Aspire Reviews | Aspire Travel Club

Few hotels can boast an entrance fit for an elephant, but the ridged stone ramp at the gates of Samode Haveli is just one sign that this is no ordinary property

Le Méridien, New Delhi, India

A must for travellers with a penchant for quirky design

ITC Mughal, Agra, India

This Luxury Collection hotel recalls its heritage in every nook and cranny

Grace Mykonos

Think Captain Corelli, Zorba or Mamma Mia

The Marbella Beach Hotel, Corfu

A two year investment programme has seen more than €12 million poured into renovations

Mazagan Beach and Golf resort, Morocco

We arrived late at night and there were so many lights I thought we were arriving at a small town, not a resort.

The Palace of the Lost City, Sun City, South Africa.

I wouldn’t be surprised to find a Peter Pan gang of feral youngsters living in the grounds somewhere having refused point blank to go home with mum and dad.

Park Hyatt, Saigon Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

'For those seeking to totally unwind, the stylish Xuan Spa with its seven treatment rooms, an indoor whirlpool, steam room and fitness centre are on hand.'

Hotel Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Vietnam

'Both wings have their own individual charms, but what’s consistent is the genuinely warm and friendly staff who treat every guest like a movie star.'

The Nam Hai. Hoi An, Vietnam

'Smiling staff greet us with a ginger tea and we are taken by golf buggy to our beach villa.'

Tylney Hall, Hampshire

'Lazy Sundays are well spent here relaxing by the fire in one of the hotel’s several cosy lounges, with a newspaper in one hand and a home-made scone in the other.'

Trump International Hotel and Tower, New York

'The lobby is pure Trump - all crystal chandeliers and gold leaf mirrors - but the rooms have a surprisingly sophisticated and residential feel.'

Four Seasons Hotel Milano

'surrounded by the very chicest shopping boutiques and only a short stroll from the centre of the city'

Atlantis The Palm

'There’s a reason those towers look enormous from the outside – they’re home to 1,539 rooms'

One&Only Royal Mirage, Dubai

'The vast resort covers 65 acres of lush green lawns – surprising since it’s in the middle of a desert – about 20 minutes from downtown Dubai'

One&Only The Palm, Dubai

'I would have put up quite a fight had anyone tried to take away my melt-in-the-mouth chocolate pudding with vanilla ice cream'

Armani Hotel, Dubai

'We’re told not to judge a book by its cover, but when that cover is the tallest building in the world, it’s hard not to'

Rixos Elysium Suites Taksim, Istanbul, Turkey

'If ever proof were needed that size matters, this hotel would be it'

Etihad Airways Pearl Business Class - Heathrow to Sydney

'After a flight of that length I’m usually a wild-haired, wild-eyed harridan desperate to exit the plane, but to be honest, I could have done another couple of hours'

Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, Blue Mountains, Australia

'The 40 cottages are colossal, like your perfect countryside hideaway, with hotel services'

Pink Sands, Bahamas

'I was the only person to bat an eyelid when Brooke Shields bombed past me down the seafront, slender and surrounded by daughters'

Playa Vik, Jose Ignacio, Uruguay

'looks as if an alien space-ship predominantly fashioned from glass has set itself down on Jose Ignacio’s seashore'

Estancia Vik, Jose Ignacio, Uruguay

'sitting in its own 4,000-acre estate complete with stables, polo fields, wetlands burgeoning with birdlife and acres of pampas

Park Plaza Westminster Bridge

The view from my suite, number 1023, looking over Westminster Bridge to Big Ben, was breathtaking.

Banyan Tree, Phuket

'It doesn’t get much more relaxing and indulgent than a 90 minute massage in the Sala (outdoor open pavilion), that overlooks your private pool'.

Fairmont Royal Pavilion, Barbados

'In a prime spot among the string of top luxury hotels and restaurants which line Barbados’ glitzy west coast.'

Coral Reef Club, Barbados

'Dating back to the 1950s, this country house hotel is the epitome of old-school luxury'

Shangri-la, Chiang Mai, Thailand

'A deluxe city resort where you can enjoy all the luxury of a grand palace without feeling the need to stand on ceremony'.

Shangri-La, Bangkok, Thailand

'The decor is opulent but not overstated: Western perfectly fused with traditional rich Asian fabrics, carved teak panelling, and handcrafted artwork'.

Desert Nights Camp, Oman

'Tasteful Arabian furnishings and all the mod-cons you’d expect from a hotel in a much less remote location.'

Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman

'The hotel very slickly delivers the best of what Musandam has to offer translated for the top end of the market'

Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah - Al Husn, Oman

'carpets so thick it would be a struggle to wheel one’s suitcase from the door to the wardrobe, were that not the responsibility of one of the attentive bellboys

Oman Air Business Class

'A business class service that feels like first'.

Virgin Atlantic Upper Class

'has always managed to feel special but without the top hat and tails manner that so often plagues exclusive areas'

The Inn at English Harbour

'The rooms are tip top modern with flatscreens, ipod docking stations and wifi but so gentle are these touches that you don’t notice until you need them'

Four Seasons Resort Marrakech, Morocco

'Any wary first-time visitor to Morocco will feel instantly cocooned by Four Seasons' warm embrace'

Savoy Hotel, Florence

'The look is vintage Olga Polizzi, soothing guests with harmonious neutral tones'

Il Salviatino, Fiesole

'You’re confronted with a building of almost eye-wateringly handsome symmetry'

Shangri La, Tokyo

'Sitting on a fluffy cloud surrounded by puppies while being fanned by angels.'

Park Hyatt, Gaafu Alifu Atoll, Maldives

'A ridiculous statement perhaps given that every resort sits on a tiny island in the middle of the Indian Ocean but this one feels genuinely remote.'

Ayada Maldives, Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll

'A manicured resort with lush lawns and orderly flora and fauna galore'

Anantara Kihavah Villas, Baa Atoll, Maldives

'a work of art that demands viewing from every angle'

Curtain Bluff, Antigua

'The classy but cool grandfather of Antiguan resorts'

Jumby Bay, Antigua

'The danger of a pool suite is that you might not want to go out. Ever'

Jakes, Treasure Beach, Jamaica

'it is about love… love for the place and love for its people.'

Le Sirenuse, Positano

'mesmerizing view of Positano’s higgledy-piggledy homes and bobbing yachts'

JK Place, Capri

'Inside, there’s no whiff of traditional palazzo or chic Italian minimalism.'

Palazzo Sasso, Ravello

'carefully chosen antique furniture, a grand piano and the sort of pristine white furniture you wouldn’t want to drink red wine on'

The Montpellier Chapter

The hotel’s front façade blends seamlessly into the Montpellier streets – after all, it is a Grade II listed Regency villa

Rosewood Little Dix Bay, British Virgin Islands

'The resort belies the Spanish name of the island (‘Fat Virgin’) bestowed by Columbus, though the beach has its curves.'

Lewa Safari Camp

'With its own vegetable patch and water-cooled fridges, the camp has many sustainable elements, and also supports the local community with schools and healthcare'