Hotel Boutique La Maria — Mendoza, Argentina

Set just 15 minutes from the centre of Mendoza in the heart of Chacras de Coria, La Maria is a serene, intimate retreat that captures everything special about Argentina's wine country. With just seven beautifully appointed suites, each one unique in design and surrounded by mature trees and lush gardens, this is a place that invites you to slow down completely. Expect high-end architecture, bespoke service, and the kind of quiet luxury that lets the destination breathe. The perfect base for exploring Mendoza's celebrated wine routes, cellar doors and Andean scenery.

Mama Cuchara — Quito, Ecuador

A boutique hotel with real soul, Mama Cuchara sits in the historic heart of Quito and reflects the warmth and colour of Ecuadorian culture. With thoughtfully designed rooms, a strong commitment to local craft and cuisine, and that rare quality of feeling genuinely personal, it offers a refreshing alternative to the generic city hotel. Quito is one of the best-preserved colonial capitals in the Americas, and Mama Cuchara puts you right at the centre of it, with everything the city has to offer on your doorstep.

Hotel Cruz del Vado — Cuenca, Ecuador

Cuenca is widely considered one of the most beautiful colonial cities in South America, and Hotel Cruz del Vado is one of the most charming ways to experience it. Occupying a beautifully restored heritage building close to the famous flower market, the hotel blends traditional Ecuadorian architecture with contemporary comfort. It's an ideal base for wandering the cobbled streets, visiting the handicraft markets, and exploring the surrounding cloud forest and Cajas National Park.

Kwessi Dunes — NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia

Scenic delivers truly all-inclusive luxury on Europe’s most beautiful waterways and beyond. With butler service, fine dining, premium beverages and immersive excursions included, Scenic offers a sophisticated river cruise experience where every detail is taken care of, allowing you to simply relax and enjoy the journey.

Ongava Private Reserve — Namibia

Bordering the southern edge of Etosha National Park, Ongava Private Reserve is one of Namibia's most celebrated private wildlife sanctuaries — and one of the few places on Earth where you can encounter both black and white rhino on foot. The reserve's four lodges, from the intimate three-suite Little Ongava to the classic rock-and-thatch Ongava Lodge, are all positioned to make the most of the dramatic landscape, with waterholes that draw a constant procession of wildlife. Game drives take you both into the private reserve and the famous Etosha pan beyond, delivering a safari experience that balances exclusivity with extraordinary sightings.

Mowani Mountain Camp — Damaraland, Namibia

Hidden amongst massive granite boulders in the heart of southern Damaraland, Mowani Mountain Camp is one of Namibia's most striking places to stay. Its name means "Place of God" — a fitting description for a camp that commands sweeping views across one of Africa's most dramatic and ancient landscapes. The fifteen thatched dome-shaped chalets blend almost invisibly into the rocky terrain, each with a private veranda and en-suite bathroom, with suites and a Mountain Suite offering their own private pools and butler service. Activities include guided drives in search of Damaraland's famous desert-adapted elephants, excursions to the San rock engravings at Twyfelfontein, and sundowners atop the boulders at what may be one of Namibia's finest viewpoints.

Sanbona Wildlife Reserve — Western Cape, South Africa

Just three hours from Cape Town in the dramatic landscape of the Little Karoo, Sanbona Wildlife Reserve is one of South Africa's most remarkable privately owned sanctuaries — a 58,000-hectare wilderness of mountains, plains and river valleys that is home to the Big Five, including the only free-roaming white lions in the world. Malaria-free and breathtakingly scenic, Sanbona offers several accommodation options to suit different kinds of travel.

Dwyka Tented Lodge — for couples and adults seeking seclusion, Dwyka is set in a horseshoe bend of a dry Karoo ravine, surrounded by ancient rock formations. Nine opulent luxury tents each have a private deck with heated plunge pool, open-air bathrooms, and an intimate atmosphere that makes it a favourite for honeymooners and those celebrating something special.



Gondwana Family Lodge — for families, Gondwana is the perfect base, with interconnecting rooms, a dedicated children's programme, indoor and outdoor play areas, and a family-friendly pool. Overlooking the Anysberg Mountains and Bellair Dam, it offers Big Five game drives, rock art excursions, and the kind of adventure that introduces younger travellers to the magic of the African wild.

Monwana Game Lodge — Thornybush Nature Reserve, Greater Kruger, South Africa

An intimate and deeply personal lodge in the heart of the Thornybush Nature Reserve, Monwana shares an unfenced border with the Greater Kruger National Park across 14,000 hectares of Big Five wilderness. With just six suites and a standalone private residence, the lodge is deliberately boutique — ensuring uncrowded game drives, attentive service, and a sense of being truly alone in the bush. The main lodge is designed around the landscape, with cathedral-height windows and wide-opening doors that blur the boundary between inside and out. Each suite has its own private plunge pool and deck, with views over the waterhole. Thornybush is renowned for exceptional leopard sightings, and Monwana's team of skilled guides and trackers brings every drive to life. Part of the respected MORE Collection.

Pemako — Punakha Valley, Bhutan

The first Bhutanese-owned and run luxury lodge in the Punakha Valley, Pemako Punakha is a world apart. You arrive by crossing a suspension bridge lined with prayer flags, passing a waterfall and a traditional altar — a poetic welcome to a property that has been recognised by Condé Nast Traveller as one of the best new hotels in the world. Twenty-one tented pool villas are scattered through 60 acres of forest and riverside landscape, each with a private heated pool and expansive deck looking out to the trees. Designed with sensitivity to Bhutanese culture and spirituality, and featuring Bill Bensley's signature design touches, Pemako is a place where luxury and genuine immersion sit comfortably together. With a resident lama, a spa drawing on traditional Bhutanese healing, and five dining venues celebrating local cuisine, it offers a stay that nourishes in every sense.

Gangtey Lodge — Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan

Perched high above the pristine nature reserve of the Phobjikha Valley, Gangtey Lodge is one of Bhutan's finest places to stay — a beautifully designed farmhouse-style retreat with sweeping views over one of the country's most serene and spiritual landscapes. The twelve suites feature rich timber interiors, stone fireplaces, roll-top bathtubs beside panoramic windows, and underfloor heating for cool mountain nights. The valley below is home to a 17th-century monastery and, during winter months, a migration of rare black-necked cranes. Days here unfold gently: guided hikes, monastery visits, archery lessons, meditation sessions with local monks, and long evenings by the fire. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Gangtey Lodge is a deeply restorative place to experience Bhutan at its most authentic.

Dhora Desert Camp — Rajasthan, India

Located 100 kilometres from Jodhpur in the heart of Rajasthan, Dhora Desert Camp places you in a landscape of uninterrupted sand dunes and wide desert skies that feels genuinely remote and magical. The fifteen tented suites face a natural pond surrounded by dunes and are home to Indian gazelles, desert foxes, and blue bulls that wander freely. Each tent has a full en-suite bathroom, open shower, and private verandah, with beds carved from local sandstone adding to the sense of rootedness in the landscape. Evenings bring folk music and cultural performances under the stars; days can be spent on camel rides through the dunes, jeep excursions to nearby villages, and watching the light shift over the desert in ways that make you reach for a camera every few minutes.