WHEN YOU’RE ON holiday, some hotels will make you feel like royalty — and others will treat you like it.
These 9 opulent hotel suites are guaranteed to do just that.
Most are accompanied by a lofty price tag, but when they include personal butlers, pillow service, and once-in-a-lifetime views, you should make sure they get onto your bucket list.
Nightly rate: From about $7,900 (€6967)
Imagine waking up, stepping out onto the yoga deck, and enjoying coffee or tea while looking out over Laucala Island’s coconut plantations. It’s not a bad way to live. More than 1,800 square feet of living space, plus an outdoor garden, bathing area, and dining pavilions allow guests to live in luxury the entirety of their stay. The Hilltop Estate is even more over-the-top , but available to stay by invite or application only — and will run you about $40,000 a night.
Nightly rate: $25,000 (€22,000)
The Hardwood suite, named for its private, indoor basketball court, covers 10,000 square feet over two floors. It also has a professional locker room and “NBA-sized” beds. The suite sleeps an entire basketball team, but has a capacity for 350 people in case of post-game after-parties. It’s not limited to players, though; non-basketball celebs like Russell Simmons and Paris Hilton have also taken full advantage of the lavish bar, dance floor and lounge, and 24-hour butler service here.
Nightly rate: From $499 (€440)
The Waldorf Astoria considers the suites at the Towers to be their “hotel atop a hotel.” More exclusive than its downstairs neighbours, it features a private entrance off East 50th Street and delicate, Victorian-style suites. Guests have their own dedicated concierge and daily breakfast in the Astoria Lounge. During your stay, make sure you take advantage of the Waldorf Astoria Spa between the twice-daily maid service — by the time you return your bed will have been turned down for pleasant dreams.
Nightly rate: $30,000 (€26,460)
For a mere $30,000 per night, stay in this two-story suite overlooking Rome’s Via Veneto. The domed living room has a fresco inspired by Rome’s Renaissance-era art, as well as a private kitchen, wine cellar, private elevator, and fitness room. Guests can also request a personal chauffeur, shopper, private tours of Rome’s historical locations, and helicopter transfers. Nice.
Nightly rate: About $1,153 (€1017)
In a small village 200 kilometres above the Arctic Circle, guests at the famous Ice Hotel sleep comfortably in -5 degree temperatures. Each room is unique, furnished with a large bed and seating area made of ice and snow, and decorated with hand-carved art installations by artists selected from around the world. The Deluxesvit also boasts an ensuite sauna and toilet.
Nightly rate: $900 (€793)– $1,500 (€1323)
The world’s second underwater hotel room sits 13 feet beneath the surface of the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Tanzania. Designed by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg, the three-tiered suite includes a roof deck, a landing deck at sea level with a lounge and bathroom, and bedroom windows that afford a nearly 360-degree view of a nearby coral reef and dozens of species of fish.
Nightly rate: From $65 (€57)
The Rock Petra offers the ultimate in desert glamping. Luxury tents accommodate up to four people with plush, comfortable beds and jeweled Bedouin-style decor. The camp is circled by a gorge of beautiful, ancient rock formations that date back to 7,000BC. Steep yourself in the Bedouin way of life with authentic and hearty communal dinners, and music and dancing around the campfire.
Nightly rate: From $1,130 (€996)
Built in 1932 and modelled on a Scottish hunting lodge, Kenya’s Giraffe Manor offers luxury bedrooms with antique furnishings, striking art decor, and just-outside-the-window access to a giraffe sanctuary. Other safari animals wander the 140-acre property, too — if you’re so inclined, stop by the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and sponsor a baby elephant before returning home.
Nightly rate: $15,000 (€13,232)
The Maharajah’s Pavilion is a four-story monster of a suite, with a private entrance, library, bar and lounge, pool, and spa, not to mention a dining room and kitchen. If the Maharajah’s Pavilion is booked when you’re looking to stay, not to worry: The hotel has a second presidential suite, the Shahi Mahal, which offers equally extravagant amenities.
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