Today we will talk about 5 hotels, which are recognized the best on the Earth by the most popular magazines like Telegraph, Forbes, Travel and Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler and so on. These hotels offer something extraordinary - location, service, style, soul, design, seclusion, facilities or romance and the names are synonymous with luxurious comfort and impeccable service. But above all, these hotels affect the way the guest feel.

Every hotel from this list has been tried, tested, rated and reviewed by the experts.


Ballyfin (County Laois, Ireland)

Ballyfin is a place of serenity, romance, history and great natural beauty, providing an enchanting retreat from reality and an indulgence in old-world luxury.

Following eight years of restoration, the house re-opened in May 2011 as a five-star country house hotel. With only twenty rooms for the 614-acre estate, this 5-star luxury hotel takes exclusive to another level. Beauty expert Anita Murray says: Ballyfin is a place of history, romance, tranquillity and great natural beauty. 

If you would like to step back in time to the 1800s and feel how English Lords ruled over vast stretches of land and built impressive stately homes to showcase their power and wealth you can stay in Ballyfin. The Ballyfin house is considered the most lavish regency mansion in Ireland and was named 'Best Hotel in the World' by Conde Nast Traveler's 2016 Readers' Choice Awards.


 Gritti Palace (Venice, Italy)

Overlooking the Grand Canal in the heart of Venice, The Gritti Palace boasts one of the most enthralling views of the lagoon city - from the island of San Giorgio Maggiore past landmarks Punta Della Dogana and Santa Maria Della Salute Basilica to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Dating to 1475, this noble palace and luxury hotel is a place of exceptional art and elegance that has retained its reassuringly intimate and familiar feel of a private residence.

What the Telegraph's expert guide says: "This 15th-century palazzo occupies one of the loveliest spots on the Grand Canal, looking across to the magnificent Salute church, and has equally sumptuous interiors to match, with priceless antiques and frescoes, and a small but exquisite spa."


Belmond Splendido Hotel (Portofino, Liguria, Italy) 

Stay at Belmond Castello di Casole, one of the world’s most inspiring and enriching destinations, uncover the wonders of Tuscany.

Splendido hotel, set in lush terraced gardens on a steep, verdant hillside just outside the picture-perfect village of Portofino, offers an excellent location for both loungings by the sea and sightseeing activities. A footpath leads down to the pretty quayside with its shops, cafés, restaurants and people-watching opportunities; some of the biggest super-yachts in the Med regularly moor here.

The villages of the Cinque Terre are an hour to the south by boat or train, and the hilly Ligurian hinterland is on the doorstep.

The company (Belmond Ltd.) includes Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Venice and Belmond Hotel Splendido in Portofino.

The company joined LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton in April 2019, reinforcing its place among the international leaders in luxury and its part of the world's leading luxury groups.

Here is the Telegraph review: "Housed an in a 16th-century monastery building with fabulous views over the bay of Portofino, the luxurious Splendido is one of Italy’s Grande Dame hotels. With its excellent facilities, delicious food and exceptional service, you may never want to leave, but there are lots to do in the area to tempt all the same."


Hotel Bastide de Gordes (Gordes, France)

Bastide de Gordes hotel is a stately and elegant chateau the 18th-century castle, offering a panoramic view over the unique Luberon valley. Bastide de Gordes, an ancestral residence perched on the rocky slopes of one of the most beautiful villages in France. Here you'd enjoy an exceptional experience amidst Luberon’s unique and enchanting landscapes. Here every detail is taken care of, so the guests enjoy a perfect experience. The 2,000 paintings, commodes, and vases supplied by the most prestigious antique dealers enhance the atmosphere of the guestrooms and suites. Featuring the 17,000-square-foot Sisley Spa and an outdoor plunge pool, Airelles Gordes, La Bastide has become a Provence essential. 5 Star Luxury Hotel is full of memories that will stay with you forever and it is the embodiment of the French art of living.

The Telegraph travel expert wrote: "Perched on medieval ramparts in the prettiest village in the Luberon is this Provencal retreat framed by hanging gardens. With its dynastic portraits and clubby bar, it feels more like a stately home, albeit one with a swish spa, superb restaurants and service smoother than you are."


Peninsula Shanghai Hotel (Wai Tan, Huangpu, China)

Hotel Peninsula Shanghai is a living legend, the name synonymous with luxurious comfort and impeccable service.

Peninsula Shanghai is a unique fusion of East and West, old and new, silken elegance, and wild energy.

An accomplished Art Deco landmark that puts you right in the heart of China’s most fascinating city, the place is like a Busby Berkeley film set.

The Peninsula Shanghai is the only new building on the city’s historic Bund, the city's most famous street which continuously buzzes with activities. From this prime location, the hotel offers spectacular views towards the historic 1920s international Settlement buildings or over the Bund itself and the modern Pudong skyline: vast, gleaming, high-contrast, perpetually in motion, immaculately aswirl with a cast of thousands.

The Peninsula Hotels group has a unique identity among the world’s leading hotels. Established in 1928, the brand now operates prestigious luxury properties in ten major cities. These include the flagship in Hong Kong, plus Shanghai, Tokyo, Beijing, New York, Chicago, Beverly Hills, Bangkok, Manila, and Paris with Istanbul, London and Yangon under development.

The company listed to reinforce its place among the international leaders in luxury and escaped into a portfolio of one-of-a-kind experiences in some of the world’s most inspiring and enriching destinations.

FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE expert rating: "2019 First and Only Hotel Brand to Achieve Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Status Across Entire Portfolio".

According to "CONDE NAST TRAVELLER" magazine, Peninsula Shanghai was awarded "Best Hotel Brand for Business Travel" in 2013. 

"TRAVEL AND LEISURE" magazine expert recognized Peninsula Shanghai "2014 - 2019 World’s Best Awards Top Hotel Brands".

Telegraph expert guide says" This handsome modern take on Art Deco doesn’t put a foot wrong. Built to the Peninsula hotel group’s exacting specifications in 2009, a lot of thought has gone into getting the fine detail right, from the intuitive iPad room controls to the exquisite afternoon tea pastries that melt in the mouth. "