Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
Jasper, Canada · Fairmont
Canada's great wilderness lodge, trading marble polish for lake, elk and a century of charm.
Independent, First-Hand Reviews
Hotel Reviews
Every hotel on these pages has been slept in, dined in and scored by our editors — 169 in-depth reviews and counting.
Radisson Plaza Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, United States · Radisson
Kalamazoo's de facto grand hotel: the whole downtown works from its lobby, and nothing else in town comes close.
Radisson Ocean Pavillion
Cartagena, Colombia · Radisson
Beachfront ease at honest rates, if you accept the taxi ride every time the walled city calls.
Fairmont Amman
Amman, Jordan · Fairmont
Amman's best all-round five-star: hilltop views, a serious Gold floor and Jordanian warmth applied with real polish.
Millennium Hilton One UN Plaza
New York City, United States · Hilton
Every room starts on the 28th floor, and the East River views do the work the decor sometimes doesn't.
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
Chicago, United States · Four Seasons
Chicago's most complete grand hotel: lake views from the tower, a Roman-columned pool and service with a long memory.
Fairmont Singapore
Singapore · Fairmont
A 778-room location machine above two MRT lines, redeemed from anonymity by balconies, a dozen restaurants and one of Asia's biggest hotel spas.
Palace Hotel Como
Como, Italy
The sane way to do Lake Como: a true lakefront address, Belle Epoque manners and rates that leave money for boat hire.
The Foundry Hotel Asheville
Asheville, United States · Hilton
Asheville's old steel foundry reborn as an 87-room design hotel, with Benne on Eagle putting real Appalachian cooking on the plate.
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.
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.