Best Hotels & Lodges

Right on the sea-front, where once the American Consulate stood, Tembo House is something of a landmark in the historic Stone Town streets. Its great location, close to both the House of Wonders and the Old Fort, is slightly removed from the spindly, maze-like streets of the town, and it's easy to find after a long day of wandering. Inside, there are new and old sections to the hotel, but a common theme in both is colourful glass windows and an interesting array of antique furniture from all over the world. If you're looking for central options without an astronomical price tag, this is the place to be.

Munnar. A retreat for the British back in the day and a sanctuary for the urban weary in the present. And now, home to CGH Earth Lockhart Bungalow.

Set amidst 1,500 acres of tea gardens, Lockhart Bungalow is your passport to a bygone era and perfect weather. Let the mist-kissed hills, soothing climate, and endless tea plantations rejuvenate your spirit.

Hotel Collective embraces Okinawa's diverse culture and offers an unprecedentedly luxurious and tranquil space that fosters a natural flow of people and nature in Kokusai Street, a vibrant international area attracting tourists from both Japan and abroad. Furthermore, leveraging its excellent location in the heart of Kokusai Street, the hotel aims to become a new hub for Okinawan tourism and business, as well as an attractive destination for local residents.

For a really romantic experience in the wild, book a night at Tinyeleti Treehouse. Set high up in the indigenous woodland overlooking the Sabie River in Lion Sands Reserve, this getaway sets the bar high. Lion Sands lies on the unfenced southern boundary of Kruger National Park, and the treehouse perches in an area known as one the busiest and most wildlife-dense in the country. Predators are especially prolific, with frequent leopard and lion sightings. But the real treat is the chance to break away from the clutter with your loved one, and to interact with nature at its purest.

As the setting for some of the most iconic safaris in Africa, the Serengeti is a world all of its own. Dotted with gangly acacia trees and endless golden grass, what awaits are days spent exploring this wildlife-rich spot by foot and game drive. Set up in a private wilderness zone, your unfussy fly camp makes a welcome home-away-from home, and all with the promise of total seclusion. Begin your morning with coffee on a kopje as the sun rises over the plains and the scene before you comes to life. After a day of spotting lions lazing in the shade and grazing zebra, return to camp for a hearty meal by the fire.

A Liberty-style villa on the banks of the Tiber, this spectacular hotel was once famous for its raucous parties thrown by the Malaspina family, one of Europe's oldest noble dynasties, with diplomats and aristocrats gathering beneath its crystal chandeliers (which, incidentally, once hung in New York's Plaza Hotel). It's brilliantly positioned for exploring the Eternal City while offering that rarest of Roman treats: a proper garden with a marble-lined swimming pool. Add a Peruvian-Nikkei restaurant, a deep-blue Pisco Bar and original artworks by the likes of Warhol and Dalí, and you've got a stay that's every bit as characterful as the city itself.

Opening shortly after the station itself, Tokyo Station Hotel has been cutting a striking figure above the streets of Marunouchi since 1915. Topped with ornate prewar domes and lined with tall, arched windows, it is set apart from Tokyo’s glitzy, glass hotels, and has been designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The hotel enjoys a dedicated entrance to Tokyo Station, making it easy to zip off to see the city’s many dazzling sights and fabulous restaurants. Although, the hotel holds its own with a collection of 10 restaurants and bars to choose from. We can see why it has welcomed so many prominent guests over the years.

A new lodge with a fresh approach in an area long heralded as the planet's paramount game-viewing destination, Mara Nyika lies in the Naboisho Conservancy (part of the greater Mara landscape). Its attraction? This intimate, five tent retreat is built in the treetops. Wooden walkways wind through the umbrella-thorn canopy to link the tents with platforms and other structures. The concept is the brainchild of veteran safari operator, Great Plains, and the effect is singularly enchanting. Privacy, the spectacle of the Great Migration on your doorstep, and a bed in the trees, make this camp idyllic.

As soon as you walk through the revolving doors, past the footmen in tails, and into the calm elegance of the (beautiful) lobby, the decade seems to slip back a hundred years. Claridge's has been a Mayfair institution since the 1820s, but truly itself since the Roaring 20s, when bright young things made it their playground. Today, royalty and film stars still check in, and a century on, it still throws the best party in town. Inside, the hotel is the epitome of timeless glamour with plenty of Art Deco influence in the black-and-white floors and mirrored walls. Spend a day here and you'll float between afternoon tea, cocktails and the shops on the doorstep, barely noticing the hours roll by.

Bayete Guest House is located just three kilometers from the heart of the historic town of Victoria Falls and the best vantage point from which to view the mighty Falls itself (locally known as Mosi-oa-Tunya - "the smoke that thunders"). More than a mile wide, straddling the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, the falls boasts several impressive statistics, though one needn't quantify its supreme beauty or the experience of watching the Zambezi River dive into the First Gorge. This relatively small, well-managed family-run guest house offers convenience and guidance to help travellers make the most of an area that can often feel overwhelming for its dizzying range of options. It's good to note that a visit here is best between May and October when the water flow isn't so heavy as to shroud the falls.