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It’s the time of the year again… and we have been busy rounding up the best hotels of 2018.
2018 has been an exciting year seeing new developments come to life, old hotels being brought to new life and iconic properties getting impressive facelifts. Below are our top ten hotels which we’ve been fortunate to stay during the past year.
1. Finca Cortesin, Estepona
The award-winning hotel’s avant-garde yet majestic design is inspired by traditional Andalusian architecture. Exclusive and luxurious, a world set apart, where traditional Mediterranean lifestyle is seamlessly combined with the latest in contemporary living: superb cuisine, impeccable service and an unrivalled ambience of peace and tranquillity. Built around two main courtyards of palatial proportion, the hotel boasts 67 spacious, light-filled and exquisitely designed suites which range from 50 to 200 sqm and which all feature impressive 4m-high ceilings.
2. 11 Cadogan Gardens
This boutique hotel is the quintessence of true British heritage and a stylish and relaxing retreat away from London’s city buzz. A former members club, this opulent Chelsea boutique hotel, still referred to as a home away from home, is located just around the corner from prestigious Sloane Square. With individually uniquely decorated bedrooms, a popular new basement restaurant (Hans Bar & Grill) and a warm and cosy bar, 11 Cadogan Gardens is one of the capital’s most popular hotels.
3. Hotel Gloria de Sant Jaume, Mallorca
Miguel Conde had one goal in mind when he set out to create Boutique Hotel Sant Jaume: to reinvent the past by transforming old structures into new hospitality experiences.
Set in Palma de Mallorca’s Old Town, Sant Jaume is one of the historic quarter’s most indulgent establishments, characterized by a fusion of contemporary features with natural, raw elements. Housed in a renovated 18th-century mansion, the hotel offers 36 guest rooms bathed in earthy tones and furnished with local touches—the result being a luxurious retreat for the curious traveller.
4. URSO, Madrid
URSO, a smart and hip five-star boutique hotel with 78 stylish rooms in a Belle Epoque palace located in the trendy and chic Chueca in Madrid offers outstanding accommodation an impressive restaurant as well as a Nature Bissé spa. Located in between the trendy neighbourhoods of Malasaña and Chueca in a grand early 20th-century building URSO (part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World) is a destination in itself.
5. Le Saint James, Bouliac
Located on top of the hill in the picturesque village of Bouliac situated just 10km from Bordeaux in South-West France, Le Saint-James with its Michelin-starred restaurant is a beautiful 15-bedroom contemporary boutique hotel designed by Jean Nouveland offering a stunning and memorable view.
One of the attractions of the Bordeaux region, is, of course, the wine and there are plenty of vineyards to visit and the stylish and modern Le Saint-James even has its own vineyard. Being one of the second smallest vineyard in the entire region the hotel creates the wine on site.
6. Flemings Mayfair, London
Flemings Mayfair, one of London’s last privately owned hotels, is a newly renovated 4-star boutique hotel which feels more like a luxurious 5-star property. The hotel offers excellent food and drinks options with the new restaurant, Ormer Mayfair by Michelin-starred chef Shaun Rankin as well as a Georgian inspired ‘Drawing Room’ for tea and lunch. Located only a few minutes from Green Park, hotel guests have Mayfair, St James’s, Bond Street and Piccadilly right on their doorstep.
7. Tulum Treehouse, Mexico
Last September, in the dense mangrove vegetation of Tulum, a secret retreat is ready to welcome discerning adventurers and respite-seekers worldwide. Nestled amongst a swaying sea of lush emerald palms, the Tulum Treehouse is a private home located a stone’s throw from the heart of Tulum—yet it is a fortuitous jungle setting near the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve that sets this experience apart.
8. Alila Diwa, Goa
Situated in the Indian state of Goa, famous for its coastlines stretching along the Arabian Sea and its long history as a Portuguese colony, Alila Diwa is a five-star property offering the perfect South Goa holiday stay.
Alila Diwa, the first Indian property for the luxury chain, is nestled among lush rice fields only a 20-minutes drive from Goa Dabolim International Airport and minutes from Gonsua Beach in Majorda.
With 153 guest rooms and suites, this unique Goan resort is completely surrounded by nature providing a secluded and tranquil haven for both families and couples.
9. The Franklin, London
If a boutique hotel is all about creating an intimate atmosphere offering personalised attention and upscale stylish accommodation then five-star property The Franklin London is a hotel that hits all the marks.
The Franklin London, which reopened in August 2016, is located in exclusive Knightsbridge at Egerton Gardens in an elegant row of Grade II-listed Victorian residential townhouses.
The elegant Italian-inspired boutique hotel offers great privacy and a unique residential-feel creating a sense of staying at someone’s lavish private residence.
10. The Langham, Sydney
Popular amongst the A-List crowd and ranked as one of the top 100 hotels in the world, I was incredibly excited when I recently stayed at this luxury 5-star property. Offering a prime location, refined elegance and top-class service (all in the accent colour of powdery pink) this is a dream hotel for any guest.
After a grand transformation, The Langham Sydney re-opened its doors in 2015 and is now ranked as one of the world’s most prestigious hotels.
With white marble floors, powder pink furniture and fresh deep purple orchids, the 5-star property offers guests a dramatic arrival experience reminding me of an upscale luxury Hollywood hotel.
