7 hotels that make a splash

Designed to resemble a luxury cruise liner moored on the River Thames, Sea Containers London is a super-stylish contemporary hotel that maximizes its enviable South Bank position like no other hotel in the city. The water theme is everywhere, but particularly present in the spacious, light-filled Agua Bathhouse & Spa, which sits below the waterline and is billed as a “spa playground,” with different relaxation lounges; particularly striking is the giant copper droplet installation. Above water, London’s post-work crowd files into Lyaness, the award-winning cocktail bar overseen by London’s most-decorated mixologist, Ryan Chetiyawardana, for craft cocktails with a river view.

Set on an extinct volcano on the outskirts of Johannesburg at the edge of Pilanesberg National Park, The Palace is one of South Africa’s most sumptuous and extraordinary hotels. The landscaping is spectacular, with jungle, streams, waterfalls and swimming pools… but it’s the family-oriented water park where the hotel really makes a splash. The Valley of Waves wave pool is a central feature and highlight, while waterslides and zip lines offer additional aquatic fun. Naturally, there’s also plenty for adults to look forward to, including a luxurious spa with hydrotherapy pools and marine treatments like algae body wraps.

With a “steamy” history like no other, Les Bains began life as a private bathhouse in 1885, before becoming a legendary nightclub in the late ’70s. Thought of as a Parisian outpost of Studio 54, it welcomed the likes of David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol, also functioning as an early showcase of a young Philippe Starck’s design talents. Throughout the 1990s, Naomi Campbell, Michael Hutchence, Linda Evangelista and Karl Lagerfeld all partied here. Today this iconic space has evolved into a divine, luxury boutique hotel where some rooms are equipped with hammams in a nod to the property’s past life, plus there’s a sought-after spa and vitality pool.

Uncover an inner-city oasis at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan

Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo is famous for its 700-year-old gardens, complete with a shrine, tearoom and parkland dotted with cherry blossom trees. But what really makes this inner-city hotel feel like an urban oasis is the onsen, a wooden bath filled with spring water carefully couriered from Izu and Ito natural hot springs in Shizuoka prefecture. The hotel is naturally popular during spring for hanami (flower viewing) and in fall when the foliage changes, while summer offers a leafy and refreshing respite from the heat.

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Cool off in the clouds at Atlantis The Royal

Dubai, UAE

As if being a wonder of modern architecture wasn’t enough, this hyper-modern hotel is high on luxury, too. With its own section of white-sand beach, swim-up and poolside bars, on-site spa, and private pools in its top-end rooms, you’re never far from a refreshing retreat to escape the desert heat. Add to that its striking position, towering between the turquoise waters of the Persian Gulf and Dubai’s futuristic skyline, and the only question is—which to sink into while you soak up the ever-changing view?

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Skyline views of Manhattan aren’t something you’d expect on a glamping getaway, but at Collective Governors Island, this is precisely what you get. This luxury retreat features 30 sumptuous guest tents on a bucolic 172-acre island—just an eight-minute ferry ride from Lower Manhattan. You can spend your morning exploring the Met, MoMA and other cultural delights of Manhattan before returning to the island for lazy late afternoons of cycling and picnicking, then bedding down under canvas for a tranquil, delightfully incongruous city stay.