Culture: The Leading Hotels of the World

Explore singular destinations with The Leading Hotels of the World in this celebration of exceptional hospitality, extraordinary cultural heritage, and unforgettable travel locales

Phaidon, Monacelli, and The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) are pleased to announce Culture: The Leading Hotels of the World, the second book in a multi-volume series created in close collaboration with LHW and the New York-based media company The Slowdown. Richly illustrated and expertly edited, Culture celebrates legendary hospitality through lasting traditions and exquisite artistry in more than 80 of the world’s most beloved hotels, carefully selected from LHW’s legendary portfolio.

Since 1928, LHW has pioneered exceptional luxury hospitality and today encompasses more than 400 hotels across 80 countries. Culture celebrates this unparalleled heritage, highlighting LHW’s impeccable properties with contributions from today’s top travel, art, and design journalists. The book opens with a foreword by acclaimed travel writer Pico Iyer, situating regional culture at the heart of hospitality. Spencer Bailey, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Slowdown, presents an introduction that highlights the diverse range of cultural attributes belonging to the featured hotels, including art, architecture, and gastronomy. Cynthia Rosenfeld, a long-time journalist and travel-trade veteran, serves as the project’s executive editor. Expert insights and travel tips from dozens of notable cultural figures—Sarah Arison, Andy Baraghani, Stephen Fry, Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, and Deborah Needleman among them—are also included.

Each hotel in this lavish volume embodies LHW’s commitment to treasured cultural heritage. Organized geographically, hotels receive multi-page spreads replete with stunning images that showcase each property’s distinctive cultural attributes, from ancient craftsmanship and mouth-watering local dishes to sublime natural landscapes. Accompanying texts provide context into the beloved traditions, histories, and cultures that breathe life into each hotel’s distinctive offerings and location. Whether traditional Mayan building practices at Chablé Yucatán or intricately layered venetian craftsmanship at Palazzo Venart Luxury Hotel, these extravagant stays exemplify how local touches, age-old rituals, and international art serve exceptional contemporary hospitality.

The book offers more intimate glimpses into the marvelous breadth of LHW’s properties through six feature stories and an in-depth conversation between Solange Azagury-Partridge and Tom Dixon at Brown’s Hotel in London, all with newly commissioned images by acclaimed photographers such as Mark Borthwick, Stefan Giftthaler, and Ilyes Griyeb. At De L’Europe in Amsterdam, tulips and burnt-orange velvet curtains provide an opulent Dutch foreground for a museum edition of Vincent Van Gogh’s famed Sunflowers painting. A lush Indonesian jungle dominates at the Capella Ubud in Bali, prompting visitors to lean on bamboo walking sticks as they navigate moss-covered stone paths to their colorfully appointed private hideaways. Local pottery is central to São Lourenço do Barrocal in Monsaraz, Portugal, where roughly 350,000 terra-cotta bricks were fired nearby and installed. Additional features on Le Sirenuse in Positano, Italy; Royal Mansour Marrakech; and Violino d’Oro in Venice, Italy, showcase the boundless cultural diversity of LHW’s unrivaled portfolio.

As Pico Iyer writes in the forward, “‘Culture’ is as hard to define as ‘beauty’ or ‘taste,’ but we know it when we see it… [it] is that hidden treasure that goes beyond simply seeing the sights and gives us a new pair of eyes.” Culture gives readers exactly that. This compelling volume dives beneath the surface of glamour, offering a deeper, more considered definition of luxury.

Designed by the award-winning graphic designer Michael Bierut with Jena Sher, Culture is presented in a deep Moroccan-blue silken case with an eye-catching pattern inspired by Moorish-style screens. Silver foil details, painted edges, and complementary ribbons add to the book’s impressive package, which fully embodies the elevated luxury that LHW is known for. A beautiful addition to this quintessential travel series, this elegant sequel is a must-read for the cultivated traveler with a keen eye for style and a roving curiosity.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Spencer Bailey is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Slowdown, host of the Time Sensitive podcast, and former editor-in-chief of Surface magazine. He is the author of In Memory Of: Designing Contemporary Memorials, published by Phaidon.

Pico Iyer is an acclaimed travel writer and author who has published sixteen books, often dealing with crossing cultures. He has been a contributor for more than thirty-five years to The New York Times, The Financial Times, Harper’s Magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, and more.

The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. (LHW), founded in 1928, is the premier collection of over 400 independent luxury hotels in more than 80 countries. From alpine chalets to safari camps, LHW curates unique properties for curious seekers and luxury enthusiasts, uniting them in a passion for distinctive travel experiences.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Writers: Spencer Bailey, Kissa Castañeda, Teresa Levonian Cole, Dan Q. Dao, Sam Dangremond, Maura Egan, Christina Ohly Evans, David Graver, Emily Jiang, Laura Itzkowitz, Pico Iyer, Emma Leigh Macdonald, Lee Marshall, Sarah Miller, Cynthia Rosenfeld, Jad Salfiti, John Wogan

Tastemakers: Annarita Aprea, Alyse Archer-Coité, Sarah Arison, Jesse Ashlock, Joseph Awuah-Darko, Abby Bangser, Andy Baraghani, Bill Bensley, Maria Brito, Simon Critchley, Sarah Douglas, Casey Fremont, Stephen Fry, Richard Hassell, Olivia Lopez, Erik Maza, Deborah Needleman, Dawn Ng, Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, Angelica Semmelbauer, Bosco Sodi, Jacqueline Terrebonne, Marlies Verhoeven, Su Wu

Interview Subjects: Solange Azagury-Partridge, Tom Dixon

Photographers: Mark Borthwick, Polly Brown, Stefan Giftthaler, Ilyes Griyeb, Suzie Howell

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FEATURED HOTELS IN VOLUME 2

Africa & the Middle East
The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort
La Badira
Royal Mansour
Marrakech
The Setai Tel Aviv
Thanda Safari Private
Game Reserve

Americas & the Caribbean
The Brazilian Court
Chablé Yucatán
Country Club Lima Hotel
The Fifth Avenue Hotel
The Georgian
Halekulani
Hotel Casa San Agustin
Hôtel Swexan
The Joule
Le Mount Stephen
Marquis Los Cabos

Asia, Australia & the Indian Ocean
Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li
Capella Ubud, Bali
The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu
Hylla Vintage Hotel
Jackalope Hotel, Mornington Peninsula
The Lodhi, New Delhi
Raya Heritage
The Shilla Seoul

Europe
Adare Manor
Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel
Anantara Villa Padierna
Anassa
The Ashbee Hotel
Beau-Rivage Genève
Brown’s Hotel, a Rocco Forte Hotel
Castell Son Claret
Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul
The Danai
De L’Europe Amsterdam
Gleneagles Townhouse
Grand Hotel Alassio Beach & SPA Resort
Grand Hotel Continental Siena–Starhotels Collezione
Grand Hotel et de Milan
Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria
Grand Hotel Fasano
Grand Hotel Majestic “già Baglioni”
Grand Hotel Miramare
Grand Hôtel Stockholm
The Grand Mark Prague
Hôtel Barrière Fouquet’s Paris
Hôtel Barrière Le Royal Deauville
Hotel Casa Fuster
Hôtel Chais Monnet & Spa
Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo
Hotel Kämp
Hotel La Perla
Hotel Sacher Salzburg
Hotel Splendide Royal Lugano
Ikador Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa
J.K. Place Capri
Katikies Garden
L’Andana Resort
La Réserve Eden au Lac Zurich
Le Negresco
Lesante Cape Resort & Villas
Le Sirenuse
Maison Albar–Le Monumental Palace
Majestic Hotel & Spa Barcelona
Masseria Donna Menga
The Merrion Hotel
Palace Elisabeth, Hvar Heritage Hotel
Palacio de los Duques, a Gran Meliá Hotel
Palais Coburg Residenz
Palazzo Venart Luxury Hotel
The Phoenicia Malta
The PLACE Firenze
Relais San Maurizio
São Lourenço do Barrocal
Vidago Palace Hotel
Villa Cora
Villa d’Este
Villa e Palazzo Aminta
Villa La Massa
Violino d’Oro
The Westbury

Culture: The Leading Hotels of the World
Spencer Bailey, with a foreword by Pico Iyer
June 2025

About The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. (LHW)
In 1928, 38 independent hoteliers came together to create LHW which now comprises more than 400 hotels in over 80 countries, making it the largest collection of independent luxury hotels. Since its inception, the Company has carefully curated a selection of distinctive hotels, resorts, inns, chalets, villas, and safari camps, from the snow-capped Alps of Europe to the African veldt, to share them with adventurous souls who seek the remarkably uncommon. The LHW community is made of exceptional individuals, united by a passion for the surprising discoveries and details that come with every travel experience. LHW hoteliers are artisans of hospitality whose expertise, commitment to excellence and individual flair allows them to create story-worthy moments for their guests. It is these authentic, individualized moments, combined with the warm high-touch service these hoteliers and their team provide, that keeps discerning travelers returning again and again. LHW’s collection covers the globe and promises a broad range of destinations and unique experiences, enhanced by LHW’s tiered guest loyalty program, Leaders Club. From converted former palaces and countryside retreats run by the same families for generations, to gleaming skyscrapers in dynamic urban centers, serene private island escapes, glamorous tented camps – and beyond – travelers are invited to explore, find inspiration, and experience unforgettable travel moments.

For more information visit: www.lhw.com, Facebook at @LeadingHotels, Twitter at @LeadingHotels and Instagram @leadinghotelsoftheworld
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