The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, Colorado, America<\/h2>\n
Aspen is often considered celebrity snow spotting country but the insider secret is this intimate five star hotel tucked into the bottom of its own ski run. Nearby Beaver Creek is world renowned for five star skiing \u2013\u00a0think heated foot paths and escalators to the chair lifts \u2013\u00a0but The Ritz-Carlton<\/a> has Bachelor Gulch all to itself. Ski straight from the front door to the chair lift, return to the outdoor fire pit for the giant freshly baked cookie, sup at Spargo (Wolfgang Puck\u2019s award winning restaurant), before sinking into bed with one of those extra special monogrammed pillows.<\/p>\n Location, location, location makes a luxury hotel. In a resort region like Langkawi, staying away from the madding crowd is key. The brand new St Regis<\/a> sits on the edge of a quiet cove, with over water villas perched at the 100,000 square metre natural lagoon that leads out to the Andaman Sea. Private beach = paradise in this part of the world. Private cabanas, chic suites and a stunning jungle meets beach design theme take things to the next level. Sometimes, luxury is about insider access. Ancient Imperial history has captivated the world for centuries \u2013\u00a0and still draws visitors from all over the world. The Summer Palace is on almost every traveller\u2019s to do list but forget simply strolling the grounds. Get a real sense of place by spending the night at this Aman<\/a> property, an elegant hotel originally used by guests awaiting an audience with the Empress Dowager Cixi. The pavilions are a pretty jigsaw puzzle of reflection pools and meditation spaces, expect to see artists offering private calligraphy lessons, with the likes of designer Michael Kors stocking up on souvenirs from the hotel\u2019s collection.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to be a Windsor to live like royalty in\u00a0London. The\u00a0Blakes\u00a0Hotel<\/a> in South Kensington has plenty of four-poster beds, fine china and general over-the-top decadence for you to be Lord and Lady during your stay. Rooms are individually decorated to extravagant themes \u2013\u00a0there\u2019s the Library Suite for understated luxury, the Venetian Suite if you like four poster beds encrusted with Murano glass, or maybe you\u2019re more suited to the Cardinal Suite, which has enough red and gold to make you go cross eyed.<\/p>\n It\u2019s all about the bathtub at this big player in the Big Apple. Who wants to be down in the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle when you can look straight down on it all while you soak? The position of your bathroom is one certain way to rate luxury in this city. Looking straight down on Central Park from the very top of the Time Warner Centre at Columbus Circle, the Mandarin Oriental<\/a> is also a great base for exploring the city, if you can tear yourself away from that tub. Minimalism in Mexico? Yes, it does exist! Rosewood properties have a penchant for really nailing luxury \u2013\u00a0a bespoke aesthetic, beautiful locations and very attentive butler service. This intimate resort on the Yucatan Peninsula delivers on all accounts, and then some. Known as the luxury hotel of Mexico\u2019s Eastern Coast, Rosewood<\/a> removes all traces of the beach parties and replaces them instead with the peace and quiet of the Riviera Maya\u2019s network of rivers and rainforest and a private beach. Deluxe overwater lagoon suites are without question the must-stay here \u2013\u00a0their decks \u201cfloat\u201d out over the lagoon, with steps leading down to the water so your private boat can whisk you around the resort.<\/p>\n Brando, baby, Brando. Not Beyonce, or Bieber. Celebrities certainly add credibility to a luxury hotel \u2013\u00a0they\u2019re drawn like moths to a flame to plunge pools, exclusive restaurants and swanky suites \u2013\u00a0but it\u2019s all about Brando at this private island. Marlon Brando discovered Tetiaroa in the sixties while filming Mutiny on the Bounty. It became a secret hideaway out of the spotlight and his family recently realised his lifelong dream to turn the island into a resort. The Brando<\/a> is no ordinary resort. There are no overwater villas, as Brando didn\u2019t want to intrude on nature, so instead villas are tucked into the jungle. This is understated luxury at its best. That\u2019s of course along with a Michelin-starred consultant chef, luxury day spa and world class snorkeling. There\u2019s no denying Kiwis know how to do lodges. This brand new property is an exemplary example of why lodges and luxury go hand in hand. Added to The Kinloch Club, home to New Zealand\u2019s famous Championship golf course, The Lodge<\/a> has been influenced by its namesake Scottish castle \u2013\u00a0think cosy chesterfield armchairs, animal skin rugs and roaring fireplaces. All is calm and quiet in rooms that look out over the rolling greens and lake beyond.<\/p>\n It may surprise you, but cloisters and cloches seem to go hand in hand. At least they certainly do at this historic hotel. Sitting down to dinner in what was a palace and then a seminary for hundreds of years is definitely a formal affair \u2013\u00a0waiters synchronise the unveiling of each course from underneath domed silver cloches, making you feel a little like a judge in MasterChef and very, very special. There\u2019s plenty of dramatic flourishes at the Belmond Hotel Monasterio<\/a>, from sacred religious portraits to a plethora of gilded goblets. Book in for a few days of decadence before taking Machu Picchu \u2013 special oxygenated rooms are ideal if you need a little assistance acclimatising.<\/p>\nSt Regis Langkawi, Malaysia<\/h2>\n
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Aman at Summer Palace Beijing, China<\/h2>\n
Blakes London, England<\/h2>\n
Mandarin Oriental New York, America<\/h2>\n
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Rosewood Mayakoba, Mexico<\/h2>\n
The Brando, French Polynesia<\/h2>\n
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The Lodge at Kinloch, Lake Taupo, New Zealand<\/h2>\n
Belmond Hotel Monasterio, Cusco, Peru <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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