Best Luxury Hotels

TripSavvy Editors' Choice Awards 2018

By Staff Author
Updated on 11/06/19
Fact checked by
Michelai Graham
Fact checked by Michelai Graham
Michigan State University
American University
Michelai Graham is a technology and business reporter who has written for The Urban Institute and Scoop News. She reports for AfroTech, Lifewire, and The Plug.
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The Park Hyatt Dubai

Hyatt 

Plush custom mattresses, state-of-the-art technology, and sleek design — there's nothing like a luxury hotel. Some of the world's best have Michelin-starred restaurants, top-hatted doormen and gold mosaic-lined swimming pools. Not to mention the wandering peacocks. Here are TripSavvy's favorite luxury hotels for 2018.

Luxury Hotels

A room at the Merrion Hotel
The Merrion Hotel

The Merrion Hotel: Dublin, Ireland — featured in The Best Hotels in Dublin

Art and architecture, history and gardens characterize Dublin’s most luxurious hotel. Created from four Georgian townhouses built in the 1760s, The Merrion opened in October 1997 and today combines classic elegance and 21st century amenities. Its collection of 19th- and 20th-century Irish art is considered second only to the National Gallery of Ireland's. Also outstanding is Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Ireland’s only two-star Michelin restaurant; the gourmet dishes are as artistic in their presentation as the paintings that grace the walls. And Bar No. 23 underscores The Merrion’s exclusivity; only guests and their company may drink here. —Susan Breslow

A room at the Hotel Jackson
Hotel Jackson

Hotel Jackson: Jackson, Wyo. — featured in The Best Jackson Hole Hotels

Located just one block from the world-renowned Jackson Town Square, Hotel Jackson is considered the finest boutique luxury hotel in Jackson Hole. The location is in the heart of the best dining, shopping and recreation the city has to offer. The LEED-built Hotel Jackson features 55 rooms, including four suites. Their modern design elements with the surrounding valley’s spectacular elements of nature provide for an extraordinary experience. The lobby’s two-story wood-burning fireplace is a centerpiece of the common spaces that blends perfectly with the elements of western history that are displayed in the rustic, reclaimed barn wood throughout the hotel. –David Duran

The Sonnenalp
 Sonnenalp

Sonnenalp: Vail, Colo. — featured in The Best Hotels in Vail

The Sonnenalp is one of Colorado’s finest luxury hotels—and with a European flair. The hotel, located in the heart of Vail within walking distance to all the action, features distinctive Swiss-inspired architecture, oversized guest restrooms and a full-service spa with an indoor/outdoor tranquility pool. The boutique hotel offers a variety of lodging options, from one-bedroom suites up to four-room private residences. Other amenities that set this family-owned hotel apart: the ski concierge in winter, three on-site restaurants, its own golf course (a short drive away), a complimentary recreation program for kids and an oxygen bar, great to help combat altitude sickness. –Aimee Heckel

Mokara Hotel and Spa: San Antonio, Texas — featured in Romantic San Antonio Hotels

San Antonio’s only Forbes Four-Star property, Mokara Hotel & Spa delivers hospitality with a Texas twang. It's located on the River Walk, the city's most popular attraction and a place to stroll along cypress-lined paths that parallel the San Antonio River. Owned and operated by Omni Hotels & Resorts, it's well known for its expansive spa, which offers seasonal treatments such as the Autumn Spice Massage and Pumpkin Enzyme Peel. Ostra, its restaurant, boasts the largest selection of tequilas and mezcals downtown. Guests can end the day at the rooftop pool and café while watching the human parade below. –Susan Breslow Sardone

The Park Hyatt Dubai
Hyatt

Park Hyatt Dubai: Dubai, UAE — featured in The Best Hotels in Dubai

In Dubai perfection is key, and the five-star Park Hyatt certainly reaches it. It’s located in Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, and the restaurant and many suites have panoramic views of the harbor. The mega yachts below definitely draw guests into a world of glamour and escapism. The luxurious Amara Spa, located in the middle of private courtyards, performs healing rituals only found there. The manicured gardens are an ideal place for an afternoon drink. The hotel launched a food & wine series to bring the world’s best sommeliers, chefs, and nutritional experts to its sophisticated clientele. –Alyson Krueger

The Berkeley Hotel: London, England — featured in The Best Hotel Pools in London

With a coveted Knightsbridge address between Harrods and Hyde Park, The Berkeley has served as one of London's fanciest five-star hotels since opening in 1897. From its top-hatted doormen to its gold mosaic-lined rooftop pool, it's a picture of elegance and its collaborations with designers including David Collins and André Fu lend it a stylish edge. For fine dining, there’s Marcus, a two-Michelin-starred hotspot helmed by British chef Marcus Wareing and cocktails and canapes are served in the intimate Blue Bar. For a fashionable take on afternoon tea, try the couture-inspired Prêt-à-Portea in the Collins Room. –Rachel Erdos

Taj Rambagh Palace: Jaipur, India — featured in The Top Hotels in Jaipur

Staying at an erstwhile palace is an exceptional, once-in-a-lifetime experience and the Rambagh Palace convincingly brings alive how it might feel to be royalty. The property was the residence of Jaipur's ruling family until 1957, when they converted it into an exquisite heritage hotel that's consistently ranked among the world's best and is run by the Taj Group. It blends classic grandeur, graced with regal artwork, and modern luxury. Arrive to a shower of rose petals, be attended to by your personal butler, dine using gold-plated cutlery and crockery, savor aristocratic regional cuisine, ride in a vintage car or horse and carriage, get pampered with spa treatments in a garden pavilion, watch peacocks dance amid the manicured grounds, and sleep in the Maharaja's former quarters. –Sharell Cook

The lobby at the Waldorf Astoria
Waldorf Astoria

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam: Amsterdam, Netherlands — featured in the Best Hotels in Amsterdam

In 17th century Amsterdam the Gentleman’s Canal was the place to live. The richest merchants, the most influential politicians, the executives of the Dutch West India Company, they all lived along the serene waters. Today, the Mayor of Amsterdam lives on the canal. But it also has another grand resident: the Waldorf Astoria. Prominent locals and guests flock here for two Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant Spectrum or the award-winning Guerlain spa. The lobby, known as Peacock Alley, displays an antique armillary sphere that is famous for enchanting even the most discerning visitors. –Alyson Krueger

The Pierre Hotel
Taj Hotels

The Pierre Hotel: New York, N.Y. — featured in The Best Hotels Near Central Park

“The Pierre”: In New York, it carries every bit the prestige of “the Plaza” or “the Waldorf.” From a prime location on the southeast corner of Central Park, the landmark hotel still carries the glamour of an earlier era. Making its Manhattan debut in 1929, the property was refurbished by Taj Hotels and reopened in 2010. From the elevator operators to the indulgent service, the atmosphere is one of old-world luxury. The dramatic Rotunda Room, while recently restored, still feels from another time entirely, with its stunning and painstakingly restored murals; and even for those not staying onsite, there’s no better way to experience the Pierre’s elegance than with a classic afternoon tea. –Carey Jones

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