World’s Best Luxury Hotels: Luxurious five-star (and even six and seven-star) hotels and resorts have mushroomed all over the globe in the last 20 years. This is great news for sophisticated tourists like me, but not all new expensive and luxurious hotels live up to the promise of a truly sophisticated and unforgettable stay. Only a small number of hotel brands, in my humble opinion, offer the unmatched perfection that today’s luxury travelers expect.
With perfect service, amazing locations (beaches, cities, or remote wilderness areas), top-notch wellness amenities, great food, beautiful rooms, and, last but not least, policies that care about the environment, these brands stand out and beat the competition. I thus propose to you the top 10 hotel brands in the world, places I gladly go back to time and time again when I travel.
Below the slide show is more information (including reviews and YouTube videos). Do you concur or do you have a preferred hotel chain that wasn’t on my list? Submit a comment.
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10. PARK HYATT
The US-based Hyatt Hotel Group is in charge of more than 10 different brands, with Park Hyatt being the most luxurious. Each of these brands is meant to give guests experiences that fit their lifestyles, attitudes, values, and goals. Park Hyatt hotels are a sign of luxury because they have great service, world-class spas, and cutting-edge rooms that are all made for people who want the best. ( World’s Best Luxury Hotels )
Park Hyatt hotels can be found all over the world in major gateway cities and top vacation spots. Each Park Hyatt is designed to reflect the unique style of its location, whether it’s the style of Paris, the exotic appeal of the Maldives, or the all-American style of Chicago. Park Hyatt hotels are known for their acclaimed art programs, modern interior design, and excellent restaurants run by well-known chefs.
- Official website: Park Hyatt
- Flagship hotel: Park Hyatt New York, USA
- This hotel features in my top 10 lists of the best luxury hotels in New York City and the most stunning indoor hotel pools in the world.
9. ST REGIS
The St. Regis is one of the Marriott Hotel Group’s two ultra-luxury hotel brands (the other being the Ritz-Carlton). With the opening of The St. Regis New York in 1904, the brand set the standard for luxury hospitality. It was built on a unique history and designed for travelers who want the best experiences. Since John Jacob Astor IV opened his Beaux-Arts masterpiece on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, the name “St. Regis” has been linked to constant elegance and personalized service. ( World’s Best Luxury Hotels )
St. More than 30 St. Regis hotels around the world are committed to giving guests unforgettable experiences by blending classic elegance with a modern sense of style. Personalized service has been a hallmark of the St. Regis experience for more than a century, and St. Regis is the only luxury hotel chain in the world that offers this service at all of its hotels. More than 30 St. Regis hotels around the world are committed to giving guests unforgettable experiences by blending classic elegance with a modern sense of style.
- Official website: St Regis
- Flagship hotel: The St. Regis New York, USA
- This hotel is on my top ten lists of the finest luxury resorts in New York.
- This resort is among the top ten most luxurious hotels in the Maldives, in my opinion.
8. MANDRIN ORIENTAL
Mandarin Oriental has evolved over the past 50 years from a reputable Asian hotel chain to a recognized global brand. The group has a long and illustrious history that dates back to the opening of The Mandarin, the brand’s flagship property, in Hong Kong in 1963.
The hotel, which at the time of its opening was the tallest structure on the island, quickly established an admirable reputation for superior customer service and was immediately designated a historic landmark, a designation it still holds today. ( World’s Best Luxury Hotels )
The Oriental in Bangkok, which was already recognized as one of the most illustrious hotels in the world, was partially acquired by the group in 1974, giving the company the distinction of having two flagship hotels whose names stand for the pinnacle of hospitality.
The group currently operates more than 30 hotels around the world, each of which has a distinctive sense of place and an oriental design that pays homage to its heritage.
- Official website: Mandarin Oriental
- Flagship hotels: Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, China; & Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Thailand
7. SIX SENSES
Six Senses is a hotel chain that has won a lot of awards and is very unique. Its hotels are in places that are far away and beautiful, like uncharted territory or near a UNESCO World Heritage site. Six Senses experiences are always led by a wide range of experts from different fields, such as their own paragliding experts, visiting spa experts, and celebrity chefs. Six Senses was founded in 1995 by the owners of the Soneva brand (cf. below). The name is synonymous with distinctive eco-chic design that is real, individual, and sustainable. All properties also blend in with their local natural or cultural environment.
Six Senses resorts always have great service, pay attention to the little things, blend in well with the local culture, and create an atmosphere that makes people feel good. Six Senses experiences are always led by a wide range of experts from different fields, such as their own paragliding experts, visiting spa experts, and celebrity chefs. A key element of all Six Senses properties, the Six Senses Spa concept is a layered approach to wellness that unites a pioneering spirit with treatments that go beyond the ordinary.
- Official website: Six Senses
- Flagship hotel: Six Senses Yo Noi, Thailand
- This resort also features in my top 10 lists of Phuket’s best ultra-luxury resorts and the best luxury hotels in Thailand.
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6. BELMOND
Belmond – known as Orient Express until its rebranding in 2014 – is a hotel and leisure company that manages an ultra-luxe collection of 49 iconic hotels, trains, and river cruises in 24 countries, bringing together some of the world’s most sensational journeys and destinations. With Belmond, you can stay in timeless hotels in Venice, Rio, and St. Petersburg; embrace the spirit of adventure at Machu Picchu or Angkor Wat; glide along the rails through the Swiss Alps; soar across the Andes; or explore the mystifying rivers of Myanmar. ( World’s Best Luxury Hotels )
It all began in 1976, when the company received the keys to the legendary Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Venice. A year later, they started buying carriages for the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, which started running in 1982 to take adventurous travelers to La Serenissima in style. Since then, Belmond has grown to become a carefully curated collection of travel adventures, each with a rich story to tell.
- Official website: Belmond
- Flagship hotel: Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Venice, Italy
- This hotel also features in my top 10 list of the best luxury hotels in Venice.
5. ROSEWOOD
The Mansion on Turtle Creek, a world-class restaurant and hotel created in 1979 out of a historic Dallas, Texas mansion, set the standard for all subsequent Rosewood hotels and resorts. Today, Rosewood manages a collection of distinctive, opulent, residential-style hotels across the globe, including some well-known properties like The Carlyle in New York and Hôtel de Crillon in Paris.
Rosewood has won numerous awards and recognition for its renowned attention to detail, proactive approach to environmental sustainability, and commitment to relationship hospitality. Each property offers a distinctive atmosphere and style that reflect the company’s “Sense of Place” philosophy by incorporating the location, culture, history, and geography into the design of the hotel.( World’s Best Luxury Hotels )
- Official website: Rosewood
- Flagship hotel: Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas, USA
4. ONE&ONLY RESORTS
The fabulous One&Only brand was created in 2002 exclusively for the luxury resort market by Solomon Kerzner – a South African accountant and business magnate – and now features some of the highest-rated resorts in the most idyllic spots in the world, such as the Maldives, Mexico, and Cape Town. The award-winning collection continues to evolve with the launch of One&Only Nature Resorts, such as One&Only Nyungwe House and One&Only Gorilla’s Nest in Rwanda, building on the success of Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley in Australia.
Each resort in the One&Only collection not only offers a unique design and ambiance that embraces the local surroundings, but also an unparalleled commitment to the finest experience on every possible level. Service that is second to none, exclusive wellness sanctuaries, lively entertainment, a wide range of activities, and some of the best chefs in the world all add to the luxury of the accommodations.
- Official website: One&Only Resorts
- Flagship hotel: One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives.
- This resort features in my top 10 lists of the best resorts in the Maldives, the world’s best hotel beaches, the world’s best hotel spas, and luxury hotels loved by celebrities.
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3. FOUR SEASONS
With more than 100 properties across five continents and numerous hotel projects in the works, Four Seasons is arguably the most well-known luxury hotel brand in the world. The Canadian company has nearly 50 years of experience revolutionizing the hospitality sector through relentless innovation, remarkable growth, and a unwavering commitment to the highest standards. ( World’s Best Luxury Hotels )
The Four Seasons was established in 1960 by the young architect Isadore Sharp, but it wasn’t until the 1970s opening of the Four Seasons London that the company truly made a name for itself and pioneered many of the recognizable Four Seasons services that are now offered all over the world.
The Sharp family and a group of like-minded investors, including Bill Gates and Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, took the company private once more in 2007 in order to safeguard the reputation of the brand well into the future, despite the fact that it had previously gone public in 1986.( World’s Best Luxury Hotels )
- Official website: Four Seasons
- Flagship hotel: Four Seasons Toronto, Canada
- My favorite hotel: Four Seasons Resort Seychelles
- This resort also features in my top 10 lists of my favorite Four Season Hotels & Resorts in the world; the world’s best resorts with private plunge pools, the world’s best family hotels,
2. AMAN
Meticulously designed to frame their natural settings, Aman hotels are renowned for their breathtaking locations, locally inspired architecture, and ultimate privacy. Each welcomes guests as if they were coming to the home of a close friend, giving them a sense of peace and belonging in some of the world’s most beautiful and historic places.
It is an approach that has changed little since 1988, when the first retreat was built on Phuket’s west coast. Aman was born. It was named Amanpuri, meaning “place of peace”.
Today, Aman has 31 ultra-luxury hotels in 20 countries. It is known as one of the best ultra-luxury hotel brands in the world, and it continues to look for transformative experiences and amazing places around the world.
Among Aman’s habitués is a group of passionate repeat customers—self-proclaimed “Aman junkies” (count me in)—rave about the service and design aesthetic and whose travel plans are determined by Aman locations.
- Official website: Aman
- Flagship hotel: Amanpuri, Phuket, Thailand
- This resort also features in my top 10 lists of the best luxury hotels in Thailand and Phuket’s best ultra-luxury resorts.
1. SONEVA
In 1995, Sonu Shivdasani, an Indian-British hotelier, launched the now world-famous Soneva Fushi resort on the deserted Maldivian island of Kunfunadhoo, pioneering a trend for back-to-nature luxury holidays. He also built his house there, together with his wife, Eva Malmstrom, a Swedish fashion model, who developed the design and furnishing of the unique resort.
They had no idea that their intensely personal vision of a locally crafted villa and an environmentally responsible lifestyle would form the basis of a successful collection of world-class hotels and spas. But that’s exactly what happened. In 2009, the Soneva Hotel group built a second, even more spectacular hotel, Soneva Kiri, on the unspoilt Thai island of Koh. And in 2016, Soneva opened the most spectacular hotel in the Maldives, if not the world.
world, atbeyond-beyond Jani. Founded on shared passions and masters of innovation, Soneva is a thriving community working hand in hand with the environment to craft beautiful, beyond-beyond bespoke experiences where discovery is a way of life.( World’s Best Luxury Hotels )
- Official website: Soneva
- Flagship hotel: Soneva Fushi, Maldives
- This resort features in my top 10 lists of the most astonishing beach retreats in Asia; the best resorts in the Maldives for snorkeling; the world’s best luxury hotels for a family holiday, and the best luxury resorts in the Maldives.
