Consistently ranked one of the top hotels in the world by travel magazines and websites, this hotel does a good job at redefining the fantasy of luxury. The rooms are done up with bold-coloured carpets and duvets and hand-painted ceilings, but seem a bit unimaginative when compared with the eye-catching public spaces.
Set in a 25-hectare botanic garden, the grounds are filled with cascading waterfalls and pools, meandering paths and watery rides to get your adrenaline rushing. Breakfast is a banquet of note, featuring everything from bespoke omelettes to oysters, Peking-duck pancakes and plenty of bubbly to wash it down with.
The 330-plus rooms and suites have flourishes such as butler service and marble bathrooms, but it’s the awesome public spaces that hog the limelight. Confronted by the frescos, mosaics and painted ceilings in the grand atriums and halls, restaurants and bars, you almost begin to believe this is the kingly residence of an ancient ruler. In the surrounding pleasure garden, fountains, pools and waterfalls sparkle among the thick foliage.
