| Want to receive extra benefits for stays at virtually any luxury hotel brand, including a room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact [email protected] for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked. |
Here’s a fun topic that I’ll share my thoughts on, and then I’m curious to hear how OMAAT readers feel — what are the best luxury hotel brands in the world? It goes without saying that there’s no right answer as to what the best hotel groups are, given that it really is dependent on the specific property and what you’re into.
Below I figured I’d share my overall impressions of major luxury hotel groups, and I’ll put them into three categories:
- Hotel groups that belong to major loyalty programs, which you can book with points
- Major hotel groups that you can’t book with points; while this is arbitrary, I’ll define “major” as hotel groups with 15 or more properties
- Boutique hotel groups that you can’t book with points; once again this is arbitrary, but I’ll define “boutique” as hotel groups with fewer than 15 properties (“boutique” is a tricky word in the hotel industry)
Why am I splitting up major and boutique hotel groups in this way? Well, because I think it’s difficult to compare the overall offerings of Four Seasons to Cheval Blanc, for example, since they have totally different footprints.
In this post:
Hotel brand consistency is a problem
The challenge with ranking the world’s best luxury hotel groups is that there’s huge variance in terms of quality between properties. Generally speaking:
- A city hotel may offer a totally different experience than a secluded resort
- Geography can greatly impact hotel quality — hotels are better in Asia than in the United States, for example
- A hotel may be significantly different based on whether it’s a converted property from another brand, or a new build
- The competitiveness of a hotel market also impacts how hard some hotels choose to try
Just to give an example, while the Four Seasons Miami Brickell is a perfectly nice city hotel…
…it would give you a very different impression of the brand than the Four Seasons Surfside, for example.
Before I share my rankings, let me also note that I’m only including brands I’ve stayed at. Admittedly even that makes it tough to rank hotels, since it’s possible I’ve stayed at the best hotel of a brand, or the worst hotel. But I’ll try to take a hybrid approach here, and rank based on my actual experience at a hotel, combined with my overall impression of the brand’s portfolio and service based on everything I know.
Best luxury hotel brands bookable with points
I have seven favorite luxury hotel brands that can be booked with points. Given the points angle here, I think it’s only fair to consider elite recognition and loyalty perks, since this can play a major role. With that in mind, below are my rankings.
1. Park Hyatt
For me, Park Hyatt strikes the perfect balance between luxury and incredible loyalty participation (including great elite recognition). Not only do I love the (typically) minimalist decor of Park Hyatt properties, but you really get the best of both worlds thanks to World of Hyatt — as a Globalist member you can use a suite upgrade award to confirm an upgrade an advance, you receive complimentary breakfast, etc.
I’m always excited when I see there’s a Park Hyatt at the destination I’m traveling to. Admittedly not all Park Hyatts are created equal, as there’s a difference between the Park Hyatt Kyoto and Park Hyatt Doha. In general, Park Hyatt’s city hotels are better than the resorts, which is a downside of the brand, in my opinion.
If you’re booking a paid stay at a Park Hyatt, I’d recommend doing so through the Hyatt Privé program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a $100 hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
2. Waldorf Astoria
The Waldorf Astoria brand has really grown on me. This is Hilton Honors’ most premium brand, and I’ve had consistently exceptional experiences, from Amsterdam, to Beverly Hills, to Dubai, to Los Cabos, to the Maldives.
Best of all, as a Hilton Honors Diamond or Hilton Honors Gold member, all elite perks are honored at these properties. This status is also really easy to earn with credit cards. I also love how the Waldorf Astoria brand keeps growing, with new locations popping up in cities like London, New York, and Osaka.
If you’re booking a paid stay at a Waldorf Astoria, I’d recommend doing so through the Hilton for Luxury program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a $100 hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
3. St. Regis
St. Regis is my favorite luxury hotel brand belonging to Marriott Bonvoy. For the most part I’ve had excellent experiences at St. Regis properties, from resorts to city hotels. Best of all, St. Regis is the only “true” luxury Marriott brand where Marriott Bonvoy Platinum members receive perks like complimentary breakfast, suite upgrades, and more. I’ll almost always seek out a St. Regis over a Ritz-Carlton, for example. However, I definitely feel like the quality is slipping a bit with some of the new properties.
If you’re booking a paid stay at a St. Regis, I’d recommend doing so through the Marriott STARS program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a $100 hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
4. Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Ritz-Carlton Reserve is a distinct brand from Ritz-Carlton, and is on a completely different level. I’ve enjoyed my stays at Zadun, the Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Los Cabos, and Dorado Beach, the Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico. Best of all, it’s possible to earn and redeem Bonvoy points at Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties, and take advantage of select elite perks.
On the plus side, Ritz-Carlton Reserve might be the highest quality hotel group bookable with points. The catch is that redemption rates are high and elite perks are weak, so from a points hotel perspective, I have a hard time getting too excited.
If you’re booking a paid stay at a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, I’d recommend doing so through the Marriott STARS program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a $100 hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
5. Alila
Alila is one of Hyatt’s newer hotel brands, and it has a focus on nature. So far Alila only has three properties in the United States (all in California), though I appreciate the World of Hyatt connection. Alila’s biggest market is Asia, and I look forward to checking out those properties over time.
The catch is that Alila isn’t a very consistent brand. For example, Alila Ventana Big Sur is incredible, while Alila Marea Encinitas is… confusing. Alila Jabal Akhdar has an amazing location but lackluster service, while Alila Hinu Bay has amazing service but an odd location.
If you’re booking a paid stay at an Alila, I’d recommend doing so through the Hyatt Privé program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a $100 hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
6. EDITION
EDITION is still a fairly new brand for Marriott, and it’s essentially intended to be a younger version of Ritz-Carlton. For the most part I love the EDITION properties I’ve stayed at (like the Bodrum EDITION), so why isn’t EDITION ranking higher for me?
Well, because EDITION hotels only offer limited perks to Bonvoy elite members. I’ll stay at EDITION properties if I love them, but I don’t otherwise go out of my way to stay at them, because there’s not much of a loyalty program angle for doing so.
If you’re booking a paid stay at an EDITION, I’d recommend doing so through the Marriott STARS program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a $100 hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
7. Ritz-Carlton
To me, Ritz-Carlton is a brand that has almost no standards. Many Ritz-Carltons outside the United States are phenomenal (like Hong Kong and Tokyo), though there’s also a lot I don’t like about Ritz-Carlton:
- Ritz-Carltons don’t honor most Marriott Bonvoy elite perks, like complimentary breakfast
- I find that Ritz-Carltons in the US have borderline scripted service, and simply feel like luxury resort factories in terms of the experience
- There’s a difference between properties like the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo and the Ritz-Carlton Turks & Caicos
If you’re booking a paid stay at a Ritz-Carlton, I’d recommend doing so through the Marriott STARS program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a $100 hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
Best major non-points luxury hotel brands
I have seven favorite major luxury hotel brands that aren’t consistently bookable with major points currencies. This list is less about value, and more about which properties offer the all around best experiences, and deliver on their promises. Note that this list is limited to hotel groups with 15 or more properties. With that in mind, below are my favorite major luxury hotel groups.
1. Four Seasons
Four Seasons is brand that has grown on me a lot in recent years. It’s like a better version of Ritz-Carlton — sure, not all Four Seasons properties are amazing physically, but:
- Service is consistently exceptional, and you don’t deal with the annoyances you might experience at other hotel groups
- Four Seasons doesn’t nickel-and-dime; for example, Four Seasons’ Hawaii properties don’t have resort fees, Four Seasons properties often have complimentary coffee in the lobby in the morning, etc.
- Four Seasons is expanding at a fast pace, and has some beautifully restored historic properties with an amazing sense of place (like the Four Seasons Madrid), with many more amazing properties in the pipeline (like the Four Seasons Belize Caye Chapel)
For me the Four Seasons brand is very much trending upwards, unlike Aman (which I’ll get into below).
If you’re booking a stay at a Four Seasons, I’d recommend doing so through the Four Seasons Preferred Partner program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a $100 hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
2. Rosewood
Rosewood is a brand to watch, as it’s growing at an extremely fast pace. Rosewood is not only doing an amazing job with its new city hotels, but it’s also opening some awesome resorts. I’d say Rosewood is quickly becoming Four Seasons’ biggest competitor. The catch is that I find that Rosewood isn’t as consistently good with service as Four Seasons.
If you’re booking a stay at a Rosewood, I’d recommend doing so through the Rosewood Elite program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
3. Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental is another brand that’s growing nicely. I’d say Mandarin Oriental is strongest with city hotels, and there are many cities where Mandarin Oriental (almost) unarguably has the best hotel. But the group also has some fantastic resorts.
The catch is that there’s a bit of inconsistency with Mandarin Oriental’s portfolio, so not all hotels are created equal. Then again, that’s just true with most brands.
If you’re booking a stay at a Mandarin Oriental, I’d recommend doing so through the Mandarin Oriental Fan Club, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a $100 hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more. This is generally a better deal than taking part in the Mandarin Oriental Fans of M.O. program.
4. Belmond
While the Belmond brand isn’t expanding as fast as some other luxury hotel groups, there’s no denying that Belmond has some incredible, historic, old-world properties. Belmond has properties in Europe, North America (including the Caribbean), Africa, and Asia. The brand’s most famous hotels are probably in Europe, and include properties like Hotel Cipriani, Hotel Splendido, Villa San Michele, and more. You won’t find luxury hotels with more charm and more of a sense of place than these.
If you’re booking a stay at a Belmond, I’d recommend doing so through the Belmond Bellini Club program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
5. Six Senses
Six Senses was acquired by IHG back in 2019, though the resorts are only slowly being integrated into the IHG One Rewards portfolio. While some of the properties are bookable with points, others aren’t, so consistency is really lacking.
There’s a lot to love about Six Senses, as the group is opening hotels both in major cities where you’ll find other popular hotel groups, and in some cool, remote locations. In many ways, Six Senses’ current expansion reminds me of what Aman used to be. The brand is also all about nature, and in general that’s something I love.
If there were a downside to the brand, it’s that I personally don’t love the decor, at least at some of the properties. It feels a bit too Flintstones-esque to me. But that’s a small price to pay for the places Six Senses has properties.
If you’re booking a stay at a Six Senses, I’d recommend doing so through the Virtuoso program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
6. Aman
I used to rank Aman as my favorite luxury hotel group, but I simply can’t do that anymore in good conscience. In the past I absolutely adored Aman. While the hotels are expensive, they really tried to deliver a special experience with boutique properties that were unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere.
Those properties still exist, and some are fantastic and worth visiting. However, ever since Aman’s ownership change, the soul of the company has changed as well. Aman used to open properties in the middle of nowhere, where other hotel brands wouldn’t dare build. Now Aman’s upcoming developments are in Bangkok, Los Cabos, Miami, and Saudi Arabia, which is hardly what the brand was initially founded for.
It’s not that Aman doesn’t have great properties — it absolutely does — but rather that I feel like the brand is trending downward, rather than upward. Furthermore, it has gone from sort of being an anti-influencer place (which was part of the charm), to now being the place to see and be seen.
If you’re booking a stay at an Aman, I’d recommend doing so through the Virtuoso program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
7. Shangri-La
Shangri-La has some phenomenal flagship properties (like the Shangri-La Paris), while the brand also has a lot of mid-tier properties, many of which retail for well under $200 per night. So it’s hard to say that the chain on the whole can compete with some of other brands, but there are some great properties.
Some might note that Shangri-La has its own loyalty program, and it should be included under points hotels. While that’s indeed true, the reality is that Shangri-La has few partners, and there aren’t many avenues for earning these points. So for a vast majority of OMAAT readers, I think the points angle here isn’t too compelling.
If you’re booking a stay at a Shangri-La, I’d recommend doing so through the Shangri-La Luxury Circle program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
Best boutique luxury hotel brands
I have seven favorite boutique luxury hotel brands, which I’m defining as hotel groups with 15 or fewer properties. Just as above, this is less about value, and more about the overall experience offered. With that in mind, below are my favorite boutique luxury hotel groups. Let me mention that I haven’t stayed at a Capella property, or else it might make my list, as I’ve heard great things.
1. Singita
I think a safari is one of the coolest trips you can take, and to this day my most memorable trip ever was taking my dad on a safari for his “big” birthday. Singita is known for being one of the best safari companies out there, and we’ve had amazing experiences at Singita Boulders Sabi Sands, Singita Lebombo, and Singita Pamushana.
What a perfect hospitality experience, and Singita has lodges in several African countries, so offers some varied experiences.
If you’re booking a stay at a Singita, I’d recommend doing so through the Virtuoso program, so you can receive perks like a hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
2. Airelles
A couple of years ago I stayed at Les Airelles Courchevel, and ever since, I’ve been obsessed with this hotel group. Airelles is a French hospitality brand, with a strong focus on food, wine, and service. While Airelles hotels are expensive, they also deliver an incredible experience. Airelles has some pretty amazing other properties, like Airelles Château de Versailles, Airelles La Bastide de Gordes, Airelles Saint-Tropez Chateau de la Messardiere, and Airelles Val d’Isère.
If you’re booking a stay at Airelles, I’d recommend doing so through the Virtuoso program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
3. Oetker Collection
I don’t think there’s a boutique hotel group that packs quite the same punch as Oetker Collection in terms of the caliber of its properties. The brand currently has fewer than a dozen hotels, including properties like Eden Rock St. Barts, Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Le Bristol Paris, L’Apogée Courchevel, and more.
Oetker Collection is family owned, and the rumor is that the family doesn’t even care about turning a profit on their hotels, but rather it’s intended to be a highlight of the family’s business portfolio. Oetker Collection properties consistently have incredible design, a great sense of place, and history, so it’s quite the unique brand.
If you’re booking a stay at an Oetker Collection property, I’d recommend doing so through the Oetker Collection Pearl Partner program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, a room upgrade at the time of booking, and more.
4. Cheval Blanc
Cheval Blanc is owned by LVMH, and offers both style and substance. Currently Cheval Blanc’s portfolio consists of six properties, and I’ve stayed at Cheval Blanc Paris, Cheval Blanc Maldives, and Cheval Blanc St. Barts, and all were great. What impresses me most about Cheval Blanc is the food & beverage focus, plus the incredible attention to detail with amenities.
If you’re booking a stay at Cheval Blanc, I’d recommend doing so through the Virtuoso program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
5. One&Only
One&Only is a hotel group with a really loyal following, despite only having around a dozen properties. For the most part, One&Only excels with resorts, with well regarded properties in Mexico, Dubai, and even some safari camps in Africa.
What’s interesting is that One&Only is owned by Kerzner International, which also owns Atlantis. So while properties like Atlantis The Royal Dubai aren’t One&Only properties, they do have a similar commitment to service and luxury.
If you’re booking a stay at One&Only, I’d recommend doing so through the Virtuoso program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
6. Peninsula
Peninsula has roughly a dozen hotels, with half of them being in Asia, and the rest being equally distributed between Europe (Istanbul, London, and Paris) and the United States (Beverly Hills, Chicago, and New York). Peninsula is a great brand with an awesome flexible check-in and check-out policy that you won’t find at any other hotel brand.
If you’re booking a stay at Peninsula, I’d recommend doing so through the Virtuoso program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
7. BVLGARI
Cheval Blanc isn’t the only luxury brand to get into the hotel industry, as there are also BVLGARI Hotels & Resorts. Much like Ritz-Carlton Reserve, these properties are bookable through Marriott channels. However, unlike Ritz-Carlton Reserve, they don’t belong to Marriott Bonvoy.
BVLGARI currently has nine properties, with a huge focus on design, plus great food and beverage outlets. I’ve enjoyed my stays at BVLGARI Dubai, BVLGARI Milan, and BVLGARI Rome.
If you’re booking a stay at BVLGARI, I’d recommend doing so through the Marriott STARS program, so you can receive perks like complimentary breakfast, a $100 hotel credit, a room upgrade, and more.
Bottom line
There’s no right or wrong answer as to what the world’s best hotel chain is, though the above are some of my favorites. I hope breaking it down by points hotels vs. non-points hotels, plus major hotel groups vs. boutique hotel groups, makes this information a bit easier to digest.
Of course this is highly subjective, since it’s based on the properties I’ve stayed at, and there are significant differences in terms of the quality of properties. Obviously this is a huge list, but I figured it would be fun to share my thoughts and hear how OMAAT readers feel.
What are your favorite luxury hotel groups?
| Want to receive extra benefits for stays at virtually any luxury hotel brand, including a room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact [email protected] for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked. |
Belmond has plenty of properties in South America too, Ben. Belmond Hotel das Cataratas in Iguacu Falls, Belmond Copacabana Palace in Rio, etc.
Ben, you need to check out and stay at a Banyan Tree!
@Kempinski? Part of GHA. I have heard good things about this hotel brand.
@Snory
Ben, I think you need to give Kempinski or Capella a try. I think they are very well rounded luxury hotel. Maybe not as highly consistent as Four Seasons but I think worthy of a spot on your list.
You cannot have a best luxury list and omit Oberoi. It is one of the most consistently luxurious set of hotels - this list can't be only based on your experiences. I've stayed in several brands on your list, and the Oberoi tops them all in most cases. There is a reason the Oberoi Vanyavilas in Udaipur frequently tops the list of best hotels in the world...
Sorry, Oberoi Udaivilas.
what about Kempinski?
odd headline and odd article...classic Ben
I really believe that the only reason you even cover this topic is so your boy can get bigger commissions. That’s if he even answers the mail. There is dignity and then there is dignity!
Raffles Hotels (Accor) are far superior and more exclusive than all those other point earning brands. Facts.
You forgot Raffles.
Some of your non points luxury hotels have their own loyalty programs and some of them are not as luxury as others. Not sure how you could compare Shangri-La to the others for example. Further, even for those bookable by points it depends on the property and brand as to really the luxury level and the benefits for high status members.
Relais and Chateau is a serious omission.........they are a way of thinking that you have missed........
I’ve only been to one Waldorf (Maui before the fires) and it was incredibly underwhelming. Was free — but should have used the FNCs elsewhere. Same for the Edition NYC (not the one in Times Square). Underwhelming. I’ve found the mid-luxury brand of Hyatts to be far better in terms of service.
On the other hand, I’ve had phenomenal stays at Ritz Carlton’s (minus Orlando which felt like a factory for luxury).
A HUGE...
I’ve only been to one Waldorf (Maui before the fires) and it was incredibly underwhelming. Was free — but should have used the FNCs elsewhere. Same for the Edition NYC (not the one in Times Square). Underwhelming. I’ve found the mid-luxury brand of Hyatts to be far better in terms of service.
On the other hand, I’ve had phenomenal stays at Ritz Carlton’s (minus Orlando which felt like a factory for luxury).
A HUGE shoutout to the Mandapa, a Ritz Reserve in Bali. Best resort I’ve ever stayed at. The Ritz in Waikiki was also great!
You're missing Oberoi Ben with flawless service
It wasn't amazingly luxurious or especially unique construction, but the service at the Toronto Ritz Carlton we received was tops and the hotel was exceedingly clean. Good service, including food and beverage, and cleanliness count for a lot. See the recent positive review of the YYR Vancouver Fairmont (essentially perfect).
I don’t know how helpful booking Singita will be if coursed through Virtuoso. There’s not many room types. I doubt they would upgrade from a 1 bedroom to a 2 bedroom. Virtuoso credit is also nil because Singita is all inclusive. Hmm, maybe that credit can go to spa, I guess so there’s that.
Ben, I think it’s time you stayed at a Peninsula Hotel.
But, not the one in New York.
Hard agree with you on Aman. Still Amanjiwo holds a special place in my heart. That place is just ethereal
I think you undersell on Six Senses for service. At least at the two resorts where I've stayed, the service has been above and beyond Aman. Resorts themselves were beautiful, but the people made the trip.
I'd like to give a shout out to the Waldorf Chicago. While it is not the most luxurious property in the city or in the Waldorf brand, they have great award availability and elite recognition--far beyond any experience I've had at other luxury points hotels in the US. I've never had trouble finding free nights at reasonable rates, and I have a 100% success rate (as a CC-only Diamond) on upgrades from the based award...
I'd like to give a shout out to the Waldorf Chicago. While it is not the most luxurious property in the city or in the Waldorf brand, they have great award availability and elite recognition--far beyond any experience I've had at other luxury points hotels in the US. I've never had trouble finding free nights at reasonable rates, and I have a 100% success rate (as a CC-only Diamond) on upgrades from the based award room, including to a one-bedroom suite with fireplace and balcony.
You're judging on award availability and not quality of service? What the heck? I've stayed at that property. Call it what you want but it is not a luxury property.
For a points hotel? Yes. I judge a hotel based on availability. But also, if I’m at a city hotel, service doesn’t matter much to me. I pretty much expect to not deal with anyone unless I have a problem. So service doesn’t really factor unless it’s bad. A resort would be a different story.
I have such a low opinion of RC (esp in the US) that I have a pretty controversial list of brands I put above it. I unquestionably prefer the Marriott Luxury Collection. Hell, I would put non-luxury brands over it like Conrad or maybe even Andaz. At least those brands provide some concept of amenities.
I swear most urban RCs are just plain Marriotts where they gave the rooms a coat of light gray paint and put up some white crown molding.
Agreed. I'd put Luxury Collection on the list over RC and EDITION.
Do you get flexible check in/out with Peninsulas through virtuoso? Thought that was only through their PEN Club program.
You get the Peninsula time with every rate. Even with a normal booking on their website.
Any thoughts on Rosewood? That seems to be a favorite (or position themselves as a favorite, based on the locations) of the power/moneyed/VC class.
@ben it was a previous iteration of this post that caused me to start following this site as I generally agree with most sentiments here
The best luxury hotels do not have a "brand". They are not affiliated with any chains.
Objectively that's not often true. It's very hard to create and enforce a culture of service at the same level as someone like FS or Rosewood. Independent hotels have no internal trainers from the brand or a pool of already trained staff from other properties to pull from. They often have to headhunt trained staff from these luxury brands and thus pay more than brands willing to provide more comprehensive training. I'm not saying never...
Objectively that's not often true. It's very hard to create and enforce a culture of service at the same level as someone like FS or Rosewood. Independent hotels have no internal trainers from the brand or a pool of already trained staff from other properties to pull from. They often have to headhunt trained staff from these luxury brands and thus pay more than brands willing to provide more comprehensive training. I'm not saying never but it's objectively more difficult and thus quite rare
I can agree with you but there are part of small group usualy like TAJ Mahal Palace in Mumbai or Corinthia in London.
I agree with Bob...and with Ben's comment at the start of his post that it depends "what you're into."
Some of the very best luxury hotels I have stayed at have been independent boutique or design hotels where the high quality of service seems to be driven predominantly by regional pride and pride in the property. This reflects my priorities. I appreciate a hotel with a strong sense of place; I love a hotel...
I agree with Bob...and with Ben's comment at the start of his post that it depends "what you're into."
Some of the very best luxury hotels I have stayed at have been independent boutique or design hotels where the high quality of service seems to be driven predominantly by regional pride and pride in the property. This reflects my priorities. I appreciate a hotel with a strong sense of place; I love a hotel with a view and easy access to regional attractions. A hotel like Sultan Cave Suites in Goreme, Turkiye is my idea of hotel paradise: breathtaking view, extremely helpful concierge, fantastic restaurant.
I do stay in hotels affiliated with major brands as well and enjoyed this opportunity to learn more about the different options, including some which were new to me.
How about the Dorchester collection ? I guess it’s also subjective.
They also manage Le Maurice in Paris, the Beverly Hills and the Bel Air.
Many years ago I stayed at the bel air and it was wonderful. Reminiscent of staying at someone’s home.
The Beverly Hills is like a grande dame of hotels. People are often shocked to find out that there’s a hotel in LA that’s over 100 years old.
The BHH in LA and Claridge's in London set the standard for consistent luxury service.
I would add Capella to the boutique list. Their Hanoi property is amazing, stayed in September. And have heard similar about their Bangkok property.
And yes I see it’s probably not on the list just because Ben hasn’t stayed at one!
Hi Ben, the Ritz Carlton Reserve in Thailand Philly Bay actually provides an in room dining credit even using points. Not sure if that’s a benefit only for Ambassadors or not. It was quite generous.
Rosewood is my favorite when paying cash and not using points.
100% agree. Back in my Tokyo days, the Hotel Seiyo Ginza was my go-to, and I just stayed at the Hotel Georgia in Vancouver last month, and it was terrific.
Also Dorchester, Auberge, Oberoi, One&Only, Rocco Forte, and on and on. Lots to choose from!
My only surprise at your lists is that EDITION made the cut. I have yet to have a good stay with them, to the point that I actively avoid them.
No Dorchester Collection?
Or Maybourne?
Shocking to see Belmond included here. The Copacabana Palace is one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed in. It would be a bad hotel for $100 a night, let alone the prices they charge in Brazil. Awful service and facilities.
This sort of speaks to brands having differing service levels amongst the properties. While the Copacabana Palace might suck out loud, the Mount Nelson in Cape Town wins raves time and again. Having not stayed at the Mount Nelson in 20+ years, I can't speak to it, but hotel brands really can be all over the map service-wise depending on location, management, etc.
I have no idea what you are talking about the Copacabana Palace is super nice. Not only that most Belmond properties are very nice.
Your photo of the FS Miami Brickell is far outdated. None of the rooms look like that now, and IMO they could be even nicer than Surfside. Sure it is a city hotel, but the pool experience trumps any city hotel I've ever stayed at.
The FS Brickell? Seriously? Only a diehard FS junkie could consider that generic property worth the cost
First, there is a difference between a true luxury hotel (distinguished by its service level) and nice hotels that are simply expensive. Second, it is all about the individual property and NOT the brand. As Ben notes, there is substantial inconsistency in maintaining brand standards. While Four Seasons is likely to enforce standards, the big four chains are not. The fact is that property owners lease a brand name.
It's also worth noting that "luxury" properties within the same ownership group can differ dramatically. Which reinforces the idea that it's the specific property and not the brand.
I agree with you... to a degree. The idea of the brand is that they have their standards, mission statement, policies, etc. and as such, you should trust them (or not trust them). In "theory," all properties under a brand should reflect it, creating reliable consistency (good or bad). But yes, people are people and in reality properties under the same umbrella can vary wildly.
Ben, you really need to stay at a Capella hotel!