Handpicked: The World’s Best Boutique Hotels

Boutique hotels are something special. Here, distinctive design meets atmosphere and flair. Carefully furnished, every room comes with a personal touch. The buildings are as diverse and individual as their owners, guests, and location. Head out for a long luxurious weekend at a boutique hotel, where the service is impeccable, the rooms comfortable, and the stylish ambience something to write home about. If all that’s not enough, stay for the delicious regional cuisine, served in-house by master chefs.

The best boutique hotels

Exceptional boutique hotels in cities with history

London’s Big Ben, Istanbul’s Hagia Sofia, or the State of Liberty, overlooking Manhattan — if you’re planning a city break, gear up for world-famous sights, galleries & museums, and top shopping opportunities. What’s the fun in just staying somewhere on a trip like this? Make it something special, curled up in interiors decked out with exceptional design concepts. Boutique hotels transform regular rooms and suites to spectacular, themed oases of tranquility and class. These spots often draw their charm from the past; for example, in Paris, find houses that tell stories of operas and lovers. The streets lined with fantastical Azulejo tiles, Lisbon evokes the energy of a bygone era. In trendy Zurich, spend the night in the heart of the city or in hidden villas with a retro charm. The Golden City of Prague promises to enchant in Gothic and Baroque architecture. For a taste of a time long passed, Salzburg provides the utmost luxury in a city that beams with a classical beauty seldom witnessed. Places like Edinburgh and Dresden couldn’t be any more different — one of the only similarities is the historical aura that seeps in through the walls into lavish interiors from bustling cityscapes just outside.

Islands & exotic destinations: Out-of-this-world boutique hotels

© Hotel Spa Villalba | Adults Only Boutique hotels are not necessarily conceived of on the drawing board; each design element is carefully selected with consideration of the complete concept, coming together as a skillfully-ornamented building. Whether a long or short distance, the unique pleasure of a boutique hotel in an exotic location is to be shared by all. Traditional design elements, natural building materials, and the historic ambience of the destination serve as inspiration for these lovely places. In tropical Bali, find truly luxurious resorts consisting of hand-carved furniture and thatched roofs amidst lush jungles. On the islands of Ko Samui and Phuket, Thai design is combined with Buddhist elements and the spirit of the cosmopolitan city of Bangkok to create an atmosphere that reflects the rich culture of the world surrounding, in all its temples, markets, and skyscrapers. The play with light and shadow, impressive color-scapes, unique architecture, and works of art do the rest. On Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, find estates with pretty balustrades and real castles, modernized with great care. The Greek Islands are sure to impress in special architecture and the lively spirit of the locals. The blue and white cave houses in the cliffs of Santorini, the windmills of Mykonos, and Crete’s Venetian port cities are world-famous for a very good reason.

Beautiful Italy & the Mediterranean: Joie de vivre in a boutique hotel on the sea

© Relais La Speranzina Even the most beautiful rooms cannot replace hospitality; good thing a stay in a boutique hotel is always rounded off with great service. It’s obvious why the Mediterranean countries have to be mentioned again. Their joie de vivre, the proverbial zest for life, makes these spots, from the Portuguese Algarve to Turkey to bustling Rome, the ideal destination. Often small, but always fine, many boutique hotels are run directly by their owners, who know that guests deserve even more attention than the carefully-designed interiors. Italy in particular, at the crossroads of design and gourmet cuisine, is a destination that promises to provide. No wonder the carnival in Venice and a shopping trip to Milan are on everyone’s bucket list. In South Tyrol, or on Lake Garda or Lake Maggiore, alpine cosiness and a Mediterranean temperament converge to embody the elegant, casual Italian style. If you want the sea, Sardinia is the perfect choice. Fittingly, the world’s elite have claimed this chic island with fine-sanded beaches and turquoise waters as a favorite. If rubbing elbows with the rich and famous is interesting to you, you can also head to Ibiza or the Côte d’Azur. Those who prefer fishing villages and barren rocky coasts should hightail it to the Adriatic Coast in Croatia.