A Room With A View: The Worlds Most Ravishing Hotels According To Those Who Know.

4th May 2025

Isabella Rothman, Co Founder of Wondering People's Sri Lankan Choice

This feature was so well received last time, we thought we’d continue with good cheer. The people below are true connoisseurs of taste: antique dealers, designers, and writers whose eye for the beautiful and unusual I trust implicitly. They’re the ones I turn to for advice on all things aesthetic and, if I’m honest, on most other matters too.

So, imagine these hotel recommendations as the crème de la crème — they won’t show up on any filter, Google won’t catch them, and ChatGPT wouldn’t recognise them if they hit it in the face. They have that je ne sais quoi that only a human touch can detect. It takes like-minded souls, full of heart, who understand the quality of experience — not just the façade of style that so many places seem to be touting.

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Graeme Abbott, Founder of Ancien et Jolie

www.ancien.co.uk / @ancien_et_jolie

Hôtel de France, France

Always stay here whenever possible..

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Liberty Nimmo, Writer and Founder of Nimmo Skincare

www.nimmoskincare.com

Norman Watchtower at Torresponda, Italy

It's a little apartment tucked away on a beautiful estate on the outskirts of Positano, away from all the hustle and bustle. You can nip down to the beach, which has private access and can only be reached by dinghy and is where all the Italians jump off rocks. It's absolute bliss and somehow, I always feel like a princess when I'm there. In a good way.

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Rowena Morgan-Cox, Founder of Palefire Studio

www.palefirestudio.com / @palefire_studio

Skinopi Lodge, Greece

At the end of a perilous dirt track four simple stone villas cling to the edge of a cliff top covered in incredibly perfumed wild herbs – Skinopi is all about the unspoilt landscape and its pared back luxury (the antithesis to the Palefire aesthetic!) is ideal for those who get easily distracted by undesirable design details. I went for the last hurrah with my husband when pregnant and it was glorious.

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Angelica Squire, Co-Founder Of Studio Squire

www.studiosquire.co.uk / @studio_squire

The Quist on Brinsop Estate - Treehouse, England

Set high above the rolling hills of Herefordshire, amongst forest trees and remote woodland, The Quist is a totally magical spot where you want to turn off your phone, sink into the wood-fired hot tub and forget about all your worries. It’s utterly idyllic, beautifully decorated and a place I hope to visit again soon.

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Isabella Rothman, Co-founder of Wondering People

www.wonderingpeople.com / @wondering.people

Lunuganga, Sri Lanka

Tucked away in the lush greenery of Bentota, Geoffrey Bawa's estate (now boutique hotel) is a love letter to nature and design. Once a rubber plantation, Bawa transformed it into a masterpiece of Tropical Modernism, where gardens and architecture flow seamlessly together. Every corner tells a story of his vision.

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Cruz Wyndham, Creative Director at ANUT

www.anutcairo.com / @studio_cruz

Awasi Hotel, Chile

One is the Awasi hotel in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. The landscape in the desert is Moon like, the shades of red against the blue skies is absolutely stark and mesmerising. At night you can see the stars so clearly you can almost touch them. The hotel is beautiful done with vernacular architecture style using materials from the place. The garden is beautiful with lots of cactus and dry grasses - my favourite plants and color combos. 

Azulejo Room - Vik Hotel, Chile

The other is the wine region inside a Winery call Vik with the most delicious wines and contemporary architecture. It’s amazing to see this building against the landscape. Every room is done by a different artist. We stayed at one very beautiful tiled room painted by an artist depicting the landscape around, Pablo Montealegre Azulejo room.

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Alexandra Robinson, Founder of Alex Robinson

www.alexandra-robinson.com / @alexrobinsondesign

The Lorunser, Austria

The only hotel I ever stay in is called The Lorunser in Zurs, Austria. It is a treat my family and I look forward to all year. The skiing is amazing in and around Zurs, but it is being taken care of at the hotel that is the true holiday. I grew up staying here in the 80s and 90s and now take my own children here. It hasn’t changed at all in the 35 years that I’ve been going. It doesn’t try and be trendy in any way, instead, it is old school comfort with a traditional Austrian aesthetic, that never goes out of fashion.

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Ruby Jack, Founder of Ruby Jack

int.rubyjack.com / @rubyjack__

Chateau Tercey, France

If you fancy a deliciously eccentric Chateau stay hosted by a fabulous fashion guru, pop Brenda Knight at Chateau Tercey an email and prepare yourself for a bohemian adventure.

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Anna Glover, Creative Director of Anna Glover

www.annaglover.co.uk / @annagloverinteriors

Quintamar, Portugal

I first heard of Quintamar from chef Ixta Belfrage. It’s a magical place nestled in the Rio Formosa nature reserve in Portugal. The apartments are simple with no frills. Think a place to sleep, shower and boil an egg. It’s all about the outside, which is breathtaking. You wake up to the sound of the birds swirling over the natural swimming pool. Peacocks lead you around fruit trees in the garden and boxes of fresh vegetables are delivered from the owner’s organic farm next door. It’s a walk or a cycle from some of Portugal’s most beautiful sand spit beaches and loads of fresh seafood restaurants. We’ve been with and without kids and loved both trips equally. I can’t wait to go back. 

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