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
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The Only Table at Paresa Resort’s Infinity Pool
There’s only one table to book for Paresa Resort’s infinity pool dinner, and it seats two. This clifftop resort in Kamala, Phuket, sets dinner on a platform surrounded by pool […]
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Yayoi Kusama’s European tour ends in Amsterdam
Yayoi Kusama’s yellow tentacles fill a mirrored room at Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum, multiplying in every direction. The installation is a centrepiece of a retrospective spanning more than seventy years, with […]
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A Halloween Invitation from Bingham Riverhouse
The Drawing Room Bar at Bingham Riverhouse calls for something a little more dramatic on Saturday 31 October. For Halloween, the Richmond hotel pairs candlelight and autumnal decorations with seasonal […]
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Sæl Spa Brings Penthouse Privacy to Fulham Pier Hotel
A private penthouse above London is an enticing setting for a spa session. Sæl Spa’s penthouse at Fulham Pier Hotel brings together a sauna, cold plunge and heated hammam beds […]
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Last chance to see Schiaparelli at the V&A
A skeleton dress, a torn-fabric illusion and an embroidered coat designed with Jean Cocteau: Schiaparelli’s collaborations with artists produced clothes that still look startling today. The V&A brings them together […]
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The Heat Is On at Bingham Riverhouse
The coats can come off at Bingham Riverhouse. The Richmond hotel’s infrared sauna brings gentle radiant heat to an autumn afternoon, courtesy of bhuti. Infrared warms the body directly, rather […]
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Fanhams Hall Has Its Own Mount Fuji
There’s a miniature Mount Fuji in the grounds of Fanhams Hall. This country house hotel in Ware, Hertfordshire, has a Japanese garden designed in the early 1900s by Mr Inaka […]
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.
Sumptulously 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.