Osiris Martinez

Luang Prabang is one of those destinations that feels untouched by time. A UNESCO-listed town in northern Laos, it blends colonial architecture, Buddhist spirituality, and a slower rhythm of life that’s increasingly rare in Southeast Asia. For this trip, I wanted something that didn’t just place me in Luang Prabang, but that deepened the experience. Rosewood Luang Prabang stood out for its setting in the jungle, its design by Bill Bensley, and its reputation for being one of the most immersive stays in the region.

Some hotels are places you visit. Others are experiences you move through. And then there is the Four Seasons Hotel Madrid, a destination that feels like stepping into the layered history of the city itself.

Hong Kong is one of those cities that feels electric the moment you arrive. The contrast between towering skyscrapers, traditional markets, and Victoria Harbour creates an energy that is unlike anywhere else in the world. Every time I visit, I like to explore the city through its hotels and restaurants. In my opinion, Hong Kong sits at the very top of global hospitality: the level of service, design, and dining is extraordinary. This year, for example, the Rosewood Hong Kong was named the best hotel in the world, which says a lot about the city’s hotel scene. For me, Hong Kong is a city that rewards curiosity: You can start the day walking along the harbor, spend the afternoon exploring hidden streets in Central, and end the evening dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Some hotels allow you to rest. Others allow you to understand a city. In Hong Kong, few properties achieve this as precisely as the Regent Hong Kong. Positioned directly on Victoria Harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui, the hotel offers not just accommodation, but perspective. Here, Hong Kong is not something you escape from. It is something you observe, absorb, and fully experience.

There are hotels in Paris, and then there is Le Meurice. Set along the legendary Rue de Rivoli, directly facing the Jardin des Tuileries, Le Meurice has stood here since 1835. It has been watching monarchies rise and fall, artists redefine culture, and Paris reinvent itself again and again. I have stayed in several palace hotels, but Le Meurice feels different. It doesn’t try to impress—it already knows it is history.

Bangkok is a city that has always challenged and surprised me. I have stayed in many of the world’s best hotels, but nowhere else brings together such radically different expressions of luxury within the same destination. Experiencing these three hotels at this particular moment, when all are ranked among the best in the world, deepened my understanding of how personal luxury travel truly is. Bangkok is not one story—it is many, and choosing the right one makes all the difference.

There are hotels you admire for years before finally stepping inside. For me, ‘Le Lutetia’ was one of them. I spent part of my youngest years walking past its Art Nouveau and Art Déco façade in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, always sensing there was something special behind those doors. Staying here felt less like checking into a hotel and more like crossing a threshold I had been approaching for years.

There are still places in Bali that seem untouched by time. Places where nature remains intact, traditions are deeply rooted, and luxury is understood as a quiet art. In one of these rare settings, I discovered a refuge that redefines exclusivity through silence, space, and intention: Amankila.

Madrid is home to some of Spain’s most iconic hotels, and among them, Rosewood Villa Magna stands out as a true symbol of contemporary luxury. Its recent transformation has firmly returned it to the center of the conversation, blending heritage, modern elegance, and a rare sense of warmth.

I checked in at Four Seasons Koh Samui genuinely excited, knowing I was about to stay at the hotel where "The White Lotus" was filmed, just before the new season aired. I came with expectations—and the resort surpassed every single one of them. What I found there went far beyond the screen: a sense of place, immersion, and escape that felt deeply real. It’s a hotel that will stay with me for many reasons, some of which I will explore below.

Bawah Reserve is not a hotel. It is a whisper. A promise of silence. A remote private island resort hidden within the Anambas Archipelago, between Singapore and Borneo, and one of the most extraordinary places I have ever experienced.

I’ve been fortunate to experience some of the most extraordinary hotels in the world. Yet there are places that go beyond luxury, places that quietly rewire you. Four Seasons Resort Landaa Giraavaru is one of them.