Luxury Hotels in Europe – Beau-Rivage Palace Lausanne Switzerland

This five-star property has sat on the banks of Lake Geneva since the 1860s.

It’s 10-acre garden is best placed to make the most of Lausanne’s balmy microclimate—Ganz sums it up simply: “old world elegance with incredible lake views and beautiful rooms.”

It’s attracted boldfaced travelers from the outset, with regulars including Charlie Chaplin, Nelson Mandela, Audrey Hepburn, and Coco Chanel (who buried one of her dogs in its cemetery), and it oozes a timeless elegance.

Come here for supper at Michelin-favorite Anne-Sophie Pic’s restaurant, and book a treatment at its spa, one of just a handful under the auspices of Guerlain.

JK Place Paris France

This chainlet of upscale hotels was started just over 20 years ago by Jonathan Kafri (hence JK) and his son Ori, and remains family-run today.

They carved out a reputation for excellence via their initial sites in Italy, but expanded to Paris seven years ago—and thank goodness, says Jason Squatriglia, who says the GM Riccardo Ortogni is one of the best in the country.

The 30-room property on the Left Bank’s rue de Lille feels more like an eccentric stylish aunt’s bijoux home than a hotel, all flea market finds and bespoke Italian furniture plus a buzzy outpost of Casa Tua, Miky Grendene’s Miami-Italian restaurant.

Luxury Hotels in Europe – Brenners Park Hotel & Spa Baden-Baden Germany

Brenners Park Hotel & Spa underwent a yearslong, much-needed reconfiguration.

Baden-Baden has been a spa town since ancient times, luring Roman-era nobles to take the waters there at its natural springs in the Black Forest.

That ritual became more formalized in the late 19^th century, via new options like Brenners Park and it’s been a storied five-star hotel for more than 150 years; the adjacent Villa Stéphanie now houses its medical facilities, under the stern-but-fair authority of longevity guru Harry König.

“The park and estate grounds make it unique,” says Gwen Kozlowski, noting its setting both moments’ walk from the center of town, but in a lushly green perch more like a country pile.

Villa San Michele Florence Italy

Just outside Florence sits Fiesole, which in Roman times would have been the local hub, and it’s here that Belmond operates the just-renovated Villa San Michele (one of two Florence-adjacent hotels to make this elite list).

“You can enjoy Florence from above without being consumed by it,” says Andrea Grisdale.

“You’re near enough but far enough.” Clock the stunning views across the city and the Tuscan Hills, from most of the 39 rooms, split between the main building and a few satellite spots, plus three restaurants (sunset supper overlooking the city from its namesake restaurant is sensational).

Embrace the history around you with a stay in the Grand Tour, the first-floor suite that’s been carved out of rooms that once acted as Napoleon’s HQ, and don’t miss the Nicodemo Ferrucci fresco of the Last Supper, which was painted in 1642, when the complex was functioning as a monastery.

Luxury Hotels in Europe – Orient Express Venezia Venice Italy

Venice is a hotbed of activity for five star hotels right now, whether via the renovation of Cipriani, the Four Seasons-powered makeover of the Danieli or the newly opened Airelles.

But only one hotel made the cut on our list, and it’s this one, the second site for the new Orient Express hotel brand.

One of its main appeals: the unlikely location, in quiet Cannaregio, which Grisdale calls a “to-be-discovered, loved-by-the-locals area” still close to St Marks and co.

It commandeered the neo-Gothic pink pile, Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, which dates back to the 15^th century, with a reassuringly theatrical flourish courtesy of designer Aline Asmar d’Amman.

Book a suite next year and you can take a water taxi from the hotel to the relaunched Orient Express train, which will hit the tracks from Istanbul once more after several years’ absence.

Luura Cliff Paros Greece

Paros is “having a moment,” as they say, as a more laid-back alternative to Mykonos and Santorini.

And within the beautiful Cycladic landscape is Luura, a clifftop boutique hideaway opening August 1 by Morgans Originals, a collection of independent hotels deeply rooted in local culture.

John Clifford recalls how Luura is “sculpted like a stark-white minimalist village” overlooking Agia Irini Bay, creating a quiet, hyper-exclusive, adults-only retreat.

All guest rooms face west, ensuring unobstructed sunset views over the Aegean for everyone.

Experience the local culture through ceramics and marble workshops, or on a sail around to hidden bays and nearby villages.

Sample the flavors of the region at Lenea, a contemporary Mediterranean kitchen, or for something totally different, get a taste of Osaka at Mimi Kakushi.

Luxury Hotels in Europe – The Hideaway by Perivolas Thirasia Greece

Like a movie set version of a billionaire’s retreat, the Hideaway on Thirasia is the ultimate hidden gem amid the hectic hubbub of the Cyclades.

It sits in a former pumice facility opposite Oia, and so its roof terrace gives you “bragging rights to the best view of Santorini” during sunset on the Caldera, according to Ileana von Hirsch of Five Star Greece.

The whitewashed building’s accessible only by a five-minute speedboat ride or helicopter, keeping the hoi polloi at bay; the skipper and boat come bundled for your use during your stay, as does a hostess and cook.

Reassuringly, it’s operated by Perivolas, the luxe hotel carved out of a series of centuries-old caves, once used as wine cellars and stables, which helped establish Oia’s five-star credentials.

Octant Vila Monte The Algarve Portugal

Newly renovated and reopened, Octant Vila Monte is a boutique 55-room retreat set among the hills of the Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost stretch of countryside and Mediterranean beaches.

The ocean is a 10-minute drive away, though you’re more likely to come to enjoy that tourist-free pastoral life.

22 acres of citrus groves and gardens, wood-fired Algarvian meals at À Terra restaurant with produce sourced from the on-site garden, beautiful airy suites and two outdoor pools (one for families, one for adults).

The hotel also offers cultural excursions, such as boat trips to Fuseta Island and Ria Formosa or oyster farm tours, and benefits from having the “best general manager in the south of Portugal,” says Virginia Irurita.

Luxury Hotels in Europe – Hotel Miramar Barcelona Spain

Location, as they say, is everything, and Hotel Miramar benefits from a beautiful perch.

The restored 1920s palace is within Forestier-designed Miramar Gardens on the slopes of Montjuïc.

The park’s lush, terraced viewpoints were designed for the 1929 International Exposition, and still have outstanding views of Barcelona Pier and the sea.

“That Mediterranean feel . . . it’s amazing,” says Irurita.

The recently renovated hotel mixes heritage architecture with sleek interior design; the rooms are big, the outdoor space plentiful, and the spa has an indoor “thermal zone” with hammam, sauna, and hydrotherapy circuit that proves a godsend in the winter.

St. Regis Budapest Hungary

St. Regis is a storied brand unto itself—now imagine it occupying a neo-Baroque palace, commissioned by Archduchess Maria Klotild at the turn of the 20th century, where writers and artists of the Belle Époque would gather to swap stories and raise glasses.

Klotild Palace remains well preserved, just minutes from the Danube River, and within, the St. Regis creates an experience still fit for royalty and the literati.

Ascend a grand staircase beneath crown-shaped chandeliers, pause for the St. Regis Champagne-sabering ritual in the sunlit atrium or marble-filled bar, relax in the subterranean spa’s hammam.

Or retire to the Klotild Tower Suite in the domed corner tower, a standout amid the 102 guest rooms and suites.

This decadent addition to Budapest is the “first real competition for the Four Seasons,” says Kozlowski. Expect us to be talking about it for a while.