The World's Greatest Hotels

• Introduction

• Chapter 1 The Ritz Paris: A Legacy of Luxury

• Chapter 2 Claridge's: London's Art Deco Jewel

• Chapter 3 The Peninsula Hong Kong: Grande Dame of the Far East

• Chapter 4 Raffles Singapore: Colonial Charm and Literary History

• Chapter 5 Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel, Venice: La Dolce Vita on the Lagoon

• Chapter 6 The Beverly Hills Hotel: Hollywood's Pink Palace

• Chapter 7 La Mamounia: Marrakech's Oasis of Opulence

• Chapter 8 Burj Al Arab Jumeirah: Dubai's Icon of Extravagance

• Chapter 9 The Plaza: New York's Timeless Landmark

• Chapter 10 Amangiri: Utah's Desert Sanctuary

• Chapter 11 Singita Grumeti Reserves: Tanzanian Safari in Style

• Chapter 12 Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle: Thailand's Jungle Retreat

• Chapter 13 The Savoy: London's Theatrical Legend

• Chapter 14 Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc: Riviera Glamour

• Chapter 15 Ashford Castle: Ireland's Fairytale Escape

• Chapter 16 The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice: Venetian Grandeur

• Chapter 17 Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok: Riverside Elegance

• Chapter 18 The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra: Taj Mahal Views

• Chapter 19 Fogo Island Inn: Newfoundland's Modern Marvel

• Chapter 20 Southern Ocean Lodge: Kangaroo Island's Coastal Gem

• Chapter 21 Nihi Sumba: Indonesian Island Paradise

• Chapter 22 The Brando: French Polynesia's Eco-Luxury

• Chapter 23 Explora Patagonia: Chilean Adventure Basecamp

• Chapter 24 Jade Mountain: St. Lucia's Piton Panorama

• Chapter 25 Tierra Atacama Hotel & Spa: Chilean Desert Oasis

• Afterword

What defines a "great" hotel? It is a question that has captivated travelers, inspired hoteliers, and fueled debates for as long as the concept of hospitality has existed. Is it the sheer opulence of the decor, the thread count of the sheets, or the number of Michelin stars twinkling in its restaurants? Is it the weight of history in its walls, the echo of famous footsteps in its corridors? Or is it something less tangible—a feeling of being utterly, completely, and perfectly cared for, an almost magical anticipation of one's every need? The truth, of course, is that it is all of these things, and yet, something more. A truly great hotel transcends the sum of its luxurious parts. It becomes a destination in its own right, a place that not only provides shelter but also shapes the experience of its location. It is a stage upon which the dramas of life, both grand and intimate, unfold.

This book is a journey through the gilded doors of the world's most exceptional hotels. It is an exploration of the properties that have not only set the standard for luxury but have also become legends. We will wander the hallowed halls of The Ritz Paris, a byword for elegance since César Ritz declared that his hotel was "the most beautiful house in the world." We will marvel at the audacious ambition of the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah in Dubai, a testament to a city's relentless pursuit of the superlative. We will retreat to the stark, serene beauty of Amangiri, a sanctuary carved into the canyons of Utah, proving that luxury can be whispered as well as shouted. Each chapter is a portrait of a place, but it is also a story of the people who brought it to life and the guests who have made it immortal.

The selection process for inclusion in these pages was both a pleasure and a challenge. Greatness, after all, can be found in many forms. It resides in the Art Deco splendor of London's Claridge's, which has welcomed royalty and movie stars with equal aplomb for generations. It is present in the colonial romance of Raffles Singapore, where the Singapore Sling was born and the ghosts of literary giants like Somerset Maugham and Rudyard Kipling linger. It is embodied by the effortless chic of the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on the French Riviera, the glamorous backdrop for film festivals and high-society escapades. The hotels featured here are a diverse collection, spanning continents, cultures, and architectural styles. They range from historic landmarks steeped in tradition to avant-garde retreats that redefine the very concept of a hotel.

What unites them is a shared commitment to excellence, an unwavering dedication to creating an unforgettable guest experience. This is not merely about providing a comfortable bed and a decent meal. It is about the art of hospitality, a craft honed over decades, sometimes centuries. It is in the doorman who remembers your name, the concierge who can secure the impossible reservation, the chef who creates a dish that becomes a cherished memory. It is in the thoughtful details: the perfectly placed reading lamp, the fresh flowers that seem to have magically appeared, the quiet efficiency of the housekeeping staff. It is a seamless performance where every member of the cast plays their part to perfection, making the guest feel like the undisputed star of the show.

The history of these great hotels is often a mirror of the history of their locations. The Peninsula Hong Kong, the "Grande Dame of the Far East," has stood as a silent witness to the city's dramatic transformations. The Gritti Palace in Venice, a former doge's residence on the Grand Canal, is as much a part of the fabric of La Serenissima as the gondolas that glide past its windows. Ashford Castle in Ireland offers a journey back in time, its ancient stones whispering tales of medieval knights and noble families. These hotels are not just buildings; they are living museums, repositories of stories and secrets, places where the past and present converge. They have hosted kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, artists and writers, and in doing so, have become a part of the cultural landscape.

But greatness is not solely the preserve of the old world. In recent decades, a new breed of hotel has emerged, one that challenges traditional notions of luxury. These are places that offer not just comfort but also adventure, not just opulence but also a connection to nature. Take, for instance, Singita Grumeti Reserves in Tanzania, where guests can experience the thrill of a safari without sacrificing a shred of comfort. Or consider the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle in Thailand, a jungle retreat that combines adventure with a deep respect for the local culture and environment. These hotels demonstrate that luxury can be experiential, that the greatest indulgence can be a breathtaking view, a close encounter with wildlife, or the simple pleasure of stargazing in a remote wilderness.

The architectural significance of these properties cannot be overstated. They are often the work of visionary architects and designers who have pushed the boundaries of their craft. La Mamounia in Marrakech is a masterpiece of Moorish design, a labyrinth of courtyards, gardens, and intricate tilework that transports guests to another world. The Beverly Hills Hotel, with its iconic pink facade and banana leaf wallpaper, is a symbol of Hollywood glamour, a place where deals are made and stars are born. And then there is Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland, a striking example of contemporary architecture that seems to rise organically from its rugged coastal landscape, a testament to the power of design to create a sense of place.

Beyond the architecture and the service, there is the food. The world's greatest hotels are often home to the world's greatest restaurants. They are places where culinary innovation flourishes, where celebrated chefs create dishes that are both works of art and expressions of the local terroir. From the classic French cuisine of Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester in London to the avant-garde creations of Grant Achatz at Alinea in Chicago, the dining experiences offered by these hotels are often as memorable as the stays themselves. They are a celebration of the senses, a journey of discovery through the flavors and aromas of a particular region.

This book will also take you to some of the most remote and breathtaking corners of the globe. We will travel to Nihi Sumba in Indonesia, an island paradise where wild horses roam free and the waves are a surfer's dream. We will escape to The Brando in French Polynesia, an eco-luxury resort on a private atoll that was once the personal retreat of Marlon Brando. We will venture to Explora Patagonia in Chile, a basecamp for exploring the dramatic landscapes of Torres del Paine National Park. These are hotels that offer not just a place to stay, but a gateway to a different world, a chance to connect with nature and experience the planet in its purest form.

In these pages, you will find stories of innovation and tradition, of glamour and adventure, of history and modernity. You will meet the hoteliers who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of perfection and the guests whose lives have been touched by their vision. Whether you are a seasoned traveler, a hospitality professional, or simply a dreamer who loves to imagine the possibilities, this book is an invitation to explore the world's greatest hotels. It is a celebration of the art of travel, the joy of discovery, and the enduring power of hospitality to create moments of magic that last a lifetime. So, unpack your bags, settle in, and prepare to be transported to a world of unparalleled luxury and unforgettable experiences. The journey is about to begin.

To step into the Ritz Paris is to step into a living portrait of history, elegance, and an idea of luxury so potent it gave the English language a new word: ritzy. Located at number 15 on the Place Vendôme, one of the most beautiful and architecturally harmonious squares in Paris, the hotel presents a stately façade designed in the 17th century by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the First Architect to King Louis XIV. Behind this exquisite exterior lies a world crafted by a man who rose from humble beginnings as the son of Swiss peasants to become the "king of hoteliers, and hotelier to kings": César Ritz. His vision was audacious and revolutionary for its time. He aimed to create not just a hotel, but the most comfortable and sophisticated temporary home a person of means could desire.

César Ritz was a pioneer, a man who intuitively understood the nascent desires of the world's elite at the turn of the 20th century. He began his career as a waiter, where a manager famously told him he would never make it in the hotel business. Undeterred, Ritz honed his craft across Europe's finest establishments, developing a philosophy centered on an almost theatrical level of service and cutting-edge comfort. For his Parisian masterpiece, he partnered with the master chef Auguste Escoffier, a man often called "the king of chefs and the chef of kings." Together, they had already brought tremendous success to the Savoy Hotel in London. Their collaboration was a symphony of hospitality, with Ritz orchestrating the front-of-house perfection and Escoffier composing culinary masterpieces in the kitchen.

When the Hôtel Ritz Paris opened its doors on June 1, 1898, it was an immediate sensation. The glittering reception was the talk of Paris, attended by the cream of society, including a young Marcel Proust, who would become one of the hotel's most devoted patrons. What the guests discovered was a level of luxury previously unheard of. The Ritz was among the very first hotels in Europe to offer a private bathroom en suite for every single room, a telephone, and electricity. These were not mere amenities; they were declarations of a new era of travel. Ritz's innovations went further, introducing concepts like indirect lighting and king-size beds, all designed to create an atmosphere of opulent, yet tasteful, comfort. His guiding principle, "the customer is always right," became the unwritten constitution for luxury service worldwide.

From its inception, the Ritz became a magnetic hub for the powerful, the famous, and the artistic. Its guest book reads like a who's who of the 20th century. Royalty, from King Edward VII of the United Kingdom to various European monarchs, found it a suitable home away from home. The writer Marcel Proust was so enmeshed in the hotel's life that he used the maître d’hôtel as a source for society gossip for his masterpiece, In Search of Lost Time. During the Roaring Twenties, the hotel became the unofficial headquarters for the American "Lost Generation" of writers and artists. F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda were frequent, champagne-fueled patrons of the bar, capturing the exuberant and often chaotic spirit of the age.

No guest, however, is more inextricably linked with the Ritz than the fashion designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. For more than 30 years, from 1937 until her death in 1971, she made the hotel her home. Her boutique was conveniently located just across the street, on the Rue Cambon. She occupied a suite on the second floor, which she decorated herself in her signature palette of black and white, complete with Chinese lacquered screens and a suede sofa. This suite was her sanctuary and her salon, a place where she worked, entertained, and lived out the latter half of her extraordinary life. She passed away in her suite on a Sunday, January 10, 1971, having spent the day working on her next collection.

The hotel's history took a dark turn during the Second World War. When Paris was occupied by German forces in June 1940, the city's grand hotels were requisitioned by the Nazi high command. The Ritz became the Parisian headquarters for the Luftwaffe, Germany's air force, with its chief, Hermann Göring, taking over the magnificent Imperial Suite. He reportedly filled it with stolen artwork and gemstones. Remarkably, the hotel was not fully commandeered; one section remained open to civilian guests, who had to coexist uneasily with the occupiers.

Coco Chanel remained in residence throughout the war, a decision that would cast a long shadow over her legacy. She began a relationship with a German officer and intelligence agent, Baron Hans Günther von Dincklage, who facilitated her continued stay at the hotel. Declassified documents that emerged decades later revealed she had collaborated with German intelligence services, a fact she worked hard to conceal after the war. Though interrogated after the liberation of Paris, she was never charged, allegedly due to the intervention of her friend, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. After the war, she left for a period of exile in Switzerland before returning to the Ritz and her fashion house in 1954.

Another of the hotel's most famous literary patrons, Ernest Hemingway, is credited with his own dramatic role at the end of the occupation. As a war correspondent, he arrived in Paris in August 1944 and made it his personal mission to "liberate" his favorite hotel bar. Arriving with a group of soldiers, he famously entered the hotel, declared it free from the Germans, and promptly ran up a significant bar tab, ordering champagne for everyone. Though the story is likely embellished—the Germans had already left—it has become a cherished part of the hotel's folklore. In 1994, the "Petit Bar" was officially renamed Bar Hemingway in his honor.

The post-war years saw a return to glamour. The Ritz became a favored backdrop for filmmakers, most notably in Billy Wilder's 1957 romantic comedy Love in the Afternoon, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper. Hepburn would return to film scenes for How to Steal a Million at the hotel a decade later. The guest list continued to sparkle with names like opera singer Maria Callas, film star Sophia Loren, and comedian Charlie Chaplin, each of whom would eventually have a prestigious suite named in their honor. Cole Porter was another fixture, known for composing songs at the bar, forever linking the hotel's name with high society in his lyrics.

By the 1970s, the grande dame was beginning to show her age. After the death of César Ritz's son, Charles, in 1976, the hotel entered a period of decline. A new chapter began in 1979 when Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed purchased the hotel for a reported $30 million. Recognizing the need for a major revival, Al-Fayed initiated an extensive, decade-long restoration, investing a further $250 million to return the hotel to its former glory. This renovation saw the creation of a swimming pool and health club in the basement, a refurbishment of the restaurants, and the renaming of the Little Bar to the Bar Hemingway.

A tragic and pivotal event in the hotel's modern history occurred on August 30, 1997. Diana, Princess of Wales, and her companion, Dodi Fayed—Mohamed Al-Fayed's son—dined in the Imperial Suite of the Ritz before leaving the hotel. Shortly after their departure, they were killed in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel, a global tragedy that began within the hotel's opulent walls. The event inextricably linked the Ritz with the final hours of one of the world's most beloved figures.

After more than a century of continuous operation, the Ritz closed its doors for the first time in its history on August 1, 2012. This was not an ending, but a prelude to a rebirth. Mohamed Al-Fayed commissioned a monumental, four-year renovation led by the acclaimed architect Thierry W. Despont. The project, with costs estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, was a delicate balancing act: to seamlessly integrate 21st-century technology and comforts while meticulously preserving the hotel's priceless historic soul.

The renovation was exhaustive. The number of rooms was reduced from 159 to 142, allowing for more spacious accommodations, now evenly split between 71 rooms and 71 suites. Every room was updated with state-of-the-art technology, improved air conditioning, and soundproofing. A retractable glass canopy was built over the patio to create a year-round dining space, and a discreet underground tunnel was added to allow guests a private entrance from the Place Vendôme parking garage. A significant addition was the world's first Chanel spa, a fitting tribute to the hotel's most famous resident.

When the Ritz reopened in June 2016, it was to global acclaim. Guests found that the essence of the hotel remained unchanged. The original keys, the beloved peach-colored towels and robes, and the swan-shaped bathroom fixtures were all retained. The interiors, a symphony of Louis XV style, were restored to their full splendor, with gilded frames, crystal chandeliers, and fine antiques defining the lavish public and private spaces. Despont's vision was to make the hotel feel as it always had, but better—a goal widely considered to have been achieved.

The hotel's accommodations are a study in Parisian elegance. The Prestige Suites are the crown jewels, many named for the legendary patrons who once inhabited them. The Suite Impériale, with its 20-foot-high ceilings and a bedroom that is a replica of Marie Antoinette's at Versailles, is listed as a French national monument. The Coco Chanel Suite celebrates its namesake with a décor of black and white, while the suites dedicated to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Maria Callas, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor each evoke the spirit of their former occupants through carefully selected art and furnishings.

Gastronomy remains at the heart of the Ritz experience. The main dining room, L'Espadon, has long been a bastion of French haute cuisine. The hotel is also home to the École Ritz Escoffier, a prestigious cooking school established in 1988 in honor of its founding chef. Here, aspiring professionals and enthusiastic amateurs can learn the secrets of French cuisine and pastry in kitchens located in the hotel's foundations. The school ensures that the culinary legacy of Auguste Escoffier, who revolutionized the modern kitchen, continues to thrive.

The hotel’s bars are destinations in their own right. The Bar Hemingway, small and intimate with only 25 seats, is a shrine to its namesake. Its walls are lined with photographs and memorabilia related to the author, and it's helmed by world-renowned bartenders who craft legendary cocktails. For decades, it was the domain of head barman Colin Field, twice named the best in the world. The bar is famous for inventing the Serendipity cocktail and for perfecting classics like the Dry Martini and the Bloody Mary. It is a place steeped in history, where the ghosts of literary giants seem to linger in the warm, wood-paneled ambiance.