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WHEN YOU’RE ON holiday, some hotels will make you feel like royalty — and others will treat you like it.
These 9 opulent hotel suites are guaranteed to do just that.
Most are accompanied by a lofty price tag, but when they include personal butlers, pillow service, and once-in-a-lifetime views, you should make sure they get onto your bucket list.
Nightly rate: From about $7,900 (€6967)
Imagine waking up, stepping out onto the yoga deck, and enjoying coffee or tea while looking out over Laucala Island’s coconut plantations. It’s not a bad way to live. More than 1,800 square feet of living space, plus an outdoor garden, bathing area, and dining pavilions allow guests to live in luxury the entirety of their stay. The Hilltop Estate is even more over-the-top , but available to stay by invite or application only — and will run you about $40,000 a night.
Nightly rate: $25,000 (€22,000)
The Hardwood suite, named for its private, indoor basketball court, covers 10,000 square feet over two floors. It also has a professional locker room and “NBA-sized” beds. The suite sleeps an entire basketball team, but has a capacity for 350 people in case of post-game after-parties. It’s not limited to players, though; non-basketball celebs like Russell Simmons and Paris Hilton have also taken full advantage of the lavish bar, dance floor and lounge, and 24-hour butler service here.
Nightly rate: From $499 (€440)
The Waldorf Astoria considers the suites at the Towers to be their “hotel atop a hotel.” More exclusive than its downstairs neighbours, it features a private entrance off East 50th Street and delicate, Victorian-style suites. Guests have their own dedicated concierge and daily breakfast in the Astoria Lounge. During your stay, make sure you take advantage of the Waldorf Astoria Spa between the twice-daily maid service — by the time you return your bed will have been turned down for pleasant dreams.
Nightly rate: $30,000 (€26,460)
For a mere $30,000 per night, stay in this two-story suite overlooking Rome’s Via Veneto. The domed living room has a fresco inspired by Rome’s Renaissance-era art, as well as a private kitchen, wine cellar, private elevator, and fitness room. Guests can also request a personal chauffeur, shopper, private tours of Rome’s historical locations, and helicopter transfers. Nice.
Nightly rate: About $1,153 (€1017)
In a small village 200 kilometres above the Arctic Circle, guests at the famous Ice Hotel sleep comfortably in -5 degree temperatures. Each room is unique, furnished with a large bed and seating area made of ice and snow, and decorated with hand-carved art installations by artists selected from around the world. The Deluxesvit also boasts an ensuite sauna and toilet.
Nightly rate: $900 (€793)– $1,500 (€1323)
The world’s second underwater hotel room sits 13 feet beneath the surface of the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Tanzania. Designed by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg, the three-tiered suite includes a roof deck, a landing deck at sea level with a lounge and bathroom, and bedroom windows that afford a nearly 360-degree view of a nearby coral reef and dozens of species of fish.
Nightly rate: From $65 (€57)
The Rock Petra offers the ultimate in desert glamping. Luxury tents accommodate up to four people with plush, comfortable beds and jeweled Bedouin-style decor. The camp is circled by a gorge of beautiful, ancient rock formations that date back to 7,000BC. Steep yourself in the Bedouin way of life with authentic and hearty communal dinners, and music and dancing around the campfire.
Nightly rate: From $1,130 (€996)
Built in 1932 and modelled on a Scottish hunting lodge, Kenya’s Giraffe Manor offers luxury bedrooms with antique furnishings, striking art decor, and just-outside-the-window access to a giraffe sanctuary. Other safari animals wander the 140-acre property, too — if you’re so inclined, stop by the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and sponsor a baby elephant before returning home.
Nightly rate: $15,000 (€13,232)
The Maharajah’s Pavilion is a four-story monster of a suite, with a private entrance, library, bar and lounge, pool, and spa, not to mention a dining room and kitchen. If the Maharajah’s Pavilion is booked when you’re looking to stay, not to worry: The hotel has a second presidential suite, the Shahi Mahal, which offers equally extravagant amenities.
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Wear a mask no problem, avoid pubs no problem, no crowds ok. Visiting my family will continue no matter what. I’ve hit my breaking point. Anyone else?
@Richard Griffin: the true meaning of Christmas about to become clearer right? Family Time.
@Richard Griffin: the same. Reasonable measures yes, the remaining excesses , no.
@Isabel Oliveira:
Could not agree more.
Proper hand hygiene, social distancing, wearing a mask etc all good, all needed.
Everything else = Nonsense of the highest order. Stopped going into shops that just accept cards now, and will continue to do so when the pandemic ends. I have a bank card, it’s just the principle, my elderly family members don’t. That’s just one example of excess.
@Darren Anthony Corr: yes i am the exact same! Lots of small shops here where i am refusing to except cash! Lots of people i know too are staying away from these shops! Madness!
@Richard Griffin: Spot on Richard. Common sense at all times and everyone should be ok
@Madethyme:
Here where I am, Argos has a person at the door asking you what your looking for and won’t let you in until you tell them. The person at the door doesn’t even get the item you want for you, so I don’t get what that’s about?
Then Power City here has a massive outlet store, very easily to social distance. But you walk in and can’t look at anything in store, you have to go to a hatch and shout about 12 feet across the floor to some disinterested staff member about what your looking for and then they get it. And not accepting cash.
Two examples of stores I will not visit when all this is over. WHO has even said cash is a very small risk, so I don’t get the whole cashless thing really.
@Darren Anthony Corr: it costs a business money to deposit cash into the bank. ‘Security’ fees….cheaper to accept card only. I’m in sweden and no shops take cash anymore. Been that way for years. Get used to it.
“Sorry there annoying uncles, aunts and cousins, the aul COVID 19 restrictions your know yourselves. Just put the presents on the door step and back off”
How can they do a six month plan when emergency powers finish on November 9th. They’re already sure they’ll have these renewed. That’s how. Nobody will be able to sustain this limbo until March 2021.
Happy Christmas everyone!
@Twitruser2020: and a happy new year!. 2021 had better got its acts together and be better than the “year that shall not be named”.
This year it will be just me and a Turkey, hopefully one of us will be alive and well.
Yep. I’ve had enough of their bleating on. The bubble is about to burst
Take necessary precautions to keep each other safe, practice social distancing and hand hygiene, wear a mask on public transports, shops and enclosed places.
Everything else is just nonsense. The whole household thing doesn’t even make sense and is unlikely to be enforced anyway. The whole contactless payments only thing that some stores are doing is a joke and the excessive measures taken by certain businesses using Covid as an excuse just to cut corners and save money, I’ll remember you when the pandemic is over.
Great out for avoiding the annual pilgrimage to the in laws gaff
What about Halloween first,will there be no trick or treating!!!
@James Hayes: it’s outdoors and most will be wearing masks anyway
@James Hayes: visions of people dosing kids with hand sanitiser at every gate and placing double wrapped treat size lidl bars into a bag from 6 feet away with one of those mobility aid grabbers. Then leaving the bag of sweets outdoors to quarantine for 3 days
@James Hayes: Bangers going off in my area since August so looks like it’s going ahead.
@James Hayes: will be catapulting mini mars bars from the upstairs window
@James Hayes: that I will not miss! A bonus.
@Maria Hickey-Fagan: excellent comments Maria et all, they all made me giggle. Ya it seem like we’ll be leaving buckets of goodies out by the garden gate.;-)
@InvaderSkoodge: Sound plan. I got out the Halloween window decorations today. Have to have something to look forward to!
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Covid Tuesday, Stay at home Thursday, Social Distance Sunday – Amazon marketing train on the move.
Christmas!!!
Jasus.
Gotta run !
Levels 4 and 5, no Santa I presume…..
@Peter B: You would think he is vulnerable considering his weight and age
Can’t wait to get home to see ye all, oh wait
Oh rite I’ll put a 6 month plan in place and not discuss Christmas….!
Jesus Christ!!!
An excuse to avoid “the most wonderful time of the year”. Instead of a drink and biscuit for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph it will be a facemask and hand sanitiser.
They’ll give us 3 days off then bring out the jackboots for NYE…
Will santa be able to visit houses
I got a frozen turkey in Lidl last new year so I’ll be ok.
Halloween- cancelled
Xmas- cancelled
virus = under control
New Years eve – people ignore rules, Virus takes off again
Mícheál Martin Christmas is a time for families and hell will freeze over before you or your government will say who can & can’t visit my home Christmas or any other time for that matter Gardaí already under Resource and need to be dealing with crime not following up on people who have family or friends in their homes
Why write this in September? Nonsense
Will be the same as every year no change and that’s that.
There’s gonna be panic buying of the turkeys isn’t there !?! Sigh…
Me too, absolutely
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