Best Hotels & Lodges

A tangle of ochre alleys, ivy-draped facades and piazzas that buzz until the small hours, Trastevere is the Rome the Romans go to. And tucked away at the quieter end of the neighbourhood, just at the foot of the Janiculum Hill, is Donna Camilla Savelli, a former 17th-century convent designed by Francesco Borromini. Named after the noblewoman who commissioned it in 1642, the building was home to Augustinian nuns for centuries before becoming a hotel. Its chequerboard marble floors, vaulted corridors and pretty gardens also featured in To Rome With Love - and in fact, the whole place really does feel like a beautifully preserved film set.

Tucked into a riverine forest setting on the very edge of Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve is an intimate tented camp so peaceful, elegant and close to the best of the game viewing that safari-goers visit it time and again. This sister camp to Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp at the foot of the Oloololo Escarpment offers the quintessential East African safari experience with a generous dash of old-world glamour. The vintage atmosphere transports you back to the golden age of exploration, while still delivering all modern comforts. From thundering herds during the Great Migration to resident big cats stalking the golden plains, wildlife encounters here are truly spectacular. After thrilling game drives, return to butlers who remember exactly how you take your gin and tonic, and dinner tables set under acacia trees illuminated by lantern light.

The sophisticated simplicity of Hotel Arpoador comes from its ability to connect both nature and the urban environment, to create the best stay for its guests. Close to the beach and the main points of the neighbourhood, Hotel Arpoador offers you the experience of feeling welcome at all times.

The Mandarin Oriental has a foot in two worlds of London, both as iconic as the next: fashionable Knightsbridge and the royal parkland of Hyde Park – and this split personality has served it well since 1902. The hotel is a grande dame in the fullest sense, reimagined for today after a careful restoration, in which the iconic Edwardian architecture was combined with a softer, more contemporary edge. But with its liveried doormen, hushed corridors, and the sense of a place that has seen everyone and forgotten nothing, it still does old-school London with total, effortless conviction.

Just thirty minutes upstream from the iconic Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean side of the Zambezi, Matetsi River Lodge sits on a quiet stretch of river within an enormous private game reserve. It's an extraordinary setting for this newly refurbished lodge, which serves up tranquility and adventure in equal doses. From your riverfront cottage, enjoy watching the birdlife flittering around the water below, or head into the reserve for an excellent selection of game. And then of course, there's the star of the show, Victoria Falls, a sight that David Livingstone once said was, "a scene so lovely it must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight." Sounds good to us!

Also known as Onguma Plains Camp, Onguma The Fort sits on Etosha National Park's eastern boundary overlooking the impressive Fischer's Pan. The lodge makes a bold architectural statement by resembling a fort, likely inspired by the nearby Fort Namutoni in the park. This is a good option for those wary of tent camping and the park's high density of tourists, though it will mean day-trips in to make the most of the area. The Onguma reserve itself doesn't exactly pump with wildlife but trips into Etosha provide opportunities to see lions, black rhino, elephants and loads of giraffe and plains game.

Sitting beside one of the ancient canals that once earned Bangkok the nickname, 'Venice of the East', the Casa Vimaya embodies bygone Thailand. The interiors have an authentic sense of heritage to them and a distinctly homely feel thanks to the cosy colour scheme and welcoming staff. Located in the city's Old Town, not far from the iconic Khao San Road, the hotel is well-situated for exploring Bangkok's most famous sights including the Grand Palace and Golden Mount. From the rooftop bar, enjoy views of the city skyline and passing boats, before embarking on a tour of your own. Casa Vimaya maintains a dialogue between the area's vintage architectural charm and practical modern aesthetics. It's a luxurious oasis amid the wonderful surroundings of historic Rattanakosin Island.

High on a clifftop where 17th-century Dominican nuns once contemplated life's greater meanings, this reimagined monastery now offers rather more earthly pleasures. The views alone are worthy of divine praise – sweeping vistas of the glittering Gulf of Salerno that stretch from a tiny fishing village below all the way to the horizon. Inside, vaulted ceilings and ancient stone walls whisper tales of the past.

Five-star Camp Kuzuma lies on a small land concession in the 12,000-hectare (and very little-known) Kuzuma Forest Reserve in north-eastern Botswana. What makes this region especially important is its position, for this is the wildlife corridor between Chobe National Park (in Botswana) and Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park. At various times of the year, particularly in the dry winter months, the area sees as many elephants as anywhere in Africa, as the giants move between their two favourite parks. Additionally, the small, strategically placed camp draws wildlife to its own waterhole, making game viewing easy (if somewhat lacking in diversity).

Tucked into a camel thorn tree forest on the extreme south-eastern edge of Hwange National Park, Camelthorn Lodge is a ten minute drive to the park's gate, very near the game-rich region of Ngamo Plains. Hwange is a unique park whose successful game viewing is hugely dependent upon pumped water holes, which help concentrate its wildlife. Thus, the dry season (between April and November) is the most ideal time to visit. The sturdy lodge is solar powered and offers a comfortable base from which to explore this corner of Zimbabwe. Railway buffs and game-viewing enthusiasts alike will delight in the Elephant Express, a purpose-built rail car that runs between Hwange Town and the nearby Ngamo Siding. Other than Bomani Tented Camp, this lodge is the only other big 5 game viewing lodge in Hwange.