If you’re a curious, seasoned traveller looking to expand your horizons in 2019, look no further than the world’s finest luxury boutique hotels.
Promising intuitive service, intimate accommodations and unrivalled experiences in all corners of the globe, these resorts were voted top in their class at the Boutique Hotel Awards 2018.
Each nominated hotel was evaluated by a judging panel of specialists from the hotel, design and luxury industries, taking into consideration each property’s location, history and culture.
World’s Best Boutique Hotel & World’s Best Culinary Hotel
Awarta Nusa Dua Luxury Villas & Spa, Bali, Indonesia
Taking the title of both World’s Best Boutique Hotel and World’s Best Culinary Hotel, Awarta Nusa Dua Luxury Villas & Spa is described as “the epitome of 5-star service and luxury”.
The property was recognised for its 14 spacious private villas, traditional Balinese hospitality and gastronomy, breathtaking tropical landscaping, and its fusion of Balinese/Chinese architecture.
World’s Most Romantic Hotel
Akademie Street, South Africa
A traditional Cape Dutch manor house with charming themed cottages, characterful buildings and its very own Orangerie, Akademie Street is a longstanding landmark boutique hotel in the heart of the South African wine lands.
The award-winning hotel boasts private plunge pools, seven wood-fired hot tubs and a jacuzzi, all nestled within a secluded garden setting, making its award not at all surprising.
World’s Best Family Hotel
Blue River Resort & Hot Springs, Costa Rica
Families with adventurous, dinosaur-obsessed children should look no further than Blue River Resort & Hot Springs, burrowed deep within the lush Costa Rican rainforest, at the foothills of the mighty Rincón de la Vieja Volcano.
Onsite adventures include the lush botanical gardens (home to three wild sloths), a hummingbird sanctuary, volcanic spa experiences (for the parents), and Dino Park, the only animatronic dinosaur park in Central and South America.
World’s Best Wellness Spa
Green Spa Resort Stanglwirt, Austria
Set against spectacular Wilder Kaiser mountain and equipped with its own organic farm, Stanglwirt’s 5-star Green Spa Resort offers different levels of wellness for every member of the family.
Choose from five saunas and three steam baths at the Stanglwirt sauna complex, or indulge in the resort’s water worlds – which include a saltwater pool and natural swimming lake, a rock pool and children’s water world, a sports pool, whirlpool and waterfall grotto.
World’s Most Sustainable Hotel
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, Canada
With a horse and carriage relaying guests to a Champagne reception, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort sets the bar high on arrival, coupling luxury with comfort, and relaxation with adventure.
Located within the UNESCO Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region in British Columbia, 25 luxury canvas tents sit on the edge of the estuary, surrounded by a panorama of untouched rainforests and mountain ranges.
Through a privately funded US$3 million Environmental Legacy Program, the resort continues to encourage its guests to help support the surrounding rainforest, particularly through enhancement of native wild salmon stocks.
Here’s a look at the other winning hotels:
World’s Best New Hotel – Hotel Grand Windsor, New Zealand
World’s Best Classic Hotel – Relais & Chateaux, Belgium
World’s Best Relaxation Retreat – Carpe Diem, Greece
World’s Best City Hotel – Corpo Santo Hotel, Portugal
World’s Best Honeymoon Hideaway – Drake Bay Getaway Resort, Costa Rica
World’s Most Stunning Views – Hanging Gardens of Bali, Indonesia
World’s Most Inspired Design Hotel – TwentySeven, The Netherlands
World’s Best Beach or Coastal Hotel – Reethi Faru Resort, Maldives
World’s Best Private Villa – The Resort Villa, Thailand
If you know of a stunning hotel that deserves recognition, nominations for the 2019 Boutique Hotel Awards are now open.
Looking for more holiday inspiration? Get your culture fix at one of the world’s most impressive art hotels or go wild at South Africa’s best new luxury safari lodges.