360 Favourites: the best places we’ve stayed in the past year
Our experts’ list of favourites is constantly changing, but it came as no surprise to have two mentions of the Maldives, a Four Seasons Hotel, plus the Aman collection – all of which have our clients returning year after year.
Our experts’ list of favourites is constantly changing, but it came as no surprise to have two mentions of the Maldives, a Four Seasons Hotel, plus the Aman collection – all of which have our clients returning year after year.
1. Four Seasons Punta Mita – Mexico
360’s expert said: Four Seasons Punta Mita takes service to a whole new level. There have been stories of staff wading chest high into the sea to bring drinks orders – and we can totally believe it after our amazing stay. Our arrival was magical – we spotted a whale whilst sipping margaritas and gazing out at the glittering turquoise sea . From beginning to end the staff treated us like family, seeming to know exactly what we’d want before we even asked.
2. Gili Lankanfushi – North Malé Atoll, Maldives
360’s expert said: This place is so easy to get to – just twenty minutes by speedboat from the airport – but it’s a real paradise when you get there. With impossibly clear water all around us, and a personal butler catering to our every whim, we were in a total bubble. Every day we’d snorkel amongst the incredible marine life, and were lucky enough to swim with whale sharks. To complete the fantasy experience, we got the butler to set up our bed on the roof terrace and slept beneath the stars. Magical.
3. Aman Canal Grande – Venice, Italy
360’s expert said: George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin had their four day wedding party here, and I felt like a bit of a film star myself as I arrived here in a vintage speedboat! A 16th century palace, its got the balance just right between period opulence and contemporary design. It really is the most exquisite place I’ve ever stayed.
4. The Galapagos Islands – Pacific Ocean
360’s expert said: The Galapagos Islands had been on my bucket-list for a long time, so I was thrilled to finally tick them off. I couldn’t believe how close you can get to wildlife – sea lions, giant tortoises, the blue footed booby… The geology of the landscape was also fascinating, and I discovered that the Galapagos has some of the best beaches in Latin America. As we were exploring it by boat, we could imagine how Darwin must’ve felt seeing it all for the first time.
5. Namibia – Southwest Africa
360’s expert said: I thought I’d ‘done’ Africa until I experienced the desert landscapes of Namibia: it adds a totally new dimension to a safari and is just mind blowing. I found the variation astonishing as I flew over the rugged Skeleton Coast, went hot-air ballooning over Namib Naukluft’s eerie petrified forest, and sand-boarded down the largest dunes in the world. Other worldly is the only way to describe it.
6. Four Seasons Maldives – Baa Atoll, Maldives
360’s expert said: The closest I’ve come to paradise in a resort. A stay that left me relaxed, spoilt and rejuvenated, with staff who were so warm and genuine. More than any other hotel I’ve been to, the word ‘no’ does not exist and everything you ask for is done with a smile. To be in such a beautiful resort with my family was a true gift.
7. Amanzoe – Peloponnese, Greece
360’s expert said: I’m a bit of an Aman-addict, and this hotel was no exception. For four nights I felt like a princess, with pure luxury, relaxation and excellent spa treatments. It was also great to experience an unspoilt and lesser-explored part of Greece on the mainland, the Peloponnese, as people tend to stick to the islands.
