Originally Posted on: https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/the-best-hotels-in-the-world
Unforgettable food. Cutting-edge design. Immersive experiences. These are some of your top criteria for judging what makes a quality hotel—not to mention a worthy resort, cruise, spa, or island. In tallying up the 575,048 votes cast in our 37th annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey, we were struck by both your eagerness to embrace the new and your reverence for tried-and-true classics. Your favorite hotel in the five boroughs is the two-year-old Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad, but you also can’t stop returning to storied French Polynesian resort The Brando. You’ve jetted through the sprawling Istanbul International Airport, booked intrepid sailings to Antarctica, and fallen in love with historic yet innovative cities like Copenhagen. Read on to start planning your next round of travels—these are the best hotels in the world, as voted by our readers.
View the Readers' Choice Award winners for best resorts in the world here.
50. The Sutton Place Hotel Toronto
$ | 
Readers' Choice Awards 2024
Sutton Place Hotels’ latest addition gives its guests the best of both worlds—value and luxury, making it a clear winner for travelers seeking to balance the action of downtown Toronto with a quiet place to unwind. Within walking distance of Old Toronto, the Entertainment District, and the Fashion District, guests have access to iconic landmarks such as Eaton Center, the Hockey Hall of Fame, and CN Tower, with Wellington Place’s swankiest restaurants in arm’s reach to boot. After exploring the Six to your heart’s content, coming back to the hotel feels like arriving at your own personal urban oasis. Roomy suites with smart TVs, fast complimentary WiFi, and spa-like bathrooms make it easy to enjoy staying in. The hotel’s gently attentive staff are quick to pop in with recommendations and assist with any changing needs, serving as a shining example of Canadian hospitality we’re won over by.
49. Park Hyatt Auckland
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2023, 2024
The 2021-opened Park Hyatt Auckland looms like a glass palace beside Waitematā Harbor in Wynyard Quarter, the docklands precinct recently converted into the America's Cup home base. The 195 guest rooms are among the most generous in town, with slick interiors by Conran and Partners London punctuated by traditional Maori art. You could say that the new property is now duking it out with the Hotel Britomart (New Zealand’s first five Green Star Hotel) for the braggiing rights to international jet-set crowd.
48. Kimpton Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
With plush blue velvet couches and tongue-in-cheek artwork sidled up by lime-green tufted headboards and bright-yellow bird cage light fixtures, this quirky 248-room stay could read as a total design disaster—but by some Seussical miracle, it all works. Characteristically thoughtful Kimpton amenities include a minibar stocked with gourmet local treats, Frette linens, and even a yoga mat so you never have to go too long without your beloved sun salutations and downward-facing dogs. Pull up a seat at one of the rooftop Biergarten’s communal tables, where you can nosh on a salted pretzel with one hand and guzzle a heady local brew with the other, or challenge some strangers to a friendly (if slightly unsteady) game of cornhole. If you prefer your vino with a side of quiet, head to the wine hour in the hotel lounge, or opt for 24-hour full-menu room service. The Monaco earns extra points for its pooch-friendly approach, along with its PUBLIC loaner bikes.
47. The Colony Hotel — Palm Beach, Florida
$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2022, 2023, 2024
The buzziest place to stay in Palm Beach is the masterfully refreshed, pink paradise that is The Colony Hotel. The playful design harkens back to the Tiki era with wicker furniture, global influences, and hand-painted wallpaper featuring animal scenes and the property's playful mascot Johnnie Brown (a monkey named after the pet of famous architect Addison Mizner) with a martini in hand—it feels like walking into a White Lotus opening theme. Each of the historic property's 89 rooms is custom designed to make the style set of Worth Avenue (which is just paces away) feel at home. But you won't spend too much time in your room, as the on-site restaurant Swifty's is the place to see-and-be-seen enjoying crisp rosé and live music.
46. Four Seasons Hotel Montreal
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2023, 2024
When your cab (or, more likely, chauffeured limo) pulls up to the unmissable black-glass tower that houses the sparkling new Four Seasons Hotel Montreal, a bellhop whisks away your baggage—a metaphor, perhaps, of the emotional journey you’ll take as you breeze past an artsy ground-floor lounge and up an elevator to the third-floor lobby. This hotel is a contender for the most luxurious in town, managing to remain decidedly upscale without becoming ostentatious. Think: your most fabulous friend’s spacious Parisian pied-a-terre (after all, this is a city that prides itself on Francophone connections). The details are gorgeous without being overwhelming or overly precious, with herringbone wood floors, stunning custom furniture pieces, and positively enormous marble bathrooms with heavenly Byredo amenities. It’s worth calling out the truly fantastic, spacious closets; they are beautifully lit, feature well-constructed built-in drawers, and have enough space to hide your luggage away, lending each room and suite a residential feel where you’ll almost forget you’re staying in a hotel.
45. Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino — Italy
$$$ | 
Gold List 2018, 2020, 2022 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
The Splendido Mare, once a fishermen’s guesthouse, is the 14-room harborside sister of Belmond’s Splendido, a hillside hideout that started life as a Benedictine monastery before becoming a hotel in 1901, then a magnet for movie stars (Elizabeth Taylor had four honeymoons there). Its makeover, by in-demand Parisians Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay, is exquisite—local terra-cotta tiles and nautical nods, such as the knots woven into headboards in quietly lavish rooms, with Gio Ponti armchairs and rich Loro Piana fabrics. Everything is done subtly, almost unnoticeably, and there’s a deceptive simplicity to the cooking of brothers Enrico and Roberto Cerea. Their restaurant in Bergamo has three Michelin stars, but here they stick mostly to seafood and Ligurian classics, including a sublime pesto trofie. This is Portofino, after all, which is above all discreet—a place where the actors and the aperitivo-sipping locals don’t much bother one another.
44. Four Seasons Hotel George V — Paris
$$$ | Gold List 2018 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Originally opened in 1928, in a prime location in the ever-so-chic eighth, this hotel is a true Paris icon—but from the moment you enter, it’s clear all is not as traditional as it might seem. The entryway is grand and gilded, the staff deferential and efficient (and always greeting you by name), but flashes of modern style and edgy attitude save the place from seeming staid. This is also the first hotel in Europe to feature five Michelin stars under one roof—garnered here by three distinct restaurants like fine dining Le Cinq, where French classics are reinterpreted using lighter ingredients and techniques. Fortunately, all restaurants are accented by prime vintages from the hotel’s legendary, 50,000 bottle-strong cellar, whose position 45-feet underground helped it survive the bombings of World War II.
43. The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington D.C.
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2024
This redbrick hotel with a smokestack mixes the Potomac’s industrial history with a sleek, modern design and superb location. The impressive conversion effort—it was built on the site of an incinerator—is now a National Historic Landmark, its interior filled with shades of fiery reds, yellows, and oranges. Rooms in earthy hues with dark-leather furnishings offer views of Georgetown and the river; limestone and slate bathrooms have deep soaking tubs. Degrees Bistro pairs contemporary American dishes with brick walls and steel beams; the wine bar sits in the center of the room.
42. Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2024
The Loop is Chicago’s fun-loving neighborhood—home to the city’s theater scene, Millennium Park (where you’ll find the mirrored Bean), and the Art Institute of Chicago. At The Renaissance Chicago Downtown, just a block from the Chicago River, the hotel does its best to embody all the high energy the Loop is known for with fascinating art installations in the lobby, a popular rooftop bar called Raised, and even an indoor pool. Yet each of the 553 rooms still give guests the chance to maximize their downtime, thanks to plush bedding, modern bathrooms, and the option to Netflix and chill directly from the hotel television.
41. The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2024
When booking a stay down under, why not go to the very top? The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne is Australia’s tallest hotel, housed in the top 17 floors of its 80-story building. The hotel’s unprecedented vantage point envelops guests in panoramic views of the city and the ocean lapping at Port Phillip Bay. If you find the views hard to pull away from, in-house restaurant Atria helmed by renowned chef Michael Greenlaw serves a seasonal five-course tasting menu for dinner showcasing modern Australian cuisine at its freshest with seats right at the window. And when you settle in for the night, the canvas of the neutrals dotted with warm maroons and deep navies pairs well with golden-framed windows encasing each guest room. With door-to-door valets and a Ritz-Kids program where storytimes bring local Australian culture to life, the standard of service is as sky-high as the rooms.
40. InterContinental Washington D.C. - The Wharf, an IHG Hotel
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024
Part of D.C.’s reimagined Wharf neighborhood, this new jewel in InterContinental’s crown aims to appeal to leisure travelers and D.C. movers and shakers alike. The dramatic tiered lobby is a mix of stone and brass, with warm chocolate-hued seating and modern chandeliers. Rooms are equally warm, with geometric-patterned carpets, modern dark wood furniture, and expansive windows and balconies, many of which overlook the Potomac River. They're large and spacious, with modern design and amenities (someone thought out the ample counter space in the bathroom, clean lines, and uncluttered layout). Little touches like orchids in each room, spa-style showerheads, and large executive work desks make rooms sumptuous getaways for harried travelers. Whether you're here for business or pleasure, you'll feel the room is well-outfitted for your needs. Enjoy those balconies overlooking the river—it's a real treat and hard to match in this town.
39. The Grand America Hotel — Salt Lake City, Utah
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024
From looks alone, you’d be forgiven for assuming the Grand America Hotel was nestled somewhere in the European Alps, as opposed to Salt Lake City’s Wasatch Rockies. Adorned with layered drapery, ornate woodwork, and velvet upholstered desk chairs, the spacious guest rooms feel presidential. The property embraces all the fun of life in Salt Lake City. Snowbirds have their choice of nine ski resorts within an hour’s drive of the hotel, families looking to cool off for the summer can dive into the indoor and outdoor pools, and art buffs can tour through the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art in the day and catch a show from the celebrated Ballet West company at night. But for those looking to stay hyperlocal, the Grand America has menus and venues in-house for every occasion, and the Grand Spa’s full-service specialty treatments are unparalleled in the American West.
38. InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, an IHG Hotel
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2022, 2023, 2024
The lobby's marble floors, giant planters, and neutral tones (with the occasional pop of orange) are more or less what you'd expect. Don't forget to stop by the in-house restaurant The Americano, helmed by celebrity chef, Scott Conant. It's those little touches that make the InterContinental more than just a convenient stay. They make it one you'll fall in love with.
37. S Hotel Jamaica — Montego Bay
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
At S Hotel you get the laid-back vibe of a stay in Jamaica with a bit of South Beach glitz—they even line the deck of their sleek pool with some of the island’s famous white sand. If that isn’t enough sand for your liking, the hotel also offers private access to idyllic Doctor’s Cave Beach and its gentle surf. Inside, the ocean view rooms are big enough to pass for apartments in some big cities. And they lay a minimalist black and white color scheme over a beachy aesthetic (think, lots of wicker furniture, including covering the bathtub) that will leave you feeling maximally relaxed. If it doesn’t, there’s always the Irie Baths and Spa, which has three underground plunge pools (hot, warm, and cold) that provide kinetic energy therapy and send you out feeling totally relaxed, in addition to the usual the massages and skin treatment options.
36. Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
$$$ | 
Hot List 2018 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Just one deep breath of the lobby's fresh scent and you're in vacation mode. You can find your place in the Waldorf's lobby among couples in artfully ripped jeans and Common Projects sneakers, hot-shot agents, and meticulously maintained ladies in Chanel, or head to your spacious room (the smallest at the hotel is a whopping 630 square feet). But don't get too comfortable down there—the rooftop pool has one of the best views in L.A., complete with an impressive menu from Executive Chef Peleg Miron.
35. Faena Hotel Miami Beach
$$$ | Gold List 2018 Hot List 2016 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
There’s a bit of an Alice in Wonderland vibe to the Faena, and it carries through into the rooms—particularly with the smaller accents and pieces of furniture you’ll find yourself “discovering” as your stay progresses. Los Fuegos, Argentine super-chef Francis Mallmann’s open-fire asado, delivers on the food and drink front; and outside, the hotel makes the most of its 100,000 square feet of private white-sand beach. Also, if you find yourself asking, "Did I just see a golden woolly mammoth skeleton in a glass cage?" the answer is yes—you can thank artist Damien Hirst for that one.
34. Sofitel Philadelphia
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2024
What is this traffic?! More likely than not, this will be your first thought as you approach the 306-room and suite Sofitel, which is located on a perpetually bottlenecked cross street in Center City Philadelphia. But once you’re greeted by the cheery bellmen and step inside the spacious lobby—decked out with a geometric-print stone floor, funky artwork, and comfy lounge seating—all that exterior chaos will fade away. Check-in is quick and efficient, to the delight of the tourists and businesspeople who patronize the hotel, allowing you to get up to that specialty Sofitel bed that much more quickly. Hit Chez Colette for a French-inspired breakfast or weekend brunch, and take advantage of the hotel's prime location—right near Michael Solomonov's Abe Fisher and Dizengoff, and Stephen Starr's The Dandelion and The Love—come dinnertime.
33. Raffles London at The OWO
$$$ | Hot List 2024 Readers' Choice Awards 2024
This might be the most talked-about hotel to open in London this century. From 1906 to 1964, the building served as the War Office where D-Day was planned, and where Winston Churchill boomed out briefings to staff on the Grand Staircase while serving as Secretary of State for War. Spies, notoriously, had their own private entrance. In 2016, the Mumbai-based Hinduja Group purchased the building’s lease, invested $1.9 billion in refurbishments, and brought Raffles on board. Completing the 120 rooms and suites, four restaurants, three bars, 27,000-square-foot Guerlain spa, and 65-foot subterranean pool took seven years. Grand state offices have become plum guest quarters, including the Haldane Suite (Churchill’s former office) in smart red damask. Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco helms three of the restaurants: a fine-dining spot, a private-table option, and Saison by Mauro Colagreco, the hotel’s Mediterranean dining space. The Guard’s Bar heaves with gossipy politicians while the tiny Spy Bar, occupying an old interrogation room in the basement, is a good spot for a nightcap with its red-velvet banquettes and an Aston Martin DB5 mounted on the wall.
32. Katikies Santorini
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Every hotel in Santorini plays a part when it comes to the island’s picturesque panorama of whitewashed houses and turquoise water, but this brand with outposts in the towns of Imerovigli and Oia alike stands out for its first-class views of the caldera and chic minimal design. In each room, you’ll find arched ceilings and verandas—perfect for lazy afternoons spent reading in the sun—and beds are fitted with crisp, fine cotton sheets. Start the day with a swim in one of the hotel’s infinity pools (or a plunge in your own private one, if you're at the Chromata) before retreating to the bar for a lunchtime cocktail or the spa for pampering. Later, make your way to dinner at the candlelit Chroma or Anthós by walking the winding steps carved into the cliffside. Order dishes like the langoustine tartare or the sea bass served with fennel, and choose from an extensive wine list that spotlights local Santorini wineries.
31. Hyatt Regency Milwaukee
$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2024
Milwaukee is one of the US’s cities to watch, as we noted in last year’s Readers’ Choice Awards—from having a festival in town nearly every weekend, to hosting the last season of Top Chef, to the scattered nods to Frank Lloyd Wright and Frederick Law Olmstead throughout its different parks and residential areas, it’s safe to say Milwaukee is on the rise. And the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee is one of the best stays to experience what the city has to offer, with the Historic Third Ward, the Public Market, and the Marcus Performing Arts Center all within a two mile radius from the hotel. Bring a furry friend for a stay, work comfortably, and lounge at craft-cocktail bar Julep where the “brew” in Brew City comes to life.
30. Grace Hotel Auberge Resorts Collection — Santorini
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Along whitewashed steps zigzagging down the side of the caldera in the village of Imerovigli, this tiny (for now) hotel looks out not only on a serene blue horizon but also, in the near distance, a pinnacle of rock topped by the ruins of an ancient castle. The hotel’s exterior is classic, clinging-to-the-cliffside Aegean, and the rooms minimalist modern, with a touch of art here and there to break up the otherwise all-white decor. The service is as attentive as one would expect with only 20 rooms.
29. Fairmont Washington D.C., Georgetown
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2024
If you're one of the lucky few who gets to stay at the Georgetown Fairmont, we'd say you have it made. The hotel unveiled the results of a $27 million renovation in June 2016, offering up a total redo of each of the hotel's 415 guest rooms and suites—they're now sleek and sophisticated, anchored by eggplant-hued couches and tufted, cream-colored headboards, and decked out with custom-commissioned, politically savvy artwork (we love the collage of book plates overlain with silhouettes of the DC skyline and a pillbox hat-topped Jackie O.). And who could forget about that pool? Wind down with a drink in hand at the lobby bar—you can't put a price on the atrium view, though it's currently under construction—or rent a bike from the front desk (complimentary for President's Club members) and cruise along the river to the nearby Kennedy Center and Lincoln Memorial.
28. Babylonstoren — South Africa
$$ | Gold List 2023 Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
What if you could actually visit the Garden of Eden? And what if it was surrounded by vineyards, historic Cape Dutch farm buildings, and a formal French-style potager garden, where you could pick your own strawberries and fragrant herbs? At Babylonstoren, in the Drakenstein Valley, 33 miles northeast of Cape Town, the mythical garden comes to life. Founded in 1690, the 590-acre compound is modeled on the farms that supplied the ships making their way around the Cape of Good Hope en route to India. The cottages and suites are minimalist but stylish. You won’t find a grand lobby or an obsequious concierge here, but the staff, most of whom are wearing T-shirts, aprons, or khakis, combine a genuine eagerness to help with a high level of knowledge about the farm and its long history. Stay long enough and eventually—after a visit to the on-site bakery, the winery, the cheesemaker, the butcher, and the farm-tank-style swimming pool—you may forget that you’re staying at a hotel.
27. Palacio Duhau - Park Hyatt Buenos Aires
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2019 Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
Before Buenos Aires surrendered to the motor car—and every Argentine male modeled his ego on that of Formula One legend Juan Manuel Fangio—Avenida Alvear was one of the city’s main thoroughfares, with horse-drawn carriages and trams rolling by en route to Palermo’s gardens and shaded parks. Something of this Belle Epoque spirit still endures and nowhere more so than at the Palacio Duhau, completed in 1934 as the city mansion of a landed family. Its grand neoclassical façade is right on the avenue, and the lobby is a stately, serene space where light pours in from the terrace onto the fluted marble columns, intricately carved wooden doors and low-slung white leather sofas. The tiered gardens on the terrace are worthy of a scene in The Great Gatsby. Rooms range from spacious and functional to sumptuous and palatial; the boudoir suite has butler service, an enormous marble bathroom and, perhaps more impressive, two private terraces overlooking the avenue below. The Duhau restaurant and public spaces channel the property’s storied glamour, with local couples having lunch and out-of-towners sipping rum-laced Arnaud’s milk-punch cocktails. The surrounding barrio of Recoleta is known for its old-world architecture, and this hotel, modeled on the Château du Marais near Paris, is the maximum expression of Argentine Francophilia. Its only rival on this stately strip is the Alvear Palace—but where the latter flaunts its ostentation, the Hyatt’s grandest South American hotel rather keeps itself to itself.
26. Fogo Island Inn — Newfoundland, Canada
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Looking out at the wind-whipped North Atlantic from Fogo Island, you feel like you’re on the edge of the world: just you, the icebergs, and utter silence. Not surprisingly, getting here takes effort—a flight to Gander (in far north Newfoundland and Labrador), followed by a drive and a ferry ride—but there are few places worthy of this trek. The hotel is a modern spin on the fishing-shacks-on-stilts that dot the island, and everything from the furniture to the quilts was created by members of the local community. The 29 rooms all have floor-to-ceiling ocean views (and their own pair of binoculars). But the best thing about coming so far is how you’re made to feel at home: Guests are paired with “community hosts,” who show you around the island.
25. Dunton Town House — Telluride, Colorado
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2024
Dunton Town House's location couldn't be better, on a pretty side street just down from Telluride's main drag, and steps from the gondola. Though the facade looks like a classic painted clapboard B&B, the interior whisks you away to the Tyrol, with authentic Austrian fabrics and hand-carved wooden antiques. Only ten people can stay at a time, so the Town House feels ultra-homey, with a mud room and family-style dining table, plus eclectic original art from the owners' collection.
24. The Sukhothai Bangkok
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024
The Sukhothai brand takes its name from the historical capital of Thailand (now a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site), which means, “the dawn of happiness” in Sanskrit. And the second you step into the Sukhothai Bangkok, you might just feel transported there. The guest rooms, spa, swimming pool, and other facilities on the property are connected through a web of wandering paths that weave through lush gardens, intricate stonework calling back to ancient Thai sculpture, and lotus ponds jostling with mythically large lily pads. When Sukhothai Bangkok opened in 1991, it set the standard for luxury stays in the city, and today, it continues to uphold that standard with its fusion of old-school class and state-of-the-art amenities. Wood-paneled charcoal guest rooms are accentuated with jewel tone lighting fixtures and traditional centerpieces. The interplay of premium local materials such as marble, bronze, and teakwood extends to the dining areas where regular meals are made even more decadent with the bonus of afternoon teas and Sukhothai’s famous chocolate buffet.
23. Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel — Berkeley, California
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Between the palm tree-lined drive and on-site tennis courts, the temperate NorCal weather and the castle-like Tudor Revival architecture, Claremont Club & Spa is an icon pulled straight from the halcyon days of the Bay Area. The property began as the private estate of the Thornburg family, and throughout the century, its storied rooms have hosted legendary guests like Louis Armstrong and Frank Lloyd Wright. Nowadays, Berkeley academics, Nobel laureates, and families from around the country filter through the lobby of this classic California hotel. Newly renovated guest rooms bring this historic landmark into the modern age. Soft blue and grey palettes make these spacious rooms feel soothing and opulent. There are sleek, modernized bathrooms to match—neutral wallpaper and chandeliers set the mood, while oversized soaking tubs provide a place for R&R. From its perch in the Berkeley Hills—a breezy 30-minute drive away from San Francisco—the Claremont Club & Spa provides a breath of respite from the land of tech giants and scrapping startups.
22. The Weston — Vermont
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2024
The Weston is the latest endeavor of the Sharp family, whose impressive hospitality lineage includes The Carlyle and Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City and the Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles. Formerly the Inn at Weston, the two-building property with nine uniquely designed rooms underwent a sweeping two-and-a-half-year renovation that left no detail unattended. Visiting the exquisitely restored property feels like being hosted in your well-traveled aunt’s country home. Turns out, there's a good reason for the hotel’s worldly, yet distinctly personal, atmosphere: Much of The Weston’s decor is sourced from the Sharp’s personal art and antique collection. The hotel's small-but-mighty spa offers massages (think: sports, Swedish, and essential oil variations) and facial treatments featuring the Natura Bisse skin care line. The Weston shines during winter, but remains a lovely getaway in nature regardless of the season—with plenty of year-round activities available both on and off site.
21. Il San Pietro di Positano — Italy
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2020 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
A tribute to the vision and folly of its creator, Il San Pietro di Positano burrows into a cliff, with an elevator plunging down to the beach via a shaft hacked out of rock. It’s the ultimate Amalfi Coast cocoon, made all the more attractive by delicious but not overly fancy seasonal food. It’s no mystery why the international glitterati have flocked here since the hotel's opening, in 1970—the village’s steep, narrow stone streets and breathtakingly beautiful blue waters really are the stuff of dreams (ours, anyway). The 56-room property, which sits on a sliver of prime cliff side real estate above the Bay of Positano, is a primitive Eden doused in fragrant flora and citrus trees. Exquisitely tiled rooms with bright linen accents and wide windows have perfect sea views, and quirky features like lamps with fanciful centaur designs and gilded coffee tables add a little bit of luxe. Some even have a private elevator and a Jacuzzi room. Ease into your day with a plate of succulent strawberries and a thimble of espresso, then take an elevator down to a private beach—or enlist a complimentary boat ride around the bay. Dinner at the Michelin-starred Zass is a strawberry crème-colored vision, and twice as delicious—Mediterranean specialties like lobster tagliatelle and truffle sauce-coated sea bass are served on pink tables, on a rock ledge high above the breaking waves.
20. Hotel Jerome, Auberge Resorts Collection — Aspen, Colorado
$$$ | Gold List 2018 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
There’s an inimitable charm to Aspen’s Hotel Jerome. From high to rustic fashion, the 135-year-old historical landmark sits in a perfect location for both rest and play. Offering both complementary hotel-to-hill transportation and walkable proximity to designer shops, a stay at the Jerome is as convenient as it is decadent. There is a strong sense of Aspen’s heart in this gem of a hotel—and it’s celebrated by those locals, travelers, and celebrities who àpres, dine, and book stays here. The staff is friendly and highly intuitive of guests' needs. Concierge remembers your name and itinerary. The waiters recall previous orders and encourage you to taste something new.
19. COMO Castello del Nero — Barberino Tavarnelle, Italy
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024
Not your average Tuscan estate, this 12th-century castle wedged deep into the Chianti countryside 40 minutes south of Florence, is COMO’s first property in mainland Europe. And what a place: This once flouncy Italianate hotel has been transformed into a thoroughly modern, city-sleek pad with brooding gray and putty-colored walls paired with eau-de-nil armchairs and the odd jade patio door. COMO’s highlights are its spas, of course, and this one doesn’t disappoint, with signature COMO Shambhala treatments, Guinot facials, and an outdoor pool in the summer season (when there’s also outdoor yoga, overlooking the rolling hills). At Michelin-starred restaurant La Torre, executive chef Giovanni Luca Di Pirro works his magic on local ingredients; pre-game with an oil or wine tasting in the medieval wine cellars.
18. Hotel Bennett — Charleston
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024
Charleston keeps its buildings low and its historic church steeples high, which meant that owner Michael Bennett had to fight all the way to the State Supreme Court for permission to build his lofty, nine-story hotel. But the view from its rooftop bar and pool is unmatched: On the horizon line, the sky meets a ribbon of shimmering harbor encircling the lower peninsula. Smart guests park themselves up here, settling into cushioned wicker with a craft cocktail to watch snowy egrets migrate in the setting sun. The lower levels of this grand hotel are worth leisurely exploration, from the sprawling second-floor ballroom lounge to Camellias, the stylish, pink Champagne bar tucked off the breezy marble lobby. The sunny corner bakery La Pâtisserie has a pressed-tin ceiling along with fresh pastries, strong coffee, and stacks of newspapers that attract Charlestonians and out-of-towners alike. The hotel spills directly onto Marion Square, a public park known for its weekend farmers market—just one more perk of staying here.
17. JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2023, 2024
Few skyline views are quite like those at the JW Marriott in Dongdaemun Square. Dongdaemun means the Great East Gate, one of the famed Eight Gates of Seoul, and the Joseon era landmark stands proudly atop the hustle and bustle of modern Seoul. The property itself features glass-encased executive suites, a white marble indoor pool, and five deluxe in-house dining options ranging from Korean barbecue to intricately designed pastries and soju mojitos at the piano lounge. But perhaps the hotel’s greatest asset is its convenient access to Seoul—the Dongdaemun subway station has an entrance internal to the hotel where guests are just five minutes away from downtown proper.
16. Limelight Hotel Denver
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2024
Denver’s is the first urban outpost of Limelight Hotels, the hospitality group best known among the thrill-seeking crowd for its locations in Aspen and Snowmass, Colorado, and Ketchum, Idaho. The hotel is located just steps off from Union Station, where all the best things to do in Denver are well within reach. After catching a Nuggets game in Ball Arena, or taking in the majesty of Colorado’s natural landscape at a show in Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Limelight offers a plethora of amenities to help you recharge before your next outing. Enjoy arriving back in style and comfort with the hotel’s complimentary Tesla service, book an in-room massage facing floor-to-ceiling views of the Rocky Mountains, or relax on your own with Therabody products and a mug from the Lavazza coffee maker. Midwest coziness radiates in the design of the guestrooms, where wood-paneled bedrooms, leather headboards, plaid throw pillows, and statement pieces made from 32 local artists commissioned by Limelight create the absolute picture of vacationing in Denver.
15. Conrad Dubai
$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2023, 2024
This sleek, glassy tower has a grand, burgundy-accented lobby with large pieces of artwork. It might feel a little corporate to some (it is a Hilton, after all), but the location, near the Dubai World Trade Center metro station, can’t be beat. Rooms are decidedly plain with little decor and generic, veneered furniture. Views, however, can be spectacular. There is however, a nightclub on the 48th floor, so if you're sensitive to noise, stay on a lower floor.
14. The Peninsula Hong Kong
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2021 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Let’s say you’re arriving by land and not by helicopter (though that’s an option, should you wish). The first thing you'll see is a colonial white facade attended by a fleet of Brewster green Rolls Royce Phantoms and pillbox-topped pageboys. Classical music from a live string quartet wafts throughout the space as you make your way to check-in. This unique blend of old-world Hong Kong, contemporary comforts, and world-class service make The Peninsula Hong Kong a memorable property, whether your mission is business or pleasure.
13. The Godfrey Hotel Chicago
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2024
The cubist-inspired building housing The Godfrey stands out in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. That same edgy vibe shows up in the hotel’s starkly marbled lobby and slick rooms with contrasting textiles, like velvety purple couches and leather benches. For a crowd and a scene in summer, look no further than the 10,000-square-foot I|O Godfrey—one of the largest indoor-outdoor rooftop spaces in the city.
12. Le Méridien Essex Chicago
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2024
From its airy midcentury modern design to the unbeatable views of Chicago’s skyline and Lake Michigan, Le Méridien Essex Chicago fits all the cosmopolitan chic of the Windy City’s downtown into 14 compact stories. Seated just across from Grant Park, the hotel has prime accessibility to major must-dos in the city, being just a 5-minute walk from Museum Campus and a 15-minute walk from the Art Institute of Chicago. Le Méridien Essex Chicago’s 274 guest rooms are filled with subtly elegant details such as the hidden speakers in the bathroom mirrors and custom Frette bathrobes. The thoughtfulness extends to every nook and cranny of the property— for instance, in the fitness center, guests can spin on Pelotons equipped with Hulu and Netflix. The in-house restaurant, Grant Park Bistro, serves New American classics with European panache—think charred broccolini risotto and Iberico pork skirt steak.
11. La Mamounia — Marrakech
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
There’s a very particular effect exerted by La Mamounia, which seems to take hold the moment you head up the green tiled steps to this most bohemian of grandes dames. Upon seeing La Mamounia’s faded pink walls, Churchill was wont to ditch the suit and pick up his watercolor brushes; Paul McCartney wrote “Mamunia” (meaning “safe haven” in Arabic) during a 1973 stay; and Hitchcock, who filmed The Man Who Knew Too Much here, got his inspiration for The Birds from some overzealous finches on a jardin-facing balcony. La Mamounia was always a curious mash-up of Art Deco, Berber, and opulent Moorish, and the old place has had numerous facelifts over almost 100 years—from Jacques Majorelle’s bright stylings in 1946 to a theatrical noughties revamp by Jacques Garcia (Hotel Costes) and most recently a series of sly additions by Parisian futurists Jouin Manku, including a new cinema and teahouse. There are all the columns, foliage-filled courtyards, and mosaics of the most photogenic medina riad—except that there’s also the smoky Churchill speakeasy, an Asian-focused Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant with its sultry blacks and reds, and that legendary, vast square pool, where the people-watching irresistible (bring dark sunglasses). There’s a reason that the actors and rock stars have kept coming; the fashionistas with kaftans and cigarettes. For all that it is woven into Marrakech like the knots in a Berber rug, La Mamounia has never, ever been boring.
10. Hotel Zena Washington D.C.
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Girls trips take on a new meaning at D.C.'s “future is female”–themed hotel, complete with with funky, feminist art and a souvenir shop that funds nonprofits around the world. The unique theme of Hotel Zena is spelled out in seven stories on the building's exterior: a larger-than-life mural of two women warriors stretches across Hotel Zena, painted by an artist known as Miss Chelove. Inside, the lobby and lower-level Figleaf restaurant is decorated with more art inspired by women's empowerment. The most talked-about piece must be Andrea Sheehan x Julie Coyle Art Associates's portrait of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg constructed out of 20,000 painted tampons. Aside from the soft glow of pink lighting above the headboard, the 191 rooms are decorated in creamy tones and furniture with clean lines. Translucent, pod-like showers are decorated with murals of the Greek goddess Artemis. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide plenty of natural light, and it's worth it to spring for a Circle View room to looking out onto landscaped Thomas Circle and the city skyline.
9. The Hazelton Hotel Toronto
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2022, 2023, 2024
For discreet luxury that makes you feel like a member of a private club, few spots top The Hazelton. The leafy, boutique-lined streets of the upscale Yorkville neighborhood provide the natural backdrop for this plush boutique hotel, which is marked by a brick-and-white façade and rounded entrance. Stroll by the see-and-be-seen outdoor patio (a local favorite) and make your way inside, where you’ll find a contemporary lobby bedecked in polished metals, ostrich leather, and amber lighting. And thanks to their ample square footage (575 square feet and up) and nine-foot ceilings, the 62 rooms and 15 suites feel like apartments.
8. Gravity Haus Breckenridge — Colorado
$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Powder hounds got a new reason to cheer when Gravity Haus, a 60-room ski-in/ski-out boutique hotel, opened in 2019 at the base of Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 9. The lobby has an Alpine-sleek aesthetic: hardwood herringbone floors, a roaring fire in a clean-lined hearth, lofted ceilings with pendant lights, and wood-paneled walls. Guest rooms have a modern lodge appeal, wood and plaid throws, a simple desk for the unavoidable work check-in, and an emphasis on eco-awareness, like WinkBed mattresses and natural bath products from EO Essential Oils. The hotel is part lodging, part social club, and 100 percent focused on catering to a certain type of hard-charging, outdoor enthusiast. There’s a fitness and sport-recovery center and lanes for duckpin bowling, plus a co-working space, coffee shop and restaurant, and even a Japanese-inspired onsen.
7. Colony Palms Hotel — Palm Springs, California
$$ | Hot List 2022 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
This luxuriously private adults-only hotel from celebrated celebrity designer Steve Hermann is in the heart of Palm Springs but has a more laid-back, exclusive vibe than its neighbors—like The Beverly Hills Hotel meets the desert. Firepits and private nooks are sprinkled throughout the property, centered on a verdant, palm-tree-lined pool shimmering below the San Jacinto Mountains. Bold statement wallpapering, sky-high ceilings, and plenty of greenery are the through lines across the room categories, with suites offering private verandas with garden seating. Chef Michael Hung has upped the ante for poolside dining at The Colony Club, where you’ll find excellent spins on California Mediterranean cooking.
6. Viceroy Washington D.C.
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024
There's no shortage of D.C. properties, but Viceroy in the city's downtown earns bragging rights as our favorite. The vibe is decidedly distinguished, like the digs of a funky but well-polished beau: Walk in to the lobby, and you’re hit with a full-frontal bookshelf, set against an inlaid wood wall and accompanied by soft, sturdy woolen armchairs, perfect for reading the Sunday paper. With a sleek residential feel (it was formerly an apartment building),the 178 guest rooms are larger than many other options in town. Popular dining and drinking spots on-wite round out the offerings—and explain why you're just as likely to rub elbows with a local as an out-of-towner when you sit down for a drink or a bite.
5. The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2024
If room views made up their own category, this Ritz-Carlton, set along the shores of the Kamogawa River, would be in a class all its own. Beside its prime real estate by the water, the hotel also offers views of the nearby Higashiyama mountains (you can also opt for views of a traditional Japanese Zen garden, or the city of Kyoto itself). Rooms have impeccable detail, like shippo (a type of cloisonné, or painted metalwork that the city is proudly known for); try the Garden suite, where you can sit on the balcony after a soothing bath with Shabonya handmade soap, and kick back in your Imabari bathrobe and slippers.
4. The Thief — Oslo
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2019 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024
Remember when some places used to call themselves art hotels, for the sake of a few second-rate daubings on the walls? Well, this opened in 2013, a key player in Oslo’s waterside reboot, and has the sort of collection many urban galleries would kill for. There’s a genuflecting bronze by Antony Gormley outside by the revolving doors, a Julian Opie animation in the lift, and you’ll spot pieces by Warhol, Richard Prince, Niki de Saint Phalle, and Tony Cragg dotted around the public spaces. The Thief is the work of Petter Stordalen, who drives a biofuel-powered Ferrari and has banned bacon in his hotels for sustainability reasons, and straddles the water on the reclaimed islet of Tjuvholmen, a sheeny-shiny place of glinting bridges and new builds, many of which are home to small independent galleries. The spa and pool are accessed via a secret underground tunnel—locals come for the Sauna Guss experience—and rooms are clad in touchy-feely textures, golds, and grays, with picture windows to slide wide open for gulps of Nordic sea air from the harbor below. The rooftop FoodBar restaurant, led by British chef David Taylor, has fun with regional ingredients (scallops, turnips, monkfish, lamb neck), and the bar has helped up Oslo’s cocktail game (try the Michael Jackson and Bubbles—rum, banana cordial, green tea, Champagne, in a ceramic monkey head). Oslo’s overflowing oil wealth meant this was a city that never bothered itself unduly with drawing visitors, but that’s changed and it now rocks a go-getting international outlook—this is the best place to feel you’re part of that.
3. Hermann Bungalows — Palm Springs, California
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2023, 2024
This is the place for ultimate Palm Springs mid-century luxury, designed with the most sumptuous details and suited for the natural landscape—including prime poolside San Jacinto Mountain views. It's also an uncommon experience: a resort within a resort. One is luxury while the other is “ultra-luxury.” The latter is Hermann Bungalows, a uniquely chic 24-suite lodge opened by designer-hotelier Steve Hermann in 2022. It’s adjacent to L’Horizon Resort & Spa (25 rooms), which Hermann opened in 2015 after a $10 million renovation of an existing mid-century property. Bungalow guests enter through L’Horizon’s lobby to reach their own fully contained hotel, whose design inspiration is rooted in the mid-century-modernism architecture of Richard Nuetra. Guests can stay in the privacy of the Hermann Bungalows, or access all of the amenities of L’Horizon Resort, including its pool, the Spa, and the elegant SO.PA restaurant.
2. The Ritz-Carlton, Doha
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2023, 2024
Qatar might not immediately scream beach destination, but Ritz-Carlton has dreamed up a relaxing oasis in this on-the-rise Persian Gulf capital. There’s a lovely stretch of sand and a palm-lined freeform pool outside, but when it gets too scorching, come in for the sea-view gym with indoor tennis and squash courts and a spa with a luxury hammam where you can feel reborn after an Arabic clay and kese exfoliation. Of course, befitting the region, there’s also quite a bit of luxury on display: To wit, the property is home to the Middle East’s largest chandelier, a Viennese Baakowitz stunner with 2,000 individual crystals—one of a whopping 264 chandeliers across the property.
1. The Lodge at Bodega Bay — California
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024
Snuggled into a bluff in the vineyard-peppered Sonoma coast, the Lodge at Bodega Bay is a laid-back getaway. In the mornings, in-house restaurant Drakes Sonoma Coast serves their own spin on the classics from french toast topped with fresh, seasonal compote, to the lodge’s own signature breakfast sandwich packed with all the fixings. During the day, the secluded beaches are free to roam, and local wine tastings are plenty. As the sun begins to set, there’s no better way to wrap the day than retiring in the fireside lounge surrounded by views of the Pacific Ocean. Guest rooms and suites themed with creams and nautical blues punctuated with dark wood accents feel as though they really are a home away from home, from Ocean Shell Massages at the spa to the in-room jacuzzi accommodations to the small details snuck into every corner of the lodge like the binoculars placed on every room’s windowsill that bring the breathtaking balcony views into high-definition.