Palaces

Follow in the footsteps of maharajas and sultans, of jet setters and glitterati, by opting for a palace to call your home on that next getaway. These opulent and elegant accommodations represent the very height of luxury. Many were once the home of luminaries and royals, while others have hosted the A-listers of the world in their chandelier-bedecked halls and velveteen suites of plush furniture and marble-clad bathrooms. Champagne mornings and caviar nights, chic fine-dining bistros and butler room service promise to be the order of the day, while dedicated concierges and chauffer drivers add a whole other level of indulgence to the mix. It's just part and parcel to these stays, where 5-star ratings are the norm and frills are to be expected.

But the extras don't end there. Glimmering pools and sunning terraces await in palace grounds or on rooftops. There are cigar lounges and reading rooms in other stays, where tomes tower to the ceilings and well-aged Scotch whisky is served by in-the-know sommeliers. Spas are also common additions, which means a bout of Turkic steam treatment, muscle-soothing Thai massage or chakra-aligning hot stone pressing is never too far away.

In a city that already oozes elegance and romance, palaces in Paris promise to be the very cream of the crop. Laced with Art Nouveau styles and Rococo touches, with Baroque fountains and boutique cafes, they certainly look the part. They might just reach their zenith with the majestic Le Royal Monceau Raffles. It's housed in a grand 1928 building that's seen the likes of Churchill and Hemingway and Chevalier pass through its doors. And it's got pools, saunas and elegant restaurants to get through.

And just when you thought France had revealed its chicest spots, the palaces in Saint-Tropez pop up. Catering to jet setters a movie stars, they mean infinity pools perched atop the Cote d'Azur, beds of Egyptian cotton and spa rooms to prep you for those evening galas.

But it's not just Europe that has plush palaces for the high fliers. From Morocco to India, you can opt to stay in the exotic pads of the rich and famous. Take the carved Mughlai and Mewar domes of the palaces in Udaipur as an example. They crank up the romance at the opulent Lalit Laxmi Vilas Palace, where you'll be made to feel like a bona fide maharaja.