The world’s finest luxury hotels, originally labeled as five stars but now often designated as six or seven stars, have worked long and hard to build up their reputations as the finest accommodation providers in the world. With nightly room rates that often soar to well over $1000 a night for regular rooms and ten times that for suites it is worth asking what exactly makes a room at one of the best hotels in the world worth the money. The answer can be broken down into a couple of different categories: location, amenities, service and design.
Almost without exception the world’s best hotels, regardless of whether they’re located in city centers or on tropical islands, have spectacular locations right in the middle of the most popular attractions in each destination. In urban locations such as Paris, New York or Hong Kong, the best hotels in the city are found within walking distance of upscale shopping, world-class restaurants and high-class cultural attractions including museums and parks. On islands the location may be totally secluded to offer guests the privacy that they are looking for in a relaxing vacation.
There are a number of amenities that the world’s finest luxury hotels need to have in order to maintain their reputations. A full service concierge might be the most important although many guests want access to a business center as well as excellent dining and activities. In terms of service it is not uncommon for the most exclusive hotels to have full service butlers on staff for special guests and families and all luxury hotels take great pride in their absolute dedication to guest comfort and the ability to make anything happen that a guest might desire.
The design of the world’s best hotels ranges from new and modern construction to some of the oldest and most revered structures on the planet. Many of the most elegant and traditional hotels are located in buildings that have been around for centuries and this design aesthetic is incorporated into all of the public areas, guestrooms and dining rooms. Newer hotels tend to reflect the environment where they are found and can only be considered among the world’s finest luxury hotels if the construction has taken into account the natural landscape, even in a city, and continued a theme throughout the entire property.
Even with the incredible number of new hotels that are being constructed on a yearly basis it is incredibly hard to be considered one of the best luxury hotels in the world. It takes a very special dedication to the entire guest experience and a promise to deliver the absolute highest levels of service in a truly special environment to make the list.
