1 - Sanderson, London

Manchester-London from £82rtn pp Compare all offers

It's been 10 years since Philippe Starck unveiled the second of his Morgans Group hotels in London (the first being St. Martin's Lane), but not a drop of the allure and prestige that surrounded the opening has dissolved over the past decade. Located in the West End of London, it is housed in a Grade-II listed 1950s building at the centre of which is a one-of-a-kind Japanese garden oasis designed by the Frenchman's English namesake, Philip Hicks. The Daliesque lobby (see the iconic red lips sofa) is unmistakably Starck with its bold furniture designs including carved African and faux Baroque pieces. The light-filled, generously proportioned rooms, none of which have interior walls, but rather curtains hung in such a way as to allow you to 'conceal or reveal' the various spaces, boast rugs recalling Voltaire's scrawlings, silver-leaf sleigh beds and luxury toiletries from Korres. The eighth floor of the hotel is taken up by the sumptuous Penthouse with kitchenette and views of the London Eye, while the two-bedroom Apartment with private elevator represents the apogee of the hotel's accommodation. Described as an 'urban sanctuary' The Agua Spa is perhaps the focal point of the Sanderson. It offers a host of luxury treatments for men and women including massages, tan top-ups and grooming, while you can set up a personal training appointment at the top-of-the-range fitness centre. The restaurant takes the form of Suka, an Asian outfit which uses English and Malaysian ingredients and serves them up in a sleek setting signed India Mahdavi (see Hotel on Rivington, NY). The hotel boasts two bars, Purple and Long. The former, decked out in various hues of the colour borne in its name, offers an array of Martini cocktails, champagne and more varieties of vodka than you could shake a swizzle stick at. As its name suggests, the Long Bar stretches for 80ft and also serves up light snacks.

Delano, South Beach, Miami