Travel and Leisure Releases New List of Top 100 Hotels in the World

Dreaming of a lavish getaway, but don't yet know where you wanna go - or more importantly, where you wanna stay? Before you start throwing darts at a world map and googling hotels wherever they land, why not work backwards by first discovering the luxury hotel of your dreams, and planning your trip from there?

But if you don't have a "hotel of your dreams" just yet, you might just find yours on Travel + Leisure 's newest list of the Top 100 Hotels in the World. Ranked by the magazine's readers, this list pulled places from all corners of the world to put together a truly eclectic list to suit every traveler's taste - and the surprise at the Number One spot was a particularly special treat.

T+L editor Sam Lauriello highlighted a few of her personal favorites from @travelandleisuremag 's newest hotel ranking list, and her picks were quite telling. When the palatial and historic Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, the top-ranked resort in all of Italy, came in at only the 88th slot on the list, I knew they had some truly elite resorts in store.

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But nothing could have prepared me for the resort that would take the number one spot: the Oberoi Rajvilas in Jaipur, India. This isn't just a typical luxury resort; this is a palace. Talk about getting the royal treatment! The Oberoi Rajvilas is designed in the style of a Rajasthani fort, encompassing around 32 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, reflection pools, traditional architecture, and much more. Many of the suites and villas on the property come with their own private pools and gardens as well.

Sam already touched on a few highlights - guided morning yoga, proximity to the nearby historic city of Jaipur, etc., but that's really just the beginning. I was enthralled just reading through the resort's featured experiences: hot air balloon tours, leopard safaris, traditional Rajasthani feasts by the resort's pool... I'd almost be too intimidated to visit the Oberoi Rajvilas, for fear it would ruin every other resort in the world for me! After all, it is officially number one...

US Features on Travel + Leisure 's List

With 100 stunning hotels around the world to choose from (actually a little more than 100, as there were multiple ties) Travel + Leisure 's Top 100 Hotels List has something for every type of vacation, whether you want to go on a Kenyan safari , wine and dine near world-famous vineyards, swim through the glassy waters of the Maldives , or play royalty in a breathtaking Rajasthani palace. But not everyone has a passport, nor the ability to afford a round-trip international flight and a luxury hotel stay, so I wanted to hone in on some highlights closer to home.

16 US hotels made it into the top 100 (plus ties). These picks ranged from intimate and romantic boutique stays like The Inn Above Tide in Sausalito, California (tied at #86), to scenic, wide-open outdoorsy getaways like the Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, Montana (tied at #78), to classic beach resorts like the Mission Pacific Beach Resort in Oceanside, California (#11). Heck, you can even get the European castle experience without leaving the US - the 136-year-old Norumbega in Camden, Maine (#52 on the list) is built in the style of a classic "fairytale chateau."

Whether you want to stay fairly close to home or see something new on the other side of the world, chances are you'll find your perfect fit on this list. None of these hotels ranked lower than 97/100 out of T+L 's metrics, so even if you start at the very bottom of their list, you're guaranteed a world-class experience. Feeling inspired yet?

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