Hotels We Love

What are the best hotels on the planet? I knew exactly where to find the answer to that question. The About.com Travel guides go everywhere, so I asked them, "What's your favorite place to stay?" The answers came in from across the globe. Below are the hotels the travel experts love -- your new favorite may be among them:

• "Here's the one that got me started bouncing on beds," says Susan. "They say you never forget your first love, and that's as true of hotels as it is of people. The place that first stole my heart was the Halekulani Hotel (in Hawaii). It drew me into a world of luxury, grace, and serenity that I had never before experienced and have not since forgotten."

• "A standout in a country of beautiful country house hotels," says Ferne of the Ardanaiseig Hotel on Loch Awe in the Westerns Highlands of Scotland. "They'll collect you at the station in their Victorian steam yacht to carry you across the Loch to the estate. The very romantic Boat House on the water's edge is so private that they give you a golf cart to get back to the hotel for breakfast and gourmet meals."

• "This is probably the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in," says Linda of the the Four Seasons at Nile Plaza in Cairo, Egypt. "The views of the pyramids at Giza from our 30th floor balcony overlooking the Nile River were almost surreal."

• "Quite simply, this may be the most luxurious ranch you'll ever visit." Lois loves the Teton Ridge Ranch near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. At this "rustic" ranch, owned by billionaire Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, "you are pampered but not coddled. Every morning, you meet with the ranch guides and wranglers to decide what you'd like to do. Horseback riding or hiking on the ranch? Mountain biking? Fishing on gold-medal streams? Skiing or snowmobiling in the winter? Just name it and get ready to do it!"

• "My husband and I stayed here the first night of our honeymoon in Paris." Kelby loves the Chateau d'Esclimont, a surprisingly affordable chateau an hour outside of Paris. She says it's like "taking a step back in time to the days royalty romped about the Loire Valley."

• "I love historic and quirky hotels," admits Liz. "Throw in a four star restaurant and I’m packing my bags." She loves La Posada in Winslow, Arizona, a "gem of history that has continually evolved from gracious hacienda to the Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter inspired beautiful hotel of today."

• I have to agree with Arthur, who says the Portofino Bay at Universal Orlando in Florida "is quite luxurious and lavishly themed as well as the most secluded and quietest of the theme park resort's three on-property hotels. And its beds and pillows are among the most comfortable on the planet. (Small, squishy pillows are among my hotel pet peeves.)"

• "This brand-new hotel might just set a new standard in Copenhagen," Terri says of the Copenhagen Island Hotel. "It offers Danish warmth and friendliness unmatched at other large hotels."

• Know where Gdansk is? Not only can Kerry tell you it's in Poland, but she can point to a romantic place to stay -- the Willa Isabel Hotel Gdansk. Of this intimate retreat, which is tucked away in one of Gdansk's residential neighborhoods, she says it's "all about romantic detail. You'll have one of only seven luxuriously furnished rooms."

• "Most travelers take two planes and a boat to get to Biras Creek," says Bob, "but this very private Virgin Gorda (British Virgin Islands) resort is worth the trip. I felt like I had been given entrée to a quiet sanctuary, where guests on one-speed bikes navigate unpaved paths through lush gardens to access the beach, the resort's hilltop restaurant, an oceanfront pool, and a marina with a variety of boats for the taking – even by novices like me."

• "A historic luxury hotel in a great location." Martha points to the Hotel Eden in Rome, Italy. "Best of all are the spectacular views of Rome, both from the front guest rooms and the top floor restaurant and lounge."

• How about a really cool luxury boutique hotel with a private cinema in London? Laura points to One Aldwych London, which is in "a fab location as it's the building on the north side of Waterloo Bridge. The view from the first floor bar looks straight down Waterloo Bridge so it's just stunning."

• It may be the most expensive hotel in Miami, but Dawn says the Setai in South Beach is worth it. "It has every amenity and comfort you can imagine...gorgeous Asian-influenced décor, luxurious and spacious suites, a full-service spa, three pools and two great restaurants."

• The rooftop nightlife is the focus at The Standard in downtown Los Angeles, reports Kayte, though she warns, "it can be a challenge to navigate through the chaos at the entrance on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. The valet helped me get my luggage up the stairs on the way in. On the way out, he was otherwise occupied with the party crowd."

• "I just loved this place from the moment I stepped into it," says Teresa. "The Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park is one of my absolute favorite hotels any where -- maybe THE favorite." She describes it as a "stunning piece of architecture, and one of the best examples of a 'rustic elegant' log hotel."

• "What is sexier than spoiling your partner rotten?" asks Zain, whose list of the most romantic hotels in Puerto Rico is topped by Chateau Cervantes, "If money is truly no object, book the presidential suite, if only for the view: only a glass pane separates the tub from the bedroom."

^{Image of the swimming pool at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Miami, one of my favorite hotels in the world, courtesy of the Mandarin Oriental}