Travel writer reveals the world's best 5-star hotels

Five-star means something different in every country (Picture: Supplied)

Even before I became a full-time travel writer, I would spend most of my free time travelling.

Along with food, travel is my greatest passion, taking me to more than 60 countries, from the tropical shores of Sri Lanka to the mountainous terrain of Bolivia. 

While hostels and dorm beds featured heavily throughout my early 20s (travelling overland through South America, Southeast Asia, and India), small, boutique hotels became my vice in my 30s when I had a stable job and better income.

As well as these art-filled sanctuaries, plus the homestays and apartments I’ve rented while travelling, I’ve also been lucky enough to stay in over 100 five-star hotels, for work and on holiday in the UK and overseas. 

To be deemed five-star, hotels must adhere to a strict set of rules, such as having access to a concierge and room service 24 hours a day, having at least one restaurant on-site and quick turnaround laundry services.

But, bizarrely, there isn’t a global standard, meaning what could be considered five-star in one country wouldn’t be considered five-star in another. 

While five-star isn’t a universal standard, these hotels offer all-out luxury (Picture: Supplied)

Because of these rules, some of my favourite accommodations won’t ever reach the five-star rating, like the gorgeous Hotel Plantación in Jardin, Colombia.

But when it comes to all-round luxury, these five-star offerings are the best of the best. 

From a great value £125-a-night Caucasus behemoth to a nature-filled haven where sloths swing over breakfast, these – in my opinion – are the world’s best five-star hotels right now. 

1. Aguas Claras, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica 

From secret beaches to flawless furnishings, this place has it all (Picture: Supplied)

Tucked away on Costa Rica’s lush Caribbean coast, Aguas Claras is the kind of place where I could happily stay forever. 

After initially booking four nights, I ended up extending my stay to six over a tropical fruit breakfast on my first morning. 

Paradisical from every angle, sloths lounge in the treetops, monkeys swing overhead, and the idyllic coastline, made for exploring, stretches all the way to Panama. 

My bedroom was adorned with an acrylic rainbow as a headboard and I had a large jungle-fringed outdoor shower, where ylang-ylang-scented Kio products scented the air as scarlet macaws soared above.

Mornings began with yoga on a sprawling deck called Casa Gandhi and ended with homemade treats magically waiting in my flawless bedroom; some days banana bread, others coconut truffles… 

There’s also a pretty pool right in front of the open-air bar and restaurant, but I barely used it, as a short trail winds through rainforest to a quiet, secret-ish beach where sea swims can be enjoyed alongside cocktails mixed al fresco.

Price: Double rooms from £335 per night. 

2. Stamba, Tbilisi, Georgia 

Designed to perfection, this stay in Georgia deserves a spot on your wish list (Picture: Supplied)

A rare case of both style and substance done right, Tbilisi’s Stamba is top-class when it comes to reimagined spaces. 

Housed in a former Soviet-era publishing house on Merab Kostava Street, the brutalist structure still retains echoes of its past, including the original metal runners that once transported newspapers through the building, now suspended above the industrial interiors.

At the heart of the hotel is a lush courtyard anchored by a disused electrical pylon, installed purely for aesthetic impact. 

The 64 rooms are vast and thoughtfully curated, with soaring ceilings, vintage parquet floors, and original pieces by contemporary Georgian artists.

In my room, there were charming details like a record player, a sharp selection of books, and an elegant cut-glass cocktail kit. 

There’s also a café decked out in mint green and pale pink serving up good coffee and reimagined Georgian fare. Elsewhere, the in-house chocolaterie produces handmade treats daily (with some left in-room for guests).

Price: Double rooms from £125 per night. 

3. Wild Coast Tented Lodge, Yala, Sri Lanka 

Where wild meets luxury, dive into the wilderness with ultimate comfort(Picture: Supplied)

There’s no shortage of wonderful five-star accommodation in Sri Lanka, but one of my top picks is Wild Coast Tented Lodge, a place where untamed wilderness meets otherworldly luxury. 

Tucked between the jungle-fringed edges of Yala National Park and the wild, boulder-strewn shores of Sri Lanka’s southeast coast, the hotel features an array of cocooned tents, scattered thoughtfully across the landscape. 

Stand-alone copper bathtubs, dreamy four-poster beds and complimentary mini bars stocked daily ensure there’s not much need to leave the spacious suites, from where it’s possible to spot grey langurs swinging through the trees, or catch a flash of a brilliant blue kingfisher swooping past. 

Occasionally, Asian elephants have been known to amble right into the hotel’s bar, a reminder that the lodge sits deep in the wilderness. 

Game drives into Yala’s cinematic landscape of grasslands and lagoons are included in room rates and Wild Coast’s expert rangers make leopard sightings not just likely, but almost expected.

Price: Double rooms on an all-inclusive basis from £537 per night. 

4. Menorca Experimental, Menorca, Spain 

Rooms designed by the mind of Dorothée Meilichzon are the most elegant of interiors (Picture: Supplied)

Just a 25-minute drive from the cobbled lanes and sun-washed pastel buildings of Mahón, sits Menorca Experimental, a flawless hotel housed in a reimagined 19th-century finca.

Tucked at the end of a quiet, dusty track, encircled by golden fields, haystacks, and low dry-stone walls, the property features 43 beautifully designed suites brought to life by French designer Dorothée Meilichzon.

Her distinctive aesthetic is everywhere; minimalist lines and subdued palettes punctuated by pops of colour, from the woven blankets draped across each bed to playful accents throughout the space. 

The central pool area is flanked by soft peach sunbeds and vintage-style canopies, and was blissfully quiet during my visit in 2020, not long after the property first opened. 

I still delight in the memories of long, lazy lunches served beneath the shade of tall pines, with much of the produce harvested straight from the on-site organic garden.

Price: Double rooms from £219 per night. 

5. The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, Maldives 

Hidden within the palms, the lodges are the perfect retreat(Picture: Supplied)

Channelling a distinct James Bond allure with its striking tropical island architecture, The St. Regis is a haven for design lovers and dreamers alike, set amidst palms, noni trees, screwpine, and night-blooming jasmine. 

A world away from the rest of the Maldives, lodgings are anything but ordinary with dramatic A-frame beach houses tucked among fruit bat-filled coconut groves, and two-storey timbered hideaways that melt into the landscape. 

The most enchanting structure, aside from the celestial Whale Bar where cocktails rival the sunsets, is Iridium Spa, whose design echoes the silhouette of a lobster when viewed from above.

Here, I indulged in Ayurvedic rituals and jet lag-soothing therapies, each performed in suites with glass floor cutouts revealing the turquoise ocean below.

Price: Double rooms from £1,451 per night. 

6. Four Seasons Megève, Megève, France 

This Japanese-inspired stay has everything from culinary excellence to deep-soak bath-tubs (Picture: Supplied)

A hotel as enchanting as the snow-dusted peaks and storybook meadows that surround it, Four Seasons Megève is a masterclass in understated luxury.

Bedrooms are all creamy taupe tones, cloud-soft bedding, curated artwork, and wide mountain vistas, while bathrooms are vast and decadent, overflowing with Codage products, deep soak tubs and sleek Japanese-style toilets. 

From the moment I arrived, staff were attentive and friendly, arranging horse-drawn carriage rides with cinematic views of Mont Blanc, and guided meditations amid sun-drenched wildflower fields. 

But the highlight is Kaito, the hotel’s Japanese restaurant, where an epic culinary voyage through Asia showcases melt-in-the-mouth yellowtail sashimi, delicate wagyu gyozas, and seabass lifted with tangy yuzu. Don’t miss it.

Price: Double rooms from £477 per night. 

7. Beaverbrook Town House, London, UK 

In the heart of London, this townhouse doesn’t disappoint (Picture: Supplied)

Tucked just moments from Sloane Square, this utterly gorgeous hotel feels like a hidden sanctuary with the most exquisite bedrooms, beautifully curated and dressed in rich, tactile fabrics and bold, geometric rugs.

Striking light fittings catch the eye and canopy beds add a touch of whimsy, plus there’s always a good book within easy reach. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the suites with natural light, while marble washstands and gleaming tiles elevate the bathrooms into serene little sanctuaries. 

Every corner of Beaverbrook Town House hums with elegance, from the wow-worthy communal spaces lined with vibrant art to the gorgeous restaurant decked out in a pleasing colour palette of peach and pale green. 

Breakfast at The Fuji Grill is the stuff of dreams; I love the Hennessy XO pancakes with caramelised banana and Dorset clotted cream, but it’s worth returning come evening for the delicate yellowtail with yuzu, and crisp shrimp tempura.

Price: Double rooms from £461 per night.

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