Rosewood Little Dix Bay
Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands · Rosewood
Laurance Rockefeller's 1964 original, rebuilt with restraint after Irma into the calmest aristocrat in the British Virgin Islands.
The Collection
Beach
Barefoot luxury on sand worth crossing the world for.
Voaara Madagascar
Madagascar
The most exciting new beach address in the Indian Ocean, precisely because it is not in the Maldives.
Amanruya
Bodrum, Turkey · Aman
Bodrum with the volume turned right down: private pools, olive groves and barely another guest in sight.
Hilton Fiji Beach Resort
Denarau Island, Fiji · Hilton
Fiji's most dependable family resort: a long west-facing beachfront, seven pools and the airport twenty minutes away.
Fairmont Royal Pavilion
St James, Barbados · Fairmont
Every room faces the sea, and this sea is the whole argument: calm, clear and ten steps from your balcony.
Rosewood Sanya
Sanya, China · Rosewood
Haitang Bay's most composed resort: sea-view rooms as standard, a show-stopping infinity pool and luxury with the volume turned down.
Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates · Waldorf Astoria
A palatial, family-friendly Gulf resort on Al Hamra's beach that trades hype for genuine desert-meets-sea calm.
Fairmont The Palm
Dubai, United Arab Emirates · Fairmont
A sensible luxury choice on the Palm's trunk: private beach, serious kids' provision and better restaurants than its rates suggest.
Mandarin Oriental Jumeira
Dubai, United Arab Emirates · Mandarin Oriental
A sleek modern beachfront flagship that pairs a genuine Jumeirah beach with serious dining and one of Dubai's best spas.
Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya
Riviera Maya, Mexico · Waldorf Astoria
The former Waldorf Astoria Cancun reborn as a polished, low-key beach resort near Puerto Morelos, strong on spa and dining.
Radisson Ocean Pavillion
Cartagena, Colombia · Radisson
Beachfront ease at honest rates, if you accept the taxi ride every time the walled city calls.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates · Fairmont
Book it for the mosque view across the creek; the private beach, the Gold lounge and Marco Pierre White's grill are what keep you there.
Radisson Resort Miami Beach
Miami Beach, United States · Radisson
An oceanfront Mid-Beach base that swaps South Beach's crush for a quieter stretch of sand, with the Faena District a boardwalk stroll away.
Casa Chameleon Las Catalinas
Costa Rica
A honeymooners' eyrie that borrows its nightlife from the car-free town below and keeps its mornings entirely to itself.
The Gates Hotel South Beach
Miami, United States · Hilton
A cheerful, good-value DoubleTree a block off the sand on Collins, trading beachfront for a smart Deco-district base.
Riu Republica
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic · RIU
A cheerful, unapologetic adults-only party resort on a genuinely good Bavaro beach, priced for groups who came to let loose rather than to unwind.
Fairmont Fujairah
Fujairah, United Arab Emirates · Fairmont
Not a headline act, but as an unhurried east-coast escape from Dubai's noise it does exactly what it promises.