1. Hotel Monasterio, Cuzco, Peru: a former monastery now operated as a hotel by the Orient Express group. Wonderfully charming, personalised service, handsome luxurious rooms in one of the most lovely cities in the world. A coca pisco in the hotel bar is just the tonic for altitude sickness.
2. Alvear Palace, Buenos Aires, Argentina: how a five-star hotel is meant to be. Sumptuous interiors, service which anticipates a guest's every need and a hard-to-beat location slap in the middle of BA's smart Recoleta neighbourhood. I declined the offer to have my luggage unpacked by a butler - it seemed the decent thing to do given that it contained soiled clothing from a week's trekking. The hotel is such an institution that you'll find the city's grandees taking tea here.
3. Hotel Victoria, Glion sur Montreux, Switzerland: Built in 1869 with stunning views over Lake Geneva. Fabulous on-site restaurant. Take the early mountain train up to the peak of Rochers du Naye and then head down to Montreux for a lakeside promenade late afternoon.
4. Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong: prior to the refurbishment this would've had my # 1 slot. The rooms and suites have lost their original charm - like being aboard 1950s-styled Royal Yacht Britannia - as well as their most distinctive feature, the balconies. The MOHK remains a legend though.
5. Hotel Explora, Patagonia, Chile: Set in the middle of one of the most beautiful locations on this earth, the Torres del Paine national park. Sublime.
6. The Mansion on O Street, Washington D.C., USA: 19th Century salon society meets The Mad Hatter's tea party in Alice in Wonderland. Quite a surreal experience.
7. Mount Nelson, Cape Town, South Africa: Book one of the garden cottages for an unforgettable stay and laze by the adults only pool in the shadow of Table Mountain. The Planet Champagne Bar draws in the city's beautiful people.
8. Camino Real Club and Suites, Mexico City, Mexico: A real design gem, very much in the style of Brasilia or the UN building in New York. The traffic and smog of the city seems like a world away in here.
9. Schlosshotel im Grunewald, Berlin, Germany: Stunning former palace in Berlin's smartest suburb and just 15 mins cab ride from Tegel airport. Complimentary champagne with breakfast, elegant bar and cigar room, beautiful grand dining room. There's an indoor pool and spa too. If the pressures of life are getting too much for you, lock yourself away here for a couple of nights and emerge pampered and restored.
10. Pera Palas, Istanbul, Turkey: built by the Orient Express railway company in 1892 and often frequented by Agatha Christie. It's now owned by the Turkish state and on my last visit was additionally charming for its faded grandeur. Lovely touches like a bell hop who presses floor buttons in the lift. At time of writing, closed for refurbishment until late 2009 - let's hope it retains its character.