The Gold List 2025: The Best Hotels and Resorts in the World

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Ett Hem — Stockholm, Sweden

Since taking over two neighboring townhouses in 2022, the world’s most intimate luxury hotel, in my opinion, has grown up without sacrificing its philosophy of making guests feel truly at home. With the expansion, owner Jeanette Mix’s vision now feels complete. A former parking lot has been transformed into a lush English garden that connects the buildings. An eat-in kitchen serves top-class tasting menus. Plus there’s an in-house sourdough bakery, a wood paneled gym, and more social spaces packed with modern art and Scandinavian design classics. The upgraded Ett Hem is not just a great starting point for experiencing Stockholm. It’s a destination in its own right. From $545. —Viola Gad

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Four Seasons Hotel Firenze — Florence

Housed in a pair of historic properties slathered in Renaissance sculptural friezes and Baroque frescoes, the Four Seasons would probably be open for guided tours today if it were not a hotel. But this 115-room grande dame, located a short walk from the Duomo in Florence’s quiet University district, wears its opulence lightly. The 11-acre landscaped park, whose current design dates back to the 19th century, separates the main Palazzo della Gherardesca building from the hotel’s Palazzo del Nero annex and is a leafy joy. An autumn 2024 makeover of Palazzo del Nero has raised the 36-room outlier from Cinderella to sassy princess, thanks also to Bar Berni, its cool new vermouth bar, and Onde seafood restaurant. From $1,084. —Lee Marshall

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Gran Hotel Inglés — Madrid

One of the city’s icons and a pioneer in luxury hospitality when it opened in 1886, the Gran Hotel Inglés was the first hotel in Madrid to have a restaurant and electric lighting, as well as telephones and toilets with running water on each of its floors, an extravagance for the time. Its 48 rooms and suites, designed with a nod to the Art Deco style, have bathtubs that were flown in from Canada and are custom-made for each room, as well as showers; the beds, meanwhile, come with 500-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets and an extensive pillow menu. In addition to its signature cocktail and gastronomic offerings at Lobbyto, which serves Madrid cuisine with an avant-garde twist (don’t miss the cocido madrileño!), the hotel has a brunch show with live music, an English tea service, and swing and rock-and-roll nights for the more lively. Le Max Club, the hotel’s spa, includes a high-tech gym, spa cabins set up in collaboration with French brand Sisley (its botanical treatment menu is a delight, I promise), and a jacuzzi. From $760. —Clara Laguna

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Gstaad Palace — Switzerland

Glamour is built into the Gstaad Palace’s DNA: Liz Taylor and Richard Burton were regulars, and Michael Jackson wanted to buy it. But for all that, this hotel is more about quiet elegance than the flash-your-cash glitz on show in St. Moritz. For more than a century, Europe’s aristocracy has made a beeline for the palace, which towers over the impossibly pretty village where the likes of Prada and Louis Vuitton have quaint chalet shops. With its turrets backed by the majestic mountain scenery, it looks like something conjured up by Disney. The real magic, though, is inside. Since the 1930s, the Scherz family, which owns the hotel, has created less a grand institution and more a relaxed second home in the mountains, albeit one with a dress code. Generations of the same family visit year after year, greeting the staff like long-lost friends and congregating in the capacious lobby bar after time on the slopes or by the pool. Bedrooms have the feel of a Swiss chalet about them, with nothing too startling to detract from the Alpine panoramas. In the restaurant, often visited by English singer Robbie Williams, chef Franz Faeh’s food is served with theatrical flair. You don’t even have to open your menu before ordering—it’s that kind of place. It’s the kind of place, too, where you can imagine a guest turning up with 150 suitcases, demanding liters of Evian water to wash with, or insisting their cat be fed 50 grams of caviar a day. This is a hotel where the extraordinary feels like an everyday affair. From $980. —Jane Knight

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Hotel Castello di Reschio — Lisciano Niccone, Italy

Reschio, an estate in Umbria not far from Perugia, comprises 3,700 quite outrageously beautiful acres of rolling hills, olive groves, vineyards, forest, farm buildings and, looming darkly over it all, a curtain-walled 11th-century castle. The most radical of the many changes Castello di Reschio has undergone in its long history is the most recent: its transformation from a place designed to keep people out to one redesigned to welcome them in. After a thousand or so years as a fortress, the castle opened, in 2021, as a 36-room hotel. The success of its reinvention has to do entirely with its owner-proprietors, Count Benedikt Bolza, an architect and designer, and his wife, Donna Nencia Corsini, an artist and environmentalist. The hotel is a lucid expression in three dimensions—in wood and stone and bronze, in silk and velvet and linen, in wildflowers and works of art and kooky knickknacks—of the couple’s shared enthusiasms, their style, their outlook on life. Castello di Reschio works brilliantly as a hotel and does all the things that a top hotel must do. (Is there a chicer palm-court bar, a more astonishing spa, or a lovelier swimming pool in rural Italy? Or anywhere?) More than that, the castle hotel is just one part of the much larger Reschio story, the point of entry into what has often—predictably, though not without reason—been characterized as a modern-day fairy tale. From $1,010. —Steve King

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Hotel Grande Bretagne — Athens

Celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2024, the GB (as locals fondly call it) is almost as much of an Athenian landmark as the Parthenon. The 5th-century-BC monument itself floats like a mirage just beyond the hotel’s lofty rooftop bar and restaurant, which overlooks the Parliament piazza where statuesque Evzones, members of the Presidential Guard, strut their stuff. If the location feels “only in Athens,” the interiors have all the glitzy trappings of a grand European hotel: gleaming marble inlay floors, flamboyant flower arrangements, giant gilded mirrors. Liveried doormen usher you through the revolving doors into what feels like a parallel universe, where the hubbub of downtown Athens gives way to the tinkling piano in the stained-glass-ceilinged winter garden, where afternoon tea is served by slinky waitresses who glide between the fluted columns. The lesser-known draw is not the fine dining or even the secret seventh-floor swimming pool but the subterranean spa. A profoundly therapeutic massage and plumping 111 Skin facial with one of the brilliantly intuitive therapists will leave you feeling at least 150 years younger. From $525. —Rachel Howard

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Hotel Santa Caterina — Amalfi, Italy

I vividly recall my first visit twelve years ago to Hotel Santa Caterina: dips in the sea and in the saltwater pool at the edge of the cliff, accessed by the most beautiful lift in the world. We had fresh mozzarella for breakfast, lemonade, and all the sfogliatelle we could eat. I was enamored with the ceramic floors, the breeze swaying the vaporous curtains, the ever-smiling staff serving delicious fresh pasta and fish. In short, I fell in love. On a recent return visit to Portofino, I saw how the hotel has grown. Two new villas have popped up, hidden among the terraced gardens that dot the cliffs. The hotel is now a sort of albergo diffuso, with an increased number of rooms and ever more privacy for guests who want it. Everything else remains perfect. The pool is still as salty and relaxing, the curtains dance the same waltz with the breeze, the floors still sparkle. Santa Caterina is—and always will be—a dream. From $490. —David Moralejo

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Kalesma Mykonos — Greece

Since the 1960s, Mykonos has been known for a very singular brand of hedonism. One that revolves around dance-until-sunrise parties fueled by cocktails and thumping DJ beats. Kalesma is a pulse-slowing alternative that taps into the zeitgeist with yoga sessions, mocktails, a cold plunge, and views so spectacular that even device-addicted guests abandon their screens. Perched on a bougainvillea-draped hilltop overlooking Ornos Bay, this discreet retreat has no shortage of pleasures, from a sensational farm-to-fire restaurant to a dazzling new spa. Twenty-five one-bedroom suites and villas all have plunge pools as well as sunrise and sunset views. They’ve become so in demand the owners are adding 19 for next season. From $1,060. —Jen Murphy

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La Posta Vecchia Hotel — Ladispoli, Italy

In an era when more and more international brands are staking their claim on the generic sale of la dolce vita, Pellicano hotel’s La Posta Vecchia has always offered its own authentic universe. The imposing Renaissance palace with Italianate gardens is only a 30-minute train ride from Rome’s Trastevere. Reinforced only by the echo of waves and footsteps on stairs, a silence reigns in its 21 grand rooms and suites that have the feel of a friend’s private castle. The former customs house for the Papal States was built in 1640 as a hunting lodge by the five-pope-strong Orsini family, once owners of the adjacent castle. In 1960, American oil tycoon Paul Getty purchased the place. He also hired art historian Federico Zeri to furnish his home with papal velvets and ecclesiastical antiques like church prie-dieux and sacristy furniture. Marble busts, regal beds, and thronelike chairs speak to Getty’s deep respect for history—a respect shared by the Sciò family, who bought and preserved the place first as a home in the 1980s. Last year saw painstaking renovations of both the Roman mosaics and the exterior, and this year there’s been the addition of a gym and a new focus on ancient Roman recipes. What’s more, next year the hotel will unveil a second private beach. Meanwhile, tastemaker Marie-Louise Sciò’s spry touches can be seen in the chalice vases by Ettore Sotsass, bathroom products sold on Issimo, the Frette sheets collaboration, and the Villeroy & Boch crockery on which breakfast is served on the glorious sea-facing terrace dotted with umbrellas the hue of Italian custard. La Posta Vecchia is also a gateway to the lesser known Lazio Alto region with its Etruscan necropolises far from the crowds. From $480. —Stephanie Rafanelli

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Le Bristol Paris

In a city that inspires millions, what makes a hotel stand out? For me it’s a property that will transport me into a new world, to live out a fantasy of a different life in a different location—a “main character moment”, as the TikTok generation might say. Le Bristol sets the scene for a stay that’s a world away from daily monotony and embraces what most hope and dream a trip to Paris will be: grand, storied, and luxurious, with Michelin-starred restaurants, top-class service, and a courtyard garden so peaceful you’ll forget you’re in one of the world’s busiest cities. Next year Le Bristol will celebrate its 100th anniversary with parties, but there’s no doubt its Parisian allure is timeless. From $2,000. —Abigail Malbon

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Les Roches Rouges — Saint-Raphaël, France

When Les Roches Rouges opened back in 2017, on a sleepy stretch of the French Riviera in Saint-Raphaël, it succeeded where so many have failed. It’s an instant classic without being stuffy and zhuzh-y without trying too hard. Attracting a steady stream of well-dressed guests looking to disconnect from the high jinks of the Côte d’Azur scene, this bright-white 1950s modernist building is tickled by the raw blue ripples of the ocean. The interiors are perfectly balanced with polished concrete floors, white walls, and simple but striking furniture and art—a chunky chair here, a vintage lamp there—compiled by the hotel’s creative partners of antiques dealers, painters, and sculptors. The large stone-paved terrace contains a bar, a restaurant, and a sun deck, and is dotted with canvas butterfly chairs, tables, and plenty of neatly lined white sun beds. Many guests spend the days flitting between the lap pool and the spectacular 30-meter saltwater pool carved out of the rocks, while some meander over to a ladder that goes directly into the sea for paddleboarding. A steady stream of waiters in white polos deliver pale pink rosé and cocktails spiked with lavender and thyme. By evening, swimsuits are replaced with slinky dresses as guests dine in either of two restaurants: the book-ahead Michelin-starred Récif, which has a tasting menu, or La Plage, a more relaxed spot with perfectly plated Provençal dishes. As the bright-hot days trickle into soft-focus nights, it’s hard to imagine a lovelier spot. From $500. —Chloe Sachdev

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Lime Wood — Lyndhurst, United Kingdom

This country house hotel in the heart of the New Forest National Park is a byword for holistic excellence, utilizing its surroundings to put nature, relaxation, and nourishment front and center. The 33 keys include 16 rooms in the main house, a gorgeous lakeside cabin, and woodland-chic forest cottages, while the award-winning Herb House spa offers bespoke Ayurvedic treatments, a hydropool overlooking the forest, and a log-lined sauna. At its destination restaurant, Hartnett Holder & Co, chefs Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder oversee an Italian-inspired menu. But the real star of the show is the New Forest, the venue for bike rides and guided forages among trees, heathland, and wild horses. This is the definition of well-being. From $647. —Noo Saro-Wiwa

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Marbella Club — Spain

In the 1950s, Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe acquired a small fishing village nestled between the sea and the mountains and decided to transform it into an estate. Since it opened in 1954, the Marbella Club has become a sanctuary for aristocrats, actors, musicians, artists, heads of state, athletes, and celebrities seeking something more than just a vacation destination. Over the years the Marbella Club has managed to keep its original spirit alive as it has gracefully expanded to become one of the most iconic luxury resorts in the Mediterranean. Today it boasts 115 rooms and suites as well as 15 villas, where traditional Andalusian architecture blends with splendid gardens and pathways leading to the sea. Two heated outdoor pools, a beach club, a Thalasso wellness center, a golf course, 10 tennis courts, an equestrian center, a kids club, and eight dining concepts complete this paradise, located just five minutes from Marbella’s old town and Puerto Banús. From $800. —María Casbas

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Splendido, a Belmond Hotel — Portofino, Italy

It takes a hotel of a particularly high caliber to salve the sting of a lifelong travel dream’s finale. For me, that sting was the gutting experience of disembarking from the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in Portofino, Italy, this past summer. But my goodness, does Splendido offer such reprieve. This princely albergo on the Ligurian coast was built as a Benedictine monastery and is now adorned with pink azaleas on almost every balcony from which guests can take in postcard views of Portofino Bay, glimmering and viridian. The landscape looks just as it did in the 1960s, when the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner first checked in to this seaside hideaway. But the hotel has been updated since then; for the 2025 season, Splendido will reopen with the main building completely renovated, after a multi-year floor-by-floor update led by designer Martin Brudnizki, whose signature maximalism takes on a gentler, subtler play—more perfume than syrup—by using lavenders, celadons, and Alice blues to paint the interiors with a pleasingly soft handsomeness. Outside, the redone saltwater pool shimmers with new tiles color-matched to the sea, and the open-air restaurant La Terazza is as perfect a spot as ever, serving trofie al pesto and spritzes on its perch high on the hill. All told, Splendido’s sensibility is elegantly understated, allowing its people and environment to shine. The staff is composed of charismatic good-time ragazzi, and nature seeps so easily into the rooms that sunrise and birdsong became my morning alarms. To catch the local scene, walk 15 minutes downhill to Portofino’s piazzetta (or take the hotel’s complimentary shuttle), where nonnos invite any and all challengers to a game of backgammon. I did one evening and felt yet again the sting of loss. Then I hiked up the hill to Splendido, my beloved balm, with its windows aglow after sundown and music floating through its gardens. It’s not Olympus, but it’s close enough. From $2,050. —Matt Ortile

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The Fife Arms — Braemar, United Kingdom

Reasons to love the Fife Arms? Yes, the 16,000-odd works of art—including a pair of Picassos, Richard Jackson’s neon chandelier, a taxidermy haggis, and watercolors by Queen Victoria and King Charles III. Add in the fact that no one in Braemar seems to have a bad word to say about the Swiss art dealers Ivan and Manuela Wirth, relative outsiders when they took over this tired Victorian coaching inn in Cairngorms National Park. But the real joy of the Fife Arms is that it’s great fun: You’ll find everyone here, from out-of-towners to locals with their dogs—not to mention a team of wry, wise-cracking staff ready to make an event out of everything from whisky tastings at Bertie’s Bar to bracing wild-river swims followed by horse box sauna sessions. From $608. —Toby Skinner

Mexico, Central, and South America

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Tierra Patagonia — Chile

Tinged red at dawn, the granite towers of Torres del Paine are a blazing centerpiece in Chile’s premier national park. But no view compares with the scene greeting guests from their bed at this exquisitely crafted lodge. Barely visible along the skyline, the lakeside building sinks comfortably into the landscape, giving all rooms a vista onto the soaring peaks. Light pours through walls of glass to illuminate a panoramic restaurant and spa with an indoor infinity pool, perfect spots to watch clouds dance across big skies. Far from the crowd-clogged trails, the coolly unassuming property invites endless possibilities at the bottom of the world. From $2,094. —Sarah Marshall

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Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection — Costa Rica

Upon my landing at Hacienda AltaGracia’s airstrip, my compa, or personal butler, is waiting with a sea-bean necklace and a refreshing drink—the first hint at the exceptional attention I would receive throughout. The 180-acre jungle resort has 50 casitas featuring a safari-meets-boho design accented by locally made pottery and patterned textiles. Outside is where the real beauty is, though: stunning jungle views, a private plunge pool, and a swinging daybed. Strolling the property, I spot colorful birds, frogs, and, one night, an armadillo. I sign up for a tree climb, which brings me to the top of the rainforest canopy for endless views. But mainly I just want to sip coffee at the excellent Mercado café and spend time at the excellent 20,000-square-foot spa. From $1,980. —Devorah Lev-Tov

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Caiman, Pantanal — Miranda, Brazil

More than 35 years ago, when conservationist and entrepreneur Roberto Klabin transformed part of his family’s farm into a high-end lodge, the Pantanal was widely dismissed for being full of flies—but that’s no longer the case. Things are changing in the world’s largest tropical wetland. By habituating jaguars to the sound of vehicle engines, NGO Onçafari has increased sightings of the threatened predators on the property. Go on a game drive, shadow conservation teams, and horse-ride through gallery forests in the (largely) fence-free grounds, while experiencing life on a working cattle ranch. South America’s answer to the Okavango Delta without any of the hype or the crowds. From $1,419. —Sarah Marshall

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Turtle Inn — Placencia, Belize

Turtle Inn, much like Blancaneaux Lodge, its older sibling in the Belizean jungle, bears the cinematic imprint of owner Francis Ford Coppola. From the tropical exuberance of its entryway and its thatch-roof cottages with hand-carved doors and Japanese baths to the garden pizzeria with its twinkling lights, this is one part Gilligan’s Island, one part barefoot-chic Bali beach club. You wouldn’t be blamed for not wanting to leave this idyllic refuge, but Turtle Inn’s location makes it the perfect jumping off point for riverine adventures and treks into jaguar territory. You’ll always be glad to return, though, to its pools, beachside bar, and lobster feasts best enjoyed with toes in the sand. But perhaps there is no luxury greater than the warmhearted service extended by staff who treat you just as they would the Coppolas—like returning family. From $419. —Arati Menon

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Chable Yúcatan — Chocholá, Mexico

Because it’s located in the jungle between the colonial city of Mérida and the Maya site of Uxmal, Chablé Yucatán has two distinct personalities, making it unique among luxury resorts in Mexico. The buildings that form the historic two-centuries-old hacienda now house common areas and the gourmet Ixi’im restaurant, and guests sleep in 38 contemporary glass boxes masterfully situated throughout the lush grounds so that each feels remarkably private—your views are of the jungle foliage, not your neighbor. Each casita has its own pool, but there’s also a larger common one for when you’re feeling social. The resort is home to countless iguanas and diminutive Yucatecan deer, and an astounding variety of birdlife. You’ll feel like you have escaped to a unique Eden, only with gracious service. From $1,019. —John Newton

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Mashpi Lodge — Pichincha, Ecuador

This glass-walled building is a bubble of understated luxury in Ecuador’s Chocó-Andean Cloud Forest, the densest spot of biodiversity on Earth. Your own personal guide will take you on hikes through the forest to find butterflies the size of your hand and hummingbirds that will feed from your fingers. In your downtime you can wallow in hot tubs that look over the valley or listen to the sounds of the forest from your room, which has floor-to-ceiling windows that make you feel as if you’re in a tree house. Mashpi leads the world in inspirational conservation, leaving you full of passion and wonder. From $1,595. —Ash Bhardwaj

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One&Only Mandarina — Riviera Nayarit, Mexico

Just when you think all beach resorts are made alike, One&Only Mandarina begs to differ. Nestled in the lush hills of Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit—where jaguars skulk in the shadows, colorful birds fly overhead, and the gentle sound of the Pacific urges bone-deep relaxation—One & Only makes it easy to find the big red reset button you’ve been looking for. There’s a traditional temazcal sweat lodge experience at the spa, surfing on a private beach, and even a restaurant that has an Enrique Olvera–designed menu that would draw major crowds in a big city: Carao. Ultimately, though, it’s forgetting about the outside world that is the draw—and promise—of spending a few days here. From $1,290. —Megan Spurrell

United States, Canada, and the Caribbean

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The Ritz-Carlton New York, Nomad

When the Ritz-Carlton flung open the doors of its new Manhattan flagship at West 28th Street and Broadway two years ago, the classic brand was making a bit of a daring declaration as to its direction. Moody and modish, the property is a far cry from the (splendidly) prim and proper Central Park location some 30 blocks north. There’s glass everywhere, for one thing, with the 50-story sleek slice of skyscraper designed in part to make the most of that killer location’s downtown views and light. The sun-soaked interiors are dramatic and textured—concierge desks in the grayscale lobby are made of almost zebra-print granite. A leafy, book-lined bar just off it leads to the excellent Spanish-Japanese fusion restaurant The Bazaar from José Andrés upstairs with its plush upholstery, coffee-and-plum palette, and scenery-chewing jamón Ibéerico centerpiece (Andrés’s group also designed the complimentary menu in the very worth-it club level). Rooftop bar Nubeluz is a jewel-toned wonderland of wallpaper; highlights include the pleated emerald fabric of the elevator vestibule and the feathered Schumacher number that hugs each booth. Wrapped from floor to ceiling in blond wood, my suite on the 36th floor, with its deep, deep sofa of chocolatey crushed velvet, offers grand views of Manhattan; I could even see all the way down to the World Trade Center. All of this style would matter little, however, were the service anything less than superlative. It absolutely is. Despite bookings being full to the brim most nights, there’s no indication that the staff have eyes for anybody but you from check-in to checkout. From $895. —Charlie Hobbs

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Zero George — Charleston, South Carolina

To the naked eye, the five beautifully restored 1804 residences and carriage homes at the corner of George Street and East Bay constitute just another pretty block in Charleston: warm brick, statuesque façades, breezy column-studded verandas, and flickering lanterns. But veteran hospitality duo Dean Porter Andrews and Lynn Easton knew better when they selected this spot to launch their bespoke brand of Lowcountry luxury in 2013. The hotel’s magic lies in the exclusivity and privacy of its interior: a hidden labyrinth of meticulously manicured gardens, crushed oystershell pathways, and calming fountains connecting five distinct historic dwellings into a retreat guests love to call their home in the Holy City. From $349. —Allston McCrady

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Colony Palm Beach — Florida

Stepping inside the Colony Hotel is like entering a scene from a storybook or a Wes Anderson film, a whimsical balance of the vintage and in vogue. Within its pink stucco walls, reality transforms into the glamorous yet laid-back Palm Beach of days gone by. Since Andrew and Sarah Wetenhall purchased the hotel in 2016, the guest rooms and villas have undergone a multiyear restoration, reviving the landmark institution while still maintaining its iconic tropical eclecticism. Located right between the beach and the shops of Worth Avenue, it’s the perfect home base for exploring the island—if you can ever pull yourself away from its fanciful charms. From $499. —Hannah Towey

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San Ysidro Ranch — Santa Barbara, California

It might seem like a miss to go to Santa Barbara and not stay close to the shore, but the moment you make the turn inland onto San Ysidro Road, you realize that being here isn’t about visiting Santa Barbara; it’s about visiting the ranch. Just 38 cottages, each with their own unique layout, decor, and view, are spread out over 550 acres, but rather than being scattered, they form a ring within the property. At the resort’s center is a collection of gardens as well as a rectangular- pool that overlooks the canyon. Some of the curated finds you’ll see throughout are museum-quality art, antiques sourced from billionaire owner Ty Warner’s world travels, and handmade wallpapers (even on the ceilings of the showers). But San Ysidro Ranch isn’t your typical hotel—as its history of having legendary guests like Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy, who honeymooned here, or John Huston, who finished writing the screenplay for The African Queen on the property, can attest. And the ranch continues its legacy as a celebrity refuge, as modern-day A-listers use this tucked-away spot to truly hide out and escape—which is what you should do too. From $2,495. —Samantha Brooks

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Blackberry Farm — Walland, Tennessee

The stories are all true—the ones you’ve heard about the fleecy Italian truffle dogs, the perfect timber-frame barn imported from Pennsylvania, the well-groomed hiking trails and bridle paths that give you access to the quiet forests of the Great Smoky Mountains. The place is a bit of paradise in eastern Tennessee, full of little details that feel plucked from a storybook: the dollhouse-like white church, the covered bridge, the generous cottages with porches ideal for putting your feet up while drinking a whiskey and snacking on pimento cheese. But what really takes Blackberry to the next level is the Southern hospitality. From the servers to the adventure guides, everyone brings their passion to work every day, and by the time you leave, you’ll find you’re feeling pretty passionate too. From $1,145. —Jesse Ashlock