The Jetsetters Journal

Pick a month

When to go: 17 places, month by monthThe whole year at a glance

At their best in November

Europe

Asia

Indian Ocean and Africa

Middle East and the Americas

Every hotel we shortlist170 hotels, one listFilter by place, by what each hotel is best for, and by the judges behind it.Browse all hotels

How the Shortlists work · How we choose

Attainable luxury

The splurges worth it once, priced.

Suites, villas, first class, a private jet, a catamaran and a watch: what each really costs and how to try it first.

See all 6

Journeys

When to go: 17 places, month by monthThe Shortlists

The dining car of the Orient Express

Rail · 5 trains

Luxury train journeys

Five great trains, from the Orient Express to the Andes.

Read the guide
The Colosseum lit up at night

Cities · 1 perfect day

One day in Rome

Sunrise to midnight: the walk, the tasting menus and a view of St Peter's.

Read the guide
Overwater villas on a Maldives lagoon

Islands · 12 months

The Maldives, month by month

When the sea is glass, when the mantas come, and when the price halves.

Read the guide
Wildebeest crossing the Mara River

Wild · Jul to Oct

The Great Migration

Where two million animals will be, and where you should be waiting.

Read the guide
The Grand Canal in Venice at the end of the line

Rail · London to Venice

The Orient Express

When it runs, what each cabin costs, and the best month to board.

Read the guide
An aircraft wing against a dusk sky

Flights · Door to door

Emirates business class

From the car at your door in London to the lights of Dubai, in ten moments.

Read the guide
A luxury hotel suite bathroom, a freestanding bath under an arched window open to a turquoise sea

Attainable luxury · Hotel suites

Six luxury hotel suites worth booking once

Not presidential suites. The first proper suite at six hotels we would cross the world for, with what a night actually cost when we checked, and how much more it is than a normal room.

Yunshuo Qu, Unsplash

The short answer

Which luxury hotel suite to book

Prices checked 18 October 2026

The six luxury hotel suites we would book once: a Romantiko Suite at Villa Dubrovnik (about €1,614 a night), the Rosa Suite at Monastero Santa Rosa on the Amalfi Coast (€2,145), an Ocean View Villa at Bvlgari Bali (€2,386), a Water Reserve at Soneva Jani in the Maldives (from about $3,159), a Classic Suite at the Hassler in Rome (€3,838) and a duplex suite at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

How we priced them: suite rates change every night, so each price here is a real public rate for one night in mid-October 2026, room only unless we say otherwise, with the source next to it. Treat them as a guide to the level, not a quote. We checked on 18 October 2026.

Where a hotel also has ordinary rooms, we show what the step up to the suite costs. Sometimes it is less than you would think.

Planning the trip around it? Start with the best hotels in the Maldives and the best hotels in Bali.

The splurge

End the trip in a suite

From about €1,600 a night

  • One night in the suite costs less than a week of it.
  • Check the minimum stay first; some suites need several nights.
  • Ask the hotel what is included: some rates are room only.
See the six

Room or suite

What the step up costs

From about €600 more a night

  • At Villa Dubrovnik the suite was €600 more than a room.
  • At the Hassler it was €1,566 more.
  • Compare the two before you book either.
See the step up

The six

Six suites, from about €1,600

  1. 01Villa Dubrovnik, Romantiko Suite80 m²€1,614, room only
  2. 02Monastero Santa Rosa, Rosa Suite130 m²€2,145, room only
  3. 03Bvlgari Resort Bali, Ocean View VillaPrivate infinity-edge pool€2,386, room only
  4. 04Soneva Jani, Water Reserve with Slide555 m²from about $3,159
  5. 05Hotel Hassler Roma, Classic SuiteAbout 50 m²€3,838
  6. 06Burj Al Arab, Duplex One Bedroom Suite170 m²from £1,283 (2024)

Photos show the places, not the suites named.

  1. Dubrovnik's walled Old Town from the air, red roofs above a deep blue sea

    Dubrovnik Photo: Unsplash

  2. A stone lane and bell tower in Dubrovnik's Old Town

    The Old Town Photo: Unsplash

01 · Dubrovnik, Croatia

Villa Dubrovnik, Romantiko Suite

56 rooms and suites on the seafront

Size
80 m²
View
Sea and the Old City
Pool
25-metre indoor, plus sea access
One night
€1,614, room only

The best-value suite here. A seafront hotel within easy reach of the Old Town, where most rooms look across the Adriatic to the old city walls, and the suite cost only €600 more than the cheapest room on our date.

Skip it if you want a big-name resort. It is a 56-room hotel, quiet rather than grand.

How to book it

Book direct with the hotel, or through a luxury agent. The rate we found was room only.

Sources: ASMALLWORLD Collection: Villa Dubrovnik rates (searched October 2026) · Scott Dunn: Villa Dubrovnik

  1. Terraced green hills dropping to a turquoise bay on the Amalfi Coast

    The Amalfi Coast Photo: Unsplash

  2. A cliffside village on the Amalfi Coast under clouds

    Along the coast Photo: Unsplash

  3. Positano's lights at dusk, stacked on the cliffs above the sea

    Positano, nearby Photo: Unsplash

02 · Conca dei Marini, Amalfi Coast, Italy

Monastero Santa Rosa, Rosa Suite

A 17th-century monastery with 20 rooms

Size
130 m²
View
Sea
Pool
Heated infinity pool
One night
€2,145, room only

"Ancient monastery, reborn for sybarites."

Mr & Mrs Smith

The romantic one. Twenty rooms in a former monastery between Positano and Amalfi, terraced lemon gardens and an infinity pool over the sea. The Rosa Suite is 130 m², with the sea in front.

Skip it if you want nightlife on the doorstep. Conca dei Marini is a small fishing village.

How to book it

Book direct or through an agent. The rate we found was room only; Naples airport is about 90 minutes by road.

Sources: ASMALLWORLD Collection: Monastero Santa Rosa rates (searched October 2026) · Mr & Mrs Smith: Monastero Santa Rosa

  1. A woman standing on a clifftop above the Indian Ocean at Uluwatu, Bali, at sunset

    Uluwatu Photo: Unsplash

  2. Curving green rice terraces in Bali seen from above

    Inland Bali Photo: Unsplash

03 · Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia

Bvlgari Resort Bali, Ocean View Villa

Villas on a 160-metre cliff

Pool
Private infinity-edge pool
Bedrooms
One
Service
24-hour butler and breakfast
One night
€2,386, room only

"The setting literally takes the breath away"

Condé Nast Traveler

The cliff-top one. Your own infinity pool over the Indian Ocean, a 24-hour butler, breakfast at any hour and unlimited laundry, which matters on a long trip.

Skip it if you want to walk to restaurants. The resort sits alone on the cliffs.

How to book it

Book direct with Bvlgari, or through an agent. The rate we found was room only and may not be cancellable, so check before paying.

Sources: ASMALLWORLD Collection: Bvlgari Resort Bali rates (searched October 2026) · Bvlgari: Ocean View Villa · TripExpert: Bvlgari Resort Bali reviews

  1. A seaplane moored on a turquoise Maldives lagoon

    Arriving by seaplane Photo: Unsplash

  2. Divers swimming with manta rays in the Maldives

    In the water Photo: Unsplash

04 · Noonu Atoll, Maldives

Soneva Jani, Water Reserve with Slide

One-bedroom overwater villa

Size
555 m²
Pool
Private freshwater pool
Extras
Slide into the sea, opening roof
One night
from about $3,159

"the bucket-list holiday of everyone's dreams."

The Telegraph

The dream one. A 555 m² villa on the lagoon with its own pool, a slide straight into the sea and a bedroom roof that rolls back for the stars, with a Barefoot Butler included.

Skip it if you are travelling over Christmas. From 21 December 2027 the same villa is about $7,898 a night.

How to book it

Through a Maldives specialist. The rates above are from Lux Atolls, on a three-night minimum for two, with seaplane transfers quoted separately.

About $3,159 a night from April to December 2027, and $3,510 from late October to 20 December 2026, as listed by Lux Atolls on 17 October 2026.

Sources: Soneva: 1 Bedroom Water Reserve with Slide · Lux Atolls: Soneva Jani rates (17 October 2026) · TripExpert: Soneva Jani reviews

  1. Rome's rooftops and domes at sunset, the river Tiber in the foreground

    Rome Photo: Unsplash

  2. The Trevi Fountain lit by street lamps

    Trevi Fountain, a short walk Photo: Unsplash

  3. Looking up into the coffered dome of the Pantheon in Rome

    The Pantheon Photo: Unsplash

05 · Spanish Steps, Rome, Italy

Hotel Hassler Roma, Classic Suite

At the top of the Spanish Steps

Size
About 50 m²
View
Gardens or part city
Extras
Separate living room, guest bathroom
One night
€3,838

"this little piece of heaven."

Aspire, February 2021

The address. A suite with its own living room and a guest bathroom at the top of the Spanish Steps, with check-in done in the suite. The views are of the gardens or part of the city; the big panoramas cost more.

Skip it if the view is the point. The Classic Suite looks over gardens or part of the city.

How to book it

Book direct with the hotel, or through an agent. On our date the cheapest room was €2,272, so the suite was €1,566 more.

Sources: ASMALLWORLD Collection: Hotel Hassler Roma rates (searched October 2026) · Hotel Hassler: Classic Suite · Aspire: Hassler Roma review (February 2021)

  1. The sail-shaped Burj Al Arab on its own island off Dubai's coast, seen from the air

    The hotel from above Photo: Unsplash

  2. Downtown Dubai's towers lit up at dusk

    Dubai at night Photo: Unsplash

06 · Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE

Burj Al Arab, Duplex One Bedroom Suite

A suite on two levels

Size
170 m²
View
Dubai skyline or the Palm
Service
Dedicated butler, daily sundowner
Rates
from £1,283 (2024)

The famous one. A 170 m² suite on two levels joined by a staircase, a dedicated butler, a sundowner brought to the suite every evening and the hotel's private beach.

Skip it if you want understated. Country & Town House called it "over-the-top", and meant it kindly.

How to book it

Book direct with Jumeirah and ask for the Duplex One Bedroom Suite rate for your dates.

We could not find a current public rate. Country & Town House gave rates from £1,283 a night, breakfast included, in March 2024, without naming the suite.

Sources: Jumeirah: Duplex One Bedroom Suite · Country & Town House: Burj Al Arab review (March 2024)

The price ladder

From about €1,600 a night

  1. Villa Dubrovnik€1,614Romantiko Suite
  2. Monastero Santa Rosa€2,145Rosa Suite
  3. Bvlgari Bali€2,386Ocean View Villa
  4. Soneva Janifrom $3,159Water Reserve
  5. Hassler Roma€3,838Classic Suite

One night, mid-October 2026, room only unless stated. The Burj Al Arab figure is a 2024 'from' rate. Bars treat £1 as about €1.15 and $1 as about €0.92.

Room or suite

What the step up to a suite costs

The cheapest room against the suite on this page, same hotel, same night, from the same public rate page, mid-October 2026. Room only.

HotelCheapest roomThe suiteStep up
Villa Dubrovnik€1,014€1,614+€600
Monastero Santa Rosa€770€2,145+€1,375
Hotel Hassler Roma€2,272€3,838+€1,566

Sources: ASMALLWORLD Collection: Villa Dubrovnik rates (searched October 2026) · ASMALLWORLD Collection: Monastero Santa Rosa rates (searched October 2026) · ASMALLWORLD Collection: Hotel Hassler Roma rates (searched October 2026)

Side by side

The six, side by side

Villa DubrovnikSanta RosaBvlgari BaliSoneva JaniHasslerBurj Al Arab
One night€1,614€2,145€2,386from $3,159€3,838from £1,283 (2024)
Size80 m²130 m²One bedroom555 m²About 50 m²170 m²
SettingSeafrontClifftop villageClifftopOverwaterCityCity and beach
Best forValueRomancePrivacyOnce in a lifetimeRome itselfThe icon
A brass lamp on a writing desk beside open balcony doors and a calm sea at sunset
Ruben Aster, Unsplash

Questions

Hotel suites: what people ask

How much does a luxury hotel suite cost?

At the six hotels here, between about €1,600 and €3,850 a night for the first proper suite, room only, on our check for mid-October 2026: €1,614 at Villa Dubrovnik, €2,145 at Monastero Santa Rosa, €2,386 at Bvlgari Bali, from about $3,159 at Soneva Jani and €3,838 at the Hassler in Rome.

How much more is a suite than a normal room?

It varies more than you might think. On the same night, the suite was €600 more than the cheapest room at Villa Dubrovnik, €1,375 more at Monastero Santa Rosa and €1,566 more at the Hassler in Rome.

What is the difference between a junior suite and a suite?

Usually a separate living room. At the Hassler in Rome, for example, the Junior Suite was 45 m² and the Classic Suite, with a bedroom separate from its living room and a guest bathroom, about 50 m², for €3,018 and €3,838 on the same night.

When is the cheapest time to book an overwater suite in the Maldives?

At Soneva Jani, Lux Atolls lists the one-bedroom Water Reserve from about $3,159 a night from April to December 2027, rising to about $7,898 a night over Christmas and New Year.

Should I book a suite for the whole trip?

Not necessarily. Many travellers book a suite for one or two nights at the end of a trip, which gives the experience for a fraction of the cost. Check the minimum stay first: some suites at these hotels showed minimum-stay rules on the nights we checked.

Sources: ASMALLWORLD Collection: Hotel Hassler Roma rates (searched October 2026) · ASMALLWORLD Collection: Villa Dubrovnik rates (searched October 2026) · ASMALLWORLD Collection: Monastero Santa Rosa rates (searched October 2026) · Lux Atolls: Soneva Jani rates (17 October 2026)

How we chose: the first proper suite at hotels we would travel for, in places this site covers, each priced from a public nightly rate (room only unless stated) for the same week in October 2026. No one paid to be included. Every price and specification links to where we checked it on 18 October 2026. How we choose.

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