(轉貼) World's Best Hotels 2012

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No. 20 Fairmont Mara Safari Club, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Score: 94.84

50 tents on the Mara River (a prime hippo-viewing spot), with a slew of activities, including traditional African dinners served in a boma. Luxurious accommodations include tented suites featuring four-poster beds graced with duvets and plaid accent fabrics. Colonial furnishings in all and outdoor showers in some bring a sense of history and location to this safari outpost. Private verandas survey the active hippo and crocodile scene below as guests sip British tea or wine and nosh on African specialties of barbecued meats and fresh, local produce. Novice outdoorsmen will feel comfortable on "Big Five" game drives accompanied by a pair of Masai warrior guides dressed in full regalia.

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No. 21 Osprey at Beaver Creek, CO

Score: 94.75

The Osprey—a 45-room boutique hotel at the base of ski resort Beaver Creek—was renovated to the tune of $7 million in 2008 and now beckons with a warm mountain aesthetic. Locally sourced birch and onyx mingle throughout the high-ceilinged, firelit guest rooms, while oversize couches in rustic leather semicircle a large limestone fireplace in the property’s namesake lounge, popular for après ski cocktails and craft beers. Ski-sore guests will love plush touches like Simmons Beautyrest pillow-top mattresses, oversize marble showers with rainfall showerheads, and a heated outdoor pool. But it’s the property’s unparalleled proximity to the slopes (the high-speed Strawberry Park Express is a mere pole-push away) that earns The Osprey top marks among hard-core schussers as well as “closest ski-in/ski-out hotel in North America” honors.

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No. 22 Waldorf Astoria (formerly the Elysian), Chicago

Score: 94.67

Architect Lucien Lagrange created a 60-story skyscraper reminiscent of 1920’s Parisian grand hotels, complete with a brick motor court that makes arrivals seamless and private. The lobby, with dark swirls running through the white marble floor is—there’s no other way to put it—drop-dead gorgeous. The 188 swank rooms start at a spacious 614 square feet and were created by Simeone Deary Design Group with platinum and champagne color schemes, tufted headboards, fireplaces, and Rivolta Carmignani Italian bed linens. From the pin-tucked curtains to the jewelry design-influenced light fixtures, it’s all tres Chanel and Dior. (You’ll find coffee table books on these designers in some rooms.) The Elysian Spa & Health Club is above the hotel’s open-air courtyard and offers gyrotonic pilates as well as Lava Shell massages. For dining, there are two options: the European bistro Balsan and the Michelin two-star RIA.

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No. 23 The Peninsula, Shanghai

Score: 94.63

A master of luxe hospitality, Peninsula Hotels chairman Michael Kadoorie spent his childhood in Shanghai. So the March 2010 premiere of his ninth property, the Peninsula Shanghai, was a homecoming of sorts. On a stretch of the historic Bund, the 10-story granite-clad building is a Modernist reflection of its Art Deco–era neighbors, the Shanghai Club and Sassoon House. Kadoorie is also a vintage-car enthusiast, and there’s a 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II for guests who want to head to Pudong International Airport in style ($370, with chauffeur). Architect David Beer and interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon delivered gleaming brass- and-mahogany elevators and 235 guest rooms that combine embossed glass lamps and black-lacquer screens with 21st-century amenities. All come with VoIP phones, portable master control panels, and spa tubs with music and light settings. But your most valuable asset here is savvy chief concierge Simon Huang, who may very well be the best in town.

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No. 24 Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus

Score: 94.54

Adjacent to the Çırağan Palace, and nearly as costly, this Four Seasons property is as elegantly restrained as the Çırağan is glamorously over-the-top. Both hotels attract high rollers, but while the Çırağan draws label-loving jet-setters (Victoria Beckham, anyone?), the Four Seasons attracts those who’d rather fly under the radar (in complete comfort, of course). The property, set in a refurbished 19th-century building, has all the luxury bells and whistles—including a heated riverfront pool, a chic terrace restaurant, a 2,100-square-foot spa, and 170 airy, high-ceilinged rooms decorated in a hushed palette of cream, russet, and gold. If you prefer a sleek, understated aesthetic to a wildly ornate one, this property will appeal to you.

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No. 25 Lizard Island Resort, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Score: 94.53

With 24 beaches fringing the Great Barrier Reef, and accommodations for just 40 couples, Lizard Island is in a category all its own. Open-plan suites are done up in the blues and whites of the sea, with hammocks and decks discreetly hidden from view. Count on sunset cruises, torchlit beach dinners, and a staff that will do anything to please (including, once, hiding a diamond ring in a seashell to surprise a bride-to-be).

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No. 26 Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi, Italy

Score: 94.48

The original grande dame of Amalfi Coast hotels still reigns in Belle Epoque splendor on the coastal road just outside the town of Amalfi. Now in its fourth generation of Gambardella family management, this 1904 looker has rooms spread across the main building, two villas, and a triplet of cozy honeymoon cottages. All are filled with original local antiques and decorated with hand-painted or pure-white ceramic floor tiles and whitewashed walls; some have half-tester or curlicue brass beds. An elevator descends to a private beach, saltwater pool, fitness center, and thatched-roof pizzeria and fish grill. As you stroll through the lovely secluded, terraced gardens and citrus orchards, it’s obvious why Liz Taylor and Richard Burton chose to hide out here.

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No. 27 andBeyond Kichwa Tembo, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Score: 94.48

Two tented camps—one vintage-style (Bateleur), the other distinctly modern—in the heart of the Mara. All display rustic, yet substantial furnishings with elegant safari touches like lanterns, canvas fabrics, and flagstone flooring. Dinner around the open hearth or a dip in the freshwater pool are perfect ways to kick back after a day of dual game drives in open-air jeeps spotting giraffes, gazelles, lions, and hippos. For a birdseye view, hop a hot air balloon ride over the park. Individual visits to local Maasai villages let guests get up close and personal with the local culture. The property's conservation efforts include a Green Team of employees focused on recycling and efficiency to collaboration with local authorities to prevent animal poaching.

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No. 28 Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur, India

Score: 94.45

Channel your inner Maharaja at this majestic but modern 32-acre resort, set against the dramatic recreation of a Rajasthani fort. While standard rooms contain four-poster beds and sunken marble baths, the air-conditioned luxury tents, laden with Burmese teak-wood floors and claw-footed tubs, are emblematic of fine, regional craftsmanship. Come evening, head to the Indian specialty restaurant, Rajmahal, and enjoy traditional, tandoori skewers while your eyes feast on gold-leaf frescoes that grace the walls. For royal pampering, there's the on-site spa, highlighting indigenous rituals and specialty baths, utilizing decadent ingredients like rose water, milk and marigolds.

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No. 29 Hotel Salto Chico/Explora Patagonia, Torres del Paine, Chile

Score: 94.40

For those who want true adventure, look no further than Explora Patagonia, located in the southernmost corner of South America, on the banks of the Salto Chico waterfall. Nestled among the striking snow-capped peaks of the Andes, the property is designed around the concept of “luxury of the essential,” which entails simple elegance and respect for the grandeur of the natural surroundings. The 49 rooms incorporate native lenga wood and cypress from the Guaitecas Archipelago, along with hydromassage baths. They insist on no televisions, ensuring a true immersion in nature. After a half or full day hiking trek to one of the area’s many wonders, enjoy a locally-sourced dinner of items like Magellanic lamb and southern king crab.

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No. 30 The Sebastian, Vail, CO

Score: 94.37

The new Sebastian hotel encompasses 100 rooms, seven suites, and, should you prefer more permanent lodgings, a 36-unit private residence club. Not unexpectedly, interiors are decked out with exposed wood beams, natural-stone countertops and flooring, gas fireplaces, and the now de rigueur iPod and iPad docking stations. But the Sebastian hotel’s trump card is its proximity to the slopes. After powering through the powder, guests can retreat to the property to sip smoky scotch at Frost bar; snack on gourmet cheeses and breads from the Market deli; or dine on seasonally influenced, farm-to-table food at Block 16. The concierge service and staff (including an on-the-mountain valet) can’t be beat.

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No. 31 The Peninsula, Hong Kong

Score: 94.34

Since 1928, this Hong Kong institution has defined the luxury hotel experience, and although certain kinds of travelers (especially lovers of sleek, high-tech minimalism) may find the Peninsula too old-world, there’s no denying it’s a serious class act. The fleet of 14 customized Rolls-Royce limousines is just the first clue to the hotel’s glamour factor; then there’s the lobby, where the bellboys sport immaculate white pillbox hats and uniforms, a string quartet plays classical music, and a queue forms daily to partake of the afternoon high tea. A grand staircase leads to the mezzanine level, and tucked-away elevators whisk guests to the 300 rooms, which are getting a complete overhaul in 2012. On the top floor is the Philippe Starck-designed Felix restaurant, which still packs them in more than a decade after its opening.

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No. 32 The Willcox, Aiken, SC

Score: 94.25

Thanks to that special southern hospitality, The Willcox feels more like a home than a hotel. Flanked by grand white pillars and big oak trees, it oozes Southern charm. The rooms look like you’ve just stepped into Scarlett O’Hara’s house—four-poster beds, fireplaces, and stitched floral pillows. The main activity for Willcox guests is typically horse-related; for more than 100 years, Aiken has served as the training-ground for all things equestrian. After steeple chasing or harness racing, dine on applewood smoked bacon creamed corn and locally grown greens at the restaurant. Would we like to stay at the Willcox? Yes ma’am.

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No. 33 Live Aqua, Cancún, Mexico

Score: 94.22

When Live Aqua reopened in 2008 (it had less than a year’s false start before 2005’s Hurricane Wilma plowed through), it proved the Cancún scene could handle a new breed of upscale alternative hotel—and in November 2010, it went all-inclusive. The staff puts a lot of work into maintaining a chill, anti-stress vibe, from the spa to the meditation bells or mini Japanese gardens left in your room at turndown to the pervasive aromatherapy—in public spaces, guest rooms, and the sense garden. The 371 rooms are modern and minimalist, done in neutral tones and natural materials to enhance the relaxation without competing with the Caribbean blue views from the balcony. There are three celebrity chef–helmed restaurants (one each by Michelle Bernstein, Franco Maddalozzo, and Martha Ortiz) and eight swimming pools—plus the beach. (The hotel itself offers no water sports, but can set you up with local outfitters.)

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No. 33 Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas, & Spa, Johannesburg, South Africa

Score: 94.22

This 200-year-old manse in the posh Sandhurst suburbs of Johannesburg has been converted into a fashionable 53-room boutique hideaway. Home to Nelson Mandela after his release from prison, the historic property pays homage to African design via modern takes on tribal textiles, a collection of valuable artifacts and weapons, and natural textures like horn and hardwoods. The expansive pool, lush 10-acre gardens and koi pond make the Saxon feel more like a resort than a city hotel as do the 24 rooms, some with private plunge pools, all with latticed shutters opening onto garden views and flat screens with Blu-Ray.

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No. 35 Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas, TX

Score: 94.18

The Dallas icon of luxury, founded in 1980 when oil heiress Caroline Rose Hunt turned a circa-1925 cotton magnate’s mansion into the only Five-Diamond hotel in Texas, undertook a full freshening up for its 30th anniversary. The new look, by the interior design firm BAMO, includes Michael Taylor sofas, William Switzer chairs, and limed oak reception desks, befitting the original Italian Renaissance decorative scheme. The 143 rooms have been redone in calm colors and opulent fabrics, and last year, chef Bruno Davaillon—who earned two Michelin stars during his stint at Alain Ducasse’s Mix in Las Vegas—took over at the Mansion Restaurant, earning acclaim for signature dishes including King Crab butternut squash soup and bison tenderloin au poivre. The hotel’s location—on a leafy residential street in the heart of downtown Dallas—is hard to beat.

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No. 36 Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, India

Score: 94.07

It's easy to see why this sandstone monument once held the title of being the largest private home in the world. Rajput traditions meet Renaissance grandeur at this 347-room palace (which took a whopping 15 years to construct, starting in 1923), designed by renowned Edwardian architect, Henry Lanchester. Guests can browse through a range of precious antiques from Jodhpur's royal past, including a 105-foot cupola and a Silver Ghost Rolls Royce—all while sipping flutes of bubbly as part of the property's daily Champagne Museum Walk. Standard Palace rooms are kitted up with Art Deco furnishings and a private bar, while suites are flourished with chrome flaming torches and Ruhlmann sofas.

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No. 37 Capella, Singapore

Score: 93.85

It’s no wonder that Capella chose the recently revitalized Sentosa for its Asian debut. The 30-acre island off Singapore’s southern coast already has six comfortable hotels, but none have this form of colonial grace (public spaces are set in sprawling 19th-century converted barracks) and modern accents (two Foster & Partners–designed wings made of glass and steel). Guest rooms feature teak-lined doors and windows and crisp white-on-white baths, with some surprising layouts: top-floor corner suites have semicircular bedrooms and balconies. The outdoor dining terraces look out over the bi-level infinity pools, which seem to slip into the South China Sea.

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No. 38 Grand Velas, Riviera Maya, Mexico

Score: 93.80

Recently opened in 2008, this beach resort has caused quite a stir amongst vacationers, and with good reason. Located on the edge of the Yucatan jungle and the white-sand coast of Cozumel, Grand Velas ingeniously divides its 491 suites into three sections: an adult-only Grand Class that focuses on romance with Jacuzzis and in-room massage tables, the ocean-view Ambassador section which are arranged around the main pool, and the Zen Grand section, which is ¾ of a mile away from the beach, but closer to the convention center. Décor features muted earth tones with pops of Mexican color. Dine at one of the eight dining locations on-site, from French to Asian to traditional Mexican (don’t miss the Yucatan Tikin Xic shrimp at Frida).

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No. 39 Amansara, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Score: 93.78

Amansara used to be the guest villa of King Norodom Sihanouk, so you know you’re in for private luxury. Located a mere ten minutes away from the magnificent Angkor Wat, the largest Hindu temple in the world, the 24-suite hotel features swimming and lap pools, a spa, a rooftop terrace, high-end gallery gift shop, library, and gorgeous outdoor dining room, which offeres both traditional Khmer and western cuisines. The aesthetics are simple, with a focus on clean lines and muted tones; the rooms are done in grey terrazzo, dark timber and ivory. It’s just the retreat you need to explore the amazing world of Angkor Wat.