Explore: The Leading Hotels of the World

Explore book closed standing
Interior page title page
Interior page of book hawaii
Interior Page of Book Datai Langkawi
The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) and Phaidon, Monacelli are pleased to announce Explore: The Leading Hotels of the World, the third 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, this exquisite volume presents a robust collection of more than 80 properties from LHW’s legendary portfolio, tailor-made for hosting awe-inspiring adventures, transformative well-being experiences, cutting-edge spa treatments, and world-class sports facilities.

Since 1928, LHW has pioneered exceptional luxury hospitality and today encompasses more than 425 hotels across 80 countries. Explore celebrates this unparalleled heritage through the lens of adventure. In his introduction, Spencer Bailey, the series’ editor-in-chief and the founder of The Slowdown, writes about the powerful human urge to explore, expressed across millennia through art, commerce, travel, and culture, and embodied today in LHW’s global portfolio. Cynthia Rosenfeld, a long-time journalist and travel-trade veteran, serves as the series’ executive editor. The book combines LHW’s incredible properties with contributions from dozens of notable travel writers and journalists, including Bailey and Rosenfeld, Annie Daly, Thessaly La Force, Lee Marshall, Christina Ohly Evans, Nora Walsh, and John Wogan. In the back-of-book Index, expert “Pro Tip” advice from tastemakers such as sound therapist Sara Auster, art curator Allison Glenn, and architect Kulapat Yantrasast is also included.

Each hotel in this lavish volume embodies LHW’s commitment to world-class experiences of well-being. Organized geographically, hotels receive multi-page spreads replete with gorgeous images that showcase each property’s expansive grounds and first-rate amenities, thoughtfully designed to balance adventure, serenity, and service. Accompanying texts explore the interactive possibilities present at each property. Whether mountain biking along the 30 miles of custom-designed trails at South Africa’s Steyn City Hotel by Saxon, visiting Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanišević’s tennis academy at D Maris Bay on Turkey’s Datça Peninsula, or bathing as the ancient Etruscans did at Terme di Saturnia in Tuscany, these LHW properties offer myriad opportunities to nurture mind, body, and soul.

The book offers in-depth feature stories about seven extraordinary LHW properties that transport readers to remarkable destinations and explore the distinctive experiences each one offers. Guests might stargaze at Nayara Alto Atacama in the Chilean desert; cross a mangrove bridge into the rainforest at The Datai Langkawi in Malaysia; engage conscious breathing with “horse yoga” at Indonesia’s NIHI Sumba; ride a cable car overlooking Lake Lucerne at the Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa; relax with a massage on a warm stone slab in the Turkish hammam at Shloss Elmau in Germany; explore 850 acres of archery, falconry, and golf at The Gleneagles Hotel in the Scottish countryside; or settle in for a Bavarian-style slopeside stay at Sonnenalp Hotel in Vail, Colorado. These features include original images by the acclaimed photographers Trent Davis Bailey, Stefan Giftthaler, Frédéric Lagrange, and Jo Metson Scott.

Explore also features three inserts offering “Day Trip” itineraries for tightly curated excursions in Hawaii, Sicily, and Thailand, respectively, with tips from the book’s editors and local experts.

Designed by the award-winning graphic designer Michael Bierut with Yve Ludwig, Explore is presented in a deep copper silken case with an eye-catching pattern inspired by Scottish flora. Foil details in British racing-green, gilded edges, and complementary ribbons add to the book’s impressive package, which fully embodies the elevated luxury that LHW is renowned for. An essential addition to this celebrated travel series, this elegant tome is a must-read for the cultivated traveler seeking well-being and adventure in stylish surroundings.

Previous editions include Design (2024) and Culture (2025).

_

ABOUT THE BOOK

Hardback, with padded cover, two satin ribbons, gilded edges, and three inserts
288 x 250 mm
9 7/8 x 11 3/8 inches
304 pp
300 col illus.
978 1 58093 736 8
Published June 2026 Monacelli

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Spencer Bailey is founder and editor-in-chief of the New York-based media company The Slowdown and host of the Time Sensitive podcast. A writer, editor, and journalist, he has written at length about architecture, art, culture, design, and travel, and has contributed to publications such as Town & Country, The New York Times Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Fortune. From 2013 to 2018, Bailey was editor-in-chief of Surface magazine. He is also the author of In Memory Of: Designing Contemporary Memorials (Phaidon, 2020). Currently, he is overseeing the editorial direction of this multi-volume book series celebrating The Leading Hotels of the World. He serves on the board of trustees of the Noguchi Museum in Long Island City, New York.

The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. (LHW), founded in 1928, is the premier collection of more than 425 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.

CONTRIBUTORS

Writers: Spencer Bailey, Annie Daly, Carole Dixon, David Graver, Ellen Himelfarb, Thessaly La Force, Teresa Levonian Cole, Lee Marshall, Kylie McConville, Ali Morris, Christina Ohly Evans, Alexia Petsinis, Cynthia Rosenfeld, Katie Silcox, Harriet Thorpe, Anika Ventura, Nora Walsh, John Wogan

Tastemakers: Sara Auster, Laura Baldassari, Yves Béhar, Kanachai Bencharongkul, Alberto Biagetti, Daniela Burr, Chris Caldicott, Hyeyoung Cho, Agnes Costa, Jennifer Ellis, Meleana Estes, Shruti Ganguly, Allison Glenn, Elora Hardy, Laura Itzkowitz, Lindsay Jang, Daphne Javitch, Suhair Khan, Juliet Kinsman, Linda Leaming, Camilla Marcus, Thomas Meyerhoffer, Jen Murphy, Roberta Oaks, David Prior, Stefan Sagmeister, Pinaree Sanpitak, Olivia Song, Robert Stadler, Eddie Stern, David Thulstrup, Lee Anne Wong, Kulapat Yantrasast, David Zilber

Commissioned Photographers: Trent Davis Bailey, Stefan Giftthaler, Frédéric Lagrange, Jo Metson Scott, Russel Wong

FEATURED HOTELS IN VOLUME 3

Africa & the Middle East
The Manor House at Fancourt
Steyn City Hotel by Saxon

Americas & the Caribbean
Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa
Canouan Estate Resort & Villas
Cayena-Caracas
ESPACIO The Jewel of Waikiki
Hotel AWA
La Casa de la Playa
Nayara Alto Atacama
Paradisus Los Cabos All Inclusive Adults Only
Sandy Lane
Silversands Beach House Grenada
The Singular Santiago, Lastarria Hotel
Sonnenalp Hotel
The Strand, Turks and Caicos

Asia, Australia & the Indian Ocean
Aleenta Phuket – Phang Nga Resort & Spa
Constance Lemuria Seychelles
Constance Prince Maurice
The Datai Langkawi
Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa
ESPACIO The Hakone Geihinkan Rin-Poh-Ki-Ryu
Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa
NIHI Sumba
Rayavadee

Europe
Hotel Alpenroyal
Alpin Resort Sacher - Tirol
Amathus Beach Hotel Limassol
Ananti Resort, Residences & Beach Club
Anthology of Athens
ARIA Retreat & SPA
Armancette
Baglioni Resort Sardinia
Botania Relais & Spa
Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa
Cala Beach Resort
Camiral
Castello del Sole Beach Resort & SPA
Chalet RoyAlp Hôtel & Spa
The Charles Hotel, a Rocco Forte Hotel
The Chedi Luštica Bay
COMO Alpina Dolomites
D Maris Bay
Elounda Bay Palace
Falkensteiner Schlosshotel Velden
Fouquet’s Courchevel
The Gleneagles Hotel
Grand Resort Lagonissi
Guarda Golf Hotel & Residences
Hôtel Barrière Le Grand Hôtel Dinard
Hotel Botánico & The Oriental Spa Garden
Hotel Capo d’Orso Thalasso & SPA
Hôtel des Trois Couronnes
Hotel Monte Mulini
Hotel Quinta do Lago
Hôtel Royal – Evian Resort
Katikies Kirini
La Posta Vecchia Hotel
La Réserve Genève Hotel and Spa
Le K2 Palace
Le Massif Hotel & Lodge, Courmayeur
Maxx Royal Kemer Resort
Mazzarò Sea Palace
ME Ibiza
Puente Romano Marbella
The Reserve
Riffelalp Resort 2222m
Royal Hotel Sanremo
Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa Lausanne
Santavenere
Schloss Elmau
Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia
Sport Hotel Hermitage & Spa
Terme di Saturnia Natural SPA & Golf Resort
Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort
Therasia Resort Sea & Spa
Verdura Resort, a Rocco Forte Hotel
Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa
Villa Agrippina, a Gran Meliá Hotel
Villa del Parco & Spa, Forte Village Resort
VILLA EDEN – The Private Retreat
Villars Palace
Return To Press Center

More News

View All
Access Image Library

If you require assistance, please contact:

[email protected]

Subscribe to the Press Center