Best Hotels & Lodges

Kuro is located in the middle of the Tarangire National Park, a stone's throw from the Tarangire River and the airstrip (always handy). The landscape here is pretty and lush and there’s plenty of wildlife on hand year-round, which, more often than not, can be viewed from Kuro itself. The camp is an understated, unpretentious sort of place that lets the surrounding scenery do the talking – but there are plenty of bush-chic touches dotted around too. Then there’s the enthusiastic and knowledgeable guiding team who will bring you face to face with enormous herds of elephant, buffalo and the infamous tree climbing lions. Excellent all-round, we say.

In pride of place on the Piazza della Repubblica, amongst the city’s leading landmarks, an iconic Florentine hotel. Dressed Olga Polizzi, in signature prints and Renaissance antiques. Catered by Fulvio Pierangelini, in definitive Tuscan style. Filled with character, a breath of fresh air in a city steeped in history. The Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, Via de Tornabuoni… nowhere has neighbours like Hotel Savoy.

The elegant suites conjure a feeling of serenity that feels a world away from the busy Florentine streets.

After rolling amongst the hills and rivers, temples and shrines on the train ride to Takayama, regarded as one of the most scenic in Japan, you’ll be delighted to enter the serenity of Hidatei Hanaougi. Surrounded by lush Zen gardens where vines and flowering trees are reflected in koi ponds, comfort is of the utmost importance here… Upon arrival, you’ll meet your personal host who will take care of you from welcome drinks until the moment they wave you off. When you’re not relaxing, take the opportunity to explore Takayama. Hidden deep in the Japanese Alps, the city offers a fascinating glimpse into life as it was hundreds of years ago.

Perfume River winds like a ribbon through the ancient city of Hue and sitting pretty at its side is La Residence. Once the governor's mansion, the hotel has an aristocratic air and its sweeping verandas look across the water to the Imperial Citadel. Before the city draws you in, the hotel boasts a lovely saltwater pool to rinse off your travels along with a cooling cocktail. In true Vietnamese style, the city of Hue is a delightful amalgam of old and new, a combination reflected in La Residence's design. With the scent of frangipani drifting through the air, there's morning yoga on the vine-wrapped terrace before a day spent in the presence of timeworn temples and tombs.

The Lake District has been turning writers soppy since Wordsworth, and the eastern shore of Windermere is where the drama is really laid on. Handily, this is exactly where you'll find Langdale Chase, a manor house that's all gables and turrets and pure Victorian fantasy. The hotel reopened in late 2023 after the most thorough restoration in its history and was promptly named the best hotel in the north, with two AA Rosettes for the food following a little later. And it's not just inside that will make you swoon... Outside, 4.5 acres of beautiful, sculpted gardens lead down to the shimmering water of the lake, a private pier and the hotel's very own boat. This is the lakes done properly.

Steep slopes covered in pine trees lead down into the secluded valley of Gangtey where you'll find endangered black-neck cranes in their numbers and a tiny village at its centre. With a view of it all, Gangtey Lodge is perched on a private ridge, its own luxury version of a mountain hut. On arrival, you're presented with a white scarf to symbolise respect and care, accompanied by a rendition of the national song and followed by a neck massage - the tone for your stay is more than set. Think hot stone baths and hiking to reach glorious panoramic views and you're on the right track.

Beho Beho was the first accommodation to be built in the cooler highlands of the Nyerere National Park ('The Selous'). It's a private, family-owned camp overlooking a river gorge that carves through the famed reserve and the views are spot on. Sleeping-wise, there are nine spacious palm-leaf and stone cottages (or bandas), spread out to either side of the main house and there's also a treehouse for a more intimate night-time wildlife experience. As well as excellent game viewing, expect to be fed and watered extremely well and your every request catered for.

Lake Como has never been short of grand old dames draped in neoclassical finery, but Il Sereno flipped the script entirely when it opened in 2016. Built on the foundations of a centuries-old stone boathouse in the peaceful village of Torno, it's luxury through and through — but it looks nothing like its neighbours. The clean-lined design is all about walnut, stone, bronze and copper, letting the jaw-dropping lake views do the talking. With just 40 suites, a Michelin-starred restaurant and an infinity pool that practically floats on the water, it's intimate, effortlessly stylish and the epitome of modern Italian design.

The conditions that make Rosario Valley one of Chile's finest wine regions - gentle coastal winds and sunny, temperate days - are also a winning combination for a laidback holiday, whether you spend it hiking into the hillside or sampling as many grapes as you like. Sitting pretty in a garden of well-groomed hedges and flowers, La Casona has a rather Tuscan feel to it with butter-yellow walls and terracotta roof. The Matetic Vineyard produces some of the best organic and biodynamic wines in the country, and you may just bump into their resident alpacas on a stroll through the vines. We believe 'idyllic' is the word.

The official accommodation for FLIP, Brazil's internationally renowned literary festival, Pousada Literária takes its bookish credentials seriously. The restored mansion in Paraty's historic centre, redesigned by award-winning Jacobsen Arquitetura, houses several suites and villas a myriad of buildings, all positioned around a pretty central garden. There's a heated pool and beautiful spa with herb- and spice-infused treatments, providing the R&R. The farm-to-table restaurant sources organic produce daily from a nearby farm-turned-sustainable-education-centre. Every room has a curated selection of books, but the piece de resistance is the library, where over 2,000 titles reside on the grand shelves.