21-05-2025
The secret to a luxury hotel's success? Location, location, location
If you have the money and you want a really memorable experience then there has never been more choice when it comes to fabulous luxury hotels. So the question becomes: how can you tell them apart? After all, no matter how large your bank balance may be, no one wants to waste money – especially if you are investing in some of your precious days of annual holiday.
The answer is that some hotels have a little extra that lifts them above the pack of 'ordinary' luxury hotels. They are different because they belong – because they can only exist in their particular city or location; you simply cannot replicate them elsewhere.
As the chairman of The Goring hotel I am, of course, biased but I believe ours is one of these very special properties. The Goring was the last great hotel built in the Edwardian era, opening in March 1910, a couple of months before the death of Edward VII. It sits on land once occupied by some rundown cottages next to Victoria Square, where fine residences were built by Queen Victoria to house her ladies-in-waiting.
In truth The Goring is so eccentrically English that it can only exist where it is in the centre of London. However, there are several other examples of hotels where the genius loci manifests itself in the bricks and mortar.
Hong Kong's original room with a luxurious view
There are, of course, several Peninsula hotels in the world. I have been lucky enough to visit those in Bangkok, London, Chicago, Beverly Hills and New York. They are all great international hotels delivering wonderful food, great service, amazing technology and excellent hospitality. However, The Peninsula Hong Kong is the Peninsula and it sits head and shoulders above all the rest. Why?
Quite simply the Peninsula Hong Kong belongs completely to that island (which might sound strange as it's actually not on the island itself). It sits in Kowloon on the mainland looking back at the iconic view of Hong Kong. Over time new properties have been built in front of its once great vantage point but there are still many rooms with that famous harbour view in the Peninsula Tower (a later addition to the original low-rise building).
In many ways Hong Kong is the story here: how it came to be British; how it rose to such dizzy heights as a trading and financial powerhouse over the centuries; how it was handed back to China and has changed in the years since. But throughout all of this, the Peninsula has remained proud and relevant.
Gaddi's restaurant claims to have had the first chef's table in the world. Spring Moon is the most deliciously decadent Chinese restaurant in the city and Felix, on the top floor, has the best views. The double-height lobby is crowded all day long with movers and shakers; it bursts at the seams during afternoon tea. Outside, a fleet of 'Peninsula Green' Rolls Royces wait ready to whisk guests out and about as they shop, dine or do business deals.
The bedrooms were refurbished about 10 years ago with calm pale shades, and hand-painted blossom branches on the walls. A delightful touch in the Tower harbour view rooms is a brass telescope that guests can use to look across to Hong Kong Island or down at the green and cream ferries criss-crossing the harbour all day long.
A hotel woven into the story of London
Claridge's iconic building has stood on the corner of Brook Street and Davies Street, right in the heart of Mayfair, since the late 19th century. Recently, the Emperor of Japan stayed here on his State Visit (he always does, as his father did before him) and naturally he slept in the royal suite, just at the top of the grand staircase, which sweeps up from the famous black and white marble-chequered lobby.
The suite is ravishingly beautiful: a large entrance hall leads off to the grand drawing room to the right or to a long light-filled dining room straight ahead of you. The ceiling is spectacular and is embellished with gold leaf. A huge sparkling crystal chandelier, only slightly larger than the one in the bedroom, hangs down from the grand ceiling rose in the centre of the room.
Recently there has been much investment ploughed into the hotel. Extra floors were swung into position on the top of the hotel and a number of new basements were painstakingly dug out beneath the eastern side to create a spa and swimming pool. Many of the bedrooms have been completely refurbished in a chic, expensive style. Personally I feel this has taken away the grand domestic style which added to the hotel's personality and history. So I prefer those rooms, like the royal suite, which nod to the original grandeur of the place.
Nevertheless, this hotel has played its part in creating the history of our great capital – it has woven itself into the story of London. It belongs here and cannot be replicated anywhere else.
Why Thailand is top for hospitality
The Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, was voted the top hotel in the world by The Telegraph last year. I am not surprised, although when you first enter the lobby you could be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about. The entrance is slightly dated, with a 1950s feel, its sofas and chairs filled with very smart locals and wide-eyed tourists enjoying the grandeur.
Beyond the lobby, picture windows command views of the manicured lawn to the original wooden hotel with its colonial reception room and most of the Oriental's signature suites, which are decorated in such a way as to conjure up tales of the past. In the main tower, a much later edition, the rooms have a more modern feel but they all contain traditional Thai elements that celebrate the story of this place.
There are 11 dining options – yes, 11! – including Le Normandie, a top-floor restaurant offering classic French cooking, to Lord Jim's, which delivers a more contemporary international buffet. There are also Thai, Japanese and Italian restaurants, as well as the Authors' Lounge, for traditional afternoon teas.
However, it's the people who work in the Mandarin Oriental who really make this place exceptional. Firstly, there are a lot of them, all focused on making your stay perfect. But there is so much more to it than that. Thai hospitality is rightly recognised as among the very best in the world. Stay in this hotel and you will understand why this reputation is so deserved.
Reminiscent of a set from an Orson Wells classic
If you ask a group of top hoteliers which is their favourite hotel in the world, many will tell you it's the Hotel Bel-Air. There is something utterly magical about this place. Is it the best city hotel in the world? It may well be.
This hotel could only exist hidden away in the garden oasis in the Bel Air Estate in Los Angeles. Somehow it has become a heavenly oasis, set apart from the hustle and bustle of this sprawling metropolis.
Upon arrival, you walk across a wooden bridge that leads to reception. You immediately lose your worries and relax. Three majestic white swans float on their little pond below, surrounded by some of the hotel's duck family. It's a true fantasy, so Hollywood and yet so real. Nothing feels false or engineered.
The hotel buildings themselves are all painted a soft pink. Unlike most city hotels this is not one large building. Instead it is a collection of low bungalows with a few larger blocks towards the rear of the property. It's reminiscent of a set from an Orson Wells classic.
Part of the joy of this hotel are the gardens and the delicious little courtyards dotted throughout the grounds. Set along the stream that bubbles away at the front of the property are rustic wooden benches hidden among colourful camellia bushes.
When it's time to drink or dine, guests head either to the very dark hotel bar or to the restaurant just next to it. The large outdoor terrace in front of the restaurant takes full advantage of the warm Californian climate. The best three tables, in semicircular open booths, seem to hang over the gardens set below. There are always famous actors and celebrities dining here; it's a place for those in the know, for those who have arrived, and those who have made it and no longer need to prove themselves any.
Beautiful furnishings, pale colours, hand-painted wallpapers and a feeling of utter luxury are the hallmarks of the Bel-Air's bedrooms. Most have outdoor courtyards or balconies. This is a hotel that could only belong in Los Angeles, just up the road from Hollywood, the place where dreams are made.
