Today I’m sharing 7 of the best luxury hotels for a five star holiday. A five-star holiday can mean very different things depending on where you choose to stay. For some travellers, it is all about having a peaceful villa overlooking Lake Como. For others, luxury means a beachfront hotel with plenty of restaurants, pools and entertainment without having to venture far.
The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 highlights just how varied luxury hotels can be. Asia and Europe are particularly well represented, but some of the most interesting properties can also be found in North America, South America, the Middle East and Oceania. If you are planning a special holiday, these seven hotels show just how different a five-star stay can be.
Rosewood Hong Kong, Victoria Dockside
Rosewood Hong Kong opened in 2019 and took the top spot in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025. Its position on the Kowloon waterfront is a major part of its appeal, with many of the rooms and suites looking directly across Victoria Harbour.
If a beautiful view is high on your holiday wish list, this is certainly a hotel worth considering. The waterfront location puts one of Hong Kong’s most recognisable sights just outside your window, whilst the city itself is within easy reach.
As you would expect from a hotel of this standard, prices can vary considerably depending on when you travel. Being flexible with your dates is worth considering, particularly if you are planning a longer stay or travelling during one of Hong Kong’s busier periods.
Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River came second in the 2025 rankings. Rather than feeling like a conventional high-rise city hotel, the property stretches along the river with gardens, terraces, courtyards and water features creating a surprisingly relaxed setting.
The Chao Phraya is very much part of the experience. Boats travel along the river throughout the day, so there is always something happening beyond the hotel without you necessarily feeling surrounded by the bustle of Bangkok.
Bangkok had three hotels in the top ten of the 2025 list, giving travellers plenty of choice when it comes to luxury accommodation. The Four Seasons is particularly appealing if you want the convenience of a city break combined with somewhere calmer to return to at the end of a busy day exploring.
Passalacqua, Lake Como
If you prefer smaller hotels, Passalacqua offers a completely different experience. Set in Moltrasio on the western shore of Lake Como, this beautiful villa has just 24 rooms. It was also named the Best Boutique Hotel in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025.
Having so few rooms naturally creates a more intimate atmosphere than you would find at a large resort. The gardens, pool terrace and dining areas all contribute to the feeling of staying somewhere closer to a private Italian retreat than a conventional hotel.
Lake Como is especially popular for a five-star holiday from spring through to autumn, and prices can rise significantly during the busiest summer months. If your dates are flexible, it is worth looking at stays during the quieter weeks of spring or autumn. You can still enjoy the scenery the lake is famous for, but potentially with fewer summer crowds.
Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá
Chablé Yucatán is one of the best luxury hotels. It offers the sort of setting that suits travellers who really want to switch off. Located in an 18th-century hacienda outside Mérida, the hotel has 38 casitas and two villas spread across its grounds. Its extensive spa is centred around a natural cenote, whilst some of the larger casitas have their own private plunge pools.
This isn’t the sort of hotel where you simply walk out of the front door after dinner and explore a busy town. Instead, its secluded location encourages you to make the most of the property itself.
Days can be spent enjoying the spa, golf course and other facilities before settling in for a quieter evening. If you are travelling with friends or family, that could mean dinner at your casita, drinks on the terrace or even a few poker games once the sun has gone down. For anyone craving a break from a packed sightseeing itinerary, the slower pace could be part of the appeal.
Atlantis The Royal, Dubai
There is nothing particularly small or understated about Atlantis The Royal. With 795 rooms and suites, a huge choice of restaurants and boutiques, and more than 90 swimming pools across the wider property, including its residences, it is on an entirely different scale from somewhere like Passalacqua. It’s award-winning and one of the best luxury hotels in the world for a five-star holiday.
The hotel ranked sixth in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 and was the highest-ranked hotel in the Middle East, so it’s the perfect place for a luxury vacation. Its scale makes it feel almost like a destination in its own right, which could be ideal if you enjoy having plenty of dining and entertainment options close at hand.
Dubai welcomed 19.59 million international visitors in 2025, so it is hardly surprising that its hotel scene continues to grow.
When you visit can make a considerable difference to your holiday. Dubai’s cooler winter weather is particularly well suited to days by the pool, time on the beach and outdoor dining. Of course, this also makes it a popular time to travel.
If peace, privacy and a small-hotel atmosphere are at the top of your list, Atlantis The Royal probably isn’t the obvious choice. However, if you like having restaurants, entertainment and resort facilities all in one place, its sheer size becomes one of its biggest advantages.
Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro
Some luxury hotels impress because they are new. Copacabana Palace has taken a rather different route to earn its spot on my best luxury hotels list.
The hotel opened in 1923 and celebrated its centenary overlooking Copacabana Beach in 2023. Designed by French architect Joseph Gire, the building took inspiration from the grand hotels of the French Riviera. In 2025, it entered The World’s 50 Best Hotels list at number 11.
More than a century of history is very much part of the hotel’s character. Its grand public rooms and architecture retain the feel of an earlier age of travel, whilst the accommodation and facilities have been updated for modern guests.
The beachfront position is another obvious attraction. If you would rather stay somewhere with history and a real sense of place than in a modern glass tower, Copacabana Palace offers something quite distinctive.
Capella Sydney, Bridge Street
Capella Sydney is another hotel where the building itself is a significant part of the experience. The property occupies historic sandstone government buildings which have been carefully converted into a luxury hotel with 192 rooms and suites, restaurants and a spa.
Transforming historic buildings into modern hotels isn’t always straightforward. Original layouts can mean that rooms differ in size and shape, but that individuality can also be part of their charm. At Capella Sydney, high ceilings, restored architectural details and original features help give the hotel a character that would be difficult to reproduce in a completely new building.
The project is an interesting example of urban heritage being given a new purpose rather than replaced. It also earned Capella Sydney the number 12 position in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025.
What Does Five-Star Holiday Really Mean?
It is easy to assume that five stars mean exactly the same thing everywhere you travel, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Hotel classifications can take facilities, service and operating standards into account, whilst the exact requirements vary between countries and rating organisations.
That is why it is worth looking beyond the number of stars when booking a luxury holiday. Think about what you actually want from your time away.
Would you prefer a small hotel where everything feels private and peaceful, or a large resort where you have dozens of things to do? I think I prefer a more intimate hotel, personally. Is being close to city attractions important, or would you rather stay somewhere secluded? I am definitely team secluded. Even hotels within the same luxury category can offer completely different experiences.
Final Thoughts on the Best Luxury Hotels for a Luxury Vacation
The best luxury hotel for a luxury vacation isn’t simply the one with the biggest suite or the longest list of facilities. It is the one that suits the way you want to spend your holiday. Passalacqua offers the intimacy of Lake Como, Four Seasons Bangkok combines city life with a calmer riverside setting, Copacabana Palace brings more than a century of history to the beach, whilst Atlantis The Royal offers an enormous choice of facilities in one place. Decide what matters most to you before booking, and it becomes much easier to choose a five-star hotel that feels right for your holiday.
