Best Hotels & Lodges

The Galapagos Aggressor III caters to up to 16 guests in 9 staterooms. Accommodations include 4 deluxe staterooms with twin beds located on the lower deck and 4 master staterooms with twin or double beds located on the upper deck. All cabins have en-suite bathrooms, individually controlled AC, a TV monitor with a media player, and a hairdryer. Master staterooms offer sea views with large picture windows. Social areas around the Galapagos Aggressor III include the large salon and dining area, where a varied menu of American and local cuisine is served. Breakfast and lunch are buffet-style, and the evening meal is chef-prepared and plated. The top deck is home to the sizeable shaded solarium with a hot tub, chaise lounges, deck chairs, bar, and grill.

Northern Namibia’s newest retreat, Hoanib Valley is a stylish, six-bedroom tented camp in the heart of the remote and rugged Kaokoland. In an era of "conservation-focused" camps, Hoanib Valley actually does what it says on the tin, and the venture is a joint partnership between the local communities and the resident Giraffe Conservation Project. As well as learning about the protection of the stately, sadly endangered, giraffe in the region, you’ll be able to drive through herds of desert-adapted elephant, track rhino, and visit the fascinating Himba and Herero peoples who call this harsh environment home.

Ban Sainai Resort is a 4-star nature-luxury retreat nestled in the tropical paradise of Aonang, Krabi, Thailand. Spanning 6.7 acres of lush, secluded land, the resort offers a truly unique experience. With only 42 villas spread across the serene grounds, it provides a sense of exclusivity and tranquility. Since its opening in July 2013, Ban Sainai Resort has operated under a dry hotel policy, ensuring a peaceful environment. The resort blends seamlessly with its natural surroundings, featuring beautiful gardens, serene ponds, and breathtaking views of the mountains and limestone cliffs. The abundant

flora and fauna create a perfect setting for those seeking a private, nature-filled retreat.

Welcome to The Chedi El Gouna — a sumptuous, eco-friendly luxury getaway nestled within Egypt’s most appealing seaside resort community. This dazzling beachfront hideaway offers guests 82 elegant rooms and suites within its timeless façade — a structure which blends seamlessly with the natural surroundings and architectural traditions of the region. Once inside, you will discover a curated collection of enticing conveniences, such as gourmet eateries, sublime tropical-style pools and beaches, fully-equipped event spaces, fitness and activity areas, and a tranquil spa. The rooms and suites here are equally impressive, providing you with your own luxurious private retreat.

We have a sneaky suspicion that you're dreaming of a trip to Uganda to see the famous gorillas. However, if you happen to be stopping over in Entebbe, Hotel No.5 is a pretty and petite hotel that will see to all your pre- or post-safari needs. In a garden of palms and well-pruned shrubs, the hotel, with its smattering of rooms and apartments, provides a peaceful spot to sit beside the pool and soothe travel-weary feet. If you're in town for long enough, grab one of the hotel's bikes and cycle round Entebbe's markets, or prepare for hardier safari outings with a sunset cruise on Lake Victoria.

The Crafted Residence is a peaceful sanctuary tucked away in the leafy surrounds of Area 12, Lilongwe, where lush gardens, wide open space and extraordinary birdlife create an atmosphere of calm from the moment you arrive. The gardens are alive with a stunning variety of birds, filling the space with colour and birdsong and offering a daily reminder of nature, even while staying in the city.

Stay at this serene urban oasis, a dignified yet peaceful spot in the middle of downtown Addis Ababa. The hotel has been proudly built with elevated yet understated ambiance to accommodate your stay, whether it's to host an event for a few hours or a long stay in one of the elegant suites, AYA is the perfect fit for your needs.

Recharge your batteries in the tranquil accommodations, nourish yourself at the decadent restaurant, Curly Kale, meet friends in the quietly graceful lobby, and host your events in one of the venue halls. The staff awaits, eager to tailor fit any of the multitudes.

Perched between presidential palaces in the Ethiopian capital, Sheraton Addis has been hosting everyone from heads of state to honeymoon couples since 1998. This architectural gem on the hilltops overlooks the sprawling city below, offering a sanctuary of manicured gardens, underwater musical pools, and eleven different dining venues under one roof. The hotel's unique position – literally between the National Palace and Prime Minister's residence – makes it both a fortress of security and a gateway to Addis Ababa's ancient mysteries. From three-storey private villas with personal pools to the legendary Gaslight nightclub, this is Ethiopian luxury redefined.

Addis Ababa sits higher than almost any other capital on earth, and Cassiopeia occupies a corner of Bole, the city's most modern district, a few minutes' drive from Bole International Airport. It's named for the mythical queen of Ethiopia, and is a contemporary 120-room hotel built for airport access (so no pool or spa). You'll get no more than a clean room, Ethiopian hospitality and a convenient airport shuttle - but certainly no less.

Poised on the crest of a mountain in Phinda Private Game Reserve is &Beyond Phinda Mountain Lodge, a lovely construction of stone, thatch and wood tucked between the trees. You'll be lost in the views from both the communal areas and your private suite – the Zululand bushveld and Ubombo mountain range are wild and gorgeous. One of just six lodges in this 28 555-hectare reserve, Phinda Mountain Lodge is not cheap, but it's worth every cent for the lovely accommodation, attention to detail, great staff, exceptional rangers and the chance to see hundreds of animals in their natural environment.

Located in the heart of Matsumoto City, right in front of Matsumoto Station, this hotel aims to be a convenient "travel base" for both business and leisure travelers, a hotel that guests will love and choose for years to come. With a bus terminal for major tourist destinations just a one-minute walk away, you can enjoy active travel to various places such as Kamikochi, Norikura Plateau, and Hakuba, using the hotel as your base.

With its unparalleled view of Valparaíso Bay , the spaciousness of its rooms, and its unique architecture and decor, where classic and contemporary styles come together, CasaBlu Hotel recreates the experience of first love with the port of Valparaíso. Located in the natural amphitheater of Cerro Alegre since the beginning of the 20th century, CasaBlu Hotel invites you to enjoy Valparaíso from within, with a privileged view of the Pacific Ocean that leads to contemplation and rest.

Having made its grand entrance in May 2024, Natural Selection's latest gem is set amongst a gathering of ebony and sausage trees in the south-east Moremi Game Reserve of the Okavango Delta. The camp was created alongside the paramount chief of the Batwana tribe (after whom it's named), whose forebears were instrumental in the conservation of the wild areas that would one day become Moremi. The design of Tawana is striking, from its arched entrance inspired by fishing nets to the chic, palatial suites that occupy three thatched areas. Add to that the impressive numbers of lion on the plains surrounding the camp, and you've got an all-round excellent safari.

Mucugê struck diamond-rich gravel in 1844 and swelled to thirty thousand people within four years; today it's a colonial town of whitewashed houses and cobbled streets, home to one of Brazil's strangest cemeteries, its tombs modelled on miniature Byzantine churches. Refúgio na Serra sits in the middle of all this, behind a garden wall that somehow keeps the whole scene at arm's length. Thirteen rooms and suites, a restaurant shaded by a flamboyant tree, and a chef turning out food that has no business being this good in a town this small. Chapada Diamantina's trails start at the edge of town. This is where you rest between them.

Named after the earliest known ancestor of all mammals, fish and reptiles, Pikaia Lodge is imbued with the Galapagos' sense of history, nature and utterly wild beauty. Inside the uber-contemporary rock and glass building, you'll find 'evolutionary' decor and a chic, understated design. Built on an extinct caldera within a 31-hectare giant tortoise reserve, you'll feel like the only soul around for miles -and you often will be. This sentiment continues on adventures to the archipelago's incredible diving spots, clandestine beaches and hiking trails. Oh and did we mention it's the only Relais & Chateaux property in the Galapagos? Magic all round.