Everyone wants recommendations where to stay when they travel,
and for 17 years running, Travel + Leisure has asked our readers to vote
on the hotels they love most. The resulting World’s Best Awards are a
collection of the properties that go above and beyond.
Tired
of spending layovers in an airport? Download Yahoo! TimeTraveler on
your iPhone to create custom itineraries based on your location and
amount of time you have to spend.
Some hotels at the top of the list, like Montana’s Triple Creek Ranch
and India’s Oberoi Udaivilas, are perennial winners. But there were also
some surprising newcomers this year. The romantic Nayara Hotel, Spa
& Gardens, near Costa Rica’s Arenal volcano, debuted at No. 6—the
first Costa Rican hotel to break into the Top 10. And Australia’s
Southern Ocean Lodge, the country’s first wilderness luxury retreat,
surged to the top of the list at No. 3.
You can find great hotels all over the planet, of course, but here are the best of the best.
No. 1 Singita Grumeti Reserves
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Score: 98.25
Pioneering Singita has done it
again with the new Singita Explore, a mobile safari camp that's the
latest addition to the company's 340,000-acre concession in Tanzania's
majestic Serengeti. Other lodges include tented (and stationary) Sabora,
with mahogany chests, worn-leather campaign chairs, and thick Persian
rugs. Faru Faru, with six chalets overlooking the Grumeti River,
channels a Swahili beach resort; a swimming pool curves in front of an
open-air lounge, where guests sip sunset cocktails as elephants gather
at the watering hole below. The reserve's flagship is Sasakwa, an East
African ranch house on a plateau. There are seven cottage residences,
each with a garden and cliff-top plunge pool. Tennis courts, a spa, and a
yoga center occupy guests between twice-daily game drives, where
sightings include elephants, wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles. Active
travelers can take in the scenery via horseback or mountain bike.
Triple Creek Ranch, Darby, MT (Photo: Courtesy of Triple Creek Ranch)
No. 2 Triple Creek Ranch
Darby, MT
Score: 98.22
Triple Creek is a service-driven,
adults-only property in Montana’s Bitterroot Mountains. The 40-acre
landscape has 23 plush log cabins, each outfitted with wood-burning
fireplaces, hot tubs, original oil paintings and sculptures, and
fit-for-a-rancher feather beds topped with locally woven woolens.
Itineraries are tailored to guests’ interests and can include
fly-fishing, dinners at the chef’s table, and helicopter tours. The
Baker and Boulder cabins are the least expensive, but still have a
sitting area and fireplace and offer access to a hot tub. In winter,
don’t miss a snowshoe excursion across the Chief Joseph Pass—explored by
Lewis and Clark in 1805—or the chocolate chip cookies served by
cowboy-booted staffers on your return.
Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, Australia (Photo: Courtesy of Baillie Lodges)
No. 3 Southern Ocean Lodge
Kangaroo Island, Australia
Score: 97.87
On
a sparsely populated island 30 minutes by plane from Adelaide sits this
lodge, which is contemporary in design and green in attitude. The 21
spacious suites have limestone floors, locals' artwork, and outdoor
terraces. Air-conditioning is unnecessary: the property was constructed
to take advantage of natural weather patterns. Owners James and Hayley
Baillie developed only one percent of their total acreage on the
wildlife-filled isle, leaving the rest of the land in a preservation
trust. Guests learn about the resort’s sustainability policy upon
check-in, underscoring the Baillies’ appreciation of the area’s natural
beauty.
Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, India (Photo: Courtesy of Oberoi Udaivilas)
No. 4 Oberoi Udaivilas
Udaipur, India
Score: 97.50
This
palatial, 30-acre property, located in central Rajasthan, presides over
the banks of Lake Pichola, preserving the enchantment of a bygone era
through a distinctly Mewari lens. Royal service is ensured from your
arrival as a private boat ferries you across Udaipur's domed palaces.
You're also provided with a personal butler who guides you to your room,
situated in a private courtyard with silken parasols and views over the
jagged Aravalli Mountains. It's hard to believe you're less than 3
miles from the city center and its landmarks like the 16th-century City
Palace; the resort can arrange for an English-speaking expert to guide
you through its countless corridors and gardens.
Discovery Shores, Boracay, Philippines (Photo: Courtesy of Discovery Bay)
No. 5 Discovery Shores
Boracay, Philippines
Score: 96.77
Barefoot
elegance is undoubtedly the vibe on this tiny island, where the 2 and a
half-mile stretch known as White Beach is often singled out for being
the softest in the world. The 88 spacious suites all have large glass
walls that look towards a scenic rock garden, but chances are you'll
spend more time by the water. Take a dip in the infinity pool, or
jet-ski on the crystalline sea. For people-watching, head to The
Sandbar, where they stir up delicious mojitos, infused with local
flavors like lychee and mango. Once you're sufficiently refueled,
karaoke your heart out, with over 1,000 songs (mostly in English) to
choose from at the resort's recreation lounge.
Nayra Hotel, Spa & Gardens, La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica (Photo: Courtesy of Nayara Hotel)
No. 6
Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens
La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica
Score: 96.36
Tucked
away towards the base of the still-active Arenal Volcano, Nayara could
very well be considered the definition of oasis. The resort has views of
the volcano, surrounded by a rainforest that bursts with Costa Rica’s
trademark bright colors, whether it’s tropical flowers or vibrant
creatures (like a blood red dragonfly). With a focus on romance and
seclusion, the 50 casitas include private outdoor Jacuzzis and sheer
curtains surrounding the four-poster beds. Explore the surrounding
wilderness by guided hike, zipline, horseback ride, river rafting, or
wildlife tour. Then unwind with cocktails at the swim-up bar or a rose
petal-adorned massage.
Singita Kruger National Park, South Africa (Photo: Courtesy of Singita Game Reserves)
No. 7 Singita Kruger National Park
South Africa
Score: 96.33
Singita
has become the gold standard of the safari industry, and it's easy to
see why at these two lodges in a 33,000-acre concession in Kruger
National Park. Every need is anticipated (hot water bottles and blankets
for warm morning game drives), staff remember your preferences, and
every day brings a surprise, whether candlelit bush dinners to surprise
fireside performances. The treehouse-cum-urban-loft aesthetic affords
dramatic views of the N'wanetsi River and Lebombo Mountain foothills.
Lebombo's 15 glass-fronted suites have roughly hewn wood ceilings and
pillars mimicking the surrounding trees. The all-glass front allows for
game-viewing from bed, or you can laze on the elevated deck. Neighboring
Sweni's six suites have a similar design. Both have access to a gym, a
spa, an art gallery, a boutique and a wine cellar specializing in
innovative African vintages.
Palacio Duhau - Park Hyatt, Buenos Aires (Photo: Courtesy of Park Hyatt)
No. 8 Palacio Duhau - Park Hyatt
Buenos Aires
Score: 96.13
This
Park Hyatt feels like two hotels in one. The original 23-room mansion,
built in 1934 by French architect Leon Dourge, defines Belle Epoque
elegance: elaborate ironwork, glass chandeliers, and Persian rugs. Next
door is the 142-room Posadas building, a sleek, minimalist tower that
opened in 2006. What unites the two spaces—in addition to an underground
art gallery—is impeccable service. And while the rooms' appearances
vary according to their era (hardwood floors and silk curtains in the
Palacio, a natural palate and contemporary furniture in Posadas), all
have the highest-end technology, rain showers, soaking tubs, and
bathrooms bedecked in Travertino marble. At the Vinoteca, a sommelier
and maitre fromager pair wines from among 3,500 bottles of Argentine
vintages with regional cheeses and chutneys.
Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania (Photo: Courtesy of Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge)
No. 9 Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
Arusha, Tanzania
Score: 95.85
Ngorongoro
Sopa Lodge's perch on the eastern rim of the crater offers some of the
best access to game viewing on the crater floor. They even have their
own access road in, a serious perk allowing you to beat the traffic-jam
crowds of jeeps heading out on game drives each morning from other
lodges. The location makes up for the uninspiring design of the 96
rooms with dated 80s-ish cream and burgundy bedspreads and souvenir-shop
tchotchke-style accents. Still they're cozy, and with the big five
spread out like a theatre below you, you'll likely spend more of your
time on the quaint rocking chairs in your glass-enclosed balcony.
Singita Sabi Sand, Kruger National Park Area, South Africa (Photo: Courtesy of Singita Game Reserves)
No. 10 Singita Sabi Sand
Kruger National Park Area, South Africa
Score: 95.74
South
Africa's most luxe safari experience awaits in the Sabi Sands reserve
bordering Kruger National Park. Service could not be more friendly or
personalized—butlers remember your coffee preferences, pre-preparing
mugs for your morning gamedrives. Equally impressive? The design.
Ebony's 12 suites, fresh off a 2011 renovation, have a
Ralph-Lauren-goes-bush elegance with weathered leather club chairs,
stone fireplaces, and massive four-poster mahogany beds. Each villa
overlooking the Sand River has an outdoor shower, private plunge pool
and bathroom with a romantic clawfoot tub. Neighboring Boulders embraces
a more contemporary aesthetic with burl wood tables and natural accents
like cream hide rugs and baskets of ostrich eggs. Both have gyms, spas
and access to the lodge's wine program, which includes limited-release
vintages not available elsewhere. You can purchase these bottles to ship
home as well as African jewelry and homegoods. Families and groups
should consider booking the exclusive-use Castleton Camp, which comes
with its own pool, staff and chef.
The Queen of England made her film debut in style, getting escorted to the Olympics by James Bond and parachuting into Olympic Stadium from a helicopter in a short film shown at Friday night's Opening Ceremony.
Nitpickers will point out that the film showed Bond and the Queen leaving in daylight and arriving at nightfall. And you'll notice that the Queen never was shown in the helicopter, only in Buckingham Palace with her corgis in tow. But, come on. The Queen parachuted out of a helicopter! They could have left in a Mini Cooper and arrived in a rickshaw and it wouldn't have mattered.
