Hotel Reviews
Every hotel we’ve checked into, honestly reviewed
From private-island villas to safari camps and grande dame city hotels. Each one stayed in, scored out of 10 and written up with the details that matter when you book.
Every hotel here has been stayed in. No reviews written from press releases.
A clear verdict on every review, so you know if it’s worth it, and who it’s worth it for.
Where a stay was hosted, we say so. Opinions are always our own.
Thyme
Southrop, near Lechlade, in the southern Cotswolds
A family-run “village within a village” of restored 17th-century buildings on a 150-acre estate, with two MICHELIN Keys, a farm-to-table restaurant in the Ox Barn and rooms dressed in the founder’s own prints.
Read the review →Le Sirenuse Positano
Via Colombo, Positano, Amalfi Coast
A family-run 18th-century villa, open since 1951, where every room looks over Positano and the sea, and the service still feels like being a guest at a private party.
Read the review →Hotel Emma San Antonio
Pearl district, San Antonio, Texas
A converted 1890s brewhouse with industrial-Texan interiors, and San Antonio’s only two-Michelin-Key hotel. It sits in the Pearl, the city’s liveliest neighbourhood, with Supper and the Sternewirth bar in the old brewhouse.
Read the review →Matakauri Lodge in Winter
Lake Wakatipu, about 20 minutes from Queenstown Airport
Queenstown’s most intimate luxury lodge, seven minutes from town, with views of The Remarkables and a humble, homely take on luxury.
Read the review →Rosewood Cape Kidnappers
Te Awanga, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
A clifftop working-farm and golf lodge on 6,000 acres, now run by Rosewood and holding Two Michelin Keys. The Tom Doak-designed course hangs over the ocean, and the tasting-menu dinners lean on the farm’s own garden.
Read the review →Mandarin Oriental The Landmark
Central, Hong Kong Island
A newly redesigned city hotel in the heart of Central, with three-Michelin-star Amber downstairs and Mandarin Oriental service that remembers your name and your coffee order.
Read the review →Pangkor Laut Resort
Private island off Perak’s west coast, Malaysia
Malay-style villas on stilts over the sea, on the beach and in the rainforest, on a private island with superb birdlife and rates well below the Maldives.
Read the review →Vila Vita Parc Algarve
Porches, Algarve, about 45 km from Faro Airport
A clifftop resort village in 22 hectares of gardens with private beaches, eight restaurants and two-Michelin-star Ocean, plus villas that give you a home of your own with hotel service.
Read the review →The Milestone Hotel London
Kensington, opposite Kensington Palace
A family-run Victorian townhouse from the Red Carnation collection where every room is decorated differently, with butler service and homely touches like mini scones at 4pm.
Read the review →Royal Davui Island Resort Fiji
Private island in Beqa Lagoon, Fiji
An adults-only private island of just 16 villas, where meals and non-motorised activities are included and the snorkelling is some of the best anywhere. You arrive by helicopter.
Read the review →andBeyond Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp
Private concession, Okavango Delta, Botswana
A classic luxury tented camp, rebuilt in 2017 with beds facing the Delta, larger verandas and a new pool and boma. Land and water activities run side by side, from game drives to mokoro trails through the reeds.
Read the review →andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge
Private concession, Okavango Delta, Botswana
An organic, nature-inspired lodge shaped like a pangolin’s scales, with exclusive traversing over 22,500 private hectares. Every suite has a plunge pool, outdoor shower and fireplace, and the game viewing is unfenced.
Read the review →Nolinski Paris
Avenue de l’Opéra, 1st arrondissement, Paris
A contemporary boutique hotel by Evok Collection with a hint of 1920s New York glamour and two Michelin Keys. It sits between the Palais Garnier and the Louvre, with a spa, stone pool and three restaurants.
Read the review →Château St. Gerlach
Valkenburg, South Limburg, near Maastricht
A country-chic castle and monastery estate beside the Ingendael nature reserve, a Relais & Châteaux member with one Michelin Key. Days are for gardens, a Roman-style indoor pool and modern French dining at Les Salons.
Read the review →Hotel Des Indes The Hague
Lange Voorhout, central The Hague
An 1858 city palace, a hotel since 1881 and now with The Leading Hotels of the World, all gold, mahogany and velvet. Its central position puts the whole of The Hague within walking distance.
Read the review →Pulitzer Amsterdam
Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht, Amsterdam’s canal ring
Twenty-five interconnected 17th- and 18th-century canal houses stitched into one Michelin Key hotel, with art deco splashes of mustard and deep purple. It’s the Amsterdam of the imagination, canal views and all.
Read the review →The Beverly Hills Hotel
Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
The 1912 ‘Pink Palace’, all banana-leaf wallpaper and garden bungalows, holds three Michelin Keys. Life revolves around the pool and the Polo Lounge, and it’s the kind of place guests rarely leave.
Read the review →InterContinental New York Barclay
Midtown East, Manhattan
A historic 1926 Midtown hotel of marble, chandeliers and gloved doormen, a short walk from Grand Central, Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center. Practical rather than a destination, but the location is hard to beat.
Read the review →La Mamounia Marrakech
Edge of the medina, Marrakech, Morocco
A historic palace hotel set in 18th-century gardens on the edge of the medina. With Three Michelin Keys and dining by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Pierre Hermé, it remains Marrakech’s legend.
Read the review →A Tiny Cabin In Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree, near Yucca Valley, California
A quirky tiny cabin on locally owned land a couple of hours from Los Angeles, made for long sunny days exploring Joshua Tree National Park and the area’s vintage stores.
Read the review →The Villas of Byron
Gordon Street, Byron Bay, NSW
Five Balinese-inspired private villas on a leafy Byron Bay street, each with its own heated pool and spa. Hotel-style touches meet holiday-home privacy, a ten-minute walk from town and the beach.
Read the review →Aro Hā
Glenorchy, about 45 minutes from Queenstown, New Zealand
An eco-luxury, all-inclusive wellness retreat in the Southern Alps, where days run to sunrise yoga, long hikes, plant-based meals and a daily massage. Come for the programme and leave genuinely reset.
Read the review →Rosewood Matakauri
Lake Wakatipu, near Queenstown, New Zealand
Billed as the smallest Rosewood in the world, this intimate lakeside lodge pairs log fires and mountain views with Two Michelin Keys. It’s the most polished base for Queenstown adventures.
Read the review →One&Only Palmilla
Palmilla Bay, between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
A classic Mexican beach resort with butler service and Spanish colonial style, on one of the few swimmable stretches of beach in Los Cabos. It holds two Michelin Keys, and the service is the standout.
Read the review →Royal Malewane
Thornybush Game Reserve, Greater Kruger, South Africa
The Royal Portfolio’s colonial-inspired flagship holds three Michelin Keys and reopened in 2026 after a major refurbishment. Expect art-filled suites, an enlarged spa and Big Five drives tailored to what you want to see.
Read the review →Singita Boulders Lodge
Singita Sabi Sand, bordering Kruger National Park, South Africa
A contemporary safari lodge on the Sand River, with 12 suites, private plunge pools and some of Africa’s best leopard viewing. Three-course dinners matched with South African wines and a private airstrip complete the picture.
Read the review →andBeyond Mnemba Island
Private island off north-east Zanzibar, Tanzania
A barefoot-luxury private island of just 12 bandas, redesigned and reopened in October 2024. All-inclusive with a private butler, it pairs some of Zanzibar’s best snorkelling with sundowners on your own patch of sand.
Read the review →Ellerman House
Bantry Bay, Cape Town, South Africa
A historic manor house on the Bantry Bay hillside, with a remarkable collection of South African art and a serious wine cellar. It holds Two Michelin Keys and feels more like a private mansion than a hotel.
Read the review →Mount Juliet Estate
Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, Ireland
A 1757 Georgian manor on about 500 acres, freshly restored with 24 suites, a guest cinema and a wine cave, plus a championship golf course and Lady Helen, which has held a Michelin star for 12 years running.
Read the review →Vila Bled
Lakeshore estate on Lake Bled, Slovenia
Tito’s former summer residence on the shore of Lake Bled, run as a 1950s-style boutique hotel with manicured gardens and an uninterrupted view of Bled Island. Come for the history and views rather than modern luxury.
Read the review →Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna
Schottenring, on Vienna’s Ringstrasse
A listed 1873 palace by Theophil Hansen, rebranded as Anantara and fully refurbished in 2025. Michelin-starred Edvard and a new 800 m² spa make it a strong pick for food lovers.
Read the review →Aria Hotel Prague
Malá Strana, Prague, below Prague Castle
A music-themed five-star boutique in Malá Strana, with each floor dedicated to a genre and every room to a musician. A charming base near Charles Bridge, if not Prague’s biggest splurge.
Read the review →The Langham London
Portland Place, Marylebone, London
A Victorian grand hotel that opened in 1865, The Langham holds two Michelin Keys and remains a London institution for afternoon tea in the Palm Court and cocktails at Artesian.
Read the review →The Peninsula New York
Fifth Avenue at 55th Street, Midtown Manhattan
A 1905 Beaux-Arts landmark on Fifth Avenue, refreshed with contemporary rooms and known for polished service. It holds one Michelin Key and makes an ideal first base in Manhattan.
Read the review →Williamsburg Hotel in Brooklyn
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York
From the design team behind Soho House Berlin, this Gatsby-meets-industrial hotel pairs teal tiles and brass with a rooftop pool and views toward Manhattan.
Read the review →andBeyond Bateleur Camp
Private concession on the edge of the Masai Mara, Kenya
A classic 1920s-style tented camp of canvas, brass and campaign furniture, on a private concession where off-road and night drives are allowed. It’s an elegant Mara safari, ideal for the Migration and for families.
Read the review →andBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge
NamibRand area near Sossusvlei, Namibia
A stone, steel and glass desert lodge with skylights above every bed, a private observatory and a resident astronomer, set under some of the darkest skies on Earth. Book it for the stargazing.
Read the review →Angama Mara
Oloololo Escarpment above the Mara Triangle, Kenya
A contemporary tented lodge perched on the escarpment, with binoculars in every suite and arguably the best view in the Mara, gazing down over the Great Migration.
Read the review →Rosewood Kauri Cliffs
Matauri Bay, Northland, New Zealand
A clifftop golf and farm lodge, now run by Rosewood and holding two Michelin Keys, with full board, a five-course degustation and an 18-hole course above the Pacific. Families do best in the villas.
Read the review →Atlantis The Palm Dubai
Crescent of Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE
A vast ocean-themed resort where guests get unlimited Aquaventure Waterpark and Lost Chambers Aquarium access, plus Ossiano, the one-Michelin-star underwater restaurant. It’s made for travelling with kids; couples should book elsewhere.
Read the review →Al Maha Desert Resort Dubai
Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, UAE
A Bedouin-inspired desert resort with one Michelin Key, set in a 225 sq km reserve for the Arabian oryx, where every suite faces the dunes. It’s a true desert escape under an hour from Dubai.
Read the review →Pretty Beach House
Bouddi Peninsula, Central Coast NSW
An all-inclusive Luxury Lodges of Australia retreat of just four pavilions, new to the Michelin Keys in 2026, with degustation dinners, wine and a welcome smoke ceremony. It’s a special-occasion escape about an hour north of Sydney.
Read the review →The Gainsborough Bath Spa
Beau Street, central Bath, England
A Georgian-fronted hotel with one Michelin Key and the only hotel in Bath connected to the city’s geothermal spring, which feeds its Spa Village pools. Come for the spa above all else.
Read the review →The Merrion Dublin
Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2
Restored Georgian townhouses around private gardens, holding two Michelin Keys, Ireland’s largest private art collection and the two-Michelin-star Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud. It’s Dublin’s finest address.
Read the review →Ashford Castle
Cong, Co Mayo, on Lough Corrib, Ireland
A medieval castle expanded by the Guinness family and now holding two Michelin Keys, with secret corridors, a Moroccan-tiled spa and a private cinema. It’s Ireland’s ultimate castle stay and worth the splurge at least once.
Read the review →Storchen Zürich
Weinplatz, on the Limmat in Zürich’s Old Town
A five-star historic hotel right on the river, classic furniture with modern comforts, a Michelin-starred restaurant in La Rôtisserie and The Nest rooftop bar.
Read the review →Tintswalo Atlantic
Chapman’s Peak Drive, near Hout Bay, Cape Town
A boutique luxury lodge right on the Atlantic shoreline at the foot of Chapman’s Peak, where every island-themed suite faces the ocean and dinner is a genuine gastronomic event.
Read the review →Lizard Island Resort
Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland
The only resort on a national-park island, all-inclusive and Relais & Châteaux, with 24 beaches to explore and snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef straight off the sand.
Read the review →Hotel d’Angleterre Copenhagen
Kongens Nytorv, central Copenhagen, steps from Nyhavn
Copenhagen’s classic grand hotel, Victorian architecture with Nordic interiors on Kongens Nytorv, home to Michelin-starred Marchal and the city’s only indoor heated hotel pool.
Read the review →Saint James Paris
16th arrondissement, near the Arc de Triomphe, Paris
Billed as the only château in Paris, an 1892 hôtel particulier behind iron gates, redesigned by Laura Gonzalez, with unusually generous rooms and a Guerlain spa with indoor pool.
Read the review →Saffire Freycinet
Coles Bay, Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania
An all-inclusive architectural lodge facing the Hazards, where meals, drinks and signature experiences are included and the food is very much the star.
Read the review →Gorgeous George Cape Town
St Georges Mall, Cape Town city centre
A design-led boutique hotel spread across Edwardian and Art Deco buildings, with playful rooms, a walkable CBD location and Gigi Rooftop, one of the city’s most playful rooftop bars.
Read the review →Jonkmanshof, South Africa
Montagu, Western Cape, South Africa
A two-room Cape Dutch guest house with a citrus garden and dramatic mountain backdrop that feels like a private residence, a little over two hours from Cape Town.
Read the review →De Witte Lelie Antwerp
Keizerstraat, historic centre of Antwerp, Belgium
An intimate, white-on-white boutique hotel across three historic gabled houses, with one Michelin Key, a courtyard garden and Bronze Bar. Choose it for boutique charm rather than five-star facilities.
Read the review →The Oberoi Marrakech
Near Marrakech Menara Airport, Morocco
A palatial resort inspired by the Medersa Ben Youssef, set among olive groves and citrus trees outside the city, where most rooms and villas have private pools and the traditional hammam is a highlight.
Read the review →The Ned London
Poultry, City of London, near Bank
A grand 1920s former bank turned hotel and members’ club, with a whole social scene under one roof and guest access to the members’ gym, spa and heated pool.
Read the review →Carlton Hotel St Moritz
St. Moritz, Upper Engadine, Switzerland
A Belle Époque grand hotel with south-facing lake views, some of the largest rooms in the Alps and two-Michelin-star Da Vittorio, part of the Tschuggen Collection.
Read the review →Huka Lodge
Waikato River, Taupō, North Island, New Zealand
New Zealand’s original luxury lodge, a historic riverside fishing lodge refurbished in 2025, with every suite facing the river and Huka Falls just downstream.
Read the review →The Londoner
Leicester Square, West End, London
A contemporary ‘super-boutique’ hotel on Leicester Square, with a rooftop izakaya, a guests-only lounge and a spa and pool hidden beneath the square.
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