What makes a hotel a Gold List hotel? It’s when you check in after a long journey, and your suitcases arrive in your room before you do. When the sunshine floods through the windows in the morning, but can be blacked out if you need to sleep in. When there’s a complimentary chauffeur-driven car to drop you anywhere within a mile’s radius. When the lift operator knows your name, and remembers your dress from the night before (and reminds you to order the pancakes on Sunday).
It’s arriving to a shower of rose petals. Receiving the gift of walnuts stuffed into the fresh dates you love, to take back home. It’s when all the switches make sense, the lamps cast patterns on the ceiling and the walk-in wardrobe is large enough to dress in. When you find a secret corner to watch the sunset from and you’re sent over Champagne. When the staff have worked here for dozens of years and are part of the local community. When the uniforms are cool and comfortable, and people seem happy wearing them.
It’s a gym with a view, or a swimming pool with piped orchestral music. Someone who talks nonstop to distract you from how cold you are in the cryotherapy chamber, and has a towel at the ready when you emerge. A surprise gift on your bed every night, and a monogrammed bathrobe and pillowcase. Hot and cold towels swapped depending on the weather. A waiter who remembers you eat chillies with everything, and room service that lets you order off-menu midnight snacks. A doorman who’s expecting you. It’s when the vegetables are fresh, there’s not a piece of plastic in sight and the glass bottles are recycled. When your shoulders drop and the weight lifts. When you are cared for as if you were a guest in someone’s home.
A Gold List hotel makes you feel extraordinarily lucky to be there – not just in that country, city or neighbourhood, but right there. It reminds you to be grateful; demands that you tell your friends about it. I’ve been lucky to have had so many of these moments this past year, and some of the incredible properties I’ve visited have made our 2024 Gold List, along with others that have provided our global editors with similar memories. This is our definitive selection of favourites. When we say they’re gold, we really mean it.