Accommodation

The frescoes are repainted, the stonework repaired, the chandeliers sparkling – Karen Kissane checks into a landmark Paris hotel restored with the same care lavished on the Palace of Versailles and the Louvre.

A clutch of new hotels has opened in Paris and beyond.

To some, it’s a stylish new hotel. To Robert Marchetti, it’s an “entertainment precinct with rooms”.

The quirky chic characterising hotel group QT hits new heights on the Victorian slopes.

A wrap-up of some of our favourite lodges and resorts around the country.

Take Manhattan from the comfort of the Pier A Harbor House redux.

Western Australia’s finest luxury resorts are as diverse and captivating as its geography. Mal Chenu looks at ten of the best.

A new luxe hotel adds glamour to Brisbane’s Caxton Street.

Whatever your need — relaxation, stress relief, general wellness or escape — the élite resorts of the Gold Coast know how to pamper. Here are five of the best:

The inaugural Gourmet Traveller Hotel Guide showcases the premier places to stay around Australia.

For quirky eco-luxury, bunk down in a grain silo, a stylish conversion on New Zealand’s South Island.

There’s nary a detail or fitting in Hotel Hotel that hasn’t been considered at length, laboured over and placed with intent.

Lydia Bell surveys the boot and finds 10 luxe new places to stay with friends or la famiglia, from palatial opulence to hilltown simplicity.

From palatial suites in Morocco to private islands off Cambodia, here are some of our favourite luxury hotels and resorts in the world.

Scattered among the 900 islands of Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef is a raft of resorts to suit contemporary castaways and barefoot explorers. Max Anderson goes island-hopping to a bunch of the best.

The latest in Ian Schrager’s boutique line matches London heritage with hipness.

The Sheraton Noosa’s recent makeover is more than skin deep.

Seeking a pied-à-terre in the French capital that’s well located and has charm and style? Pas de problème. Here’s a handful of boutique hotels and apartments with a certain je ne sais quoi.

French tourism numbers are down, but the capital’s luxury-hotel market is booming.

The style is unmistakably Thai at Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa, opening this month.

A perfectly positioned pied-à-terre seamlessly melds old and new.

Southern California’s only Relais & Châteaux property puts a fresh face forward.

Wilpena Pound Resort’s new tented retreats bring a dose of safari glamour to the South Australian landmark.

What to do when your home is a 1910 Art Nouveau palace on the shores of Lake Como but you're running out of room?

Given that it's one of Sydney's greatest tourist lures, Bondi Beach is surprisingly short of accommodation options...

Here’s yet another reason to fall in love with the City of Water.

Meet the west’s newest bed for the night (or longer).

Luxurious new digs in Nitmiluk National Park are opening Katherine Gorge and the culture of its traditional owners, the Jawoyn people, to a new brand of traveller. Rob Ingram explores the escarpment around Cicada Lodge.

Whether you’re travelling in a troop, longing for a personal butler or just loath to share a pool, there’s no better base in Bali than a villa. Kendall Hill uncovers some of the latest and greatest luxury stays on the Island of the Gods.

A boutique lodge on the Chilean altiplano set against a backdrop of mountain ranges and dramatic skies is Emma Sloley’s base for exploring the highest, driest desert in the world, the Atacama.

From a heli-fishing lodge in a remote Kimberley estuary to a sun-drenched penthouse overlooking Queensland’s most famous strip, Australia’s northern coastlines are long on luxe new accommodation.

The timing is surprising but Aman Resorts has thrown its weight behind Greece, opening in its mythical heartland: the Peloponnese. Debbie Pappyn unrolls her beach towel at the brand new Amanzo’e.

Goodbye Gowings, hello QT. Frances Hibbard checks in to Sydney’s newest boutique hotel and finds a vibrant, creative scene that’s as much a magnet for locals as for visitors.

Looking for that perfect stylish escape? From Berlin to Bangkok and the French Riviera to Kangaroo Island, we've got you covered. Bon voyage! PHOTOGRAPHY RENE RIIS, CHRISTOPHER WISE, PIERRE MONETTA, JULIAN KINGMA, CARLA COULSON, GETTY IMAGES, JAMES FISHER, WILLIAM MEPPEM, JOHN LAURIE

The GT team checks in to check out London’s finest stays, from Whitehall’s latest to Mayfair’s finest and Soho’s secret gems. We present the capital’s ultimate 12 hotels, all quintessentially British in style, substance and flair.

A Tuscan farmhouse, a Renaissance fortress, a Puglian trullo and more – we’ve picked 10 of our favourite Italian villas. Your room with a view (and perhaps even a George Clooney sighting) awaits.

A gilded suite at Le Bristol Paris gives Kendall Hill a glimpse of the hotel habitués’ exalted lifestyles.

Wildman Wilderness Lodge is the perfect new launching point for exploring the natural beauty and open zoo of wildlife that is the Top End. Rob Ingram heads north to the Mary River wetlands.

Emirates has brought its thoughtful brand of luxury to New South Wales with Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa. Rob Ingram reflects on the valley’s colonial mining past and its ecologically sustainable future.

Fringed by cobalt waters and dazzling beaches, Fiji’s Laucala takes luxury to a whole new level, thanks to mega investment from Red Bull baron Dietrich Mateschitz. Kendall Hill wings his way to the ultra-exclusive eco-chic destination to discover the private paradise setting a new benchmark in the South Pacific.

He’s headed to New Zealand’s Central Otago and settled into the luxurious Matakauri Lodge but Rob Ingram has a problem: he never wants to leave.

There’s something big happening on the small island. In a pocket of pristine Tasmanian wilderness, Leo Schofield discovers Saffire Freycinet, a new luxury lodge that offers five-star polish in an untamed setting.

Travelling from the Great Karoo to the Kruger, Emma Ventura discovers South Africa’s sumptuous lodges, spectacular animals and the stirring beauty of wide, brown plains. Zebra roll in dust baths, wildebeest charge across the horizon and hippos huff bubbles in murky ponds. Welcome to the safari. PHOTOGRAPHY JULIAN KINGMA

Travelling from the Great Karoo to the Kruger, Emma Ventura discovers South Africa’s sumptuous lodges, spectacular animals and the stirring beauty of wide, brown plains. Zebra roll in dust baths, wildebeest charge across the horizon and hippos huff bubbles in murky ponds. Welcome to the safari.

The sleek aesthetic of Crown Metropol – the latest addition to Melbourne’s sprawling Crown development – will appeal to hip younger things, writes Kendall Hill.

Discover two luxury lodges which are microcosms of all that’s great about New Zealand: effortlessly warm hospitality, cinematic landscapes and adventure on tap. Action-man Kendall Hill checks in and gets in touch with his masculine side.

On the run from the law, Kendall Hill seeks refuge in cocktails, canapés and the effortlessly stylish interiors of Lord Howe Island’s newly revamped Capella Lodge.

Staycation, holiday at home, mini-break – call it what you will, there’s never been a better time to explore our own shores, and all that lies between them. Pack an overnight bag and take your pick from a dozen of our favourite Australian getaways.

Sharp, smart and just a little kooky, Hilton’s new Melbourne venture is a sleek accommodation option in the city’s burgeoning hotel landscape, writes Emily Ross.

A slick and well-priced designer hotel in one of Paris’s trendier neighbourhoods? It’s an idea that just might take off, writes Pat Nourse.

Part whimsy, part glamour, loads of cool: innovative new hotel Leon’s Place is a unique accommodation option in Rome. Josephine McKenna checks in to the former palazzo.

We’ve got the keys to the most fabulous new hotels in the world. From an elegant palazzo in Florence to a handsome lodge in Tasmania, it’s about unique experiences. The best news? They don’t all cost a bomb. Check in. WORDS KENDALL HILL

Juan Carlos Ferrero, Spain’s champion tennis pro, heart-throb and all-round nice guy, is making his mark off the court with a new retreat off the beaten tourist path in Valencia.

Club Med has opened its first ‘five-trident’ property on the west coast of Mauritius, with a world-class spa and Zen-style retreat. Group activities optional.

Sydney has a great tradition of chic boutique accommodation and a flurry of recent openings is providing an even wider range of glam options.

Chile’s Atacama desert is the highest, driest place on earth – bar none. But lush boutique hotel Awasi offers a designer sanctuary in this spectacular Andean outpost.

One of Vietnam’s newest boutique resorts, the luxurious Nam Hai is an oasis of calm just a stone’s throw from China Beach and the historic town of Hoi An.

Combining new-age technology and exquisite design, the new hotel Fouquet’s Barrière takes opulence to the next level on the Champs-Elysées.

From Napoleon’s former residence to a designer suite owned by Italy’s first fashion family, live out your Roman Holiday in the city’s most stylish hotel rooms. Here are our favourites.

Down one of Melbourne’s much-loved laneways is a secret sleeper, Hotel Causeway – the ideal place to drop after you shop (and eat and drink).

Florida’s Art Deco Riviera gets an infusion of exotic South-East Asian tranquillity with the opening of lavish retreat, The Setai. Come to where Bali highs soothe Miami Beach.