The Journal

Researched analysis of luxury hospitality, drawn from financial disclosures, official programme terms and first-hand reporting. We take positions, we show our sources, and we tell you when the arithmetic does not favour us.

Start here

A colonnaded indoor swimming pool lit by lanterns, loungers along both sides

The Ten Best Luxury Hotels in the World
A private courtyard set for two, timber doors opening onto the terrace

The Five Best Luxury Hotels for a Honeymoon
Madinat Jumeirah's waterways and wind towers with the Burj Al Arab beyond

The Five Best Luxury Hotels for Travelling with Young Children

Perks & Programmes

A rooftop terrace at Cheval Blanc Paris looking towards the Eiffel Tower

The $100 Hotel Credit: How to Actually Spend It
Villa del Balbianello and its terraced gardens above Lake Como

What Virtuoso Actually Is, and What It Gets You
The Shard above the London skyline at sunrise, home to Shangri-La The Shard

Shangri-La's Luxury Circle, Explained: The Credit That Scales With Your Rate
A corner suite laid for two, floor-to-ceiling windows over the city

Honeymoons, Anniversaries and Birthdays: What Actually Gets You a Better Room
A Tokyo suite at golden hour, looking across the city to Tokyo Tower

The VIP Gap: Why Loyal Guests Often Get Less Than First-Time Preferred-Partner Bookings
A guest room at The Carlyle looking south over the New York skyline

What “Subject to Availability” Actually Means
A gilded salon with a marble fireplace at Hotel de Crillon, Paris

Do Preferred-Partner Perks Actually Pay? An Honest Audit
The Authors' Wing at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, behind its garden

Mandarin Oriental's Fan Club, Explained: What Makes It Different
The arched window at Badrutt's Palace, St Moritz, looking out to the mountains

How to Actually Choose a Travel Advisor
The red awnings and geraniums on the facade of Hotel Plaza Athenee, Paris

Elite Status Match and Challenge: Is It Worth the Effort?
The rooftop terrace and pool at Bulgari Hotel Roma, Villa Medici beyond

Solo Travellers and Preferred-Partner Perks: Do the Benefits Still Apply?
A guest room at The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto opening onto its garden

Credit Card Hotel Programmes vs. Travel Advisors: Amex FHR, Chase and the Rest
The Savoy's entrance canopy and sign on the Strand, London

When Redeeming Hotel Points Is a Bad Deal

Booking Smart

The Connaught in Mayfair, London, lit at night

What Happens When a Luxury Hotel Walks You
A cliffside hotel terraced above the sea on the Amalfi coast

Connecting Rooms at Luxury Hotels: Why Nobody Will Guarantee Them
A suite at The Upper House looking over Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

Booking a Family of Five at a Luxury Hotel
The Aman Venice palazzo lit at dusk on the Grand Canal

Tipping at Luxury Hotels: Who, How Much, and Where Not To
The Hotel Bel-Air entrance sign among palms and bougainvillea, Los Angeles

Multi-Room and Family Bookings: How Preferred-Partner Perks Actually Split
The chandeliered dining room at Le Meurice, Paris

Resort Fees, Explained: What They Cover and Whether You Can Avoid Them
The view over Tokyo to Mount Fuji at dusk from the Park Hyatt Tokyo

The Hidden Cost of Booking Through an OTA, Even When the Price Looks the Same
The beach entrance sign and facade of Hotel Martinez on the Croisette, Cannes

Cancellation Policies Compared: Preferred-Partner vs Direct vs OTA
The rooftop restaurant at Hotel Eden, Rome, looking over the city at sunset

How Hotel Rate Parity Actually Works (and When It Doesn't)
A blue and rose guest room at The Lanesborough, London

Deposits, Prepayment and Refund Timelines: What to Check Before You Book
The colonial facade of Raffles Hotel Singapore behind its palms

How Far in Advance Should You Actually Book a Luxury Hotel?

Hotels & Brands

A skier carving down an open piste at sunrise, snow-laden firs in the foreground and range after range beyond

The Five Best Luxury Ski Hotels
A row of thatched overwater bungalows on stilts above a turquoise Maldivian lagoon

The Five Best Luxury Hotels in the Maldives
An alpine grand hotel lit at dusk in heavy snow, seen through snow-laden pines

The Five Best Luxury Hotels for Christmas
A stone-lined indoor onsen bath with full-height glazing onto a mossy rock garden and forest

The Seven Best Luxury Hotels in Japan
A pool terrace above the jungle at sunset, Nihi Sumba, Indonesia

The Branded Residences Boom: Why Every Luxury Hotel Group Is Selling Real Estate
Two guests seated in a hotel lobby beneath a sculptural artwork

Zeus's Law, Nolan's Odyssey, and the Real Story Behind the Four Seasons Golden Rule
The Venetian Gothic staircase in the lobby of the Hotel Danieli, Venice

The Danieli Reopens as a Four Seasons: What's Actually Ready by August 26
Vineyards and live oaks in the Texas Hill Country at sunset

Why Five Ultra-Luxury Brands Are All Building in the Same Texas Wine Town
The Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire seen across its formal gardens and fountain

Luxury All-Inclusive Is Booming. Here's What You Actually Give Up
Overwater villas arranged around a lagoon at Soneva Jani in the Maldives

Independent Boutique Hotels vs Branded Luxury: What You Actually Trade Off
Six Senses Zighy Bay set against the Musandam mountains, Oman

Whose Name Is On the Hull? Licensing, Consolidation and What a Luxury Brand Now Guarantees
The rooftop pool at The Peninsula Hong Kong above Victoria Harbour

The Peninsula's Family-Owned Difference: Why It Runs Only Ten Hotels
The rainforest resort and pools at The Datai Langkawi

Managed vs Franchised: Why the Same Brand Name Can Mean a Different Hotel
The garden, fountain and terrace restaurant at Belmond Hotel Cipriani, Venice

Belmond Under LVMH: What Changed and What Didn't
The Art Deco entrance of the Waldorf Astoria, New York

Hilton's Luxury Tier: Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and LXR Explained
The planted garden pool at Rosewood Sao Paulo

Four Seasons vs Aman vs Rosewood: How the Ultra-Luxury Tier Actually Differs
Loungers on a desert terrace at Amangiri, Utah, facing the rock formations

Aman's Business Model: Why the World's Most Expensive Hotel Brand Runs So Few Rooms
A gilded reception hall with a painted ceiling at a St. Regis hotel

Marriott's Luxury Portfolio, Decoded: Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, EDITION and JW

Beyond the Hotel

A NetJets aircraft on the apron outside the company hangar

NetJets Just Limited Jet Card Sales Again: What It Means If You're Shopping
A marquetry-panelled sleeping cabin aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Belmond's Trains and River Cruises: The Original Luxury-Brand-at-Sea Model
A five-masted sailing yacht under way on open water

The Ultra-Luxury Yacht Boom Is Running Ahead of Its Demand
Evrima, the first Ritz-Carlton Yacht, under way at sea

Ritz-Carlton Yacht vs Four Seasons Yacht: Which Model Wins
The stern and pool deck of Explora I under way

Small-Ship Expedition Luxury: What Aman and Explora Are Betting On
The cabin of a private jet, facing seats either side of a folding table

Private Jet Travel: Charter, Card Programmes and Fractional Ownership Compared
The Four Seasons Yacht under way on open water

The À La Carte Experiment: Four Seasons Takes Hotel Economics to Sea