There comes a time when great is no longer good enough. Some occasions call for grand. Nowhere is this truer than with high-end hotel suites, where the plush beds and marbled baths that previously defined an opulent stay have given way to wine cellars, 103-inch television screens, personal saunas and all sorts of other elevated extras.
To pick the biggest and boldest accommodations, Forbes Travel Guide editors grabbed their passports and packed their tape measures. The things found in their search, from gigantic getaways in Geneva to massive marvels in Manhattan, showcase over-the-top luxury at their finest. Read on for a glimpse into the most grandiose rooms around the globe.
The Muraka
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Floating by itself in the Maldives’ turquoise expanse, the hideaway offers an outdoor infinity pool, a speedboat, and a gym and bathroom with ocean vistas. But descend the spiral staircase for the real stunner: more than 16 feet below sea level, the domed master bedroom surrounds you with underwater views. Watch fish and other creatures create a mesmerizing show as you lie in bed, get ready in the window-lined bathroom or closet, or sit in the theater-like room that swaps in a curved window for a movie screen.
Manhattan Sky Suite
Park Hyatt New York
Soak up breathtaking 59th-floor views from New York’s highest suite overlooking Central Park. But there’s much to look at inside the brand-new retreat, too. Spanning 4,200 square feet, the lofty space has three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a full kitchen with Miele appliances and a living room with a glass-enclosed fireplace. And the hotel—one of Forbes Travel Guide’s Five-Star properties—piles on VIP perks, including complimentary helicopter airport transfers, a chef and a closet outfitted with personalized selections from nearby Nordstrom.
Abu Dhabi Suite
The St. Regis, Abu Dhabi
Among the United Arab Emirates’ top properties, brushed gold faucets and brilliant chandeliers seemingly come standard. To stand out, this Four-Star Abu Dhabi hotel presents this 12,056-square-foot jewel that goes beyond the usual trinkets by having hand-tufted wool carpets, a state-of-the-art spa and a five-person theater. And don’t worry about having enough popcorn for the evening showing—The St. Regis’ anticipatory butler service will make sure every need is met during your stay.
The Presidential Suite
Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai
The pinnacle of one of Shanghai’s most exquisite addresses, this Presidential Suite captivates in a host of ways. If you’re a fan of contemporary design done with a traditional touch, you’ll be awed by the space’s furnishings and light fixtures. Vino connoisseurs will appreciate the private wine cellar. And most everyone staying in the 8,482-square-foot palace will be enamored by two rooftop gardens that provide tremendous views of the cosmopolitan city.
The Royal Residence
Atlantis by Giardino
When a simple suite won’t do, check into this eight-bedroom behemoth in Zurich. Occupying the hotel’s entire fourth floor, Europe’s largest suite (all 21,258 square feet of it) boasts a 360-degree terrace, an 18-seat dining room (call your private chef to make use of it), eight bedrooms and bathrooms and a shisha lounge. Plus, it has access to an around-the-clock butler, in-suite spa treatments and a chauffeured Rolls-Royce.
Seven South
The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
Sprawled across nearly 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, the recently unveiled Seven South is the Caribbean’s largest luxury hotel suite. It takes over the seventh floor with nine bedrooms, a movie theater, a living room with a dining area, a kitchen and a wrap-around terrace overlooking Seven Mile Beach. Your Grand Cayman stay will be memorialized with a customized painting of you admiring the terrace view from local artist Dready (a version of the work is permanently displayed in the suite).
Ty Warner Villa
Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara
Named for the famed Beanie Babies founder, this recently debuted Santa Barbara suite is anything but child’s play. An oceanfront plunge pool, outdoor rain shower, a croquet lawn and two alfresco entertaining terraces make it tempting to stay outdoors, but a one-of-a-kind bathtub carved from a single piece of French limestone might just lure you back inside. And the striking scenery is never far from view: the master bedroom’s floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the sweeping coastline.
The Royal Penthouse Suite
Hotel President Wilson, A Luxury Collection Hotel
It makes sense that one of the largest suites in Europe—this jaw-dropper checks in with 12 bedrooms, takes up more than 18,000 square feet and fills the Four-Star Geneva hotel’s entire eighth floor—would also store many of its most stunning amenities. The litany of luxury includes a 103-inch Bang & Olufsen LCD TV, Steinway grand piano, private elevator and telescope-equipped terrace that affords priceless views of Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc.
Royal Suite
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah
Dubai meets Versailles within this 8,400-square-foot, two-bedroom accommodation that houses a gilded marble staircase, an in-suite elevator and a private cinema. Befitting its Five-Star host hotel, the suite also comes with extravagant extras like a five-headed shower, ultra-luxe Swedish DUX beds (on rotating platforms, of course) dressed in rare eiderdown comforters and Egyptian cotton linen, and Hermès amenities. Everyone from Tiger Woods to Justin Bieber have stayed in this palatial hotel.
Suite Lalique by Patrick Hellmann
Prince de Galles, A Luxury Collection Hotel
In honor of its 90th anniversary in 2019, this Four-Star Paris property unveiled a brand-new, art-deco-inspired accommodation named after storied French glassmaker Lalique. Envisioned by renowned designer Patrick Hellmann, the two-story escape oozes Parisian art-deco decadence with a sleek and shiny palette of black, gold and white. It also boasts crystal artworks, an enchanting black marble bathroom with Eiffel Tower views and a 1,000-square-foot terrace that begs for sipping sundowners.
