Finest Collection is an exclusive portfolio of member hotels that embody what brand Small Luxury Hotels of the World stands for on the highest quality level –reflecting the spirit of excellence, timeless appeal, and a deep sense of authenticity and place.
Considered as unquestionable icons of the luxury travel world, these hotels not only meet the highest standard, but they also set them.
Finest Collection members are our SLH brand champions.
Kenoa, Barra de Sao Miguel, Alagoas, Brazil
Castle Hot Springs, Castle Hot Springs, United States
SLH member hotels that could easily rest on their laurels but choose to keep pushing the boundaries of hospitality greatness.
FORESTIS, Brixen, Italy
Dar Ahlam, Ouarzazate, Morocco
Finest Collection members are beacons of distinction and revered by the luxury travel community.
They are destinations in their very own rightelevated, exclusive escapes where extraordinary experiences are guaranteed. These are hotels to plan your entire trip around and to write home about. They are the ultimate highlight, with the surrounding locale a beautiful setting.
Hotel names on editorial hot lists year after year, known the world over for their seamless service and meticulous attention to detail.
The criteria for selection are designed to reflect not only excellence, but also global distinction and enduring influence.
Reschio Hotel, Lisciano Niccone, Italy
Criteria
• Consistently Exceptional
Maintains an average inspection score of 90% or higher annually over the past three years, with the most recent inspection score exceeding 90%, demonstrating sustained operational excellence.
• Resoundingly Reputable
Remarkable by reputation, supported by an impeccable online presence, and highly revered within the luxury travel community for delivering unmatched guest experiences.
• Assuringly Evolving
Represents a carefully curated and dynamically expanding portfolio, rigorously reviewed and approved by a dedicated expert panel to ensure ongoing relevance and superior quality.
Ett Hem, Stockholm, Sweden
Why join Finest Collection?
Keemala, Phuket, Thailand
Finest
Collection benefits in addition to the SLH membership
High-Impact Editorial & Print Exposure
• Inclusion of a Finest Collection advertorial in the annual print edition of Swoon by SLH*
• Two Finest Collection advertorials in targeted publications per year*
Digital and Online Presence
• Inclusion in the digital Finest Collection brochure, published quarterly around timely themes*
• Quarterly Finest Collection roundups featured within Swoon by SLH online editorial*
*includes 5-7 Finest Collection hotels in each of the above
Emiliano São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Nimb Hotel, Copenhagen, Denmark
Finest Collection benefits in addition to
the SLH membership
Social Media Engagement
• Quarterly Finest Collection content across Instagram Stories, Instagram carousels, Pinterest carousels, and LinkedIn posts*
Direct Communication & Advertising
• Quarterly SLH Club email campaigns featuring the Finest Collection*
• Paid social digital advertising to extend reach and engagement*
Media Announcement
• Dedicated Finest Collection press release*
*includes 5-7 Finest Collection hotels in each of the above
How to apply
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3
Please contact us via email on finest@slh.com or through www.slh.com/finest
A bespoke Finest Collection questionnaire will need to be completed and submitted for our review.
Upon receipt of your application, an inspection will be arranged. This visit allows us to explore how your property aligns with SLH Finest Collection, discuss shared objectives and assess the potential return on investment.
Stage 4
Stage 5
A report generated from the assessment will be reviewed internally by the Executive Board of Directors and Finest Collection panel for a decision of acceptance into membership.
Successful applicants will receive confirmation of acceptance and a contract to sign. The contract is standard for all hotels and states all terms and conditions of joining SLH. The process is completed when the signed contract is returned together with the payment of fees.
Porto Zante Villas & Spa, Zakynthos, Greece
Canaves Oia Suites, Santorini, Greece
Member Collection
BAY OF MANY COVES, QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND, NEW ZEALAND
Way off-the-beaten-track, the clear cool waters, sheltered coves and native bush backdrops provide a spectacular setting for wildlife watching, where playful fur seals and island birds can be spotted from your private balcony – kayaks and paddleboards are available, plus half-day ‘Swim with Dolphins’ experiences.
BOUTIQUE HOTEL ALHAMBRA, LOŠINJ ISLAND, CROATIA
With its distinctive, citrus-orange façade, this Čikat forest-backed bayside hotel certainly draws the eye – but it’s the private beach, indoor seawater pool, and impressively-stocked wine cellar with sommelier-selected bottles which accompany Michelin-star dishes that really draw you in.
BREIDENBACHER HOF, DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY
Taking up residence along the exquisite Königsallee shopping boulevard in Düsseldorf’s charming Old Town, this elegant property pairs its prime location with cut-above service honed by legendary hotelier Horst Schulze. The Royal Floor can be taken over for complete and utter privacy, and there’s a dedicated entrance to an adjacent medical clinic for health-restoring stays.
CANAVES OIA SUITES, SANTORINI, GREECE
Pristine suites and a one-of-a-kind in-room river pool are hewn into dark volcanic rocks, with glittering private plunge pools, individual terraces, a wellness grotto that’s carved into an ancient wine cave, and a 10-table panoramic restaurant – all with unparalleled Aegean Sea views.
CAP ROCAT, MALLORCA, SPAIN
Architecturally spectacular and steeped in heritage, this adults-only military fortress continues to raise the bar amidst Mallorca’s ultra-luxury landscape. Crashing waves can be heard from the drawbridge, bunkers and suites in former shooting buttresses, plus there’s an underground hammam and a private rock cliff beach with direct access to the sea, jetty and saltwater pool.
CASTLE
HOT SPRINGS, ARIZONA, USA
This Bradshaw Mountain-backed wellness retreat gives a whole new meaning to ‘desert oasis’ with its natural thermal springs setting and organic closed-loop farm –sink into your custom Sonoma stone tub or go straight to the source at the canyon swimming holes.
Masterminded by Thierry Teyssier, the visionary behind the world’s first nomadic hotel, this rule-breaking, Sahara-skirting Kasbah – which translates as the ‘House of Dreams’ in Arabic – prepares intimate meals absolutely anywhere within its orange blossomscented grounds and arranges authentic Berber experiences in the desert.
DAR AHLAM, OUARZAZATE, MOROCCO
EMILIANO SÃO PAULO, SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL
Set in the exclusive Jardins neighbourhood, this city slicker is undoubtedly one of São Paulo’s best addresses (with its own helipad if you like to make an entrance). Home to Brazil’s first champagne and caviar bar, more than 80 brands of bubbly and rare Beluga roe await within the architecturally magnificent walls.
ETT
HEM, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
Specifically designed by the renowned Ilse Crawford of StudioIlse to feel like ‘a home’ (the Swedish meaning behind the name) rather than a hotel, guests are treated as friends of the family at these impossibly yet informally chic townhouses, with an openkitchen concept and a ‘help yourself to everything’ hosting style.
FORESTIS, BRIXEN, ITALY
This perfectly poised spa-meets-ski hotel in the Dolomites takes alpine wellness to new heights while continuing the healing powers of its sanatorium origin story — from summit-level sauna sessions and centuries-old Celtic yoga to the indoor-outdoor rock pool and nature-dedicated feasts on freshly foraged forest ingredients. Bask in the forest’s energy in total privacy from the alpine villa, completely sheltered from view on the southern slopes of the Plose mountain.
HEMINGWAYS NAIROBI, NAIROBI, KENYA
Tucked between Nairobi National Park and the Ngong Hills, adventure-seekers are perfectly placed at this all-suite retreat to safari in style – swapping buffalo, baboons, and wildebeest in the bush for full butler-service back at your luxury base in the storied Karen suburb (originally developed by Out of Africa author, Karen Blixen).
KEEMALA, PHUKET, THAILAND
Streams and waterfalls tumble through this gravity-defying collection of canopysuspended villas and tented treehouses connected by aerial walkways through the tropical Thai forest, which runs a holistic wellness programme with weekly-changing, complimentary activities from meditation to Muay Thai.
LE
GRAND BELLEVUE, GSTAAD, SWITZERLAND
Gstaad’s flawlessly groomed ski slopes and glitzy boutiques are just a horse-drawn carriage away from this fun-loving grand dame, with gourmet alpine dining, a 3,000 square metre spa, and specially-made carpet-like sofas in the underground bar to encourage dancing on the furniture.
MYKONOS GRAND HOTEL & RESORT, MYKONOS, GREECE
Dazzling whitewashed, cube-shaped buildings scattered across five acres form this restful beachfront retreat, which enjoys one of the sunniest spots in the Cycladic islands. The Greek goddess-inspired spa and semi-caved Thalasso pool face the sacred island of Delos, and the outdoor amphitheatre hosts an impressive calendar of cultural events and wellness classes.
NIMB HOTEL, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
There’s a fairytale feel to this Moorish-styled palace in the iconic Tivoli Gardens, which gives guests unlimited access to one of the world’s oldest amusement parks — plus four-poster beds, spa-size tubs, log-burning fires, and Cakenhagen treats.
PORTO ZANTE VILLAS & SPA, ZAKYNTHOS, GREECE
Greek island life doesn’t get much more exclusive than these Armani/Casa furnished, BVLGARI stocked beachfront villas gazing out towards neighbouring Kefalonia, with waterfront spa treatments on tap, fresh-off-the-boat sushi and sashimi for poolside snacks, and private yachts to charter across the Ionian Sea.
RESCHIO HOTEL, UMBRIA, ITALY
A millennium-old castle with a Roman bathhouse and watchtower pool bar meticulously made over by a creative count with his own on-site design studio, where Andalusian horses dance across a fully organic and biodynamic 3,700-acre estate scattered with truffle-filled forests roamed by wild boar and deer.
STEIN ERIKSEN RESIDENCES, UTAH,
USA
There are not many places in the world where you can ski directly onto the slope from the hotel lounge, but these modern mountain lodges in the heart of Deer Valley’s Silver Dollar Trail give you unmatched access to the largest lift-served terrain in the States.
THE
NORMAN, TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
City-skimming swims in the rooftop infinity pool, a curated Israeli contemporary art collection. plus monthly cultural events, and Mediterranean meets Izakaya-style Japanese dining – the sky is the limit at this twin set of 1920s townhouses surrounded by Bauhaus architecture in the UNESCO-listed White City.
VICEROY BALI, UBUD,
INDONESIA
Perched on the edge of a steep ravine with otherworldly views over the Petanu River gorge in the mountain foothills, these thatched private pool villas cascade down the hillside into the jade-green jungle. The spa’s semi-circular balcony overhangs the valley, offering unrivalled 180-degree views, and the main restaurant (recognised as one of Bali’s very best) sits beneath an architecturally daring grass and bamboo 10-meter-high roof.
