How do you define luxury? It’s a difficult question. To some people, its golden palaces where staff wait on them hand and foot while to others it’s the seclusion of a private island. One thing we can all agree on, when someone says, ‘ultra luxury’ they don’t mean a run-of-the-mill getaway. We’ve given this a lot of thought and created a selection of luxe holiday destinations that encompass island retreats, chic chalets, superb safaris and magical palaces… one even has a vending machine dispensing gold bars!
If you want to get away from it all in a paradise of tropical palms, white sands and warm waters then you need to get yourself to an island resort. What makes these luxury destinations so desirable is the rarity, the privacy and the five-star nature of the accommodations. Celebrated celebrity hang outs, the North and South Malé Atolls in the
Maldives are accessible only by seaplane or speedboat making them the perfect escape from the rest of the world. Likewise, Pamalican Island in the
Philippines is unparalleled in its tropical charm and palm tree chic. For a whole host of private archipelagos,
Seychelles is a blue-waved paradise like nowhere else.
Does the word luxury conjure up images of furry coats, state-of-the-art snow sport equipment and powdered slopes? Get ready to strap on those snow boots and head for the hills with a selection of superb Ski resorts. Our top picks include Aspen in
Colorado with its star-studded holiday makers making the area glamourous and
France’s Val-d'Isère, a must for fashion followers requiring the chicest of chalet accommodations.
Ever thought you could find luxury in the wild? Well now’s your chance! Thanks to recent investment, opulent safari getaways are the newest rage in extravagant holiday destinations. Of course,
Africa has the monopoly on fabulous game reserves so its unsurprising that the most indulgent getaways are found there. Mpumalanga in
South Africa has a number of five-star private reserves, located right on the border of Kruger National Park but other locations include Limpopo,
Zambia,
Zimbabwe and
Botswana.
For more traditional luxury consisting of personal butlers, golden halls, extravagant meals and so much more, the
Middle East is undoubtedly the place to go.
Abu Dhabi and
Dubai are particularly renowned for their opulence with spots like Jumeirah Beach, The Palm and Al Ras Al Akhdar packed with five-star resorts, gourmet eateries and some of the best shopping malls in the world.
WINGED BOOTS WISDOM
For the most luxurious of stays, we recommend always booking a club-access room so you get all the VIP treats you deserve.