I love traveling to cities. You never run out of things to do! Whether you love galleries, shopping, nightlife restaurants, visiting museums, or simply people-watching around Central Park in New York or Regent and Hyde Park in London, there is always something to do!
We have selected the best hotels in our favorite cities so that you know where you should travel next to get your next hit “big city” hit and where you should stay to experience it in style and luxury. We also include the best way to score a deal at each hotel so that you travel in style while squeezing every last cent of value out of your trip.
1. Hotel Hermitage Monte Carlo
Our top choice is Monte Carlo and the luxury Hermitage hotel. Monte Carlo is truly my favorite city in the world. It has all the glitz and glamour of the Cote D’Azur with marinas, sunshine, stylish people, culture (numerous museums and exhibitions, as well as artwork, dotted throughout the Principality), supercars, and nightlife that goes on all night long.
Start your day with a marvelous breakfast at the belle epoque, a glass-roofed dining area at the Hermitage (hotel breakfasts don’t get better than this). Being just a stone’s throw from the legendary Casino Square and the action, you should then wander through the gardens and grab a coffee in the Metropole Mall, surrounded by designer shops. Next, buy a ridiculously priced pair of sparkly designer shoes and then have a stroll around the F1 Grand Prix track ending up in Casino Square, where you can sit out and show of your buys with a drink outside Cafe de Paris. In the afternoon, you can go for a swim at Thermes Marins Monte Carlo Health Club and catch some rays on their terrace before heading up to the terrace of the Hermitage hotel for a glass of champers overlooking the whole of Monaco. If you get your binoculars out, you might also be able to spot the prince in his castle from here. Every night in the summer is fireworks night, so watch the sky light up before heading to a concert, a nightclub, or the famous Casino for the rest of the night.
Tip: When staying at the Hotel Hermitage in Monaco, it is worth booking a room with a view of the harbor and the Mediterranean beyond.
2. Park Hyatt, Sydney, Australia
With views onto Sydney Opera House the luxury hotel Park Hyatt Sydney sits on the edge of the world’s most beautiful harbours.
This is one of the most sought-after points hotels in the world is the Park Hyatt Sydney, and although it does not have a club lounge, we have reviewed the best club lounges in Sydney, although it does occupy one of the best locations in Sydney. This convenient location means that you can walk pretty much everywhere, and where you can’t walk, you can ferry to, as Circular Quay, with all its boats, is just steps away.
This harborside residence offers intimate surroundings with architecture, art, and design that reflect the Australian landscape. 155 spacious guestrooms and suites have contemporary interiors and floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open to private balconies. There is a 24-hour butler service; and a day spa with a stunning rooftop pool and sundeck. All meals are offered in the multilevel Harbor Kitchen, where window walls open for optimal views of the Opera House and harbor activity.
3. The Langham, London, England
The Langham, London is my favorite hotel in London for so many reasons. I love the historic Jazz Lounge, where you can take the perfect afternoon tea. Every evening, a wonderful live jazz band plays jazz into the night. I love the swimming pool in the depths of the building. It’s warm, and as you swim up and down, you can hear the rumble of the underground trains below you.
I love that it is opposite the magnificent BBC building so that you can see celebrities go in and out (they often drink in the Langham bar), and you often see the newscasters broadcasting from just outside the building. If you ask for a room with a view of the BBC building, you can watch the drama from the privacy of your room. I love the marvelous spa here set in historic surroundings. The Roux at the Landau offers some of the best fine dining in London. And finally, I love the Langham club lounge here. It is stylish and beautifully designed with the most incredible array of food of any club lounge I have experienced around the world. This lounge features in my best club or executive lounges in London.
4. Four Seasons, New York, USA
Is there a more flashy city than New York, and you simply have to stay where “Mr. Big” always stays? That’s Four Seasons Hotel New York. Experience a five-star New York hotel living in this modern-deco landmark designed by famed architect I.M Pei. Located on “Billionaire’s Row” at the city’s most prestigious address, between Park Avenue and Madison Avenue, you will be just steps from Central Park and Madison Avenue shopping.
Infused with natural light and panoramic park and city views, enjoy serenity and luxury high above Manhattan’s exhilarating whirlwind.
5. Aman, Tokyo, Japan
A lovely mix of the serene and the urban is served at Aman Tokyo. Located in Otemachi I, the top 6 floors of the massive Otemachi Tower, the hotel is within easy reach of Tokyo Station and the thriving Nihonbashi district. Aman Tokyo is an urban sanctuary with a birds-eye view of the mix of tradition and modernity that epitomizes Tokyo. This hotel interior is inspired by traditional Japanese residential structures, with classic Japanese materials such as timber, Washi paper, and stone blended with modern technology and luxurious fabrics.
Nature combines with the city, from the Otemachi Forest and the hotel’s inner garden to the fabrics and art incorporated into the design. The hotel is managed by Aman, the world’s most exclusive hotel brand, and has 84 rooms and suites.
Each room has a large furo, a deep soaking tub intrinsic to the Japanese ritual of bathing. There is also a continuous reference to nature, from the hotel’s inner garden in the phenomenal lobby to the fabrics and art incorporated into the design.
There’s a fine-dining restaurant and a swanky bar, but the café here is a particular delight; a peaceful oasis offering green views through a 3,600-square-metre, manmade forest is tucked at the base of Aman Tokyo. Flooded with natural light through its floor-to-ceiling windows, the café provides both indoor and outdoor seating and is open for lunch and dinner. There’s also a spa which includes an indoor pool, a fitness center, a sauna, a hot tub, and massage services. This hotel also features in our five coolest hotels in Tokyo.
6. Four Seasons Paris, France
The Four Seasons Paris is located right in the center of Paris, and it is easy to get to via a taxi ride from Charles de Gaulle International Airport or Orly Airport. Paris is a year-round destination. Summer is balmy and ideal for romantic walks along the River Seine (they even make pretend sandy beaches for locals to sunbathe along the banks of the river). Autumn is misty and one of the best times to visit, with the leaves falling off the trees. Spring is known as the most romantic time of the year to visit, but it can get awfully cold in the winter in Paris, so I would always choose to visit late spring, summer, or early autumn to hedge my bets with the weather.
The Four Seasons Paris was actually built in 1928 and is nestled in the Golden Triangle of Paris, just off the historic Champs-Elysees. This hotel is almost impossibly dreamy and romantic. The flower-filled halls, the gorgeous indoor pool, the L’Orangerie outdoor terrace, and the views straight across to the Eifel Tower. It’s perfect! The thing that Four Seasons hotels do so well is to provide a guarantee of room quality, service, and of a resort of an extremely high standard, but this Four Seasons surpasses those expectations.
At the Four Seasons Paris, the rooms are beautiful, historic, and if you have the funds, you MUST book a stay in their Penthouse with a stunning terrace and Eifel Tower views. I doubt there is a better place to eat your breakfast or dine under the stars in Paris!
Superior rooms are the base rooms and offer the best deal whilst still taking advantage of the incredible experience of staying at a Four Seasons hotel. They are smaller than the Delux and Premier rooms at 37-40m2 but are still classic and beautiful. The larger Delux (38-50m2) and Premier (50-60m2) rooms are less cheap and consequently offer an even better experience, usually on a higher floor with better views. The Premier room can also take 2 adults plus one child, which is useful if you travel with your son or daughter.
A decadent new spa, an elegant swimming pool offers up one of the best ways to spend your day in Paris.
L’Orangerie is my favorite place to eat at this Four Seasons hotel. This art-deco–inspired, glass-and-steel restaurant is super stylish with an airy outside-inside feel. It has one Michelin-star, and the menu is traditional French cuisine. It attracts guests and locals alike. Le Cinq by Christian Le Squer combines classic ingredients with ambitious, new techniques and has three Michelin stars. Need I say more? Le George is an elegant restaurant with excellent food and light Mediterranean-style cuisine.
Le Bar is one of the best bars in Paris and an ideal place to drink pre or post a meal at Le Cinq or L’Orangerie.
Four Seasons Paris does have a lounge, La Galerie Lounge to be exact, which showcases Flemish tapestries, 19th-century paintings & furniture, as well as exquisite objets d’art. This is not, however, a club lounge. This lounge is more like a bar or a lounge where you might take afternoon tea. The fundamental difference is that you have to pay for drinks and food in this lounge, unlike the offering in a club lounge where everything is free once you have paid for the access and are through the door.
Although we cannot offer club lounge access at this Four Seasons hotel, we can book you into the Four Seasons Paris in with an incredible deal and benefits.
If you are specifically looking for the best club lounge in Paris, then look no further than the InterContinental executive lounge. If you book a standard room at the InterContinental in Paris, which is also one of our partner hotels, via our luxury travel concierge (rates tend to range from €200 to €600 EUR depending on the day and the season) you will get a guaranteed room upgrade and club lounge access absolutely free. This has got to be one of the best hotel deals in Paris!
7. Four Seasons Surf Club, Miami
What’s not to like? Being right on the beach but being a short drive from the exciting city center of Miami? The Surfside Four Seasons is beautiful and right on the beach. It is my favorite Four Seasons in Miami and is the best choice for the following reasons:
- Location just a few blocks south of the luxurious Bal Harbour shops and 20 minutes drive from South Beach
- The beach is just steps away
- The rooms have been beautifully and recently refurbished and offer stunning views
- Oceanfront views almost hang over the ocean with enormous floor-to-ceiling windows
- Glass-fronted balconies enable you to enjoy the sunshine in your own private space
- The pool is super stylish, and the gardens edge the beach with plenty of loungers
- The bar has a tropical feel with high ceilings
- The hotel oozes sophistication with photo opportunities at every corner!
8. The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, China
The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong offers a horizonless view across Hong Kong from one of the most prestigious luxury five-star hotels in Hong Kong. Located on floors 102-118 in the West Kowloon district’s International Commerce Centre, the hotel overlooks Victoria Harbor, revealing a virtual map of the city where guests can see a destination full of unlimited possibilities from 360-degree panoramic views.
Inside the communal areas, soaring architectural elements encrusted with custom glass artwork echo the signature glamour of the city below. The hotel offers 312 luxurious guest rooms and suites, all providing spectacular views of the city and Vitoria Harbor and state-of-the-art technology, including Wi-Fi, iPod docking stations, blu-ray DVD players, and stylish flat-screen TVs. Featuring six distinctive dining venues starting on the 102nd floor, guests can indulge in fine dining and casual cuisine ranging from traditional Chinese offerings and Italian specialties. An indoor infinity swimming pool located on the top floor features 144 LED screens on the ceiling that display colorful images.
9. Halekulani, Waikiki, Hawaii
Waikiki used to be a royal retreat and is now the largest and most popular resort area on the Hawaiian islands. It is bordered by a fabulous stretch of golden sand that sits in front of many high-rise hotels and resorts. The best hotels in Waikiki offer grounds that reach right down to the water’s edge. During the day, you can choose to enjoy the vibrancy of Waikiki or simply spend your days lazing by the pool and paddling in the sea.
The Halekulani is the best luxury resort on Waikiki Beach, with a beautiful pool and direct waterside access. Halekulani actually means “House Befitting Heaven” it was originally built in 1907 and is now completely refurbished. This is a large hotel, but it’s not large by Waikiki standards. All 410 guest rooms are excellent, with plenty of space and large lanais. They range between 415 and 485 ft.², and pricing depends on the view. The standard rooms overlook the gardens. Crucially 90% of all rooms offer an ocean view.
There are also 43 suites at the Halekulani, which tend to overlook the resort pool and beach. The lowest-level suites only offer a Romeo and Juliet balcony, so don’t get caught out if you like to sit out on a lounger with the privacy of your own balcony all day. The larger suites have larger balconies, and some even have a terrace. All are beautifully decorated in creams and greys, and light blues, which evoke the colors of the beach, the sea, and Diamond Head in the distance. Technology includes a 46-inch flat-screen TV, a DVD/CD entertainment center, and complimentary wireless Internet access. Bathrooms feature a deep soaking tub, a separate glassed-in shower, and a marble basin.
The place to spend the evening is the iconic “House without a Key”. It is the perfect place for early evening cocktails and live music as the sun sets. Follow your cocktail with an exclusive meal. Orchids and La Mer are two of the best restaurants in Hawaii, and they both reside in the Halekulani.
The hotel also offers an award-winning spa embracing the healing culture of the Pacific and a wide range of water sports, including outrigger canoe rides, surfing, snorkeling, and sailing, or you can just take in Waikiki’s world-famous beach culture. A kids’ program is also provided for families traveling with children during the summer months and at Christmas.
With its beautiful glass mosaic tiles designed as a rare orchid, the freshwater pool provides one of the most relaxing places for a swim in Waikiki.
It’s worth noting that there isn’t much beach bordering this hotel. The best stretch of beach in Waikiki is in front of the Hilton Village, which is just a couple of minutes walk away, or down by the Moana Surfrider, a short walk in the other direction. Here you can hire sun loungers and umbrellas, but having to walk up the coastline to use a beach is far from ideal.
At the Halekulani, you can enjoy the pool and the grounds but not sunbathe on the beach, as the hotel simply does not have much of a beach. On the bright side, you can take up free surf lessons here and paddle out to sea. It’s a great place to start this exciting sport!
If you prefer to explore the other Hawaiian islands and stretches of beach beyond Waikiki, take a look at our top ten best selection of the best luxury hotels in Hawaii. You may also be interested in which hotels are best for club lounges in Waikiki.
10. Le Richemond Geneva, Switzerland
Bordered on three sides by France and within view of snow-capped Alps, Geneva is a city of world diplomacy and commerce – with art galleries, an opera house, gourmet restaurants, and vibrant nightlife.
Le Richemond, the Four Seasons, Beau-Rivage, the Kempinski, and Hotel d’Angleterre, are all located on Geneva’s ritzy left bank, with front-row views of the Jet d’Eau fountain and the summit of Mont Blanc beyond. It is literally a 5-minute stroll from the Four Seasons to the Kempinski past Le Richemond and Hotel d’Angleterre in the middle. North along the promenade, and you’ll soon reach the Bains de Pâquis, a trendy lakeside bathing spot, and the formal gardens of Mon Repos Park.
You can also walk or take a yellow mouette boat (such fun, and the Kempinski and Le Richemond give you free tickets) across the lake to the Quai-Gustave-Ador where you find the Jardin Anglais, and the alley-filled Vieille Ville, where you can visit the neoclassical Cathédrale St-Pierre.
Geneva Airport is only around 20 minutes drive from the center of Geneva. There are trains connecting the airport to the town center, but the easiest and most convenient way to get to Geneva is to take a quick taxi ride. Equally, the train station is just over five minutes from the luxury lakefront hotels and is another convenient way to arrive. British Airways flies from London to Geneva in just over an hour.
Le Richemond hotel, which we have reviewed in more detail, won our hearts as it is ultra-luxury and has bags of character. It is not on the busy lakefront road and is instead located down a diagonal side road just off the main drag, overlooking a pretty park. This is our top choice in Geneva and features in our listing of the best luxury hotels in Geneva.
Lakeside rooms still benefit from the magnificent views of the lake from their windows and balconies, but you are protected from the activity and the noise on the busy lakefront road.
The decor at Le Richemond is classic and historical, with a touch of fun. The Foyer is a mass of marble pillars and floors, which are bought to life with gold mosaic tiles that make the place sparkle. The hotel has its own florist, and the floral displays in the lobby and in the rooms are magnificent and colorful.
To the left of the foyer is Le Bar, and to the right is Le Jardin Restaurant which has a lovely terrace adorned with red flowers which overlook the vibrant street and Brunswick Gardens beyond.
If I were to describe the ambiance of the hotel, I would say it has an almost Parisien “Joie de vivre”. Not only is it luxurious, but you feel that the staff genuinely cares that you love the hotel as much as they do.
Beyond the main bar and restaurant and impressive foyer, there is an exclusive Spa by Sisley. There is no pool at Le Richemond. To be honest, the lack of a pool is the only thing that is missing from this gorgeous hotel, and this is not unusual in Geneva; most luxury hotels in Geneva don’t have a pool. Everything else is as good as it gets.
Tip: All the rooms at Le Richemond are gorgeous. If you can, book the Suite Ambassador. Otherwise, I suggest requesting a room at the front of the building, as the view over the gardens and the lake is amazing, and many of the rooms had beautiful balconies to enjoy it from. Waking up in the morning to the vista of Lake Geneva with the fountain right in front of you really can’t be beaten!
11. The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore
The Fullerton Hotel in Singapore is one of the best luxury hotel choices in Singapore, made even better because we can get you into their magnificent club lounge for free. This makes this hotel our best choice in Singapore.
The Fullerton Hotel is located at the mouth of the Singapore River and is a mass of grand staircases, high ceilings, and marble. Super classy! This area was originally the heart of colonial Singapore. A nearby footbridge dates back as far as 1870.
When you stay here, you are a three-minute walk from the boat quay, which offers a lively nightlife with lots of restaurants and bars. Beyond Boat Quay, there are other quays that again offer great options for nightlife. Chinatown and Little India are also close by if you take public transport.
This hotel is magnificent, with a pillared frontage, historic dining rooms, and glorious waterfront views. The hotel is actually dwarfed by the surrounding skyscrapers but offers a nice slice of history on the waterfront.
The rooms are extremely generous in size, as are the bathrooms, but the highlight for me here is the pool, which is infinity in design on floor two and has great views of the river and bay.
The Straits Club Lounge at the Fullerton elevates your luxury stay further by offering breakfast, including champagne breakfast (Veuve Cliquot) afternoon tea and evening drinks and snacks all for free if you book a club room. This lounge features in our best club or executive lounges in Singapore and, crucially if you book using our luxury travel concierge can get access to this lounge included in your room booking for free.
The food at breakfast, tea, and cocktails in the evening is extensive and should fill you up. There are daily specials at each mealtime, and as you would expect from a hotel of this caliber, the food quality and the array are excellent. Although it is lovely to take advantage of these freebies, it is worth popping up to the rooftop bar to take in the views at least once during your stay.
From the rooftop Lantern Bar at the Fullerton Hotel, you can actually look out to the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore with its ridiculous rooftop pool that spans the breadth of the top of three buildings. It’s quite something to look at.
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