My Top 10 Hotels

I am asked about hotels more than almost anything else.
Where should we go? What’s actually worth it?

Conveniently, I love talking about it. I am - unapologetically - a hotel junkie. A details obsessive. A service snob.

So here it is. In alphabetical order (no teacher’s pets here), my top ten hotels I’ve ever stayed in.

A caveat: this is entirely subjective. I’m not drawn to resorts or anything overly corporate. I tend to lean toward the idiosyncratic - places with soul, personality, a slightly ‘homemade’ feel. They aren’t all the most expensive (some are, yes); that’s not the point.

For me, it’s about a feeling. A certain kind of magic. The places that stay with you long after you’ve left…

1.) Amangiri, USA

It would be hard to build a hotel in the middle of the Utah/Arizona desert and not be blown away by the surroundings - but the way Amangiri preserves and celebrates its location deserves serious credit. There’s no distracting art. No colour. No noise. The scenery and the light do the talking.

Huge rectangular cut-outs in concrete walls perfectly frame rock formations. Open slats in the ceiling cast precise geometric shadows that move throughout the day.

And then there’s the service. Many of the team have tenure at Aman’s Asian properties - and nowhere does service quite like Asia.

Photo credit: Wall Street Journal

2.) Capelongue, France

While Les Roches Rouges may be the jewel in Beaumier’s crown, my heart belongs to Capelongue in Bonnieux. Provence, but without the cliché.

Beautiful rooms. Lush gardens. A Michelin-starred restaurant balanced by a more relaxed bistro. A spa that feels like the tunnels of an ancient fort. And sweeping views that stretch for miles at breakfast.

This is a place to do very little!

3.) The Fife Arms, Scotland

Possibly the most characterful hotel I’ve ever stayed in. The rooms are maximalist and magnificent. The art collection - owned by Hauser & Wirth - is extraordinary. But it’s the small touches that make it sing.

Brilliantly branded paperware. Tartan food wraps. A jar of jam handed to us at check-out because we waxed lyrical about it following our picnic.

On the “must return” list.

4.) Heckfield Place, England

So many English country hotels feel slightly incomplete or lean into the “charming” BnB style. Heckfield Place does neither.

The rooms are immaculate. The food is sensational. And perhaps most impressively, everything is exactly where it intuitively should be (you’d be amazed how rarely that happens).

With the arrival of its spa, it completes what I believe England has long needed: a truly knock-out country hotel. Oh and I had a bowl of life-changing pasta here!

Photo credit: Condé Nast Traveler

5.) Masseria Moroseta, Italy

Down a dirt road, set amongst olive groves and Puglian farmland, lies Masseria Moroseta. This isn’t grand luxury - and that’s precisely the point.

It’s the hotel you imagine creating in your dreams. Whitewashed walls. Long communal tables. Slow mornings. Some of the best breakfasts you’ll ever have… But, you’ll never be able to make it as good. There’s an inexplicable magic here.

Unpretentious. Unspoiled. Utterly charming. Which, for someone who doesn’t love Puglia, was quite a feat!

Oh and there’s Angelina - the British bulldog who acts as unofficial host.

6.) Mnemba Island, Zanzibar

Mnemba may forever be my benchmark for perfect island hospitality. One of the most beautiful places on earth - and the place where I ticked off a lifelong dream: swimming with wild dolphins.

Zanzibar is no secret anymore, and dolphin tourism is heavily commercialised. But thanks to Mnemba’s protected marine reserve, our experience was private, respectful and completely magical.

I can’t have favorites, but if I did… Spoilt for life.

7.) North Island, Seychelles

The diversity of wildlife on and off shore at North Island is unlike anywhere else I’ve seen in the world. Accessed by helicopter, North Island sits in the middle of the Indian Ocean and feels almost defiantly untouched. (No wonder the Prince and Princess of Wales honeymooned here.)

Giant tortoises roam freely. Turtle nesting and hatchlings are almost daily occurrences. The marine life is extraordinary - my top three dives of all time were here.

It’s rare to experience a hotel where there’s no trace of tourism - no sense of human life beyond its shoreline.

8.) Palm Heights, Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman wouldn’t top my destination list - but Palm Heights absolutely delivers.

Large, beautifully designed suites. Food you actually want to eat on holiday. A lovely stretch of beach. And a crowd that gives it energy at the right time and in the right moment.

I spent an entire afternoon swimming alongside a turtle who accompanied me on my daily long-distance swim.

I haven’t returned since the spa opened - which I hear only elevates it further. A perfect NYC long-weekend escape (Substack on that coming soon).

9.) Sterrekopje, South Africa

I’ve wanted to visit Sterrekopje since the moment I discovered it on Instagram, sought out the owner and begged her to work with us. I finally made it there in February and it did not disappoint. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever cried leaving a hotel? Sterrekopje is less hotel, more philosophy.

Every corner is so beautifully designed and thoughtfully considered. From the daily Bath House experiences (all included as part of your stay) to the herbs left by my bath at turn down for my evening soak (bathing might be my love language).

Oh and then there’s the pigs, the donkeys, the horses, the duck, the chickens, the dogs. I’ve never felt happier! Here, everyone knows your name and nothing is too much. It is a living, breathing sanctuary. Be prepared to be given your ‘schedule’ - it operates more like a retreat - but I promise, you won’t be mad about being so diligently programmed.

Sterrekopje, I love you.

10.) Villa Lario, Italy

The antidote to the larger, more Americanised hotels on Lake Como. An 18-suite property set in a former Lombardi family home, Villa Lario is intimate and elegant - and doesn’t try too hard.

In my opinion, it also offers the best views of Lake Como to the north and south of any hotel in the region. You could go here for the views alone!

There’s a reason we return year after year.

So, there you have it. Would love to hear about your favourite too.