The best hotels for every type of trip

Best for... bohemian bliss

Le Farnatchi, Marrakech

Le Farnatchi is the boutique Moroccan stay you’ve dreamed of: Berber rugs, zellige-tiled bathrooms, cushion-lined reading nooks, lanterns, hidden courtyards, and a warm welcome. Composed of interlocking riads, the ten-suite hotel is tucked away in a terracotta-hued street in the heart of the medina. Step inside and the hustle and bustle of the souks vanishes, supplanted by a live soundscape of birdsong and water trickling from a fountain into the inner courtyard pool. Each suite is unique, some with balconies overlooking the pool, and some with private terraces and far-reaching city vistas. Décor is authentic yet understated, with carefully sourced, vibrant local artisanal and textile touches draped against the calming, neutral colour palette on the walls and stone floors. Suites are romance itself with a deep marble bath and roof garden, where a daily breakfast of fresh seasonal fruit, homemade breads, and eggs was served. Note that the hotel’s adjoining Trou au Mur restaurant can also deliver meals to your room.

HIGH LIFE SAYS

As one might expect from a spa hotel, Le Farnatchi’s bathroom products are superlative, and special mention goes to its bespoke Neroli bar soap. The spa is, however, open to non-guests, so be sure to book a hammam experience in advance. Its quintessentially Moroccan and no-nonsense full-body scrub one isn’t likely to forget.

Best for... a ravishing city stay

Casa Lucia, Buenos Aires

One of Argentina’s most hotly anticipated openings, this glittering boutique is a true manifestation of Buenos Aires’ best-known tropes – elegant and European in sensibility, with flourishes of modernist flair thanks to gorgeous fin-de-siècle-inspired interiors and statement displays by local artists. Once you’re through the lobby’s grand revolving doors, there’s no slew of drab reception desks, but instead a gleaming, generously stocked bar stretching the width of the room, inviting guests to kick off their arrival in style. Here, daylight pours in from the ceiling skylights, where potted ferns, chequerboard tiles and plush velvety armchairs set the scene for light bites served by the ground-floor Cantina restaurant, whose polo-inspired interiors and steaks are on point. Rooms, meanwhile, are accented with smart wood-panelled headboards, artisanal lamps and fabrics in soothing, earthy tones, and overlook the charming Arroyo Street below, dubbed ‘the most Parisian’ passage in Buenos Aires, otherwise known as the ‘Paris of South America’.

HIGH LIFE SAYS

The brand-new basement spa is the place to slough off any lingering jet-lag, with a 50-minute massage dedicated especially to the cause, followed by a dip in the sleek lap pool.  

Best for… a slow-paced sojourn

Masseria Torre Maizza, Puglia

If time doesn’t stop, it certainly slows down at this white-painted masseria (fortified farmhouse), with its bougainvillea-framed courtyards and rustling orange trees. It’s stood here since the 16th century surveying the Apulian landscape, where silvery olive groves give way to the blue of sea and sky. Now it’s a Rocco Forte hotel where nothing’s too much trouble for staff, from planning sunset picnics to taming unruly toddlers (think turtle toys, colouring books and well-timed watermelon skewers). Most days revolve around the pool, edged by vine-climbed pillars, pausing to lunch on wood-fired pizzas, dotted with own-grown tomatoes. A nine-hole golf course weaves though the olive trees, while deep-tissue massages ease any knots away in the cool of the spa. Borrow bikes, head to the partnering beach club, take a complimentary boat trip, or ask the concierge to arrange wine tours, cooking classes and more. Come the evening, drift to the terrace for note-perfect pisco sours, then feast on Puglian produce – like the tiny, sweet red prawns served with buttery tagliolini.

HIGH LIFE SAYS

Rooms, designed by Olga Polizzi, are pared-back and achingly chic, from family-friendly hideaways to romantic suites with private plunge pools.

Best for… strolls amid superyachts

The Chedi Lustica Bay, Montenegro

Tiny Montenegro punches well above its weight when it comes to its coastline, with mountain-backdropped beaches and rocky coves framing bays of azure blue. Less than half an hour’s drive from Kotor, with its cobbled squares and pastel palazzos, is the Chedi, overlooking Lustica Bay’s smart, yacht-dotted marina. (Upgrade to a room with a balcony, or a sea-view bath to bask in.) Wake up to the sunlight glinting on the sea, then decide how to spend your day – backdropped, at every turn, by the blue of sea and sky. There’s a pebbly, pontoon-edged private beach with a terrace for leisurely lunches, and an outdoor pool to daydream by, with infinity-edge Adriatic views. If the vistas tempt you from your lounger, kayaks and paddleboards await, while, back from the coast, bike and hiking trails wind through the olive groves and mountains. Come the evening, stroll through the marina, with its gleaming, gently bobbing yachts, idly imagining a new life built around deck shoes and decadence. Not on the cards for the moment? Find consolation back at the Chedi, with dinner and cocktails on its laidback waterfront terrace.

HIGH LIFE SAYS
If you’ve arrived feeling burned out, start the day with beachfront yoga, or sign up for a herbal-poultice massage in the serene, light-filled spa.

Best for… a sun-drenched escape

Faustino Gran, Menorca

Tempting though it can be to do a supermarket sweep and sequester oneself in a remote Menorcan countryside villa, a stay in the famously tranquil Balearic island’s Ciutadella proffers ample RnR: It’s all about being in the right hotel. Enter Faustino Gran, with its three adjacent (but not adjoined) historic Mediterranean palaces in the old town: Can Faustino, Cal Bisbe and Can Sebastià. Faustino is the hub, housing the main restaurant, courtyard garden, saltwater pool and a cavernous spa. Aesthetes should not discount a room at riad-esque Cal Bisbe: The cathedral vistas are well worth the two-minute walk down the road to breakfast. The rooms' design are a nod to the building's historic features, with lancet windows and side doors to hidden terraces, whilst sleek, dark-marble bathrooms are oh-so-chic. Whether your non-negotiable is a bath, a private pool, a view, or your own kitchen, you’ll find it here.

HIGH LIFE SAYS

Over morning coffee and pan con tomate, the charismatic Clefs d’Or concierge will delight in sharing the island’s secrets: whether hidden calas, roman vestiges, or eight-hour hikes along a bridleway, tailored and expert local recommendations are part and parcel of the Gran Faustino experience. Make full use of it.

Best for… a romantic getaway

Hôtel de la Boétie, Paris

For bold hues and whimsical escapism, this Parisian bolthole has it covered. This 40-room 19th-century building in the eighth arrondissement is the perfect spot for couples seeking an ultra-cute stay in the City of Lights, easily within throwing distance of the Champs-Élysées and the Seine a few blocks further south. Swedish interior designer Beata Heuman’s fantastical colour-drenched style is evident in the hotel’s pitch-green carpet, luxurious flamingo-pink sheets and woven tapestry headboards emblazoned with bright, swirling patterns. A rotary phone, a Magimix coffee machine and Frances Glory Costelloe artwork are joyful accompaniments, while retro pale-green chequerboard bathroom tiles, berry-coloured ‘B’ embroidered towels and Diptyque toiletries complete the snug but sweet bathroom. Come morning, delight in French viennoiseries in the breakfast room under artist Kirsty Lackie’s bespoke acrylic painting, The Waiter.

HIGH LIFE SAYS
You’re minutes from the Champs-Élysées, so begin your day at Galeries Lafayette, before exploring the neighbouring luxury stores. Book the Boétie’s top floor for classic Parisian cast-iron balconies overlooking the city.

Best for... next-level dining

Calabash, Grenada

This family-run boutique resort in Prickly Bay is the epitome of Caribbean chic and calm. Its 30 stylish bespoke suites are flooded with natural light and neutral colour, with sounds of the waves adding to the pinch-me peacefulness. Begin your day at the laid-back Beach Club with a hearty breakfast (the huge menu ranges from classic eggs Benedict to local saltfish souse), before swapping ocean views for gardens at the infinity pool, which offers poolside service from newest restaurant, Izakaya. Truth: the fusion of Japanese and Latin cuisine is superb. Dare: try the Kiss of Fire, a shrimp tempura roll topped with jalapeño and serranito sauce. A culinary highlight is Rhodes (the king crab linguine is a total must), where flowering vines dangle from the ceiling, and ingredients are locally sourced from the family’s own farm, L’Esterre. After some decadent dining, unwind at the spa and opt for a ‘Zero Miles’ treatment. These use natural ingredients from the island, such as softly whipped lemongrass from local skincare brand OMI.

HIGH LIFE SAYS

End the day with a stroll on the beach and a splash in the tranquil turquoise sea, or take a dip in your own private plunge pool before stargazing from your balcony.  

Best for… going off-grid

Vila Planinka, Slovenia

If you want to sever ties with the world for a weekend (or longer), this is the place for you. Just a half hour from Ljubljana airport, this boutique resort is tucked away in the mind-bendingly beautiful Jezersko valley, where the forests are dense, the lakes clear as cut crystal and cows outnumber humans per square mile. Inside, the vibe is earthy, with walls fashioned from timber and stone and decorative antiques that paint a picture of rural Slovenian life, from wicker-encased water jugs to workers’ jackets set in grand glass frames. Once checked in, it’s time to make the most of your remoteness: get your bearings on one of the resort’s mountain e-bikes before taking on one of the valley’s more vertiginous hikes, with the promise of a flaky strudel at the summit’s mountain hut café. Back at HQ, dinner is a full-blown spectacle, offering a menu that changes daily, with dishes that use only locally grown ingredients and the option to pair each plate with wines from the resort’s all-Slovenian 250-strong cellar. Appetite sated, totter up to your gorgeously rustic suite, dressed up with sheepskin rugs and hand-drawn sketches of local flowers, with not a single electronic device or service in sight, and that means, whisper it.. no Wi-Fi. Bliss.

HIGH LIFE SAYS
Slovenian wine is having a moment, and few resorts have more informed staff than Vila Planinka’s. Get to know fellow guests with an afternoon’s tasting and sample the country’s finest, from flavourful biodynamic to fresh and zesty orange wines.

Best for… flying and flopping in style

Cap St Georges, Cyprus

A word of warning: cross the threshold of this impressive resort and you might find plans to explore the Mediterranean island’s coves and vineyards drift away with the sea breeze. Built from handsome Cypriot stone and lined with ancient olive trees, this seaside gem curves alongside a coastal path stretching from the resort’s own sandy beach to a tranquil spot favoured by local seals. Take your cues from these nap-loving mammals: there’s much quality lounging to be done here, whether you’ve set your sights on a wave-view day bed or a lounger by the Olympic-sized pool. Cocktails are shaken, stirred and sipped on Chroma Lounge’s sunset-facing terrace. Better yet, book a Residence room for one last golden-hour dip in your private pool. The resort is family-friendly – there’s a gelateria, outdoor cinema, kids’ club and crowd-pleasing teppanyaki restaurant – but the atmosphere is decidedly grown-up. Honourable mentions go to the Cleopatra Spa’s herb-scented steam room and hydrotherapy pool: bonus stops on your path to total relaxation.

HIGH LIFE SAYS
You will have to muster a modicum of energy to sample Cap Saint George’s ten restaurants and bars. Facing the agora, indoor-outdoor Sapori is our pick of the bunch. Book a table for refined takes on Italian classics and tiramisu expertly assembled before your eyes.

Best for… minimalists who like a view

YOTEL Geneva Lake

Every detail is beautifully considered at this sleek Lake Geneva newcomer, where clever design wins out every time over fuss and frills. Its calm, white-walled rooms have views of the lake, backdropped by cloud-topped peaks, framed (in bigger rooms and suites) by expansive floor-to-ceiling windows. Wireless charging, rain showers and smart TVs come as standard, but there’s also an element of fun, from the colour-shifting ‘mood lighting’ to the signature SmartBeds, which – at the touch of a button – slide into low-slung sofas. Check-in, meanwhile, is via Mission Control, a bank of touchscreens in the lobby, with staff at hand to sweet talk any visiting technophobes. It’s ten minutes from the airport, and a 20-minute drive to Geneva, with its charismatic Old Town, cultural buzz and scenic swimming spots (for views of the Jet d’Eau fountain, test the waters at Les Bains des Pâquis). Head in the opposite direction, by car or boat, and you’ll come to lakeside Lausanne and the terraced, Unesco-listed vineyards of Lavaux stretching down to the shore.

HIGH LIFE SAYS
The best way to explore the crescent-shaped lake is by boat, hopping on a high-season ferry at the nearby town of Coppet.

Best for… all things business 

Nobis Hotel, Stockholm

Overlooking the landmark Norrmalmstorg square, the Nobis is that rarest of finds: a business hotel with a soul. Set across a historic library and bank, it’s now a luxury hotel, with interiors by cult design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune. The soaring atrium sets the tone: grand without being stuffy, with its low-slung sofas and playfully pixelated ceiling. Rooms, meanwhile, are understated and cocooning: think Carrara marble bathrooms, leather-topped desks and impressively comfortable beds. In the daytime, the atrium is Stockholm’s coolest workspace (laptops are banished at 4pm), while the meeting rooms are full of character, whether you’re ensconced in an oak-panelled nook or commanding the bank’s former boardroom. Champagne and caviar mark the end of the day at the lounge’s ‘after work’ sessions, while The Gold Bar is the place for a tot of Scotch or lovingly crafted old fashioned. For dinner, Bino serves up upscale takes on classic comfort food, while NOI is more geared towards feasting: claim a curving green banquette and kicks things off with half a dozen excellent oysters.

HIGH LIFE SAYS
The gym and saunas (one dry, one steam) are open 24/7 for after-work R&R, with personal trainers available on request.

Best for... historic charm

Fairmont Royal York, Toronto

Originally a Canadian Pacific Railway Hotel – one of the imposing sites built near main train stations in the late 19th century – this grand dame of the Great White North has seen (and been) it all, from once housing a hospital to hosting Toronto’s first zoo. Since its debut as the Fairmont Royal York in 1929, it has welcomed the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Elizabeth II. Drake even filmed his music video “Falling Back” in the ballroom, which was inspired by the Palace of Versailles in one of the hotel’s many nods to travel and time. In the lobby, a snap in front of the grand clock tower is a must, as is a cocktail from Clockwork, whose banquettes look like Pullman cars, before dinner at Gatsby-style Library Bar (try the Steak Locke, named after the prolific Canadian librarian).

HIGH LIFE SAYS

For next-level luxury, opt for a Gold-level room, which includes private check-in and treats in the exclusive Gold Lounge.