Words by Deanne Kaczerski, Shari Mycek, Becca Hensley, Jake Emen, Katie McElveen, Brandon Perlman, Ann Abel, and Kathryn Romeyn. Each hotel is being equally honored in no particular order.
What makes a suite truly suite? For some, it’s the square footage of a small palace; for others, it’s a bathtub so indulgent you’d swear it comes with a lifeguard. Maybe it’s a private outdoor shower that screams, “I’m fancy, but I’m also one with nature,” or the kind of sprawling kitchen that practically demands (and comes with) a personal chef (and, let’s be real, a sous-chef, too). Perhaps it’s the private elevator whisking you to an entire floor, or maybe it’s the storytelling — who doesn’t love a room hosting royalty, rock stars, or that mysterious “VIP” in the guestbook? Whether you’re a design aficionado hunting for Insta-worthy interiors or someone who simply insists on a private beach and round-the-clock pampering, the over-the-top suite is as much a vibe as it is a space.
Following, we’ve curated a lineup of suites so extra, they’ll make your vacation look like a Netflix rom-com in the best way possible.
Borromeo Suite, Portrait Milano, Milan Italy
The Portrait Milano hotel is the Ferragamo family’s boldest foray into design-forward Italian luxury hospitality yet, and that ethos reaches its peak in the Borromeo Suite. Named for an aristocratic family that traces its roots in the city to the 14th century, it’s unambiguously Milanese and proudly aristocratic. The living room has large corner sofas and stylish libraries, and its massive bathroom is clad in Carrara marble, but its standout feature is its natural light. The hotel’s central loggia is on one side, while its elegant gardens are on the other.
Maria Imperial Suite, Hotel Maria, Helsinki
It is the full-size private sauna in the top suite at the year-old Hotel Maria that won us over. It’s part of an oversized, elegant boudoir that also includes a claw-foot tub, a steam room, and direct access to the hotel’s wellness concierge and spa. The suite’s other niceties include a private chauffeur pickup at Helsinki airport, butler service, and a soothing, white-on-white color scheme perfect for an imperial snow princess.
L’Appartement Prince Bonaparte, Shangri-La Hotel, Paris, France
Perhaps the shining star of all of Paris’ divine palace hotels, Shangri-La Paris was once the home of Napoleon’s royal nephew, Prince Roland, a scientist, literati member, and gadabout. Sip Champagne in the hotel’s common areas, which served as his salons and game rooms. Then, retire to his former residence, Shangri-La Paris’ piece-de-resistance, a 3,390-square-foot haven on the second floor, awash in the Directoire style; the one-bedroom hideaway flaunts gilt work galore, Versailles-like parquet floors, period furnishings, and master artwork aplenty.
The Datai Suite, The Datai Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia
The top suite at Langkawi’s longtime leader in sustainable luxury impresses with its size alone. It stretches across some 4,000 square feet with stunning views of the lush rainforest that envelops the hotel and sparkle of the Andaman Sea beyond. There are two bedrooms, one with a king bed and the other with twins, and a slew of other luxuries like lavish writing desks, plush day beds, a panoramic balcony, and round-the-clock butler service.
Crestone Suite, Four Seasons Resort and Residences, Vail, Colorado
With breathtaking mountain views and a center courtyard garden at its heart, this classy hotel harbors guests in polished elan, all with casual Colorado undertones. The just-refurbished, one-bedroom Crestone Suite, encompassing some 1,000 square feet with space for four, embodies Italian-esque modern flourishes that impart a residential aura. Sleek, kitted out in stone, felt, leather, and wood, the Crestone Suite allows families to spread out in opulent urbanity in ski season and beyond. Its hedonistic marble bathroom is worth the admission price.
Cassiopée Suite, Coquillade, Provence, France
This expansive suite looks out over the lavender-scented hills and rolling vineyards of Luberon; take in the scene from the bedroom, sitting room, garden verandah, glass-walled sauna, or while floating in your private pool. The art-filled space also has two dining areas (one inside and one outside) and direct access to the spa.
San Clemente Suite, Kempinski San Clemente Palace, Venice, Italy
Although the Kempinski San Clemente Palace is not in the city center, the tradeoff for being on a private island is worth it —especially in the top suite. Literally, the top floor of the 15th-century monastery for the extremely well-funded monks of the Lateran order, the hotel’s namesake suite has nine huge windows on each of its two long sides, giving guests the feeling of being on an especially luxurious yacht. The floors are terrazzo, the chandeliers Murano, the library smart and multilingual, the art tasteful, and the bathtub a sexy ostrich egg built for two.
Rosewood Myokoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico
In a sea of stunning and exceptional villas, the beachfront villa at Rosewood Myokoba Riviera Maya is an exception. We’ve already reserved our suite for 2025. Thoughtful amenities, custom furnishings by Mexican artists, a private plunge pool, an oversized terrace, exquisite dining, and an extraordinarily spacious bathroom are just a few of the wow factors. Along with the butler who tends to every whim.
Bulgari Suite, Bulgari Hotel Tokyo, Japan
Offering an incredible location — walking distance to the Imperial Palace; Nihombashi and Ginza shopping districts — Bulgari Hotel Tokyo is also home to the city’s largest and most spectacular suite. The Bulgari Suite offers a fusion of modern Italian design with touches of Japanese traditions. We loved the sweeping views, pops of yellow silk (fabrics), and exquisite caviar service.
Executive Suite, Nimb, A Member of Small Luxury Hotels, Copenhagen
For those who hanker to star in their own fairy tale, no other hotel on earth but Nimb will do. A historic hostelry, spellbindingly re-imagined, it lords over the city’s illustrious playground, Tivoli Garden, like a regal castle. From your terrace in the grand Executive Suite, you’ll rule over the park’s vivacious pulse with regal authority — or snuggle indoors surrounded by antiques and lavish Danish adornments and accouterments. Encompassing some 1,400 princess-worthy square feet, Nimb’s equivalent of a Presidential Suite pampers with a quixotic soaking tub, a Dyson hairdryer, spa amenities (think: face masks and more), a yoga mat, and complimentary tickets to the park. Just walk downstairs to partake of Michelin-starred restaurants, clever shops, upscale vendors, and entertaining amusements for all ages.
Africa House, Royal Malewane, South Africa
Listen for the mocking call of the Go Away Birds and the chirping of cheetahs in Thornybush Game Reserve on the western edge of Kruger National Park. Amid a pastiche of Acacia trees and scrubby Jacalberry-filled savannah, Royal Malewane delivers some of the region’s best safaris. An intimate compound of several exclusive lodges deftly fused into the bushland, Africa House provides a villa experience complete with a personal chef, guide, and tracker. Sublimely envisioned and designed by owner Liz Biden with maximalist allure, it comprises six stunning suites ideal for exclusive-use rental.
45 Park Lane, London
True confession: my teenage son accompanied me to 45 Park Lane and he’s never been better groomed. The telly in the shower was an unexpected hit. While he soaped and cleansed (multiple times a day), we fell in love with the sumptuous Art Deco furnishings, and Juliet-style terrace with its sweeping views of Hyde Park and all of London.
Ellerman House, Cape Town, South Africa
The historic Ellerman House, built over a century ago, is a converted mansion stocked with a stunning South African art collection including over 1,000 pieces. There are only 13 enormous rooms in the house, topped out by 1,100-square-foot suites with stunning cliff-top views of the roaring Atlantic Ocean below. Suites include lounge and dining rooms in addition to private terraces, as well as an inclusive mini bar loaded with your favorite treats and drinks.
The Lord Monck Suite, The Merrion Hotel, Dublin, Ireland
It’s no surprise that The Merrion feels like an assemblage art piece. After all, the stately hotel shelters one of the largest private art collections in Ireland. Composed from the commingling of four exemplary Georgian residences, The Merrion exudes refined residential vibes. To channel that classic era and be treated like a peer of the realm, book The Lord Monck Suite, a bastion of assiduously restored rococo plasterwork. Enchanting birds and flowers brighten its curvilinear boat-shaped ceiling. Dapper, elegant, and understated, offering perfection in the form of crystal glasses, monogrammed towels, and period furniture, the suit also includes a small second room that can be transformed into a gym, office, dining room, or second bedroom.
Duhau Suite at Park Hyatt, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The acme of an already landmark palace that brims with pizazz, the Duhau Suite measures some 1,700 square feet to occupy a lion’s share of the icon’s top floor. A huge private wrap-around balcony embraces unmissable garden views, while the interiors soothe with sophisticated silks, crystal chandeliers, antiques, a bedazzling marble bathroom, and a working fireplace. It’s the epitome of what you’ve always heard: that Buenos Aires is the Paris of South America. You’ll feel like you’re in a Parisian palace in this suite — but with an Argentinian tango-imbued soul.
Relais Christine, Paris, France
Enjoy a different Parisian perspective from the city’s left bank with a stay at the romantic Relais Christine. Signature duplex suites are spread across two floors, with daybeds and sofas for comfortable relaxation in addition to the top-floor bedroom. Diptyque amenities, garden views, and private bar privileges round out your room perks, in addition to the hotel’s famed breakfast spread. It’s perhaps the only valid reason to drag yourself away from your suite at the start of a new day.
Diplomatic Suite, Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
While every room at the iconic, sailboat-shaped Jumeirah Burj Al Arab is a gilded masterpiece, its Diplomatic Suite is next level. It features over 7,200 square feet of living space spread across three bedrooms and two floors, including two full master bathrooms and a dining room that can accommodate six. The décor defines opulence, and dedicated butler service will spoil you to no end.
Thyme, Southrop, Cotswolds, United Kingdom
Spread across 150 acres of pristine English countryside in the Cotswolds, Thyme incorporates a sweeping array of restored, Grade 2-listed buildings, Charming Cottage Suites are standalone units with private garden terraces, sitting rooms with wood-burning stoves, and clawfoot bathtubs. Spend your days with leisurely walks, garden tours, and cooking classes, living out your period piece fantasies to their fullest.
Suite Greta, Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como, Italy
Even with competition from the opulent velvet fabrics, ornate carved-wood furnishings, and freestanding circular marble Jacuzzi, the first thing you notice about Suite Greta is the view from the terrace, a perfectly private 300-square-foot outdoor space that looks out over the glistening water of Lake Como. The pool is worth a mention too. Suspended on the lake, Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s signature Water on Water pool is a bit like the floating swimming platforms that populate lakes and calm bays all over the world — only a thousand times better. That’s because it’s not just a platform, but a full-sized pool, surrounded on all sides by Lake Como.
Walter Paepcke Suite, Little Nell, Aspen, Colorado
Aspen’s premier hotel suite, and the Little Nell’s biggest. Walter Paepcke, a visionary industrialist, imagined a center of mind, body, and spirit high in the Colorado Rockies. If anything embodies that ideal, it is this grand 2,500-square-foot, one-bedroom space. A sweeping private balcony takes in the base of Aspen Mountain, the Silver Queen Gondola, and Ajax Tavern’s “see and be” scene, while a central fireplace anchors an expansive living room which includes an elegant workstation, a dining table seating six, and an adjacent powder room. And then there’s the art and design – the Plein Air Series, two pieces by John Riepenhoff, Ajiro Vineyard wall covering by Maya Romanoff, and Frank Game Table by Mattaliano – a custom-designed game table with crystal chess and backgammon pieces. Other standouts: Mark Albrecht bar stools., Mystere Coffee Table by Tristan Auer, and Gem Table by Chai Ming Studios. Welcome to basecamp for the Aspen Idea.
Raja Man Singh Pool Suite, Six Senses, Fort Barwara, India
Simply entering the storied gates of this 14th-century fort-turned-Six Senses retreat in Rajasthan’s gorgeous countryside near Ranthambore National Park made me feel like royalty. And the property’s expansive suites with peekaboo views through the ancient stone wall only enhanced that feeling. Most sumptuous is the Raja Man Singh Pool Suite, which has hand-painted walls, a swinging sofa, wooden jali screens, and a cushion-laden daybed in a gazebo with curled archways. It’s hugged by the private pool that fits just inside the original fortified parapet, with a lookout that allows guests a privileged panorama of the rolling hills beyond.
Villa One at One & Only Aesthesis, Greece
Mid-century design meets Grecian accents in this stunning two-bedroom villa overlooking the Aegean Sea. Glass doors lead to your own nautical playground: beachfront pool, day beds and sun loungers, seafront Jacuzzi, and rooftop garden with lounge and fire pit. A gourmet kitchen, private gym, endless water views, and secluded staff quarters complete the aesthetic.
Feature image, courtesy Shangri-La Paris.
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