1. Wish Tower Suite on the Disney Wish cruise ship
(Image credit: Disney)
The Bahamas
Disney recently announced the launch of the Disney Wish, a new cruise liner which will sail from the Bahamas in summer 2022. The Wish features the AquaMouse water ride (the first-ever Disney attraction at sea), along with six swimming pools, a musical and a Marvel superhero academy for kids. It also contains the Wish Tower Suite - a unique 1,966-square-foot penthouse in the sky.
The Moana-inspired suite sleeps up to eight people and contains a library, bar and floor-to-ceiling windows. Guests can also make use of a personal concierge team who will help provide a “delightful selection of curated services and daily treats”, according to a blog on the Disney Parks website.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Hotel Il Sereno, on the star-studded shores of Lake Como, has launched a new penthouse suite inspired by post-war Italian glamour. Made from locally-sourced materials and designed by Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola, the suite features almost 1,600 sq ft of living space, as well as a large terrace and sculptural vertical garden.
Accessed by a separate lift, the penthouse sleeps up to four guests who can enjoy panoramic views of the lake. The project was five years in the making; it took hotelier Luis Contreras years to obtain permits and finalise the design before Covid-19 forced Il Sereno’s closure. Half a decade after its conception, the suite is finally open for business, with prices starting from £3,035 per night.
If you’re looking for solitude on Spanish party island Ibiza, OKU Hotels’ Penthouse Rooms offer calm from the chaos. Located off the pristine Cala Gracio bay, a short walk from restaurant and clubbing destination San Antonio, these top floor suites feature rainforest showers, Marshall speakers and a spacious terrace with sunset and ocean views.
Glenapp Castle, the 17-bedroom, five-star hotel on Scotland’s south-western coast, has converted its entire top floor into a luxury penthouse named The Endeavour. The 4,500 sq ft apartment contains four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a lounge and dining room, sauna, library, games room, private lift and massage room.
On a clear day, guests can see as far as Ireland - but on a cloudier one they’ll have to settle for the granite islet Ailsa Craig, the Isle of Arran and the Mull of Kintyre. Prices start from £2,750 a night in winter and £3,950 a night in summer (breakfast included).
At the top of 45 Park Lane, the luxury hotel in the heart of Mayfair, central London, is the 1,830 sq ft Penthouse Suite, accessed by a private lift. The two-bed, two-bath Art Deco apartment has a wrap-around terrace with 360 degree views of Hyde Park and the capital, as well as a separate sitting room, underfloor heating and floor-to-ceiling windows. Penthouse guests are provided with a dedicated butler and concierge - and presented with a negroni on arrival.
The Bellavista Penthouse Suite on the sixth floor of the Hotel Eden in Rome, just minutes from the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, offers panoramic views of the “Eternal City”. This 2,174 sq ft apartment, accessed via a private entrance and lift, contains a study, dining room, master bedroom and an opulent marble bathroom featuring a large circular bath.
Prices start from £6,500 for one night including airport transfers, a complimentary bottle of champagne and a Dyson hairdryer.
Climb to the seventh floor of the iconic Le Meurice hotel in Paris and you’ll find the Belle Etoile Penthouse Suite, refurbished in 2019.
Every detail of the four-bedroom apartment was the brainchild of chic Lyon-based design studio Lally & Berger, from the moveable furniture in the living room (enabling guests to transform the suite into their “home from home”) to the “boudoir” entrance hall. But the penthouse’s highlight is undoubtedly its marble bathroom, complete with a whirlpool bath and views of Montmartre, the artists’ quarter.
At more than 10,000 sq ft (including 2,500 sq ft of rooftop terrace overlooking Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art), the Mark Hotel’s five-bed, six-bath penthouse is the largest of its kind in the United States.
Designed by French interior designer Jacques Grange, the suite has its own conservatory, library, lounge and stately dining room across floors 16 and 17 of the lavish Upper East Side hotel. The penthouse is so luxurious that it was chosen by Serena Williams to host Meghan Markle’s baby shower in 2019. A night’s stay starts from £54,000.
9. The Royal Penthouse Suite at Hotel President Wilson
Geneva, Switzerland
Bill Gates, Rihanna and Richard Branson are among the celebrities who’ve stayed in the Royal Penthouse Suite of the President Wilson hotel in Geneva. The 18,000 sq ft penthouse, the largest of its kind in Europe, contains 12 bedrooms and 12 marble bathrooms, many featuring views of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps.
Guests can enjoy playing on a Steinway grand piano and a Brunschwig billiards table, or working out in a private fitness room. There are two dining rooms, one of which can seat up to 26 people, and two kitchenettes. Personal assistants, butlers and chefs are available on request.
Kate Samuelson is The Week's former newsletter editor. She was also a regular guest on award-winning podcast The Week Unwrapped. Kate's career as a journalist began on the MailOnline graduate training scheme, which involved stints as a reporter at the South West News Service's office in Cambridge and the Liverpool Echo. She moved from MailOnline to Time magazine's satellite office in London, where she covered current affairs and culture for both the print mag and website. Before joining The Week, Kate worked at ActionAid UK, where she led the planning and delivery of all content gathering trips, from Bangladesh to Brazil. She is passionate about women's rights and using her skills as a journalist to highlight underrepresented communities. Alongside her staff roles, Kate has written for various magazines and newspapers including Stylist, Metro.co.uk, The Guardian and the i news site. She is also the founder and editor of Cheapskate London, an award-winning weekly newsletter that curates the best free events with the aim of making the capital more accessible.
Today's political cartoons - December 21, 2024
Three fun, festive activities to make the magic happen this Christmas Day
The best books of 2024 to give this Christmas
Isles of Scilly: discover the abundant joys of island life
Mexico City travel guide: art and design
An unspoiled island in the Bahamas
Edinburgh, Scotland: where history ambles alongside the present
The Westbury Hotel review: stunning suites in charming Dublin
Rio de Janeiro: a guide to Brazil's iconic city
Best new hotels and places to stay in 2024
An Alpine ski tour from Andermatt to Engelberg
