Areias Do Seixo Charm Hotel & Residences

Povoa de Penafirme, Portugal

There are attractive hotels, and then there are hotels like Areias do Seixo. “Design” hardly even begins to cover it — here everything’s so carefully dressed it feels like you’re starring in the film adaptation of your own life.

Das Posthotel

Ziller, Austria

Das Posthotel recognizably belongs to the tradition of the classic Tyrol lodge, but everything’s just a few notches more stylish than usual — less kitsch, less rustic, cleaner lines, and a more contemporary version of what Alpine life can be.

The Dolder Grand

Zurich, Switzerland

The century-old Dolder Grand was impressive enough as it was, but it entered a new league following its renovation by Norman Foster. Neither aggressively edgy nor business-hotel drab, it’s perfectly balanced, a state-of-the-art luxury hotel.

Görvälns Slott

Järfälla, Sweden

This 17th-century Swedish castle and its 900-acre lakeside estate are looking fantastic, and we don’t just mean “good” — its rococo furnishings and riotous colors conjure up a vivid Marie Antoinette fantasy.

Haymarket Hotel

London, England

The Haymarket is hugely popular with West End theatre and film types, and it’s not just the location. The Firmdale hotels are flattering, like a fine piece of tailoring — the sort of place where you can’t help but look your best.

Mercer Hotel Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain

A stay at the Mercer is a bit like a night in a museum — a strange sort of museum that’s equally devoted to ancient Gothic Quarter architecture and hyper-elegant modernist design.

Only You Boutique Hotel Madrid

Madrid, Spain

Old-world glamour, modern interiors by a prominent designer, craft cocktails, AND an enviable address in the heart of Madrid’s hip Chueca neighborhood — in this town, it doesn’t get much more stylish than that.

Patrick Hellmann Schlosshotel

Berlin, Germany

Berlin’s hotel scene isn’t all spray-painted warehouses in the former East; this mansion in West Berlin, with interiors by Patrick Hellmann and Karl Lagerfeld, is the upscale fashionista’s choice.

The Saint James Paris

Paris, France

In Paris an hôtel particulier, a freestanding house, is unusual enough — something like the Saint James, almost a country-style château, surrounded by a wall and garden, is vanishingly rare.

Velona’s Jungle Luxury Suites

Florence, Italy

The dedication to the jungle theme is thorough; it’s the rare surface that isn’t festooned with animal-print upholstery, peacock-feather prints, big-cat portraiture, or jungle-foliage wallpaper.