In recent times, I’ve been writing a series about some of the world’s small luxury hotel groups, including Airelles, Aman, BVLGARI, Cheval Blanc, Oetker, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, etc. One brand that I haven’t covered much is One&Only Resorts.
What I find interesting about One&Only Resorts is what a unique collection of properties the brand has. While I wouldn’t say the overall brand has a cult following, some of the individual properties are iconic, and have people who return year after year.
In this post, I’d like to cover what makes the brand special, details about the individual hotels, and talk about the best ways to book.
In this post:
Background on the One&Only Resorts portfolio
One&Only is a small collection of luxury resorts owned by Kerzner International, the same company behind the world-famous Atlantis resorts and SIRO Hotels (which launched in 2024). While Atlantis Bahamas has since been sold to Brookefield and is now managed by Marriott, Kerzner maintains ownership of the Atlantis properties in the United Arab Emirates (including Atlantis The Royal, which is a property that many people love).
The One&Only brand focuses mainly on leisure destinations, with properties across beaches, islands, and mountain settings. The common thread is space, privacy, and a polished but relaxed approach to service. Even the brand’s city properties, namely One&Only Za’abeel (in Dubai) and Cape Town, are more like city resorts than hotels.
One&Only doesn’t have a loyalty program, so these aren’t properties where you’ll directly redeem points or earn elite benefits. However, One&Only properties participate in all the major programs offering extra perks, like Virtuoso, etc. (which can offer value-add amenities like breakfast, upgrades, resort credits, etc.).
One&Only Resorts locations & basics
One&Only Resorts currently has 14 locations, with the common theme being that they’re resort-style properties with very high service standards, and a unique offering. One&Only Resorts are spread across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, so it’s quite a diverse collection of properties.
In some ways, I’d say the One&Only Resorts portfolio is a little less cohesive than brands like Airelles and Cheval Blanc, in terms of being able to easily describe what makes the entire portfolio special. However, there’s no denying that properties like Mandarina, Palmilla, and Reethi Rah, are among the most well regarded in their competitive set, even when they’re not the newest or shiniest properties.
With the above out of the way, let’s go over the details of One&Only’s properties around the world.
One&Only Mandarina, Mexico
One&Only Mandarina opened in 2020 on Mexico’s Pacific coast, about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta, and is one of a handful of ultra-luxury resorts that have made their home in Jalisco. The resort has 105 standalone treehouses and villas set in jungle terrain with ocean or canopy views, each with a private plunge pool. It is set within the Mandarina complex and shares a beach club with the newly opened Rosewood Mandarina, which offers an entirely different room and resort concept.
Amenities are extensive and what one would expect from a newly opened luxury resort. The Mandarina complex is also home to an impressive Polo & Equestrian Club.
The One&Only Mandarina was named the #8 best hotel in the world and the best in North America in the 2023 ranking by The World’s 50 Best Hotels. It was also ranked #28 in the 2024 list. Not that I place must value on these rankings, but…
One&Only Palmilla, Los Cabos, Mexico
Originally built in the 1950s and later incorporated into the One&Only portfolio, Palmilla is one of the most established resorts in Los Cabos. It offers 174 rooms and suites, all facing the ocean, and is generally known to be set on one of the most coveted pieces of land in Los Cabos, offering incredible vistas and views throughout the resort.
It also sits on one of Cabo’s few swimmable beaches, which adds to its appeal. Palmilla remains one of the area’s most respected properties and has a longstanding reputation for consistency, with a cult following of annually returning guests and families.
One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives
Opened in 2005, One&Only Reethi Rah is often considered the brand’s flagship, and is renowned for putting the Maldives on the map as an ultra-luxury destinations. It sits on one of the larger private islands in the Maldives, and offers 130 overwater and beach villas.
The property has a more traditional island-style aesthetic, as compared with some modern properties that have since emerged in the Maldives. The property makes use of neutral tones, natural stones and woods, and thatched-roofs. Despite increasing competition and the presence of nearly every luxury hotel brand in the world in the Maldives, Reethi Rah remains an icon.
One&Only The Palm, Dubai, UAE
Opened in 2010, One&Only The Palm is a boutique-style resort located at the tip of Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah. With fewer than 100 rooms, it is much more intimate than most properties in the city. The design draws on Andalusian and Moorish influences, with a Guerlain Spa and several restaurants overseen by chef Yannick Alléno.
For travelers looking for a calmer alternative to Dubai’s flashier hotels, The Palm is often considered one of the most refined and laid back options.
One&Only Royal Mirage, Dubai, UAE
One&Only Royal Mirage dates back to 1999 and remains one of Dubai’s classic beachfront resorts. It’s divided into three sections — The Palace, Arabian Court, and Residence & Spa — totaling around 450 rooms and suites. The property combines traditional Middle Eastern architecture, with extensive gardens and a long stretch of private beach.
Royal Mirage tends to appeal to travelers who prefer a more traditional style of luxury and a less modern aesthetic than what newer Dubai resorts offer.
One&Only One Za’abeel, Dubai, UAE
Opened in 2024, One Za’abeel is One&Only’s first vertical city resort, as it’s described. It spans two skyscrapers connected by a cantilevered bridge that houses several restaurants and an infinity pool suspended over Dubai.
The hotel has 229 rooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling views of the skyline, 11 dining outlets, a three-story Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie, wellness and fitness center, and a garden pool, in addition to the rooftop. This is a property that I’m hoping to check out the next time I’m in Dubai, as I’m fascinated by the concept.
One&Only Le Saint Géran, Mauritius
Le Saint Géran is one of One&Only’s flagship properties, originally opened in 1975 and fully renovated in 2017. It sits on a private peninsula with 143 rooms and suites, surrounded by both calm lagoon waters and the open ocean. The resort also features a collection of multi-bedroom homes, plus the top room product, beachfront Villa One.
One&Only Cape Town, South Africa
Opened in 2009, One&Only Cape Town is located on the city’s V&A Waterfront, offering easy access to shops and restaurants. It has 131 rooms and suites — among the largest in Cape Town — with many facing Table Mountain.
The resort features a Nobu as well as two manmade islands within the waterfront, one exclusively for the spa, and the other featuring 40 Island Suites, which help create a resort-within-a-city vibe.
One&Only Nyungwe House, Rwanda
Nyungwe House opened in 2018 and is located on the edge of Nyungwe National Park, overlooking tea fields and rainforest. With around 20 rooms and suites, it’s a small and quiet property focused on eco-tourism and conservation.
Activities center around nature, including hiking and chimpanzee tracking. It’s one of the few luxury options in this part of Rwanda, and is often paired with its sister property further north.
One&Only Gorilla’s Nest, Rwanda
Opened in 2019 and near Volcanoes National Park, Gorilla’s Nest is designed for travelers visiting the area for gorilla trekking. It has 21 rooms and suites built among eucalyptus trees, with modern, minimalist interiors and expansive views.
The resort focuses on comfort and privacy, serving as a high-end base for one of Africa’s most memorable wildlife experiences.
One&Only Portonovi, Montenegro
Opened in 2021, One&Only Portonovi was actually the brand’s first European resort. It’s located on the Bay of Kotor, and has about 113 rooms and suites, featuring a blend of contemporary Mediterranean design and classic One&Only styling.
The resort includes a large Chenot Espace wellness center, making it ideal for both sunseekers as well as those looking for a health retreat. It’s a seasonal property that attracts both Europeans and other international guests during the summer and shoulder months.
One&Only Aesthesis, Athens, Greece
Opened in 2023, One&Only Aesthesis is located in Glyfada on the Athenian Riviera, about 30 minutes from central Athens. It has 127 rooms, suites, and villas, set in low-rise buildings among landscaped grounds.
The opening of One&Only Aesthesis came a few years after the opening of the Four Seasons Athens, and offers another true luxury resort for visitors to Athens. In fact, the resort has become a destination in and of itself, and allows guests to tour Athens and the Acropolis while still enjoying the best of Aegean Sea.
One&Only Kéa Island, Greece
One&Only Kéa Island opened in 2024, and is located on a less-developed island in the Cyclades, a short boat ride from Athens. The resort consists of 63 villas, each with an infinity pool and sea views.
Kéa is much quieter and more authentic than nearby islands like Mykonos or Santorini, which adds to its appeal, and can easily be paired with the One&Only Aesthesis or other Greek isles.
One&Only Moonlight Basin, Big Sky, Montana, USA
Set to fully open in just a few weeks, One&Only Moonlight Basin will be the brand’s first resort in the United States. Located in Big Sky, Montana, it will include 73 rooms and suites, along with private homes and cabins.
The design is contemporary mountain lodge, and the setting allows for skiing, hiking, and other outdoor activities. It’s a new frontier for the brand, and an interesting expansion into the United States market.
Best way to book One&Only Resorts with perks
One&Only doesn’t have a loyalty program, but most of the brand’s properties participate in Virtuoso and similar preferred partner and credit card programs. Booking through those channels usually includes:
- Daily breakfast for two
- A room upgrade, if available
- A resort or spa credit, typically $100 per stay
- Early check-in and late check-out, if available
Given the rates, it’s worth booking through a program that offers these benefits. So whether you book through a premium credit card program or a travel advisor affiliated with Virtuoso, this is the best way to book these properties. One thing worth noting is that travel advisors can typically combine these perks with any published rate, and not just the flexible rate. This includes the advance purchase rate, any free night offers, etc.
Bottom line
One&Only Resorts is among the world’s most well regarded boutique luxury hotel groups. One&Only is heavily focused on resorts rather than hotels, and even for the brand’s city properties, they feel more like resorts than traditional business hotels.
Some of the individual properties are spectacular and very well regarded. In particular, people love the brand’s properties in Mexico, Rwanda, and the United Arab Emirates.
Unfortunately there’s no loyalty program for One&Only Resorts, though booking through a travel advisor affiliated with Virtuoso, or a premium credit card program, will get you extra perks and the best price.
I stayed at the Gorilla's Nest before One&Only took it over in 2018. In looking at August 2026, they're showing US $8,600/night on their website.
I don't know what they can possibly provide that warrants that kind of cost.
Then again, back in 2006, the park fee was US $350/day to see the gorillas; now it's in the neighborhood of US $1,500 for the park fee.
Respectfully, you're comparing apples to oranges. The original 'Gorilla's Nest' was a rustic lodge (a completely different concept in the same location). O&O completely rebuilt the villas for a 5-star experience.
For the Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park area, there are far more affordable options nearby; however, that O&O, Wilderness' Bisate, and Singita's Kwitonda are the most lavash and expensive in the entire world ($5K/night is more the average for those three).
And, if you want...
Respectfully, you're comparing apples to oranges. The original 'Gorilla's Nest' was a rustic lodge (a completely different concept in the same location). O&O completely rebuilt the villas for a 5-star experience.
For the Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park area, there are far more affordable options nearby; however, that O&O, Wilderness' Bisate, and Singita's Kwitonda are the most lavash and expensive in the entire world ($5K/night is more the average for those three).
And, if you want to see the gorillas 'on-the-cheap,' consider Uganda (but it is not up to the same standards as Rwanda). For most of us, DRC is off-limits (like, seriously, do not go there.)
Ben, you've rather skipped over the early, icky history of the group. Sol Kerzner made his early big money by catering to white South Africans going to resorts in so-called Bantustans set up to corral black South Africans in separate "homelands." He paid a lot of rand to the leaders of those Bantustans to get want he wanted and was the target of endless corruption investigations. His prize was Sun City, which was attacked mercilessly...
Ben, you've rather skipped over the early, icky history of the group. Sol Kerzner made his early big money by catering to white South Africans going to resorts in so-called Bantustans set up to corral black South Africans in separate "homelands." He paid a lot of rand to the leaders of those Bantustans to get want he wanted and was the target of endless corruption investigations. His prize was Sun City, which was attacked mercilessly in the '80s anti-apartheid anthem "Sun City" ("I ... I ... I .... ain't gonna play Sun City....") Kerzner leveraged the success of Sun City to expand internationally, starting with Atlantis and then later going very high end with One&Only (into which he group the long-operating Le Saint Geran).
oh cool, let's play everyone's favorite game re-litigate the past! in today's episode we talk about the founder who has been dead for 5 years and what he did 35+ years ago!
Yeah, wait till you hear about Germany... and Japan... and Italy... and the Ottomans... and... (slavery, Jim Crow, Trail of Tears, internment...)
Then again, the people from those places have also done a lot of good things... but ignore that. History. Bad. Boo... (they're not saying 'boo'... they're saying 'boo-urns!')
Hi Ben, stayed at O&O Desaru for my honeymoon, great property. FYI, the property has been acquired by Mandarin Oriental so it is no longer part of O&O.
This has been a very entertaining series. Thanks, Ben. I'm sure you have a list, but there are so many more I would also love to see (in particular, the history/overview). Rocco Forte, Peninsula, Belmond, Oberoi, Mandarin, Dorchester, Auberge, Six Senses, Fasano, Maybourne, Faena, Capella, Rosewood... Plenty more that I forgot in the moment. You've got your work cut out for you!
Agreed. Add Singita, &Beyond, Wilderness, etc., too.
Been to both locations in Rwanda, and Cape Town; if you can afford them, each is incredible. Very curious how the new one in Montana goes; will be waiting for reviews from others first.
Many of O&O properties are also on Amex FHR, so that'd be a good way to use the new semi-annual $300 credits, and the far superior *guaranteed* 4PM late checkout (better than Virtuoso, honestly.)