As is now tradition, here is a complete list of every luxury hotel I stayed in this year. All 70 of them, across 26 countries and 5 continents – spread over nearly 8 months of this glorious year. My toothbrush, bed and daily chats with debt collectors gone for nearly 70% of the year. The below doesn’t even take into consideration all the flights I’ve taken, which makes me a likely Greenpeace target. I will need to keep leaving the country to keep me and my loved ones safe. It has been a year of such sacrifices. But they were most certainly all in the name of science, so my Nobel Prize is now inevitable.
Brackets signifies if more than one stay in this calendar year.
Australia
- Park Hyatt Sydney (2)
- Qualia
- Saffire Freycinet
- The Langham Melbourne
Belgium
- Hotel Amigo
Botswana
Canada
- Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver
- Clayoquot
- Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver
Chile
- Vik Chile
- Awasi Patagonia
Colombia
- Four Seasons Bogota
Czech Republic
- Four Seasons Prague
Ecuador
- Hotel del Parque
- Pikaia Lodge
England
- Royal Crescent Bath
- The Baglioni
- The Beaumont
- The Connaught (many many)
- The Lanesborough (many)
- The Rosewood
Fiji
France
French Polynesia
- InterContinental Tahiti
- Four Seasons Bora Bora
- The Brando
Greece
- Hotel Grande Bretagne
- Amanzoe
Iceland
- Hotel Borg
- The Retreat at Blue Lagoon
Indonesia
- Four Seasons Jakarta
Italy
- Villa Feltrinelli
- Il Sereno
- Bulgari Hotel Milan
- Rosewood Castiglion del Busco
- Hotel Eden
Kenya
- Ol Donyo
- Mara Plains
- Cottars
- Hemingways
Maldives
- Cheval Blanc Randheli
- Velaa
- Soneva Fushi
New Zealand
- Matakauri Lodge
- Cape Kidnappers
Peru
- Hotel B
- Sol y Luna
Rwanda
Seychelles
South Africa
- Four Seasons Johannesburg
- The Silo
- La Residence
- The Saxon
Switzerland
- Baur au Lac
- Chedi Andermatt
- Park Hotel Vitznau
- La Reserve Geneva
Tanzania
- Singita Mara River Tented Camp
- Singita Sasakwa
- Singita Sabora
United States
- Baccarat New York
- Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas
- Peninsula Beverly Hills
- Hotel Bel-Air
- The Setai
Tom — immediate reaction to…Four Seasons Bora Bora – yay or nay? Half the price of Laucala but then again, we are talking Laucala here and we are this close to pulling that trigger (and the Brando is just no bueno in terms of bang for one’s buck). Toss up between the other two. We patiently wait, fingers drumming on the table.
Easiest decision I will make all day – Laucala. Four Seasons Bora Bora is a massive tourist trap and significant let down – it has over 100 rooms, which will likely be at full occupancy and ruin any sense of serenity you may think you are going to get. I keep meaning to write a review, but have been pretty dreadful all year at doing anything. We’re heading back to Laucala for the 3rd time, for our honeymoon in a few weeks.
Not sure I’d agree that The Brando is poor value though.
Tom – first thing’s first: congratulations! Next important point: for the love of all things holy, just went to check reservations and…Laucala is BOOKED. %#$@&! Murphy’s law no doubt. The Brando sounded so disappointing (not the food – that sounded amazing). Thanks very much for the quick reply and I’m openly jealous about your (third) pending trip to Laucala. 🙂