Paris is by no means short on hotels, and the character of each quartier can completely shape your stay—whether you’re cosplaying Gigi on the Left Bank with a dose of Belle Époque glamour, or channeling Gene Kelly in Montmartre in a perfect hôtel particulier. While the plush comforts of a gilded palace hotel—marble tubs, cloud-like beds, and a perfect martini in the bar—are a fantasy we love to indulge, it’s the neighborhood spots that draw us back. The hotels anchored to their surroundings, where design reflects a sense of place and the staff seem like locals who just happen to have great taste—like the warm wood and Japanese details at Hotel Hana in Little Tokyo, the sexy, velvet-draped cool of Le Pigalle, or the low-lit charm of Château d’Eau in Strasbourg-Saint-Denis that feels like a ‘70s film set in the best way. Our hotels list spans (nearly) every arrondissement, with a Paris for every mood and traveler—which will only make you want to return and discover a new address to fall for. 

P.S. We’ve also highlighted more affordable hotels with a CM (for “Costa Meno”—our code for under €350 a night!). 

1st Arrondissement 

Encompassing the Louvre and the Tuileries, the Palais Royal, Rue Saint Honoré, and of course Place Vendôme, the 1st is all about marquee sights wrapped in Parisian elegance—while being a straight shot by foot or metro to cooler areas like Le Marais and the 10th. 

Château Voltaire – A cool contrast of 17th-century bones and lighthearted interiors by Parisian design studio Festen.

Maison Armance – This 20-room former home of Stendhal feels more like a pied-a-terre than a hotel. The property is also home to a French bulldog named Filou, who kids adore. (Read our Guest Book here.) (CM)

The Ritz Paris – The lavish former haunt of the likes of Coco Chanel and Marcel Proust on Place Vendôme, it’s also home to the old-school charmer, Bar Hemingway. 

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London is one of the world’s great hotel towns—from legendary addresses like Claridge’s to elegant townhouses in Chelsea and cheap and cheerful in Shoreditch. Each neighborhood in the Big Smoke has its own flavor (not to mention transportation options), so the sheer choice of where to stay can be overwhelming—old-school refinement, creative energy (miss you, Chiltern Firehouse!), or residential charm.After consolidating our NYC Hotels List, we knew we had to tackle London next—a city we visit often and have done our share of sleeping around in, though there are plenty of places still on our wish list. And while we did include a few special occasion splurges—prices in London can be eye-watering—we balanced them out with a number of “Costa Meno” options under £300 a night, which are marked in the list below as (CM). Once you find the right spot in the right neighborhood, be sure to consult our London Black Book, the official Yolo keys to the city! Here’s our highly subjective (if not entirely comprehensive) list, from east to west.   

Notting Hill

Princess Royal Pub & Boutique Hotel (who also own The Grazing Goat), have 4 very cute rooms for reasonable rates in the heart of this residential neighborhood. (CM)

Mason & Fifth, Westbourne Park (CM)

The Laslett (CM)

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As New Yorkers (and a NYC-based team), the question we’re most consistently asked is, Where to stay when visiting the city? Of course, there is never one good answer. We all have our favorite old-school spots and new openings, neighborhood leanings and budgets, so we have distilled all of that information—and some great insights from contributors and friends—to pull together this NYC Hotels Shortlist. While we swear by our sprawling New York City Black Book, we know sometimes all you’re looking for is a great hotel rec. So here they are, along with some new finds and favorites from fellow New Yorkers and frequent visitors. We’ve also highlighted a few properties that qualify for our “Costa Meno” (more affordable) category of (in this case) under $500/night during a typical busy fall week. While we recognize that this figure is on the very high end of our usual CM range, New York City hotel prices are eyewateringly expensive (especially after short-term stays/Airbnb were banned!). Of course, there are several options that are well under that threshold, and you can always find better deals if you avoid Fashion Weeks, holidays, and other peak moments.

We’ve also marked hotels with (F) that are family-friendly in a city where larger/connecting spaces are harder to find.

MANHATTAN

Uptown

Upper East Side

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There’s really nothing that compares to swimming in a lake or pond—that squeaky-clean, refreshed feeling emerging from cool, unsalted water. Not to mention all the atmospheric details that surround lake life in (an admittedly North American) summer: running and jumping off a dock, the splash of canoe paddles, reading an actual book in Adirondack chairs (far beyond the Adirondacks!), games of hearts and canasta, stories around a crackling campfire, and catching a firefly or two. 

Since not everyone is lucky enough to have a lake “cottage” or “cabin” (diminutives for structures that often sleep 14) that’s been in their family for generations, we wanted to track down the hotels, inns and lodges that come closest to replicating this nostalgic feeling. Which is why we drew some parameters around our search, focusing on cooler areas with a longstanding freshwater lake culture in summer—from the Maine woods and Adirondacks camps to midwestern Great Lakes and boundary waters, to Tahoe’s boating traditions and the large-scale scenery of the western National Parks… plus a smattering in between. After our usual shake-down of our friends who are lake people and deep internet research/diving, we’re so excited about this list of bodies of freshwater and places to stay on them. Many of which are quite affordable and still have availability. Everybody into the lake! —Team Yolo 

NORTHEAST

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NORTH AMERICA

United States

New York

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I’ve never taken a proper long holiday in the South of France. Sure, I’ve been plenty of times—from picking up a vintage Fiat Panda on Lake Garda and driving it to the Médoc in the height of summer, to a last-minute winter getaway at my favorite La Colombe d’Or, because we could actually get a reservation. There have also been plenty of 3-to-4 day trips to some of the chicest hotels I’ve been to: the Maybourne Riviera, Hotel du Couvent, Hotel La Ponche, and La Reserve Ramatuelle, to name just a few on the coast. And I’ve spent some cold (and hot) weather weekends in Avignon, Bonnieux and Arles. But still, no matter how many times I’ve traversed this area or studied its maps, I still feel geographically challenged remembering what town is next to which bay or beach, and the distances between everything. Selfishly, I wanted to do this Shortlist (which isn’t really short at all!), because I inevitably end up in this region last-minute, and I get asked about it all the time. 

So we buried ourselves in the research, compiling notes from contributors, scouring our digital archives and South of France Planner (a great resource if you’re planning a trip and need to sort out logistics) to put together this great list, which is geographically organized from East to West, and broken out by inland and coastal subregions. Plus it includes some good Costa Meno (affordable!) options—anything marked with an asterisk has rooms available for under €350 in July.

Now that I’ve got this in my pocket, maybe I’ll consider driving the coast in a vintage car again… maybe. Or, I’ll finally commit to spending a proper week in one of these glorious places you’ll read about below. —Yolanda 

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Earlier this year, I started planning a road trip through Switzerland. We’d spent time driving around the St Moritz/Vals/Lucerne areas before, but we’d never been to Gstaad, Verbier, Megève, or Courmayeur—all places that seemed worthy of a visit. I figured we had 10 to 14 days max, and I started to piece a trip together. 

First step was figuring out where I could fly in with a one-way ticket, as I didn’t know our return date. Airlines into Geneva or Zurich were outrageously priced unless we bought a round-trip and threw away the return, but flying into Milan, I found good prices on one-ways with La Compagnie and Emirates. Next step was to look into car rentals—most importantly, how much would I be charged if I picked up in Milan and dropped off in Zurich? A quick search showed it would be somewhere around €1200 for the drop-off in another country, so my mind wandered to a drop-off in Venice—I’d always wanted to visit Cortina! 

With that very rough idea—flying into Milan and ending in Venice—I started plotting with my best ally, Google Maps. It’s amazing how you can look at a map of an area where you haven’t traveled and think everything is so close (it reminds me of when visitors come to New York and think they can do a weekend trip Upstate that includes the Hudson Valley, the Adirondacks and the Catskills). My lofty dream was to visit the French Alps (think Megève and Courchevel), Val d’Aosta (Courmayeur, Cervinia), and the Swiss Alps (Gstaad, Verbier), as they are all in one (sort-of) corner, then cross over to the other side of Switzerland with some stop to break it up (the Grand Hotel Belvedere in Wengen looked pretty great!). Or perhaps a stay at the Burgenstock, onward to St. Moritz, and then over to the Dolomites. 

Within moments, I realized this was too ambitious—maybe if I had a month?! I quickly cut out the French Alps, which works best if you’re flying into Geneva. I could have done the French and Swiss Alps together, or even flown into Geneva and out of Zurich, but it was too much to hit the French Alps and also make it to St. Moritz. The other section I cut out almost immediately was the Dolomites—there’s too much to do there, and also I’d wanted to see Merano, specifically the Villa Arnica, Hotel Schwarzschmeid, and 1477 Reichhalter, which aren’t open in winter. Now I was looking at a round-trip beginning at Malpensa airport in Milan. After hours and hours of research, combined with back-and-forth with various hotels about availability, I ended up with a brilliant itinerary, if I do say so myself. 

Day 1 – Arrive Malpensa 10:15am, drive 2 hours 15 to Courmayeur. Check in Auberge de la Maison for two nights

Day 3 – Drive 1 hour 35 to Verbier. Check into Experimental Verbier for one night

Day 4 – Drive 1 hour 40 to Gstaad. Check into The Alpina for two nights

Day 6 – Drive 1 hour 20 to Wengen. Check into Grand Hotel Belvedere for two nights

Day 8 – Drive 1 hour 15 to Burgenstock, just above Lucerne. Check into the Burgenstock for two nights 

Day 10 – Drive 2 hours 30 to Vals. (Okay, as a non-skier, this was definitely off piste and out of the way, but I hadn’t been to Therme Vals in over a decade, and really wanted to go back!) Check into Therme 7132 for two nights

Day 12 – Drive 2 hours to St Moritz. Check into the Suvretta House for two nights

Day 14 – Drive 2 hours 40 to Malpensa

Obviously, there are countless variations we could have done—but the goal was to see as much as possible. I know that for some people, changing hotels every two nights sounds like a nightmare, but we don’t mind. One thing my husband won’t do is drive more than 4 hours in one day, so I was mindful of that. In pulling this together, I researched the heck out of all the hotels, so below you’ll find a great list by region. I also included places that didn’t end up on our route, but I sure would have loved to go (Klosters!). 

In the end, after all that meticulous planning—for lots of boring reasons I won’t bother going into here—we pulled the plug on the trip just days before leaving. I know we’ll get there eventually. And in the meantime, I wanted to share the results of my deep dive with all of you. 

I also asked our friends, Jack Shaw and Susanna Magruder from Epic Europe, to give us the elevator pitch for each area, just to help understand the vibe—are you hardcore skiers? Like skiing but half the family doesn’t care? Care more about the après than the slopes? Want charm over glitz? Also, if you’re not into the snow but want a great summer road trip, this all works for that too! “The Alps are so convoluted, and while the distances aren’t very far—from the top of the of the cable car in Verbier [where they’re based], you can see the Matterhorn in Zermatt, which is only about 25 kilometers away, but it takes you two hours to drive there, because you have to drive all the way down one valley, up the Rhône, and then up the Mattertal valley. There are places where sometimes it’s almost faster to ski from one place to the other than it is to drive. So you have to really have a game plan,” says Jack, who says they started the business exactly for this reason—”so many people, especially Americans, really blow it when they come to the Alps and try to DIY.” 

At some point we’ll do a Part Two of this, where we cover the Dolomites and the Austrian Alps as well (in the meantime, you can consult our Italian Alps List). Hopefully, this is all helpful and doesn’t make your brain hurt! 

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Sometimes, you just need an easy escape—one that doesn’t involve a layover, long drive, or complicated logistics. And on these unrelenting winter days, when the cruel iPhoto algorithm flashes memories of how unrecognizably happy and sun-kissed you were in August, it’s time to get strategic—maximizing time off, minimizing hours on a plane, and chasing the highest UV index. Or, for the sun-averse, at least temps consistently in the 60s.

So to help, we narrowed our focus to quick, no-fuss getaways from the US, Canada, UK, and Europe, prioritizing destinations with non-stop flights from major cities, and hotels within an hour or so of the airport. While there are city hotels in the mix, this list is more about true escapes—places where you can immediately shed a layer (literally and figuratively) upon arrival—and sometimes, that is at the Four Seasons in Miami. While not every spot has a beach, most promise more sun and warmth than wherever you’re coming from. From the UK, that could mean a long weekend not just in Morocco, but also Nice or Dakar. From the US and Canada, we organized our hit list along the lines of East Coast vs West Coast—obviously, Hawai’i is only doable as a shorter trip from the West and the Bahamas from the East, but Palm Springs could be a long weekend for everyone! 

As is our way, we polled our well-traveled friends for their go-to easy long weekends in the sun, and mapped out more stays we love based on direct flight routes. To make planning even easier, we’ve listed those flight paths at the end of each section. So pack a carry-on and get out of town!  

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Europe

France

Le Grand Mazarin, Paris – It’s so rare that a hotel’s style also extends into the gym, but they did it very well here. And for a smaller hotel, it has a surprisingly big studio with Technogym equipment, a small pool, and a hammam. 

Cheval Blanc, Paris – A pretty straightforward gym with great equipment, but it’s really all about the 30-meter infinity pool, with a mosaic bottom to admire while you swim lengths.  

Lily of the Valley, Côte d’Azur – Our friend Zach Weiss says, “they offer a ‘sport wellness’ program that includes some traditional fitness programs, some more progressive like ‘sea wading.’” Guests can sign up for one of their full-on programs or just book a room and pop into their chic gym, which has so many activities—from longe côte (group-led exercise in the sea in wetsuits), to “crazy stairs” (exactly as it sounds), cardio boxing, float pilates, TRX classes, mountain biking, coastal treks, you name it.

La Reserve Ramatuelle, Côte d’Azur – Cardio, strength, and pilates training in a beautiful space, built against the exposed bedrock of the hotel. 

Les Sources de Caudalie, Bordeaux – A large gym with pretty views, and an indoor and outdoor pool nearby. 

La Maison d’Estournel, St. Estèphe – A chic and charming hotel in the middle of the sleepy Médoc wine region with a very impressive gym—including rowing, TRX, and all Technogym equipment. 

Italy

Portrait Milano – Their gym is equipped with Technogym’s Biostrength technology, which uses AI to ensure each participant’s proper form and workload.

Bulgari Rome – Just upgraded from Workshop to their own “Bulgari Gymnasium,” which has all new Technogym equipment. The pool is definitely one of the most beautiful we’ve ever seen, and they have excellent therapists in the spa. 

Six Senses Rome – Erica Gragg, founder of Escape to Shape, says she’s very into this wellness brand’s new outpost in the Eternal City. “I love being able to explore a city and experience cultural connection while staying healthy, with state-of-the-art gyms and wellness experiences reflective of the destination, such as a traditional Roman Bath experience. The spa is wonderful, offering high tech techniques and a nice mix of wellness offerings and classes, proving that you don’t need a beach backdrop to return home rejuvenated and refreshed.” 

Bulgari Milan – The same program as Bulgari Rome, the Gymnasium uses AI to create custom fitness programs for guests with on-demand workouts they can access on their own devices, even after check-out.

Palazzo Fiuggi – Outside Rome. Yolanda says, “They turned their ballroom (with the most beautiful Murano chandelier) into a giant gym with equipment and training systems I’d never heard of, but was very intrigued by–Reaxing, Kinesis Circuit 3-D, and HPM.”

Il San Pietro – Where cardio is best enjoyed overlooking the sea, beneath the shade of a lemon grove. 

Forestis, Dolomites – A chic, minimalist fitness room with blonde wood floors, TRX, free weights and cardio machines, plus a yoga room with epic views over the Dolomites.

COMO Castello Del Nero, Tuscany – The four hiking trails, tennis courts, lap pools and pilates/yoga studios are nice, but we love that their schedule of wellness activities also includes truffle hunting.

Borgo Egnazia, Puglia – Their light-filled gym has all the latest Technogym equipment, plus seven sports fields, several pools and a yoga studio with daily Iyengar classes. 

Passalacqua, Lake Como – We love the indoor/outdoor space of their gym, which has a rowing machine and some benches on the grass, with a view of Lake Como. 

Pellicano Hotel, Porto Ercole – Has the chicest tennis court surrounded by cypress trees, and a solid but compact indoor gym, but we especially love the outdoor TRX space that is surrounded by rosemary and the sound of birds. 

Spain

Marbella Club, Marbella – Caroline Feiffer, who wrote about Marbella Club for us here says, “The excellent gym has Pilates reformers and pretty much any equipment you can think of, a yoga space and a garden for meditation.”

Finca Cortesin, Andalucia – Has a daylit gym with its 20-foot ceilings and Technogym equipment. It’s also great for racquet sports, golf, and yoga. 

UK

The Emory, London – A super-sleek space with cardio and functional fitness equipment from Woodway, Peloton, Hydrow and Technogym, a studio space with a large screen for on-demand virtual classes, plus an entire floor that’s home to the UK’s first Tracey Anderson studio. 

The Lanesborough, London – Woodway treadmills, HIIT and TRX classes, and an Ultraslide station, alongside all the other most up-to-the-minute equipment. 

Bulgari London – Their Workshop gym, overseen by trainer Lee Mullins, offers 24-hour access to equipment; personal training sessions; and pilates, barre and yoga classes for guests and club members. Bonus: their Recovery Suite includes an ice bath and hyperbaric oxygen chamber. 

Raffles London at the OWO – Pillar Wellbeing manages their health programming, including a Technogym, movement studio, Spinning room, as well as a gigantic pool (for an urban hotel) and a juice bar—all secreted away in the basement of this former HQ of the War Office and MI-6. 

Heckfield Place, Hampshire – Outdoor TRX bands wrapped around tree branches and guided jogs that end in cold-water immersions in their lake are just part of the movement-in-nature program that operates out of their “bothy”—a deceptively rustic name to describe the 17,000 sq ft wellbeing space. 

Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh – Set inside a former bank vault, the gym and spa are collectively referred to as the Strong Rooms. For just a 33-room hotel, they’re well equipped with free weights, Technogym equipment, pilates reformers, and host over 40 classes per week. Plus they have an infrared sauna! (Read Yolanda’s full review here.)

Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire – Their Gym & Swim facilities are expansive—several pools and a thermal suite, the full range of Technogym equipment, and classes for all sorts of athletic pursuits. And that’s on top of their new Sporting Club, which is home to 11 courts for tennis and padel, plus climbing and bouldering walls. Fitness enthusiasts should also take note of the dates for their 2025 Centenary Challenge this May—you can choose between the 55 km or 100 km routes that combine canoeing, running, and cycling through the Perthshire countryside. 

Other

Chenot, Weggis, Switzerland – Beyond the typical hotel gym accoutrements, they have incredibly high-tech equipment on hand—AlterG anti-gravity treadmills, SensoPro machines, and even an altitude chamber to literally take your workouts to new heights, simulating reduced oxygen levels at 3000 m of elevation. Or if you’d prefer to workout in the crisp Swiss air, take them up on a guided hike around or swim in Lake Lucerne.

Burgenstock Resort, Switzerland – The gym at the Burgenstock in Lucerne has an amazing view of the Alps and meadows below and our friend Jonathan Ducrest says you can do yoga or spin on the outdoor deck. 

The Botanic Sanctuary, Antwerp – Has a light-filled gym with huge windows, an InBody scan machine, and when you’re done with your workout, a nice coffee station, plus a great pool and hammam. 

Soho House Istanbul – Their incredibly impressive gym has sultry lighting and a boxing ring in the middle with a leather mat!

North America 

The Peninsula New York – It has one of the most impressive hotel gyms we’ve experienced. They recently redid it in partnership with Technogym, and they have every piece of equipment imaginable. Our trainer met up with us there and was shocked at how massive it was. It’s on the top floor, so it’s also filled with light, even on a dreary day, and has views of the city from all sides. 

Fouquet’s, New York – DogPound, the cult-favorite bicoastal private gym, runs the fitness operation here—their coveted personal training sessions and classes are reason enough to book a room. Though if you don’t want to do a class or private session, you can use the bond-lair-like gym on your own.

Equinox Hotel, New York – Our friend Christophe Comoy, who, as the CEO and co-founder of Laplace, is often in NY for work says, “This is the best hotel for a gym. Hudson Yards is their best gym in the country—the views on the Hudson, the space, the great private sessions (ask for Zach), and the Spa is fantastic too.” 

Aman New York –  A giant fitness room with the best views and all of the latest and greatest equipment, as you’d expect, but we were particularly surprised to see a hydrogen water machine–a first. Make sure you build in enough time for the pool and spa area–and don’t miss the cold water shower bucket! 

Maybourne Beverly Hills, CA – Beautiful leather dumbbells and medicine balls, Peloton and Watt bikes, and Woodway treadmills—plus a great spa to recover in afterwards. 

Stanly Ranch, Napa, CA – Their Fieldhouse gym offers a slew of daily classes ranging from barre, yoga, pilates, boxing, bootcamp, cardio dance, and HIIT to tea ceremonies and sound baths, and the open gym is equipped with a full suite of Technogym and Peloton equipment. After your workout, pop next door to the Springhouse for a sauna/steam room/cold plunge session, or if you really need it, a whirl in their hyperbaric chamber. 

Four Seasons Surfside, Miami -The fitness center is big and light-filled, but the real star of it is a crazy machine called the Bodyslimmer, which uses infrared plus vacuum technology–and it’s the only one in the country. 

1 Hotel South Beach, Miami – The Anatomy gym at this wellness-focused hotel is massive, with classes and personal training on everything from battle ropes to boxing and sled-pushing. Then you can refuel with a protein-forward breakfast wrap at Plnthouse. 

Chicago Athletic Association, Chicago – This retro-themed hotel in a 19th-century sports club near Millennium Park has vintage-style pommel horses in some of the guest rooms, but swings more modern in the small but well-equipped gym, with all the basic Technogym machines, free weights and personal training on offer. 

Blackberry Mountain, Walland, TN – The yoga loft, with its views of the Smoky Mountains, offers a dozen different classes for everyone—from seasoned yogis to those of us who couldn’t tell Chaturanga from Chattanooga. There’s also a daily guided hike to breakfast, perfect for working up an appetite while soaking in views of the 5,200-acre property. For gym enthusiasts, there’s a full gym and movement studio with a variety of cardio, strength, and more unconventional class options—bungee-fit, anyone? If you’re not into cardio but still want to get your blood pumping, try their 26-stage guided ropes course. 

Mexico

Belmond Maroma – An airy and air-conned bamboo gym filled with brand-new machines (including a couple of Pelotons), and a separate large yoga/sound healing studio.   

Caribbean, Central + South America

Palm Heights, Grand Cayman – Our friend and contributor Brooks Reitz wrote about his stay at Palm Heights here. He loved everything, but especially the gym. “Most of the trainers come from the Nike ecosystem, which is to say they are fit, hot and cool. The gym has an expansive indoor space, an equally sizable outdoor area, a well equipped pilates room and additional space where they host yoga classes. Each day there were 4-5 fitness activations to choose from. I took a boxing class, which was the hardest thing I’ve done since my first Barry’s Bootcamp class many years ago. The next morning, despite being sore, I opted for an ocean swim with Bryan, the on-site swim instructor. I can’t imagine there is another hotel in the world doing wellness in this way.”

Natura Cabana, Dominican Republic – A literal jungle gym with Flintstone-style dumbbells made of tree stumps, pull-up bars and battle ropes strapped to tree trunks right on the beach. 

COMO Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos – You could come here and slum it on the stunning sand-dollar beach, or you could get in the shape of your life with a schedule of yoga, pilates and HIIT classes, among others, plus a well-equipped gym and top-notch spa to soothe sore muscles. 

Hacienda Altagracia, Costa Rica – This Auberge resort is the southernmost outpost of The Well, the NY-based spa brand, which means daily classes including mat and studio pilates, aerial yoga, and a total-body strength circuit, plus every visit is preceded by a conversation with the resort’s wellness coach to tailor your program.

Uxua, Trancoso, Brazil – For Brazilian jiu-jitsu, samba and capoeira lessons on the beach. 

Asia + Oceania

Park Hyatt Tokyo – Stylist and contributor Irene Kim fell hard for everything at the Park Hyatt, “including its spa and fitness centre, known as The Club On The Park. Located on the 47th floor, the floor-to-ceiling glass windows give you a bird’s eye view over the vast, never-ending city and the sensation that you’re floating in the sky! It’s an adult only space and thus quiet and serene. I get into a flow state while I’m swimming and it felt incredible to do it in that pool, in that space.” You’ll recognise this from scenes in Lost in Translation, and if you have jetlag like ScarJo, there is no better way to shake it than a workout at an ungodly hour (luckily it’s open 24/7).

Six Senses Kyoto – Adventures in Wellness founder Erica Gragg loves this outpost for the same reasons as she loves Six Senses Rome: as the rare place that combines culture and wellness, including a gym with all the latest equipment as well as destination-specific offerings like meditating in a local temple. 

Four Seasons Seoul – “They have a fantastic gym which occupies three floors, and contains every conceivable piece of equipment you could want. It is accompanied by a huge spa area for pre and post gym use, with three plunge pools (cold, warm, hot) and saunas. Views over Seoul from the soaring glass windows and a beautiful indoor lap pool complete the gym facilities.” —Sai Pradhan

Amanpuri, Phuket, Thailand – Next to their glass-walled, state-of-the-art gym is a full-size Muay Thai boxing ring, and maybe the best-equipped pilates studio we’ve seen in a hotel with reformers, cadillacs, chairs and barrels.

The Brando, French Polynesia – Fortunately for castaways on this private island, there’s more than coconuts to lift, with a new air-conditioned gym lined with cardio machines, a yoga studio plus tennis and pickleball courts. 

Soneva, The Maldives – The wellness-focused brand has fitness and wellness experts rotating through the properties in their Soneva Stars residency program.

Cheval Blanc, Maldives – If running on the beach isn’t your thing, opt for a treadmill in the air-conditioned gym overlooking it. Alternatively, try the surf simulator, play on the beachside tennis court (arguably one of the most picturesque around), or push yourself in their jungle bootcamp class. 

Bawah, Indonesia – The air-conditioned gym and open-air studio have stunning views of the gin-clear lagoon, though for more intrepid athletes, their Wild Swim challenge—a 2km swim from Bawah to Sanggah Island—seems like an unforgettable option.

COMO Shambhala, Bali, Indonesia – Dealer’s choice between their indoor gym or outdoor “jungle gym” or any of the classes in their yoga pavilion and pilates studio. 

Four Seasons Sayan, Bali, Indonesia – Free weights, conditioning equipment and cardio machines are in a glass walled space overlooking the two-level pool, while the open-air bamboo yoga platform looks out to rice paddies and the jungle beyond. 

Nihi, Sumba, Indonesia – Watching wild horses canter on the beach in front of you has got to be one of the most inspiring sights while jogging on a treadmill. You can do just that from Nihi’s air-conditioned gym, which overlooks the beach—but it’s the classes that truly steal the show. Underwater Rock Running (yes, exactly what it sounds like), Equine Yoga (yoga on a horse!), and Aqualungs, an underwater breath-training class that activates the Mammalian Reflex, are things you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else. 

Africa + Middle East

Singita Boulders, South Africa – Their thatch roofed fitness center has glass walls so you can keep your eyes peeled for giraffes and zebras between sets. 

Singita Sasakwa, Tanzania – If all those binocular curls during game drives have got you in the mood for a workout, their gym has plenty more free weights and cardio machines to boot.

Xigera, Botswana – Within their award-winning spa, there’s all the Technogym equipment you could need, with a view of passing elephant herds. 

La Mamounia, Marrakech – The airy gym almost feels like an extension of the garden it looks out towards, with green walls and high ceilings. Outside you’ll find tennis and petanque courts, and a massive pool with a Murano glass bottom.

Royal Mansour, Casablanca – The gym is part of a 25,000 sq ft wellness complex with Pilates, yoga, boxing, personalised sports training and a swimming pool beneath a massive glass ceiling.

SIRO One Za’abeel, Dubai – At this “wellness hotel,” the entire guest experience is centered around fitness and recovery. If the main gym, with it’s 50 weekly classes to choose from, separate studios for reformer pilates, boxing, yoga and cycling, plus zones for functional training, strength and cardio isn’t enough, book one of their fitness suites, which have their own in-room cardio area, boxing zone and private treatment rooms. 

The Lana, Dubai – Right next door to their Dior Spa, the gym’s Dior-branded mats, balance balls, jump ropes and light weights might put extra pep in your step.

The Fairmont Doha, Qatar is home to the first Middle East outpost of Pillar Wellbeing, a health club committed to preventive health and personal optimization through movement, nourishment and recovery. The new facility is equipped with a spinning studio, climbing wall, indoor pool, and movement studio, which hosts dozens of classes weekly in fitness, recovery, physiotherapy, and nutrition. 

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