5 Star Hotels

The words '5 star' and 'luxury hotels' conjure up images of pure pleasure, indulgence in the finest of everything. Put the two phrases together and you get '5 star luxury hotels'. Here we look at the top five star hotels in the world.

Avenida Palace ? Lisbon, Portugal
At this luxury hotel, you stay in the city?s only palace. Built in 1892, this magnificence hotel features elegant rooms with marble bathrooms, a Jacuzzi and spectacular view of St. Jorge Castle and Marques de Pombal Square are the epitome of luxury.
Located in Restauradores Square, you?re but a few moments away from the heart of the city?s cultural district. The Avenida Palace is truly a place fit for royalty.

Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof ? Frankfurt, Germany
The Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof hotel in Frankfurt is ranked among the top 100 hotels in the world. The Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof is located in the city centre, moments away from Frankfurt's shopping areas and cultural treasures.
The hotel is considered to be a living monument to the five-star hotel industry and is luxuriously furnished and fitted with modern communication and entertainment facilities.

Fujairah Rotana Resort and Spa ? Fujairah, United Arab Emirates
The setting is spectacular: vibrant gardens surrounded by dazzling waterfalls and pools, and white sand beaches that seem to go on for days. Each room has a private terrace overlooking either the Indian Ocean or the mesmerizing lakes and hills.
The discreet service is five-star, the cuisine is incomparable, and you can pamper yourself silly with an array of Zen-inspired spa treatments to de-stress and detox. Definitely a place to luxuriate.

Marco Polo Parkside Beijing ? Beijing, China
This grand jewel of the East shines with it all: two club lounges, a four thousand square meter spa, a gym, a sauna, an indoor pool, five restaurants, two ballrooms, and all on five-star property that is as close as you can get to the Summer Palace.
Each room has an East-West stylistic fusion that is a haven in this busy city, and the luxury suites are unforgettable. The Marco Polo is also a perfect choice if you?re headed to the Olympics in 2008; the hotel is just a short walk from the Olympic Main Stadium.

Grace Hotel Sydney ? Sydney, Australia
You have heard the rumors that the Grace Hotel has the most comfortable beds in Sydney, and after you spend a night on the feather pillows under the feather comforter, you?ll know why.
An art deco luxury hotel built in 1930; this hotel was restored with original features, so you?ll walk down wide hallways over marble floors under pressed-metal ceilings alongside masterful ironwork. It?s an easy walk to the Darling Harbour and King St. Wharf, not to mention the fabulous shopping at the Queen Victoria Building. Say, "yes" to a stay at the Grace, and you may never want to go home!

Warwick New York Hotel ? New York City, United States
When you arrive at this historic landmark built in 1927 by William Randolph Hearst for his lover, you will be greeted with chilled champagne and chocolates. The spacious rooms offer marble bathrooms and twenty-four hour room service, and the restaurant features more than fifty stunning murals.
Whether you want to go to Central Park, Fifth and Madison Avenue for shopping, Radio City Music Hall, Times Square or Rockefeller Center, you don?t have far to walk. That Cary Grant lived here for twelve years says it all.

Al Manshar Rotana Hotel ? Kuwait, Kuwait
Designed to be in keeping with traditional architecture, this modern nineteen-floor, five-star luxury hotel has a pool on the roof that allows you to swim amid a scintillating view of the Kuwait Harbor and radiant Gulf.
Or you can relax in the outdoor Jacuzzi, the sauna or steam room, or while you?re getting an incredible massage. World class shopping is right outside the door, and each of the two hundred luxurious rooms is fully equipped with a kitchenette. There is also a poolside snack bar and an elegant in-house restaurant that provides incomparable cuisine all through the day and night. No matter what you want, this place has it.

Royal Windsor Grand Palace ? Brussels, Belgium
Because this hotel offers a selection of rooms individually designed by famous fashion designers, your choices are incredible.
Imagine sleeping in one room with frescoes painted by an Italian artist on the walls and floors of ceruse wood and Roman stone, or lapping up the luxury in another room that has a sofa covered with fuchsia velvet and a bed covered with a high couture patchwork quilt. The best location in town, this luxury hotel is one street away from the Grand Palace and a heartbeat away from the Sablon Antique Square. It?s not called a palace for nothing.

Silken Puerta America ? Madrid, Spain
Eighteen world famous architects and designers combined efforts to create this dream luxury hotel. Each of the twelve floors is truly unique, and exquisite attention has been paid to the smallest detail in every room.
Gracefully situated on a quiet, residential street, it is only a five minute-walk to the world famous Avenida de America and its access to all the city?s best sites. The hotel also sits just a short walk away from the exclusive shops of Serrano Street.

Grand Rotana Resort and Spa ? Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
`While staying in this luxury hotel by the sea, you can snorkel, windsurf, ride horses or camels, take a desert safari or visit the ancient sites; you even have your own private beach. The hotel boasts seven restaurants and bars including Ramses for local cuisine.
Swim on the private beach, or the lagoon-style pool that is the size of three Olympic pools; there?s even a kids private club and pool. It?s little mystery why we think this the best luxury hotel in the world.

Most Expensive Hotel Rooms

Pictures of the worlds most expensive hotel rooms around the world as Reported by Forbes.

Two Story Sky Villa, The Palms Fantasy Suites, Las Vegas
$25,000 per night
View the Two Storey Sky Villa website.

Here are more pictures of the stunning Two Storey Ski Villa

Bridge Suite at the Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas
$25,000 per night
Royal Penthouse, President Wilson Hotel, Geneva, Switzerland
$23,000 per night
Hans Badrutt Suite, Badrutt's Palace, St. Moritz
$16,700 per night
Presidential Suite, Mandarin Oriental, New York City
$15,00 per night
Grand Suite, Grand Wailea Resort, Hawaii
$15,000 per night
Coral Suite, Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Mexico
$15,000 per night

Royal Suite at the Burj Al Arab, Dubai
$13,600 per night
The Imperial Suite, Ritz Paris, Paris
$13,500 per night
Private Reserve, Soneva Gili Resort & Spa, Maldives
$10,000 per night
So why do these hotels cost so much money per night?
The cost of the furniture in the rooms, building costs i.e. architecture/remodeling costs, ;location, prestige, service and history.

Who stays in these luxury hotel rooms? Government dignitaries spending taxpayers money perhaps or celebrities that earn millions. Parties would be a popular choice where the cost is divided up bringing the price down. You could have a party with 25 rich people and already your cost is down to just $1,000 per person which is an acceptable price for such a cool venue!

Classic Elegance Meets iPod Chic

There's a new kind of hotel emerging in London's trendiest spots, such as the Bayswater area. It?s popularly known as the "Art Hotel" - unique, stylish hotels with "designer" interiors and a focus on art and artists. It's a definite break from the more traditional London hotels, with their identical rooms and decidedly formal decor, and has evolved from the boutique hotel trend, offering personalised accommodation and services in a characterful environment.

The "Art Hotel" is a reflection of the tastes of the young, contemporary traveller for whom an unusual, distinctly designed hotel holds much more appeal than the formalities and dry stuffiness of traditional hotels or the bland sameness of a branded chain.

Consider, as an example, the eclectic blend of styles and influences at St. Martins Lane, a hotel in central London that bills itself as "a dramatic and daring reinvention of the urban resort". Designed by Philippe Starck, St. Martins Lane demonstrates the boldness and vitality of the "Art Hotel" with its distinctive multicoloured windows and a focus on atmospheric lighting in the famous Light Bar. The Conrad hotels are another example, stepping away from tradition to provide a home from home for young travellers, and encouraging individuality. The "Art Hotel" is part of a modern day trend towards providing spaces where people can be themselves, and modern art is becoming a bigger and bigger feature of this trend.

The ?Art Hotel? concept rejects the bland, uninteresting interiors of traditional hotels, and abandons the usual mood-music of insipid still-life paintings and inoffensive but dull oil paintings on the walls of rooms and lobbies. Instead, it revolutionises hotel decors, noting the discerning artistic tastes of the younger clientele and contemporary business travellers, and makes art a key feature of its establishment.

The St Martins Lane Light Bar comes close to this, with its portraits of people making silly faces: Unusual, different, intriguing. But the Guest Hotels group of hotels has fully embraced the full concept of an Art Hotel, where even controversial works are featured, and are popular with the modern art-savvy traveller. No mood-music here. Common areas are used as exhibition spaces, there are specially commissioned artist-designed rooms, and hotels often offer their guests VIP access to museums and art galleries.

There's a new and exciting twist in the "Art Hotel" niche. Art is becoming a bigger and bigger feature of these spaces, drawing in appreciative business travellers in the media world, who demand individuality and style. One Bayswater hotel, The Jones, is part of the Guest Hotels group of hotels which has its very own curator in order to give guests the ultimate cultural experience. Rather than having a fixed decor that incorporates a collection of pictures, the paintings on the walls change regularly just as they would in any curated art environment.
This type of hotel is a strong advocate of the arts culture, introducing travellers to proper art exhibitions and even - in the case of The Jones - including an authentic in-house theatre. It's something of an added bonus that you can actually stay there, too! The theatre at The Jones is often known as Lillie?s Theatre, since it was where Lillie Langtry (famously the mistress of Edward VII) used to perform. It holds nightly performances in a cabaret style ? following London's long hotel tradition ? but performers and acts are all cutting edge contemporary creatives, including DJs, comedians, artists, writers and performers.

The Jones also runs an artist in residence programme, making the hotel both a venue for creative performances, and a second home for artists and their friends. Guests are also given complementary membership of the hotel's own arts club, "Concierge Club". It's an exciting new development in the "Art Hotel" trend. These sorts of hotels reflect the tastes and work environments of today's younger travellers, both business and leisure; a new hotel environment to complement London's thriving arts culture. And of course, any hotel boasting such a radical new style is guaranteed to provide all the modern conveniences that their clientele will expect.

In Bayswater hotels like The Jones, for example, free Wifi is standard, and features like iPod docking stations and Plasma TVs in rooms are popular with guests. The restaurant at The Jones is a classy French brasserie - high cuisine being another identifying characteristic of the sophisticated "Art Hotel" niche.

London city centre hotels, particularly in busy, vibrant areas like Bayswater, are always popular with international travellers, partly because of their central location (and the convenience provided by the excellent public transport links to all of London's major attractions), partly because of the close proximity of fashionable districts like Mayfair and Kensington, and partly because they promise all the technological comforts of home. Now, however, it seems that the appeal of these central London hotels has increased even more to the more discerning traveller, offering an exciting curated cultural experience as part of a full London package.

Creative London

London is the place to be for those who love the arts. Samuel Johnson got it right when he said ?By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show.?

If Samuel were alive today it is certain he would still agree. Unfortunately he died in 1784 and since then ?seeing London? is much easier spoken by a dead poet, than put into practice by even the hippest Londonite.

It?s easy to observe London aesthetically. The gigantic and cleverly designed London Eye offers everyone the opportunity to view London?s beautiful and historic skyline from an unrivalled vantage point but, actually ?seeing? London the way that Samuel Johnson meant is much more challenging.

Johnson meant looking into London?s heart and soul. The vibrancy and energy of London are incomparable to any other city in the world, a maze of whirling streets and alleys, stately buildings, polished statues and a history dripping with multi-culture. London is the setting of famous books and plays and has survived many failed attempts to crush its spirit. A complex city indeed and whether soggy spring rain or warm city summers, London always exudes an aura of intrigue and excitement.

There is so much to offer in London it is easy to become overwhelmed. New bands, acts and artists crop up like new fashions but how do you know if they will become classics or go straight to the bargain bin? You want to feel satisfied that you are not wasting any time or money during your precious break in the beautiful capital.

One-night-only comedy, cutting edge arts events, an audience with established and renowned actors and artists or exclusive music performances, the key question is not where to find these experiences but where to look. Wouldn?t it be great if you could hire someone with inside connections and information to do the work for you? You would be able to relax in the comfort of your luxury hotel room knowing that an itinerary of exclusive and unmissable events would be delivered right to your door.


That is where the winning concept of Concierge comes in. The hotel version of the Artful dodger-after he has been given a bath and dressed in bespoke Armani, Concierge is a street wise club with a hand right on London?s pulsating jugular. Always operating one step ahead of everyone else, Concierge makes the most of inside knowledge and exclusive behind the scenes information to bring you the most exciting and interesting London events before everyone else.

The premise is genius but simple. Dot five stylishly individual hotels around the heart of London?s City and West End and open them to guests as venues to host exhibitions, installations, cultural events and social activities. Then, set about searching for the best talent in London to perform exclusively in-house.

The result is nightly hand-picked music, performance and literary events from the hottest new artists in London right on your doorstep. Not only that, but you will also receive priority access, promotions and entry to special events hosted by the ICA, the V&A and the Tate to name a few. Concierge Club is partnered with both independent and institutional arts establishments that make up an exclusive and unique community of the brightest and finest of creative London that is not available anywhere else.

Forget stuffing yourself into crowded gig?s to see the hottest up and coming bands, queuing for hours to access new art showcases or bribing the bouncers at the Groucho club to let you in to catch your favourite author give a talk on his new novel.

If you want to see as much as the world will show, let Concierge Club bring the world right to your doorstep.

Sexiest Hotels

Looking for a sexy hotel for that dirty weekend or a special occasion like valentines day then these 5 hotels will hit the spot.

Hotel Pelirocco - Brighton
This establishment is included in every review of Britain?s sexiest hotels without fail. With room names like 'Play Room', 'Absolut Love', 'The Pin Up Parlour' and 'Nookii' this Brighton sleepover has put into flesh the connotations that come up with the two words ?dirty weekend.?
It may not look like the sexiest hotel from the outside but on the inside Perlirocco has the perfect proportions of an absolute sexpot. The Play Room is the piece de resistance with huge round mirror above the central bed, a plunge bath and a dancing pole. If you are looking for subtly or romance, then don?t look here because this hotel is as cheekily blatant as they come.

Tuddenham Mill ? Suffolk
For the more refined tastes, the converted mill is cosy and luxurious with exposed original beams and Joe Malone toiletries but is also clean and minimalist with no unnecessary ?fluff.?
The generously proportioned stone baths and Egyptian cotton sheets beckon and if you could, you would probably spend the entire time you have in the hotel using them. Well, you would if it wasn?t for the excellent food provided by the hotels chef. You can?t even avoid the mouth watering dishes if you hide inside your room because home made biscuits have sneakily been put beside your pillows.

Chateau De Bagnols - South of France
I stayed in this hotel the first time after stumbling upon it whilst driving through the South of France. It was the singular most beautiful, romantic place I have been in my entire life.
It is one of the most expensive places I have ever stayed but after seeing the rooms and the view there was no way I could refuse. Voted one of the best hotels in the world, Tom Cruise and Bill Clinton are regular patrons. If you?re going to propose then this would be the perfect place, anywhere else would just not compare.

The Night - New York
If the rich and famous of Batman?s Gotham city were real, they would stay in a hotel like this. With a monster cable to hook your own iPod up to the Bose or Bang and Olufsen sound system you can enjoy your own sexy sounds or, if your music is a little out of date, request one of the hotels slick, already filled black iPod?s instead.
Decked out in furry fabric and black and white lacquer this hotel has the charm of a slick, rich late 1940?s New York. Imagine Tarentino?s Sin City with all off it?s sexiness but less of the colour.

The Witchery - Edinburgh
Danni Minogue has reportedly touted The Witchery as ?the perfect lust-den? and I can report that the hotel certainly lives up to its compliment. Sumptuously decorated in velvet elegance the bedrooms have a Royal feel about them.
With champagne on arrival and a huge four poster bed there is no way this room is going to let you out of it before you have agreed to have a little nibble of romance and a large slice of fun. Talking of eating, the award winning Witchery restaurant over the road is the perfect and most sought after place to refuel before (or after) bed time. Enjoy!

Celebrity Style Hotels

You know how it is. You?re having a quiet drink at the hotel bar and Angelina Jolie asks you for a light.

What do you mean it?s never happened to you? Well, all I can say is that you?ve been staying in the wrong joints. Allow me to mark your card with a view to a bit of celebrity-spotting in some of the luxury and boutique hotels of Europe.

If you happen to be in Paris and want to catch a glimpse of Ange, try the award-winning George V or, to give it its full name, the Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris. This Paris luxury hotel is one of her favourites.

Now, if a place is good enough for George Clooney, it should do for you and me and I?m reliably informed that George and the cast and crew of Ocean?s Twelve stayed at Hotel Le Bristol.

Another classic luxury hotel in Paris is the Ritz, the last point of departure for Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed that tragic August night in 1997. The Ritz has always been a mainstay for the rich and famous ? Coco Chanel lived in a luxury suite there for more than thirty years. These days, you might at any one time bump into Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow or Uma Thurman.


Luxury Rome hotels abound. The Hassler, at the top of the Spanish Steps, has in the past welcomed everyone from Juan Peron to Audrey Hepburn and the Kennedys. Clooney likes this one too, while just recently it hosted the photocall for the movie Get Smart with Anne Hathaway and Steve Carell.

Not far away is the Hotel de Russie. This historic hotel was a favourite of Picasso and today is a popular meeting place for the bright young things from the worlds of fashion and media.

The Hotel Eden is a luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Rome which prides itself on its elegance and tact. It would never release its guest list, of course, but my source tells me that it?s welcomed the likes of Jane Fonda, Pierce Brosnan and Richard Gere.

The luxury hotels in London have names that resonate throughout the world ? the Dorchester, for instance. It was here that Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton spent one of their honeymoons in 1964. Recently pictured arriving were Jerry Springer and Forest Whitaker. Michael Jackson and Tom Cruise have been guests, too.

The Ritz is the Grande Dame of London luxury hotels and has played host to any number of celebrities over the years, including Edward VII, Churchill, Chaplin and Judy Garland. It?s never lost its charm and these days is fashionable with celebrities like Julia Roberts, Johnny Depp and Hugh Grant.

One of the newer kids on the London block is The Lanesborough, a former hospital in fashionable Knightsbridge. It?s pricey, sure, but you might be lucky enough to run into Madonna, Jim Carrey or Leonardo di Caprio.

Amsterdam is one of the most laid-back capitals in Europe and a popular destination for celebrities. The Intercontinental Amstel is arguably the most beautiful and prestigious of the Amsterdam luxury hotels and has welcomed royalty, government leaders and film stars. Jennifer Aniston took a room with a river view last month and the Rolling Stones have also pitched up there.

The Dylan Hotel in Amsterdam has also been much visited in the past by royalty. These days it?s favoured by international personalities who welcome the discretion and privacy that are the hallmarks of Anouska Hempel-designed luxury boutique hotels. It?s so discreet, in fact, that I couldn?t possibly reveal any names.

So, splash out, be a celebrity for a day, a weekend or a week ? live like a star, but don?t make a habit of it. As Charlie Chaplin once said: ?The saddest thing I can imagine is to get used to luxury.?

For the best choice of luxury hotels, visit http://www.luxique.com