Hilton Hotel Tahiti
Papeete, French Polynesia · Hilton
The polished first and last night of any Polynesian itinerary: lagoon views to Moorea, five minutes from the airport, no overwater theatre.
Independent, First-Hand Reviews
Hotel Reviews
Every hotel on these pages has been slept in, dined in and scored by our editors — 159 in-depth reviews and counting.
Fairmont Taghazout Bay
Taghazout, Morocco · Fairmont
Morocco's beach done with real style: contemporary Moroccan design, a proper hammam and Atlantic sunsets, with Taghazout's surf next door.
Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing
Beijing, China · Mandarin Oriental
A small, discreet rooftop boutique that puts you a short walk from the Forbidden City with genuinely personal service.
The Dorian
Calgary, Canada · Autograph Collection
A witty, literary-themed boutique tower that gives downtown Calgary a proper design hotel and a genuinely good rooftop.
Arizona Biltmore
Phoenix, United States · Waldorf Astoria
Phoenix's grande dame still trades on 1929 glamour, and after the Waldorf Astoria polish it mostly earns it.
Radisson Blu Yas Island
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates · Radisson
The sensible way to do Yas Island's theme parks, provided you steer well clear of Grand Prix week pricing.
Dylan Hotel New York
New York City, United States
Proof Midtown need not mean shoebox rooms: a Beaux-Arts boutique with real space a block from Grand Central, at a sane price.
Le Château Montebello
Montebello, Canada · Fairmont
Come for the log-cabin novelty, stay because it is the rare resort that is genuinely better with children and snow.
Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou
Guangzhou, China · Mandarin Oriental
A polished Tianhe tower with a Michelin-starred Cantonese kitchen and high-floor river views, plugged straight into the malls and the metro.
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
Las Vegas, United States · Four Seasons
The best answer in the city for people who want Vegas on their own terms: silent floors, a private pool and no casino between you and bed.
Radisson Lackawanna Station
Scranton, United States · Radisson
Worth booking for the building alone: a French Renaissance railway station of 1908 whose stained-glass concourse is now the finest hotel lobby in Scranton.
Radisson Blu Aqua
Chicago, United States · Radisson
Sleep inside a Chicago architectural landmark for four-star money, a ten-minute walk from Millennium Park.
Joinery Hotel Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States · Hilton
A characterful Curio conversion in the middle of Downtown Pittsburgh, strong on design and service, honest about being a compact city hotel rather than a resort.
Radisson Blu Scandinavia
Gothenburg, Sweden · Radisson
Not glamorous, but the smartest base in Gothenburg: the station is over the road and everything else is a ten-minute walk.
Fairmont Ambassador Seoul
Seoul, South Korea · Fairmont
Seoul's slickest new-build five-star: Han River views, polished service and Yeouido calm, provided you forgive the financial district after dark.
Radisson Blu Toronto Downtown
Toronto, Canada · Radisson
A modest hotel with an immodest position on the water; in summer the rooftop pool deck settles the argument.
Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
One of Guanacaste's easier all-inclusives to recommend: genuine seclusion, eight reservation-free restaurants and monkeys in the trees, if you can forgive the rocky beach.
Fairmont Tremblant
Mont-Tremblant, Canada · Fairmont
The best address on Tremblant's slopes, sold on position and pools rather than polish.
Fairmont Makkah
Makkah, Saudi Arabia · Fairmont
No hotel on earth puts you closer to the Kaaba, and everything else here is competent support for that single fact.
Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta
Jakarta, Indonesia · Mandarin Oriental
Refined, central city luxury overlooking the Bundaran HI, strong on dining and service in the middle of Jakarta.
The Lodge at Gulf State Park
Gulf Shores, United States · Hilton
A LEED-Gold, beachfront state-park lodge that turns Alabama's Gulf Shores into a genuine eco-getaway.
Radisson Blu Hotel Milan
Milan, Italy · Radisson
Quiet Villapizzone comfort with a proper pool and sauna, for travellers who value calm and value over a Duomo doorstep.
Fairmont Ajman
Ajman, United Arab Emirates · Fairmont
A proper Fairmont beach resort at northern-emirates prices, all calm water and quiet sand 40 minutes from Dubai's noise.
Radisson Hotel Corning
Corning, United States · Radisson
The obvious Corning base: a flat ten-minute walk to the glass museum, two blocks to Market Street dinner, and fair rates in between.