So what are the very best Hilton properties in the world? I am sure there are some typical favorites, but are there some lesser known or newer locations out there that compete for the best? Are there any Hilton's that are heads and shoulders above the rest for a great vacation?

My wife and I have managed to collect a bunch of Hilton points and are trying to figure out where we should use them as we plan our next vacation.

Our experience with Hilton points has been that the quality of the specific hotel and how well they cater to HHonors Gold/Diamond members is even more important than the geographical location itself. For instance if you travel to some exotic location that sounds great (ie Bahamas), but then you get there and the Hilton itself is less than top notch (to downright poor), you are in for a dissapointing week, free or not.

So with that said, we are trying to determine what the very best Hilton Family hotels are in the world, and we will use this information to guide us to where we should use our points most wisely. We are very open minded to any locations, but the geographic areas that we would prefer are:

-Any Top Beach resort (although we have looked and it seems almost impossible to get to Maldives from the US )
-Europe
-Other exciting and safe vacation locations, preferably outside of the US

The 3 criteria we personally look for in a Hilton are:
-As close to a 5 star hotel as possible. New and/or up to date property, top notch rooms with all of the nice touches like high end bathrooms, great views, great pool and/or beach if relevant considering location
-A property that really goes out of their way to accomodate the Gold/Diamond members. By this we mean consistent room upgrades (at least exec floor or better- ie Suites) and a great Executive Lounge, as well as a very customer focused staff
-Then, an exciting location to support the hotel experience. I guess if at the end of the day the best hotel is in the middle of nowhere or is completely business focused, that doesn't work either

We really are interested in hearing what people vote for as the "Top Hiltons in the World" according to the basic criteria we have mentioned (which seems would be important to everyone on a vacation). It seems that with all of the collective Hilton travel experience on this forum that some great choices will emerge. Thanks to all in advance for your input!