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A hotel to many is just somewhere to lay their heads, shower and change their clothes, whether it is after a very prolonged and intense business meeting or a long hard day sunbathing on the beach.
If you are on a business trip, the important points of your hotel are normally functionality – the closer to the airport or train station the better – as well as the cost, as you always want to get the best deal for your dollar. The same principle usually applies when you go on vacation, too, but you are normally a little more relaxed and flexible with regard to your temporary dwelling.
LUXURY HOTELS
There are, on the other hand, a certain group of people – mostly the seriously wealthy – who will choose to stay at only the very best establishments, regardless of cost. These people are the sort of clientele that most hotels would give their right arm for, but more importantly than that, they are the conduit by which mere mortals finally discover, albeit through pictures in glossy magazines, the delights of staying in some of the top hotels around the world.
Whilst restrictions aren’t in place to who can visit these places as such, it does come down to cost. You do, in many respects, get what you pay for, but you will definitely do just that, as these seven hotels and their most notable suites show – if you’ve got the money to spend, you can so easily do so on total and unadulterated luxury.
Burj Al Arab, Dubai
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Deciding what to start on lists like these is always hard, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai is as good a place as any, especially when you consider it does not have any standard rooms. Everything here is a suite (of which there are over 200 of them) and by suite we mean your accommodation which ranges from around 1,800 square feet to a truly staggering 8,400 square feet of the Royal Suite, which includes a living, dining areas and a whirlpool bath, all spread out over two floors.
For just short of $19,000 per night, you also get reception desks on every floor, infinity pools, as well as a private beach and you can enjoy all of this safe in the knowledge that you have around the clock butler service to take care of your every whim. You can even have a table booked in one of the six superb restaurants, where you can dine either under the sea or up in the heavens under the stars.
Able to arrive in style if you so desire, with a Rolls Royce Phantom collecting you from the airport for around $325, you conversely opt to be helicoptered in for around $2,700, just in time to pop down to the spa and health club for an oriental massage.
Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas
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A fantastically stunning hotel itself, the Atlantis Paradise Island’s Royal Towers Bridge suite helps to set it apart from most others.
Once you have taken in the grand foyer with its beautiful floor made from four kinds of marble, be prepared for gold and more gold. The suite, which has 10 rooms with 12 feet high ceilings, a baby grand piano and a balcony view of the resort and the marina, is decorated to the highest standard, as you would expect for around $25,000 per night.
An utterly compelling accommodation, the balcony is around 800 square feet, whilst the living room is around 1,250 square feet and for your buck, you will also get a master bedroom with a king size bed and a flat screen HD TV along with his and hers master bathrooms, complete with marble baths.
As well as the entertainment center and bar lounge, there is also a 22 carat gold chandelier hanging in the dining room just for good measure. What’s more, to help you enjoy your stay, the suite also offers a permanent staff of seven who access the suite discreetly through their own private entrance
Hotel Martinez, Cannes
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The French Riviera is the destination of choice for many celebrities, movie stars and the rich and famous, as well as being the home of the world famous Cannes Film Festival and it’s these such people who you’ll often find staying at the architecturally wonderful and aesthetically pleasing art deco style Penthouse Suite in the Hotel Martinez.
For a price tag of around $37,500 per night, you will be staying in a 10,000 square foot, two terrace lap of luxury. The stunning view of the Bay of Cannes from your private terrace will simply serve to enhance your accommodation, which has all the trappings that you would expect at such a price.
There are two bedrooms, two bathrooms with marble baths, a sauna, shower and a spa bath along with a dressing room and sitting room with plasma TVs. Should you feel a little peckish, there is a two Michelin star restaurant serving the very best cuisine or you could simply make use of the 24 hour butler service which is there at your behest.
Westin Excelsior, Rome
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Home to the largest suite in the whole of Italy, the Westin Excelsior’s Villa La Cupola can be yours for $30,000 per night – and for that sort of money you get an opulence that you could only get in Italy.
The huge suite is spread over two floors (the fifth and sixth), with a marble staircase and a private elevator between them and a wraparound terrace overlooking the Via Veneto.
The décor, inspired by ancient Rome, uses lots of marble, along with stunning frescoes, mosaic floors and beautiful stained glass. However, the centrepiece is without doubt the domed living room, which has as its main feature a stunning hand-frescoed cupola, almost 40 feet high.
Packed full of modern facilities include a private spa complete with sauna, whirlpool and steam bath, a private fitness centre and incredibly, a private cinema, the study and connected living room are both panelled in Italian oak. What’s more, the majestic dining room with its beautiful Murano glass chandelier and antique mosaic decorated dining table is served to from a private kitchen, ensuring the utmost luxury in every respect throughout your entire stay.
Raj Palace Hotel, Jaipur
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At one time the residence of nothing less than a Maharaja, the Raj Palace’s Presidential Suite really does have to be seen to be believed. The four floor residence, which covers more than 16,000 square feet, is more than lavishly decorated with gold leaf and ivory to a superb level.
As you would expect, there’s a private roof terrace, a swimming pool, a more than adequate library, a private theater and – believe it or not – its very own museum. The $45,000 per night price tag also gets you a dining room with your own kitchen staff and when you feel the need to rest your head, you will have a choice of six bedrooms to choose from.
The Raj Palace has been the resting place to some of the richest people in the world, as well as being graced by heads of state and royalty. Understandably, the hotel is extremely proud of its clientele and takes great pleasure and satisfaction from the framed pictures of them around the buildings.
Hotel President Wilson, Geneva
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Even by the incredible standards already set by the previous places, the Royal Penthouse Suite at the Hotel President Wilson in Geneva is, to say the least, unbelievable. When you consider that this suite – which is actually a 12-room residence – will cost a mind blowing $80,000 a night, you know that you will be in for something spectacular.
For a start, the suite takes up the whole of the top floor and as such, commands absolutely outstanding panoramic views of the Alps and Lake Geneva. The private elevator brings you to a whole new level of sheer extravagance, offering up 12 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, a billiard room, a Steinway grand piano, a library, a salon and a fitness center. Oh and a man-size safe, too.
The windows and doors are bulletproof, there is access to a helipad and should you want to watch a little TV, the one in this suite may have a slightly larger screen than you may be used to, being an incredible 103 inches wide.
Offering up an extensive art collection and with an entire team including a butler, chef and personal assistant at your service 24 hours a day, you can be guaranteed that everything possible has been done to make your stay as restful and relaxed as possible.
Savoy Hotel, London
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Having been a particularly British institution for well over 100 years, the recent three-year, $345 million renovation has put it put it back where it belongs, with the Royal Suite being the pinnacle of the hotel’s lavishness, covering the fifth floor in its entirety and offering magnificent views of the River Thames, the London Eye and the historic Houses of Parliament.
Once you pass through the marble foyer, you reach the fully equipped wooden-panelled office, before you come to the living room and dining room. The master bedroom has a very expensive king size Savoire bed replete with Mascioni bed linen to ensure that you sleep well.
As you may expect, there is also a service kitchen, should you be travelling with your own personal chef and even an air conditioned shoe cupboard. To top it all, if the fine furnishings and ultra-opulent fixtures and fittings are not enough, amazingly they have mirrors that turn into televisions – and you can have it all for just $16,000 a night.
HOTELS
Whether you want to spring for one of these most expensive hotels or are looking for something more economical, these listings can assist you:
