Monday 31 July 2017

Inside the 'best hotel in the world':

Inside the 'best hotel in the world': 

£800-a-night Indonesian resort is voted top by travellers (and the runners-up aren't too shabby either)

  • Readers of Travel + Leisure voted the idyllic resort of Nihi Sumba in Indonesia the best hotel in the world
  • With just 33 villas set over 560 acres of lush jungle spilling into the sea, guests can enjoy complete privacy 
  • In second place was Marlon Brando's hotel in French Polynesia, followed by a lavish ranch in Wyoming 
A luxurious Indonesian hideaway has been rated the best hotel in the world for a second year running. 
Readers of Travel + Leisure gave the idyllic resort of Nihi Sumba a 99.12 score out of a possible 100 as part of the annual contest.
And it's easy to see why. With just 33 villas set over 560 acres of lush jungle spilling into the sea, guests can enjoy complete privacy and ultimate relaxation - all for the princely sum of £800 per night and above.
In second place was The Brando in Tetiaroa, French Polynesia - boasting 35 private villas, each with their own pool and beach to give the illusion you're the only person on the island - with an overall score of 98.91.
Those not seeking an island retreat might want to consider the rustic but luxurious Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch in Saratoga, Wyoming, which came in third.
Read on to admire and fantasise about the top ten winners of the publication's 2017 'World's Best Hotel' list.
1. Nihi Sumba Island, Indonesia
Winner: With just 33 villas on 560 acres, guests can enjoy complete privacy here at Nihi Sumba - with nightly rates starting at £800 - located in Indonesia an hour's flight from Bali
Winner: With just 33 villas on 560 acres, guests can enjoy complete privacy here at Nihi Sumba - with nightly rates starting at £800 - located in Indonesia an hour's flight from Bali
Nihiwatu beach, meaning 'mortar stone', was named by the early Sumbanese settlers for its isolated rock formation along the tide
Nihiwatu beach, meaning 'mortar stone', was named by the early Sumbanese settlers for its isolated rock formation along the tide
The spacious villas play off the jungle-and-beach setting by using organic, eco-friendly materials
The surrounding ocean is crystal clear - perfect for snorkelling
The spacious villas play off the jungle-and-beach setting by using organic, eco-friendly materials and the surrounding ocean is crystal clear - perfect for snorkelling 
Ancient dress is still seen in day to day life and wooden constructions are still scattered across the island, while 90 per cent of the staff are Indonesian
Ancient dress is still seen in day to day life and wooden constructions are still scattered across the island, while 90 per cent of the staff are Indonesian
'The people of Sumba are so warm and beautiful,' wrote one family who stayed here. 'They will forever be in our hearts and soul'
'The people of Sumba are so warm and beautiful,' wrote one family who stayed here. 'They will forever be in our hearts and soul'
 2. The Brando, Tetiaroa, French Polynesia
While filming Mutiny on the Bounty, Marlon Brando fell in love with the French Polynesian atoll of Tetiaroa, buying it in 1967 with a view of turning it into his own personal paradise. This is the result
While filming Mutiny on the Bounty, Marlon Brando fell in love with the French Polynesian atoll of Tetiaroa, buying it in 1967 with a view of turning it into his own personal paradise. This is the result
There are 35 private villas, each with their own pool and beach to give the illusion you're the only person on the island
Seas this colour are for most of us, simply the stuff of dreams
There are 35 private villas, each with their own pool and beach to give the illusion you're the only person on the island, while dining options range from a beachside bar to a stunning restaurant with a menu from Michelin-starred chef Guy Martin
3. Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch, Saratoga, Wyoming 
This lavish 30,000-acre working cattle ranch was the venue for Girls star Allison Williams' wedding to Van Veen back in the summer of 2015
This lavish 30,000-acre working cattle ranch was the venue for Girls star Allison Williams' wedding to Van Veen back in the summer of 2015
Its rustic interiors and wide range of outdoors activities - from riding and fly fishing to trail adventures - earned this resort the number three spot on the list
And its views aren't half bad either
Its rustic interiors and wide range of outdoors activities - everything from riding and fly fishing to trail adventures - earned this resort the number three spot on the list
4. Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, Matauri Bay, New Zealand
This lodge is settled in a subtropical landscape of citrus, avocado and kiwi-fruit orchards which give way into the sparkling ocean, trimmed with steep cliffs
This lodge is settled in a subtropical landscape of citrus, avocado and kiwi-fruit orchards which give way into the sparkling ocean, trimmed with steep cliffs
It's a majestic, scaled-up version of an early New Zealand settler's villa
It boasts raparound verandas, airy rooms, huge sofas, and country-style antiques
It's a majestic, scaled-up version of an early New Zealand settler's villa, with wraparound verandas, airy rooms, huge sofas, and country-style antiques
5. Gibb's Farm, Karatu, Tanzania 
Gibbs Farm is located in the Ngorongoro Karatu area of Northern Tanzania - the original farm-stay in the Karatu area
Gibbs Farm is located in the Ngorongoro Karatu area of Northern Tanzania - the original farm-stay in the Karatu area
It's a quirky, inviting lodge on a historic coffee estate
It offers romantic lantern-lit dinners beneath the stars at night
It's a quirky, inviting lodge on a historic coffee estate, which offers romantic lantern-lit dinners beneath the stars at night
6. Tswalu Kalahari, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa
Guests can bed down amidst the wildlife in the savanna on an intimate safari at Tswalu Kalahari, in Kalahari, South Africa
Guests can bed down amidst the wildlife in the savanna on an intimate safari at Tswalu Kalahari, in Kalahari, South Africa
It's South Africa’s largest private game reserve, protecting over 110,000 hectares of spectacular grasslands and mountains
The lodge allows no more than 30 guests at a time
It's South Africa’s largest private game reserve, protecting over 110,000 hectares of spectacular grasslands and mountains, and allows no more than 30 guests at a time
7. Triple Creek Ranch, Darby, Montana 
This multi award-winning abode lies at the heart of the breathtaking Bitterroot Mountain Range of the Montana Rockies
This multi award-winning abode lies at the heart of the breathtaking Bitterroot Mountain Range of the Montana Rockies
It offers a selection of private log luxury ranch cabins and  ranch homes
... all connected to its warm and comfortable main lodge
It offers a selection of private log luxury ranch cabins and ranch homes, all connected to its warm and comfortable main lodge
8. Cavas Wine Lodge, Mendoza, Argentina 
Surrounded by 55 acres of vines and over 25 top wineries, not to mention breathtaking views of the Andes mountains, it's easy to see the appeal here
Surrounded by 55 acres of vines and over 25 top wineries, not to mention breathtaking views of the Andes mountains, it's easy to see the appeal here
Cavas Wine Lodge's rooms are colourful and modern
Its plunge pools are plentiful and beautifully lit
Cavas Wine Lodge's rooms are colourful and modern, and its plunge pools plentiful and beautifully lit
9. Inn at Willow Grove, Orange, Virginia
Close to Charlottesville in Virginia and dating back to 1778, this grand property supplies oodles of southern charm
Close to Charlottesville in Virginia and dating back to 1778, this grand property supplies oodles of southern charm
Every stay at The Inn at Willow Grove includes concierge Butler service,
Guests also enjoy complimentary canapes in the Salon in the evening, and fresh house-made beignets with locally-roasted french press coffee delivered to your door in the morning
Every stay includes concierge Butler service, complimentary canapes in the Salon in the evening, and fresh house-made cakes with locally-roasted french press coffee delivered to your door in the morning
10. Rosewood CordeValle, San Martin, California 
CordeValle, a luxury, secluded golf resort resides in the rolling foothills of Northern California's Santa Cruz Mountains
CordeValle, a luxury, secluded golf resort resides in the rolling foothills of Northern California's Santa Cruz Mountains
Its interiors are just as imposing as its views
Dining is taken very seriously here, with menus that change seasonally according to local harvesets and the yield from the resort’s own herb and vegetable garden
Dining is taken very seriously here, with menus that change seasonally according to local harvesets and the yield from the resort’s own herb and vegetable garden


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