Unless you’re visiting Moscow in the dead of winter or Palm Springs mid-August, you’re going to pay a pretty penny if you decide on an upscale stay. But there’s expensive, and then there’s ridiculously expensive. These lodgings fall into the latter category. From a royal spot in Abu Dhabi to a presidential pad in Las Vegas, here are seven hotels with some of the world’s most expensive suites.
The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi
This 377-room luxury property is considered by many to be the most exclusive hotel in Abu Dhabi. Located a short drive from downtown, the property feels removed from the hustle and bustle, but is still near tourist attractions on Saadiyat Island. Guests receive personal butler service and have access to a private white sand beach. Facilities are beautiful and extensive, and include a spa with mosaic tile hot tubs, four restaurants and four outdoor pools. Rooms are large and all have balconies with great views. The most elaborate suite here is the Royal Suite, which can go for around $35,000/night.
The Westin Excelsior, Rome
This Beaux Arts property has occupied prime space on the celebrated Via Veneto since 1906, and was made famous by Federico Fellini’s 1960 movie La Dolce Vita. The elegant hotel, rebranded by Westin several years ago, has hosted celebrities and statesmen, and also has the distinction of having the largest suite in Europe, the nearly 12,000-square-foot Villa La Cupola, which totes a nightly price tag of about $30,000.
Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul
The Shangri-La Bosphorus is a first-rate luxury hotel where the Shangri-La Suite could set you back $20,000 or more per night. Housed in a former waterfront warehouse on the European side of the Bosphorus river, interiors are particularly lavish and rooms are some of the largest in the city. Dining options and leisure facilities are also top-notch and in-room tech such as TV mirrors impress.
Four Seasons New York
The 368-room Four Seasons in Midtown East has all the luxury essentials: stylish lobby beck-and-call service, a fine spa and fitness center, and some of the city's largest rooms. The most luxe accommodation option is the Ty Warner Penthouse, infamously costing around $45,000/night.
Hotel Plaza Athenee, Paris
The 208 rooms at the luxury Hotel Plaza Athenee embrace either classic Parisian or glitzy Art Deco style. The Christian Dior-appointed spa, five restaurants overseen by Michelin-star chef Alain Ducasse, and haute couture-inspired event spaces set this Avenue Montaigne property apart from the pack. But it's the small touches — like fresh orchids throughout the marble interiors, pillow and linen menus, and personalized minibars — that make the property memorable. And if you book the Royal Suite, with a nightly cost of about $27,000, you’ll really be living the high life.
Burj Al Arab, Dubai
Billing itself as the “world’s most luxurious hotel,” Burj Al Arab is a destination unto itself. Situated just off the coast of Dubai on an independent island, visitors can access the grounds by attending high tea in the afternoon or dining in one of seven restaurants. Almost every aspect of the property is meant to evoke extreme decadence, from the butler assigned to each of the 60 floors to the 24k-gold iPads in two-story suites. Here, the Royal Suite goes for about $24,000/night.
Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, Las Vegas
The 5,030-room Venetian is an enormous and extravagant tribute to a place far from the desert, complete with gondola rides and a replica of Saint Mark’s Square. Compared to the other theme-driven Vegas properties, the Venetian distinguishes itself with enormous guest rooms, a world-class spa and heaps of premier restaurants. Taking up three floors, the Penthouse Suite can set guests back an average of $25,000/night; hopefully they win big at the slots!
Oyster.com comprehensively visits, photographs, reviews and rates each hotel we feature.
