Editor’s Letter
Every hotel within Elegant Hotels of the World is chosen with intention, guided by a belief that true luxury lies in authenticity, perspective, and a strong sense of place. As a custodian of our growing community, I’m drawn to destinations with a clear point of view – places that feel considered, characterful, and quietly distinctive.
From storied retreats to contemporary hideaways, each reflects its own rhythm, like Cinco Quintas Hotel Boutique – where design and culture exist in effortless balance.
CATT McLEOD
GUEST EDITOR
On The Cover
Cinco Quintas Hotel Boutique feels like a private house in Cartagena’s walled Old City, with a garden at its centre and the option to reserve a floor or the whole property with friends. Awarded One MICHELIN Key in 2026, this boutique hotel has earned international recognition.
The Insider
Elegant Editions
Curated collections to suit every mood and occasion
Moments
Our guide to what’s new and not to be missed
-
Rudding Park Opens Its Chapel for a Christmas Dinner Date
Rudding Park’s chapel is an unusual place to find a dinner reservation. On Friday 11 December, the Harrogate hotel will serve Champagne and a three-course festive dinner inside the Gothic […]
-
A Royal Berkshire Stay for Windsor’s Brightest Season
Windsor Great Park has a reason to keep visitors out after sunset this winter. From 13 November to 3 January, Illuminated returns with woodland projections, fountains and light installations around […]
-
Soviet Baubles, Vintage Embroidery and a Stay at Sloane Place
Soviet Christmas decorations are an unexpected find on Lower Sloane Street. They’re among the pieces Alexandra Tolstoy has chosen for her Christmas Fair at The Sloane Club on 17 November. […]
-
Bingham Riverhouse Puts Money on the Breakfast Table
What would you ask an investment manager over breakfast? Bingham Riverhouse in Richmond is inviting women to do exactly that at The Money Table on 13 November. Leading the conversation […]
-
What Happens During a Water Blessing at Tanah Gajah?
A palm reading might be an unexpected appointment to make in Ubud. Tanah Gajah includes it in Sacred Art of Healing, a wellness programme that brings Balinese water blessings together […]
-
La Sultana Oualidia Takes You Into the Birds’ Territory
La Sultana Oualidia’s smallest craft is designed for watching wildlife. A float tube, also called a belly boat, is a lightweight inflatable for one person. Guests drift quietly across the […]
-
The Coniston’s Most Interesting Spa Ingredient Washes Ashore in Scotland
The Coniston has an outdoor bath appointment that begins on the shores of the Hebrides. Scottish skincare brand ishga harvests the seaweed used at Nàdarra Spa, bringing an Atlantic ingredient […]
Horizons
The stories shaping how we live and travel
Cartagena After Dark
A man who grew up beside Getsemaní’s Plaza de la Santísima Trinidad once described the square as his childhood living room. By evening, people still gather outside the church to […]
Sam Blunnie’s Estate-to-Plate Kitchen at Down Hall
Inside a kitchen shaped by local sourcing, estate-grown produce and the British seasons.
Sam Blunnie leads the Garden Room restaurant at Down Hall Hotel, Spa & Estate, where the relationship between chef and landscape begins long before anything reaches the plate. Working closely […]
Design Icons: Hotels Worth Travelling For
Hotels distinctive enough to become a destination in their own right
Sometimes, you choose the destination first. At other times, you discover a hotel so extraordinary that wanting to experience it becomes the journey’s start. Perhaps it is a house designed […]
Journeys
Trending escapes to book now
Paws on the Pier
Designed for discerning dogs and their equally discerning humans, Pawsitively Perfect invites you to experience Fulham Pier Hotel with your four-legged companion, complete with sweeping Thames views and beautiful riverside walks right on your doorstep.
Dine like royalty in a Scottish castle
Savour the elegance of Fonab Castle, where historic grandeur, Highland beauty and exceptional dining come together on the banks of Loch Faskally. A place for relaxation, adventure and indulgence, this lochside retreat captures the very best of Scotland in turreted five-star style
A boutique wellness retreat by the water
Step away from the pace of the city and into the calm of Bingham Riverhouse, a Georgian riverside retreat on the outskirts of London where wellness, nourishment and quiet indulgence come naturally. Set beside the Thames in Richmond, this restorative stay brings together soothing treatments, mindful movement, seasonal dining and the warmth of a members’ house made for slowing down.
Paradise Found on Koh Yao Noi
Escape to TreeHouse Villas Koh Yao for two nights of barefoot luxury, where the beach meets the jungle canopy in one of Thailand’s most peaceful island settings. Settle into your treetop villa, unwind between sea and sky, and savour the feeling of truly escaping from it all.
Pawsitively Perfect
Paws on the Pier
Designed for discerning dogs and their equally discerning humans, Pawsitively Perfect invites you to experience Fulham Pier Hotel with your four-legged companion, complete with sweeping Thames views and beautiful riverside walks right on your doorstep.
Taste of Elegance
Dine like royalty in a Scottish castle
Savour the elegance of Fonab Castle, where historic grandeur, Highland beauty and exceptional dining come together on the banks of Loch Faskally. A place for relaxation, adventure and indulgence, this lochside retreat captures the very best of Scotland in turreted five-star style
Revive and Unwind
A boutique wellness retreat by the water
Step away from the pace of the city and into the calm of Bingham Riverhouse, a Georgian riverside retreat on the outskirts of London where wellness, nourishment and quiet indulgence come naturally. Set beside the Thames in Richmond, this restorative stay brings together soothing treatments, mindful movement, seasonal dining and the warmth of a members’ house made for slowing down.
Sumptuously Elegant
Paradise Found on Koh Yao Noi
Escape to TreeHouse Villas Koh Yao for two nights of barefoot luxury, where the beach meets the jungle canopy in one of Thailand’s most peaceful island settings. Settle into your treetop villa, unwind between sea and sky, and savour the feeling of truly escaping from it all.
WithSoul Hotels
Hotels shaped by character rather than convention
Immersive and soulful experiences shaped by culture, character and connection.
Step into a world of independent luxury hotels defined by atmosphere, cultural storytelling and an unmistakable sense of place.