Hotels

Located in Yountville (a small town with no less than four Michelin starred restaurants) in California’s Napa Valley, Bardessono is an award-winning boutique hotel specially commended for its green credentials. The hotel uses salvaged materials, geothermal heating, and solar energy to bring cutting-edge eco-philosophy to California’s wine region. You can …

This resort was opened in 2008 and is located along a tusk of white sand on Mexico’s Riviera Maya. Its eco-design blends with the environment but still offers luxurious suites, pools, and sundecks. The resort has so married to the needs of the environment that with its guests, it has …

TripAdvisor, the world’s most influential hotel site, named the Grand Hotel Kronenhof the world’s best hotel in their Traveler’s Choice Awards 2014. Located in the Engadin valley in Switzerland, the setting has 322 days of sunlight each year with china blue skies and ivory white snow all around. The hotel …

Pangkor Laut is a private island just off the Malaysian coast. It is 300 acres (121 hectares) in size, and most of it is pristine forest. The buildings of the resort have been woven into the verdant hillside creating a tranquil atmosphere. There are various kinds of villas available, from …

This is the highest hotel in the Swiss Alps, located 3,100 meters (10,170 feet) above sea level (this is where it gets its name from). It took ten years to build the 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat, and it was completed in 1907. Two observatories were constructed in 1996, one on each …

Arriving at Jungfraujoch station there is a sign proclaiming this to be the “Top of Europe”. Operators, Jungfraubahn put the sign there being proud of the fact their railway includes the highest mainline station in Europe. Trains pull through a tunnel somehow carved out of the solid rock and arrive …

Located just north of San Diego in the small beach town of Del Mar, this hotel is a world of pleasure. Your room is large and has a bar, Nespresso machine, balcony, and stunning bathroom – more like an apartment than a hotel room. I have even heard a rumor …

This historical building is an example of metabolism, a movement in Japanese architecture that drew inspiration from how living organisms arrange themselves. Metabolists viewed society as an organism, and the Nakagin Tower, built in 1972, is one of the few remaining examples of their work. Recently, there has been a …

This hotel commands a view of the Aegean Sea built, as it is, onto a rocky hillside on Rhodes. The architecture takes inspiration from the traditional buildings of the island, mixes a little minimalism, and lets in a sweet breeze. Nearby is the village of Lindos where the sound of …

Who can afford the ₤150,000-a-week it costs to charter a superyacht? Not many. But thanks to the Sunborn London you can still experience the life of a sexy sea-dog. It is a 394ft superyacht that has been converted into a luxury hotel. Permanently moored at Royal Victoria Dock, the financial …

This newly restored hotel was first opened in 1927 and brought luxury to the distant western coast of Canada. Over the years celebrities such as Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and Katharine Hepburn have visited this grand hotel. The restoration cost over $120 million and no wonder when you consider the art …

This mountain hut is owned by the Swiss Alpine Club and lies 3240 meters above sea level overlooking a glacier pass. In order to get there, you have to hike across the glacier itself. Approach then, on the north side of the Lotschenlucke. The caretaker will see you from miles …

The site was originally home to the Snoqualmie Falls Lodge (built in 1919), and now the building has been renovated to become the Salish Lodge and Spa. The exterior was used as a location for the cult TV show Twin Peaks, and while the interior has changed, fans of the …

In C.S Lewis’ classic Narnia tale, The Magician’s Nephew, Polly Plumber – a little girl – finds a secret part of her house and pretends it is a smuggler’s cave by leaving some empty beer bottles in there. Luckily these caves are better than that. A whole lot better. For …

Perched 800 meters above sea level, this hotel sits on the edge of the Ramon Crater which is the world’s largest makhtesh – a landform unique to Israel where water erosion creates deep craters. Despite being located in the middle of the desert landscape, the temperature is cool all year …

This guesthouse was built over 160 years ago by farmers who needed a place to hang out so their goats could graze. This seems like an achievement on par with the pyramids. I mean, how do you drag that much timber up a mountain and then build it into a …

This boutique hotel is located in the “Valley of the Kings” where Balinese royalty once cavorted. Stay in one of 25 private villas each with a furry thatched roof, private terrace, and treatment room where relaxation is the order of the day. Each villa has a private pool, gazebo, and …

This amazing Napoleon III building is situated 15 minutes from Cannes in 22 acres of private parkland. Built in 1870 it was originally intended to serve as a writer’s retreat but that didn’t work out and the property became a luxury hotel that still attracted famous writers and artists. Yes, …

One of the most incredible structures on Earth, the Burj Al Arab, was built in the shape of an Arabian dhow, or yacht's sail. The planners wanted a monolithic structure, but neither did they want to cast a shadow over downtown Dubai, so they built it 919 feet (280 meters) …

In 2011, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened. It is the first large American art museum opened since 1974 and is the project of a Walmart heiress who spent a number of years amassing a collection of fine art and arranging it in the museum located in the …