Twelve stunning hotels from around the world

Romance comes in many guises – and there are no hard and fast rules for creating the perfect boudoir. But some things we can all agree on: it has to delight, excite, and surprise – much like the bird’s-nest bedrooms at Keemala, then. Loosely based on ancient tribe dwellings, each of these lofty pool villas is a cocoon of woven wood, with a glass wall overlooking lush rainforest, rugged mountains and the glittering Andaman Sea. Forget romancing the stone; romance the four-poster bed, the al fresco bath tub, or the private lap pool. Feathers, optional. mrandmrssmith.com

Nothing gets you hankering for a holiday faster than the anticipation of cool water caressing warm skin; of sun, sky and birdsong reflected across mirror-flat surfaces… But, let’s face it, it’s such a drag having to pick between lake, beach and swimming pool when holidaying in paradise. Brows need never furrow for this reason (or indeed any reason) at Grand Hotel Tremezzo, whose water-on-water pool is exactly that: a swimming pool set on a lake, beholding Bellagio’s blue-and-green splendour. There’s a beach – and a champagne bar – just a mermaid’s splash away. mrandmrssmith.com

Nothing gets you hankering for a holiday faster than the anticipation of cool water caressing warm skin; of sun, sky and birdsong reflected across mirror-flat surfaces… But, let’s face it, it’s such a drag having to pick between lake, beach and swimming pool when holidaying in paradise. Brows need never furrow for this reason (or indeed any reason) at Grand Hotel Tremezzo, whose water-on-water pool is exactly that: a swimming pool set on a lake, beholding Bellagio’s blue-and-green splendour. There’s a beach – and a champagne bar – just a mermaid’s splash away. mrandmrssmith.com

The best gourmet getaway is about more than culinary stars: it’s an experience to savour. At the Old Clare in Sydney you’ll get just that, courtesy of not one but three world-class chefs. Kensington Street Social is the hotel’s newest offering, where Brit chef Jason Atherton – who has a Michelin star up his white sleeves – dishes up breakfast, lunch and dinner in slick industrial-style surrounds. For Scandinavian flavours, head to Silvereye, former Noma sous-chef Jason Miller’s paean to all things pickled, fermented, salted, cured and smoked. At Automata, Australian chef Clayton Wells – a Momofuku Seiōbo alumnus – cooks up five-course tasting menus in a 1930’s warehouse. Bring your eating trousers… mrandmrssmith.com

The best gourmet getaway is about more than culinary stars: it’s an experience to savour. At the Old Clare in Sydney you’ll get just that, courtesy of not one but three world-class chefs. Kensington Street Social is the hotel’s newest offering, where Brit chef Jason Atherton – who has a Michelin star up his white sleeves – dishes up breakfast, lunch and dinner in slick industrial-style surrounds. For Scandinavian flavours, head to Silvereye, former Noma sous-chef Jason Miller’s paean to all things pickled, fermented, salted, cured and smoked. At Automata, Australian chef Clayton Wells – a Momofuku Seiōbo alumnus – cooks up five-course tasting menus in a 1930’s warehouse. Bring your eating trousers… mrandmrssmith.com

A truly family-friendly hotel rolls out the red carpet for even the youngest of guests – without compromising on style, space, or quality time for grown-ups. At Treehotel in Swedish Lapland, you can stay in a UFO, a treehouse, or a giant bird’s nest, and it’s delightful no matter old you are. Here, you can spot some Nordic wildlife, catch a glimpse of the Northern lights, take a dip in an open-air hot tub or have a sauna in the woods; the kids can learn to build snowmen, have tot tea-time, and huddle-around-the-campfire meals. We’ll leave it to you to tell them there’s an ice-cream sundae machine… mrandmrssmith.com

A truly family-friendly hotel rolls out the red carpet for even the youngest of guests – without compromising on style, space, or quality time for grown-ups. At Treehotel in Swedish Lapland, you can stay in a UFO, a treehouse, or a giant bird’s nest, and it’s delightful no matter old you are. Here, you can spot some Nordic wildlife, catch a glimpse of the Northern lights, take a dip in an open-air hot tub or have a sauna in the woods; the kids can learn to build snowmen, have tot tea-time, and huddle-around-the-campfire meals. We’ll leave it to you to tell them there’s an ice-cream sundae machine… mrandmrssmith.com

We’re not looking for a repository of high-cost fittings or design-directory name-dropping, but a well-curated assembly of refreshing, inspired ideas. In other words, our best-dressed hotel is one hell of a looker. And Francis Ford Coppola is a dapper don, so it’s no surprise that his Baroque bolthole has va-va-voom by the palazzo-load. Suite Four was designed by Francis’ daughter, acclaimed director Sofia: picture pastel-shaded frescoes, chevron floor tiles, lacy wall friezes and a small garden-spying terrace. Salvaged furnishings – including the Palazzo’s original 19th-century chandelier and a vintage bar from Turin – and walls dressed in retro Le Manach fabric decorate the Family Bar. mrandmrssmith.com

We’re not looking for a repository of high-cost fittings or design-directory name-dropping, but a well-curated assembly of refreshing, inspired ideas. In other words, our best-dressed hotel is one hell of a looker. And Francis Ford Coppola is a dapper don, so it’s no surprise that his Baroque bolthole has va-va-voom by the palazzo-load. Suite Four was designed by Francis’ daughter, acclaimed director Sofia: picture pastel-shaded frescoes, chevron floor tiles, lacy wall friezes and a small garden-spying terrace. Salvaged furnishings – including the Palazzo’s original 19th-century chandelier and a vintage bar from Turin – and walls dressed in retro Le Manach fabric decorate the Family Bar. mrandmrssmith.com

Next time you need to dress to impress and casually suggest you ‘know a little place’, here’s where to make a beeline for. The Punch Room – a grown-up affair from Studio 54 magnate Ian Schrager – is tucked away in the London Edition Hotel, and evokes a Victorian gentlemen’s salon. Tufted banquettes and fumed-oak panelling bring to mind Dickens’ cheerier scenes, and a fireplace warms in winter. Award-decorated mixologist Davide Segat preps historic cocktails, such as the Mayflower Punch (from 19th-century tome Oxford Night Caps) before they’re ladled into dainty glassware. Still thirsty? The Scandal Water afternoon tea has a trinity of top tipples… mrandmrssmith.com

Next time you need to dress to impress and casually suggest you ‘know a little place’, here’s where to make a beeline for. The Punch Room – a grown-up affair from Studio 54 magnate Ian Schrager – is tucked away in the London Edition Hotel, and evokes a Victorian gentlemen’s salon. Tufted banquettes and fumed-oak panelling bring to mind Dickens’ cheerier scenes, and a fireplace warms in winter. Award-decorated mixologist Davide Segat preps historic cocktails, such as the Mayflower Punch (from 19th-century tome Oxford Night Caps) before they’re ladled into dainty glassware. Still thirsty? The Scandal Water afternoon tea has a trinity of top tipples… mrandmrssmith.com

Some stays are made even more special by seamless service and generosity of spirit – where going the extra mile is the rule, not the exception. Awasi’s stellar service starts from the moment you get off the plane, when a representative from the lodge will meet you at the airport and drive you to your luxury cabin. From there, you’ll have a private guide to show you the hidden charms of Chile’s breathtaking Torres del Paine national park, giving you an insider’s view of the forest, Lake Sarmiento, and the pampas of this wild terrain. You’ll be a master of the mountain in no time… mrandmrssmith.com

Some stays are made even more special by seamless service and generosity of spirit – where going the extra mile is the rule, not the exception. Awasi’s stellar service starts from the moment you get off the plane, when a representative from the lodge will meet you at the airport and drive you to your luxury cabin. From there, you’ll have a private guide to show you the hidden charms of Chile’s breathtaking Torres del Paine national park, giving you an insider’s view of the forest, Lake Sarmiento, and the pampas of this wild terrain. You’ll be a master of the mountain in no time… mrandmrssmith.com

Edgy events spaces, clubby co-working areas, expertly hung art galleries – hotels can be more than just a place to rest your head; they can fire your imagination, too. And, yes, Fogo Island Inn is hardly a buzzy, pop-in-and-out office alternative, but if you want to switch off and seek stimulation from the simple things, this is your place. Architecturally it’s an essay in masterful minimalism; its glass-walled insides dotted with furniture fashioned by local artists, some of whom run painting, still-life drawing or found-object collage workshops. If you take your art a little more seriously, take advantage of the isolated, off-grid studios and capture nature at its most dramatic. mrandmrssmith.com

Edgy events spaces, clubby co-working areas, expertly hung art galleries – hotels can be more than just a place to rest your head; they can fire your imagination, too. And, yes, Fogo Island Inn is hardly a buzzy, pop-in-and-out office alternative, but if you want to switch off and seek stimulation from the simple things, this is your place. Architecturally it’s an essay in masterful minimalism; its glass-walled insides dotted with furniture fashioned by local artists, some of whom run painting, still-life drawing or found-object collage workshops. If you take your art a little more seriously, take advantage of the isolated, off-grid studios and capture nature at its most dramatic. mrandmrssmith.com

A stand-out stay will stamp its personality all over its soundtrack as well as its stylings. So who do you turn to when you want the perfect playlist for your restful rural retreat? For Fazenda Nova Country House co-owner, Hallie, the answer was: Dad – as ex-editor of the NME and founder of Smash Hits, the Face and Arena, he knows a thing or two about music… As well as a lovingly-kept library of said volumes – a refreshing dose of nostalgia – there is a heaving, genre-spanning vinyl collection for guests to play and an open ‘hey, this would be cool’ policy for daytime listening – we sunbathed to Stan Getz and the Isley Brothers. mrandmrssmith.com

A stand-out stay will stamp its personality all over its soundtrack as well as its stylings. So who do you turn to when you want the perfect playlist for your restful rural retreat? For Fazenda Nova Country House co-owner, Hallie, the answer was: Dad – as ex-editor of the NME and founder of Smash Hits, the Face and Arena, he knows a thing or two about music… As well as a lovingly-kept library of said volumes – a refreshing dose of nostalgia – there is a heaving, genre-spanning vinyl collection for guests to play and an open ‘hey, this would be cool’ policy for daytime listening – we sunbathed to Stan Getz and the Isley Brothers. fazendanova.eu

Responsible travel requires more than the odd recycling programme – here we champion hotels that give a little something back; to the community and to the environment. New York’s 11 Howard was once a post office, but is now a striking SoHo stay paying dues to its neighbourhood and beyond. The vast blue and white south-wall mural was created by local students (under the tutelage of Jeff Koons no less), in-room food- and drink-ordering is connected to Olivia Wilde’s Conscious Commerce initiative, each treat-stuffed Feed 11 bag on sale helps feed 11 low-income American families and a percentage of your booking goes straight to the Global Poverty Project – this hotel gives back wherever it can; truly a local hero. Who says you can’t find true peace of mind in the city? mrandmrssmith.com

Responsible travel requires more than the odd recycling programme – here we champion hotels that give a little something back; to the community and to the environment. New York’s 11 Howard was once a post office, but is now a striking SoHo stay paying dues to its neighbourhood and beyond. The vast blue and white south-wall mural was created by local students (under the tutelage of Jeff Koons no less), in-room food- and drink-ordering is connected to Olivia Wilde’s Conscious Commerce initiative, each treat-stuffed Feed 11 bag on sale helps feed 11 low-income American families and a percentage of your booking goes straight to the Global Poverty Project – this hotel gives back wherever it can; truly a local hero. Who says you can’t find true peace of mind in the city? mrandmrssmith.com

Relax. Close your eyes, and breathe. We want to transport you to the most spoiling spa in the world… Amanemu’s tranquility zone is based around the onsen: a centuries old Japanese bathing tradition. Among peaceful gardens, these stone baths are fed by mineral-rich salt- infused water from nearby thermal springs to soothe muscle tension and joint pain. Hot stone therapies, salt-infused plunge pool or heated outdoor swimming pool: what will you choose? You tell us… mrandmrssmith.com

Relax. Close your eyes, and breathe. We want to transport you to the most spoiling spa in the world… Amanemu’s tranquility zone is based around the onsen: a centuries old Japanese bathing tradition. Among peaceful gardens, these stone baths are fed by mineral-rich salt- infused water from nearby thermal springs to soothe muscle tension and joint pain. Hot stone therapies, salt-infused plunge pool or heated outdoor swimming pool: what will you choose? You tell us… mrandmrssmith.com

So here it is: the big one. The hotel that stands head and shoulders above the rest – your most beloved bolthole, the stuff of your travel fantasies. The best of the best… And with its good looks (imagine a heady mix of Firmdale flair, Euro beach-chic and Californian cool), destination dining and down-to-earth charm, Australian surf-motel makeover, Halcyon House, is a very well-deserved winner indeed… mrandmrssmith.com

So here it is: the big one. The hotel that stands head and shoulders above the rest – your most beloved bolthole, the stuff of your travel fantasies. The best of the best… And with its good looks (imagine a heady mix of Firmdale flair, Euro beach-chic and Californian cool), destination dining and down-to-earth charm, Australian surf-motel makeover, Halcyon House, is a very well-deserved winner indeed… mrandmrssmith.com