We chose ten properties across cities, coasts and islands, from historic palaces to the new resort ideal. Each one is the answer to a specific question: where for a Paris weekend, where for a honeymoon, where for total privacy. Rates are indicative high-season starting rates for a good room.
Paris, Place Vendôme
Ritz Paris
Restored over four years, with the Bar Hemingway, the Chanel spa and the most romantic address in Europe. Book a room over the garden.
London, Mayfair
Claridge’s
Art Deco, afternoon tea, a staff who remember your name for years. The new spa and the Restaurant at Claridge’s make it complete.
Tokyo, Otemachi
Aman Tokyo
Thirty-three floors up, with a lobby like a temple and rooms that turn Tokyo into a silent film. The best city Aman.
Cap d’Antibes, France
Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc
The saltwater pool cut into the rocks, the cabanas, the long lunch. Since 1870, the hotel every Riviera hotel wants to be.
Tuscany, Italy
Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco
An 800-year-old estate with villas, a winery, a golf course and a kitchen that cooks from the garden. Tuscany without the tour buses.
St. Moritz, Switzerland
Badrutt’s Palace
The turreted palace above the frozen lake since 1896, with a ski butler, a King’s Social House and the best people-watching in the Alps.
Maldives
Soneva Jani
Over-water villas with slides into the lagoon, retractable roofs for stargazing, an outdoor cinema and the best restaurants in the Maldives.
Seychelles
North Island
Eleven villas on a private island run as a conservation project. Barefoot, unscheduled and completely yours.
Dubai
One&Only One Za’abeel
The horizontal skyscraper bridging two towers, with a 120-metre infinity pool in the sky and restaurants by the world’s chefs. The new Dubai.
Utah, USA
Amangiri
Concrete and sandstone in a canyon, with a pool wrapped around a rock and a spa built for the landscape. The most photographed Aman for a reason.
| Hotel | Where | Best for | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ritz Paris | Paris, Place Vendôme | The Paris weekend | $2,000 a night |
| Claridge’s | London, Mayfair | London done properly | $1,400 a night |
| Aman Tokyo | Tokyo, Otemachi | Calm above a megacity | $1,600 a night |
| Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc | Cap d’Antibes, France | The Riviera summer | $2,500 a night |
| Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco | Tuscany, Italy | A week in Tuscany | $1,500 a night |
| Badrutt’s Palace | St. Moritz, Switzerland | Winter glamour | $1,800 a night |
| Soneva Jani | Maldives | The honeymoon | $3,500 a night |
| North Island | Seychelles | Absolute privacy | $7,000 a night |
| One&Only One Za’abeel | Dubai | Dubai with an edge | $900 a night |
| Amangiri | Utah, USA | Architecture and silence | $3,000 a night |
Try it yourself
Destination MatcherMonth, mood and budget: the three countries or regions that fit, with the season and the hotels.Questions people ask
What is the best luxury hotel in the world?
It depends on the trip. The Ritz Paris and Claridge’s for cities, Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc for the Riviera, Soneva Jani for the Maldives, North Island for privacy, Amangiri for architecture.
How much does a luxury hotel cost per night?
From about 900 dollars for a good room in a top Dubai hotel to 3,000 to 7,000 for a villa at a private-island resort in high season.
How do I get an upgrade at a luxury hotel?
Book through a Virtuoso or preferred-partner travel advisor, arrive mid-week if possible and mention an occasion. Upgrades depend on availability, never on demands.
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