Its motto is ‘no news, no shoes’, but a Maldives hotel made headlines worldwide after being named the best hotel on the planet, this year.
An intimate coral island set in a sparkling lagoon, with jetties threading across the water out to spacious luxury villas, Gili Lankanfushi is a slice of utter paradise in the North Malé Atoll.
Every guest at the five-star resort, reached by 20-minute speedboat ride from Malé, is assigned their own Mr Friday, a butler to cater to your every whim.
And with rooftop sun decks and open-air living rooms, the villas are the epitome of barefoot luxury…
The Spa is staffed by visiting holistic practitioners and renowned healers (natch), while the activities list includes diving at Manta Point, windsurfing the crystal lagoons, unwinding with yoga to a perfect sunrise and outdoor movies in the sandy, lantern-lit cinema.
Unsurprisingly, Gili Lankanfushi is not one for the budget conscious. Eight nights in a villa at the best available rate in November will set you back an eye-watering €9,050.
The Top Ten Tripadvisor Hotels were as follows:
- Gili Lankanfushi Maldives, Lankanfushi
- Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens, La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica
- Shinta Mani Club Siem Reap, Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, Budapest, Hungary
- Belmond Palacio Nazarenas, Cusco, Peru
- Cocoa Island by COMO, Cocoa Island
- Hotel Alpin Spa Tuxerhof, Tux, Austria
- Al Maha Resort & Spa, Murqquab, United Arab Emirates
- Hotel Estalagem St Hubertus, Gramado, Brazil
- Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Urubamba, Peru
Hey, there’s always the Euromillions. In the meantime, pour a coffee (or a cocktail) and take a two-minute brain holiday with the official resort video…
