World's Top Hotels

Africa’s most luxurious mobile-safari experience is the latest addition to this 340,000-acre Serengeti concession with 4 separate camps. Doubles from $1,700–$2,300, all-inclusive.

Behind the Scenes: What does a perfect location score look like? A manor house on a wide plateau; a tented camp with views of the Serengeti; 8 suites and 1 villa overlooking the rhino-filled Grumeti River; and a mobile safari that traverses it all.

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10 suites with savanna-side infinity pools, outdoor showers, and rooftop sleeping areas for nighttime views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Doubles from $840, all-inclusive.

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A 30-acre Mewari-style palace on the banks of Lake Pichola, complete with private motorboats, a traditional Kashmiri gondola, and sprawling courtyards rimmed by reflecting pools. Doubles from $700–$870.

Room to Book: All 19 Premiere Lake rooms have private pools and terraces, but the 9 that face the nature conservatory offer wildlife spotting (peacocks; deer; wild boar) as well as views of the marble palaces of mainland Udaipur.

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Adults-only mountain retreat on thousands of acres, with plush log cabins (wood-burning fireplaces; hot tubs), a 2,000-plus-bottle wine cellar, a chef’s table, and a rotating collection of original art. Doubles from $750–$950, including meals.

T+L Tip: Don’t miss a snowshoe excursion across the Chief Joseph Pass—first explored by Lewis and Clark in 1805—or the chocolate chip cookies served by cowboy-booted staffers on your return.

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North Island cliffside lodge, golf course, and top spa on 6,000 acres with waterfalls and private beaches. Doubles from $1,140–$1,485, including breakfast and dinner.

T+L Tip: Ask the Kauri Cliffs team to pack a picnic (soba noodles; smoked-salmon sandwiches) before heading to Pink Beach, one of Kauri Cliffs’ private coves; in summer, barbecue dinners are served on the sand.

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2007 local wood, stone, and glass LEED-certified lodge 2,300 miles off Chile’s coast; excursions include guided visits to the moai stone quarries and treks to nearby volcanoes. Doubles from $1,590, all-inclusive, 3-night minimum.

T+L Tip: Unwind in the Posada’s new Ancestral Sauna, a traditional Rapa Nui–style hothouse warmed by an aromatic open fire of eucalyptus branches (treatments from $50).

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French-colonial, all-suite wellness retreat on a frangipani-dotted hill above Luang Prabang; the first Laotian property to use only local ingredients for traditional spa treatments. Doubles from $500.

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11th-century palace with an infinity pool, terraced gardens, and classic-celebrity cachet (Jackie Kennedy; Humphrey Bogart). Doubles from $850–$1,073.

Behind the Scenes: An excellent score for location is a given, as the property is perched 1,000 feet above the Mediterranean; to tour the nearby harbors, hop aboard the hotel’s 52-foot boat Ercole (trips from $615).

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Florida’s most secluded and romantic retreat: a West Indies–style idyll set along a white-sand beach on a 6-acre island accessible only by boat or seaplane, which will also take you to a smaller island for a picnic. Suites from $790–$1,590.

T+L Tip: Arrive when the resort is hosting one of its Sandbar Session concerts, which bring well-known musicians to the hotel’s beach. Previous headliners? Stephen Marley and the Indigo Girls.

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The ne plus ultra of rural luxury, with renowned cuisine, set on a farm in the Great Smoky Mountains. Doubles from $795–$1,095, including meals.

Behind the Scenes: On-site experts—master gardener John Coykendall; visiting chefs Thomas Keller and David Chang—translated to high scores for service; guests leave armed with tips for creating Southern dishes at home.

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Timeless Norwegian-style mid-mountain chalet at Deer Valley ski resort, committed to raising $100,000 for cancer research through philanthropic programs. Doubles from $250–$839, including breakfast.

T+L Tip: Make a dinner reservation at least 3 days in advance for Muscovy duck breast and s’mores for dessert at the hotel’s Glitretind restaurant. Be sure to try the lodge’s exclusive Chardonnay cuvee wine, launched in 2011.

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The ultimate fantasy: 80 Polynesian-style villas perched above the Motu Piti Aau coral reef. Doubles from $1,079–$1,755.

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A flower-filled hillside villa (a monastery in the 14th and 15th centuries) with views of the bay. Doubles from $1,373–$1,607, including breakfast.

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A miniature Thai kingdom with 123 Lanna-inspired suites and villas on 60 acres that’s the setting for a Buddhist prayer site, a 33,000-square-foot spa, and an arts-and-crafts village. Doubles from $509–$729.

Behind the Scenes: More than 500 solicitous staffers create this exotic wonderland, which received a perfect score for service; opt for tutorials in classic dance and northern Thai cuisine.

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Sleek, 20-story state-of-the-art hotel with 3 restaurants, including Shanghai Terrace and the Lobby—and a 15,000-square-foot Espa in the heart of the Magnificent Mile shopping district. Doubles from $395–$525.

Room to Book: The Grand Deluxe suites have the best views in the hotel—they all overlook Water Tower Park—and were just updated with Art Deco–inspired accents (lacquer tables; brocade-covered chairs).

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Unpretentious 36-room wicker-and-wood inn and 1778 great house on 30 acres; the Caribbean’s only historic plantation inn on the beach. Doubles from $391–$670, including breakfast, tea, and dinner.

Behind the Scenes: Three on-site restaurants (the Great House, Coconuts, and Sea Breeze) and attentive service have made this Caribbean hotel a winner for 2 years running.

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Neo-Georgian gem in historic Back Bay that’s been family-owned for 70 years. Bathrooms are being updated with Bardiglio Italian marble. Doubles from $275–$545.

Behind the Scenes: Its scores for service surged this year thanks to family-friendly perks: kids stay for free; toddlers get rubber ducks in the bathtub; pets are greeted with food and water bowls.

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Channel your inner maharajah at this majestic 32-acre countryside resort made up of tents and villas and a traditional Indian spa. Doubles from $710–$870.

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20 bungalows, 24 suites, and an Asian-influenced spa on a beach nestled between a eucalyptus forest and the Río de la Plata, all just a 3-hour trip north of Buenos Aires. Doubles from $240–$445.

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Three lodges—contemporary Boulders, secluded Castleton, and vintage-colonial Ebony (renovated in 2011)—and an impressive wine program. Doubles from $2,352, all-inclusive.

Room to Book: Ebony Lodge's Suite 1 has a fireplace, outdoor shower, and the best views of elephants bathing in the Sand River. For more wildlife spotting, there are twice-daily game drives and mountain-bike rides through the bush.

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Shingled hotel overlooking the famous Haystack Rock; the 41 rooms are equipped with fireplaces, private balconies, Tempur-Pedic beds, and Jacuzzis in the overhauled bathrooms. Doubles from $359, including breakfast.

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Grab a front-row seat to watch the annual wildebeest migration from one of the 25 Victorian-style tented camps on a hill in the western Serengeti. Doubles from $660–$970, including meals.

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41 private cottages and suites renovated to the tune of $100 million in 2009—set on 520 lavender-scented acres. Doubles from $650.

Room to Book: The Kennedy Cottage—the suite where John and Jackie honeymooned in 1953—has private, vine-covered decks and panoramic ocean views.

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Two hotels in one—a Belle Époque mansion and a sleek 17-story addition—plus soaking tubs, an on-site art gallery, and a 3,500-label wine cellar. 1661 Avda. Doubles from $430–$630.

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31-room country escape—the former residence of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning—on a hilltop for the ultimate in privacy. Doubles from $268–$555, including breakfast.

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Masai-inspired huts with Victorian touches (Persian carpets; velvet-tufted settees) in 3 camps along the rim of a crater. Doubles from $1,440–$3,000, all-inclusive.

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Ski-in, ski-out lodge with fireplaces in every room and a team of adventure concierges. Doubles from $249–$970.

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Moghul-themed 102-room palace mirroring the nearby Taj Mahal—all Moorish archways, intricate pavilions, and fountained courtyards. Doubles from $700–$870.

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Eight-suite luxury game lodge on 30,000 acres with old-fashioned activities (hot-air-balloon rides; horseback safaris) and a 3-to-1 staff-to-guest ratio. Doubles from $2,846, all-inclusive.

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Stylishly updated 1950’s-era hunting lodge on 100 acres in the Mount Kenya foothills. Doubles from $615–$735, including meals.

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135-year-old landmark on the Chao Phraya River with a rich literary history, butler service, and 9 restaurants. Doubles from $400–$488.

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20 tents with wraparound porches and attentive service along the Grumeti River, a popular gathering spot for hippos. Doubles from $1,460–$1,560, all-inclusive.

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Refined, recently updated town house behind Green Park with an 8,000-bottle, 17th-century wine cellar and a new rustic restaurant, the Lyttelton. Doubles from $400–$800.

T+L Tip: The Stafford’s master sommelier, Gino Nardella, leads wine tastings (from $65) of some of the cellar’s best bottles, including a 1961 Château Lafite Rothschild.

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Two groups of tents with plunge pools and unshaded decks for prime bird-watching and rhino-spotting, all linked by raised walkways on an Okavango Delta floodplain. Doubles from $3,286–$4,398, all-inclusive.

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The original Couples property is a 226-room, all-inclusive, adults-only resort with an award-winning spa. Doubles from $316–$588.

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String of 2-story bungalows built upon ancient lava rock. Its updated Hualalai Spa now has 10 outdoor treatment rooms. Doubles from $635–$1,295.

Behind the Scenes: Though it has taken top honors in Hawaii for 2 years running, a jump in the hotel’s value score—thanks to new deals such as 50 percent off your second room—is one reason that it nabbed the top spot in 2012.

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Stunning spaces in a glass-and-chrome skyscraper follow feng shui principles (glass animal sculptures near doorways; elaborate fountains surrounding the hotel). A location in the Financial District is convenient for business travelers. Doubles from $295–$515.

Behind the Scenes: Thanks to its unique design, readers gave this property one of the top 5 scores for interiors in Asia—and the highest in China. The jawdropping lobby has paintings by famous local artists (Bo Yun; Shan Fan) and is festooned with 60,000 resin bamboo leaves to represent prosperity.

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150 rooms (40 recently updated) in a massive estate on a rocky coastal bluff; 2 championship golf courses and a 19th-century lighthouse overlook the bucolic scene. Doubles from $220–$399.

Room to Book: One of the 4 suites named after the legendary golf course’s Open Championship winners: Watson, Norman, Price, and Cink. Each has unique design touches, and all face the craggy Alisa Craig island.

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Hilltop hotel—formerly a 19th-century private villa—surrounded by gardens in the embassy district. Doubles from $510–$590, including breakfast.

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A Haussmann-era Dorchester Collection hotel—fresh from a 2011 renovation that added high-tech touches—home to a Michelin 3-starred Alain Ducasse restaurant, 35,000-bottle wine cellar, and Eiffel Tower views. Doubles from $1,040–$1,245.

Room to Book: Light sleepers in search of seclusion will prefer a room facing the ivy-covered interior courtyard. For more streamlined furnishings, request an Art Deco room on the 7th or 8th floor.

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21 whimsical suites and a Cape Village–style cottage; notable South African chef Margot Janse oversees both on-site restaurants. Doubles from $367–$494.

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The city’s old-world hideaway. A $20 million redo added a 7-story tower, a spa, and Angelina restaurant; rooms in the original wing maintain a traditional feel. Doubles from $225–$265.

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Two lodges (1 raised) with fashionable interiors by African designers, in the Lebombo Mountain range. Doubles from $3,115, all-inclusive.

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37-story tower with 370 rooms, a 3-story spa, and top dining, at the river’s edge in Thonburi; complimentary water taxis shuttle guests to the Skytrain. Doubles from $452.

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A 12-acre retreat (85 terra-cotta-roofed casitas; plunge pools; an orchid garden) among waterfalls in the cloud forest below Machu Picchu. Doubles from $996, including breakfast, dinner, and excursions.

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Centuries-old white-marble palace (intricate silks; frescoed arches) rising from a jagged rock formation in Lake Pichola. Doubles from $749, including breakfast.

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Five family-run lodges on 42,000 wilderness acres known for leopard sightings. Doubles from $1,588, all-inclusive.

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178 spacious guest rooms—some of the largest in the city—on select floors of a 38-story skyscraper that towers over the Nihonbashi business district. Doubles from $506–$915.

T+L Tip: For a taste of Tokyo, the hotel will arrange a guided tour of the vibrant Tsukiji Fish Market followed by authentic sushi-making lessons from a local chef ($494 per person).

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172-room resort with a boutique-hotel sensibility, 2 restaurants by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and superb butler service, on a private beach dotted with shaded daybeds. Doubles from $585–$740.

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Tranquil refuge on terraced rice paddies outside the northern Thai city, with haute-rustic rooms set in teak pavilions and pool houses. Cooking classes are well-regarded. Doubles from $585–$650.

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