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Royalty, dignitaries and A-listers have all stayed at the Sacher Hotel, from Emperor Franz Josef to John Lennon. Signalled by a grand facade and dapper doormen – and, usually, a queue of sweet-toothed tourists lining up outside for a slice of the cafe’s famous Sacher-Torte chocolate cake – this five-star has been a Viennese institution since its formidable GM Ana Sacher ran the ostentatious property until her death in 1930, leaving a trail of cigar smoke and beloved French bulldogs in her wake. Subsequent owners have maintained her legacy, its lavish interiors at once luxurious and eminently comforting. And, contrary to the hotel’s majesty, staff are wonderfully warm and personable, making you feel more like a resident than a guest. Rooms from €330, suites from €637. (Philharmoniker Str. 4, +43 1 514 560; sacher.com)
Guests of the Princess Grace Suite at the storied Shelbourne can’t fail to feel like a superstar. From the moment they’re personally collected from the airport to checking out of this expansive, two-bedroom lodging, any notions will be complete. Dublin’s most famous hotel (it was occupied by British troops during the Easter Rising and, in 1922, the Irish Constitution was drafted here) has five suites, but it’s the Princess Grace – or Presidential – that’s the most swish. Order room service to its antique dining table; wallow in the pink marble bathroom or, if you’re feeling particularly diva-esque, let your personal butler unpack your luggage while you quaff the welcome bottle of champagne. Suite for up to four guests costs €7,500, also including breakfast, airport transfers, valet parking. (27 St Stephen’s Green, 01 663 4500; marriott.com)
Co Kerry is world renowned for its natural beauty and Kenmare’s Sheen Falls Lodge is suitably scenic. This five-star Relais & Chateaux hotel is set on a rambling estate of 121 hectares, where guests can even try salmon fishing on its private stretch of the River Sheen. The estate’s once-resident heron has now lent its name to the Oscars Suite, which marks the final phase of the Lodge’s two-year refurbishment. And it’s worth the wait. The open-plan suite has a separate dressing room (living the dream!) and double doors that lead out on to a private terrace overlooking the waterfall of the hotel’s namesake. Tactile tweeds, velvet and soft cotton, while lovely, can’t even compete with that verdant view. The Oscars Suite costs from €1,000 per night, and the adjoining Signature Suite is €640. (Gortnadullagh, Kenmare, 064 664 1600; sheenfallslodge.ie)
Once the headquarters of the not-very-sexy Pearl Assurance Company, the Rosewood London couldn’t be a more seductive prospect than if it was dressed in Agent Provocateur and brandishing a chocolate eclair. The internal staircase alone is made from solid Pavonazzo marble and leads up to a five-metre-high cupola. But who needs stairs when you’re staying in the Manor Suite? Not only does the 185 sq m crash-pad have its own private entrance with private lift, it also has its own postcode. A more “modest” option is the Garden Suite at 113 sq m, complete with a rooftop terrace overlooking the rooftops and chimneys. Like Mary Poppins but without the grime. Suites from £542. (252 High Holborn, +44 20 7781 8888; rosewoodhotels.com)
All the rooms at Brooklyn’s super-cool William Vale hotel have floor-to-ceiling windows and open-air balconies overlooking New York’s iconic boroughs. But its Vale Garden Residence Suite takes contemporary luxury to another level – literally. This duplex stunner boasts 122 sq m of living space, much of it outside, with a swish sun terrace and hot tub. There are no more words needed here. JUST LOOK AT IT. Suites from $459. (111 N 12th St, Brooklyn, +1 718 631 8400; thewilliamvale.com)
This feature is in the February/March 2018 issue of Cara magazine, the in-flight publication of Aer Lingus. aerlingus.com