Europe is home to some of the world’s most extraordinary hotels, where history, design and exceptional service combine to create unforgettable stays. From grand palaces to modern retreats, our well-travelled team has ranked the 30 ultimate bucket-list stays across the continent.
Click through to discover the European hotels you need to experience at least once in your lifetime...
Giving a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘the great outdoors’, this Bavarian bolthole boasts 360° views of the Elmau valley with its winding canyons, glistening lakes and snow-capped mountains.
Originally built as a hideaway for people to take a ‘vacation from the ego’ – according to its creator, philosopher Dr. Johannes Müller – its focus on wellness continues to the present day, with eight pools, six spas, seven saunas and 23 treatment rooms to pamper, polish and purify. It’s little surprise that it played host to the G7 summit not once, but twice – even world leaders aren’t immune to its many charms.
Have you ever dreamed of sleeping in a room made entirely of ice? Possibly the most unique hotel on this list, Sweden’s Icehotel is, incredibly, rebuilt from scratch by artists every winter, after the previous year’s version has melted in the spring.
As if that weren’t enough, the hotel has more recently launched ICEHOTEL 365 where, as the name suggests, guests can live out their icy dreams even in the height of summer, thanks to cooling solar panels. The experience extends to an enormous ‘ice hall’, complete with intricately carved sculptures and an Ice Bar, which serves drinks in – you guessed it – ice-carved glasses.
It wouldn’t be a hotel bucket list without Claridge’s, which boasts possibly the starriest guest list in history (Cary Grant, Jackie Onassis, Audrey Hepburn and Winston Churchill have all stayed here). Delighting locals and far-flung travellers since 1856, this Art-Deco gem is considered by many to be the pinnacle of luxury, with each of its 269 rooms and suites impeccably decorated.
Most famous, though, are its extra touches: from the 24-hour butler service; to the legendary afternoon tea, featuring hand-picked tea leaves; to the iconic Christmas tree, which is created in partnership with a different designer every year.
Set within 400 acres of Hampshire countryside, Heckfield Place is a Georgian manor transformed into a serene retreat. With a soothing blend of heritage features and contemporary touches, it exudes understated luxury and a welcoming atmosphere.
Guests can reconnect with nature through walks around the private lake, exploring the biodynamic Home Farm, or unwinding in the tranquil, holistic spa. Dining, led by chef Skye Gyngell, showcases seasonal produce from the estate’s gardens and farm. With its natural elegance and thoughtful details, Heckfield Place is a restorative countryside escape.
Ballyfin is a Regency-era country pile that exudes luxury and glamour – but with warm and discreet service as standard.
Nestled on 614 acres of lavish lakes and woodland, this 20-room retreat dishes up delicacies from its walled kitchen garden – and history, unsurprisingly, is also on the menu, with staff offering daily tours that tell fascinating stories of the grounds and past guests.
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Borgo Egnazia is less a traditional hotel than an entire town in miniature – which figures, since ‘borgo’ is Italian for village.
A sprawling and idyllic 40-acre escape on Puglia’s beautiful Salento Coast, it was built around one family-owned castle, but now includes six restaurants (including one with a Michelin star), an 18-hole golf course, two beach clubs and, most charmingly, a real ‘village square’ at the heart of it all. Offering guests not just room and board but an authentic taste of Puglian village life, it even hosted Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel’s wedding back in 2012.
With a location straight out of a fairytale, Grandhotel Giessbach is surrounded by mountains and the turquoise waters of Lake Brienz, with the breathtaking Giessbach Falls waterfall just moments away. Lucky guests arrive by steamboat to the hotel’s private mooring stage, before boarding the oldest funicular railway in Europe to begin their enchanting stay.
Activities include wood-carving, hikes and boat cruises – and while it may look like something straight out of Disney's Frozen, Grandhotel Giessbach was actually used as a location for Steven Spielberg’s World War II drama Band of Brothers.
Many hotels claim to be historic, but Raffles at The OWO has a story to top them all – occupying a Grade II-listed building in Whitehall, the site of the former War Office, where Winston Churchill plotted the allied victory and James Bond author Ian Fleming worked as a spy.
Traditional with a twist, Raffles boasts 120 rooms and suites, nine restaurants, a 27,000-square-foot (2,500sqm) Guerlain spa, an underground pool and three bars, including the basement Spy Bar, which features the DB5 car from the James Bond film No Time to Die.
Three generations of the same family have owned and operated Gstaad Palace, making it one of Switzerland’s only family-run resorts. With its white turrets, flying flags and dreamy scenery, it’s like something straight out of a fairytale, especially as it’s nestled in the Swiss Alps.
While Gstaad Palace is closed in the shoulder seasons (spring and autumn) it’s best enjoyed in the winter, where it’s a popular base for skiers, or summer, where outdoorsy guests can sample a range of activities from tennis to swimming in the hotel’s Olympic-sized pool.
One of the City of Love’s most adored hotels, Le Bristol Paris celebrated its 100-year anniversary at the end of 2024, but it remains as iconic as ever. Guests in search of la belle vie continue to flock to Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, one of the city’s most prestigious addresses, where they’re greeted with a spectacular rooftop pool, a private courtyard garden and even a resident cat, Socrate.
The hotel also features an impressive in-house bakery that produces 192 croissants every single day. That’s 70,000 a year!
Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons is one of the UK’s most famous (and desirable) destinations. Meticulously operated by celebrated French chef Raymond Blanc, everything, unsurprisingly, centres around food: from the hotel’s much-talked-about, two-Michelin-starred restaurant; to the cookery courses it offers on everything from bread to seafood.
But it’s no slouch elsewhere, too, with six options of pillow, perfectly curated fruit bowls in every room and stunning landscaped gardens. A once-in-a-lifetime experience for serious foodies.
The first Scandinavian entry on our list, and it’s a modern classic. Villa Copenhagen only opened its doors midway through 2020, but has already gained a loyal following of stylish guests in the Danish capital and beyond.
The 390 rooms skew minimalist and exude Scandi cool, but luxurious touches and a warm colour palette keep the vibes welcoming. Guests can do laps in the heated rooftop pool, stroll to the Tivoli Gardens, which are just minutes away, or gorge on cardamom buns from the hotel’s resident bakery, RUG.
If you’ve logged into Instagram any time in the past decade, there’s a high chance Le Sirenuse has made it to your feed. Quite possibly the most Instagrammable hotel in Europe, its location, perched atop the Amalfi Coast’s prettiest town, Positano, is just one of the reasons why it’s bucket-list material.
Others include the restaurant, La Sponda, which boasts 400 candles and the chicest view in town; individually-decorated rooms that peer over the colourful cliffside; and the plethora of complimentary activities on offer, including Pilates and limoncello tasting.
Located on Ireland’s ruggedly beautiful Wild Atlantic Way, a 1,500 mile (2,500km) stretch of coastline from Donegal to County Cork, Ballynahinch Castle Hotel is a secluded bolthole where you can truly escape from it all.
Set among 700 acres of grounds, on the edge of a river filled with salmon and trout (naturally, fishing is on the activities menu) and staggering forest and mountain views, the great outdoors is, unsurprisingly, the focus of a stay at Ballynahinch. That’s not to say it’s not cosy – the hotel has its own pub, and plenty of hidden nooks to curl up with a book and take in the scenery.
While it’s technically a train, the Belmond Royal Scotsman has levels of luxury that put many hotels to shame. Operated by ultra-luxe hoteliers Belmond, it sleeps 35 passengers, each of whom are treated to the journey of a lifetime as they amble up to the Scottish Highlands, stopping along the way for wild swims, whisky tastings, or even a spot of clay pigeon shooting.
On the train itself, sumptuous comfort and authentic experiences await, including live entertainment, a Dior spa and haute Scottish cuisine cooked up by celebrated chef Tom Kitchin.
Sofia Richie, daughter of Lionel, hosted her wedding party at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in 2023 – which should give you an idea of the levels of luxury we’re talking about here.
On the glamorous tip of the glittering French Riviera, it’s been attracting the bold and the beautiful for over 150 years, and is particularly lovely in the summer, where guests can gaze at the turquoise waters of the Cote D’Azur over a slice of pizza from Giovanni’s, or traverse the over-water ladder and rope swing. It was also the inspiration for F Scott Fitzgerald’s Roaring Twenties novel Tender is the Night.
One of the world’s most popular bucket-list experiences – seeing the Northern Lights – deserves a hotel to match. Enter Finland’s Cahkal Hotel, a 23-room boutique hotspot located 1,312 feet (400m) above the Arctic Circle.
The brainchild of a husband-and-wife duo, each room in the hotel is specially designed to bring guests 'one step closer to nature'. And with exquisite mountain views as standard; a panoramic sauna; and activities ranging from fly fishing to e-bike tours, it certainly achieves its goal.
Did you know that one of Iceland’s most popular attractions – a geothermal spa with healing mineral waters – also has its own luxury hotel? The Retreat at Blue Lagoon, Iceland, is for those who want to extend the pampering experience over days rather than hours.
With 60 rooms, the hotel itself is an architectural marvel, designed to work with, rather than against, the nature it’s surrounded by (including an active volcano). As well as the lagoon itself, guests can bask in the subterranean spa, which offers bespoke treatments including float therapy, in-water massage and even remedies to combat jet lag.
Sylt, the northernmost of Germany’s islands, is one of Europe’s most beautiful hidden gems, but it’s been popular among the country’s jetsetters and celebrities for decades, thanks to its plethora of Michelin-starred restaurants and 5-star hotels.
Their favourite hangout? Severin’s Hotel and Spa, an irresistibly charming resort hotel that boasts one of the largest thatched roofs in Europe. Built in the traditional style of Germany’s Frisian Islands, staying at Severin’s is an all-around wholesome affair, from alfresco dining in the hotel’s own orchard to kicking back in the expansive spa’s saunas, hammam and swimming pool warmed by firelight.
While its name may conjure images of a rustic retreat – and Craveiral Farmhouse is home to donkeys, horses and pygmy goats, making it popular with young families – it’s also rather chic, with whitewashed buildings and contemporary Portuguese crafts on display.
While it might not be the most glamorous stay on this list, it’s definitely got the most heart. Farm-to-table isn’t just a cliché here, but a philosophy and way of life; the property is adapted for guests with accessibility needs; and it practises a sustainable ‘circular economy’, aiming to produce everything needed on-site.
As sleek as it is serene, Switzerland’s 7132 is one seriously good-looking hotel. From its iconic modernist design (courtesy of Swiss architect Peter Zumthor) to the floor-to-ceiling windows providing jaw-dropping views of the Alps, it looks a million dollars from every angle.
Happily, it’s not a case of style over substance – 7132 also boasts a two-Michelin-star restaurant, 7132 Silver, which offers VIP guests an alfresco private dining experience on top of a mountain. If that weren’t enough, you can arrive by helicopter, if you so choose – 7132 has its own helipad.
Lake Como is no stranger to high-end hotels, but Passalacqua takes luxury to a whole new level.
Set in an 18th-century villa on the lakefront village of Moltrasio, this 24-room boutique gem includes seven acres of manicured terrace gardens, ornate, Baroque-style interiors and, most excitingly, a vintage orange Fiat 500 convertible for guests to zip around the property.
It’s not every day you see a city hotel with its own 11-acre park, but Four Seasons Hotel Firenze is no ordinary 5-star stay. Like stepping back in time, it’s housed in the Renaissance-era Palazzo della Gherardesca and La Villa, a 16th-century convent building – while the park we mentioned above? Incredibly, it’s the biggest in the city of Florence.
As for the service, nothing is too much trouble – staff can arrange anything from hot air balloon trips to a private dinner on the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence. La dolce vita indeed.
There’s unique stays, and then there’s Turkey’s Museum Hotel, a ‘living museum’ where guests vacation alongside hundreds of historical artefacts from the Hittite, Roman, Seljuk and Ottoman periods. The perfect choice for history and art lovers, this is Turkey’s only Relais & Châteaux hotel, with 34 rooms and suites, each a beautiful example of the region’s traditional stone and cave architecture.
After they’re done admiring the museum pieces, guests can keep busy with cooking lessons, hot air balloon trips and even sample the hotel’s homemade honey and other delicacies.
The caldera, a 3,500 year old volcanic eruption, is Santorini’s most-loved landmark. And the lucky guests at Canaves Oia Suites get the best view on the island, thanks to its position perched on top of the volcanic rocks.
Impossibly romantic, it’s the perfect choice for honeymooners, with white suites carved into the cliffs, Champagne breakfasts as standard and plunge pools where you can while away the hours gazing out onto the Aegean Sea.
A 1,000-year-old castle painstakingly renovated over 30 years, the exquisite Castello di Reschio is perched on a hilltop between Umbria and Tuscany, two of Italy’s most picturesque regions.
Its place on this bucket list is due not only to the views (which are staggering), but to the incredible care and attention to detail its owner, Count Benedikt Bolza, has dedicated to his hotel’s design – he is the maker behind much of Castello’s furniture. The hotel is also home to several beautiful Spanish horses, complete with stables, riding school and daily excursions to explore the sprawling grounds and surrounding towns.
Blending the charm of Dubrovnik’s historic setting with the sophistication of an ultra-luxe retreat, Villa Dubrovnik whisks guests away from the madding crowds, built into the white cliffs overlooking the Adriatic Sea.
With a location this epic, it’s lucky that each of its 56 rooms and suites has a sea view – unusual for such a property – and the city’s UNESCO-listed Old Town is just 15 minutes’ walk away, for travellers keen to follow in the footsteps of HBO’s historic hit series Game of Thrones.
With views this epic, it’s no wonder the minds behind the Juvet Landscape Hotel opted for glass cabins, all the better for guests to gaze out at the high mountains, bubbling rivers and two of Norway’s most famous fjords, including the Geirangerfjord, from where Disney’s Frozen drew inspiration.
Only 10 rooms mean maximum privacy and seclusion, and while the architecture may feel space-age, the hotel’s vibe is warm and friendly, serving up communal dinners (featuring local berries, herring and even reindeer). Juvet is also a must-visit for film and TV fans: both award-winning HBO series Succession and Oscar-winning film Ex Machina were filmed here.
Mamula Island is one of the most unique locations on this list. A hotel surrounded on all sides by the azure waters of the Adriatic Sea, it was once a 19th-century fortress, before becoming an Italian prison camp in World War II.
Shaking off its previous identity, Mamula has now been transformed into a stunning, secluded resort, complete with 32 rooms, a spa, a private beach, three pools, three restaurants and four bars, so you quite literally never need to leave. In their own words, everything at Mamula is 'designed to give you time to rest, move, make, share and dance, so you can reconnect with what you love'. Now that’s a mission to get behind.
Our pick for the very best bucket-list hotel in Europe goes to this gem, self-described as 'the Mediterranean's most private and secluded resort'. Cap Rocat gives guests the ultimate in luxury: an escape from the outside world, surrounded by a 74-acre nature reserve along just over a mile (2km) of stunning coastline.
Its location – on a restored 19th-century fortress, complete with drawbridges and bunkers – helps, but Cap Rocat’s dedication to luxury is also forward-thinking, with a plastic-free policy and locally-sourced Balearic cuisine. Most special of all are its Sentinel suites (pictured) which are carved into the rock face, offering blissful views of the azure sea and complete privacy.