That is by far one of the hardest posts I’ve written around here. Not only because I’m such a big fan of good hotels, but also because I believe that they have a HUGE impact on the overall travel experience in that particular place.
Having said that, a good hotel, for me, is not only about the comfort and the décor. It’s about all the experience they provide and how good they make you feel while you’re staying there (the beauty of the place you’re in also helps!).
So let’s get to it… (and also have in mind that I’ve stayed at some of these hotels a while back. So nevermind how I looked back then PLEASE!)
Also read:
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Instagram-Worthy Places in Hong Kong (non-touristy guide)
The Best Hotels I’ve Ever Stayed in My Life
1 – Gili Lankanfushi (Maldives)
Ok, I’m pretty biased about this one. This is where we chose to spend our honeymoon in. To help balance our budget, we spent 4 nights at the Gili Lankanfushi and 3 nights at the Baros (also listed below).
All rooms at the Gili Lankanfushi are water villas with an unbelievable square footage, two stores and breath-taking views to the turquoise sea and the reef barriers.
Also, the experiences that the hotel has to offer are really unique: throughout your stay, you get to have your ‘personal butler’, who is pretty much available all the time and organizes everything, from dinners to tours and spa appointments (he also makes up for a great couple’s photographer).
Among the many experiences we tried out, our favorites were the Sunset dinner – a private dinner experience at the beach, with a fireplace, a waiter and a cook just for you two, and an AWESOME sunset -, and the wine tasting dinner at their cellar, where we paired amazing wines with super tasty courses.
2 – Umaid Bhawan (Jodhpur, India)
If you’ve ever dreamt of staying at a real Maharajah palace, this is the place for you. For real. The Maharajah of Jodhpur actually shares the palace he lives in with hospitality group Taj – and you can actually stay there!
The whole experience at Umaid Bhawan was unforgettable. When our car arrived at the main gate, we started to hear live Indian music play. We thought it was no biggie, but, by the time we got to the main door, we realized they were all playing and dancing for US and celebrating our arrival (wow, right?).
Our rooms were also huge and very cozy and comfy at the same time. The breakfast is very customized and the waiters do everything to make sure you have the best possible experience (on the second day, he remembered my order from the last day, knew what I liked, and made suggestions based on that!). It was no different with dinner.
The indoor pool and the spa treatments were also something ELSE!
3 – Museum Hotel (Cappadocia, Turkey)
Cappadocia wouldn’t have been the same if we hadn’t stayed at the Museum Hotel. For real.
As we visited in February and the hotel was not very busy, we were upgraded to their presidential suite (HUGE TUB ALERT!). Needless to say, we had an AMAZING time! The room was huge, there was a pillow menu (huge plus for me lol), and the hotel architecture just blended in with the scenario so naturally.
It was too cold to use the pool, but if you’re lucky enough with the weather, swimming with the Cappadocia landscape on the background is definitely not a bad idea.
The hotel restaurant was being renewed at the time, and they could only offer one dish for dinner, so I can’t really evaluate it in that aspect. But the dish we had was the REAL DEAL (we had lamb), and the service was top notch! Our servers were super friendly and nice, and the Baklava we had for dessert was GOALS.
4 – Sabi-Sabi Earth Lodge (Kruger National Park, South Africa)
By the way this list is going, you can totally tell that small boutique hotels are kind of my thing. It’s no different with this one, at the Kruger National Park, in South Africa. You can see that the Sabi-Sabi Earth Lodge was constructed attempting to make minimal to no impact on the nature, which is already amazing.
We stayed there for 3 nights, and the private safari programs they have are pretty awesome. Usually, when you book this hotel, your dinner experiences, lunch, and safari picnics are already included – but just forget all you know about all-inclusive hotels.
Our schedule went a bit like that: we would wake up really early for a sunrise safari, where we got to see the animals who would hide from the harsh sun during the day. A couple of hours later (still morning), we would go back to the hotel for an awesome breakfast, do some spa treatments and massages, rest, have lunch and then get ready for some more safari action, including a sunset picnic in the middle of the Savannah, and do some more early night safari (we got to see 9 female lions with their puppies at night, very close to our car, which was such a thrill!).
Then, back to the hotel, we would have dinner. Our first dinner was a campfire dinner, with music and interesting activities – very nice! In our second evening, we had a private dinner at the hotel’s wine cellar and got to taste all kinds of South African wines. The amazing thing is that your guide is with you almost all the time and you really get to bond and learn so much about the country and about the National Park.
5 – Leela (Udaipur, India)
Well, another thing we can notice about this list is that most of my favorite hotels are in India! I guess they’re just really good in hospitality and treating guests in the best possible way. I really can’t remember a bad hotel experience I had there.
The hotels in Udaipur are really unique. You literally get around the city and between hotels by boat. They’re all surrounded by water, which makes the city even more amazing.
The Leela looks like a palace and is very sumptious. At night, it gets an unbelievable lightning, which just adds to the magic.
We got to spend New Years Eve at the Leela, and, following the Indian tradition, they threw a hell of a party, with plenty of music and dance – they also offered saris and typical Indian male outfits to their guests, which made the whole experience even more amazing.
The rooms and the amenities of the hotel also don’t fall behind!
6 – Leela (New Delhi)
Although we only stayed in New Delhi for one night, the Leela made quite an impression. It was our first contact with Indian hotels and we were very positively overwhelmed. The decor, the service, and the breakfast were incredible, and the Italian restaurant is a must-go if you are in Delhi.
7 – Oberoi (Agra)
This hotel in Agra also had a somewhat different architecture, very ‘villa’ inspired. AND… Did I mention it had an amazing view to the Taj Mahal?
We got to spend Christmas eve there, and they hosted an amazing dinner, with Indian dancers, music, and a turban maker, who was working on the guys. Really recommend!
8 – Baros (Maldives)
As I said before, the Baros was the ‘budget-(almost)friendly’ option that really surprised us. In contrast with Gili Lankanfushi, which was more like an ec0-hotel, blending in with the nature, Baros was more modern and offered a more ‘western-like’ room and bathroom. The rooms were smaller, but just as cozy and comfy!
The marine life here was a little better than the one at Gili, and the tours were slightly better too! We did a night snorkeling that took our breath away! There are also many options of restaurants and bars and plenty of activities to do. Yes, it was less exclusive and had more rooms than Gili Lankanfushi, but what it lacked in exclusivity, it made up for in entertainment.
9 – Ritz-Carlton Abu-Dhabi
Overall, hotels in the UAE are bigger and more means MORE. Besides having all the RC standards, this Abu-Dhabi hotel had a breath-taking view to the White Mosque and plenty of entertainment options – and an amazing pool!
10 – Qasr Al Sarab (Liwa Desert, UAE)
The whole experience of staying at a hotel in the middle of the desert was just something else for me. The hotel had plenty of fun desert activities and typical beduin dinners under the stars that felt like luxury camping.
The rooms were huge and had two stores, having a breath-taking terrace with desert views.
11 – Dwarikas (Katmandu, Nepal)
This wasn’t at all the typical luxury hotel. However, the overall architecture just screamed coziness. It also blended in very naturally with the Nepal landscape and it was also very zen. I loved staying there. We also had the best Nepalese style dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.
This is where Selena Gomez stayed when she visited. Lol, just a fun fact!
12 – La Résidence d’Angkor (Siem Reap, Cambodia)
As if I didn’t have enough Asian hotels here on this list, I couldn’t not include this Belmond hotel here. Amazing huge rooms and a great restaurant for both breakfast and dinner.
13 – Copacabana Palace (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Also a very biased, but true experience. This is where I got married and spent the night afterwards. The rooms are luxurious and cozy, and have a nostalgic vibe of Rio de Janeiro in the 20’s with a luxury modern infra-structure at the same time.
I totally recommend to spend an afternoon by the pool and having lunch at their Pergula restaurant – food is awesome – and perhaps some dessert at the Momo Gelateria, right outside the hotel (but still in it’s retail space). At night, the Chinese restaurant Mee or the Italian Cipriani will definitely be the cherry on the top of your whole experience. Also, try to get a room with a view to Copacabana beach!
14 – La Residence Phou Vao (Luang Prabang, Lao)
This is one of those hotels who were really good, but were SO unique because of my overall experience in Luang Prabang. I know the city and the country were dominated by mobsters not long ago, but my experience there was completely spiritual. From the way people treated you inside and outside the hotel, all the temples and the overall smell of smoke in the city… It was all just insane for me (in the best possible way).
In the hotel, our rooms were very nice, spacious and comfortable. The spa treatments were amazing and the whole atmosphere was just… Peaceful.
15 – Mandarin Oriental (Bangkok, Thailand)
Do I really need to say anything about this one? The Mandarin Oriental standard is really high and this Bangkok hotel was no different. Our room had an amazing view to the river, full of local boats. The room wasn’t that big in size, but it was just enough for two people.
The main restaurant, where the breakfast is, also has a view to the river and a buffet full of options.
The spa experience was also great, and started with a boat ride to the other side of the river, where the actual spa was. The Thai massage was insane and the whole place is just so zen.
I would totally recommend having dinner at the Chinese restaurant at the hotel, The China House. I know it’s Chinese and you’re in Thailand, but this is one of the best restaurants in Bangkok, and I guarantee you’ll have an amazing experience!
What do you think?