TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL & TOWER, CHICAGO

Poised along the Chicago River at the juncture of the Loop and North Michigan Avenue, Trump International Hotel and Tower is the city’s most enviable address. The hotel will join a list of landmarks, such as the Magnificent Mile, Chicago River and Millennium Park. Soaring ninety-two stories upon the buildings completion, the structure of polished stainless steel and iridescent-tinted glass will be a showcase of bold style and engaging design. Chicago’s skyline will never be the same.

The Peninsula Chicago

Overlooking North Michigan Avenue, the city's premier business and shopping district, The Peninsula Chicago is just steps away from historic Water Tower Square and the best shopping in the Midwest. The luxury hotel sits atop Tiffany & Co., Ralph Lauren and American Girl Place. Guests can also enjoy the ultimate shopping experience at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, which are located across the street from the hotel.

The Peninsula Chicago, a 20-story tower, offers 339 luxuriously appointed guest rooms and suites including the 3,500 square-foot Peninsula Suite with a private outdoor terrace. Non-smoking rooms and rooms with facilities for the disabled are available on request. Each guest room and suite is equipped with a state-of-the-art electronic system that allows guests to control their environment with the touch of a fingertip. Guest room facilities include marble bathrooms with separate shower and soaking tub, oversized executive desk with silent fax machine and dataport for high-speed Internet access, complimentary local and toll-free access telephone calls, 27" Sony Wega flat-screen television with cable programs, mini bar, in-room safe, two-line phones with conference call and speaker phone capabilities, call forwarding and voice mail, complimentary daily newspaper, hairdryers and bathrobes.

Park Hyatt Chicago

The Park Hyatt Chicago is the flagship hotel of the Park Hyatt brand. Soaring 67 stories above Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile, Park Hyatt Chicago on Water Tower Square, the 198-room hotel housed in the first 18 floors of the elegant Park Tower, integrates the finest in understated elegance and contemporary luxury. Providing the discriminating traveler with an unparallel lifestyle experience, distinctive in intimacy and sophistication with its stylish accommodations and personalized, yet unobtrusive service, the property has a distinct presence amidst the city’s finest retail shopping, cultural institutions, nightlife and architectural landmarks, offering breathtaking views of Lake Michigan and the surrounding neighborhoods.

orld's Best Luxury Hotels & Resorts

WhataHotel.com, created by Coral Gables based Lorraine Travel, which has been in business since 1948, is a website chock-full of luxury hotels & resorts that many upscale travelers flock to.

From Little Palm Island in the Florida Keys to the new Mandarin Oriental in New York City or even the Ritz in Paris, site visitors will be enticed with an ensemble of the most outstanding venues in the world. Each of the properties is known for outstanding service, the best amenities and incredible views, while simultaneously raising the luxury bar and enhancing the “wow” factor that all affluent guests expect.

“Luxury Resort stays are definitely in”, says Greg Guiteras, Senior Vice President of Lorraine Travel, who engineered the site to simplify the search for the best places to stay. "We're much more than just another site with a search engine that requires users to complete fields of data before finding precisely what they're looking for ", Guiteras said. "Our staff of professional agents then takes an active role in completing any booking at one of these properties. In many cases, our "lower than published rates" may be a factor in securing a booking but oftentimes it's the added value of our exclusive amenities like complimentary room upgrades that our clients benefit from".

For those seeking a spectacular setting close to home or in an exotic destination that culminates in an over-the-top experience, visitors to site will see that it is an invaluable resource for finding the best properties and getting exclusive amenities to make any stay even more memorable.

Be it a rose petal-covered king size bed or a butler-drawn bath, all this and much more can be arranged with the help of agents who personally handle everything but the bill at check-out by tapping colleagues on-site at each of the properties.

Featuring a collection of fabled castles, secluded lodges, storied meeting places, modern retreats and even luxury spa resorts, Lorraine Travel's www.whatahotel.com opens the doors to some of the world's most celebrated places. With locations throughout each continent, its collection of the finest hotels & resorts promises travelers unparalleled settings, rich experiences and lasting memories.

Langham Hotel, London

The Langham, London opened in 1865 as London's first purpose built Grand Hotel. Member of The Leading Hotels of the World, The Langham, London has a fine range of rooms and suites, a listed ballroom, a new stylish restaurant and a chic cocktail bar, as well as and a superb health and fitness club featuring a 16metre swimming pool.

Langham Club rooms at The Langham Hotel Club are complemented by more personal service and access to The Langham Club lounges. These rooms come with extra amenities such as complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea, drinks and canapes throughout the day, extended 3pm check-out time, superior bathroom amenities, complimentary pressing on arrival and a CD library.

Star designers have recently converted bar and restaurant to an oasis of style. The new main restaurant, The Landau, serves modern European cuisine with traditional English signature dishes. The chic and glamorous bar Artesian is specialized in rum and offers an extensive menu of cocktails and all day dining.

Located on the first floor, the fully-equipped gym at the health and fitness club offers state-of-the-art TechnoGym equipment, free weights as well as three plasma television screens. Less energetic options include a solarium, separate female and male sauna and steam rooms and spa pool. The indoor swimming pool always comes as a pleasant surprise to guests, its location being in a previous bank vault, and what is now the perfect setting for lap swimming in a delightful 16 m long, heated swimming pool.

The Langham, London will have very limited facilities for meetings and private events in 2008, as these facilities will be undergoing a full refurbishment, these will re-open after a transformation in early 2009.

In the interim, Postillion, the private dining room at The Landau, the new David Collins designed restaurant, will be available for small receptions, lunches and dinners for up to 16 persons.

Accolades Boutique Hotel Rotorua

Hotel Description

General Description
General Information:Accolades Boutique Hotel is Rotorua's newest Boutique property; an outstanding, welcoming haven where guests will enjoy the highest standards of comfort and award winning hospitality. Warm, intimate, serene - an extraordinary vacation and accommodation experience, Rotorua's finest.This is a large property (6500 sq ft) with very spacious lounge areas and surrounding decks on over 2 acres of premium New Zealand Gardens. Extensive views across Lake Rotorua and Rotorua City. Hotel facilities also has guest laundry, parking. Location:Luxury Boutique accommodation in a magnificent setting overlooking Lake Rotorua in the heart of New Zealand's renowned thermal region; Go past Rotorua Airport turn right onto Whakatane road, 300 meters on left turn into Brunswick Drive, and Flemington Place is 3rd on right.Area:Rotorua an exciting city, with an exciting history, tradition and culture; its popular tourist attractions and adventure activities provide endless fun and satisfaction for the tourist visiting this thermal heartland. Surrounded by bubbling mud and wispy smoking geysers Rotorua is unmistakably different and forever memorable.Recreation:Hotel facilities include guest office, library, billiard room, home theater, sauna, Spa, restaurant. Rooms:Each guest suite offers a flat screen television, a DVD and CD player, guest telephone, selection of fine English teas & fresh ground Arabica coffee, homemade cookies and legendary fudge.

Overview
Accolades Boutique Hotel is Rotorua's newest Boutique property; an outstanding, welcoming haven where guests will enjoy the highest standards of comfort and award winning hospitality. Warm, intimate, serene - an extraordinary vacation.

Acropolis Museum Boutique Hotel Athens

Hotel Description

General Description
Acropolis Museum Boutique Hotel is a family run boutique hotel, offering high quality service and located in heart of the Athens.The hotel has been designed to meet the needs of the most discerning business and leisure travellers and has 21 tastefully furnished and fully-equipped rooms.Located just a few minutes from the Acropolis and Plaka area, adjacent to the new Acropolis Museum. A totally renovated neo-classical building beautifully transformed into a small stylish hotel.Elegantly decorated in harmony with the original charchter of the era, offering comfortable accomodation with all modern amenities. The hotel reception will be happy to assist 24 hours per day, with city maps and guides, tourist information and suggestions for exploring this historic area of Athens. Warm hospitality and attentive service will help make your business or leisure stay in Athens extremely pleasant.

Overview
This hotel combines high quality service with a convenient location adjacent to the Acropolis Museum in one of the finest parts of Athens, mere minutes from the Acropolis and Plaka.

Situated at the foot of the Acropolis hill, the hotel is within walking distance of the Parthenon, Temple of Zeus, Hadrian Arch and the other monuments of Greek civilisation. Yet within a 10 minute walk you can reach Syntagma Constitution Square, Greek Parliament, the Athens Stock Market and the exclusive Ermou and Kolonaki shopping areas.

Housed in a classical building that underwent a complete renovation in 2007, maintaining the authentic style and character, this intimate hotel offers all the amenities and comforts that the modern sophisticated traveller comes to expect. Let the staff assist you with transportation, organising your plans, special packages and recommendations, providing you with a personal yet discreet service which will endeavour to ensure a satisfying stay.

Exterior
A small but beautiful neo-classical building renovated to it's former glory, painted a creamy yellow colour with white columns.

Lobby
The lobby is medium in size with a seating area. It is decorated with hand picked neo-classical antique style items of furniture.

2 Apostles Spa & Hotel Cape Town

Hotel Description

General Description
Just 15 minutes from the world-renowned VandA Waterfront, and a stones throw from some of the most magnificent beaches in the world, the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa offers the warmth and congeniality of a small hotel enhanced by all the restorative properties of a private health spa!RenovationsThe Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa is pleased to announce exciting refurbishments at the Hotel, which will not inconvenience our guests or patrons of the Hotel. They will however greatly enhance the facilities and aesthetics of the hotel and most importantly the guest experience.RoomsA number of the hotel rooms will undergo soft dcor refurbishments, offering guests even more comfort and luxury. Included in the soft dcor upgrades is new furniture, flat screen TVs, fabrics and wall-coverings, with a stunning effect of elegance, chic and stylish contemporary design and dcor. Some of the One-Bedroom Suites will be upgraded to create a fresh and open space, maximizing the stunning sea views. This planned work will take approximately a week and there will be a minimal degree of noise however guests will be accommodated in rooms well away from these renovations. This portion of work is in affect, the only physical building that will be taking place during our refurbishment schedule for 2008.Sanctuary Spa Refurbishment and ClosureThe award-winning Sanctuary Spa will be closed for a week, from 07 13 July 2008 inclusive for a soft refurbishment. The exciting improvements and enhancements include a new relaxation lounge and a grooming lounge.Hotel guests can still have certain treatments in their rooms during the scheduled closure and the list of treatments is available on request.We apologise for the inconvenience however the closure is required to maintain the pristine conditions and service standards that come with being one of only three Leading Spas in South Africa.The Rock PoolThe Rock Pool will be closed for resurfacing for a period of 14 days from 14 28 July 2008, however, the heated Atlantic Terrace Pool, will remain available for guest use.We appreciate your patience and support in this regard.

Overview
When asked for their memories of The Twelve Apostles, guests are hard-pressed to choose between the magic of the glorious Atlantic sunsets or the kindness of our staff. Luckily, the two go hand-in-hand. While you watch the sunset from a striped terrace lounger, we'll be at your side with cocktails, cool drinks, or tasty snacks. Whatever you want, we'll arrange it for you. That's how life is at the Twelve Apostles.

From the complimentary drink that awaits your arrival to the free transfers to Camps Bay and the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, from 08h00 to 20h00 you always feel at home. Your stay includes full South African breakfast and use of the Sanctuary Spa, (voted best spa resort in Africa) which boasts of hydrotherapy pools, a sauna and flotation tank.

And when the day's over, you retire to a room or suite of elegant luxury. Each one is unique; each is decorated in relaxed, soothing colours for airy, daytime coolness and cosy, night-time intimacy.

Santa Marina Resort And Villas

Hotel Description

Luxurious accommodations. Unparalleled service. Spectacular views. Gourmet cuisine. These are the hallmarks of Santa Marina Resort & Villas located in stunning Mykonos, Greece. Nestled on a secluded peninsula overlooking the beautiful Aegean Sea and a mere 3km from cosmopolitan Mykonos town, discover a resort featuring 96 balconied guest rooms and suites, including suites and villas with private pools, located in the picturesque hillside.

Once guests arrive at this island paradise, the overabundance of services and facilities ensures they never need to leave. Three tantalizing restaurants serving organic fruits and vegetables from our own Langada Farm; Lotus Spa offering a multitude of options to rejuvenate the mind, body and soul; exclusive 150m sandy beach with beach bar and outdoor grill restaurant; a floodlit tennis court, two infinity pools, gym and water sports for fitness; and exclusive private charter services with our own jet, yacht, speedboat and helicopter with private heli-pad located on property. Suffice it to say, the distinctions of our resort are unmatched in Mykonos.

On behalf of the fine team assembled at Santa Marina Resort & Villas, we look forward to welcoming you. We commit our best efforts ensuring guests enjoy our outstanding accommodations, facilities and services and have a most memorable stay with us.

Elounda Gulf Villas And Suites

Hotel Description

The 18 stylish villas and ten elegant suites that make up the Elounda Gulf Villas and Suites offer exquisite luxury in a stunning location.

Set on a cliff top overlooking the gulf of Mirabello, floor-to ceiling windows frame the mountainous coastline, sweeping bay and island of Spinalonga in the distance. Outside, blue and white dominate; the geometric lines of the whitewashed villas set off dramatically against the aqua backdrop of the sea and pools.

Elounda Gulf Villas and Suites is a member of the ‘Small Luxury Hotels of the World’ and has been 3 consecutive times included in the list of ‘101 Best Hotels of the World’ of the Tatler Travel Guide and is winner of the ‘Greece’s Leading Villa’ award

Luxury Hotel Accommodation

28 suites/villas which include Luxury Senior Suites, Luxury Family Suites, Elounda Villa, Aegean Villa, Mediterranean Villa, Presidential Spa Villa, Executive Spa Villa and Royal Spa Villa.

Each of the villas, available with one to four bedrooms, has its own pool with Jacuzzi. The smattering of antique furniture collected by the owner on her travels, the large marble lined bathrooms with trompe l'oeil ceilings and the fully fitted kitchen, enhance the sense of luxury.

The Superior, Executive and Presidential Spa Villas feature Jacuzzis, a sauna and a small gymnasium to pamper and invigorate yourself, while the fabulous four bedroomed Royal Spa Villa has a large infinity pool plus two Jacuzzis for the ultimate in luxury. Children are very welcome at Elounda Gulf Villas and Suites, which are designed to accommodate families, couples or individuals. Baby-sitting and cots are available. The suites are located close to the main pool and have the same elegance and attention to detail. All villas and suites have a CD player, TV and DVD player for your entertainment.

W Los Angeles Westwood

At the foothills of Beverly Hills and Bel Air, W Los Angeles - Westwood is located between Rodeo Drive and Santa Monica beaches. Relax in our fabulous 258 newly redesigned modern, spacious bungalow-style studios and suites by celebrity designer Thom Filiica. The W Los Angeles is located a block from UCLA, in Westwood village known for its cafes, movie houses, and movie premieres.

Step outside to our iconic pool, WET adjacent to outdoor poolside lounge, The Backyard. Sip and savor under the sun, take a dip in the pool or retreat to an airy cabana surrounded by lush botanicals. Release your stresses at our spa, Bliss, which boasts 7,000 square feet of tension-fighting facilities, ten treatment rooms, and luxe men's and women's lounge. Be seen at our very own hip, hot spot, Rande Gerber's Whiskey Blue, lounge in our VIP areas or gaze at the stars from the outside patio. W offers Whatever/ Whenever service, we want to create an experience unlike any other at the W Los Angeles - Westwood. Whisk away to the ultimate Los Angeles hideaway!

Sunset Tower Hote

Guests making reservations at the Sunset Tower Hotel through Five Star Alliance will receive a complimentary 30-minute Turkish Hammam at the hotel Spa, room upgrade based upon availability and 2 pm check out. In addition, a 20 percent discount on Spa and Salons services is offered to all Five Star Alliance guests during their stay.
With 74 elegant suites and rooms - most with views of Beverly Hills, the Hollywood Hills and downtown Los Angeles - as well as a top-notch modern bistro, the Tower Bar, a poolside grill, The Terrace, a full service spa and beauty salon.

The Sunset Tower is once again, 76 years after its opening, the prime hotel destination on the Sunset Strip. And just as the Ritz could be nowhere but Paris, the Sunset Tower unmistakably embodies the glamorous history and distinctive style of Los Angeles.

Monte Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort

Opening October 1, 2005, Monte Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort is a 10 acre garden peninsula, located just minutes from the city's casino square and a 10 minute helicopter ride or 35 minutes by car from Nice airport. This breathtaking peninsula is like a natural Eden reinvented, a garden floating on water. Charm and relaxed elegance characterize the hotel, situated at the waterfront of Monte Carlo Bay. Over 75 percent of the luxuriously appointed guest rooms and suites feature a private balcony and sea view. These spacious rooms offer 484 square feet of privacy and comfort, space and light decorated with pale marble and exotic woods. With an azure blue lagoon and neoclassical architecture featuring arcades and collonades, the resort is an oasis of waterfalls, Mediterranean gardens, terraces and a solarium. The first Monte Carlo resort built with every business need in mind, Monte Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort offers facilities and services for every type of guest. From meeting and conference facilities and fully-equipped business center to indoor and outdoor swimming pools, sandy-bottomed lagoon, concert hall, casino and a myriad of dining opportunities and entertainment, Monte Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort is the ultimate resort.

The New York Palace

Known for its impeccable service and spacious accommodations, The New York Palace offers beautifully appointed rooms featuring spectacular views of iconic St. Patrick's Cathedral and Rockefeller Center, or the East River. The landmark hotel is home to the highly acclaimed, Michelin two-star restaurant GILT, a full-service spa and fitness center, and Istana – an elegant brasserie. With more than 40,000 square feet of exquisite function space, The Palace is New York's premier venue for business and social events.

The Palace offers three hotels in one. Located on floors 9 through 29, deluxe rooms in The Main House are beautifully furnished guest accommodations that feature large marble bathrooms and spacious seating areas. Located on floors 30 through 39, Executive Level rooms offer all of the comforts of our deluxe accommodations plus exclusive access to The Executive Lounge. Offering spectacular City Views from the 39th floor, The Lounge features five different food presentations throughout the day, including complimentary American buffet breakfast, afternoon snacks, and evening cocktails, cordials and hor d'oeuvres. For guests seeking the ultimate in luxury, privacy and service, Towers accommodations on floors 41 through 54 feature oversized Deluxe Classic or Art Deco style rooms and suites with private elevators and reception, Maitre d'Etage butler service and dedicated concierge desk.

The London NYC

The London NYC offers a new luxury experience in midtown Manhattan, reintrepreted for the modern traveler. Innovative designer David Collins has created generously proportioned, elegant suites with acclaimed Chef Gordon Ramsay overseeing all dining. Designed with characteristic creativity and care, The London NYC's 561 Suites invoke a serenely stylish experience, enriched by texture and detail, and punctuated by graceful utility.

The London NYC rises amid the pulse of midtown Manhattan - blocks from MoMA, Carnegie Hall, Fifth Avenue shops, Broadway theaters, Times Square, and Central Park.

Beaver Creek Lodge

Nestled At The Base Of Beaver Creek Mountain And In The Heart Of Beaver Creek Village- Beaver Creek Lodge Welcomes You To The Comfort And Luxury Of All Suite Accommodations. Our Guests Will Enjoy The Ambiance And Mountain Comforts Of Our New Decor. We Also Feature The Beaver Creek Chop House Specializing In Fresh Seafood- Prime Rib And Mouth Watering Steaks. This Restaurant Is Open Daily For Breakfast And Dinner. In The Summer- Enjoy The Relaxing Dining Ambiance Of Our Patio. Our Coffee And Pastry Shop- On The Fly- Features Specialty Coffee- Espresso Drinks And Lunches That Include Daily Homemade Soups And Sandwiches. Our Catering And Conference Department Offers Flexible Meeting Space For Custom Designed Menus. Other Features Include Indoor/ Outdoor Heated Pool- Outdoor Hot Tub- Steamroom And Dry Sauna- Work-out Equipment- Ski And Golf Lockers And Retail Ski And Snowboard Shops.

Byblos Courcheve

Refined, elegant and Unique...The Byblos, Courchevel is one of the most sought after hotels in the Alps. The Hotel in located in the heart of the forest of the Jardin Alpin in Courchevel 1850 also known as the Riviera of the Alps. With its cosy chalet-style decoration and feel, wonderful views over the Jardin Alpin, close proximity to the lively village of Courchevel and skiing directly from the doorstep- The Byblos is a sought after hotel for international celebrities, heads of state royalty and international travellers. Only the incomparable service and gracious staff rival the charm of the environs and the decor. The Byblos Courchevel has 64 rooms and 12 suites- each with a magnificent view of the slopes. Reminiscent of a majestic Savoyard chalet, each room embraces its guests with its regal, yet welcoming decor. All have been individually re-decorated with a dash of chalet chic.

Topnotch At Stowe Resort And Spa

Topnotch, Stowe Vermont's premier Resort and Spa, is a 120-acre resort nestled into a Vermont mountainside that magically balances a setting of natural beauty with spectacular landscapes - the ideal Vermont vacation and meeting destination. Topnotch offers endless recreational pursuits in a luxurious resort atmosphere. The resort is a member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, and Associated Luxury Hotels. Very conveniently located 40 minutes from the Burlington International Airport, Topnotch Resort & Spa is in the heart of the Green Mountains just two miles from Mt. Mansfield, Vermont's highest mountain. The resort combines first-class accommodations and services with a full range of resort activities, a world class spa, and many other delightful amenities: continental cuisine in our numerous restaurants; three retail outlets with everything from Vermont keepsakes, handcrafts to exercise-wear and sports equipment; a full-service beauty salon; and comfortable common areas such as the Living Room, where complimentary tea and fresh home baked cookies are served each afternoon. From luxurious resort homes, each with their own personality, to spacious guest rooms and suites in the hotel, Topnotch has remarkable variety. You can stay in a resort home with a sundeck and view of the mountains or in the hotel very close to all the action. Some rooms have a crackling fire on the hearth and a personal library for bedtime reading. Others have a bathroom with a whirlpool, just what you need to wind down. And every room has plush terry-cloth robes to pull on afterwards.

Riffelalp Resort

he Riffelalp Resort Is The Highest Alpine Resort In Europe And Has A Unique Situation In The Skiing And Hiking District Of Gornergrat Above Zermatt. The hotel offers a total of 140 beds in 65 double rooms, 5 suites, plus 2 apartments with all modern conveniences. Most Rooms Have A Balcony And Offer Breathtaking Views of The Matterhorn. The Resort has its own heated indoor pool, solarium, massage parlour, sauna (separate facility for ladies), steam baths and fitness room. In-house skiman by Bayard-Sport for ski-rental and ski-service and In-house ski teacher. Other local activities include: tennis, ice skating, curling, mountain biking, winter and summer skiing, helicopter trips, heli-skiing, hiking, mountaineering, glacier tours, paragliding.

Post Hotel

The Post Hotel Is A Mountain Resort Hotel In The Heart Of Canada's Most Famous National Park. Luxurious Rooms And Suites Feature Wood Burning Fireplaces And Jacuzzi Tubs. The Fine Dining Room Includes An Award Winning Wine List And Fresh Market Cuisine. The Hotel Provides A European Style That Has Been Best Described As A Model Of Understated Elegance.

Although the hotel served its purpose and we had a fabulous time, we were disappointed in the restaurant which was supposed to be so outstanding... This hotel is very close to the road, has a train that goes right through it and overlooks a large parking lot that should be blocked with landscaping. Although there are not a lot of hotel options in the area I would have reconsidered it for the price and the experience

Inn at Lost Creek

The Romantic And Charming Inn At Lost Creek Occupies A Premier Location In Telluride Mountain Village With Ski-in, Ski-out Access In Winter And Proximity To Golf, Hiking And Biking Trails In Summer. Rated In The "Top 100 Hotels", "Best In The World" And No. 24 In The Best Hotels In North America By Conde Nast Traveler's Readers Choice 2003, The Inn Offers Boutique Luxury Accommodations And Distinctive Personalized Service. With 32 Uniquely Designed Hotel Suites, Including Marble Baths, Balconies With Mountain Views, Fine Furnishings And Fine Art, This Boutique Gem Is That Welcome Rarity--a High-end Hostelry With No Attitude. From The Desk Staff To The Concierge The Friendliness Is Palpable. Other Awards Include: "One of the World's Best Small Inns," Sunset Magazine (2001) Utell Resort Selection 5 Star Readers Favorite And Top Ten Ski Resorts, Departures Magazine (2004) Resorts And Great Hotels connoisseur's Choice (1999 - 2004) RCI Gold Crown Resort- Surpassing Standards Of Excellence (1998 - 2004) American Resort Development Association Gold Medal For Outstanding Resort Design (1998)

The Little Nell

Nestled at the base of Aspen Mountain, The Little Nell blends the virtues of a country inn with the indulgences of a grand hotel. The Little Nell Is Located Next To The Silver Queen Gondola with a Free Skier Shuttle To Aspen Highlands. Aspen has many options year around from which to select, including: biking; hiking; fly fishing; skiing; snowmobiling; dog sled rides; ice skating; para gliding; snow shoeing; golf; off road touring; horseback riding; cross country skiing; and rafting.

The Little Nell pool is located in the courtyard of the hotel and faces Aspen Mountain. In the winter the pool is heated to 102 degress and the bench and Jacuzzi jets make it a relaxing soaking tub after a day on the slopes. There is a separate, large Jacuzzi beside the pool. Food and beverage services are offered during the summer.

Dining at The Little Nell can range from a casual snack in front of the fireplace in the Living room to the comforts of 24-hour room service in the privacy of your room. Montagna restaurant, located in the hotel, is a favorite spot for locals and visitors alike. Also located within the complex is Ajax Tavern. On mountain dining is available at Bonnie's and the Sundeck cafeteria. Meals at all of these facilities may be conveniently charged directly to your room account.

Aguas de Ibiza Lifestyle and Spa

Hotel Description

Aguas de Ibiza presents a new concept in hospitality. Ours is a very personal interpretation of what luxury should be all about.� Everyone comes to Ibiza to experience pleasure. Let us show you a new way of living that experience.

Water, light and textures convergeg at Aguas de Ibiza. You will find here all you need to live an unforgettable holiday.� Calm luxury, unpretincious and natural.� The ideal place to come and enjoy the best Ibiza: because of its location, in the peaceful Marina at Santa Eulalia, because of the surrounding nature, because of its wide range of services and because you will be treated as a guest not just a client.

Aguas de Ibiza goes beyond being just a 5-star property. We are different because of our philosophy. Ours is a style that is personal and warm, and represents a family compromise with excellence.

Luxury Hotel Accommodation

Aguas de Ibiza offers its guests 112 rooms.(36 standard rooms, 45 Junior Suites and 12 Corner Suites plus 14 luxury Cloud 9 Suites and 4 Cloud 9 Corner Suites)

All our rooms receive abundant light all day long, which enters through their ample terraces and glass windows. You will have spectacular views of the Mediterranean and of the neighbouring island of Formentera.

The Ibizan light is reflected in the coloured glass tiles of the bathroom walls and in the limestone, giving an incredible sense of amplitude and spatial pleasure.

Apart from the best materials, our rooms also boast the latest technology, such as Bang & Olufsen TV monitors, state-of-the-art domotics help you create a personal and sensual atmosphere, by programming lighting mood scenes.

Zamani Zanzibar Kempinski Tanzania

Hotel Description

This Indian Ocean archipelago with its white sandy beaches is located 35 km off the East African main land. The Zamani Zanzibar Kempinski Hotel is Zanzibar's leading international resort, situated on the north eastern part of the island, featuring world class luxury accommodation. The hideaway resort offers 110 rooms, 7 private villas, an exclusive beach club and a romantic Jetty Bar above the Indian Ocean. The hotel is the perfect destination for honeymoon or wedding vacation as well as meetings & incentives. The Zamani Zanzibar Kempinski has been voted Best Villa Resort at the World Luxury Awards and Leading Hotel in Tanzania at the World Travel Awards 2007.

Luxury Hotel Accommodation

The Zamani Zanzibar Kempinski Tanzania features luxuriously appointed 110 rooms and suites all featuring private terraces or balconies with views over landscaped gardens to the ocean.

The main area of the hotel offers a total of 10 accommodation clusters each with 6 Garden Rooms, 4 Terrace Rooms and 1 Zamani Suite. All rooms and suites are contemporarily stylish with exceptional attention to comfort, privacy and relaxation. Bathrooms are Olympian with separate shower and a vast free standing bathtub and a glorious outside shower with sky views.

All guest rooms and suites offer the following services and facilities:

• Non smoking rooms
• Complimentary internet port
• Cable TV with movie channels
• 24-Hour Room Service
• International Direct Dialing
• Voicemail
• Wake-up Service available
• Mini-Bar
• In-room Safe
• Laundry/Dry-cleaning Services
• Coffee and Tea Making Facilities Slippers & Bathrobes
• Nightly Turndown Service
• Deluxe Bath Amenities
• Hairdryer
• Shaving Mirror
• Outdoor Shower
• 24 hour security

Furore Inn Resort & Spa

Hotel Description

A location to dream in, this is the Furore Inn Resort & Spa. A jewel perched on the Amalfi Coast , on the hill of Crevano above the Fiord of Furore, between Positano and Amalfi, in Furore at the beginning of "Via dell' Amore". Here you will find that typical Mediterranean welcoming atmosphere combined with the attention you deserve to promote well-being of mind and body. Light and sea, are reflected in the predominant colours of blue and white, of its rooms, and suites. Overlooking the sea and dominating the Gulf of Salerno, are the restaurant's dining rooms and terraces, here in " La volpe Pescatrice" (The Fishing Vixen), where local and traditional ancient recipes, are married well with a modern concept of health and well-being. It is that same concept that has promoted the creation of a Beauty Centre, aimed at offering personalised treatments, to help combat problems caused by modern-day living. Italian Touch Restaurant, fine dining and exclusive setting for very special events. The Furore Inn Resort is this and more besides... It is the place where one can live and enjoy a new experience, be it holiday and adventure, fitness and well-being, music and silence, recreation and meditation, with no limits, to your own fantasy.

Great Hotels of the World

Great Hotels of the World offers an unrivalled collection of the best 5 star luxury hotels and resorts. Each hotel is selected for its dedication to the highest standards of luxury, unique sophistication, surroundings and innovative facilities.

We handpick the most exclusive hotels for your convenience, so you can indulge in the ultimate of extravagances when you travel.

Our niche collections of romantic properties, relaxing spa destinations, world-class golf resorts and stress-free business hotels can help you choose the perfect hotel for your needs, tailored to your interests.

Enjoy life’s luxuries and discover a world of sumptuous hospitality with Great Hotels of the World - because it’s a beautiful world.

Cosmo Singapore

Smart and cosmopolitan Singapore has been marching into non-conformity with a new batch of boutique hotels, transforming old Chinatown shophouses into 21st-century modernism, and hip hostels wired for the digital generation

LE MERIDIEN HOTEL DES INDES

This historic city palace was built in 1858 for Baron van Brienen van de Groote Lindt en Dortsmunde at a cost of 150,000 kilos of gold. It first opened as a hotel in 1881 and quickly established itself as a diplomats favourite: countless deals, both national and international, have been cut beneath the magnificent vaulting of the atrium. It has also been touched by glamour: the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova died here; Josephine Baker once rented an entire suite for her monkey; and the term gigolo was invented here when male dancers were hired to titillate the ladies. The hotel reopened in September 2005 after a three-year, 35-million refit by Parisian architect and interiors guru Jacques Garcia; as you would expect from this famous maximalist, none of the hotels sense of stylish excess has been lost. But after the splendour of the restored atrium, the 92 bedrooms and suites are surprisingly restrained, with antique furnishings, red walls and heavenly canopied beds. The bathrooms feature twin Italian marble basins and lovely purple Portuguese tiling. The hotel has all the mod cons you would expect, but the new gym and spa is a reminder that you are in a space-constrained country. Famed Parisian chef Michel Rostang was brought in to develop the restaurants concept of serving modern classical-French-inspired fare from simple sandwiches to oysters, lobsters and roast lamb with an emphasis on freshness and seasonality. At the time of our visit, the service in the restaurant was still patchy, but the area is well known for its Indonesian restaurants, and you can always opt for room service.

MONTE CARLO

Thanks to its relaxed and surprisingly chic atmosphere, the long-awaited, 334-room Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, a 50-million euro extravaganza, is already proving popular with families and young professionals alike. A self-contained, Mediterranean-style village, it is packed with recreational and gastronomic choices: a casino; souvenir and sportswear boutiques; a Cinq Mondes spa; a small gym; five restaurants in season; a private dock and helipad; and two swimming pools, one an artificial sand-bottom lagoon surrounded by palms and botanical gardens. There are 11 floors of near-identical bedrooms decorated in a contemporary style with dark-wood furnishings, giant plasma-screen TVs and spacious white bathrooms; nearly all have private sea-view terraces. Come sunset, a glamorous crowd gathers in the Blue Gin bar to sip melon Martinis and blue Mojitos, while serious foodies head straight for the superb (and affordable) Blue Bay gastronomic restaurant, where Martinique-born Marcel Ravin dishes up his fusion-inspired cuisine (foie gras with spun sugar; spicy shrimp with tropical fruit Dim Sum; iced pear soufflé with green tea) from his open-plan kitchen.

MANDARIN ORIENTAL DHARA DHEVI

Such is the beauty of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group's first venture into the resort market or 'hideaway concept', as they prefer to call it that one wonders why they waited so long. The Dhara Dhevi (Star Goddess) was built with impressive attention to detail by a team of architects, carpenters and interior designers assembled by the Thai owner, a southerner with a passion for the north. His vision was to capture the rich cultural heritage of the Lanna kingdom which existed here for centuries and create through different architectural styles a glimpse into a past world, enabling guests to 'touch history'. The difficult balance between tranquillity and hi-tech luxury is faultlessly managed. Despite all the facilities, the 21st century simply does not intrude. With views from the handcrafted teak villas onto tidy vegetable gardens, working paddy fields, the occasional ox and nothing more motorised than the ever-smiling staff riding their bicycles across the 25-hectare grounds, life soon slows down to meditation level. Local antiques and silks decorate spacious bedrooms; bathrooms have freestanding tubs and huge showers. Villas vary: some have private pools or Jacuzzis; most have outdoor pavilions. The Colonial suites have garden access or balconies. The excellent restaurants include Le Grand Lanna, a justly famous Thai establishment that was the starting point for the hotel. The Dheva Spa spoils in true Thai fashion: try the Mandalay or Lanna Ceremony for a path to heaven.

LUX 11

When the Wall went up, the old centre of Berlin, Mitte, went to the East. Fifteen years after reunification, Mitte has reasserted its status as the beating heart of the city, home to the hippest shops, restaurants, theatres and, increasingly, hotels. Lux 11, in a revamped, white-painted heritage building, is the newest kid on the block and already looks set to be one of the most popular. Its concept is high style, low cost (and long stay, even lower cost). Maid service is every third day and fridges can be stocked to order. Each of the 72 apartments has a kitchenette with pots and pans and even a small dishwasher (although, in the smaller rooms, dinner parties would have to be held in bed). Designed by Claudio Silvestrin and Giuliana Salmaso, London-based architects responsible for many Armani outlets, the colour scheme runs a narrow spectrum between white and a muted Chinese green. Floors are polished concrete or bleached wood, but other materials are sumptuous, such as the suede headboards and taffeta bedcovers trimmed with fake fur. Flat-screen TVs, faxes, Wi-Fi, DVD players and huge hairdryers (with diffusers) are standard. To one side of the lobby is an Aveda Spa and hairdressers; the groovy restaurant, Shiro I Shiro, serving Asian-Italian fusion food (with a sushi bar) is to the other. Staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful and all look like models.

COSMOPOLITAN

The 97-room Cosmopolitan, in a 1960s office block, is as straightforward as it is stylish. Owner Gil Blutrich, a Zen enthusiast, has taken his favourite theme and run with it: the interiors were designed with an energy-balancing expert; all the bedrooms have yoga mats; and an incense menu is part of the turndown service. Other karma-enhancing touches include a hybrid car as the guest limousine and a ventilation system that promises to double the volume of fresh oxygen circulating through the building. The colour scheme is predominantly brown with blue accents, because brown is for grounding and blue for dreaming. Esoterica aside, the Cosmopolitan is extremely comfortable and chic, with hardwood floors and almost wall-to-to wall windows for spectacular views of Lake Ontario, the landmark CN Tower and buildings by IM Pei and Mies van der Rohe. Theres also a real sense of privacy. With only five rooms per floor, all with kitchens and some with separate sitting areas (rooms two, three and four on each level), its like having your own apartment with room service. All the bedrooms are big, but the Designer Penthouse is vast, with covetable modernist furniture, an infinity-edged tub, and a wraparound terrace. There is also a Zen spa and solarium, and a lounge-restaurant, Doku 15, serving Asian tapas and tea-based Martinis.

CONVENTO HOTEL

This former convent, 130km inland from Lisbon, was founded on the site of a miracle in 1458 and converted last year at a cost of 18 million euros into a sumptuous secular retreat. Most of its dazzling-white buildings, arranged around a cloister and succession of courtyards, were built in the exuberant style known as Manueline (after King Manuel I, who used to stay here), which celebrated Portugal's stature as a seafaring superpower and is full of nautical motifs: globes, anchors, knots. In keeping with this, the cornices in the 59 rooms, most in a long, low extension, are fashioned to mimic rope. Despite the hotel's modernist additions, its interiors are traditional, with dark, carved furniture, rich damasks and religious paintings none so fine as those in the monastery's beautiful, light-filled church, a serene and palpably spiritual place, splendid enough to have hosted royal weddings and packed with museum-quality art. Not that there aren't other, more worldly facilities: two pools; a spa; elegant if yet-to-mature gardens; two bars and an inventive restaurant (who knew regional Portuguese cooking could be this good?). And of course, the walled university town of Evora, a 5 euro taxi ride away, with its Roman temple, baroque mansions, winding alleys and café-lined squares.

CAVAS WINE LODGE

Mendoza's sun-kissed vineyards, winery tours and mountain vistas rival Napa and Stellenbosch. But for years, the Andean province lacked fine food and high-end hotels. Since opening in September 2005, Cavas Wine Lodge has consummately filled both those gaps. Although just 20 minutes' drive from downtown Mendoza, its location in a tranquil, 14-hectare vineyard with a horizon of year-round snowy peaks is idyllic. Owners Martín Rigal and Cecilia Diaz Chuit encourage their guests to luxuriate in wine: the underground cellar is stacked with dozens of Argentina's most notable labels, while the Catena Zapata, Norton and Finca La Anita bodegas are all conveniently nearby. Locally produced olive oils, herbs and spices enrich the kitchen's quite exceptional output and there are wine-therapy treatments available in the modest spa. The casco, or main house, remains faithful to Spanish colonial traditions. Sunlight floods into the cavernous sitting room and lobby, where guests can play the Schiedmayer & Soehne grand piano. Each 'room' is actually a 90-square-metre adobe-walled apartment positioned among the vines. Inside, a sitting room, discreetly equipped with flat-screen TV, CD/DVD player, cordless phone and Wi-Fi, leads to a bedroom of cool cream, slashed by blood-red llama-wool throws; beyond, a stone-clad bathroom has twin basins, a stand-alone bath and separate shower. Each apartment opens on to its own Andes-facing patio with plunge pool; on the roof, a chill-out mattress provides 360-degree views of the bodega.

BYBLOS ART HOTEL VILLA AMISTA

For design groupies, the Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amistà is paradise. Staying there is like living in a museum of modern furniture without the guide ropes. Dino Facchini, whose family owns the Byblos fashion label, bought the ruined villa, seven kilometres from Verona, in 1999 and restored it to its baroque splendour; then he got architect Alessandro Mendini to blueprint a hotel that lets guests loose in a work of art. Even the hippest hotels rely upon mass-produced furniture to take the wear and tear of everyday hotel life. But not here. No two pieces are the same and each is labelled and listed just as in a museum. You can lounge in a Proust armchair by Mendini (on permanent display at both the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein and New York's MoMA) and put your feet up on Mae West's lips by Salvador Dalí. The art is as good as the furniture: you can check e-mails under the watchful gaze of Cindy Sherman's 'Clown' series; and scattered throughout the hotel are works by Anish Kapoor, Sol LeWitt, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Vanessa Beecroft and Peter Halley. Even place settings in the restaurant are collectors' items, with silverware by Sabatier and cutlery by Giò Ponti. Some of the objects designed exclusively for the hotel have been made into a Byblos Casa collection and can be bought on site. The spa, under the fashionable French brand of Henri & Dominique Chenot, offers massages, mud treatments and hydrotherapy in a mosaic-lined building.

BROWNS HOTEL

The restoration of Brown's was always going to be tricky. A Mayfair hotel since 1837, occupying a block of 18th-century buildings between Albemarle and Dover Streets, it was for many years a much-loved place to take your aunt for tea, and woefully lacking in pizzazz. The news that it was to be Rocco Forte's London flagship caused a stir: could he and Olga Polizzi add some flair without losing the charm? We think they've achieved it: indeed, since its glitzy December 2005 launch, the hotel has developed a discreetly bi-polar personality. The Terence Donovan Bar (duck-egg blue, Donovan prints, jazz guitarist) buzzes away with twenty- and thirty-somethings ordering five types of Bloody Mary across a black leather bar. The Grill restaurant, with its oak panelling and inverted pear-drop lights, is more 'old Brown's': pies and puddings share the menu with lighter, newer dishes (but nothing to frighten a former public schoolboy). Rooms and bathrooms, large for London, fizz with Polizzi touches: mosaics, glass and ceramics, striped silk curtains, Missoni throws, great bathroom sound and an Aquavision TV at the end of the bath itself. But there are odd omissions: fling open your curtains and you are exposed to the houses opposite (there's no linen layer); the card keys are temperamental; a fine print on the wall was obscured by my TV. The staff are charming and helpful, although my bag went to the wrong room and my lamb cutlets turned into a mixed grill. It'll settle. It's Brown's.

BEIT AL MAMLOUKA

Hidden in the maze of narrow alleyways and culs-de-sac that is the Christian Quarter of Old Damascus, Beit al-Mamlouka might take a foray or three to find. But when at last you stumble into the garden courtyard with its fountain, frescoed walls and heavy scent of orange blossom, any weariness swiftly turns to wonder. Carefully restored from near-total ruin, the hotel's Mamluke and Ottoman charm - carved wooden door frames, candy-striped walls, marble panelling and delicate frescoes - is enhanced by its diminutive size. With just eight bedrooms, four of them suites, the Mamlouka is a bouti-cutie; it is also well located a five-minute walk from the glorious Umayyad Mosque, the Azem Palace and the bustling Hamidiyye Souk. Even better, the surrounding streets are home to some of the best restaurants in Damascus, including the Elissar, Casablanca and late-night hot spot Marmar. Those with an urge to reconnect to the modern world will enjoy the in-room Wi-Fi and DVD players; others the displays of contemporary Syrian art in the guests-only restaurant/bar and the rooftop terrace for languid afternoons spent drinking tea.

BASICO

Last July, the tropical beach resort of Playa del Carmen got a second shot of style with the opening of industrial-chic Básico on hopping Avenida Quinta, one block from the beach. Owned by the Habita group, 15-room Básico is the sister property of the serene Deseo Hotel + Lounge, just down the street. The feel here is more playful: rubber-tyre floors, whitewashed cement walls, and rocking beach-chairs are found in the open-air reception area, which doubles as a Mexican juice stand. Guests can order smoothies by day and cocktails by night. Rooms are airy and bright - each has a glass wall - with flat-screen TVs, king-sized beds with pillow-top mattresses, and disco-ball-operated toilets. For your photographic pleasure, Polaroid cameras are attached to the beds by silver chains. There is a second-floor seafood restaurant, but Básico's best space is the Azotea rooftop bar, which has dazzling views of the cerulean sea and Cozumel in the distance. Two clay-red circular swimming pools - made from recycled petroleum tanks - are great for soaking in, and deck chairs and beach beds abound. In the evening, local DJs spin tunes and the bar is loud and full. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, and beach bums will love complimentary access to Mamita's, a luxe beach club nearby.

BAIRRO ALTO HOTEL

The first contemporary-chic boutique hotel to open in this rapidly changing city, the Bairro Alto cannot be beaten for location. Straddling the vibrant district from which it takes its name and the more elegant shopping district of Chiado, its 18th-century façade forms part of the historical Luis de Camões square. Inside, the building has been completely restructured by Oporto interior decorators Bastidor, who have skilfully mixed references to Lisbon's past with stark new design in the popular bar. The ground floor, minimalist in feel, is dominated by striking black and white photographs of Lisbon life. Although often smallish, the 55 bedrooms and suites are well equipped with DVD players, plasma- screen TVs, Internet access and wonderful touches such as a night-light button to direct you to the tiny, marble bathroom in the dark. The top floor houses a gym and massage room and a breathtaking roof terrace overlooking the city and beyond to the River Tagus. The small corner restaurant, Flores, which spills out onto the street in summer, offers a market-fresh menu at lunch and a select dinner menu in which chef Luis Rodrigues indulges his love of Mediterranean and Asian fusion cuisine. All in all, it is much as you would imagine from the stable of GLA hotels: a small independent hotel that's big on luxury and service.

Amanwella

Amanwella opened just after its Sri Lankan sister Amangalla. But while Amangalla focuses on the island's colonial past, Amanwella celebrates its high-end, sea-front future. Set in a grove of towering coconut palms near Tangalle on the southern coast, this 30-bedroom eyrie has been built on a trio of ascending terraces. The wood bungalows that house the bedrooms are rather uninspiring, but the interiors are fantastic and they all have massive glass walls, private plunge-pools and terraces with uninterrupted sea views. These completely open-plan spaces are furnished with items crafted from sturdy kitul wood, while oversized bathtubs are perfectly placed and sized for sunset gazing à deux. The surf on the southern coast can be rough (the beaches are actually off- limits much of the year) but Amanwellas 45-metre, infinity-edged swimming pool is a magnificent consolation. The beach pavilion, for barbecues and salads, makes a good alternative to the restaurant, where the menu focuses on fresh seafood. Theres a low-lit bar surrounded by angular reflecting pools and grassy courtyards, along with a cool library stocked with tomes on Sri Lankan crafts and culture.

LUNUGANGA

Leave it to legendary Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa to build his own retreat on the island's most dramatic spot. Now a six-suite spread managed by Geoffrey Dobbs, the Brit behind some of Sri Lanka's finest boutique properties, Lunuganga is two hours' drive south of Colombo near Bentota Beach. Bawa bought the abandoned rubber estate in 1948, building a bungalow and adding a room with each successful hotel commission. The all-white Guest Room offers pared-down elegance while the delightfully cluttered Studio Suite pays homage to his artistic talents. Four hectares of Italianate gardens are maintained according to Bawa's exacting final orders. Idyllic, lazy days end with sundowners on the veranda: the Lunuganga Sour (white arrack with lime and sugar) is the signature tipple. Private fire dances can be arranged but most will find the stars an ideal accompaniment to some of Sri Lanka's tastiest curries.

LE SERENO

Despite its pretty location on a cove in the north-east of St Barts, the old Sereno Beach Hotel wouldn't have won any beauty competitions. Now everyone is talking about how the French designer Christian Liaigre (Club Med Bora Bora, The Mercer in New York) has transformed the 30-year-old ugly duckling into the most fashionable and luxurious new hotel on one of the most fashionable and luxurious islands in the Caribbean. Liaigre's radical makeover took three years but, with the help of lighting designer Arnold Chan and landscaper Fernando Tabora, it has been worth the wait. With just 37 suites and cottages, the scale is intimate and the look is quietly handsome, with chunky teak furniture, dark-wood louvres and white walls. All rooms have five-star essentials such as plasma-screen TVs, iPods, Wi-Fi and Ex Voto Paris bath products, but their real appeal is the way they have been designed to merge with the outdoors. Since the hotel opened, in time for Christmas, the Restaurant des Pêcheurs (grills, seafood) has been growing in popularity, as has Le Sereno Bar and Lounge. There are plans to add a spa this year.

KUBE ROOMS AND BARS

This 41-room hotel, hidden on a quiet cul-de-sac in the working-class 18th arrondissement near Montmartre, is the latest venture from the team behind the citys über-trendy Murano Urban Resort. The fun starts as soon as you open the discreet front door: the check-in area is a glowing plexiglass cube in the middle of a courtyard, which leads to a cavernous lounge bar decked out in synthetic-fur sofas, plasma screens and state-of-the-art music speakers disguised as red ceiling lanterns. The lifts are lined with fluorescent pony skin, but the spacious rooms are predominantly white with a few playful touches such as mauve plexiglass stools, hot-pink bean bags and fake-fur curtains (with slippers to match). The cube-shaped bath-showers are a design conceit too far, but the Anne Semonin products are spot-on. The Kubes biggest draw is the Ice Kube Bar, the first of its kind in Paris and popular with a young crowd eager to brave the sub-zero temperatures for a 30-minute swilling session, with flavoured vodkas served in ice glasses on a glacial bar counter. Delicious organic breakfasts are served in the lounge bar, where lunch and dinner are also available. A shuttle to and from the Murano Urban Resort is planned for later this year.

KUANGUILLA

For most of the year a suite at Kú is available for just over £100 a night. For a hotel that aims to offer a blend of the minimalist cool of South Beach and the relaxed sophistication of St Barts, this is amazing value, especially on Anguilla, an island famous for its luxury resorts. The people behind one of those, Cap Juluca, bought the property, formerly a tired, self-catering concern, and gutted it. Adding gallons of white paint and container loads of lightweight white furniture, several reams of natural fabrics and a smattering of colourful cushions, they have created 27 spacious suites. Flooded with sunlight, they have a very acceptable contemporary ambience with TV/CD/DVD units and well-equipped kitchens (there is even a gleaming blender for homemade cocktail experiments). Shoal Bay is a brochure-perfect two-mile arc of white sand lapped by the Caribbean sea. Its pleasantly busy with local families at the weekends when reggae bands play at the beach bars and cafés late into the evening. Most of the time the beach is un-crowded and decidedly laid-back. Such ingredients are enough to provide a stylish setting for families or romantic couples wanting a great beach holiday at an exceptional price. But achieving its ambition as a cool spot for the party crowd will depend on word getting out, particularly about resident DJ nights at the open-air designer bar.

Kruisheren hotel

The Kruisherenhotel is the latest addition to Camille Oostwegel's hotel and restaurant empire in the south of Holland. He specialises in restoring historic buildings, and this one, which opened last summer in the Old Town, is built inside the Cross Friars Monastery and Church dating back to 1438. Local planning laws dictate that such buildings must be able to be converted back to their former state, so Henk Vos of architecture practice Maupertuus created the colourful contemporary bar, restaurant, three conference rooms and reception area as freestanding wooden, glass and steel structures built within the church but only attached to it for support. The 60 bedrooms are in the former monastery, converted from the monks' cells; many feature wall friezes or have fireplaces. Everywhere the marriage between ancient and modern has been explored and stretched to the limit, with fiercely contemporary interiors featuring the furniture of Corbusier, Starck, Newson, Wanders, Ray and Charles Eames, Rietveld and Piet-Hein Eek. The renowned lighting architect Ingo Maurer has contributed a mesmerising, reflective copper entrance tunnel, light installation sculptures in the quadrangle, and satellites suspended from the chapel ceiling. Locals and tourists alike are quite rightly making the pilgrimage to discover this uniquely Dutch treasure.

Cosmopolitan

The 97-room Cosmopolitan, in a 1960s office block, is as straightforward as it is stylish. Owner Gil Blutrich, a Zen enthusiast, has taken his favourite theme and run with it: the interiors were designed with an energy-balancing expert; all the bedrooms have yoga mats; and an incense menu is part of the turndown service. Other karma-enhancing touches include a hybrid car as the guest limousine and a ventilation system that promises to double the volume of fresh oxygen circulating through the building. The colour scheme is predominantly brown with blue accents, because brown is for grounding and blue for dreaming. Esoterica aside, the Cosmopolitan is extremely comfortable and chic, with hardwood floors and almost wall-to-to wall windows for spectacular views of Lake Ontario, the landmark CN Tower and buildings by IM Pei and Mies van der Rohe. Theres also a real sense of privacy. With only five rooms per floor, all with kitchens and some with separate sitting areas (rooms two, three and four on each level), its like having your own apartment with room service. All the bedrooms are big, but the Designer Penthouse is vast, with covetable modernist furniture, an infinity-edged tub, and a wraparound terrace. There is also a Zen spa and solarium, and a lounge-restaurant, Doku 15, serving Asian tapas and tea-based Martinis.