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Totaling 160 combined rooms and suites, this property is a collection of eight boutique hotels dotted around Doha’s Souq Waqif, the Qatari capital’s central marketplace where vendors hawk everything from spices and oud incense to gold and live falcons. The most historic of the properties is the Bismillah, the city’s oldest hotel, which dates back to the 1950s and now comprises two private residences with ornately tiled balconies overlooking the action outside. Guests can beat the desert heat with a dip in the swimming pool or a rejuvenating visit to the spa’s hammam.

If you walked into the Dolder Grand without knowing what it was, you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking you’d stumbled into a fine art museum—the hotel’s collection includes pieces by Salvador Dalí, Takashi Murakami, and Andy Warhol. But the up-close access to paintings and sculptures is far from the only reason to stay at this Zurich hotel: there’s also a 43,000 square foot spa with sweeping views of the Alps, an eight-course tasting menu courtesy of Michelin-starred chef Heiko Neider, and, in warmer months, cocktails under crisp white umbrellas on the open-air panoramic terrace.

A fitting emblem of the new Perth, The Treasury is part of the ambitious Cathedral Square development, a $580 million reinvention of a cluster of 19th-century state treasury and Anglican Diocese buildings on the edge of the Central Business District, which sat empty for more than 20 years before the COMO outpost moved in. Almost every detail in the hotel (which primarily occupies the top floors of three 140-year-old buildings) has been returned to its original state, from the reinstalled dormer windows to the roofline’s copper trim. Check out Wildflower, the hotel's glassed-in rooftop restaurant, for a taste of this pioneer city's thriving food scene, courtesy of executive chef Jed Gerrard, and David Thompson’s Thai street-food joint, Long Chim, adjacent to the hotel.

This 32-room hotel may appear traditional thanks to its colonial facade, but guests know that the sleek Hotel Matilda is anything but: there’s a crazy video installation installed behind the front desk, and the hallways are lined with contemporary artwork. Once you get to your room, you’ll discover crisp white beds dressed with Egyptian cotton linens and adorned slate gray accents, and marble-clad bathrooms stocked with Malin + Goetz products. The infinity pool and the rooftop bar, though, are the true standouts.

Redeveloped by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Xintiandi is Shanghai’s car-free entertainment district, built in and around a series of 19th-century shikumen (or “stone gate”) houses. Perfectly fitting in with that old-meets-new vibe is this 357-room luxury hotel, which occupies a contemporary granite-and-glass tower inspired by Chinese latticework. Inside, at the Chuan Spa, personalized treatments incorporate the five elements of wuxing philosophy: wood, earth, water, fire, and metal. And the property is filled with other nods to traditional art and culture, including a recurring horse motif that draws on Han Dynasty imagery. Guests shouldn’t miss a meal at the Michelin-starred T’ang Court, where Cantonese dishes include roasted goose, drunken pigeon in rice wine, and bird’s nest soup with crab roe.

There is nothing that does not dazzle at the Santa Caterina, hewn from a cliffside off the staggeringly stunning Amalfi Coast—and even on looks alone, we’d have to agree. Terraces cleaved from natural rock formations and sprinkled with citrus groves and assorted gardens appear with astonishing regularity around every turn, ready to lend themselves to a quiet moment. The interiors are vaguely reminiscent of one of the island’s little Catholic churches—white walls, white linens, vaulted ceilings, gold-hued curtains, little baroque wooden chairs, and tiled floors decked out in primary colors—pretty angelic, really, and not a bad vibe to gravitate toward when you're seeking a peaceful stay away (you could also try the spa!). Some rooms feature ceramic accents and charming family heirlooms, and all bathrooms benefit from Bvlgari toiletries.

What if you could actually visit the Garden of Eden? And what if it was surrounded by vineyards, historic Cape Dutch farm buildings, and a formal French-style potager garden, where you could pick your own strawberries and fragrant herbs? At Babylonstoren, in the Drakenstein Valley, 33 miles northeast of Cape Town, the mythical garden comes to life. Founded in 1690, the 590-acre compound is modeled on the farms that supplied the ships making their way around the Cape of Good Hope en route to India. The cottages and suites are minimalist but stylish. You won’t find a grand lobby or an obsequious concierge here, but the staff, most of whom are wearing T-shirts, aprons, or khakis, combine a genuine eagerness to help with a high level of knowledge about the farm and its long history. Stay long enough and eventually—after a visit to the on-site bakery, the winery, the cheesemaker, the butcher, and the farm-tank-style swimming pool—you may forget that you’re staying at a hotel.

Fifteen years ago, the tragic passing of Bernard Loiseau, one of France’s most iconic chefs, could have meant the end of his legacy. Instead, it led to a new chapter in his budding hospitality empire with his wife, Dominique, at the helm. Over time, she turned the Relais Bernard Loiseau, a five-star Relais & Châteaux hotel and double-Michelin-starred table in the sleepy town of Saulieu into a luxury retreat. But culinary stars are a dwindling draw these days and Madame Loiseau knew she needed something more than exquisite food to entice travelers to stopover for more than a night. Transforming the property’s formerly modest spa into a four-story fantasyland of wellness and organic dining was risky for such a small town but paid off. Villa Loiseau des Sens, the 16,000-square-foot balneotherapy spa is set within a modern, Morvan oak–paneled lodge with all the right amenities: indoor pools, massage alcoves, water bikes, ten treatment rooms, an area dedicated to skin exfoliation, and a laid-back neo-bistro. But it’s the 700-square-foot private spa suite outfitted with a steam room and sauna with panoramic views of the Auxois mountains that make it worth a full weekend escape.