk and an open kitchen.

    Prices from:

    £999 pp

    Beautiful downtown hotel

  125. The Standard, New York

    New York, USA

    The 18-storey structure consisting of two concrete-framed glass slabs recalls mid-century modernist but the most interesting aspect is how this building interacts with the High Line, an abandoned 80-year-old elevated freight railroad running down Manhattan’s west side that has been converted into a park for locals and tourists to kick back.

    The glass means the interiors have floor-to-ceiling views; of the Hudson to the West, MePa topped by the Empire State to the East and the High Line directly below. Every room maximises its view, none more so than the double height glass-encased space on the 18th floor that will open up in 2010 as an exclusive venue for guests and those on the list!

    In an area now so well known for its food, its obvious that even the most eye-popping architecture and a view will only get you so far. The rest is up to the restaurant.

    Located in MePa - currently New York’s hottest restaurant and bar scene – the new Standard is described by the New York Observer as "the most unusual and significant New York building in years".

    Photos of The Standard, New York

    • A monumental piece of architecture dedicated to mid-century modernism and the hottest bar and restaurant neighbourhood in New York.
    • A monumental piece of architecture dedicated to mid-century modernism and the hottest bar and restaurant neighbourhood in New York.
    • The rooms are compact, stylish boxes with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame some of the best and newest views in Manhattan.
    • The Living Room is a comfortably modish designed lounge overlooking a grand plaza serves beverages and cocktails with live DJs.
    • The Standard Grill has become the new place to eat in MePa, by combining the talents of chef Dan Silverman (ex Lever House) with an uber-hip aesthetic.

    Prices from:

    £879 pp

    Breathtaking hotel in the Meatpacking district

  126. Korakia Hotel

    Palm Springs, USA

    A romantic hideaway in the heart of Palm Springs, this is a place of hand-washed linen sheets, canopied four poster beds, lace, ceiling fans, slate and wooden floors, furniture from Rajasthan, chairs from Mexico, glassware from France, black and white photography and lots of old books.

    By night, candlelight flickers, the pool glows between palm trees, and the lights from the guestrooms peek out through small, typically Moroccan windows onto courtyards and outdoor plazas.

    Guestrooms are spread across two villas – a Moroccan style villa built in 1924 and a 1937 Mediterranean style villa.

    “If you are seeking a seductive retreat from day to day reality, it's perfect. The keyword is romance.”

    Photos of Korakia, Palm Springs

    • If you are seeking a seductive retreat from day to day reality, Korakia is perfect.  The key word for Korakia is romance.
    • If you are seeking a seductive retreat from day to day reality, Korakia is perfect.  The key word for Korakia is romance.
    • Room
    • There's something about Palm Springs that is strongly reminiscent of Morocco. Perhaps it's the heat, or the palm trees, or the desert that glows red at sunrise and sunset.
    • Pool

    Prices from:

    £859 pp

    Enjoy the desert in September

  127. Viceroy Hotel

    Palm Springs, USA

    Viceroy Palm Springs’ sixty-five rooms are spread out over surrounding grounds with a variety of studios, suites and private villas. Interior designer, Kelly Wearstler, opted to re-evoke the glamour of Hollywood's golden age. The style is a contemporary theatrical version of old European aristocratic decor: lots of chandeliers, formal drapery and Regency-style dining chairs, all transforming the Viceroy into a collage of stylish accommodation options.

    The grounds are landscaped in a Beverly Hills movie mogul manner, with three swimming pools (two for adults only), lots of palm trees, plenty of potted topiary, and enough ceramic whippets to fill a kennel!

    This desert town, framed by the San Jacinto Mountains, has been a magnet for creative and flamboyant individuals since the early 1920s.

    Photos of Viceroy Palm Springs

    • In practically any other setting Hollywood Regency would be a dubious design route, but in Palm Springs it works like a gem.
    • In practically any other setting Hollywood Regency would be a dubious design route, but in Palm Springs it works like a gem.
    • Guest rooms are sparkling white spaces
    • Sup cocktails, like the Popsicle Tini, in the bar itself, poolside or tucked up in a private pavilion
    • This desert town is once more a fashionable escape destination for well-heeled Los Angeles society

    Prices from:

    £715 pp

    For Weekend Stays (sun- thurs)

  128. The Clift Hotel

    San Francisco, USA

    Special Offer

    Clift’s stone exterior opens onto a glowing purple entryway that prepares guests for the Phillipe Starck designed wonderland within. The soaring lobby contains one of the most eclectic furniture collections in all of California including chairs from Eames, a Salvador Dali coffee table and a surreal stool by Renee Marguerite. The striking centerpiece is the fireplace commissioned from French artist Gerard Garouste, a towering bronze relief that sits perfectly with the lobby’s moody atmosphere. This is a hotel of dramatic contrast. The rooms are pale and full of light where the lobby, the restaurant and the library are dark and seductive in an elegant contemporary way that attracts both guests and locals to linger over lunch, hang out in the lobby and the bar starts to fill up at 4.30 in the afternoon!

    Just one block from Union Square, the Clift is in a historic building, with a listed bar and the famous Nob Hill tram just around the corner.

    Photos of The Clift

    • Perhaps in deference to the famous bar and in recognition of San Francisco being America’s most sophisticated city, Starck toned down the playful elements of his signature.
    • Perhaps in deference to the famous bar and in recognition of San Francisco being America’s most sophisticated city, Starck toned down the playful elements of his signature.
    • Room image
    • The Clift is in a historic building with a listed bar.
    • Restaurant image

    Prices from:

    £789 pp

    Includes 1 free night

  129. W San Francisco

    San Francisco, USA

    Nobody would argue that San Francisco is a fun town. It has lots of bars and restaurants, a very famous Chinatown, and a reputation for European-style sophistication. The W, located just around the corner from Union Square, is in the heart of San Francisco’s shopping area, and just next door to the SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art).

    The new guest rooms are light and fanciful, and in sync with Northern Californian sunshine. It’s not the new décor however that makes the W such an attractive place to stay. Rather, it’s the ambience. There’s a snappy lively pace to the place, people are constantly on the move – for a quick coffee at the bar downstairs or breakfast in the restaurant, or some work on a laptop in the Adirondack chairs in the building’s outside foyer.

    The W in San Francisco has a real buzz, just like the city itself.

    Photos of W San Francisco

    • The W in San Francisco has a real buzz, just like the city itself.
    • The W in San Francisco has a real buzz, just like the city itself.
    • The new guest rooms are light and fanciful, and in sync with Northern Californian sunshine.
    • Restaurant image
    • Just around the corner from Union Square, heart of San Francisco’s shopping area, and just next door to San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

    Prices from:

    £859 pp

    Enjoy Summer in San Francisco

  130. PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn

    Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe, USA

    A restaurant with rock-star status and hotel literally next to the cable car!

    Photos of PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn

    • A totally individual ski lodge with an acclaimed restaurant at the base of Squaw Valley Mountain.
    • A totally individual ski lodge with an acclaimed restaurant at the base of Squaw Valley Mountain.
    • No antlers, sleds or lumberjack plaid in sight.  The rooms at PlumpJack are clean and contemporary with a twist of back yard baroque.
    • Located immediately adjacent to the restaurant, the bar is a refined venue for pre-dinner après-ski complete with open fire.
    • A sister restaurant to one of the same name in San Francisco, PlumpJack’s restaurant is a key to the lodge’s success.

    Prices from:

    £1,099 pp

    In Ski season

  131. Sundance Resort

    Sundance, USA

    Special Offer

    Robert Redford's commitment to the environment and his sensitivity to the creative process make Sundance unique in the American West.

    Photos of Sundance Resort

    • Robert Redford's commitment to the environment and his sensitivity to the creative process make Sundance unique in the American West.
    • Robert Redford's commitment to the environment and his sensitivity to the creative process make Sundance unique in the American West.
    • Sundance is a place that was created with a film director's eye..from the Native American art and Wild West craft, to the rustic barn-like architecture.
    • There are two restaurants, the Tree Room and the Foundry Grill, as well as the General Store, a skier's cafe at the top of the mountain called Bear Claw!
    • Located on the slopes of the breathtaking 12,000-foot Mount Timpanogos, Sundance is as authentic as the imposing wilderness that surrounds it.

    Prices from:

    £1,499 pp

    For last chance ski-ing in March!

  132. Intercontinental Westlake

    Hanoi, Vietnam

    Set on the very waterfront of Hanoi’s West Lake it gives the illusion of floating on water. The hotel is in a world of its own yet the historic centre of Hanoi is only a ten-minute taxi ride away.

    Guest rooms are surprisingly modern: a showcase of Vietnamese contemporary design with signature rich textures and vibrant colours. Rooms have all mod cons including LCD TVs and after a day of sightseeing quiet time with the views from your balcony is a must. When you do leave your room you’ll find a state-of-the-art fitness centre, a spa which includes a steam bath and an extensive menu of treatments and three restaurants. Set on its own island in the lake, accessible only by torch lit bridge, the Sunset Bar is exactly what it says on the box; the perfect place for drinks at sunset.

    Overlooking the 800-year-old Golden Lotus Pagoda, the Intercontinental Westlake Hanoi is one of the most sublimely located city hotels in all of Asia.

    Photos of Intercontinental Westlake

    • Set on the very waterfront of Hanoi’s West Lake it gives the illusion of floating on water.
    • Set on the very waterfront of Hanoi’s West Lake it gives the illusion of floating on water.
    • Guest rooms are a showcase of Vietnamese contemporary design with signature rich textures and vibrant colours.
    • Set on its own island in the lake, accessible only by torch lit bridge, the Sunset Bar is exactly what it says on the box; the perfect place for drinks at sunset.
    • Situated on the banks of Hò Tây Lake, the hotel is only ten minutes from the historic centre of the city and forty minutes from Noi Bai Airport.

    Prices from:

    £985 pp

    Perfect as part of a tailormade Vietnam itinerary

  133. The Nam Hai

    Hoi An, Vietnam

    It is also situated near the ancient river trading port of Hoi An, recently listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site because of its wealth of well preserved colonial buildings.

    Nam Hai is a collection of villas and beach houses on the Beach, with a view of the South China Sea and the distant Cham Islands. The sixty one-bedroom villas are distinguished by indoor and outdoor sitting areas, but the most innovative touch is a raised platform set in the middle of the rooms enclosed by mosquito netting that creates a room within a room.

    It is a luxurious resort that includes two gourmet restaurants, tennis, championship golf with clubhouse and a tropical spa, but it also offers something other parts of Asia cannot, namely cultural attractions that reflect the true spirit of Endochine, one of the least exploited areas of South East Asia.

    China Beach is evocative proof that Vietnam is a country of sublime beauty; a charismatic example of the gems that define Vietnam’s unspoiled coastline.

    Photos of The Nam Hai

    • Situated near the ancient trading port of Hoi An, China Beach is evocative proof that Vietnam is a country of sublime beauty.
    • Situated near the ancient trading port of Hoi An, China Beach is evocative proof that Vietnam is a country of sublime beauty.
    • The most innovative touch in the villas is the raised platform enclosed by mosquito netting that creates a room within a room.
    • Located on the upper level of the restaurant, the bar overlooks water gardens and the beach.
    • A beach restaurant on the sand offers, appropriately enough, fresh seafood and local fare.

    Prices from:

    £1,235 pp

    The ideal beach extension to a tour round Vietnam

  134. Vietnam’s coast is as yet undiscovered and virtually undeveloped. It’s certainly not deserted, but neither is it spoilt. A five-mile-long expanse of immaculate sand, is Evason Ana Mandara. From the road running along the beach you’d never even know it was there because its colonial Franco-Viet-style villas disappear among the foliage of the densely planted palm trees.

    Guests at Evason Ana Mandara are spread out over the fifty-odd-acre complex, where they can choose between two restaurants, a renowned spa, several bars and the swimming pool, not to mention the beach. Design-wise the place has a distinct Vietnamese signature: a blend of Chinese motifs, French colonial detailing and Vietnamese crafts. Restaurants at opposite ends of the beach contribute to the impression that Evason Ana Mandara is never too crowded.

    Reflects the image of an old Vietnamese village, with its warm hospitality, rich culture, unique tastes and spectacular views of Nha Trang Bay.

    Photos of Evason Ana Mandara & Six Senses Spa

    • Evason Ana Mandara has a distinct Vietnamese signature: a blend of Chinese motifs, French colonial detailing and Vietnamese artisanal detailing.
    • Evason Ana Mandara has a distinct Vietnamese signature: a blend of Chinese motifs, French colonial detailing and Vietnamese artisanal detailing.
    • Guest bungalows feature a lofty ceiling height, Chinese –inspired furniture and a distinct Vietnamese signature.
    • Photo of bar
    • Dining rooms at opposite ends of the beach contribute to the impression that Evason Ana Mandara is never too crowded.

    Prices from:

    £1,759 pp

    Complimentary dinner for 2

  135. Six Senses Hideaway Resort

    Nha Trang, Vietnam

    It's the perfect name. Situated on a hidden beach on a lush, mountainous peninsula overlooking a series of overlapping bays, the Six Senses Hideaway is exactly that – you would never even know it's there. Even as you approach it by boat – the only way to get there – you still need binoculars to pick out the buildings nestling in the dense foliage just behind the pristine sands.

    Everything about the design - architecture, building materials, manner of construction using interlocking wood with no nails or glue - was chosen with the aim of creating the ultimate escape. The result is a series of huts and houses that represent a new style of luxury: more rugged, raw and natural, with space and privacy as primary considerations … it's the ultimate beach fantasy.

    The ultimate barefoot beach shack on one of the most unspoiled coastlines in the world.

    Photos of Six Senses Hideaway Ninh Van Bay

    • The ultimate barefoot beach shack on one of the most unspoiled coastlines in the world.
    • The ultimate barefoot beach shack on one of the most unspoiled coastlines in the world.
    • A series of huts and houses that represent a new style of luxury: more rugged, raw and natural, with space and privacy as prime considerations.
    • There are three restaurants, but dinner on your own terrace of your ‘Robinson Crusoe hut’ is a pervasively tempting option.
    • Situated on a hidden beach on a lush, mountainous peninsula overlooking a series of overlapping bays, the Six Senses Hideaway is exactly that – you would never even know it’s there.

    Prices from:

    £2,499 pp

    Includes 2 free nights

  136. Cocoa Island

    Maldives, Maldives

    Cocoa Island is for people who want their paradise experience pure. No bling, no shopping, no underwater bars; just a great beach, great snorkelling and simple but delicious food.

    The beach, in fact, is better than great. It is possibly the whitest sand ever seen and it takes up more surface area than the island itself. It is, literally, brilliant, particularly when combined with the turquoise shade of the surrounding water.

    The snorkelling is definitely pure – pure Nemo. Just swim from your terrace and you will soon be in a giant aquarium. Big turtles, fish of every colour and pattern, and the odd baby sharks just to keep it interesting.

    Explore the water, explore the beach, read all the books you thought you never would, and that is the closest you will get to an agenda on this island.

    A pure paradise experience.

    Photos of Cocoa Island

    • Cocoa Island is for people who want their paradise experience pure.
    • Cocoa Island is for people who want their paradise experience pure.
    • Rooms are inspired by ‘Dhoni’ boats as used by local fishermen adjoined by simple wooden walkways built above the shallow ocean.
    • Eat like a castaway! Freshly caught lobster cooked in the Keralan style, dining feet in the sand beneath an Alang-Alang pavilion and huge Maldivian sky.
    • Cocoa Island is the Indian Ocean outpost found in the less developed South Male Atoll - designed for guests to discover escapism and serenity.

    Prices from:

    £1,899 pp

    Includes 2 free nights!

  137. Huvafen Fushi

    Maldives, Maldives

    Special Offer

    The first among these is the underwater spa. The LIME spa has glass spa treatment rooms that are literally underwater, so that guests can be surrounded by the world that makes the Maldives so special. Then there is Vinum, the underground wine cave with one of the best collections in Asia. There is a private beach residence called Cube, the library/lounge called The Lair and glass bottoms feature in all the water bungalows as well as in the hotel’s kayaks.
    If you imagine these are the main reasons for going to Huvafen Fushi, you would be wrong. The real star of this retreat is the Maldives, a collection of amoeba-like islands surrounded by startlingly white beaches and incredibly turquoise waters.

    If this hotel had been around in the Sixties the Beatles surely would have dedicated a psychedelic song to all its strange and dream-like qualities.

    Photos of Huvafen Fushi

    • A mad scientist’s luxury lair on a private island in the picture-postcard Maldives.
    • A mad scientist’s luxury lair on a private island in the picture-postcard Maldives.
    • A host of unique, all beautiful options.
    • The theme seems to be “too much is never enough”, and it continues with the many options for dining.
    • The Republic of Maldives consists of thousands of tiny islands spread over a vast distance in a purple, blue and turquoise sea.

    Prices from:

    £2,399 pp

    Includes 1 free night

  138. Soneva Fushi by Six Senses

    Maldives, Maldives

    Quite apart from an abundance of white sand beaches, green water and coral reef, Soneva Fushi by Six Senses also offers what most other islands can't – a verdant jungle. The villas are all just a few feet away from their own stretch of beach and are tucked into their own private patch of jungle. Naturally canopied sand paths crisscross the island like a network of tropical boulevards, connecting its various facilities. These include three bars, a library and three restaurants located at opposite ends of the island. Above all the jungle gives guests complete freedom to decide just how much Robinson Crusoe-style isolation to go for.

    There are no museums, ruins or historical ‘must sees’ … nothing to do but lie, guilt free, in a hammock by the beach

    Photos of Soneva Fushi by Six Senses

    • Soneva Fushi by Six Senses on Kunfunadhoo Island: 65 luxury thatched huts all just a few feet away from their own stretch of beach and tucked into their own patch of jungle
    • Soneva Fushi by Six Senses on Kunfunadhoo Island: 65 luxury thatched huts all just a few feet away from their own stretch of beach and tucked into their own patch of jungle
    • The villas, all tucked into their own private patch of jungle, are just a few feet away from their own beach
    • There are three restaurants on either side of the island. Jump on your bike and decide which to visit!

    Prices from:

    £1,899 pp

    The real robinson crusoe experience

  139. Soneva Gili by Six Senses

    Maldives, Maldives

    There are no rooms at Soneva Gili by Six Senses. Guests each get their own villa extending over three levels, with an open-plan living area, a bedroom, a huge bathroom with private water garden and a roof terrace. Best of all, each villa has its own swimming platform, which is possible because all of them are built on stilts directly in the lagoon. Some stand right out in the water and can only be reached by canoe. Only the restaurant, dive school, boutiques and reception area are on land.

    Cynics might point out that cottages on stilts are nothing new, but there is an intelligent and innovative approach to the architecture of this hotel that is. The island has plenty of white powdery beaches, but Soneva Gili's accommodation solution goes one better.

    To sample some of the world's best snorkelling all you need do is slip off your villa’s own swimming platform

    Photos of Soneva Gili by Six Senses

    • Guests each get their own “over-water” villa with swimming platform extending over three levels, open-plan living area, huge bathroom with private water garden and a roof terrace.
    • Guests each get their own “over-water” villa with swimming platform extending over three levels, open-plan living area, huge bathroom with private water garden and a roof terrace.

    Prices from:

    £2,399 pp

    Includes 2 free nights!

  140. W Retreat & Spa

    Maldives, Maldives

    Special Offer

    The W Retreat & Spa opted to go bling. Situated on Fesdu Island, North Ari Atoll, it’s the kind of place where your wife can wear a little Dolce & Gabbana number for dinner. W created an island that gets dressed up at night.

    The W Maldives brings a bit of city sophistication to paradise. For example, the over-water bungalows could be lofts in Manhattan, if it were not for the thatched roof, the private deck and a personal plunge pool. FIRE, the barbecue restaurant, lays claim to being the longest single grill in Asia. FISH is a much quieter affair, situated on a pier over the reef, it’s entirely illuminated by fibre optics embedded between the planks, and the food could give Nobu a run for its money.

    During the day it’s not just an island paradise; a speck of jungle surrounded by a white sand border in turquoise water, it also has some of the best snorkelling in the Maldives.

    “Theatrical, sexy, fun, W Retreat & Spa in the Maldives has made its mark by daring to be different”.

    Photos of W Retreat & Spa - Maldives

    • The W Retreat & Spa - Maldives, the first resort W, opted to go bling. W created an island that brings a bit of city sophistication to paradise.
    • The W Retreat & Spa - Maldives, the first resort W, opted to go bling. W created an island that brings a bit of city sophistication to paradise.
    • The W Maldives brings a bit of city sophistication to paradise.  The villas could be lofts in Manhattan, if it were not for the thatched roof.
    • For the bar/club aficionados there is an unusual choice.  Buried under the beach is an underground nightclub.
    • FIRE, the barbecue restaurant, lays claim to being the longest single grill in Asia.

    Prices from:

    £2,749 pp

    With our Stay 7 Pay 6 offer.

  141. Le Touessrok Suites

    Mauritius, Mauritius

    The most secluded of the hotels in Mauritius, Le Touessrok is also the best equipped. The hotel boasts its own 18-hole golf course designed by Bernhard Langer. The place is dramatic and a touch theatrical. Many guests have written about the experience of arriving to be greeted by the massive banyan tree decorated with lanterns and gongs that stands guard at the entrance.

    The most distinctive feature of Le Touessrok however, apart from the impressive facilities like the four beaches, two swimming pools, a famous kids club and a fully comprehensive spa, is that the Frangipani Suites are located on a private islet; a Kasbah-style village resort set off the east coast, connected by a covered bridge to the hotel’s public areas on the mainland.

    The place is dramatic and a touch theatrical.

    Photos of Le Touessrok Suites

    • The hotel is legendary, a Mauritian institution.
    • The hotel is legendary, a Mauritian institution.
    • Safran offers contemporary interpretations of classic Indian cuisine from Michelin starred Atul Kochhar.
    • Located on the eastern side of the isle, Trou d’Eau Douce Bay has 4 beaches and a private island retreat.

    Prices from:

    £1,899 pp

    Up to 5 nights free

  142. Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa

    Mauritius, Mauritius

    Special Offer

    It’s a peaceful, romantic setting that encapsulates all that is so attractive about Mauritius, including a turquoise lagoon and a sandy beach surrounded by tropical gardens and framed by the verdant green rainforests of the island’s volcanic mountains.

    Apart from the natural beauty, the thing that sets Maradiva apart is that all the guests are accommodated in private villas. These “cocoons of luxury” each feature their own infinity-edge plunge pool, a private patio and a 24-hour butler service. The name of the game at Maradiva is peace and privacy. This is not a destination for people who want to meet and mingle. It is an escape that provides a much needed tonic to the stress and speed of contemporary city life.

    Maradiva, overlooking Tamarin Bay, is situated on the west coast of Mauritius, famous for its sunsets and for its dry, warm climate, even in winter.

    Photos of Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa

    • A collection of exclusive villas arranged along an idyllic lagoon on the drier, sunnier west coast of the island.
    • A collection of exclusive villas arranged along an idyllic lagoon on the drier, sunnier west coast of the island.
    • 65 villas are carefully arranged and oriented to allow ultimate privacy.
    • The bar is called Breakers, situated next to the infinity pool; a lounge bar with an intimate jazz-fuelled atmosphere.
    • There are two; The Cilantro is a Pan Asian restaurant that features Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese and Indian Cuisine.  Coast2Coast is an all day alfresco restaurant that focuses on a mix of Mediterranean and Mauritian dishes.

    Prices from:

    £2,435 pp

  143. Shanti Ananda Maurice

    Mauritius, Mauritius

    Special Offer

    This 36 acre resort on the south side of Mauritius has the quintessential island ingredients i.e. turquoise water, coral reef, beaches and tropical gardens. But it also has a mantra that says “We go beyond simple indulgence of the body and senses to exploring one’s innermost self”. The emphasis is on the wellbeing, not just of the body but also of the mind and spirit. In short, Shanti Ananda is all about a holistic experience.

    Nature walks, beachcombing, yoga, aqua yoga, aerobics, aqua aerobics, golf, windsurfing, scuba diving, waterskiing, sailing, snorkelling; Shanti Ananda is all about leaving in better shape than when you arrived.

    Photos of Shanti Ananda Maurice

    • A luxurious retreat dedicated to the healing and restorative powers of a holistic approach set in an idyllic little corner of paradise.
    • A luxurious retreat dedicated to the healing and restorative powers of a holistic approach set in an idyllic little corner of paradise.
    • Red Ginger is both an alfresco and inside lounge bar that features local Mauritian music in the evenings.
    • There are two options at Shanti Ananda.  Pebbles, an all day restaurant, serves Mauritian and international cuisine in a setting open to and overlooking the sea.  Da Maurizio is a more gastronomic affair that features Ananda’s signature cuisine.
    • Situated in the south of Mauritius near St. Felix, Shanti Ananda, spread out over 38 acres of tropical gardens, is 35 kilometres from Port Louis.

    Prices from:

    £1,549 pp

    Free night offer and rate reductions!

  144. The Oberoi Resort

    Mauritius, Mauritius

    Special Offer

    Of the top three hotels in Mauritius, The Oberoi is all about the beach and its intimate beach coves. Apart from its setting in 20 lush acres, its dominant feature is its more than half a kilometre of beachfront. Located in the less touristy northwest corner of the island along the Baie aux Tortues or Turtle Bay. The hotel offers a comprehensive selection of spa treatments for those looking to indulge in a bit of R&R, with guests raving in particular about the hotel’s signature paillasson (coconut) massage.

    The main restaurant features a soaring roof of palm-thatched timbers and offers panoramic views across the Indian Ocean. As all the food is excellent, the main choice you have to make is whether to dine inside among the pillars, or outside under the stars.

    The Oberoi is a beach resort for people who have no intention of roughing it.

    Photos of The Oberoi

    • The Oberoi is a beach resort for people who have no intention of roughing it.

    Prices from:

    £1,749 pp

    With our Stay 8, Pay 4 this summer

  145. Tawaraya

    Kyoto, Japan

    Situated in the old centre of Kyoto on a small, nondescript street that gives nothing away from the outside. Inside your tatami mat pavilion opens into a private Japanese garden, the rooms at Tawaraya are splendid and empty: no chairs, no beds and no decorative objects. Everything you need; a table for eating, a cushion to sit on, a futon to sleep on, is brought in when you need it. This lack of things creates an incredibly peaceful and perfectly soothing environment. You will sleep here like you’ve never slept before.

    There is no restaurant, yet you will eat better here than anywhere else in Japan. The food and the table and the pillow is brought to your room in almost complete silence – an extraordinary ten course meal will be served whilst you take in the consistently seductive view of your garden.

    Not so much a hotel as a unique experience. A chance to immerse yourself in the most timeless and most attractive qualities of true Japanese culture.

    Photos of Tawaraya

    • Not so much a hotel as a unique experience.  A chance to immerse yourself in the most timeless and most attractive qualities of true Japanese culture.
    • Not so much a hotel as a unique experience.  A chance to immerse yourself in the most timeless and most attractive qualities of true Japanese culture.
    • A tatami mat pavilion that opens into a private Japanese garden, you will sleep here like you’ve never slept before.
    • There is a tiny library with its own view of yet another private garden, and it is the perfect place to take tea or an aperitif.
    • Situated in the old centre of Kyoto on a small, nondescript street that gives nothing away from the outside.

    Prices from:

    Prices available on request depending on dates of travel

  146. Park Hyatt

    Tokyo, Japan

    The Park Hyatt occupies the top fourteen floors of veteran Japanese architect Kenzo Tange's Shinjuku Park Tower – starting on floor thirty-nine. From the double-height windows of the fifty-first floor Bar and New York Grill you can see Mount Fuji in the far distance and, by night, Tokyo neon glamour at its most spectacular.

    The top-floor health club is a sensation, complete with a swimming pool set underneath the intersecting planes of the roof. The spa pays homage to the Japanese pastime of bathing with saunas, hot spa pools and massage showers. A 14,000-volume library offers an almost Zen-like retreat. Guestrooms are spacious and elegantly minimal, with Japanese rice paper lamps and select works by master ceramists. It's not surprising that Wallpaper recently elected the hotel rooms in this Shinjuku landmark as the best on the planet.

    Tokyo has an edge - even the most seasoned, globetrotting journo would agree that this is one of the most exotic locations on the planet. Certainly anyone who has seen Lost in Translation would have to agree – which, by the way, was filmed in the Park Hyatt, Tokyo.

    Photos of Park Hyatt

    • Floating above the nocturnal neon spectacle that is Tokyo, the hotel occupies the top fourteen floors of Kenzo Tange’s Shinjuku Park tower.
    • Floating above the nocturnal neon spectacle that is Tokyo, the hotel occupies the top fourteen floors of Kenzo Tange’s Shinjuku Park tower.
    • Contemporary comfort, Japanese attention to detail, international luxury.
    • Have you seen Lost in Translation?  It is that bar.
    • Spectacularly situated at the hotel’s highest point, The New York Grill serves East-West fusion cuisine.

    Prices from:

    £1,789 pp

    Enjoy the spectacular views from the bar on the 51st floor!

  147. Uma Paro

    Uma Paro, Bhutan

    Bhutan, the tiny nation in the Himalayas is widely acknowledged as one of the few unspoilt places in the world. Most of the population of one million still wear traditional dress, and the entire country is so devoutly Buddhist that no one would consider buying so much as a goat cart without getting it blessed at a monastery. Most people farm for a living, and virtually the only other occupation is to be a monk.

    Situated in a long, spectacular, pine-clad valley with a river snaking through it, Paro is one of the cultural centres of Bhutan; the town is flanked by rice paddies, wheat fields and trout-filled streams, and the thirty-eight-acre site of Uma Paro is on a nearby hill. Architecturally, Uma Paro comprises twenty rooms and nine villas, and a lot of hard work went into ensuring that this property would deliver both the vibrancy of the local vernacular and the style and comfort travellers have grown to expect. Add to this the COMO Shambhala Retreat, a brand that has become recognised globally for its quality of treatments and you have a very special place to stay in a unique location.

    A 38-acre retreat in the last Buddhist kingdom on earth designed to combine the culture of Bhutan and the comfort and style of a contemporary lodge.

    Photos of Uma Paro

    • A 38-acre retreat in the last Buddhist kingdom on earth designed to combine the culture of Bhutan and the comfort and style of a contemporary lodge.
    • A 38-acre retreat in the last Buddhist kingdom on earth designed to combine the culture of Bhutan and the comfort and style of a contemporary lodge.
    • The aim with the rooms was to introduce the vibrancy of the local vernacular with the space and style of contemporary architecture.
    • Wherever you want to sit and take in the view, that’s the real bar.
    • Bhukari, combining walls with vividly painted flowers and spiritual motifs by local artists with smoke-darkened wood, the ambience, like the food, is a contemporary take on Bhutan.

    Prices from:

  148. Armani Hotel Dubai

    Dubai City, Dubai

    This is a hotel where every element; the look, the touch, the taste and the quality, reflect the style and spirit of Giorgio Armani. Located in Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building that is the centrepiece of the new downtown of Dubai, the Armani Hotel Dubai occupies eleven floors. Elegance, sophistication and comfort are the cornerstones of this brand new property. Materials such as stone, zebrawood, Venetian plaster and various fabrics and leathers have been chosen by Armani for their sculptural and tactile qualities. Although renowned as a fashion designer, Armani’s style when it comes to his various homes has attracted almost as much attention over the years as his clothes. His signature blend of strikingly modern mixed with classically graceful works as well in his townhouse in Milan as it does in his sun-scorched retreat on the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria. It is this very personal sense of domestic style that he brings to the hotel.

    The world’s first Armani hotel, designed by Giorgio Armani himself, is exclusively located in world’s tallest tower.

    Photos of Armani Hotel Dubai

    • To stay at the Armani Hotel is to experience his unique take on personal life, a privilege that until now was only available to his house guests.
    • To stay at the Armani Hotel is to experience his unique take on personal life, a privilege that until now was only available to his house guests.
    • Regardless of size, they all strike the trademark Armani balance of form, function, beauty and practicality.
    • The Armani Lounge is for dinner aperitivos, Milanese style.
    • The Armani Hotel Dubai takes up eleven floors of Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building.

    Prices from:

    £2,795 pp

    Available from May this year

  149. Madinat Dar Al Masyaf

    Jumeriah Beach, Dubai

    Special Offer

    Dar Al Masyaf is for the guest who seeks privacy within an authentic, Middle Eastern, intimate setting.

    Photos of Madinat Dar Al Masyaf

    • While everything in Dubai is getting taller and shinier, Dar Al Masyaf has returned to its roots. It provides guests with the privacy, culture and experience that recalls the rich traditions of Arabia.
    • While everything in Dubai is getting taller and shinier, Dar Al Masyaf has returned to its roots. It provides guests with the privacy, culture and experience that recalls the rich traditions of Arabia.
    • There are two types of accommodation at Dar Al Masyaf; the Arabian Summer Houses that are built around a courtyard, and the Gulf Summer Houses that offer access to the beach.
    • Khaymat Al Bahar – literally ‘the tent of the beach’, is a reflection of Bedouin structure and it serves the beach and pool during the day and into the night.
    • Al Muna offers an authentic Arabian ambience for an international offering with regional overtones.

    Prices from:

    £1,099 pp

    Or from £885 pp for 5 nights including breakfast,with our special offer fare on VAA plus great summer rates - book by 20th July

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