The hardest thing for any hotel to achieve is consistently perfect post-stay ratings from our guests. So far, these hotels have done it the most.
There are over 5,000 hotels in our selection, but only a small handful have received nothing but perfect post-stay ratings from Tablet guests. And that makes sense. No matter how fancy a hotel is, someone will soon find a reason to knock it down a peg. In fact, you could argue that the more luxurious a hotel is — the more it promises and the more money it charges — the less likely it is to meet everyone’s expectations every time.
And so, just based on human nature alone, a “perfect” score is a somewhat temporary condition. It’s only a matter of time. But as long as some hotels are still perfect in our clients’ eyes, we’ll still shine a light on them. We’re pleased to reveal the 2023 Immaculate Collection, the ten most-booked hotels on Tablet that still have a flawless guest feedback score (20 out of 20). Can they remain in this exclusive club through 2024? We can’t wait to find out.
Want to read more of our 2023 year-end retrospectives? Check out:
The Best New Hotel Designs of 2023
The Most Popular New Hotels of 2023
The Smallest New Boutique Hotels of 2023
Corte della Maestà
Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy
The hilltop village of Civita di Bagnoregio is a vision so magnificent that you’ll have a hard time believing that Italians once nicknamed the place “the dying city.” But when an earthquake struck in 1685, residents fled. Centuries later, an Italian psychologist and his wife bought the old seminary and transformed it into a fantastically charming guesthouse called Corte della Maestà.
Villa le Prata – Residenza del Vescovo
Montalcino, Italy
Tuscany’s Montalcino is famous for the walled hilltop city, its idyllic surroundings, and the region’s coveted sangiovese grosso wines. And to that list of attractions you can add at least one extraordinary hotel. Villa le Prata – Residenza del Vescovo is a scant five minutes’ drive from the city walls, and it’s as pure an introduction to the delights of Tuscan countryside living as you could possibly ask for.
The Aster
Los Angeles, California, USA
The Aster is, before anything else, a private club. The obvious way in is to become a member — but the Aster’s 35 suites are open to overnight guests as well, and it’s perhaps no surprise that they’re up there with the finest suites in town — a bit bohemian, a bit retro, more than a bit warm and welcoming, understated in their luxury and, above all, memorable.
Domaine des Étangs
Massignac, France
To the extent that there is such a thing as the “typical” castle hotel, Domaine des Etangs is a departure. Rather than shoehorn a dozen modern hotel rooms into a medieval floor plan, architect Isabelle Stanislas has done something slightly more clever, locating the guest rooms not within the picturesque château but scattered about the estate in separate farmhouse buildings.
La Sultana Oualidia
Oualidia, Morocco
This fishing village of Oualidia is where Marrakchis go when the tourist season hits, and it’s where you’ll find La Sultana. The style is, in a way, exactly what you’d expect from a classic Moroccan seaside resort — stone, tadelakt, antique furnishings and original artworks. Colors are soft and sunny, and sunlight and space are both in plentiful supply.
Akelarre
San Sebastián, Spain
It’s a familiar enough concept in France and even in England, yet for all the distinction of Spain’s high-end restaurant scene, a luxury boutique hotel devoted to a single chef is still something of a novelty here. Just west of Monte Igueldo is where you’ll find Akelarre, a stunning piece of modern architecture which adds 22 luxurious hotel rooms and a full-service spa to Pedro Subijana’s legendary restaurant.
BE Jardin Escondido by Coppola
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Jardin Escondido isn’t just another boutique hotel in Buenos Aires. It’s Francis Ford Coppola’s boutique hotel in Buenos Aires. The legendary film director reportedly fell in love with the Argentinian capital while shooting the film Tetro in 2008, when he lived and worked in the spacious townhouse that’s now known as Jardin Escondido.
Residenza B
Rome, Italy
Residenza B’s name isn’t just making a claim about the small size of the place, but about its atmosphere as well — this discreet little four-room bolthole is nothing if not residential in aspect. And a remarkably stylish little residence it is, as well. Here architect Stefano Dorata has turned a 19th-century building into something quite modern — which, in Rome, means there are plenty of echoes of the past.
Torralbenc
Menorca, Spain
Torralbenc is built from the bones of an old farm, lovingly restored where it needs to be restored — things like stylish modern bedrooms and bathrooms and that gorgeous saltwater infinity pool are, needless to say, contemporary additions — and meticulously preserved where the old ways will do: the rough walls of stacked stone and the age-old gardens surrounding the terraces strike an unmistakably rustic note.
Zannier Hotels Phum Baitang
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Once upon a time, Siem Reap was a village. A village strategically positioned as the gateway to Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world, mind you, but a village nonetheless, a far cry from the bustling resort destination it is today. So it makes sense that one new hotel, the 45-villa Phum Baitang, would aim to recreate the simple charm of village life, set just outside of town.
Mark Fedeli is the hotel marketing and editorial director for Tablet and Michelin Guide. He’s been with Tablet since 2006, and he thinks you should subscribe to our newsletter.