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The Best Hotels and Extended Stays to Visit in 2024
From luxury resorts to humble hideaways, we've got you covered
It's time to book a holiday. Much like how ordering your fourth takeaway of the week during lockdown was an act of heroic civic duty, it's important that we do our part to help the hotel industry bounce back after years of empty rooms and uncertainty. And if that means ditching our WFH dining table desk set-up to sip cocktails by a sun-drenched pool, then that's just a sacrifice we'll have to make.
Below, we've listed some of the best new hotels around the world that you need to visit in 2024, as well as some beautiful extended stays that deserve your patronage.
The Randolph Hotel by Graduate Hotels
Location: Oxford, Oxfordshire
“We are all students,” reads the inscription on the pencils you'll find in every guest room in The Randolph Hotel by Graduate Hotels, the Oxford outpost of the American collegiate-themed hotel chain. The writing tool is right: we are all eternally learning, and during our trip to the historical lodgings – delightfully positioned a stone’s throw away from the city's main train station, and even closer to most of its landmarks (the Ashmolean Museum is directly opposite!) – we absorbed a ton of fun facts about the building, the city, the universities and their illustrious alumni.
“Did you know that this is where Colin Dexter wrote some of his most famous novels?” a bartender asks us whilst whipping up 2x Inspector Ms (a calvados x prosecco concoction) in the cosy, fire-warmed Morse bar. “If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan, definitely the Botanic Gardens – it was one of the sources of inspiration behind Middle Earth,” replies a tremendously mannerly concierge when we enquire where literary tourists must visit during a short staycation in the scholarly region.
“Christ Church, workplace of Lewis Caroll,” responds a waiter in The Alice – the Randolph’s restaurant named after and inspired by the titular character of the author’s most notable works (she’s present in picture form on almost every wall, along with her curious friends) – to the very same question. “It’s also the filming location of a film franchise you may be familiar with: Harry Potter,” he suddenly adds, as if he’d just spotted we've got lightning-shaped tattoos on our heads (we don't).
Speaking of the works of Rowling, the hotel has a decidedly Hogwarts feel. Perhaps it’s the house shield embellishment that hangs from the roof and falls just above reception; perhaps it’s the Slytherin green-coloured bar that doubles as an antechamber to a decadent ballroom; maybe it’s the oldie-worldie paintings peppered around the place.
Whatever it is, we revelled in the back-to-wizarding-school feeling it conjures. A feeling you might describe as 'magical'.
Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel
Location: Monte Carlo, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
High rollers have been coming to Monte Carlo since the late nineteenth century to part with their cash in style. Today it’s not necessary to risk it all on the throw of a die but the opportunities for lavish spending are still very much available in the jewel in the crown of the principality of Monaco. Even those already sold on the natural beauty, as well as the confected glamour, of the sun-blessed Cote d’Azur, are well advised to make Monte Carlo a stop on their next Riviera visit.
Where to stay? You have a choice of four hotels, each more sumptuous than the next, and all owned by the Monte Carlo Societe des Bains de Mer, the organisation founded in 1863 by sovereign order of Charles III, Prince of Monaco. Most famous is the palatial Hotel de Paris, on the legendary Casino Square. Then there’s the sybaritic, spa-focussed Hermitage, while the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort emphasises casual chic.
But Esquire does like to be beside the seaside, so on a recent visit we chose the aptly named Monte-Carlo Beach, the hotel where you can lose your shirt without actually losing your shirt. What’s good? Lunch on the terrace at Le Deck, the in-house brasserie. Sundowners at the extraordinary Club La Vigie, a beach bar hewn out of a rocky promontory, reached by boat. Sustainable fine dining at the chichi Elba. The spa. The water-sports. A dip in the Olympic-sized swimming pool. The private beach. Tick, tick, tick, and tick.
In fact, a visitor could be forgiven for never leaving the premises. But, intrepid travellers as we are, we managed to make it out on a couple of occasions. So we can also recommend the open-air cabaret at Maona, and the sushi at COYA. And a nose around the Casino. But then it was back to the hotel, for more of doing very little indeed. While Esquire would only ever encourage responsible gambling, take it from us: the Monte-Carlo Beach, safest bet in town.
Blue Bay restaurant at Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, which was awarded its second Michelin star in 2022, has reopened its doors following renovations.
Estelle Manor
Location: Witney, Oxfordshire
Estelle Manor, the new-ish country club and hotel that's been described as the Cotswold's 'hippest new hangout', is precision engineered to make your Instagram followers furiously, phone-punchingly jealous. This is potent stuff, with enough smug Story potential to make your colleagues, friends and loved ones resent you with the fire of a thousand suns. But anyone who has stepped foot in the hospitality group’s private members club in Mayfair, where sticky tape is immediately fixed on your phone camera, will know that the Estelle experience is best enjoyed in un-pixelated form.
It'll be hard to resist: the startling sights begin before the doors have even swung open. There’s the long, tree-lined drive up to the manor itself, as the Grade II-listed Jacobean Revival estate comes into view and the beautiful, sweeping spread of land announces itself. Walk around the periphery of the manor, past the vegetable garden and Glasshouse restaurant (the produce of the former feeds the latter), beyond the state-of-the-art gym and workspace and around the back, and the heat rising from the lido – the one you can see at the top of this article, and have probably already seen all over social media – will begin to waft into view. Resist the urge to jump in fully clothed and proceed to check-in.
It's roomy, to say the least. 108 bedrooms and suits, cottages and private houses. Opulent interiors, beautifully crafted cocktails, a roaring fire. Three eateries, including a Chinese restaurant from ex-Hakkasan chef Ah Tat Ip that will live long in the memory. Padel courts, target sports, falconry. And now, since February 2024, the Eynsham Baths, a huge Roman-inspired spa with a tepidarium bathing hall, five pools, ten treatment rooms, thermal cabins, a bar and, we hear on the grapevine, a hidden waterfall. As if it wasn't already hard enough to get a reservation.
Jardin des Douars
Location: Essaouira, Morocco
The extremely chill Moroccan city of Essaouira was once a lesser-known pitstop on the ‘Hippie Trail’ of the Fifties and Sixties; the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Cat Stevens, and Jack Kerouac rolled up here to watch the blue fishing boats sway in the harbour's formidable winds, wander around the 18th-century medina – a UNESCO World Heritage site – and watch camels lumber about on the beach. Its beauty and bohemian spirit remains, but while Marrakesh has been descended upon by tourists, Essaouira’s reputation as the ‘Wind City of Africa’ – blowing in from the Atlantic Coast – has left it relatively untouched beyond surf pilgrimages. Flights from the UK occur weekly, so there’s not much room for a quick visit, but that’s no bad thing, as it’s a place to truly relax into and embrace. If you plan to do things in style, there’s no better option than Les Jardin des Douars: a 19-room, 6-suite boutique hotel in the hills, sheltered by traditional terraced rooms and lush gardens, a mere 15-minute drive from the medina. It’s an oasis of calm, with a glistening pool at the centre of the property. We’d recommend spending half of your week here, and then another few days in one of the medina’s traditional riads, to get a broad sense of Essaouira’s charms.
Rosewood Baha Mar
Location: Nassau, Bahamas
One of three grand hotels on Cable Beach, the horseshoe-shaped Rosewood Baha Mar is the most luxuriously understated. There are 233 rooms, including 96 suites and four villas, surrounding two cabana-fringed pools and five restaurants and bars (Café Boulud, Costa (not that one), Tingum on the Sand, Manor Bar and The Library). There's a wide array of other food, drink and nightlife options on the wider Baha Mar complex, as well as the Caribbean’s largest casino and a Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole golf course. Local art appears throughout.
Villa Làrio
Location: Como, Italy
If you were a hotelier in possession of two acres of private gardens on the shores of Lake Como, you’d be forgiven for resting on your laurels. Small rooms, big windows, a row of deck chairs, a giant vat of pre-made Aperol Spritz: job’s a good’un. Not so for Villa Làrio, the secluded boutique hotel situated on the lake’s east bank, featuring 18 charming suites, a lush terrace and private pier, as well as a tranquil infinity pool and a two-bedroom villa. It is the perfect way to experience the lake, whether you want to jump in or rip across it in riva boat. The property is spread across three buildings and connected by two different lifts, and situated around a 15-minute drive away from Como proper.
Red Chalet
Location: Armação de Pêra, Portugal
A striking square of red sits on the seawall of Armação de Pêra beach in Portugal: it is a landmark, a listed historical building and – somewhat astoundingly – a place you can stay. For over 80 years, the Red Chalet villa was a private holiday home enjoyed by one family, but in August 2022, the Algarve’s clifftop resort Vila Vita Parc started to welcome vacationers to the property. Furnished in a Belle Époque style, with antique chandeliers everywhere you turn, it sleeps up to eight guests in four bedrooms. Open the back gate and you’ll be confronted with your own private path to the beach – open the front gate, and you’ll see the charming whitewashed 1960s church where songs are sung for local seafarers.
The villa is just a short drive from the main Vila Vita Parc resort, where you can enjoy sushi at the Mizu Teppanyaki restaurant or indulge in a two-Michelin-starred tasting menu at Ocean Restaurant (named for its striking sea view, which you may find yourself ignoring thanks to the restaurant’s elaborately themed dishes, presently including a pudding printed with Christ the Redeemer). Of course, to get to these restaurants you’d have to leave the Red Chalet in the first place, something that – thanks to the soundtrack of the waves, hazy pink sunsets and luxury furnishings – you might find hard to do.
Cosme
Location: Naousa, Paros
One of the newest additions to the Marriott Bonvoy collection of hotels, Cosme, set in the bay of Naousa, Paros, provides a distinctly Greek version of relaxed, sun-soaked luxury.
Once you've passed through the resort’s cactus-lined entrance and taken possession of a freshly-made lemonade, you'll be met with a balance of rustic décor with modern finishes, a theme that continues into their 40 suites, while the white-washed exterior mirrors the architecture of the neighbouring town.
Greek chef Yiannis Kioroglou curates the hotel’s menu, where the self-proclaimed ‘Medite-grecian’ cuisine can be found in the Parostià restaurant – the Octopus, Sole Meunière and Beef fillet are particularly noteworthy – while the Circe Bar’s selection of local wines are a prime aperitif at sunset. And if you’ve caught a little bit too much sun while lounging at their half-moon pool or private beach, head to Elios Spa and opt for the KORRES Greek Yoghurt Soft Touch treatment; the breakfast staple has been used for centuries to relieve tight and dehydrated skin.
Varsity Hotel
Location: Cambridge, England
As people-watching spots go, the spa underneath the Varsity Hotel in Cambridge is pretty special. On one side of the River Cam, tucked into a row of houses opposite Magdalene College, you can sit in a jacuzzi and watch the day-trippers traipse about through a large one-way window, before retiring to the sauna, or steam room, or a treatment. Then there’s the boutique hotel’s rooftop terrace, which offers a better vantage point of the city’s medieval churches, historic colleges and cobble-stoned streets. The view is just as good at the Six Brasserie one floor below, with the added benefit of a steak dinner. But if you really want to gaze out at Cambridge in true comfort, then you’ll just have to book The Varsity’s spacious ‘Senior Fellows’ corner suite, fit with floor-to-ceiling windows, a private terrace and direct views of St John’s College Chapel
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
Location: Vommuli, Maldives
The Maldives is often pigeonholed as a honeymoon destination. And granted, the St.Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort – a postcard paradise that stretches across an entire island in the Dhaalu Atoll region – makes for an outstanding spot to recover from any table plan-related meltdowns you might have suffered. But rest assured: you will not require a shotgun wedding to get the most out this place.
Wellness buffs can spend their days between the over-ocean spa and Vommuli House, a recreation centre nestled among the island’s rich vegetation; explorers are invited to snorkel through the transfixing coral reefs that girdle the island before heading out to sea with Norma, the resort’s very own 68-foot Azimut Flybridge 66 yacht; and determined relaxers who want nothing more than to unwind on the cotton-white beaches of the middle-of-nowhere sanctum are left to do so. Then there are the several distinct restaurants scattered about, including Cargo, a magical al fresco dining experience of Middle-Eastern cuisine.
Altogether, there are 77 deluxe villas to pick from, including one of the largest water villas in the Maldives: the John Jacob Astor Estate, a palatial VIP-ready abode. Each option – right down to the entry-level accommodations which, we assure you, are anything but basic – comes with a butler who will endeavour to elevate your Maldivian experience in myriad ways.
Xara Palace
Location: Mdina, Malta
The only hotel in the old capital of Mdina, a walled medieval citadel in the centre of the Maltese countryside, the stunning five-star Xara Palace carries that pressure with ease. Converted from a 17th-century aristocratic palazzo, this boutique relais & chateaux is both extremely exclusive (there are only seventeen rooms and suites) and expansive, filled with beautiful Maltese art and antiques, as well as three incredible restaurants (including the Michelin-star rooftop spot, the de Mondion). Mdina is tiny, and so the historic sites are seconds or, at a push, minutes away – St. Paul’s Cathedral is a highlight, as is the Palazzo Falson museum of artefacts – but there’s plenty to be found beyond the Silent City’s golden stone lanes and Baroque gateway too (the whole nation can be easily traversed via bus).
Carden Park
Location: Carden Park, Cheshire
There are two kinds of people on this earth: those who want to send themselves hurtling through the air on a zipliner, and those who do not, under any circumstances, want to do that. Unlike most hotels, Carden Park in Cheshire provides for both. The aforementioned zip-liner – part of the ‘Vertigo’ climbing frame that gazes over the 1000-acre countryside estate that surrounds the property – sits next to a luxury spa, which hosts saunas, treatments, fire pits and al fresco hot tubs. Both are a big swing away from two championship golf courses and a driving range. There’s a vineyard too, and… well, a lot to do, basically. Then there’s the hotel itself, which boasts 196 spacious rooms and the very, very nice The Vines restaurant, which holds two AA Rosettes (as well the far more casual Redmond's eatery at the entrance). A supremely relaxing weekend away, but only if you want it to be.
Fairmont Tazi Palace
Location: Tangier, Morocco
Overlooking the Moroccan city of Tangier, and originally commissioned by the King’s advisor in the 1920s, the Fairmont Tazi Palace is certainly fit for royalty. With 133 guestrooms, suites and penthouses, a spa and yoga studio, choices of three restaurants serving farm-to-table plates, two bars (with cocktails topped with herbs and florals handpicked from the abundant gardens) and afternoon tea, you will want for nothing. From the super luxe rooms and decadent penthouses, to the stunning twilight city views, Moroccan artwork and contemporary design, it’ll remain in your memory for a long time. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t step outside and wander through the twisty whitewashed streets of the medina, not minutes away, and browse the local tailors, traditional rug-makers and apothecaries. Feeling inspired? Learn traditional Moroccan pottery at the hotel's in-house pottery studio, hosted by a local artisan.
Grootbos
Location: Gansbaai, South Africa
The concept of a "flower safari" at first sounds a little antithetical – "safari" means "journey" in Swahili, and the word evokes excitement and movement, whereas flowers are very much all about sitting still. Yet while you won't have to chase a flower while on a botanical 4x4 tour at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, you might find yourself hunting them – will you spot the Lachenalia lutzeyeri, which is dependent on fire to flower? Might you see the Capnophyllum lutzeyeri, which hasn't been seen anywhere else on the planet?
Grootbos is a place to be immersed in nature while still enjoying the best in luxury. Guests are surrounded by 3,500 hectares of wilderness and almost 1,000 plant species, 100 of which are endangered. But when you head indoors after a busy day, the man-made beauty is just as striking: enjoy the on-site botanical art gallery, the candle-lit wine cellar and perhaps most stunningly of all, Chef Benjamin's fresh homemade pasta.
Even if botanicals aren't your thing, there are an abundance of other activities on offer here - from mountain biking to whale watching to horse riding to shark diving. After all that, you'll undoubtedly be craving a peaceful frolic through the flowers.
The Lemon Tree
Location: Taormina, Sicily
Taormina is one of the most beautiful places in Sicily – scratch that, on Earth – but staying in the hustle and bustle of the main square can get a bit tiring. Take our advice: travel a little further up into the hills and through the gates of The Lemon Tree, where you’ll be treated to some of the most scenic and rarefied views on the island. Operated by husband-and-wife team Diego and Karen, the isolated property consists of eight self-catered apartments (making it the perfect option for a group getaway) and features a communal swimming pool, barbecue and plenty of space to relax, with local wine and beautiful food on request.
Hartwell House
Location: Aylesbury, England
'Why wouldst thou leave calm Hartwell's green abode?' asked Lord Byron when Louis XVIII, exiled to Hartwell House, Buckinghamshire, in the early 1800s, finally returned to rule over France. It’s a good question. Standing proud amidst 94 acres of lush grounds, this Grade I-listed Jacobean house and estate is the perfect place to go full Louis XVIII/Partridge/Mourinho, boasting the kind of rich history, beautiful interiors and luxury amenities that call for an extended staycation. You want high tea in a grand drawing room? Step this way. To swim and relax in a Roman bath-style spa? You can do that too. Eat like a king and sleep like one too, in one of the estate’s high-ceilinged royal suites? It’s all at your disposal.
Lux* Grand Baie
Location: Grand Baie, Mauritius
A modernist beach retreat that takes design inspiration from old Mauritian sailboats, the boutique-style LUX Grand Baie opened in December of 2021. Wellness is a key focus – the spa and fitness facilities span four floors, including a rooftop space featuring two 30-metre Olympic-standard running tracks – but there’s plenty of opportunity to let yourself go, too. There’s an adults-only roof bar, called Bissou, which boasts stunning views of the Indian Ocean, as well as a private club, Club Ai KISU
Regent Phu Quoc
Location: Phu Quoc, Vietnam
This luxurious Regent Phu Quoc features its own private beach, 176 suites and 126 villas, six dining venues and a spa. But that doesn't mean you should spend all your time relaxing in the resort: Phu Quoc is recognised as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, and much of the island is taken up by a national park, providing the perfect opportunity for exploration.
The Battery
Location: San Francisco, USA
The Battery is a truly luxurious way to experience San Francisco. A walkable distance from the tourist delights of the wharf, the authentic eats of Chinatown and the best brewery in the city (21st Amendment), this private members club for creatives (you get full access to its facilities when staying) is situated in an ideal location for first timers wanting to navigate the foggy city by foot. But if you’re on a fleeting business trip, this hotel has more than enough to keep you occupied, such as secret speakeasies, live music, multiple restaurants with fine dining options, over 1,200 bottles of outstanding wine, and a state-of-the-art wellness space that features a gym, pool, sauna and treatment rooms for deep-tissue massages
The 1968
Location: East Hampton, New York, USA
The layout of this secluded, cedar-panelled hideaway in East Hampton is pretty unorthodox: bedrooms downstairs, living area upstairs, and "owl-eye" windows peering over everything. We're big fans of the midcentury furnishings and leafy surroundings.
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