Best Luxury Hotels in the World
Sep 13, 2017, 4:26 pm
#17
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
Sep 13, 2017, 6:08 pm
#18
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Brunei
Programs: Enrich Sapphire. Kris Flyer Silver.Le Club Accorhotels,Starwood.
Posts: 2,201
To get started here is my list:
City Hotels:
1) The Shangri-La, Kota Kinabalu
2) The Ritz, Hong Kong
3) The Shangri-La, Singapore
4) The Grand Hyatt, Kuala Lumpur
5) The Shangri-La, Kuala Lumpur
6) The Lanesborough, London
7) Citidines, Bali
8) Banyan Tree, Bangkok
9) Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
10) Raffles Hotel, Singapore
All these names of hotels being listed are all biased towards western hotels for guests who only travel to those destinations and do not reflect the reality that the very best hotels in the world are actually outside of the USA and Europe. I know many will disagree with my list but that's how I see things.
City Hotels:
1) The Shangri-La, Kota Kinabalu
2) The Ritz, Hong Kong
3) The Shangri-La, Singapore
4) The Grand Hyatt, Kuala Lumpur
5) The Shangri-La, Kuala Lumpur
6) The Lanesborough, London
7) Citidines, Bali
8) Banyan Tree, Bangkok
9) Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
10) Raffles Hotel, Singapore
All these names of hotels being listed are all biased towards western hotels for guests who only travel to those destinations and do not reflect the reality that the very best hotels in the world are actually outside of the USA and Europe. I know many will disagree with my list but that's how I see things.
Last edited by wolf72; Sep 13, 2017 at 6:43 pm
Sep 13, 2017, 6:29 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
how would you compare those to others in Bali and HK?
all past threads: most choices located in asia pacific and africa
south america would include 2 awasi and possibly a few others
europe - ballyfin, vitznau, feltrinelli (and possibly several in paris)
US - twin farms (also two 'non-hotels' with private ski resorts)
those european properties dont have anything similar
while twin farms similar to number of properties in NZ
europe also has FS florence, aman venice, villa d'este, etc
bhrubin, 'disagree' as linked thread is only one i find interesting
(linked thread says nothing re best/favorite, plus 'pick only one')
all past threads: most choices located in asia pacific and africa
south america would include 2 awasi and possibly a few others
europe - ballyfin, vitznau, feltrinelli (and possibly several in paris)
US - twin farms (also two 'non-hotels' with private ski resorts)
those european properties dont have anything similar
while twin farms similar to number of properties in NZ
europe also has FS florence, aman venice, villa d'este, etc
bhrubin, 'disagree' as linked thread is only one i find interesting
(linked thread says nothing re best/favorite, plus 'pick only one')
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Sep 13, 2017 at 7:47 pm
Sep 13, 2017, 8:18 pm
#20
formerly known as deathscar
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Virtuoso | Four Seasons Preferred Partner | Rosewood Elite | Hyatt Prive - and more
Posts: 2,096
City: 1) Upper House, 2) Peninsula Shanghai 3) The Peninsula Bangkok 4) The Lodhi 5) The PuLi Shanghai
Rural: 1) Amandari? 2) Amanfayun 3) Amanbagh. The last two really make it in just for the location and vibe, cos some other stuff wasn't quite up to par.
Hot/beach: 1) Amankila 2) Amanpulo 3) Amanusa
Cold/skiing: Haven't done one in years
Unusual: 1) Aman-i-Khas 2) Amansara
Heritage: Taj Falaknuma Palace. Stayed at The Fairmont and Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco but sadly they just weren't good enough to make a list of anything 'top'
Overall:
1) Amankila (or Aman Bali as a whole, really) / Amanpulo
3) Taj Falaknuma Palace
4) Aman-i-Khas
5) The Upper House
Sep 13, 2017, 9:30 pm
#21
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,221
City:
-- Le Bristol, Paris
-- The Beverly Hills Hotel
Beach:
-- Laucala, Fiji
-- Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Cabo, Mexico
-- La Casa que Canta, Zihuatanejo, Mexico
Bucolic/Country
-- Twin Farms, Vermont, USA
-- Gravetye Manor, UK
-- Le Bristol, Paris
-- The Beverly Hills Hotel
Beach:
-- Laucala, Fiji
-- Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Cabo, Mexico
-- La Casa que Canta, Zihuatanejo, Mexico
Bucolic/Country
-- Twin Farms, Vermont, USA
-- Gravetye Manor, UK
Sep 14, 2017, 2:36 am
#22
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Everywhere
Programs: UA GS 3MM, NH PLT
Posts: 764
City: Ellerman House, Peninsula Bangkok, MO Tokyo, FS Cairo at Nile Plaza
Rural: Casa Palopó, Amanbagh, Gora Kadan, Amanjiwo, Amankora
Hot/Beach: Amanpulo
Cold: Amangani (Mrs. KI-NRT doesn't much like cold!)
Nature: Tswalu Kalahari, Greystoke Mahale, Banjaar Tola, Zarafa Camp, Bosque del Cabo, Borneo Rainforest Lodge
Heritage: Palacio Nazarenas, Umaid Bhawan Palace, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Ship: Aria by Aqua Expeditions (Peruvian Amazon), Lindblad National Geographic Orion (Antarctica)
Rural: Casa Palopó, Amanbagh, Gora Kadan, Amanjiwo, Amankora
Hot/Beach: Amanpulo
Cold: Amangani (Mrs. KI-NRT doesn't much like cold!)
Nature: Tswalu Kalahari, Greystoke Mahale, Banjaar Tola, Zarafa Camp, Bosque del Cabo, Borneo Rainforest Lodge
Heritage: Palacio Nazarenas, Umaid Bhawan Palace, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Ship: Aria by Aqua Expeditions (Peruvian Amazon), Lindblad National Geographic Orion (Antarctica)
Last edited by KI-NRT; Sep 14, 2017 at 2:43 am
Sep 14, 2017, 11:20 am
#23
formerly declinespecificinformatiom
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 1,140
They make me lose my vim and vigor, so I had to stop. I think the voices will stop in the next few days though.
My current favorite city hotel in the world is El Palauet Living, even if it's not full-service like Le Bristol or Westin Vendome.
Beach-ish: Iniala, Fregate, St. Regis Bora Bora
Safari: Chitwa Chitwa and Tassia Lodge.
Rural: Haven't been to many, but Amanbagh perhaps? Tassia is super rural.
Cold: We rent lodges with friends for ski trips, so never a hotel.
My current favorite city hotel in the world is El Palauet Living, even if it's not full-service like Le Bristol or Westin Vendome.
Beach-ish: Iniala, Fregate, St. Regis Bora Bora
Safari: Chitwa Chitwa and Tassia Lodge.
Rural: Haven't been to many, but Amanbagh perhaps? Tassia is super rural.
Cold: We rent lodges with friends for ski trips, so never a hotel.
Sep 15, 2017, 3:12 am
#27
formerly known as deathscar
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Virtuoso | Four Seasons Preferred Partner | Rosewood Elite | Hyatt Prive - and more
Posts: 2,096
My Peninsula Bangkok pick would be because I've never stayed at The Siam (or the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok)!
However, from reading on here, I'm not sure I'm quite a fan of MO's stringent policies re: dress code in a city as hot and humid as Bangkok.
However, from reading on here, I'm not sure I'm quite a fan of MO's stringent policies re: dress code in a city as hot and humid as Bangkok.
Sep 15, 2017, 4:32 am
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,052
Whoa. That's a bit much from the La Normandie staff there. I've never run afoul of their rules and I agree that they're antiquated in this day and age.
Sep 15, 2017, 9:03 am
#30
formerly known as deathscar
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Virtuoso | Four Seasons Preferred Partner | Rosewood Elite | Hyatt Prive - and more
Posts: 2,096
I'm not completely against imposing a dress code at (one or two max) restaurant venues in an upscale/luxury city hotel. I understand. Or in a ballroom or whatever.
However, if I'm about to go out into Bangkok before noon on a searing hot day, I am NOT going to be wearing anything other than shorts and flip flops.
However, if I'm about to go out into Bangkok before noon on a searing hot day, I am NOT going to be wearing anything other than shorts and flip flops.