Location Arrive in the resort’s quiet beachside cul-de-sac after a 20-minute drive north of Cairns. Highlight The wedding chapel looks out over an uninterrupted stretch of sand and sea. Dining After whitewater rafting or trekking in the World Heritage rainforest, enjoy local seafood on the Far Horizons Restaurant & Bar terrace. Wellness The Angsana Spa offers treatments outdoors on the rooftop to the sound of the waves. Giving back As part of Banyan Tree’s Greening Communities program, the resort has so far planted over 6,000 trees in the Daintree Rainforest. Room to book Suite 37, with three bedrooms, has views of Sweet Creek, where legend has it that Captain Cook replenished his water supply. Rooms 67. GM Mark Slimmer.

61-7-4055-3000, angsana.com

Location The Boca Beach Club is 1.5 kilometres northeast of the main resort on South Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach County. Highlight Each of the Pool Oasis’ three gorgeous beachside pools has a different themed umbrella design. Dining SeaGrille, by a decorative pool in the main lobby, offers fresh fish of the day, like Gulf swordfish. Order it with a side of chef Donna Wynter’s Gruyère potato gratin. Giving back In partnership with Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, turtle-friendly beach lighting has been installed to protect the 15 endangered-turtle nests. Room to book Atlantic-facing rooms promise superb morning sunrises, while inland waterway-facing rooms give great sunset. Rooms 203. GM John Carns. 

561-447-3000, bocabeachclub.com

Location Set in 350 acres of idyllic countryside, the resort is just 10 kilometres west of London Heathrow Airport. Highlight Sports facilities are outstanding, including the 27-hole Harry Shapland Colt golf course (seen in the movie Goldfinger), 13 tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools and a 4,845-square-foot Technogym. Wellness The 13-room SPA SPC uses its own glass-packaged organic products. Room to book Choose between an antiques-filled museum room in the 18th-century Mansion and a 21st-century room in the new Pavilion block. Rooms 49. GM Giammario Ragnoli. 

44-1753-717171, stokeparkclub.com

Location On Fifth Avenue and Broadway, the hotel is handy to the financial, Gaslamp and Theater districts. Highlight David Rockwell’s 10 x 10-foot solid bronze door leads to a lobby with Calder-like mobiles dangling from the ceiling. Dining Don’t miss the living wall of plants in chef Christopher Lee’s Dodd Mitchell-designed Suite & Tender restaurant. Wellness Opt for a Sè Spa facial. Room to book Suite 906 looks down Fifth Avenue. Rooms 161. GM Craig Waterman. 

619-515-3000, sesandiego.com

Location This hotel on the west side of historic Place Vendôme is a five-minute walk from the Palais Garnier opera house and the Tuileries. Highlight Sunday brunch attracts regulars from former French prime ministers to young Parisians in the latest gear. Dining Michel Roth’s L’Espadon has two Michelin stars. For a truly sublime experience, book the chef’s table in the kitchen. Wellness Try the Daniela Steiner facial followed by a simultaneous manicure and pedicure. Room to book Room 417, one of the stunning new Pierre-Yves Rochon suites, overlooks a quiet garden. Rooms 175. GM Omer Acar. 

33-1-43-16-30-30, ritzparis.com

Location Perched high above Pacific Place is this Hong Kong Island hotel. Highlight Enjoy the convenient proximity to some of Hong Kong’s best shopping – which says a lot – in Pacific Place. Dining André Fu’s design in Café Gray Deluxe includes a 14-metre open kitchen and a bar of the same length. Giving back The hotel’s town cars are Lexus Hybrid RX 450h vehicles with built-in Wi-Fi. Room to book Choose any room looking across Victoria Harbour to the Kowloon mainland. Rooms 117. GM Dean Winter.

852-2918-1838, upperhouse.com

Location Just off the M25 motorway, the Grove is a 35-minute drive from Heathrow Airport. Highlight Go for an early-morning run through the 300-acre rolling estate, followed by a pre-breakfast swim. Dining Nicholas Cage has been seen enjoying the Angus steaks and chips at The Stables. And the 3 1/2-acre walled garden includes a kitchen plot that provides produce for Colette’s fine dining restaurant. Wellness Sequoia is one of Europe’s best spas, with 12 treatment rooms and a 22-metre pool. Room to book Suite 18, in the original 18th-century mansion, looks out over the Kyle Phillips guests-only golf course. Rooms 227. GM Richard Lander.

44-1923-807807, thegrove.co.uk

Location On the island of Providenciales. Highlight Take a speedboat ride to other islands, including Parrot Cay, where you can see Donna Karan’s house. Dining Start with tapas and a drink at Infiniti, the 27-metre-long bar that seems to disappear into the water. Then dine beachfront, your table lit by flares set in the sand. Giving back The resort recycles waste cooking oil to power hotel cars, and the water-recycling program sustains the beautiful oceanfront landscape. Room to book F-404 is a 4,850 square-foot upper-floor suite with terraces overlooking one of the three big pools. Rooms 88. GM Anderson Howard.  

649-946-5050, gracebayclub.com

Location Located north of Delhi, this retreat is 1,500 metres above sea level. Highlight Your first glimpse of the resort – built around the 1895 palace of the Maharaja of Tehri-Garhwal – as you ascend from the airport. Dining Anup Gupta’s cuisine includes organic and Ayurvedic dishes, such as tofu teriyaki and buckwheat pizza. Wellness Options include yoga at dawn in a 35-step amphitheatre as well as escorted hikes and Pilates classes. Room to book Suite 317 has an ultraprivate lush garden and views down to Rishikesh, the birthplace of yoga. Rooms 79. GM Anupam Dasgupta.  
91-1378-227500, anandaspa.com

Location The camp is in the mountainous desert of northwest Namibia, on the north side of the Huab River valley. Highlight A trek on the Shepherd’s trails with a local guide is followed by a jeep safari to find an elephant herd. Dining Being escorted through the bush to a boma (a traditional meal in an open-air kraal) is a highlight. Involvement The camp won the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Tourism for Tomorrow Conservation Award in 2005. Room to book Accommodations are in tents on raised platforms, with adobe-style thatched roofs. Rooms 10. GMs Duane and Karen Rudman.  
wilderness-safaris.com