Industry Updates

It’s that time of year again!

We know that game-changing events and incentives start with exceptional hotels. Every year we take an in-depth look at the best hotels in the world right now – the properties that raise the bar, exceed expectations and create unforgettable experiences for event and incentive groups.

Talk to Us About Booking One of 2018's Best Hotels in the World

And here it is – our list of the 10 best hotels in the world for this year. Join us for an exhilarating dive into 2018’s hottest picks…

1. Four Seasons Hotel at Ten Trinity Square

London, England

Four Seasons’ second London property has grabbed the world’s attention since opening in the astonishing former Port of London Authority building last year.

Overlooking the Tower of London and Thames, and ideally placed for the City, this commanding hotel boasts 100 rooms, a 24-hr gym and yoga studio, and outstanding pool and spa. A special mention though has to go to sensational restaurant La Dame de Pic – three Michelin-starred Anne-Sophie Pic’s first London venture.

2. Gleneagles

Perthshire, Scotland

It still has to be Gleneagles - indisputably one of the best hotels in the world.

'The Glorious Playground in the Glens' retains its strong roaring '20s heart despite an extensive recent makeover. The iconic Century Bar looks better than ever, the hotel boasts the best spa in Scotland, Andrew Fairlie's two Michelin-starred restaurant goes from strength to strength, and the Ryder-Cup-hosting PGA Centenary course remains one of the best on the planet.

3. Verride Palácio de Santa Catarina

Lisbon, Portugal

What this beautiful boutique hotel lacks in size it makes up for in character and quality.

A superbly restored 18th-century palace facing the ocean and bordering the cobbled hills and iconic street cars of the buzzing Bica district, the hotel boasts a rooftop swimming pool and excellent restaurant (Suba) with far-reaching views over Lisbon. The rooms are dripping in character features and contemporary luxury touches. All just 30 mins from Lisbon's international airport.

 4. Hotel Lungarno
Florence, Italy

One of the best hotels in the world, occupying an unrivalled location in one of Europe's leading event and incentive destinations.

With terraces overhanging the Arno river, unbeatable views of the Ponte Vecchio and the heart of this beautiful, culture-rich city just steps away, the Lungarno also offers elegant, restful rooms, superb service and in-house dining at Peter Brunel's Michelin-starred Borgo San Jacopo.

 5. The Retreat at the Blue Lagoon
Iceland

Over half of the 2 million people who visited Iceland last year visited the legendary Blue Lagoon - but the Retreat offers a completely different experience of this world-class attraction.

A 62-suite, 5-star hotel with a private lagoon, unreal views and stark Scandanavian lines that perfectly set off the snowy, lunar landscape outside its floor-to-ceiling windows. Otherworldly and unforgettable.

6.The Sherry-Netherland

New York, USA

Legendary and extravagant, the Sherry-Netherland’s location (overlooking Central Park from Fifth Avenue) would be enough to make this one of the best hotels in the world.

Add in individual rooms, suites and apartments that range from sleek contemporary luxury to decadent, old-world glamour, and New York high-rollers' favourite the Harry Cipriani restaurant - modelled on the original Harry's Bar in Venice – and you’ve got something very, very special.

7. Al Maha Resort & Spa
Dubai , UAE

The UAE's original desert retreat, Al Maha sits in the heart of the restful Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR).

Sunsets over the desert with cocktails, exquisite Arabic cuisine on the terrace, spa treatments, private plunge pools and outstanding service make this a very difference experience to the usual push and pace of a Dubai event or incentive. A little further from the airport, but worth it for a truly immersive experience.

8. Mandarin Oriental
Tokyo, Japan

The Mandarin Oriental is the best of the best when it comes to Tokyo hotels. This skyscraper, in the heart of the Nihonbashi district, boasts sleek, contemporary design with strong traditional Japanese influences, and some of the best views in Tokyo - on a clear day you can see all the way to Mt Fuji.

It's the truly masterful service, though, that tips the balance and makes this one of 2018’s best hotels in the world.

9. Riad Kheirredine
Marrakech, Morroco

Riad Kheirredine is less than 5 minutes by car to Marrakech’s souks and Jemaa el-Fnaa, but it feels like nowhere else on earth.

The traditional oasis-like interior of this riad is an elegant sanctuary. The cuisine is Moroccan-Italian fusion, best enjoyed on the rooftop terrace, and the crisp white tiling, outstanding spa and superb service (think mint tea on tap and staff guiding guests from their rooms to the restaurant) make this a hotel to remember.

10. The Silo Hotel
Cape Town, South Africa

Jetsetter’s Best Boutique Hotel in the World 2018, the Silo had to make our list as one of the best hotels in the world this year.

Its combination of mid-century industrial and antique styles (Persian rugs, shimmering chandeliers and signature ironwork) and location – perched on top of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa with incredible views of Table Mountain – elevate the Silo from a great hotel to one of the best hotels in the world.

 Talk to Us About Booking One of 2018's Best Hotels in the World

Every year we help the some of the biggest, boldest and best sales organisations on the planet deliver events and incentives built around the world’s best hotels.

We would love to talk to you about designing an event or incentive that inspires your people and delivers against your objectives. Get in touch now via the Contact page or call 0161 498 3311.