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Best of the Best 2025: Travel

October 22, 2025

Best of the Best: Amanpulo

Since its opening in 1993, Amanpulo has consistently been hailed as one of the most breathtaking sanctuaries in the Philippines. Set on the secluded Pamalican Island, its pristine white-sand beaches and crystalline waters offer a pure back-to-nature escape.

Guests arrive by private plane and are immediately whisked into seclusion. With only 42 casitas and 17 villas, each guest enjoys a private haven, complemented by restorative wellness experiences, exhilarating watersports, and refined dining options.

The island’s renowned Aman Spa employs a resident specialist who tailors treatments to each guest’s fitness and wellness goals. Additional amenities include six spacious treatment suites, outdoor relaxation salas, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a hydrotherapy suite, a Pilates studio, and a dedicated yoga pavilion.

Pamalican Island’s unspoiled coral reefs make it a prime destination for scuba divers of all levels. Amanpulo’s Dive Centre provides a professional and safe environment for exploration. Guests may also charter from the resort’s fleet, which includes several motorboats, a pontoon boat, and an array of sailboats for sunset cruises.

Dining spans Filipino, Japanese, and Mediterranean cuisines, with the added of meals served in some of the island’s most secluded and picturesque settings.

More than a resort, Amanpulo continues to lead travel in the Philippines, setting an unmatched standard of exclusivity and serenity that draws travelers from around the globe. From $2,000 (Php 125,000) a night.

Uptown Update: The Surrey, New York City

This Upper East Side grande dame, which will celebrate its centenary in 2026, has undergone an extraordinary overhaul under Malta-based Corinthia Hotels. The group took over operations as part of its worldwide expansion after Reuben Brothers acquired the property. Just minutes’ walk from Central Park and around the corner from the just-reopened Frick Collection, this is the kind of place where you stay to blend in, not stand out.

Designer du jour Martin Brudnizki didn’t bring his signature glitzy sparkle to this project. Instead, he channeled the aesthetic of a classic six into the 100 rooms, with calming wood-toned walls, marble double vanities, cozy Frette bathrobes, and homey touches like a vase of fresh flowers on each desk and house-made dog treats. Don’t worry about honking horns and urban hubbub, either: even on the lower floors, soundproofing is superb and the hotel feels insulated from the outside world.

There’s also an oasis-like 2,500-square-foot Sisley spa, with distinctive touches including a regenerative salt wall. From $1,000 (Php 57,000) a night.

Cultural Immersion: Mandarin Oriental, Qianmen, Beijing 

Where does a hotel end and the neighborhood begin? It’s an apt question at this, the brand’s second outpost in the Chinese capital, where it’s not at the lobby’s threshold. Scattered around the labyrinthine backstreets of a historic hutong just south of the Forbidden City, its 42 sprawling suites—all silk embroidery, lacquered wood, and brass accents—take over some of the traditional alleyways’ century-old courtyard homes, but much of the locale remains the domain of Beijingers who’ve lived here for generations. 

That setup means stays here make you feel like a local. You might pass a pipe-smoking centenarian lounging on his doorstep when you return from afternoon tea in the teakwood-trimmed lobby lounge. Even better, chief concierge Bob Shi, who grew up a few doors away and knows the area like no other, can point you to the best dumpling joints, arrange guided walks, or orchestrate tastings of rare oolong in your suite.

Visionary Expansion: El Nido Resorts, Ayala Land Hospitality

Earlier this March, Ayala Land Hospitality announced a half-billion-dollar investment to bring Filipino hospitality onto the world stage, including enhancements to its El Nido Resorts portfolio—Miniloc, Lagen, Apulit, and Pangulasian.

Lagen Island Resort, famed for its dramatic limestone cliffs and crystalline waters, has emerged from a striking redesign that reframes sustainable . Its recent reopening promises a deeper sense of place, with textures, materials, and architectural details that tell a distinctly Filipino story.

Central to this vision is the Lagen Wellness Center, now Palawan’s largest holistic sanctuary, offering treatments rooted in nature, heritage, and advanced technology. From tribal-inspired wall finishes to hand-engraved furnishings and woven uniforms by T’boli and Manobo artisans, Filipino craftsmanship is celebrated at every turn. From $700 (Php 40,000) a night.

Countryside Resort: Anya Resort, Tagaytay

Just an hour’s drive from Manila, the seven-hectare Anya Resort Tagaytay offers a tranquil escape with sunlit villas, landscaped gardens, and wooded paths.

Suites in contemporary Filipino design are built for privacy and comfort, complemented by rejuvenating treatments at the Niyama Spa, culinary discoveries at Samira by Chele, and personalized touches designed to savor an unhurried life.

Anya is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. From $160 (Php 9,100) a night.

Throwback Glamour: The Potlatch Club, Eleuthera, Bahamas

Far from the hobnobbing crowds of Harbour Island, the Potlatch Club offers a more blissed-out Bahamian escape. It’s set on a former pineapple plantation on neighboring Eleuthera and was originally opened as a hotel in the 1950s by a trio of New York socialites. (Greta Garbo stopped by back then.) It has been reimagined as a 12-acre resort by Caribbean-born entrepreneurs, and though only a handful of the original structures remain, Nassau-based designer Amanda Lindroth has preserved its midcentury aesthetic while adding a touch of contemporary beach-chic style. Her breezy signatures flow through the 11 guest rooms, outfitted with white shiplap ceilings, pops of coastal blue, and coral floors. The top suites are the stand- alone oceanfront cottages, each with a private veranda opening onto a seven-mile stretch of pink sand. Don’t hesitate to ask general manager Kezang Dorji, once Brangelina’s personal butler, for whatever you need.

Castle Fantasia: Rosewood Schloss Fuschl, Austria

The 1950s Sissi film trilogy, starring Romy Schneider as Empress Elisabeth of Austria, made this hunting lodge in the mountainous Salzkammergut region famous. Its two-year renovation under Rosewood’s guidance may well put it back in the headlines. The historic schloss has been reimagined as a 98-room retreat with alpine-style lodgings, including eight rooms and suites tucked inside the property’s medieval tower.

Days unfold at a leisurely pace: You can expect hikes through wildflower-covered hills, deep-tissue massages in the wood-paneled spa, and afternoons lounging beneath striped parasols at the Mediterranean-style “beach” club, where a ladder drops into the glacial waters. A highlight is the castle’s fishery—the only one licensed to fish Lake Fuschlee—where guests gather around picnic tables on the water’s edge to enjoy the daily catch paired with a glass of local Grüner Veltliner.

Eco-Friendly Excellence: Dusit Thani Lubi, Davao

Down south in Davao de Oro lies Dusit Thani Lubi Plantation Resort, an 84-room, 18-villa retreat that promises a lush, sun-soaked experience. Here, sustainability isn’t a buzzword—it’s embedded in every element of the resort, from design to daily operations.

A 756-unit solar farm supplies clean, renewable power, while heat produced by air-conditioning units is reused to heat water across the property. On-site experiences include a reef and beach cleaning program, art installations crafted from upcycled materials found on the island, and a Turtle Hatch and Release initiative where guests can witness baby turtles emerging from protected nests. “We never called it sustainability,” says Tomas Lorenzo, CEO of Torre Lorenzo Development Corporation. “It was just the right thing to do.” From $140 (Php 7,500) a night.

Wellness Retreat: Chiva-Som Hua Hin Wellness Resort, Hua Hin, Thailand

Nestled in the serene coastal town of Hua Hin, Thailand, Chiva-Som has become an esteemed benchmark for wellness rooted in the warmth of Thai hospitality. The retreat has earned global acclaim for its carefully designed approach to physical vitality and mental balance.

With 54 elegantly appointed rooms and villas, Chiva-Som guides guests on a transformative path toward optimal well-being. The resort comprehensively supports each guest’s health journey—whether the focus is world-class spa treatments, expertly guided fitness activities, or replenishing wellness cuisine. Sixteen dedicated wellness retreats are tailored to individual goals, while an expert team of therapists and practitioners integrates Eastern philosophies with Western techniques to deliver a truly restorative experience. From $1,400 (Php 80,000) a night.

Urban Revolution: Royal Mansour, Casablanca, Morocco

The aptly named Royal Mansour, owned by King Mohammed VI, has been a fixture of Marrakech for 15 years, and the brand is now expanding across Morocco. If this first satellite outpost in the “White City” is the benchmark, that’s welcome news. An Art Deco–era skyscraper—far enough from the Grand Mosque to be granted a liquor license, unlike its neighborhood rival, the Four Seasons—was rebuilt from the ground up over eight years. The result is a five-star playground with maximalist flair that doesn’t skimp on meticulous details. Case in point: there’s a watch winder in every closet.

Among the 149 rooms, the private apartments stand out, each themed—music, literature, and more—with shelves of books, a turntable, and vintage vinyl to browse. Plan at least one dinner at La Grande Table Marocaine, which has quickly become a see-and-be-seen spot for locals. From $650 (Php 37,000) a night.

For a complete list of Robb Report Philippines’ Best of the Best awardees, click here.

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