7 Unforgettable Luxury Hotels
From Newfoundland to the Maldives, our hand-picked list of the world’s most covetable stays
This time of year chances are you’re either already on vacation or anxiously awaiting one. For anyone in the latter camp, we’ve assembled this list of best-in-class hotels spanning the globe, from tropical island retreats to luxurious urban oases, all of which offer top-shelf experiences in unforgettable locations. Whether you have your summer vacation plans set or not, it’s never too early to plan a bucket-list getaway.
Fogo Island Inn
A decade after opening its doors, there’s still nothing else quite like this stunning boutique hotel perched on a chunk of rock in Newfoundland. With just 29 guest rooms decorated in a trademark mix of architectural modern and downhome cozy (think: blonde wood floors and handmade quilts) and activities from berry picking to iceberg spotting on tap, there’s no better place to experience this unique corner of Atlantic Canada.
Mahali Mzuri
An African safari has a place on every traveller’s bucket list, but no other lodge offers an experience on par with Sir Richard Branson’s ultra-exclusive 12-tent luxury camp in Kenya. Located in the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy, which is part of the famed Maasai Mara, Mahali Mzuri offers guests a front-row seat to the spectacular annual migration of millions of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle, along with lions, hyenas, and leopards, each summer.
One&Only Reethi Rah
With its white sand, blue skies, and endless crystal lagoons, this Maldives resort is the stuff dreams are made of. Set on an idyllic atoll in the Indian Ocean, Reethi Rah combines hyper-attentive service with the kind of amenities designed to relax and replenish, whether you’re diving with rays and turtles or unwinding beside your private infinity pool.
Park Hyatt Tokyo
Japan’s first city is home to many luxurious hotels, but none has quite the same allure as the Park Hyatt, which has remained among Tokyo’s premiere addresses for more than two decades. In addition to plush rooms and a full slate of premium amenities including Aesop toiletries, no visit to the Park Hyatt is complete without a late-night cocktail at the 52nd-floor New York Grill, which film buffs will remember as a key setting in Sofia Coppola’s 2003 classic Lost in Translation.
Jumby Bay
When you think, “tropical island paradise,” the palm-lined beaches of Jumby Bay are what probably come to mind. Set on a 300-acre island on Antigua’s north coast (a protected nesting area for the endangered hawksbill turtle) Jumby Bay is a different kind of all-inclusive resort, featuring a full array of water sports on offer, endlessly flowing Moet & Chandon champagne, and an emphasis on personalized service at every turn.
Casa Cipriani New York
It takes a lot for a hotel to stand out in New York City, but leave it to Cipriani, the Italian luxury hospitality chain with outposts from Milan to Miami to steal the show. Located in the historic Battery Maritime Building on the southern tip of Manhattan, Cipriani offers spacious rooms outfitted in Loro Piana cashmere upholstery and Rivolta Carmignani linens, with river-facing private terraces and one of the buzziest restaurants in the city.
Maybourne Riviera
There’s something about the French Riviera that you simply can’t find anywhere else in the world, and there is truly no better place to have a consummate Riviera experience than this newly-launched cliffside hotel in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. From its art-filled lobby to its 69 rooms and suites with spectacular sea views (some including private infinity pools) to the impossibly fresh seafood at the in-house restaurant helmed by Michelin three-star chef Mauro Colagreco, if you weren’t in love with the Côte d’Azur before you surely will be afterwards.