It might be the view – looking across the surface of a shimmering sea – or the location in an iconic city. It may be the decor: grand chandeliers, works of art, designer furniture. Or a wonderful pool or terrace for cocktails at sunset.
Or perhaps it’s an unusual history – an ambiance of famous guests gone by. Maybe you even fell in love there.
Most people have a favourite hotel – one that brings back some of our fondest, most treasured memories.
So we’ve asked some of the best-travelled people in Britain, from broadcasters to writers, explorers and some of the most senior industry figures, to reveal their favourite hotels in the world.
An infinity pool at COMO Shambala Estate in Bali
COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali
by explorer Levison Wood
I’ve always loved Bali – despite the overwhelming number of tourists who have descended on the small island in recent years. I still find there are little corners that make it one of the most spectacular places to relax and escape into nature. One of those places can be found deep in the rainforest at the COMO Shambhala Estate near Ubud, a sanctuary of tranquillity.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £611 (comohotels.com).
- Levison Wood is author of Endurance: 100 Tales of Survival, Adventure And Exploration.
Doormen outside Claridge’s in London’s Mayfair
Claridge’s, London
by restaurant critic Tom Parker Bowles
Claridge’s is not just a London classic, but one of the world’s great hotels. Eternally elegant, reliably wonderful, and British in the best possible way. I pretty much grew up in the place (my great grandmother and grandmother had permanent suites there), and the hotel has never lost any of its magic. It manages to stay the same, while constantly evolving. That, for me, is the key to its timeless appeal.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £930 (claridges.co.uk).
Soothing plants at Las Casas de la Juderia, Seville
Las Casas de la Juderia, Seville
by writer Stephen Bayley
If you like heat and dust, wine, food and architecture (as well as mawkish religious painting), then Seville is the place to go. Stay at Las Casas de la Juderia, literally: The Houses of the Jews. This is not a hotel in any sense Holiday Inn would understand, but a warren of inter-connected patios, balconies, rooms and corridors in the old ghetto that was created in 1248 when Spain was liberated from the Moorish invasion. St Teresa, no less, found it difficult to pray in Seville, so tempting were its pleasures. And Seville can be busy. So retire to a patio in la Juderia to enjoy the tinkling fountain, a frozen and generous glass of manzanilla, sniff the orange blossom and imagine yourself as close to Heaven as St Teresa.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £137 (lascasasdelajuderiasevilla.com).
- Stephen Bayley’s book The World Of (Dis)appearances will be published next year.
Aman Amanbagh is an Indian masterpiece in Rajasthan, says Mark Palmer
Amanbagh, Rajasthan, India
by Mark Palmer, travel editor of the Daily Mail & Mail on Sunday
If you’ve spent a couple of days jostling with the glorious madness of Jaipur, arriving at Aman Amanbagh, a two-hour drive away, is a decompression like none other. I’ve only been once and that was some 15 years ago. But this Indian masterpiece goes with me everywhere: the silence; the rose-hued cupolas and vaulted entrances of the Mughal-inspired buildings; the marble; the vast swimming pool; the spa (I nodded off five minutes into a massage and came round 85 minutes later). You’re deep into the Aravalli Hills but close to the abandoned city of Bhangarh, which was built in the 17th century by Diwan Madho Singh of the Jaipur royal family. You share the hotel with rampaging monkeys, who seem to love the place. The advantage they have is that no money is exchanged. Sadly, that’s not the case for the rest of us.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £500 (aman.com).
The Borneo Rainforest Lodge at dusk
Borneo Rainforest Lodge, Borneo
by Wanderlust magazine founding editor Lyn Hughes
Take one of the oldest rainforests in the world, mix in an array of rare wildlife, from pygmy elephants and flying squirrels through to orangutans and gibbons. Add a luxury ecolodge with excellent food, well designed rooms, highly trained guides, and activities that include forest walks, a canopy walkway, river tubing and nocturnal spotlighting. And, what you have is Borneo Rainforest Lodge, set deep in Sabah’s pristine Danum Valley. A long line of illustrious guests have stayed here, from Wills and Kate (one of the orangutans is named after latter) to David Attenborough and Judi Dench. Not that the orangutans care who you are.
BOOK IT: Two nights from £276 (danumvalley.rainforestlodge.com).
The pool at La Colombe d’Or in Saint-Paul de Vence
La Colombe d’Or Hotel, France
by actor and author Carol Drinkwater
Situated at the entrance to the hilltop village of Saint-Paul de Vence, La Colombe d’Or Hotel remains an all-time favourite haunt, and it is a mere twenty minutes from our olive farm in the South of France. For special occasions, we book a table for dinner and a room overlooking the Chagall-designed pool. Breakfast is served on a sun-kissed terrace shaded by olive trees. This old hostelry, opened in the 1920s, is jam-packed with eye-popping artwork donated by the artists themselves in return for free meals and carafes of local wine. The village of Saint Paul was an artists’ paradise in the mid-twentieth century. Among its residents were Yves Montand and Simone Signoret who honeymooned at La Colombe d’Or and fell in love with its cobble-stone ambiance. New Year’s Eve, birthdays, you will find us there, ordering the house special hors d’oeuvres, fresh fish, a local wine from the Var. When actor Donald Pleasance lived in the village, we’d meet him there for long, wine-fuelled lunches.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £185 (la-colombe-dor.com).
- Carol Drinkwater’s novels An Act of Love nd The Olive Route are out now
A guest sits on a porch at the Shack Up Inn on the Mississippi Delta
Shack Up Inn, Mississippi, US
by writer Sara Wheeler
Best place I ever lolled in a cane armchair was the fabled Shack Up Inn on the Mississippi Delta. My porch looked onto thousands of acres of corn shooting out leaves broad as flags and the spawny surface of a swamp holed with sweet bay magnolia. The Inn consists of 52 shotgun chalets (with a/c), a stage for live music, and a bar called The Cotton Gin. As I drove in off the levee road, I heard the host of a local radio show boasting that the Blues were born right there at the Tutwiler railhead.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £63 (shackupinn.com).
- Sara Wheeler’s book Glowing Still: A Woman’s Life On The Road is out now
Cip’s Club at Hotel Cipriani in Venice
Hotel Cipriani, Venice
by Abercrombie & Kent founder Geoffrey Kent
For sheer glamour and romance, it doesn’t get much better than Hotel Cipriani in Venice; it just oozes the feel-good factor. I like to stay in a lagoon-view suite, waking up to such a glorious vista of Venice never fails to make my heart flutter or put a smile on my face and a spring in my step. In the evening, nothing beats savouring a night cap on the terrace of Cip’s Club while absorbing the uplifting view of St Mark’s Square. At Hotel Cipriani I find the day always ends as well as it begins.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £983 B&B (belmond.com).
The view from the Kalamitsi Hotel in Greece
Kalamitsi Hotel, Greece
by writer Harry Mount
The Ancient Greek god of travel was Hermes. I would sacrifice 1,000 cattle to him for the Kalamitsi Hotel in Kardamili in the Peloponnese. Kardamili was where the great British travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor lived in a heavenly villa with his own private beach. The same man who built Leigh Fermor’s house built the hotel: handsome, classical and built of the local golden stone, from the looming Taygetus mountains above – where the ancient Spartans dumped children who weren’t tough enough to fight. It’s a three-minute walk from your room to the beach. The rooms are large and airy. And all for around £100 a night. Eucharisto polu – Greek for ‘Thank you very much’ – Hermes!
BOOK IT: Doubles from £87 (kalamitsi-hotel.gr).
- Harry Mount’s book Odyssey: Ancient Greece In The Footsteps Of Odysseus is out now
The spa at Culloden Estate & Spa in Belfast
Culloden Estate & Spa, Belfast
by Daily Mail cruise expert Lesley Bellew
At the Culloden Estate & Spa in Holywood, Belfast, morning sunshine pours through huge sash windows, making the fine china and glassware on crisp, white linen tablecloths glisten in the breakfast room. By a roaring fire, steaming porridge complete with a swirl of Irish honey and a little jug of Bushmills whiskey is served, followed by a full Irish breakfast and refills of strong coffee. You won’t want to move because nothing is rushed and the service is as polished as the antiques in the lounges that overlook Belfast Lough, where RMS Titanic sailed on her ill-fated journey from the Harland & Wolff shipyard.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £270 B&B (cullodenestateandspa.com).
Hotel Excelsior Splendide on Lake Como in Italy
Hotel Excelsior Splendide, Lake Como
by rail historian Christian Wolmar
It’s the sounds from the open balcony doors that distinguish the Hotel Excelsior Splendide in Bellagio on Lake Como. The hotel’s location on the tip of the peninsula in the middle of the lake means there’s almost a constant chugging of the boats gliding across to and from Varenna and Menaggio on either side of the lake, accompanied by the shouting of sailors as they toss ropes to colleagues on the shore. And in the rare moments when there are no boats, you can hear the gentle lapping of the waters on the rocks below. Lie there with the window open and take in the vibrancy of the best country in the world.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £152 (hsplendide.com).
- Christian Wolmar’s book The Liberation Line: The Last Untold Story Of The Normandy Landings is out now
Forestis is set in the Dolomites, with gorgeous mountain views
Forestis, Italy
by Harriet Sime, deputy travel editor of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday
Forestis was once used as a retreat for friends of the Vatican. Which makes sense given that it’s probably the closest I’ve been to celestial contentment during any previous hotel stay. Set in a ridiculously pretty patch of the Dolomites, the hotel is all about the views. The chunky and snow-dusted Odles mountain range is set directly in front, bursting through dense, dark pine forests and dancing in pastel shades of orange, pink and purple during sunrise and sunset. I hate skiing, which makes my choice even more pertinent given that most people go there for direct access to the ski pistes of Plose. Instead, I whiled away my time eating delicious mountain cuisine and relaxing in the glorious spa, with its steaming indoor-outdoor pool and woodfired saunas, again overlooking those mountains. I spent my last supper at Forestis battling ‘snow-blindness’, my eyes stinging and streaming with water due to the sun reflecting off the bright white snow which burnt my corneas. But it was worth it. Those views will stay with me forever.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £495 (forestis.it).
Mujib’s chalets are not to be missed when visiting Jordan
Mujib Nature Reserve, Jordan
by travel writer Rebecca Lowe
For sheer unexpected splendour, the cabins at Mujib Nature Reserve in Jordan made their mark on me. Located on the craggy banks of the Dead Sea, Mujib’s sprinkling of domed clay cabins may appear primitive. But look closer and you’ll find accommodation fit for a king. Located right on the seafront with gleaming glass frontages, this collection of enchanting chalets feels as incongruous in these sparse Martian surrounds as one of Gertrude Bell’s linen tablecloths – and is not to be missed.
BOOK IT: Cabins from £100 B&B (mujib-chalets.jordan-all-hotels.com).
- Rebecca Lowe’s book The Slow Road To Tehran is out now
India’s Rajmahal Palace Raas is set in lush gardens
Rajmahal Palace Raas, India
by Amrit Singh, founder of India and Asia travel company Transindus
At the heart of the Pink City of Jaipur, Rajmahal Palace Raas is a garden oasis. Hidden in plain sight and packed with memorabilia of its royal heritage, this elegant and intimate property offers a relaxed and informal atmosphere amid all its grandeur. Still owned by the Jaipur royal family and the official residence of the King’s mother, a stay here is good value and comes with special advantages such as a complimentary guided visit to the private staterooms at the City Palace – always a pleasure to visit.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £214 B&B (raashotels.com).
The Tawny is set in a Georgian estate in the Staffordshire countryside
The Tawny, Staffordshire
by travel writer Lottie Gross
Billing itself as a ‘deconstructed hotel’, The Tawny in Staffordshire perhaps sounds a little pretentious, though really it’s anything but. Set across an old Georgian estate in the Staffordshire countryside, it’s ultra dog-friendly. Bedrooms are scattered throughout the grounds and built within shepherd’s huts, boathouses on stilts and cabins overlooking the lakes. They have plenty of outdoor space on balconies or terraces, plus there are dog treats as well as bowls, blankets and towels. Outdoors, you’ve got acres of land to explore on trails that lead through a traditionally landscaped garden into what feels like temperate rainforest set within a small valley. Beyond the bounds of the hotel are walks in an RSPB nature reserve. There’s a cracking restaurant (bar area dog friendly), an intimate spa and an outdoor pool.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £250, plus £50 for dog (thetawny.co.uk).
- Lottie Gross’s book Dog Days Out is out now
Four Seasons Tented Camp features structures designed by Bill Bensley
Four Seasons Tented Camp, Thailand
by travel writer Teresa Levonian Cole
Strung like pearls through the jungle, the 20-odd ‘tents’ of the Four Seasons Tented Camp in Thailand perch above the Ruak River at a remote spot where Thailand, Burma and Laos interlock. But forget any notion of a tent: designed by the incomparable Bill Bensley, these individually-designed open-fronted structures are all hardwood, bamboo and leather, each with a copper bathtub and outdoor shower. Their rustic elegance recalls the era of 19th-century explorers – but how they would have loved these discreet luxuries. An outdoor pool, an open-air spa hidden in the hills, bars at either end of the camp, plus fabled Four Seasons service and delicious cuisine. The cherry on the icing is the hotel’s conservation project: the Elephant Camp. Here, recued elephant mingle with guests before a candlelit dinner, whereupon they are led off, like Victorian children, to bed.
BOOK IT: Three nights from £2,207 (fourseasons.com).
Passalacqua on Lake Como was once a private home
Passalacqua, Lake Como
by Lisa Fitzell, managing director of Elegant Resorts tour operator
Owned by the De Santis family, this formerly private home was meticulously renovated and opened in 2022. It’s a real work of art, with hand-blown Murano glass chandeliers, the most beautiful bar I have ever seen, seven acres of manicured gardens with six terraces and 15 water fountains, plus breathtaking lake views. The pool sits in the gardens while the spa is located in tunnels under the hotel. Besides the wonderful facilities and beautiful rooms (all 24 suites have lovely large bathrooms) it is the staff that make the hotel. Every member is passionate and genuinely interested in making sure your stay is personalized. The restaurant is intimate and food everything you would expect from a luxury hotel and more, all locally sourced and showcasing the very best of Italian cuisine.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £2,960 B&B (passalacqua.it).
Palm Island has just 41 guest rooms but five beaches
Palm Island, Grenadines, Caribbean
by author and broadcaster Sarfraz Manzoor
Palm Island is a remote private island in the Grenadines archipelago in the Caribbean. It’s 135 acres include five beaches but only 41 guest rooms. The reason it’s my favourite is less for what it offered – gorgeous location, warm welcome – and more for what was missing. There was no internet connection and guests were asked to hand in their phones to be locked away. Signs saying ‘Shh’ hung from palm trees. Palm Island offered the luxury of disconnection which allowed me to connect more deeply with my family and live fully in the present.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £433 (palmislandgrenadines.com).
The Palais is guarded from the hustle and bustle of the Promenade des Anglais and has wonderful sea views
The Palais, Nice, France
by rail historian Andrew Martin
Built on the Promenade des Anglais in 1929, The Palais, with its attached casino and art gallery, became the epicentre of Niçoise high society. It was completely rebuilt in the 1990s, and the modern structure stands back from the preserved Art Deco façade, which is now a kind of colonnade, guarding the hotel it from the noise and bustle of the Promenade, but permitting wonderful sea views in many rooms. I have stayed there many times. The rooms are silent, the staff attentive but not fussily so, and the lemony scent infused somehow into the air-conditioning of the huge lobby has become my favourite smell.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £364 (hyatt.com).
- Andrew Martin’s book Metropolitain: An Ode To The Paris Metro is out now
Goldeneye on Jamaica’s north coast is where Ian Fleming stayed when he wrote his James Bond books
Goldeneye, Jamaica
by travel writer Tom Chesshyre
Goldeneye on Jamaica’s north coast is the hotel resort where Ian Fleming stayed when he wrote his James Bond books. The hotel was created by Chris Blackwell, co-founder of Island Records (of Bob Marley fame), and it comprises a series of rooms spread across villas, cottages and beach huts – some dating back to the 1970s, when Blackwell acquired the property. Before then, it had been where Ian Fleming had come during winters to write his James Bond books (the name ‘James Bond’ came from the author of a local birdspotting guide). The villa where Fleming resided is now the ‘Fleming Villa’, and by far the grandest of the lot, with it’s own little private beach. Sting (who wrote ‘Every Breath You Take’ there), Bono and Grace Jones are among the musical guests gone by. It’s a pretty cool spot: laid-back, well-run and with a huge lagoon to swim about in.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £428 (goldeneye.com).
- Tom Chesshyre’s latest book Slow Trains To Istanbul is out now
And two hotels that are so good they’re mentioned twice…
The luxurious interior of Claridge’s in London
Claridge’s, London (again!)
by Robin Hutson, The Pigs Hotel chairman
Claridge’s, the doyenne of classic hospitality, was where I started my career 50 years ago as a Commis Waiter. But, actually, that’s not the reason for it being my choice. Claridge’s just has a timeless quality of style, class and top level service coursing through its veins. While various physical elements have changed and facilities developed in the 50 years since I first walked through the staff entrance, Claridge’s has reacted to modern trends in a considered, solid way without fad or being a slave to the current fashion. It has maintained that first class personal service at its core and looked after generations of distinguished guests in the same quietly confident manner. While other grand and flamboyant hotels have burst onto the scene and then five minutes later find themselves out of fashion, I have the feeling that Claridge’s is so confident in what it does ,it will continue to deliver that style of service for many generations to come.
BOOK IT: Doubles from £930 (claridges.co.uk).
La Colombe d’Or in France is steeped in history, art and French charm, says Gloria Hunniford
La Colombe d’Or, France (again!)
by TV presenter Gloria Hunniford
In the medieval village of Saint-Paul de Vence, La Colombe d’Or is almost impossible to describe adequately. It’s where all the masters painted for their supper when they had no money and the very astute owner accepted their art in lieu of B&B. The world-famous La Colombe d’Or has since been the go to restaurant for all the Hollywood greats particularly during the film festival. Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis – these days Bono and Angelina Jolie. To be surrounded by Matisse, Picasso & Cezar is breathtaking. The hotel is steeped in history, art and French charm, with a priceless collection of art so extraordinary it could hang in any art gallery around the world.
BOOK IT: Doubles B&B from £185 (la-colombe-dor.com).