Reviews of the world's best hotels and resorts

Basecamp feature stories
See all

La rosa vita
Ticino, Switzerland

One of the Giardino group’s five Swiss hotels, the Giardino Ascona in the sunny, Italian-speaking canton Ticino, Switzerland offers pioneering wellness packages based on the ancient Indian medicine system of Ayurveda. We checked in mind, body and soul for some...

Deer in the wild, Western Cape, South Africa

Land of our ancestors
Western Cape, South Africa

The sheer scale of South Africa has a way of putting life in perspective – a trait we...

I will walk 500 miles
Glen Artney, Scotland

Gleneagles in Auchterarder may be best known for its golf, but it’s also within easy reach of the...

On home turf
Selfoss, Iceland

When Reykjavík’s rich fancy a bit of R&R, they make for their luxury cabin retreats in Selfoss. And...

The power of dreams
Sumba, Indonesia

On the lesser-visited Indonesian island of Sumba, Zack Cahill finds a perfect paradise at the Lelewatu Resort –...

Bequia Beach Hotel, Belmont, Bequia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Future perfect
Bequia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Bequia has been a favourite for years among cognoscenti of the Caribbean and it’s easy to see why...

Pattaya, take two
Na-Jomtien, Thailand

Few are the places we vow never to return to – Pattaya, turned tawdry, was one of them....

Villa Royale, Palm Springs, California, USA

Fifties and fabulous
Palm Springs, California, USA

For an entire generation of classic Hollywood movie stars, Palm Springs was a cheeky weekend getaway. We hole...

Fantasy Island
The Maldives

This corner of the Indian Ocean has long been touted as true paradise on earth – so it’s...

Belmond Andean Explorer, Arequipa, Cusco, Peru

Beyond Paddington
Arequipa & Cusco, Peru

Brits have a love affair with deepest, darkest Peru thanks to an adventurous fictional bear that planted the...

Bawah Reserve, Anambas Islands, Indonesia

Reach for the skies
Anambas Islands, Indonesia

If you’re bored with Bali and tired of Thailand, the Bawah Reserve could well be the answer to...

Hotel reviews
See all

Exterior view of Glenapp Castle Hotel, Ballantrae, Scotland

Glenapp Castle Hotel
Ballantrae, Scotland, United Kingdom

We first saw Glenapp Castle Hotel in 2002, after it had been painstakingly renovated by Scottish hoteliers, the...

Illa Experience Hotel
Quito, Ecuador

A true boutique, with just ten rooms, the Illa Experience Hotel occupies an adorable 19th-century building in San...

Sea Containers
London, United Kingdom

Walking into the hull-inspired lobby at London’s Sea Containers, we couldn’t quite believe it’s been some seven years...

Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de la Celle
La Celle, France

After a scenic drive into the heart of Provence away from the millionaires’ playgrounds of the south of...

The views from Bushmans Kloof, Western Cape, South Africa

Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat
Western Cape, South Africa

Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat is a magical and storied retreat, surrounded by jaw-dropping landscapes that...

Hotel Telegraaf, Autograph Collection
Tallinn, Estonia

The Hotel Telegraaf is a place to stay that’s both an architectural marvel and a place rich in...

Henry’s Townhouse
London, United Kingdom

It’s rare to be able to take over an entire, historic London townhouse for a holiday in the...

Castello di Casole, a Belmond Hotel
Tuscany, Italy

Like the rest of the jet-set, we have a real love affair with Tuscany. One of its jewels...

Casa Gangotena
Quito, Ecuador

We love storied properties. Casa Gangotena’s goes back to 1600. Housing imperialists, cacao barons,the first presidents of the...

Home House
London, United Kingdom

Home House has been a stalwart of the London members club scene for years, but look closer into...

Lelewatu Resort
Sumba, Indonesia

If you’re looking for adventure with a large slice of luxury on the far flung island of Sumba,...

Brookdale Estate
Paarl, South Africa

They say that the pearl is a queen of gems and a gem of queens, a fitting way...

The Orangery at Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland

The Gleneagles Hotel
Auchterarder, Scotland, United Kingdom

The reputation of the Gleneagles Hotel – the self-billed ‘Glorious Playground’ – precedes itself as the Scottish bastion...

Taj Rishikesh Resort & Spa, Uttarakhand
Rishikesh, India

The foothills of the Indian Himalayas in the country’s north is an ethereal place to visit, a popular...

Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel
Cape Town, South Africa

One of the world’s top historical hotels, locals and fans alike affectionately call this rose-pink palace ‘The Nelly’...

Theory by Ecoventura
Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

When sailing the magical Galápagos on an expedition of a lifetime, the Relais & Châteaux fleet of luxury...

The Squire restaurant at Fairmont St Andrews, Scotland

Fairmont St Andrews
St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom

There aren’t many golf resorts where you’ll have the chance to spot dolphins being their playful selves in...

The Apurva Kempinski Bali
Bali, Indonesia

Bali has a long reputation for beachside luxury, but the opulent temple to escapism that is Apurva Kempinski...

The Mitre Hotel
London, United Kingdom

With a privileged position in one of London’s greenest and most historic neighbourhoods, The Mitre Hotel by Hampton...

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London Rosebery Lounge

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
London, United Kingdom

Like a phoenix rising from the flames (Londoners will know that we mean this quite literally, as the...

Interior detail at Palacio de los Duques Gran Melia, Madrid, Spain

Palacio de los Duques Gran Meliá
Madrid, Spain

When in Madrid, few hotels compare to the sprawling splendour of the Palacio de los Duques Gran Meliá...

Cap Juluca, a Belmond Hotel
Anguilla

Cap Juluca, a Belmond Hotel is legendary, lauded by the jet-set as one of the most coveted places...

Duxton Reserve Singapore, Autograph Collection exterior

Duxton Reserve, Autograph Collection
Singapore

We found this charming Tanjong Pagar property – the Duxton Reserve Singapore, Autograph Collection – designed by British...

Hotel Esencia
Riviera Maya, Mexico

Equidistant between Playa del Carmen and Tulum in the exotic-sounding Xpu-Ha, the Hotel Esencia is set in the...

OutThere innkeepers
See all

Paolo Kastelec & Philip Robinson, Villa Fontelunga, Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Paolo Kastelec & Philip Robinson
Villa Fontelunga, Arezzo, Italy

Far from the tourist-trodden streets of Florence and Siena, Villa Fontelunga is a honeypot for guests from around...

Bruce Badrock and David Woodbine, Five Acre Barn, United Kingdom

Bruce Badrock & David Woodbine
Five Acre Barn, United Kingdom

Escaping from the big city to the peace and quiet of a rural setting can come at a...

Julian Cole and Jean Abreu, Cable Street Inn, London, United Kingdom

Julian Cole & Jean Abreu
Cable Street Inn, London, United Kingdom

Just a mile from the internationally recognised symbol for London that is Tower Bridge, in a quiet corner...