Our Editors' 20 Favorite Hideaway Hotels

1. Post Ranch Inn 99

Big Sur, California

This exclusive coastal resort occupies a dramatic bluff directly above the Pacific in Big Sur, 45 minutes south of Carmel. The 39 lodgings include the extraordinary circular Pacific Suites, which feature outdoor hot tubs, woodburning fireplaces and private entrances. An outstanding gourmet restaurant is backed by a superlative wine cellar. A wholly exceptional romantic getaway and spa retreat, Post Ranch Inn is a long-standing favorite of Hideaway Report members — a place where the views are mind-boggling and total seclusion is guaranteed.

Superior service: With about 150 employees, the resort has one of the largest staff-to-guest ratios in the world.

A design tour de force: Constructed with recycled redwood and huge panes of glass, its accommodations are architectural triumphs.

The outside comes in: The spa uses its own products, which are made from wildflowers found on the estate.

2. Aman Venice 98

Venice, Italy

Offering refined comfort amid surroundings of scarcely believable grandeur, the Aman Venice is an opulent 24-room hotel in the spectacular renovated 16th-century Palazzo Papadopoli on the Grand Canal. Magnificent common areas include a dazzling second-floor dining room with gilded mirrors, lavish moldings, glittering chandeliers and glorious frescoes. Some rooms and suites feature works by great Italian artists, including Sansovino and Tiepolo.

Overwhelmingly grand: Built in 1560, the Palazzo Papadopoli is one of only eight palazzi monumentali in Venice.

Home to the best suite in the world: The Alcova Tiepolo Suite might just be the world’s most beautiful hotel room.

Where Hollywood royalty married: This is where George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin — and let’s face it, they could have gone anywhere.

3. Ballyfin Demesne 98

County Laois, Ireland

Located 60 miles southwest of Dublin and surrounded by a 614-acre estate, Ballyfin Demesne is perhaps the greatest Regency house in Ireland. In the magnificent public rooms, sumptuous fabrics and rugs are complemented by mahogany furniture, Chippendale mirrors and a collection of Irish paintings from the 18th century to the present. Each of the 20 rooms is individually decorated with authentic furniture, resplendent fabrics and original artwork. Despite the grandeur, the atmosphere is relaxed and the staff are as friendly as only the Irish know how.

Travel back in time: Ballyfin is like living in the 18th century — but with electricity.

Best suite: The Wellesley-Pole Suite, with its view of the water cascade, is truly palatial.

Insider info: An 80-foot library runs the length of the mansion’s south façade, from which the conservatory can be accessed via a secret door hidden in a bookshelf.

4. Twin Farms 98

Barnard, Vermont

At this intimate and exclusive country retreat, amid 300 acres of meadows and woodlands in an unspoiled valley north of Woodstock, guests choose from 20 distinctive lodgings that feature feather beds and sitting areas that open onto private screened porches. The restaurant at Twin Farms is exceptional, as are all other on-site facilities, including a spa, a gym, Japanese-style soaking tubs and a raftered library housed in the original barn.

Cultural connections: The historic home of author Sinclair Lewis, Twin Farms has been completely reimagined, and its stunning interior is now decorated with paintings by David Hockney, Frank Stella, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein and others.

Best bath: The Aviary suite comes with a sunken hot tub directly in front of a log fireplace.

Unique experiences: The property has six private downhill ski slopes, accessible by high-speed snowmobile. The romantically inclined may wish to dine in the wine cellar, which can be reserved for private dinners for two.

5. San Ysidro Ranch 98

Santa Barbara, California

The 500-acre San Ysidro Ranch resort is set in the leafy foothills of Montecito, just outside Santa Barbara. Landscaped grounds contain 41 cottages with peaked roofs, fireplaces or stoves, private patios and generous sitting areas. Dining venues include the award-winning Stonehouse restaurant and Plow & Angel bistro. Luxury accommodations, a full-service spa and extensive hiking trails make this a wonderful retreat. (Editors' note: As of mid-December, San Ysidro Ranch has been closed due to a mandatory evacuation caused by the Thomas Fire, and we received distressing news that the property was damaged in a mudslide on January 9. Our hearts are with the staff, who gave us so many happy hours at the resort, and we hope that it can reopen sometime soon.)

Little-known fact: San Ysidro Ranch was originally cultivated by Franciscan monks who received the land in a grant from King Charles III of Spain in 1769.

Celebrity connection: Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh were married at the Ranch, and John and Jackie Kennedy honeymooned here. John Huston wrote much of the script for “The African Queen” during a three-month stay.

Over-the-top indulgence: In-room pet massages are available for $75 for 30 minutes.

6. The Brando 97

Tetiaroa Private Island, French Polynesia

A private island once owned by Marlon Brando, Tetiaroa is a 20-minute flight from Tahiti by private light aircraft. The Brando’s lavish one- to three-bedroom beachfront villas (there are 35) feature outdoor tubs, high-tech media rooms and decks with plunge pools. Amenities include a glamorous wellness facility, complete with a waterfall and bird’s nest-like couples suite, and a French restaurant overseen by Michelin-starred chef Guy Martin.

What makes it different: Arguably, this is the ultimate castaway island escape. For centuries, it was a retreat reserved for Tahitian royalty.

Big-screen connection: Brando fell in love with Tetiaroa while filming “Mutiny on the Bounty.” He conceived it as his personal paradise and said that it was “beautiful beyond my capacity to describe.”

One-of-a-kind activities: Polynesian dance lessons; music lessons with ukulele, pahu or toere; and pareu dyeing and tying.

7. Les Prés d’Eugénie 97

Eugénie-les-Bains, Bordeaux, France

The renowned 47-room Les Prés d’Eugénie hotel and spa was created by legendary chef Michel Guérard and his wife, Christine (who passed away in late October). The gracious French country-chic enclave comprises the main hotel, three other self-contained smaller “hotels,” a Michelin three-star restaurant and a rustic bistro. This gourmet hideaway has an exceptional cooking school with half-day, full-day or five-day courses and is also a sublime wellness retreat with comprehensive spa facilities and two swimming pools.

What makes it unforgettable: This is perhaps the world’s foremost temple to refined hedonism.

Claim to fame: Chef Guérard earned his first Michelin stars in 1967. His legendary cuisine minceur allows you to eat stupendously well and lose weight at the same time. 

Good to know: The hotel’s Ferme Thermale, housed within a former 18th-century farmland, is famous for its citrus milk baths in front of an open fire.

8. Gidleigh Park 97

Chagford, Devon, England

Located amid dense woodland at the end of a narrow driveway lined by high stone walls, Gidleigh Park is a distinctive Tudor-style sanctuary set along the banks of a trout stream in England’s timeless West Country. The 24 individually designed rooms contain antiques and original paintings. The atmospheric public salons lead to a superlative Michelin two-star restaurant overseen by chef Michael Wignall. The property is located at the northern edge of Dartmoor National Park, and the country walks and horseback riding excursions are exceptional.

A step back in time: The surrounding area, including the exquisite little town of Chagford, is a surviving fragment of an England in which Miss Marple would have felt entirely at home.

Literary connections: The mysterious atmosphere of Hound Tor, a granite outcrop looming above Dartmoor National Park, is said to have inspired Arthur Conan Doyle to write “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” Evelyn Waugh finished writing “Brideshead Revisited” in Chagford.

9. Villa La Coste 97

Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, Provence, France

The spectacular Villa La Coste hotel is built on a hillside overlooking a 600-acre estate just north of Aix-en-Provence. Twenty-eight supremely comfortable guest accommodations are housed within individual stone-faced villas set along a shady jasmine-planted lane. Irish businessman Patrick McKillen purchased the estate in 2002, and he and his wife have acquired one of the most impressive collections of modern art and sculpture in France. This remarkable hideaway exemplifies chic, low-key design and is a self-contained property that merits an extended stay.

Not your father’s France: Here you will find a very different version of the south of France — not Cézanne and van Gogh but Louise Bourgeois, Damien Hirst and Ai Weiwei. But despite being surrounded by a vast contemporary art gallery, the resort is friendly and unaffected.

Relax, Japanese-style: The exquisite spa contains a Japanese-style hot-spring onsen bath and a hammam; the products are made specially for the resort.

10. Wakaya Club & Spa 97

Wakaya Island, Fiji Islands

The 10-room Wakaya Club & Spa occupies a remote 2,200-acre private island that evokes the South Pacific of Maugham and Michener, with limpid emerald lagoons, soaring cliffs, shell-strewn beaches and a ruggedly mountainous interior teeming with exotic birds. The cottage suites feature indigenous woods, cathedral ceilings and lavish baths with open-air lava-rock showers. The sensational setting, intimate size and castaway atmosphere create a truly extraordinary hideaway.

You won’t find the paparazzi here: Owned by Canadian entrepreneur David Gilmour, founder of Fiji Water, Wakaya is one of the world’s principal bolt-holes for publicity-shy celebrities.

If you don’t scuba dive: You can always explore the reef in a glass-bottomed kayak.

11. Wheatleigh 97

Lenox, Massachusetts

Surrounded by 22 acres of parkland designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Wheatleigh is an exquisitely restored 19th-century Italianate palazzo a short walk from Tanglewood in Lenox, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The 19 rooms and suites are accented by modern art and objets d’art from around the world. In the main restaurant, chef Jeffrey Thompson presents a menu of superb French-American cuisine. As is often the case in the world’s best hotels, it is not the lavish décor or extravagant amenities but the quality of the personal service that makes Wheatleigh exceptional.

Not just a summer destination: Although famous as a base camp for Tanglewood, Wheatleigh is particularly magical in the winter snow.

Be voted Most Popular: You can treat up to 36 of your best friends to a stay in the Berkshires. Wheatleigh is available for exclusive use at about $40,000 a day.

12. The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs 97

Matauri Bay, New Zealand

The plantation-style Lodge at Kauri Cliffs is set on 6,000 magnificent acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean and its own world-class championship golf course. The 23 guest suites face sensational views of the sea and fairways and include gloriously scenic verandas. A casually elegant lodge encompasses a glass-enclosed formal dining room that serves delicious Pacific Rim cuisine. The golf course features six dramatic cliffside holes, plus nine others with ocean views.

It’s a passion project: The property’s billionaire owner, American hedge fund manager Julian Robertson, fell in love with New Zealand at a young age and now owns two other exceptional lodges: The Farm at Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay and Matakauri Lodge near Queenstown.

The tour you have to take: Neglecting to indulge in a helicopter ride of the nearby Bay of Islands would be madness.

13. Domaine de Murtoli 97

Sartène, Corsica, France

Occupying 4,900 acres in southern Corsica, the Domaine de Murtoli is a private estate comprised of 16 renovated stone farmhouses scattered across an idyllic landscape of fragrant maquis, the bright-green carpet of bushes and wild herbs that covers much of the island. Huge boulders stud the property, which is bordered by a private five-mile white-sand beach lapped by sparkling-blue water.

Why it’s one of our favorite places: Sweeps of unspoiled beach-fringed coastline are all too rare in Europe nowadays. If you want to experience the Mediterranean as it used to be, this is the place to come.

Eat local — really local: The Domaine de Murtoli is a working estate, producing honey, cured meat and a brocciu cheese. You can go to the farm with a basket and pick your own vegetables for dinner.

14. Fogo Island Inn 97

Fogo Island, Newfoundland, Canada

The sculptural Fogo Island Inn stands with stunning improbability near a remote fishing village off Newfoundland’s northeast coast. The main four-story modernist structure is cross-shaped, with one axis supported by angled metal poles. Colorful quilts and handmade furniture complement the stark white interior. Those who have a recurring dream of getting away from it all to explore the far corners of the earth will find that the 29-room Fogo Island is its realization. It is a place of spectacular and elemental beauty.

The inspiration: Fogo Island Inn’s design stems from a 400-year-old vernacular tradition of creating seemingly temporary although ultimately permanent structures (original settlers were expected to fish Fogo Island’s waters and then return home to England or Ireland).

Cool cocktails: From June 1 to July 15, the sea off Fogo Island is known as “Iceberg Alley.” On whale-watching trips, drinks are served with iceberg ice.