Hotels
Which hotel, and which room
Sorted by brand and by type, not by place. If you’re loyal to a name, deciding between two, or just want to know whether a hotel earns its rate — start here. The rankings come from my own stays.
Head to head — the ones people ask about most.
Four Seasons, Peninsula & the grand names

Hong Kong
The Peninsula Hong Kong
The Rolls-Royce fleet, the suites, and the service that sets the standard.

Hong Kong
Peninsula vs. Rosewood Hong Kong
Old-world icon against the new favorite. Which to book.

Bangkok
Four Seasons Bangkok
Riverside grandeur — and how it compares to Capella next door.

Bangkok
Capella Bangkok
The one that tops the ’world’s best’ lists. Is it earned?

Istanbul
Four Seasons Sultanahmet
History in the heart of the old city.

Istanbul
Çırağan Palace Kempinski
A sultan’s palace, and the wing where you will actually sleep.

Macau
Morpheus Macau
The Zaha Hadid landmark — and Jade Dragon downstairs.
The Mayakoba resorts

Mayakoba
Banyan Tree: beachfront vs. jungle rooms
Sand is for lovers, mangrove is for families — and the mangrove is what the hotel is really selling.

Riviera Maya
Grand Velas: three resorts in one
An ultra-luxury beachfront for lovers, kid-safe playgrounds at the beach and in the jungle — next door to Mayakoba.

Mayakoba
Banyan Tree vs. Fairmont Mayakoba
A retreat and a resort share one jungle — and who each one is really for.

Mayakoba
Fairmont Mayakoba: the one that got here first
The resort that opened the canals, twenty years on.
Resorts & private islands

Fiji
Kokomo Private Island
One of the Pacific’s most private islands.

Bermuda
Pompano Beach Club
Seventy years, one family, and a quarter mile of sandbar.

Kauai, Hawaii
Grand Hyatt Kauai
A saltwater lagoon built because the beach cannot be swum.

Bahamas
Atlantis Paradise Island
The lost city by the sea, at mammoth scale.

Riviera Maya
Hotel Xcaret
Done well, to an extreme — the best service and food on the coast.
Hawaii
Fairmont Orchid
The reliable Kohala Coast choice — who it suits best.
Riviera Maya
Hotel Xcaret: before & after the 2026 renovation
What changed, what didn’t, and whether it’s better now.
