Friends, family, and fellow "I need to have a trip booked at all times to feel joy" members...it's finally here. Cosmo's first-ever Hot Hotel Awards has finally put wheels to tarmac after nearly a year of research, planning, and traveling to properties far and wide for the good of group chats everywhere. Wanderlusters, welcome. You've arrived at your final destination.
Now, let's back it up a bit: We decided to create these awards as a way to let readers in on hotels across the globe that are really worth their hard-earned $$$, jet lag, and PTO days. You know, properties worth splurging on for your honeymoon, booking for a special birthday, or gathering your besties for a Real Housewives-level girls' trip (minus all the fighting, ofc). And it wasn't a job we took lightly. Because we care about you a lot, dear reader, we really do.
First, here's how we decided which hotels were "hot" enough for us...
We did a full scope of the travel landscape to come up with our top 10 finalists, chatting with experts, reading reviews, and scouring social media to find the best of the best the world has to offer, before making sure each one met all of our Hot Hotels criteria: next-level aesthetics (prepare your Instagram feed), some celebrity buzz, actually fun activities, delicious food and drink for days, and amenities so good you'll be talking about them for years to come. We also visited each of the properties to make sure they passed our IRL inspection, and came back with full reviews you can actually trust.
The results? Downright dreamy, if we do say so ourselves. Scroll down to see the 10 winners, and be sure to click through to read the full reviews. Sorry, not sorry, if you've got your 2025 vacation planned by the end of the page.
Pikaia Lodge
📍GALÁPAGOS, ECUADOR
It’s not easy to visit the storied Galápagos, but this 5-star retreat is committed to giving guests access in the fanciest and most sustainable way possible. Its private yacht (ahem, slay) brings you up close and personal with the special plant and animal species found on the surrounding islands—penguins, sea lions, blue-footed booby birds (obsessed), and more—before returning you to the lodge for killer Ecuadorian fusion cuisine. Oh, and did we mention the hotel sits in the middle of a protected giant tortoise reserve? You’ve gotta see it.
- Starting rate per night: $1,780 per person
- Closest airport: Baltra Island Airport (GPS)
- While you're here, visit: The property’s expansive walk-in wine cellar after a long day of adventuring
The Bolder
📍FORSAND, NORWAY
Tree houses, but make them chic as hell. The Bolder’s glass-wall lodges are perched high above the Lysefjord, making you feel at one with nature in the most awe-inspiring (and also luxe! look at that bed!) manner. The Scandi-cool interiors are so dreamy that you may have to drag yourself outside, but once you’re there, you’ll find walking trails that start at your front door. Free suggestion: Fly this place by your partner if they’re looking for somewhere memorable to pop the question.
- Starting rate per night: $455
- Closest airport: Stavanger Airport (SVG)
- While you're here, visit: Stavanger, one of the largest (and quaintest) cities in Norway, just a 40-minute drive away
One&Only One Za’abeel
📍DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Lounging in the clouds? It’s kinda the norm at this new 75-floor property that sits 984 feet above the city. On sunny days, you get unspoiled skyline views from The Link, a massive hangout space with eight trendy bars and restaurants (five of which have Michelin-star chefs), and Tapasake, an incredible pool club (see the photo at left—it’s not AI, promise) that puts all Las Vegas pool clubs to shame. After eating and sunning on repeat, you can move to on-site experiences at the Clinique La Prairie “longevity hub,” a three-story wellness center with services designed to help you live longer.
- Starting rate per night: $800
- Closest airport: Dubai International Airport (DXB)
- While you're here, visit: The Dubai Mall, next to the Burj Khalifa, to buy yourself a little treat, of course
Hotel the Mitsui Kyoto
📍KYOTO, JAPAN
The staff is so kind, you might feel like you’re being punk’d, and the architecture is so ornate, you might feel like you’re dreaming—but that’s just how they do it around here. Immerse yourself in traditional Japanese activities by participating in a tea ceremony, getting Kumano Brush Drainage Therapy at the spa, or visiting the Tokinoha ceramics studio. Right next to the famed Nijō-jō Castle, the hotel is also a perfect base from which to explore historic Kyoto. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to book that trip to Japan...you just found it.
Oh, and btw, don’t skip a dip in the Mitsui Kyoto’s onsen, a mineral-rich natural bath fed by hot springs. And if you can swing it, splurge on the Onsen Suite, which comes with a private outdoor tub surrounded by greenery.
- Starting rate per night: $1,102
- Closest airport: Osaka International Airport (ITM)
- While you're here, visit: Philosopher's Path, lush with blooms during spring's cherry blossom season
The Loren at Pink Beach
📍TUCKER’S TOWN, BERMUDA
Bermuda has a ton of nice hotels, but do any of them have The Loren’s certain je ne sais quoi? We think not. Maybe it’s the pink sand on its private beach. Or the Malin+Goetz toiletries in its marble bathrooms. Or its al fresco restaurant with damn-near 360-degree views of the ocean. Or the fact that it’s just a 12-minute drive from the airport. Whatever it is has made this stylish spot the place to be—especially for East Coasters (did you know Bermuda is only about a two-hour flight from NYC?) and for A-listers who can’t resist a quick island getaway.
- Starting rate per night: $525
- Closest airport: L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA)
- While you're here, visit: The Sisley Spa, where you can—sorry, should—splurge on the five-hour package
Turtle Island
📍YASAWA ISLANDS, FIJI
This family-owned gem, located on a private island, should be on your radar for all your anniversary/honeymoon/romantic vacation needs. Only 14 couples can stay here at a time, each in a private elevated beachfront villa that sits steps from the famous Blue Lagoon (yes, the one where they filmed the movie). It’s all-inclusive, so you can eat and sip to your heart’s content, then grab your partner for horseback riding, snorkeling, or a secluded mountaintop dinner. In case you haven’t been convinced yet, consider this stat: 55 percent of guests book another stay before they leave.
- Starting rate per night: $2,950
- Closest airport: Nadi International Airport (NAN)
- While you're here, visit: One of 12 beaches for some (very private) (did we mention this place is private?) vitamin D.
Cliveden House
📍BERKSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM
Meghan Markle stayed here the night before her wedding—need we say more? Okay, but we still will: An award-winning spa, Victorian-esque decor (four-poster beds, antique art), gardens so lavish, you might mistake them for Versailles, and an afternoon tea service worthy of the crown make a stay at this 17th-century estate about as close as you can get to Bridgerton without hopping into your TV. Except better, because there’s also Wi-Fi.
- Starting rate per night: $563
- Closest airport: Heathrow Airport (LHR)
- While you're here, visit: Windsor Castle (where you might spot Charles and co.) and Highclere Castle (where Downton Abbey was filmed)
Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal
📍CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO
Personal plunge pools? Check. Signature spa soaks? Check. Daily Corona and guac room drops? Checkmate. Grab a beachside suite at this top-rated resort for something romantic—or a private casita if you travel with a crew—and prepare to be pampered. You won’t need a vacation from your vacation here—between all the wellness activities, the incredible aesthetics, and the lulling ocean sounds, you’ll leave feeling like the best version of yourself.
- Starting rate per night: $856
- Closest airport: San Jose del Cabo International Airport (SJD)
- While you're here, visit: El Farallon, the hotel's restaurant that's built into the side of a cliff, for cocktails at sunset
Patina Maldives, Fari Islands
📍FARI ISLANDS, MALDIVES
This wow-worthy resort opened its doors in 2021, and the shine certainly hasn’t worn off—in fact, several famous faces (hi, Nina Dobrev and Shaun White) have booked overwater villas in the three years since. Blame it on the Insta fodder (the outdoor bath! the floating breakfast!) or the many inclusions like water activities, yoga classes, and conservation workshops. Or on the fact that the hotel is actually incredibly kid-friendly, despite looking like it’s never seen a stain before. Two littles per group can stay and eat for free, hang at the kids’ club, and try a complimentary dive. No need for a babysitter means no excuse not to book the trip, right?
- Starting rate per night: $2,054
- Closest airport: Velana International Airport (MLE)
- While you're here, visit: The Fari Art Atelier, to see the artists-in-residence work their magic
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
📍NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA, TANZANIA
A safari-centric sabbatical deserves to be an item on your bucket list, and this is possibly the most luxurious place on Earth to check it off. On the edge of the world’s largest intact caldera (aka volcanic crater—don’t worry, it’s not active), the lodge is surrounded by majestic wildlife. Think: lions, elephants, black rhinos, and more. Explore it all on a safari drive or walk (with Swarovski binoculars because luxury, remember?) before retreating to your grass-roofed suite staffed by your personal butler.
- Starting rate per night: $1,460 per person
- Closest airport: Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
- While you're here, visit: Olduvai Gorge, a UNESCO site with fossils spanning the past two million years
Book Better
Use apps like Hopper, Going, and Trivago ASAP to grab hotel and airfare prices at their lowest.
Avoid high-demand (and costly) dates like holiday weekends and weeks and summer months. Bonus: fewer tourists!
Credit card perks like free night stays, checked bags, and lounge access or lodging or flight points can help offset spending.
