Best Hotels & Lodges

Perched on the water's edge in charming Menaggio, this remarkable retreat offers the perfect blend of old-world glamour and modern sophistication. The property comprises two distinct parts – a historic Palazzo and an elegant Villa – and is utterly enchanting at every turn. Inside, warm tones and extraordinary elegance create a dreamy setting where time seems to stand still. Many of the stylishly appointed rooms offer mesmerizing views across the water to picturesque Bellagio and Varenna, while others overlook the hotel's serene private garden. A short stroll takes you to the hotel's exclusive beach club, complete with two infinity pools that seem to melt into the azure waters beyond. Whether you're seeking romantic seclusion, family fun, or a base for exploring this storied region, this lakeside haven delivers on all fronts.

In the heart of Santiago, Debaines Hotel is a sanctuary of style and comfort, blending refined boutique hospitality with classical grandeur. The rooms and public spaces invite you to explore a unique fusion of Chilean heritage and design that whispers rather than shouts.

Stay in luxurious, imaginatively furnished netted tents at eco-friendly Elephant Watch Camp. Set in the Samburu National Reserve in northern Kenya, the camp is small but perfect, with not a single fence to separate you from the animals that live here. Watch and listen to an elephant scooping nutritious Acacia tortilis seeds from your roof. (You're quite safe, so simply enjoy the experience.) Then wake in the morning to birdcalls, step outdoors to explore the camp, satisfy your appetite with five-star meals and tread softly with your Samburu guide as you discover the wildlife and learn the ways of the bush.

Back in the 70s and 80s, the popular El Casco hotel, owned and hosted by a German aristocrat couple, exuded European glamour and attracted visitors from all around the world. It then went through a series of owners and even closed its doors for a few years before being taken over by an avid Argentinian art collector. Nowadays, while preserving its original spirit of elegance and hospitality, the renovated version of El Casco is all about the 500+ original paintings and sculptures by Argentinian artists, impeccably decorating every last room. Coupled with the dreamy surroundings, this is one unforgettable experience.

Machaba Camp is tucked away on the sycamore fig-sheltered bank of the Khwai River to the east of the Okavango Delta. Here, 10 stunningly luxurious tents provide tranquil comfort to visitors returning from a day in the delta. The camp overlooks the river to Moremi Game Reserve, where thick wooded areas are the perfect habitat for leopard and abundant wild dog. From the tent, watch predators and plains game wandering down to the river to drink, and inspect the diverse birdlife in the surrounding lagoons.

Where the whispering winds meet the rolling hills, Phuentsho Yangkhil Resort awaits to embrace you. Born out of a passion for preserving Bhutan’s natural heritage, the founders envisioned a place where guests could immerse themselves in the untouched beauty of the valley while enjoying warm hospitality.

In the running for 'The World's Most Creative Hotel', Salut Maroc is what happens when a passionate British designer falls head over heels for a crumbling 18th-century merchant's house. Helen Howat spent five painstaking years transforming this former Jewish trading post into a kaleidoscopic celebration of Moroccan craftsmanship. Perched directly on Essaouira's UNESCO-listed ramparts with the Atlantic crashing below, the riad's ten rooms each tell the story of a different Moroccan city through explosive zellije tilework, handcrafted copper bathtubs, and vintage finds. Between the rooftop restaurant's sunset dinners and the traditional hammam's restorative rituals, this is Morocco at its most wonderfully, unapologetically vibrant.

Mustang was closed to outsiders for centuries, and even now, reaching its wind-sculpted valleys feels like arriving somewhere the modern world has forgotten all about. Seated just above the frontier town of Jomsom, between the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges, Shinta Mani Mustang is the first proper luxury lodge in this corner of Nepal – and it was well worth the wait. Designer Bill Bensley has worked his magic on the hillside stone building, filling it with upcycled antiques, yak fur stools and tiger-motif rugs that somehow feel completely at home, even at 2,800 metres high in the sky. Stay more than five nights and it's all included: guided excursions, wellness treatments with an 11th-generation Tibetan medicine doctor, themed dinners and drinks – your Adventure Butler will take care of the lot!

You can’t talk about Nyerere National Park ('The Selous') without mentioning the Rufiji River, the pulsing lifeblood of the area that virtually dissects the park in two and attracts a mesmerising array of animals. The camp's position on the banks of the waterway is unbeatable and, in our opinion, the best in the park. Its 8 tents tucked within a shady grove of trees are raised on stilts, allowing you a bird's-eye view of the splashing hippo below and the game on the opposite bank. The camp is flanked by two lakes, Mzizimia and Siwandu, which also offer great game and bird sightings throughout the year.

Hospitality is an art, and Portrait Firenze has made of it a masterpiece. In a new concept of bespoke tourism, Portrait has taken uniform luxury and turned it into spontaneous personalisation. Portrait is not a luxury hotel in Florence; it is an incredibly personal place, an all-suite property, where discerning travellers find the exclusivity they relish

Set on the Zibadianja Lagoon, the source of northern Botswana's Savute Channel, and overlooking the open plains of the enormous Linyanti Selinda Concession, Zarafa (“the beloved one”) Camp was established in 2008 by award-winning wildlife film-makers Derek and Beverly Joubert. You can only reach this remote camp by air, but it's worth the trip, and every cent, for its five-star comforts, intimate accommodation, excellent service and guiding, glowing eco-credentials and the sheer number of animals that roam free and unrestrained in the landscape. The extravagant sunsets must be mentioned – they are a photographer's dream!

Nestled within the serene embrace of Khao Sok National Park, Panvaree The Greenery offers an unparalleled floating accommodation experience on Thailand's tranquil Cheow Lan Lake. This unique luxury floating resort is a hidden gem, surrounded by towering limestone cliffs and lush rainforest. With eco-friendly practices at its heart, guests can enjoy modern comforts while being immersed in unspoiled nature. The resort is an idyllic escape, offering a blend of relaxation and adventure, where the gentle lapping of water soothes you to sleep under a canopy of stars.

Designed by the legendary Geoffrey Bawa and completed in 1994, this kilometre-long hotel is tropical modernism at its finest. The architectural triumph seems to grow straight out of the rock face it clings to, the infinity pool seemingly merging with Kandalama Lake beyond... Set within 211 acres of protected forest at the heart of the Cultural Triangle, monkeys swing past your bathroom window and you're perfectly positioned between five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Sigiriya Rock that looms magnificently in the distance.

Airport hotels rarely inspire much excitement, but ONOMO's outpost near Casablanca's Mohammed V Airport has a charm that's quintessentially African. Part of the continent's largest homegrown hotel group, this 135-room property brings a slice of pan-African style to the functional world of layovers and red-eye departures. The free 24-hour shuttle whisks you between terminal and lobby in minutes, while the Azour restaurant serves up afro-fusion flavours that are several notches above typical airport fare. It's a practical choice for anyone who'd rather wake up refreshed than frazzled before flying home, or ease into Morocco gently after a long-haul arrival. No bells and whistles, just reliable comfort with a warm Moroccan welcome.