12 Days of Hotels: 7 Best Honeymoon Resorts

Instead of 12 Days of Christmas, Five Star Alliance is having its own countdown featuring 12 Days of Hotels! We unfortunately don’t have a song to go along with our countdown, but we will be featuring a variety of categories. Today we’re featuring the 7 best and most romantic honeymoon resorts!

1. Burj Al Arab

This all-suite hotel reflects the finest that the world has to offer for the newlywed couple trying to escape from the world.

2. Hotel de Crillon

Even if you and your spouse did not fall in love in Paris, you will fall in love with Paris while gandering at the Tour Eiffel from your room at the Hotel de Crillon.

3. Hayman Island Resort

With the largest swimming pool in the Southern Hemisphere, the resort is surrounded by idyllic coral fringed beaches in tropical elegance.

4. Peter Island Resort

The resort's self-contained luxury villas are unmatched in creating an idyllic pasture for you, your spouse, and wedded bliss.

5. Villa San Michele

Only a few minutes from the center of Florence, Villa San Michele is a sanctuary of peace and unsurpassed beauty designed to indulge newlyweds.

6. The Tides Riviera Maya

This adults-only resort features exclusive villas, stunning spa, and seven-miles of white-sand beach.

7. Ponta dos Ganchos Exclusive Resort

You are in the middle of nowhere at Ponta dos Ganchos and it delivers the dream: idyllic landscapes of emerald sea and forest.

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The Top 30 Hotels in 2012: #2 Charleston Place

In the last month of 2012, Five Star Alliance is counting down the Top 30 Luxury Hotels and Resorts worldwide, as decided by you, our luxury travelers! Be sure to check in with us daily to keep up with our countdown and explore a few of the absolute best and most luxurious hotels in the world for your future travels!

Coming in the #2 spot is Charleston Place which is located in the heart of the historic district on renowned King Street. Here are a few fun facts about this luxury hotel:

- Evokes the feeling of a grand 17th century residence from the Italian marble lobby with its signature Georgian Open Arm staircase and 12-foot crystal chandelier

- A total of 22,000 square feet of meeting space within the hotel, including the Grand Ballroom (14,000+ square feet), ten more function rooms, six hospitality suites, the Grand Hall, and several other outdoor courtyards

- The spa features a stunning horizon edged swimming pool

- The hotel's spa was voted the "Best City Hotel Spa in North America" by Travel & Leisure Magazine

- Hotel can provide beach accessories and picnics to ensure a pleasant stress free day

- Golfers can select from more than 21 courses

Explore photos, availability, and rates at Charleston Place here >>

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12 Days of Hotels: 8 Best Luxury Family-Friendly Hotels

Instead of 12 Days of Christmas, Five Star Alliance is having its own countdown featuring 12 Days of Hotels! We unfortunately don’t have a song to go along with our countdown, but we will be featuring a variety of categories. Today we’re featuring the 8 Best Luxury Hotels for a Family Vacation!

1. Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach

The complimentary Fiesta Kids Club hosts children from four to 12 years old, providing daytime supervision, activities, and meals to keep the little ones happy while you relax.

2. Jumeirah Beach Hotel

Keep your children entertained and experience leisure facilities that are, quite simply, second to none with the Sinbad's Kids Club.

3. Don CeSar

Camp CeSar allows the hotel's youngest guests to enjoy the resort's seven-and-a-half miles of beaches.

4. The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island

Imagine a family golf vacation experience surrounded by spectacular natural beauty and Kamp Kiawah for the kids to enjoy.

5. Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris

Whether yours is just beginning, all grown-up or at any stage in-between, the hotel is a wonderful base for your family.

6. Loews Regency Hotel

Enjoy New York with your family and the kids can enjoy special gifts, toys, food and activities with the Regency Hotel.

7. The Westin Excelsior Venice

A variety of child-friendly amenities allows younger guests to experience The Westin Excelsior's trademark service. In-room amenities include activities, games and the bedtime story line.

8. The Westin Resort and Spa Playa Conchal

This all-inclusive resort also offers the Kid's Club as a fun-filled friendly environment in addition to Family Concierge Suites.

12 Days of Hotels: 9 Best Resorts on Private Islands

Instead of 12 Days of Christmas, Five Star Alliance is having its own countdown featuring 12 Days of Hotels! We unfortunately don’t have a song to go along with our countdown, but we will be featuring a variety of categories. Today’s feature is 9 Best Resorts on Private Islands!

1. Peter Island Resort

At Peter Island there are more staff members than guests, with only 52 rooms and 1,200 acres of lush, mountainous terrain and 5 private beaches.

2. Cocoa Island Maldives

At Cocoa Island, indulge in nature's bequest, from dust-white sand between idle toes, to a warm blue sea that turns blush-pink with the falling light.

3. Parrot Cay Turks and Caicos

Parrot Cay Turks and Caicos has established itself as the northern Caribbean's pre-eminent private island, wrapped in sweeps of sand and peaceful seas featuring the region's best spa and haute cuisine.

4. Waterford Castle

One of the leading luxury hotels in Ireland which boasts superb 4 star hotel facilities, you can enjoy the 18 hole Championship Golf Course in Waterford, or choose to stay in one of the Castle Gardens holiday homes.

5. San Clemente Palace

An exclusive 5-star Luxury Hotel, with a unique location in Venice; the ideal destination for week-ends and holidays for partners and families, to celebrate weddings and private occasions, or to organize Meetings and International Events.

6. Amanpulo

Surrounded by turquoise waters and a coral reef three hundred meters from the shore, the resort provides a variety of watersports - especially diving!

7. The Wakaya Club and Spa

This serene retreat in Fiji offers gracious living, sophisticated, international cuisine and unparalleled leisure opportunities - including some of the finest scuba diving and snorkeling, available just minutes away from your accommodations - in one of the most secluded and pristine corners of the South Pacific.

8. Pangkor Laut Resort

Pangkor Laut is a privately owned island located three miles off the West Coast of Malaysia along the Straits of Malacca.

9. Naladhu Resort

The perfect moment begins with the perfect setting. A private tropical island. Powder-white sands. The beauty of the Maldives. Naladhu. Free-flowing spaces. A symphony of rolling waves and rustling palms. The feel of warm, turquoise-blue lagoon waters and exotic Indian spice rubs.

12 Days of Hotels: 11 Best Business Hotels

Instead of 12 Days of Christmas, Five Star Alliance is having its own countdown featuring 12 Days of Hotels! We unfortunately don’t have a song to go along with our countdown, but we will be featuring a variety of categories. Today’s feature is 11 of the World’s Best Business Hotels!

1. Park Hyatt Tokyo

With extensive meeting and banquet facilities, the hotel can accommodate every type of event from small business meetings to large social gatherings. For the business traveller in Tokyo, the hotel also has a full-service Business Centre, open 24 hours daily.

2. Jumeirah Emirates Tower

Voted the Best Business Hotel in the Middle East and the Best Business Hotel in Dubai in 2007 by the Business Traveller Awards.

3. The Hay-Adams

While working on your laptop (the hotel offers complimentary high-speed Internet access), enjoy unobstructed views of the White House, Lafayette Park, and St. John's Church.

4. Taj Palace Hotel

Standing apart in service, its facilities and of course, in its distinguished patronage, this hotel has played host to Heads of State, corporate moguls and high profile businessmen from across the world.

5. The Peninsula Hong Kong

Along with some of the most advanced office equipment, the professional staff offers a wide range of secretarial services to meet all your business needs.

6. Conrad Hotel Chicago

State-of-the-art technology in the heart of the financial district of Chicago, and within walking distance of The Loop, The Merchandise Mart and Lake Michigan.

7. Claridges

Guests can now connect to the virtual world more easily than ever situated on the corner of Brook Street and Davies Street and is within easy reach of Hyde Park, Park Lane, Bond Street and Oxford Street.

8. Jumeirah Essex House

Ideally located in the heart of New York City, offers an unbeatable location that has lured dignitaries, celebrities and world leaders for years.

9. The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel

The hotel has established itself as the scene for high-powered meetings and high society soirees.

10. Raffles the Plaza

Situated at the crossroads of Singapore's business district, The Plaza is synonymous with sophistication, elegance, and luxury. Don't miss the executive club amenities.

11. The Leela Kempinski

This 5-star deluxe hotel combines state-of-the-art technology with tasteful decor to create a haven for the guests, welcoming both business and leisure travelers.

12 Days of Hotels: Top 12 Presidential Inauguration Luxury Hotels

Instead of 12 Days of Christmas, Five Star Alliance is having its own countdown featuring 12 Days of Hotels! We unfortunately don’t have a song to go along with our countdown, but we will be focusing on a variety of categories. To start us off, we’ll be featuring 12 Presidential Inauguration Luxury Hotels!

1. Fairmont Washington DC

Located in Washington's fashionable West End, The Fairmont Washington, D.C. surrounds you with comfort and luxury.

2. Ritz Carlton Washington DC

This distinctive luxury hotel is located the heart of the District and features convenient access to business districts, theaters, world-class shopping and stunning historical landmarks.

3. The Willard Intercontinental

The Willard is where Abraham Lincoln and his family resided prior to his Inauguration, where Julia Ward Howe wrote the 'Battle Hymn of the Republic', where President Grant coined the term lobbyist, and where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. finished his 'I Have a Dream Speech'.

4. Park Hyatt Washington

This hotel is ideally situated on the edge of stylish Georgetown, and conveniently located near Embassy Row, the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Museums and National Monuments.

5. The Jefferson Washington DC

Located at the corner of 16th and M Streets, Northwest and four blocks from The White House

6. Sofitel Lafayette Square

Housed in a completely refurbished and updated historic landmark building, and it features 237 guestrooms including 17 suites, all tastefully designed by the renowned French designer, Pierre-Yves Rochon.

7. W Washington DC

Next door to the White House, the oldest hotel in town has been reinvented into W Washington D.C., revitalizing historic traditions into contemporary sophistication.

8. Mandarin Oriental Washington

Ranked by Institutional Investor magazine as one of the top 100 hotels in the world, Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC creates memorable experiences for any traveler to the most powerful city in the world.

9. The Fairfax at Embassy Row

The luxuriously quiet 259 classically appointed rooms and suites within this exquisite hotel in Washington, D.C. offer sweeping views of Embassy Row, the National Cathedral, or the Washington Monument.

10. The Madison Washington DC

Just four blocks from the White House and walking distance to Embassy Row, National Mall, Capitol Hill, the Smithsonian and more, the Madison is the quintessence of political power mingled with genuine hospitality.

11. The St Regis Washington DC

Built in 1926, two blocks from The White House and the Corcoran Gallery, the gracefully reimagined The St. Regis Washington, D.C. presents itself as the most prestigious hotel for royalty, presidents and prime ministers in the nation's capital.

12. The Hay-Adams Hotel

The Hay-Adams, a luxury boutique hotel, is as close as you can get to staying at the White House without a personal invitation from the President.

The Top 30 Hotels in 2012: #8 Don CeSar Beach Resort

In the last month of 2012, Five Star Alliance is counting down the Top 30 Luxury Hotels and Resorts worldwide, as decided by you, our luxury travelers! Be sure to check in with us daily to keep up with our countdown and explore a few of the absolute best and most luxurious hotels in the world for your future travels!

Coming in the #8 spot is the Don CeSar Beach Resort which is a beach front resort that’s located on the island of St. Pete Beach in Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico. Here are a few fun facts about this luxury hotel:

- Features 277 newly renovated guestrooms including 2 penthouses and 40 suites

- Seven-and-a-half miles of beaches

- Two beachside pools

- Kids program with counselors overseeing the activities, allowing parents to rejuvenate at the Pink Palace

- After the sun goes down, romantic lighting sets the ambiance for the new whirlpool accented with a mosaic of tiffany glass, and surrounded by a lush garden and overlooking the Gulf shores

- Famous for their ocean front sunset couples massages in tiki huts on the beach

- 6,349-yard (5,777 m) golf course features narrow, palm-lined fairways, tightly manicured greens and Gulf breezes

Explore photos, availability, and rates at Don CeSar Beach Resort here >>

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The Top 15 Luxury Hotel Destinations in 2012: #14 Marrakech, Morocco

In the final days of 2012, Five Star Alliance is counting down the Top 15 Luxury Hotels and Resort Destinations Worldwide, as decided by you, our luxury travelers! Be sure to check in with us daily to keep up with our countdown and explore some of our most popular destinations!

As of today, Five Star Alliance features 17 hotels in Marrakech!

What makes our guests love this Moroccan city?

- Hotels like Jnane Tamsna embrace elements of the traditional Moroccan style and color, allowing guest to immerse themselves in the culture.

- L Mansion Marrakech features only 10 suites and a 4 bedroom villa, providing an intimate feeling and features beautiful fountains and lush rose and bougainvillea coppices.

- Luxury hotels located in 5 acre parks such as the Dar Ayniwen Villa Hotel allow visitors to escape and unwind in a peaceful and beautiful setting.

- Phenomenal food in various luxury hotel restaurants featuring lamb, couscous, dates, coconut fudge cakes, and much more.

- Luxury villas offer private pools and dedicated outdoor areas at the Palais Namaskar. This luxury hotel is also designed to resemble a palace making all visitors feel like royalty.

Check out all the best luxury hotels and resorts in Marrakech >>

The Top 15 Luxury Hotel Destinations in 2012: #15 Las Vegas, NV, United States

In the final days of 2012, Five Star Alliance is counting down the Top 15 Luxury Hotels and Resort Destinations Worldwide, as decided by you, our luxury travelers! Be sure to check in with us daily to keep up with our countdown and explore a few of the absolute best and most luxurious hotels in the world for your future travels! 

As of today, Five Star Alliance features 33 luxury hotels in Las Vegas, NV including all of the best hotels on the Strip, going as far East as the resorts at Lake Las Vegas, West into Summerlin, and South heading towards Los Angeles near the Southern Highlands - plus Red Mountain, the best jumping off point for Zion or Bryce Canyon National Parks.

What makes our guests love Las Vegas?

- Resort hotels as large as The Venetian & The Palazzo (pictured - featuring a combined 8,108 rooms and suites - making it the largest hotel in the world) and smaller hotels like the SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand (with just 51 lofts located on the top two floors of the hotel building).

- Hotels and resorts with large casinos (the MGM Grand has a whopping 170,000 square feet of casino floor), as well as Las Vegas hotels without any casino at all like The Trump International and Vdara Hotel & Resort.

- Rates as low as $180 USD a night and as high $5500 USD to ring in New Years 2013 in Las Vegas.

- 15 Luxury Hotels directly on the Las Vegas Strip as well as more self contained destination hotels and resorts as far away as Lake Las Vegas and Ivins, Utah (pictured).

Did You Know?

-In 2011, more than 368 million people visited Las Vegas.

Check out all the best luxury hotels and resorts in Las Vegas >>

The Top 30 Hotels in 2012: #16 The Armani Hotel Milano

In the last month of 2012, Five Star Alliance is counting down the Top 30 Luxury Hotels and Resorts worldwide, as decided by you, our luxury travelers! Be sure to check in with us daily to keep up with our countdown and explore a few of the absolute best and most luxurious hotels in the world for your future travels!

Coming in the #18 spot is the Armani Hotel Milano which is situated in the prestigious Manzoni 31 building in Milano, Italy, anchoring the world-famous fashion district known as the Quadrilatero della Moda (the “quadrilateral of fashion”). Here are a few fun facts and features about this luxury hotel:

- The new Armani Hotel Milano is the second hotel to be launched within the Armani Hotels & Resorts project

- Giorgio Armani has created a world of harmony and privacy, with uncompromising attention to the requirements of guests

- Armani/Ristorante draws on the rich gastronomic traditions of Italy to provide you with classic and authentic culinary delights

- Armani Hotel Milano’s fitness centre features a Kinesis Wall as well as a wide range of cardiovascular equipment and modular resistance machines

- Indoor relaxation pool

- It’s only a few minutes away from the luxury shopping streets of Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga, the famous La Scala theatre and the spectacular Piazza del Duomo

Explore photos, availability, and rates at this stunning hotel here >>