1. COMO The Treasury,
Perth - still my favourite city hotel in Australia for the hard product. We had two enormous rooms connected by a wide passageway, providing more space than most suites. Excellent breakfast as usual.
2. Intercon Double Bay,
Sydney - I’m including this because there are so few decent options in Sydney. Not dissimilar to the Langham in decor and size. It’s a good option if you intend to spend time in Sydney’s eastern suburbs
3. Four Seasons
Hong Kong - decor is not exciting but I was really struck by the excellent, personal service we received on this visit (a few months before the protests began). It went up in my estimation
4. The Lowell,
NYC - LOVED this. Rooms need a refresh but the service was just excellent. I stayed here for a special event and the concierge team were unbelievable - hands down the best concierge service I’ve had in New York
5. The Bel-Air,
LA - this hotel stands out for its consistency for me. Always great service
6. Belmond El Encanto,
Santa Barbara - charming, very spacious and comfortable rooms. The highlight is the dining terrace. I liked the quiet, elevated location. We’d happily return
7. Bernardus Lodge and Spa,
Carmel Valley - we had a 2 bedroom villa here, which was very well done. The highlight was the outdoor bathroom courtyards. Full height windows looking out to the outdoor bathroom from the spacious indoor bathroom - most memorable bathroom I’ve had since Laucala
8. RC
Half-Moon Bay - this place has a spectacular location. We booked ocean view rooms with fire pits. The hotel is very busy (it felt like a lot of conferences and groups on golf retreats), and we were glad not to be in the main building. It’s always a treat to be able to watch spectacular sunsets over the Pacific for an Australian
9. RC
San Francisco - this was better than I expected. The service is what stood out - everybody was charming and friendly. Rooms are “standard” and not luxury to my mind, bathrooms are dated. I didn’t like the decor of the club level so preferred to relax in the bar downstairs.