The world’s best hotels are never just places to sleep — they shape how a city, a landscape and sometimes an entire journey is remembered. A hotel is never a neutral backdrop. Service culture, architecture, privacy and atmosphere can elevate a trip or quietly undermine it, often long after the destination itself fades from memory. The way guests are received, the rhythm of a space and the consistency of standards matter as much as location or price. That is why the annual Gold List is closely watched by the global travel industry. It does not reward novelty alone, short-lived hype or fashionable design trends. Instead, it recognises consistency, character and long-term excellence — qualities that define truly exceptional hotels year after year.
For 2025, the editors and experts behind the Gold List have once again selected hotels that define modern luxury in very different ways — from historic European institutions to radical nature-led retreats. The ranking reflects changing expectations: discretion over spectacle, sustainability over excess, and emotional experience over size. The selection was published by The WP Times, citing Gonde Nast Traveller.
European classics: Spain, Switzerland and Italy
Akelarre
Set into the hillside above San Sebastián, Akelarre is as much an architectural statement as it is a hotel. Built around Pedro Subijana’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant, the property offers just 22 minimalist rooms carved directly into the rock. Floor-to-ceiling glass opens onto sweeping views of the Bay of Biscay, reinforcing the sense that landscape, cuisine and design are inseparable here. Akelarre represents a distinctly modern European idea of luxury: restrained, intellectual and deeply place-specific.
Address: Padre Orcolaga 56, 20008 San Sebastián, Spain
Website: akelarre.net
Badrutt's Palace
Few hotels symbolise alpine glamour as clearly as Badrutt’s Palace. For more than 130 years, it has attracted royalty, industrialists and cultural figures to St. Moritz. Recent additions, including the Serlas wing, have modernised the property without diluting its historic identity. The frozen lake views, visible even from the lobby, remain part of its enduring appeal. This is Swiss grand hotel tradition at its most polished.
Address: Via Serlas 27, 7500 St. Moritz, Switzerland
Website: badruttspalace.com
Castelfalfi
Castelfalfi occupies a vast organic estate in the Tuscan countryside, combining restored medieval buildings with contemporary hospitality standards. It functions both as a destination in its own right and as a strategic base for exploring Florence, Pisa and Siena. Sustainability, agriculture and slow travel are central to its identity, reflecting a broader shift in high-end European resorts.
Address: Loc. Castelfalfi, 50050 Montaione, Italy
Website: castelfalfi.com
British refinement: leading hotels in the UK
Claridge's
Claridge’s is not simply a hotel but a cultural reference point in British public life. Located in Mayfair, it has long served as a discreet meeting place for royalty, diplomacy and international finance. Its Art Deco interiors, legendary afternoon tea and unshowy service continue to define a particular idea of London elegance — formal without stiffness, luxurious without excess.
Address: Brook Street, London W1K 4HR, United Kingdom
Website: claridges.co.uk
Beaverbrook
Originally built in 1866, Beaverbrook blends aristocratic English heritage with a contemporary hospitality model. Set across 470 acres of countryside, the estate has become known for its Japanese fine-dining restaurant and visually striking seasonal events. It appeals to guests seeking privacy, narrative and curated experience rather than conventional hotel formality.
Address: Reigate Road, Leatherhead KT22 8QX, UK
Website: beaverbrook.co.uk
Coworth Park
Located close to Windsor and just 20 minutes from Heathrow, Coworth Park combines accessibility with rural calm. The 18th-century country house offers Michelin-starred dining by Adam Smith and a highly regarded spa. Its appeal lies in understatement — a place designed for quiet luxury rather than display.
Address: Blacknest Road, Ascot SL5 7SE, UK
Website: dorchestercollection.com
Immersive retreats: Asia and the Americas
Buahan, Banyan Tree Escape
Buahan represents a radical interpretation of luxury hospitality. Designed without walls or doors, the adults-only resort allows nature to define the guest experience. Open-air villas, jungle sounds and private pools remove the boundary between comfort and environment. It reflects a growing demand for emotional and sensory immersion rather than traditional opulence.
Address: Buahan Kaja, Payangan, Bali, Indonesia
Website: banyantree.com
Kona Village, Rosewood Resort
Reimagined after extensive redevelopment, Kona Village integrates Polynesian design principles with sustainable infrastructure. Solar energy, low-impact construction and sensitivity to volcanic terrain define the resort’s philosophy. It signals how luxury brands are adapting to environmental and cultural accountability.
Address: 72-300 Maheawalu Drive, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA
Website: rosewoodhotels.com
Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort
With only 15 tented bungalows, Naviva focuses on exclusivity through scale rather than extravagance. Guests are offered personalised dining and flexible service models, reinforcing the idea of “barefoot luxury” — high comfort without visible excess.
Address: Punta Mita, Nayarit, Mexico
Website: fourseasons.com
Italy beyond the obvious: Dolomites and the Amalfi coast
Forestis Dolomites
Built on the site of a former sanatorium, Forestis combines alpine wellness traditions with minimalist architecture. Every room faces the Dolomites, a UNESCO-listed landscape, ensuring that nature remains the central element of the stay. Sustainability is not presented as an add-on but as a structural principle.
Address: Palmschoss 292, 39042 Brixen, Italy
Website: forestis.it
Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria
Family-owned since 1834, the Excelsior Vittoria overlooks the Bay of Naples from a dramatic cliff-top position. Classical interiors, extensive gardens and views of Mount Vesuvius define its character. The hotel represents continuity in Italian luxury, where heritage is preserved rather than reinvented.
Address: Piazza Tasso 34, 80067 Sorrento, Italy
Website: excelsiorvittoria.com
The 2025 Gold List underlines how global luxury hospitality is evolving. The most celebrated hotels today are not necessarily the largest or the newest, but those that combine identity, restraint and long-term vision. In that sense, the list offers more than travel inspiration — it reflects how the meaning of luxury itself is being quietly rewritten.
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