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The United States’ looming departure from UNESCO has the best of us clenching our fists. But instead of stamping our feet, there’s all the more reason to put one foot in front of the other and travel to international horizons that honor their heritage cities, sites, and natural wonders. Offering sensational, unobstructed views of the world’s celebrated landmarks, here are the best UNESCO-adjacent hotels on the planet:
Soaring high above the heaving towns of the Amalfi Coast, ruins of a 17th-century monastery are reimagined as the boutique Monastero Santa Rosa. Sweeping views of the storied coastline swell from every vantage—from the rooms, terraced gardens, and spa.
Photo: Francis Gagnon / Courtesy of Fairmont Le Château FrontenacOver 125 years old, the regal Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is a double dose of history: It’s not only a designated heritage property itself but also it overlooks the historic district of Old Québec.
Photo: Courtesy of Longitude 131°Already an outpost of luxury in Australia’s raw Northern Territory, the tented camps at Longitude 131° upped the ante: The new Dune Pavilion, designed by architect Max Pritchard, frames unparalleled views through glass walls of both Uluru and Kata Tjuta (typically, rooms are lucky enough with just one or the other).
Photo: Courtesy of Four SeasonsOpened just last year, The Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah, Baa Atoll, is the first private island for the brand as well as the world’s only sole-use retreat located within a World Biosphere Reserve.
Photo: Mark Williams / Courtesy of BelmondBrand-new to Botswana, Belmond Eagle Island Lodge soaks in wildlife—some of the world’s most endangered mammals live within the interior delta at its doorstep, from cheetah to black or white rhinoceros.
Photo: Courtesy of Hotel CartesianoThe historic city, backdropped by the Popocatépetl volcano, Puebla pops with tile-covered homes and religious architecture dating back to the 16th century. At a few months old, Hotel Cartesiano offers a fresh perspective from the city’s only rooftop pool.
Photo: Courtesy of Viceroy ResortsSt. Lucia’s inspiring Pitons—twin volcanic mountains jutting from the Caribbean Sea—are like bookends to Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort. The property nestles between the iconic landmarks along a coveted bay (a slice of which you can own—for $15 million).
Photo: Courtesy of AmanjiwoUpon arriving in Java at the sweeping Amanjiwo retreat, a dramatic stairway leads straight through toward a framed view of Borobudur, Indonesia’s—and the world’s—largest Buddhist monument.
Photo: Sivan Askayo / Courtesy of Pikaia LodgeThankfully extinct, two volcanic craters form the base of Pikaia Lodge, offering a lofty, low-impact perch over the Galápagos Islands—not to mention its own wild giant tortoise reserve.
Photo: Courtesy of Another Place, The LakeInside an original—and expanded—Georgian building, Another Place, the Lake is among the newest luxury boutiques clutching the shores of Ullswater, part of the U.K.’s first national park to receive heritage status.
Photo: Tom Sullam / Courtesy of Park HyattPark Hyatt Zanzibar, which was the first Park Hyatt in Africa, opened inside a UNESCO heritage–appointed building dating back to 1847—located on the coast of historic Stone Town, replete with charmed alleys, winding markets, and brilliant mosques.
Photo: Courtesy of the King David HotelFrom inside the lobby or outside on the terrace, the King David is a fixture of luxury that was originally built in the 1920s and overlooks the Old City of Jerusalem—just over the Old City Walls, the Western Wall, Dome of the Rock, and the Second Temple are in full view.
Photo: Courtesy of Casa San AgustinSurveying another walled city (this time, from within) Casa San Agustin, overlooks the historic fortified city of Cartagena from a clutch of three colonial heritage homes unified with Colombian flair.
Photo: Courtesy of Mukan ResortJust beyond the walled cities of the Maya, the coastal Mukan Resort opened last month in Tulum—the first luxury property in the tropical biosphere reserve of Sian Ka’an.
Photo: Courtesy of Clayoquot Wilderness ResortExpect few walls at Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, where the Relais & Châteaux–approved canvas tents line the westernmost reaches of Vancouver Island, tucked within Clayoquot Sound biosphere reserve’s forested valleys and lakes.
Photo: Courtesy of The Yeatman HotelNear Europe’s western coast in Portugal, The Yeatman Hotel, a wine-forward retreat (right down to the spa treatments), offers a poolside view of Porto, a city that climbs the hillside at the mouth of the Douro River.
Photo: Nikolas Koening / Courtesy of Strawberry HillFrom the Strawberry Hill’s whitewashed cabins, Jamaica’s undulating Blue Mountains sprawl across the horizon like a rumpled landscape where every inch seems blanketed in forest—a natural comfort zone.
Architecture + Design The World’s 39 Most Beautiful Tennis CourtsAs the US Open gets underway, AD takes a look at the very grounds that host this centuries-old sport, from cliffside clay to sky-high lawns
By Katherine McLaughlin AD-it-Yourself 40 Chic Coffee Bar Ideas to Get You BuzzingLooking to carve out your own mini home barista station? We’ve brewed up some inspo you’ll like a latte
By Megan Johnson 22 Best Shower Curtains to Transform Your Bathroom Decor It’s curtains for you, drab style By Kristi Kellogg celebrities Inside Yolanda Hadid’s Modern Texas RanchToday, AD is welcomed by Yolanda Hadid to tour her modern Texas home. The reality TV star’s relationship with Fort Worth is a real love story; after visiting on her first date with her partner, Joseph Jingoli, over six years ago, the couple have now built their dream Texan refuge from the ground up. Hadid designed the home herself with an industrial, modern, and relaxing vision in mind. The former model masters the ranch aesthetic with beautiful reclaimed wood throughout and a mudroom that does not disappoint. And when her children, Anwar, Gigi, and Bella Hadid, come to stay there are plenty of cozy rooms including an adorable bunkbed room designed especially for granddaughter Khai and any future grandkids. An elegant mix of hard industrial lines and plush textures, Yolanda Hadid’s home is the perfect place to kick off your boots and unwind “I want people to be able to come in and wear their cowboy boots. I’m not going to worry about mud on the floors. It had to be casual,” she says. “I wanted to use a lot of organic materials because there’s something about cowboy culture that feels organic to me—going back to the earth.” Still images of The Wild Horses of Sable Island ® by Roberto Dutesco
