1. Suite Impériale, Ritz Paris
Often revered as the high society centre of cultural, literary, and musical history The Ritz Paris is an industry bastion – Coco Chanel called it home for 30 years, Proust penned In Search for Lost Time while residing at the hotel, Hemingway has an eponymous bar here, and F.Scott Fitzgerald inscribed the hotel in the pages of his novels. For such a hotel to house one of the most coveted suites in Paris comes as no surprise. Not just the hotel, but the suite itself is listed as a Historic Monument of France in its own right. Overlooking Place Vendôme the 2,347-square-foot Suite Impériale is inspired by the splendour of the Château de Versailles and stands as a tribute to the Sun King and the French art de vivre of the time.
The suite consists of two bedrooms – one modelled after Marie Antoinette’s bedroom in Versailles, complete with a silk-draped canopy bed – a grand salon, and a dining room. The bathroom is a former boudoir, stunning with its signature gold swan faucets and pink marble tub overlooking a beautiful garden. The private kitchen, where guests are welcome to invite chefs to cook for them, has its own small personal wine cellar filled with a variety of French wines. Lovers of Imperial French style will appreciate the La Maison Pierre Frey carpets, Louis XIV furnishings of gilded chairs, and decadent drapery and wallpaper that fill the majestic room. The suite’s French art, bas-reliefs, and 18th-century panelling are all protected under its historic monument status. While there is no dedicated butler for the suite, a dedicated guest relations manager can be pre-arranged to cater to a guest’s every whim and, in true Ritz style, the service is polished and discreet.
2. Cheval Blanc Randheli Private Island, Cheval Blanc Randheli, Maldives
Set on a one-hectare island removed from the main Cheval Blanc Randheli resort in the Maldives, the sprawling Private Island is ideal for seclusion and as stylish as you’d expect from a LVMH Hotel Management-operated property. Designed by one of the world’s leading hotel architects, Jean-Michel Gathy, this Indian Ocean haven offers a modern twist on island living. Accessible from a private berth and jetty, the main four-bedroom villa with a three-storey-high lofty cathedral-style thatched roof runs alongside a stunning 25-metre swimming pool complete with a proscenium arch and adjacent jacuzzi. Three capacious light-filled living rooms invite guests to a musical interlude around a grand piano, blissful relaxation on the multiple sofas, or a festive break around the bar. In the private dining room, catered by the villa’s dedicated chef of course, guests can enjoy the fresh catch of the day, abundant local delicacies, or their favourite dishes from home.
The private island also features its own outdoor dining pergola, whilst the resorts’ multitude of dining venues are easily accessible via a short ride on the villa’s fleet of dhonis. Living spaces in a palette of greys, taupe, and yellows incorporate teak, thatch and coconut shell elements to make them feel more tropical. Outside, set among the lush gardens, is a private spa where guests can sink into treatments by Guerlain, either within a treatment room or on outdoor stilted terraces, also idyllic for yoga and Pilates sessions. A short path through the vegetation leads to the Guest Villa that offers a spacious bedroom, large indoor and outdoor living areas including an outdoor dining pergola, and a cinema for private screenings. Days on the island can be tailored for action-packed adventures or drift by at a languid pace as a dedicated team of Ambassadeurs (butlers), private chefs, yoga teachers and spa therapists – who arrive discreetly by boat – indulge you at leisure.
3. Diamond Suite - Princess Grace, Hôtel de Paris, Monte-Carlo
As opulent in location as it is in style, the Princess Grace Suite takes up the seventh and eighth floors of the legendary Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo in Monaco. Since the 1950s the hotel - known as the Grand Dame of the French Riviera - has attracted the glitterati, Hollywood stars, and royalty alike. Tipped to be a favourite of Princess Grace, who held her official wedding reception and 20th wedding anniversary celebration at the hotel, Prince Albert II helped to design the suite. The 910-square-metre suite features an elegant mix of modern amenities and vintage touches inspired by the tastes of the princess herself. The two bedrooms, office, three lounge areas, and living room are all brimming with works of poetry and fiction that were once part of her personal library, and each room features lush bouquets of her namesake blush-pink Grace roses. Such is the attention to detail that the sand-coloured bedroom carpet is even imprinted with her footsteps and a glass partition is etched with her handwriting.
Interior touches fit for a princess include the use of glass, precious wood, straw marquetry, mother-of-pearl and agate panels that exude wellbeing and serenity. Even mere mortals will feel like royalty when stepping onto the sun-drenched outdoor terrace, which offers unparalleled views of the Mediterranean, where a heated infinity pool gives way to an adjoining outdoor lounge and a granite jacuzzi. The suite also has a personalised mini bar, a private wine cellar and open bar with premium libations. Occupants of the suite have a team of private Clefs d’Or Concierges at their disposal to cater to their every whim. Pampered guests also have access to a dedicated booth in Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo in the winter and a tent on Monte-Carlo Beach in summer. The suite is a living tribute to the eternal allure of one of Hollywood’s most iconic figures.
4. Royal Penthouse Suite, Hotel President Wilson, Geneva, Switzerland
While we have come to expect over-the-top extravagance from the likes of Dubai and Las Vegas, it comes as a surprise that one of the most opulent hotel suites in the world is located in Geneva, Switzerland. Owing to its premier location in Geneva, the lake-facing hotel is a hotspot of diplomacy routinely visited by some of the most important global leaders. Spanning 18,083 square feet and occupying the entire eighth floor of the Hotel President Wilson, the Royal Penthouse Suite is the largest suite in Europe. A private elevator takes guests to the top-floor suite, which boasts 12 bedrooms and Hermès product-filled marble bathrooms. The wraparound terrace serves stunning vistas of Geneva’s Lac Leman to accompany the private in-suite dining experience, and even comes with a telescope for stargazing on clear nights.
The suite is often booked by dignitaries or celebrities with massive entourages, hence it comes equipped with a host of security features: such as bulletproof windows, a private elevator, a reinforced safe, and emergency alarm buttons scattered throughout. A private butler and chauffeur are available around the clock providing guests unmatched flexibility and convenience. Days of adventure or business can be followed by convivial times around the suite’s Brunswick billiards table, or tinkling away on the Steinway grand piano. Alternatively, guests can sit back in absolute luxury to watch movies on one of the biggest Bang & Olufsen TV screens in the world.
5. The Royal Mansion Atlantis The Royal, Dubai
When a hotel suite – or in this case mansion – counts Beyoncé and Jay-Z among its esteemed guests at opening weekend, you know it is no ordinary lodging. Such is the appeal of The Royal Mansion Atlantis The Royal on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah. Located on the 18th and 19th floors of Atlantis The Royal’s sky bridge, the four-bedroom accommodation is divided into a two-level penthouse with a private elevator and a foyer decorated with century-old olive trees. Playing up the open-air elements of its setting, guests are invited to make the most of a vast selection of private outdoor entertainment areas, the pinnacle of which is the 10-seater sunken majlis – a modern-day take on a beautiful Arabic tradition. The terrace offers sweeping views of Dubai’s skyline, as well as the Arabian Sea, which are best enjoyed with a dip in the temperature-controlled infinity pool.
The outdoor kitchen and seating area provide the perfect reason to opt for al fresco meals. Inside, the 12,141-square-foot regal hideaway is flush with modern details, like white-marble and vivid chandeliers. Four swanky bedrooms can host up to nine people and come with their own exclusive Hermès bath products. Those looking for a spa-like experience can unwind in their personal steam room too. The calibre of guests staying in the room will also appreciate the addition of a jewellery/safe room. With entertainment in mind, the indoor space offers a luxe 12-seater dining table where meals prepared in the private service kitchen can be enjoyed in high style. To continue the evening, guests can head into the entertainment room complete with a 98’’ LED TV, a library, and a bar. A personal butler service, along with 24-hour room service, ensures that guests staying in the Royal Mansion will feel nothing less than royalty.
6. The Mark Penthouse Suite, The Mark Hotel, New York
Nestled in the heart of New York City, The Mark Hotel enjoys landmark status in the Big Apple. Not only has it become the de facto choice for Met Gala guests, but its elegant penthouse is rumoured to have hosted Meghan Markle’s baby shower. The Mark Penthouse is known to be the largest hotel penthouse suite in the USA at more than 10,000 square feet, including 2,500 square feet of rooftop terrace with Central Park and Metropolitan Museum of Art views. Designed by legendary French interior designer Jacques Grange, the lavishly adorned bi-level unit is more like an Upper East Side residence. Of its 15 rooms the crown jewel is the lounge with 26-foot-high vaulted ceilings which can be converted into a full-sized grand ballroom. Additionally, the suite includes five bedrooms of which two are master suites, six bathrooms (one with a steam room), four fireplaces, two powder rooms, a professional kitchen, and a pair of wet bars.
The Mark Penthouse also boasts its own conservatory, library lounge, and stately dining room which can seat up to 24 guests. Each space is decorated with custom furniture designed by Jacques Grange, with every piece unique to The Mark. At an additional cost a host of services including a private butler, an in-house private chef from The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges to cook in the suite’s kitchen, a private car service, fitness lessons, and salon services can be arranged. Whether it is a personal dining experience on the penthouse terrace with Chef Jean-Georges, suit tailoring at midnight from Bergdorf Goodman, in-suite hair styling by Frédéric Fekkai or a dedicated car service with car and chauffeur of choice for the duration of a guests’ stay, The Mark’s team can arrange it all. The best time of year to stay in this suite is without a doubt during the festive winter time when a private skating rink is placed atop the penthouse’s terrace for the exclusive use of the penthouse’s guests.
7. The Royal Suite, The Lanesborough, London
Stepping into The Royal Suite at the Lanesborough in London is akin to stepping into a historical fantasy of when London was in its Bridgerton era. The largest suite in London is housed in what was once a neoclassical Knightsbridge home to an eponymous Viscount. Today, it is better known as The Lanesborough hotel, one of the city’s most iconic properties, commanding a prestigious location that straddles both Knightsbridge and Mayfair. Fans of minimalism and modernity look away because this Alberto Pinto-designed suite is all about Regency splendour - modern comforts are veiled behind ornamental plasterwork, gold leaf, and trompe-l’oeil. Overlooking Buckingham Palace Gardens, the 4,845-square-foot suite is a residence fit for royalty. Boasting seven bedrooms and bathrooms, two living rooms and a large dining room, it can be booked in part or in its entirety.
Reflecting the heritage of the building, a double-door entryway flanked by classical Greek columns leads into rooms with Baroque-style ceilings embellished with gold-leaf, crystal chandeliers, fringed pastel furniture, curtains with heavy pelmets, and dramatic marble fireplaces with fresh flowers in abundance. Gilded mirrors, classical paintings, and canopied beds continue this feeling of antiquated yet timeless design. Guests of the suite have access to a 24-hour butler – think your personal Jeeves, for whom any task from portering and room service to unpacking and pouring a pre-dinner in-room tipple is no big ask. Additionally, guests booking all seven rooms will have exclusive use of the hotel’s chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce Phantom for the duration of their stay.
8. Sir Winston Churchill Suite, Habtoor Palace Dubai, LXR Hotels & Resorts
In a city that exudes grandeur, the Sir Winston Churchill Suite at Habtoor Palace Dubai stands out as a suite-cum-museum experience. The gargantuan suite spans 9,827 square feet and is a shrine to the British statesman, writer, orator, and Prime Minister who created the Middle East Department at the British Foreign Office. At its debut, Randolph Churchill, the great grandson of Winston Churchill himself, visited to inaugurate it. The suite houses three bedrooms, a master bedroom connected to a generously sized bathroom with adjoining separate male and female walk-in dressing rooms, and two additional bedrooms featuring their own double vanity bathrooms. Space is in abundance across the vast living room with a formal 12-seater dining area, a lounge area, and an extensive elegant study.
Forgoing the gilded interior styles synonymous with Dubai hotels, the suite offers a more European aesthetic with a palette of taupe, grey and ivory with marble featured throughout. The suite’s pièce de résistance is an in-room spiral staircase that leads to a dramatic cathedral-like dome where a rooftop plunge pool reveals panoramic views of the landscaped gardens and surrounding city. Original artefacts from the Churchill archive have pride of place in the suite, ranging from decorative antiques to artwork painted by the war hero himself. Churchill flourished into a respected artist producing more than 500 canvases over 48 years, despite only adopting the pastime at the age of 40. Guests of the suite have access to a private butler, as well as complimentary access to a private beach at the hotel’s sister property Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah.
