7 luxury hotels preferred by celebs such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Hailey Bieber and Leonardo DiCaprio

Author F Scott Fitzgerald had a way with words when it came to giving his readers a glimpse into the hedonistic lives of the rich and famous. In his fourth and final novel, Tender is the Night (1934), Fitzgerald describes a “large, proud, rose-coloured hotel” where “deferential palms cool its flushed façade, and before it stretches a short, dazzling beach. Lately it has become a summer resort of notable and fashionable people”.

In the novel, the hotel is named Hôtel des Étrangers, or “Hotel of Strangers”. Fitzgerald’s not-so-fictional hotel was in fact modelled after Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, which has certainly seen its share of stars. The Kennedys were regulars, Elizabeth Taylor brought all of her husbands here, and legendary artists including Chagall, Picasso and Matisse were among its famous former guests. 

More recently, the likes of Alessandra Ambrosio, Orlando Bloom and the Kardashians have stayed at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc—paparazzi even caught Bella Hadid diving into the clear blue water from the hotel’s famous rocks. Last year, Sofia Richie married Elliot Grainge here, with Lionel Richie proudly walking his daughter down Hotel du Cap’s famous steps.

In April 2023, the hotel unveiled 46 reimagined suites, including the 1,075 sq ft Eden-Roc Suite, designed to resemble a chic seaside penthouse, with an expansive teak terrace overlooking the Mediterranean. Other highlights from the renovation include textiles by Loro Piana and an art collection curated by esteemed art dealer Marie-Catherine Douglas of Douglas Kunstberatung, featuring works by the likes of Andy Warhol, Alex Katz and John Baldessari.

With citrus-hued parasols and ’70s-inspired decor, Palm Heights in Grand Cayman is the coolest hotel you’ve probably never heard of. Just ask Hollywood’s most stylish set. 

Chloë Sevigny’s friends threw her a bachelorette party there in 2022. Emily Ratajkowski and musician Moses Sumney rang in the new year, kicking off 2023 with a party and impromptu photoshoot on the hotel’s beach. Shortly after, Bella Hadid enjoyed a romantic retreat with then-boyfriend Marc Kalman in January, and sister Gigi chose Palm Heights for a summer getaway with friends in July. In October 2023, Hailey Bieber did a cover photoshoot for a lifestyle magazine at Palm Heights. 

Yet despite the steady flow of A-list guests, Palm Heights is more intimate and understated than one would expect. Think of it as a Beverly Hills Hotel or Chateau Marmont for a new generation—only here, it’s on a stretch of sugar-white sand of Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach. “The objective was for Palm Heights to feel like a fabulous holiday home rather than a hotel,” says Gabriella Khalil, who founded the hotel in 2019 and is its creative director.

The boutique hotel houses 52 suites, three restaurants—including the famed Tillies—which serves classic Caribbean cuisine—and The Coconut Club, a stylish al fresco bar with killer sunset views. Last summer, Palm Heights unveiled The Garden Club, a 60,000 sqft wellness space that’s primarily outdoors. “I would describe the space as a tropical Versailles,” says Dong-Ping Wong, the New York-based architect whom Khalil enlisted to collaborate on The Garden Club’s design.

Splendido offers serenity and drama as far as the eye can see: its secluded hilltop location, set in lush terraced gardens on a steep hillside, provides the serenity; its panoramic views over the bay of Portofino, and its location just a short stroll from the ultra-chic village where people-watching is a common pastime—some of the biggest super-yachts in the Mediterranean regularly moor here—provide the drama.

The site was originally a Benedictine monastery, but after repeated ransacking by pirates, the monks abandoned the property in the 16th century, causing it to fall into disrepair. In 1901, Ruggero Valentini—whom many credit with pioneering tourism in Portofino—bought the property and transformed it into a hotel that attracted the likes of Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Ava Gardner. Elizabeth Taylor’s favourite dish, a spaghetti pomodoro with tomatoes in three textures, is still on the menu.

Today, owned by Belmond, Splendido remains the place to be seen within one of the most coveted destinations to be seen. George Clooney, Stephen Spielberg, Rihanna, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, and Naomi Campbell have all enjoyed stays at Splendido. 

In 2023, Martin Brudnizki, founder of Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, which is responsible for the designs of the likes of Hotel Barrière Fouquet’s in New York and the Six Senses Kitzbühel alpine resort in Austria, led a multiphase renovation of the hotel. Nowhere is Brudnizki’s knack for colour more apparent than in Splendido’s spacious, ’70s-era saltwater swimming pool, which features tiles that echo the bay beyond, lined with terracotta-hued parasols and sea-green and white-striped seating with candy-floss-pink piping.

For 250 years, the property was the summer house of the aristocratic Neapolitan family Marchese Sersale, until siblings Aldo, Paolo, Anna and Franco turned it into a hotel in 1951. Today, Le Sirenuse is still run by the Sersale family, and guests are even invited to sail on a sunset cruise aboard the Sant’Antonio—a vintage wooden fishing boat built by the present owners’ uncle Aldo. 

The boutique hotel on the Amalfi Coast has just 58 rooms, featuring floors made of hand-painted majolica tiles. Every room has a private balcony or patio overlooking town’s colourful houses and crystal blue bay. The rooms’ Carrara marble bathrooms are stocked with Eau d’Italie products. Its pool is shrouded by lemon trees. 

Its restaurant, La Sponda, is something of a Positano legend. Lit by the glow of 400 candles—no more, no less—with bougainvilleas creeping over its arched white walls, it’s easily one of the world's most romantic restaurants. The dishes are pretty seductive, too. Think sea bass with candied lemon, and chestnut ravioli with white truffles. 

Stylish and intimate, it’s no wonder Le Sirenuse is a go-to hotel for celebrities including Julia Roberts, Bella Hadid, Kylie Jenner, Anne Hathaway and Sienna Miller. Actor Eddie Redmayne even wrote a column in a travel magazine about his love for the hotel, saying, “The first time my wife Hannah and I stayed at Le Sirenuse, our minds were blown...There’s an intimacy to Le Sirenuse, a wonderful quietness.”

If there’s one thing celebrities value above all else when travelling, it’s peace and privacy from the prying eyes of fans and paparazzi. And there’s no better place to get this than on a private island—like those in the Maldives.

There are countless luxury private island retreats in the Maldives, but one that keeps celebrities coming back is Soneva Fushi. Located within a pristine Biosphere Unesco protected reef, it has 57 private villas ranging from landed properties on their own stretch of beach, and overwater villas with direct access to crystal-clear waters below, where dolphin sightings are a regular occurrence.

A pioneer in sustainability, Soneva Fushi has one of the largest solar power plants in the Maldives, and has kept pockets of the island’s coastline untouched so turtles can continue to nest. All taps, shower heads and toilets have water-saving features, and an on-site organic garden produces much of the fruits, vegetables and herbs used in the resort’s restaurants.

With its mantra of “no news, no shoes”, a stay at Soneva Fushi is all about total relaxation and tuning out from everyday life. To get around, guests can cycle from their villas to the resort’s four restaurants, Balinese-inspired spa, tennis courts, library and  gym.

Celebrity guests who’ve stayed at Soneva Fushi include Nicole Scherzinger, Stanley Tucci, Salma Hayek, Sophie Turner, Millie Bobby Brown and Guy Ritchie to name a few. 

Rosewood Mayakoba sits on 620 acres of land, encompassing pristine emerald-green lagoons, lush mangroves and a mile-long stretch of the beach. The resort features an array of accommodations that vary in size and landscape—from chic villas perched over the lagoons to earthy beachfront villas.

The most lavish of them all is the exclusive Founder’s Villa, a 16,300sqft beach estate with six bedrooms, an infinity pool and dedicated around-the-clock staff. 

We’d imagine that this is would have been the accommodation of choice for Rosewood Mayakoba’s celebrity guests, which include Kate Hudson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul McCartney, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher. Just recently, Jessica Alba celebrated her 43rd birthday with a girls’ trip to the resort. 

Tatler tip: While family-friendly, Rosewood Mayakoba has a secret adults-only hideaway within the property—aptly named La Isla Secreta—located on a private island accessible only by boat. Here, guests can enjoy craft cocktails and rare Mexican spirits on artisanal Yucatán textiles, surrounded by hanging plants and the soft glow of lanterns. 

NOW READ 

Design Hotels’ managing director Stijn Oyen on why its properties are one of a kind—and what makes a hotel great

5 European hotels, from Splendido in Italy to Mandarin Oriental Palace Luzern in Switzerland, that blend classic charm with modern revival

The best luxury resorts in Asia for a tranquil and tropical escape