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The best hotels our travel experts have reviewed around the world
From an idyllic beach hotel in Spain to a secluded mountain onsen in Japan, Which? Travel writers have been fortunate enough to visit some spectacular locations.
But the team always travels undercover and never accepts freebies. Our reviews are honest, and it takes a truly special hotel to score 4.5-5 stars.
A hotel rated five stars out of five in our rating system is ‘an exceptional hotel that we think is among the best of its type'.
Forget overpriced gimmicks, the best world hotels are steeped in authentic local charm, offer brilliant service and often reasonable overnight prices. The cheapest stay costs just £75 a night.
Our inspectors found 12 exceptional hotels we think are world-class in popular European destinations such as Cyprus, Switzerland and Slovenia. As well as long-haul addresses sure to impress in India, Mexico and the United States.
All hotel reviews here have previously appeared in Which? Travel magazine’s destination features, with stays taking place over the past three years.
For more hotel reviews, expertly researched destination ideas and unbiased travel advice and recommendations, subscribe to Which? Travel
Best hotels we’ve reviewed in Europe
Where to stay in Spain
Hotel Bon Sol, Palma, Mallorca
Peak price £310
Book here
Verdict: Built in 1953, before anyone had heard of a package holiday, the swimming pools, whitewashed, bougainvillea-clad buildings and lush gardens of the Hotel Bon Sol cascade down a clifftop to its own secluded cove.
Rooms in pastels and wooden furniture may be classic rather than classy, but with four pools, a spa, a rooftop tennis court, yoga on the sea-view terrace and a buffet so big it requires an initial scouting trip, the facilities are fantastic. The town centre is 15 minutes away by taxi. Outside summer, you can find a room for under £200.
Reviewed for July/Aug 2026 Which? Travel
Hotel Hurricane, Los Lances Beach, Tarifa
Score 4.5 stars
Peak price £240
Check prices direct
Verdict: With its lush gardens, classical arches and two outdoor swimming pools, Hotel Hurricane is like a kind of decadent Roman villa. The rooms either look out to the sea, through gaps in the palm trees, or up into the hills behind.
Dinner in the restaurant, with local fish a speciality, is also fit for a Roman emperor. This would be the perfect place to stay, even if you weren’t right on a wonderful (albeit slightly blowy) beach.
Reviewed for July/August 25 Which? Travel
Where to stay in Denmark
Admiral Hotel, Copenhagen
Score: 5 stars
Peak price £350
Verdict: Akin to an ocean liner moored on the harbour, the Admiral Hotel makes an impression.
Imposing wooden beams are incorporated into our spacious luxe bedroom alongside a leather banquette and porthole-esque window, the ideal place to drink in a harbour sunset.
During my comfy slumber, I couldn’t have dreamt up a better breakfast buffet. It’s sprawling, varied and with cooked and cold options to impress even the most discerning international guests.
Reviewed for May/Jun 2026 Which? Travel
Where to stay in Switzerland
Schloss Wartegg, Rorschacherberg, Lake Constance
Score 4.5 stars
Peak price €275
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Verdict: With its gleaming white walls, this 16th-century chateau could be the perfect Swiss sanatorium. Just 25 rooms means it’s spacious and airy, especially if you wander in the English garden. We loved the old-style spa – a 1920s, five-metre ceramic bath, with views over the hills. Locally sourced food, home pickled and smoked, is pricey but exquisite.
Reviewed for July 2024 issue of Which?Travel
Where to stay in Cyprus
Casale Panayiotis, Troodos
Score: 4.5 stars
Peak price €181
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Verdict: Accommodation is scattered uphill throughout the village in a range of styles and prices, from cosy rustic studios (€173) to luxurious superior suites with balconies overlooking the mountain (€181). Our suite in the traditional house Heliakos has a thatched, vaulted ceiling, modern bathroom, kitchenette and spacious terrace for soaking in the stunning panorama, giving you little reason to stray into the village.
Reviewed for July/August 25 issue of Which? Travel
Where to stay in Gran Canaria
Cordial Plaza Mayor de Santa Ana, Las Palmas
Score 4.5 stars
Peak price €138
Verdict: It’s simply a beautiful spot. From the swanky rooftop bar, the views over Plaza de Santa Ana – deep in the old town – are just as good as those from the top of the cathedral opposite. But book quickly, as getting one of the 20 great value rooms is like gold dust.
Reviewed for March 2024 issue of Which? Travel
Where to stay in Slovenia
Hotel Bohinj Lake Bohinj
Score 4.5 stars
Peak price £185
Verdict: Cowhide rugs and accent chairs with skis for feet complete the Alpine aesthetic at this chic lakeside hotel, which is crafted from natural materials. Its logo celebrates the four brave men who first summited Triglav in 1778 – the peak visible from front-facing rooms. Enjoy a soak in the outdoor hot tub and try the hotel’s signature almond chocolate cake.
Reviewed for May/Jun 25 issue of Which? Travel
Where to stay in Poland
Hotel Monopol, Wroclaw
Score: 4.5 stars
Peak price £117
Verdict: From a hushed welcome by sleek-uniformed staff to big rooms filled with expensive wood floors and fancy rainfall showers, Wrocław’s grandest address for more than a century offers the full-fat, five-star stay. Black mosaic tiles and arrow-slit windows make the basement pool feel like a private cavern; drag yourself away to try a maze of wet/dry saunas and a salt cave.
Reviewed for Sept 2024 issue of Which? Travel
Best hotels we’ve reviewed in Asia
Where to stay in Japan
Yama No Chaya, Hakone
Score: 5 stars
Peak price: £400
Check prices here luxury-ryokan.com
Verdict: Find spellbinding relaxation deep in a bamboo grove next to a river at this luxury ryokan. There’s a choice of Western or traditional rooms. Intuitive service and hushed tones meant we barely saw other guests, even in the indoor and outdoor hot spring baths. A complimentary private onsen experience added to the alchemy. The 10-course seasonal dinner and extensive breakfast cost an extra £97. An expensive stay, but if you can splash out, it’s a one-off experience to remember.
Reviewed for March 2025 issue of Which? Travel
Where to stay in India
Pal Haveli, Jodhpur
Score: 4.5 stars
Peak price £75
Check prices here
Built in 1847, this restored mansion in the heart of the Old City has 21 heritage rooms set around a courtyard. Opt for the suite – decorated with miniature paintings by a resident artist, and ceilings studded with chandeliers – to sleep soundly like royalty. There’s a small museum on site, while the rooftop restaurant, Indique, serves fiery laal maas (traditional mutton gravy) against panoramas of Mehrangarh Fort, Umaid Bhawan, and the clock tower.
Reviewed for Jan/Feb 2026 issue of Which? Travel
Best hotels we’ve reviewed in North America
Where to stay in the USA
Omni Hotel, Chicago
Score 4.5 stars
Peak price: $169
Verdict: Chicago is a bargain for luxury, so push the boat out on this 25-storey skyscraper just steps from the Magnificent Mile. Bellhops at the gold-coloured revolving door at the entrance, a marbled lobby and intricate stucco over the headboards in bedrooms, all of which are suites, let you know that you have arrived. Higher rooms have staggering views.
Reviewed for January 2024 issue of Which? Travel
Where to stay in Mexico
Acqua in Bocca, Merida
Score 4.5 stars
Peak price £107
Book here
In the centre of this searing city, you’ll appreciate the chilled rooms, the cool courtyard of chequerboard columns around an ancient alamo tree, and the shady pool. But it’s the spectacular breakfast with huge plates of pineapple and papaya, and traditional chilaquiles (crispy tortillas in a roasted tomatillo sauce) that you’ll remember.
Reviewed for May/Jun 2026 issue of Which? Travel
How we review hotels
Unlike all other national UK travel magazines and newspaper travel sections, Which? Travel never accepts freebies. We pay wherever we stay.
All our hotel inspections take place anonymously. We book a standard double room online, just as you would, and we sample the hotel’s facilities, just as you would. We never let on that we are from Which?
That means no special treatment, no reviewer upgrades and no opportunity for the hotel to influence our verdict.
And no matter how badly the hotel fares, we always publish the review, warts and all.
Our hotel ratings
We use an overall star rating for the hotel based on what we think you should expect for the type of accommodation (B&B, luxury hotel etc) and price.
All our ratings strictly adhere to the following criteria:
0 stars – A dreadful hotel. We would not recommend staying here.
1 star – A sub-standard hotel we think is well below average in its category.
2 stars – An adequate hotel we think has room for improvement.
3 stars – A solid hotel that meets our expectations.
4 stars – An excellent hotel we think is above average in its category.
5 stars – An exceptional hotel we think is among the best of its type.
All of these hotel reviews first appeared in Which? Travel