Gaya Island Resort
Accessible only by boat and set off the coast of Malaysia in the South China Sea, Gaya Island Resort is an ideal spot to escape the daily grind. This stunning resort features 120 villas and a two-bedroom suite, all with Sabahan elements, and bult using local materials so as to blend in perfectly with the surrounding natural environment. Other amenities include three restaurants, a bar overlooking the infinity pool and floating cabanas, a full-service spa, a library, a fitness center, and a host of outdoor activities including hiking through the rainforest, fishing, kayaking, birdwatching, or our favorite, floating in the pool doing nothing at all.
Tordrillo Mountain Lodge
Plenty of places can promise to house you deep in the great outdoors, but few places let you explore the surrounding wilderness like Tordrillo Mountain Lodge. Just a 70-mile floatplane ride from Anchorage, this 5,600-square-foot lodge serves as base camp as you explore the nearby mountain slopes, Talachulitna River and Judd Lake. From the lodge — which features deluxe guest rooms, a family room, great room, a wood-fired hot tub, and, somehow, Wi-Fi — you can see two 11,000-foot volcanoes and Mt. McKinley, while a helicopter awaits outside to drop you off at remote fishing holes or high atop the mountains for runs down the fresh, unspoiled powder.
The Student Hotel Amsterdam
Despite the name, you don't need to be enrolled in classes to book a stay at The Student Hotel Amsterdam. Opened last month, this colorful accommodation does, in fact, serve as student housing, with rates that go down the longer you stay. Rooms range from basic, 12 square meter affairs to deluxe 21 sq. meter suites with private kitchens and large beds. There's free Wi-Fi throughout the property, which included the shared kitchen, study rooms, a private gym, a library, lounges, game rooms, an outdoor basketball court, a terrace, and a Berlin-style bar and restaurant. Located just a 10 minute bike ride from the city center and right next to a major tram/metro station, it's an ideal — and affordable — place to stay as you explore the city.
Ion Hotel
Take in all the natural beauty of Iceland with a stay at ION. This "luxury adventure hotel" sits about an hour outside of Reykjavik, on the border with Þingvellir National Park and Thingvallavatn, the largest lake in the country. Outside, you can enjoy activities like ice climbing, horseback riding, diving, snorkeling, caving, white-water rafting, and fly-fishing, while inside you can enjoy the stunning, minimalist architecture apparent in all 46 guest rooms, the excellent cuisine from the Silfra restaurant, stunning views at the Northern Lights bar, and the massive hot tub of the on-site spa.
Phantom Ranch
Staying near the Grand Canyon is easy. Staying in the Grand Canyon? Not so much. In fact, Phantom Ranch is the only lodging available below the canyon rim. This unique accommodation can trace its roots back to Native American pit houses dating back nearly 1,000 years that were found on the site, which more recently served as a camp for President Theodore Roosevelt during a hunting expedition. Currently, it offers cabins, dorm-style rooms — separated by gender — a restaurant, a ranger station, and a beach, as well as classic native stone and wood architecture. You can only get there by mule, on foot, or in a raft, but not to worry — you need to make reservations up to a year in advance, so it's not like you'd be randomly dropping in, anyway.
Nuits Saint-Pierre
Don't have the time or money to travel to Paris this year? Fret not, as there's a piece of France floating just miles off the coast of North America. We're referring to the island of Saint-Pierre, and when you're there, Nuits Saint-Pierre is the place to stay. This intimate five-room inn offers one suite and four bedrooms, all of which feature premium pillow-top mattresses, French bedding and linens, upscale bathrooms, free Wi-Fi, and included breakfast and concierge service. But the real attraction is the island itself, which is the last piece of the French colonial empire that remains under French control. That means the official language is French, you'll see plenty of French flags, and you'll be paying in Euros — so be sure to hit the currency exchange before you head out. [via]
Yotel New York
Normally being a "tech-friendly" hotel at most involves an iHome to charge your phone and maybe an HDMI input for the TV. Yotel New York, on the other hand, was built was technology in mind. This Times Square West hotel features an automated, touchscreen-driven check-in and check-out process, a robotic luggage concierge to hold your luggage if your room isn't ready yet, a "techno wall" in each room with the ability to steam audio, high-strength free Wi-Fi, and multiple power sockets at the work desk. Also on-site is the Asian-inspired Dojo restaurant and bar, as well as the largest outdoor hotel terrace in the city.
South Place Hotel
Plenty of hotels make deals with restauranteurs in order to offer high-end dining options — but it's something quite different when the restauranteurs are the ones who built the hotel. Situated between Moorgate and Liverpool Street stations, South Place Hotel is an 80-room affair and the first purpose-built hotel to open in the Square Mile in over 100 years. Inside this Design Hotels member, you'll find sleek, Conran-designed interiors, two top-tier restaurants, three bars, and five private dining and meeting rooms, as well as a host of artwork commissioned especially for the hotel. Outside, you've got easy access to transportation, the City, and the East End.
Reid's Palace
Perched on a private cliff, on an island hundreds of miles off the coast of Europe, Reid's Palace is an ideal escape in an unlikely spot. This luxury resort offers 35 suites and 128 bedrooms, as well as 5 seasonal restaurants, a cocktail bar with live music, heated sea- and freshwater pools, a sea-level pool, a children's pool, subtropical gardens, a sauna, a spa, a fitness center, two tennis courts, and a salon. Oh, and stunning ocean views.
The Pig Hotel
With a name like that, you might want to ask: is this a hotel, or a restaurant? Truthfully, The Pig Hotel is a little of both. Set in The New Forest of Hampshire, this 26-bedroom country house revolves around the restaurant. On property, you'll find the kitchen garden, a greenhouse, and a pig farm, all of which are open to hotel guests. A special foraging experience is also available for those wishing to trek out to hunt their own mushrooms, nuts, and berries for the chef to use at dinner that evening, further establishing the connection between the land, the hotel, and the kitchen. And don't worry if you're not that concerned with how the food gets on your plate — there's also the surrounding forest to explore, a drawing room with board games, and croquet out on the front field to occupy your time.
Nimb
The building might be huge, but inside, you'll be surprised by the coziness of the Nimb. This unique accommodation features 17 rooms and 9 junior suites, including a 2,600 square foot monster named Louise. Each room features it's own antiques and artwork, a fireplace, views of Tivoli Gardens, B&O TV/sound systems, and large bathrooms. Outside your room, you'll find three restaurants, a cocktail lounge — complete with fireplace, and a wine bar. With Tivoli Gardens right outside, you'll have little reason to stray far from your door.
Volcano House
There are literally dozens of places offering helicopter views of the Big Island's active volcanoes, but if you'd rather see these spectacular natural features from the ground, Volcano House is an ideal place to head. Located within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, this recently restored, historic hotel offers 33 guest rooms, 10 refurbished yet sparse camper cabins, and a dining room, snack bar, lounge, and obligatory gift shop. While you can find all those things — and more — at other resorts throughout the islands, this spot offers something those can't: amazing views of the Kilauea caldera and Halema'uma'u crater.
