9 Upscale Small Hotels Where You Can Enjoy the Ultimate in Luxury and Privacy
A More Personal Experience
Small luxury hotels provide a much more intimate and personal experience. A place where you’re not just another number, but often made to feel like a long-lost friend. These properties in alluring destinations across the globe all have that personal touch.
Hotel & Spa des Pecheurs, Corsica
Hotel & Spa des Pecheurs is known for providing the ultimate in privacy, set among some of the most spectacular scenery, with all 50 rooms and suites boasting terraces that face the Mediterranean Sea. A powdery white-sand beach is just a short walk away from the sun deck while a host of activities are offered too, including horseback riding, tennis and boating.
After a day of fun, enjoy happy hour at the hotel bar or music lounge that’s ideal for watching the sunset while sipping a cocktail. The onsite eatery serves a delicious menu that’s a blend of French and Italian favorites too.
Katikies, Oia, Santorini, Greece
Set just above the dazzling blue caldera in the picturesque village of Oia, guests at this Santorini property can enjoy breathtaking views from nearly every vantage point. Setting the standard for boutique hotels on the island, it’s made up of cube-styled cottages, bridges and infinity pools, with the white-washed suites overlooking the Aegean Sea.
There’s an open-air dining area, sun deck and Jacuzzi. Additionally, the onsite Ellinikon Restaurant really ups the romance factor with four candlelit tables set on a hidden rooftop that looks out to the caldera.
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The Omnia, Zermatt, Switzerland
This intimate luxury ski lodge sits at the center of Zermatt, a car-free village famous for its jaw-dropping surroundings. It’s also a popular base for skiing and mountaineering, including on the Matterhorn which soars above the city. But the Omnia — located some 150 feet above the rooftops of Zermatt — provides one of the world’s most incredible vistas.
The arrival is part of the entire experience. Guests enter through a cave, head into an elevator and then rise through 150 feet of rock before stepping into this contemporary mountain lodge with its stone fireplace and doors that open onto a terrace overlooking the town. Book an upper floor suite and you’ll be able to gaze out at the Matterhorn and the entire valley.
Le Sirenuse, Positano, Italy
This small elegant hotel overlooking the bay of Positano was once a summer home. For the last seven decades, it’s been the perfect spot for guests to take advantage of all the Amalfi Coast and the scenic resort town of Positano (also known as “the pearl of the coast”) have to offer.
Most rooms have a private terrace or balcony overlooking the water — during the day, the views of the Mediterranean are especially enchanting.
Calabash Cove Resort & Spa, St. Lucia
This elegant boutique resort is spread across a sloping hill above Bonaire Bay on the lush island of St. Lucia. Guests here can look forward to awe-inspiring views of the Caribbean Sea from just about anywhere on the property, including the stunning infinity pool, open-air restaurant and library.
Book a Swim-Up Junior Suite and you’ll be able to take advantage of a private terrace that’s screened by greenery where you can relax while gazing out at a view of the swimming pool, the sea and beyond. Decadent treatments await in the spa, while the onsite restaurant, Windsong, features Asian-inspired cuisine based on island flavors and local produce.
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Hotel El Ganzo, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico
This boutique hotel in San Jose del Cabo is a standout with its infinity edge pool that spans more than 2,000 square feet in size and has a glass-enclosed hot tub, sushi restaurant, bar and tropical daybeds. Guests come for the edgy vibe and hip pool as well as the unique mix of music performances and visual art exhibits.
Rooms are perfectly situated for appreciating the natural beauty of the Sea of Cortez, rounding out this hotel as an ideal getaway.
II Belvedere, Matera, Italy
II Belvedere is located in one of Italy’s most unique cities, set atop a ridge with deep canyons on either side, with people here living and dining in caves. Early settlers who arrived here some 9,000 years ago lived in the natural caves of the canyon walls, extending them until eventually there were thousands of caves throughout Matera.
Today many of the caves have been transformed into upscale eateries and stylish hotels like this one, where you can enjoy breakfast, a glass of wine or appetizers while overlooking the city. It offers several types of rooms, including some that are built right into the cave.
Giraffe Manor, Nairobi, Kenya
Giraffe Manor offers the ultimate African stay in its Nairobi manor — it features an impressive property with lush green gardens and a sunny terrace that may make you think you’ve stepped into the film Out of Africa.
Part of its appeal is the herd of resident Rothschild giraffes who make frequent visits in the morning and evening, occasionally even poking their long necks into the windows to say hello. The 10-room boutique hotel is surrounded by 12 acres of lawn that’s filled with giraffes, who make their way over from the neighboring forest sanctuary.
Relax on the veranda and you may even get the chance to hand-feed these friendly creatures. The hotel offers a variety of activities too, like forest walks to see a wide variety of rare animals and bird species, as well as visits to the Shedrick Elephant Orphanage where you can get up close to baby elephants.
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Hotel Patio Andaluz, Quito, Ecuador
Hotel Patio is located in a 300-year-old architectural jewel in the heart of Quito’s historic district, the building’s walls having witnessed the Spanish founding of the city. It’s perfectly situated just steps from Independence Square and multiple historic sites such as San Francisco Plaza, the Sucre Theater and the Church de la Compania.
The 16th-century colonial-style mansion is filled with ornate-style furnishings and also hosts a highly acclaimed restaurant in a beautiful courtyard that serves an extensive breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner. In a cozy nook just off the courtyard, you’ll also discover a fantastic tapas bar.
