The world's most expensive hotel rooms

by Rosalind Kent on 01 July 2011  |  5 comments
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If you're off on holiday soon, you'll need a big budget if you're hoping to stay in one of these hotels!

For most of us, a hotel room is an expensive luxury - even in the less salubrious establishments a room can be pretty pricey!

Although most of our budgets will be more suited to the Premier Inn than the Dorchester, it doesn’t mean we can’t have a little glance at how the other half lives, and marvel in the luxuries of some of the world’s most expensive hotels.

Who books them?

Or, put another way, “What kind of idiot spends so much on a place to sleep?”

From world leaders to Royalty to business tycoons, these hotels are awash with the rich and the powerful. Oh, and there might be one or two bankers ensconced in Pent House suites around the world, just to really rub it in!

UAE

As you would expect, the Arabs have done it in style, and with the extravagance of cities like Dubai, it is no surprise that they sport some pretty ostentatious prices.

One of the most iconic images of opulence is the Burj Al Arab, shaped like a sail in imitation of an Arabian vessel called a dhow. For years now it has topped the charts as one of the world’s most luxurious hotels with its (self-proclaimed) 7*’s.

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A Deluxe 2 bed-roomed suite can be booked for AED 11,976.00 (around £2,000), but that’s a bit of a bargain in this hotel! Prices were not available on the hotel online booking system for the most expensive room, the Presidential Suite, but are reputed to be around AED 94,000 (about £16,000) per night.

Its nearest Dubai competitor is the Armani Hotel and Spa, housed in the iconic shard-like tower that dominates the Dubai skyline. Originally called the Burj Dubai, it was renamed the Burj Khalifa  after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan baled Dubai out of its economic crisis with a spare US$10bn he happened to have lying around!

A night in the Armani Signature Suite will cost a mere AED 8,500 (around £1,500). The Armani Dubai Suite is a little more expensive at around AED 25,000 (around £4,200), but this is a bargain compared to the Burj Al Arab.

America

If you want to ‘do New York in style’ then book into the Ty Warner Penthouse at the Four Seasons Hotel, where the nightly rate is around $35,000 (about £21,800). This nine-room suite has walls inlaid with mother of pearl, gold and platinum-woven fabrics, which is always important I think.

Perks include a butler, personal trainer, chauffeur and a library - because I’m sure that sitting quietly reading a book will be top of your list of priorities when visiting NYC!

For the ultimate in American excess you can do no better than the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa which sits on top of the Palms Casino Resort. It has a butler, king-sized rotating bed, Jacuzzi, spa room and sauna and is modelled on the playboy mansion, although you have to provide your own Bunnies. 

It cost around US$10 million to build and costs US$40,000 (nearly £25,000) a night. Alternatively you could book the much more excitingly named Erotic Suite – expect mirrored ceilings - for a more affordable US$3,000 to US$4,000 (£1,800 - £2,500) a night. Pure class.

Europe

Topping the polls at a frankly unlikely US$65,000 (£40,500) a night price tag is the Royal Penthouse Suite in the President Wilson Hotel, Geneva.

It claims to be the largest and most luxurious hotel suite in the world and boasts maximum security for its guests, including bullet proof windows, giving an indication of the kinds of people who stay there.

Prices are hard to verify for this secretive hotel, and some reports say it is nearer the $35,000 (£21,800) mark, but either way it is annoying that for either of these prices breakfast is apparently not included!

For a more reasonable $31,000 (£19,300), you could stay at the Villa La Cupola Suite, Westin Excelsior Hotel in Rome, a lavishly decorated suite that boasts a butler, Jacuzzi, sauna and 8 screen cinema. (Do people really sit and watch films when in Rome?)

London

Things are a bit more reserved in London, but if you fancy splashing the cash a little closer to home, you could do worse than book into The Langham on Portland Place.

The most pricey room, the Infinity Suite, will cost around £6,000 per night. You get your own personal butler, no doubt serving up a lovely afternoon cream tea. If that’s not for you, then check into one of its ‘lesser’ suites for £1,550 per night.

The Lanesborough, on Hyde Park Corner, has a reputation as being the most expensive hotel in London, but the Royal Suite is reportedly ‘only’ £5,875 a night. Rates are only available upon request on the website, but the next most expensive room, the Buckingham Suite, is currently available for £2,700 a night if you want to slum it!  

Armed with this information, and a fortuitous lottery win, you now have a comprehensive run down of the best places to really throw your money away.

You might not see much of the local culture though, as every second spent out of that hotel room is money down the drain, so do remember to bring a good book, and settle down for the long haul!

Alternatively, if you’re looking for a more affordable holiday, take a look at The best websites for bargain holidays.

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