Top 10 Royal Hotels

Established in 1910, London’s The Goring not only boasts one century of exemplary British hospitality, but was the chosen accommodation of Kate Middleton on the night before her wedding to Prince William. Situated an unbeatable location in Belgravia, adjacent to Buckingham Palace, Kate could not have chosen a better hotel for her introduction to the British Royal Family. Wedding preparations aptly took place in the Royal Suite, a four-room suite stretching across the entire top floor of The Goring, boasting a private balcony with panoramic views over the hotel’s private gardens and the London skyline. The Goring was the first hotel to be awarded a Royal Warrant by the Queen for Hospitality Services, confirming its admirable service and favored position amongst British Royalty.

Desroches Island is a four-mile private island resort in the heart of the Indian Ocean, part of the Amirantes islands of Seychelles and located 140 miles from the main island, Mahé. William and Kate chose this secluded island paradise for their honeymoon, spending two weeks here in May 2011. Desroches offers a variety of luxury accommodation, from one-bedroom beach suites to five-bedroom villas, complete with private swimming pools. The romantic Beach Retreat suites are reserved for adults, located just feet away from the white sand beaches and feature private plunge pools and outdoor showers. Guests are provided with double kayaks and bicycles to thoroughly explore the island’s miles of untouched beaches and exotic vegetation.

Tschuggen Grand lies in Switzerland’s stunning Graubünden mountain range, featuring panoramic views of the Alpine scenery. William and Kate stayed here recently for a friend’s wedding, enjoying five-star luxury and elegance at 5,500 feet. Tschuggen Grand prides itself in its cutting-edge futuristic design, including a private mountain railway, which transports guests to the hiking and skiing area in less than two and a half minutes. The hotel contains an impressive 98 rooms, 32 suites and no less than seven bars and restaurants with a mix of both traditional and cosmopolitan locally-sourced cuisine. The exclusive 53,000+ square-foot spa is the pride of this hotel—with 12 treatment rooms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and various saunas and steam baths.

The Taj Mahal Palace is a landmark on Mumbai’s harbor, built 21 years before the iconic Gate of India. This hotel contained the first licensed bar in the city, and features antiques, paintings and other valuable memorabilia at every corner. Steeped in history and hosting Maharajas, dignitaries and other eminent personalities, this hotel is the perfect Royal destination and has accommodated the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and Princess Eugenie. The hotel’s 560 rooms and 44 suites are spread throughout the palace and adjoining tower. The most impressive is the 5000-square foot Presidential Suite, featuring makrana marble floors, gold leaf paintings, hand-woven silks, rosewood and teak panel doors and crystal chandeliers.

The Beverly Hills is a renowned five-star hotel with over 100 years of history on the world-famous Sunset Boulevard. Despite its central location close to the shopping and entertainment hubs of Rodeo Drive, Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard, The Beverly Hills offers peace and respite in 12 acres of lush tropical gardens. William and Kate stayed here in July 2011, allegedly making use of the 1,300-sq.-foot Presidential Suite. Located on the fourth floor, this suite boasts views over Los Angeles, a marble bathtub, two separate showers and a Jacuzzi tub. Guests will feel like royalty at The Beverly Hills, with public areas reminiscent of classic Hollywood glamour, a palm-fringed swimming pool, leading Spa and choice of elegant lounges and bars.

Raffles Singapore claims it is “probably the world’s most famous hotel,” making it an essential destination for William and Kate during their Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Tour in September 2012. Whilst William and Kate marked 40 years since Queen Elizabeth II first visited Raffles, this iconic hotel celebrated its 125th anniversary in the same month. William and Kate were accommodated in one of the two elegant Presidential Suites. These are the largest suites in the main building and are distinguished by their original 14-foot ceilings, private balconies, valuable antiques, original artwork and claw-footed bath tubs. Throughout the hotel, a colonial style is used to evoke the romance of the Far East. Guests can choose between 15 bars and restaurants, including the famous Long Bar, home of the original Singapore Sling.

Prince Harry is the latest in a long line of British Royalty to visit the idyllic Half Moon RockResort on the Caribbean island of Jamaica. Harry took one day off from his first official Royal Tour to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, in order to relax on this 400-acre resort of landscaped gardens, pristine cottages and two miles of white sand beaches. The Prince stayed in one of the appropriately named Royal Villas, featuring two stories, five bedrooms, a personal cook and butler and a private swimming pool. The RockResort also features six Jamaican fine-dining restaurants, eight bars, an equestrian center, an award winning 68,000-foot state-of-the-art spa, and even two resident Bottlenose dolphins. Other past Royal guests include the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles.

The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is situated within a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Canadian Rockies, with panoramic alpine views and a range of outdoor activities nearby. The Outlook Cabin, also known as the Royal Retreat, hosted King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1939. Although the cabin was destroyed by a fire in 2000, it was recreated from original floor plans to welcome Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 2005. The 6,000 square feet Royal Retreat features a total of six bedrooms, a conservatory, two majestic stone fireplaces and a terrace where guests can enjoy private barbecues. Nature-loving guests may want to try kayaking, mountain biking, horse riding, hiking or playing golf on Canada’s top-rated gold resort course.

This distinguished London hotel with an enviable Knightsbridge postcode earned the privilege of hosting William and Kate’s pre-wedding dinner and drinks reception. The Royal Gala dinner was hosted by the Queen and attended by the Royal families of Spain, Greece, Belgium and Denmark, amongst others. The guests appropriately arrived on the hotel’s red-carpeted private entrance in Hyde Park, and celebrated in the Grand Ballroom, complete with 24-carat gilding, chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling windows. This luxury hotel offers 173 guest rooms and 25 unique suites with marble bathrooms and views over Knightsbridge, Hyde Park or the picturesque courtyard. World-class dining is available at the French bistro-style Bar Boulud or at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, celebrated for its authentic British cuisine.