We review the 10 best honeymoon hotels in Europe. Our top picks include Almhof Schneider, Belmond Cipriani, Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens, Four Seasons Geneva, Four Seasons Paris Georges V, Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat a Four Seasons Hotel, Hotel Hermitage Monte Carlo, Hotel Royal Riviera, Lech, Monaco, Paris, Spain, The Marbella Club, Venice.
1. Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat a Four Seasons Hotel
The only Four Seasons in the South of France is Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, a Four Seasons hotel. This fabulous hotel is just 30 minutes up the coastline and is one of my favorite Four Seasons hotels in the world.
Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, a Four Seasons Hotel is the best hotel on the French Riviera. Set in Belle Epoque splendor in a building that dates back to the 1800s, this ultra-luxury hotel offers everything you would expect of the very best Four Seasons hotel, but with a sprinkle of French chic.
The Grand Hotel Cap Ferrat sits on the very tip of the Cap Ferrat peninsula, in the prime position amidst gated luxury villas. The hotel is accessed by large pearly gates. Behind the gates lies immaculate, tropical grounds framed by the deep blue sea.
The main building is a majestic white palace, and inside the foyer, you are welcomed into a realm of white marble and pillars. Above you, ornate high ceilings showcase the most beautiful chandeliers, a mix of crystal and silver Belle Epoque-style lanterns. Merino glass chandeliers decorate the adjoining bar, and the walls throughout the hotel are decorated with stunning artwork.
The gardens of Le Grand Hotel Cap Ferrat are a fragrant mix of pines, lush tropical bushes, cacti, and apparently, the climate is so mild that even bananas grow here. There are 15 gardeners keeping these gardens immaculate, and there is hardly a leaf out of place. Over the main terrace, where the chef serves up his delicious plates, fairytale-like trees form a natural shade to shelter diners from the hot sun. When you look out to sea, the pink flowers in the trees seem to contrast and then match the sky as the sunsets.
Beyond the gardens is Club Dauphine, the beach club, accessed by crossing a tiny road and taking a cable car down the cliff. This cable car is the absolute highlight for my son, like a glass bubble that takes you down to the pool below (and back up and down and up and down if you are 6 and like pressing buttons!). The Beach Club has a super restaurant, plenty of loungers, and a fabulous saltwater infinity pool. This hotel truly is, IMHO, the best Four Seasons hotel in the world.
Wherever you are in the world, Four Seasons hotels are consistently one of the best hotels in that city or resort. They don’t have a Four Seasons loyalty program, so you will never be able to book a free stay by racking up and redeeming points or by collecting points on your credit card and spending them at a Four Seasons hotel. It can’t be done. But you can get discounts at Four Seasons hotels and benefit from special rewards at Four Seasons hotels for no extra cost by booking your next stay via our luxury travel concierge.
2. Belmond Cipriani, Venice
Honeymoon destinations don’t get much better than Venice, and my top pick is the Cipriani in Venice. I will never forget the surreal experience of swimming outdoors as a boat floats past. The saltwater pool here is huge and right next to a busy canal, so as you power up and down, masts and the tops of boats motor by.
When you enter the grounds of this hotel, Venice becomes partially inconsequential. The glamorous Narnia of luxury, the stunning rooms, exquisite gardens, and perfect pool will stop you from leaving its perimeter. This is an exclusive hideaway under the Mediterranean sunshine that also happens to enjoy dreamy views across Venice.
And yet Venice is on your doorstep, and a quick trip across the water in the stylish Belmond Hotel Cipriani shuttle (complete with its Top Gun style driver in his Raybans and white Navy-inspired suit) is certainly not to be missed. However, the maze of iffy scented canals, tiny passageways, pushy selfie stick vendors, stifling heat, and the crazy kamikaze pigeons in St Marks Square can all be hard to bear for prolonged periods. So it can be a relief when the hotel’s shiny mahogany motorboat picks you up from the Hotel’s jetty just off St Marks Square, whisking you back to the gated solace of the hotel. You can request this complimentary pickup at absolutely any time of the day or night by just picking up the phone on the jetty, a stylish way to escape the wonderful madness that is Venice.
A highlight of the hotel is, of course, the pool. It is huge, surrounded by gardens and a bar & restaurant that’s open during the day and again later in the evening. The pool area itself is under the command of a lovely lady who will do her best to find you an ideal spot to while away your day poolside. Loungers are arranged by deck boys who will set up your sunbed with just the right amount of shade and provide as many Evian spritzers as you can use. Other than the size of this saltwater pool, what was noteworthy is the space around it. There are plenty of loungers available, and you can always find a little bit of peace and quiet if you so wish.
The gardens at the Belmond Hotel Cipriani are also beautiful. You can stroll underneath archways of roses and sweet-smelling white flowers, find a place on the lawns to laze or stroll through the kitchen garden. Tennis players can play a game or two on the secluded clay court, while parents can shuffle children off to the kids club and enjoy the Spa and Wellness center. There’s wildlife too, the garden being home to a beautiful rabbit who helps the robot lawnmower keep the grass tended and a chicken and some friendly ducks too. It was fun at dusk to sit and watch them all go about their business.
The room to choose is the Junior Suite Pool room (around €2,500 EUR per night in season), which backs straight onto your reserved loungers at the pool, meaning that you can go for a dip without the indecency of having to trawl along corridors and down lifts in dressing gowns. All rooms are the epitome of classic elegance, adorned with handcrafted Murano Glass features, including handsome blue chandeliers that look like octopuses on the ceiling. The marble floors are softened with Turkish silk rugs, and the bathrooms are large, with huge walk-in showers and double basins sporting lovely smelling designer Hermes amenities.
Once the sun starts to drop, the majority of residents at the pool bar amble over to the main bar to continue their Bellinis. I can’t think of a more romantic setting than being served drinks overlooking the Venetian lagoon, with the piano playing in the background as the pink sky turns to purple. The constant flow of boats chugging up and down the waterway in front of the bar and restaurant area is something I’d never tire of watching.
3. Hôtel Hermitage Monte Carlo, Monaco
Life doesn’t come more glamorous than Monaco on the French Riviera (pictured above). The Hôtel Hermitage Monte Carlo is one of the best hotels in Monaco.
Overlooking the main harbor in Monaco, just a street away from Casino Square, the Hotel Hermitage Monte Carlo is a palatial building built at the turn of the century. It is a beautiful example of Belle- Époque style and décor.
This is my favorite hotel in Monte Carlo for old-world style, with not one but two incredibly impressive marble-clad foyers and what feels like miles of beautiful corridors leading to a myriad of historic rooms. There are, in fact, 325 rooms and suites, and it is worth requesting a refurbished room and paying for a room with a breathtaking panorama of the harbor.
The 1 Michelin star seafood restaurant “Le Vistimar” serves excellent food and views over the harbor and the rock of Monaco. The Crystal Bar & Terrace offers the same views and is the perfect place to enjoy cocktails or after-dinner drinks.
The hotel is connected to the “Thermes Marins Monte Carlo” Spa and Pool by an underground tunnel. This facility incorporates an indoor pool and an extensive gym facility. In the summer, a complimentary shuttle also gives guests free access to the Monte Carlo Beach Club, where you can sunbathe next to the lapping Mediterranean sea. It is worth noting that “Beach Club” is a slightly inaccurate description of this club, which has an Olympic size pool and cabanas strategically placed on concrete jetties protruding into the sea, but the beach itself is virtually non-existent.
You can also collect loyalty points with the my Monte Carlo Program for your stay, spend and even on the glamorous Casinos in Monaco, so this is worth joining up too!
4. The Marbella Club, Spain
We love, love, love the Marbella Club pictured above. We reviewed the Marbella Club in more detail during our last visit there.
The Marbella Club is the epitome of beachfront luxury. Drive through the pantheon-style arch at the entrance to this iconic hotel, and you drive into a slice of tropical beach-side paradise on the Marbella coastline.
The first thing that strikes you when you arrive is how perfectly manicured the beautiful grounds are. The tropical trees and flourishing bougainvillea clad the whitewashed Spanish-style buildings.
Many of the rooms at the Marbella club sit in outbuildings, reached via a short golf cart drive and then winding paths that intertwine between the buildings right down to the sea. The fact that the rooms are so spread out means that each block has its own garden area and is beautifully secluded beneath the trees.
There is an upper pool and a lower pool which is part of the beach club and has a Hawaiian feel. In the evenings, the “Champagne Room” bar and “The Grill” restaurant are atmospheric candlelit venues for your evening’s dining. There are also several other eateries to choose from during the day.
5. Four Seasons Hotel London At Park Lane, England
Four Seasons Hotel London At Park Lane is a beautiful property in a modern building. The foyer of the Four Seasons London is decadently attired in black marble and warm burgundy reds.
The rooms are exactly what you would expect from a Four Seasons and exactly what you’d wish for from a hotel of this caliber. Beautifully finished, perfectly appointed. Your every need is catered for.
The decor in the rooms is traditional and classy, with a plush feel. Objet d’art is scattered throughout, with black and white prints of stars from the past hanging from the walls. The decor is a mix of warm golds, browns, and deep reds. The bathrooms are black shiny marble, and luxurious. Each of their rooms has been recently refurbished, so the whole hotel feels brand spankingly new!
Even the plush corridors are worth a mention. Adorned with photos of glamorous stars in the vein of Marylin Munroe, they feel safe and luxurious (you need to use your room key to get the lift to take you up to the corridors and rooms).
In fact, even though this isn’t a small hotel, the Four Seasons London has the feel of a large boutique hotel with just the right number of rooms and with that “just right” lighting level everywhere – you look fabulous but can still see!
Four Seasons Hotel London At Park Lane is a wonderful place to be, whether you are staying or just popping in for a drink at their bar.
6. Four Seasons Paris Georges V, Paris
For stylish sophistication in Europe for your honeymoon, pick Four Seasons Paris Georges V in Paris or Four Seasons Cap Ferrat (South of France). Paris is the city of love, and the Four Seasons in Paris has one of the best hotel pools in Paris, whilst the suite at this Four Seasons has one of the best hotel rooms with a view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Just steps from the Champs-Elysées, on the Georges V Avenue, Four Seasons Hotel George V features private terraces with commanding Paris city views, signature lavish flower displays imagined by Jeff Leatham, top-of-the-line spa treatments, and Michelin-awarded dining. The rooms are palatial rooms and suites, many with private terraces overlooking the city of Paris.
7. Four Seasons Geneva
The Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva is one of the best luxury hotels in Geneva. This luxury hotel will never make it into my list of the cheapest Four Seasons hotels in the world because Geneva is expensive, and this hotel sits at the very top of the luxury options in this lakeside city.
The Four Seasons Geneva is a lakefront property located in the heart of this Swiss city. Geneva airport is a short drive away, around 20-30 minutes in a taxi. The hotel itself is slap bang in the middle of Geneva you can walk everywhere. This hotel is on the waterfront and is desperately historic and romantic.
Geneva is a year-round destination. Summer is balmy and ideal for romantic walks around the lake and boat trips across the lake. Autumn is a misty and romantic time to visit, with the leaves falling off the trees. Spring is also an uplifting time to visit, but it can get awfully cold in the winter, so I would always choose to visit late spring, summer, or early autumn to hedge my bets with the weather.
There are two entrances to Four Seasons Geneva, one at the front of the building overlooking the lake, where the supercars drop off the high-net-worth guests. This rotating door leads onto a grand marble foyer which is so swish. It will really blow you away.
The superb restaurant, Il Lago, forms the other entrance to this Four Seasons hotel. This restaurant in itself is a reason to stay at this magnificent hotel. Hand on heart, it’s the best restaurant I have ever eaten in!
The hotel itself is a mass of magnificent and historic corridors leading onto majestic bars and lounges, all encased in marble and dark woods. It offers a playground for wealthy bankers and rich tourists. The rooms are just as immaculate and historic as down below. At the Four Seasons Geneva, the rooms are beautiful and historic.
Standard rooms are the base rooms and offer the best deal whilst still taking advantage of the incredible experience of staying at a Four Seasons hotel. They are smaller than the Superior rooms at 36m2 but are still classic and beautiful. The larger Superior (25 – 29 M2) and Delux (32 – 36 M2) rooms are less cheap and consequently offer an even better experience with more space. It is worth requesting the largest room in each category.
The Loft Studio is particularly cute in the eaves of the building with a 6th-floor view. It pairs an ergonomic workspace with the views of Geneva so you can look out at the view while working. A superbly appointed marble bathroom which is around the same size as the room (enormous!), has a large vanity, a European soaking tub, an oversized rain shower, and a private hammam. This room can also take 2 adults plus one crib, which is useful if you travel with your baby.
A decadent spa and an elegant swimming pool offer superb rooftop views across the lake, making this the perfect hotel place to relax. Loungers face the view, and with so few hotels in Geneva offering pools, this pool is a great feature of this Four Seasons. It is worth mentioning that the Kempinski Geneva also has a fabulous pool, although the rooms do not match the Four Seasons level of luxury.
The Il Lago restaurant is a “must do,” whether you stay at this Four Seasons or not. It spills out a decked area that overlooks one of the prettiest streets in Geneva. The decking is protected by olive trees and flowers, candlelit and romantic, whilst still is undoubtedly in the heart of Geneva.
Sounds of clip-clopping horse-drawn carriages mix with the farty exhausts of the occasional Ferrari (which all, by the way, seemed to be stopping by the Four Seasons). Still, somehow the protective olive trees and greenery simultaneously whisked to a romantic garden on a Tuscan hillside. Read more about the food in my full restaurant review of Il Lago At Four Seasons Geneva to find out how good it is.
In the winter, you eat inside in the historic dining room, which offers old European charm and the same incredible fine dining, but if you can visit in the summer as the alfresco experience is truly fantastic.
This alfresco eaterie is just across the water from historic lakeside buildings that stand to attention, topped with sparkling letters from Cartier, Hublot, and Rolex, which light up the night sky.
8. Hotel Royal Riviera
While the South of France isn’t known for magnificent beaches, some luxury hotels offer their very own patch of sand that is well worth making an effort to visit.
Hotel Royal Riviera, a member of Leading Hotels Of The World, sits on the Beaulieu-sur-Mer side of the glamorous St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula on Côte d’Azur in France.
As you arrive, you may recognize the Casino in Beaulieu as one of the locations for the 1988 film “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”, where Beaulieu-sur-Mer was depicted in the film as Beaumont-sur-Mer. Today, this small town, situated conveniently around the corner from Nice, remains as elegant and stylish as it ever was.
I particularly love this location because of the little path that winds around the waterfront of the St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula. You can walk for miles, with the sea sloshing to one side of you and expensive mansions to the other, and you can access this path directly from the pool area of the Hotel Royal Riviera.
Hotel Royal Riviera has a marvelous pool, which is the perfect depth for children to play in without drowning (perhaps a meter in-depth for at least half of the pool). Yet the pool also maintains a balance of sophistication, with comfy lounges regularly attended to by the pool staff for adults who want to laze under the warm French sunshine and perhaps enjoy a glass of wine whilst reading a book.
The hotel has superb tropical gardens full of scents and flowers that are more reminiscent of the Caribbean or Hawaii than Europe. It has rooms that sit behind a sunset-pink Belle Époque facade and offer stunning views across the pool to the sea beyond. Best of all, unlike most of the luxury hotels on the French Riviera, this one even has its own private beach.
The hotel ships the sand in each year to cover the more gritty natural beach beneath, so it is perfect and golden. There is also a watersports center near the beach if you want to indulge in a spot of jet-skiing.
You can’t use the beach in the winter, but the pool stays open all year round and is heated to 28’C, so it can be used even in the colder months.
9. Almhof Schneider, Lech
Have you considered skiing for your honeymoon? If so, there is no better European ski hotel than Almhof Schneider, Lech, Austria. Lech is the Austrian St Moritz or Megève, a place for the rich and famous to see and be seen. This gorgeous resort has hosted many celebrities. It was a favorite ski resort of Princess Dianna, and Pippa Middleton visited just before we did in 2019.
The Almhof Schneider is our top pick in Lech and is one of the best ski hotels in the world. It is also located in one of the best spots in Lech. It is ski-in, ski-out, but also only a few steps from the village, where you can enjoy apres-ski in the classy but lively bars, buy designer wear from Strolz or pick up essentials from the village pharmacy or supermarket.
The food here is exquisite, and the staff are warm. I particularly love the large windows that look down over twinkling Lech from the restaurants and bar. If you come here in the low season, you will be served the hotel menu (which is AMAZING) in the fine dining restaurant area, which is a real treat. In high season, the main menu is served in the main restaurant, which is larger.
Bedrooms here are a mass of pines and dark woods but are decorated in a modern style. Walls and ceilings are pine-clad, floors are dark wood, and luscious chocolate-colored rugs keep your feet cozy. The bathrooms here are also beautifully designed in creamy marble with delicious AESOP amenities, which means that your body and hands always smell of Christmassy oranges when you stay. AESOP is also the only hand and body cream that works for my skin in the dry alpine air. All the bedrooms are extravagant, and our room, room 103, was no exception. It had a separate bedroom and a lounge with a roaring fire which my son loved throwing logs on.
Back to the food… In the morning, there is one of the best breakfast buffets imaginable, smoked salmon and meats with around 15 homemade accompaniments. Loads of muesli and cereal choices, including choco pops for the kids, plus salad items and cheeses. Eggs made to order are brought to the table, and there is a patisserie tray with the most delicious homemade patisseries, including home-made muffins and patisseries stuffed with cinnamon and apple, all so good that you feel obliged to take one or two back to the room to scoff once your stomach accepts food again.
In the evening, the food can only be described as exquisite and delivered in one of the classiest fine dining restaurants I have experienced worldwide. Beautiful Alpine decor is complemented by generous Alpine flower arrangements (we had a lovely purple flower on our table) and six courses of deliciousness. The additional option is to order something different if the menu doesn’t take your fancy. It is one of the few menus that I have come across where the food is more beautiful and tastes even better than it sounds in the description on the menu.
Also within the hotel is a stylish pool and spa, a smoking room with a pool table, a kids club, an impressive spa, a ski room, and as the hotel is ski-in, ski-out, there is nothing more you could possibly want or need. We tend to stay here towards the start and the end of the main season when the rates are cheaper. Even in the low season, the rates are expensive, but you get what you pay for, and you simply won’t find a better ski hotel in the Alps. Almhof Schneider is paradise on alpine slopes. Ski perfection.
10. Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens
The dramatic new Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens opened in 2019 and is pictured above. In our opinion, this hotel is the very best luxury hotel in Athens. It is located on the newly revived Athens Riviera, on the end of a pine-covered peninsula in Vouliagmeni.
Athens’ eclectic and dynamic nature stretches from the city’s center to its sun-kissed coastline and Blue Flag beaches. Amid the surroundings of nature and the deep blue sea, visitors can experience an entirely different pace along the Athenian Riviera. Families looking for a holiday that can be both fun-filled and educational and couples who are beginning or renewing their lives together can now do this in one of the world’s most romantic destinations.
Four Seasons offers the best of both worlds: a laid-back seaside escape just 30 minutes from the historical city center. Discover the wonders of ancient civilization at the Acropolis, then return to Four Seasons to unwind and relax.
Located in the former legendary Astir Palace, a convenient 30 minutes from the airport, this 1960s landmark is an iconic destination that has welcomed VIPs, from foreign leaders to film stars. The secluded private beach inside the complex was the beach that Brigitte Bardot famously posed for photographers in her pink bikini in 1969.
Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens offers three private beaches strung together by a thousand foot (300 meters) boardwalk, three pools (free-form family pool, sleek infinity pool, and an indoor lap pool), five tennis courts, myriad watersports from windsurfing to sea kayaking plus a sunset sail every evening, an onsite basketball court and a golf club just steps away, extensive trails for jogging and walking, a fully-supervised complimentary Kids for All Seasons program housed in its own facility, boat access, and even a helipad – in the words of Hotel Manager Panagiotis Sopiadis, “need we say more?”
“If you’ve ever had to make the tough decision between staying in Athens or going to an island resort, Four Seasons Astir Palace has it covered in one seaside destination.”
Dining at Four Seasons: An International Tour Begins with Contemporary Greek Cuisine. Helmed by Executive Chef Bertrand Valegeas, who brings more than a quarter century’s experience in kitchens all over the world, the Hotel’s culinary offering is as diverse as Greek culture.
Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens also offers the lobby gathering place Astron Lounge and Terrace for light fare, afternoon tea, and cocktails; the elegant Avra Lounge and Terrace; and the Hotel’s homage to the Astir Palace’s golden age at Aristotle’s cigar and cognac lounge. Four Seasons also offers chairside food and beverage service at its outdoor pools and beaches.
The Spa at Four Seasons offers a comprehensive menu of treatments and services attuned to modern life. The Fountain House is their hydrotherapy zone inspired by ancient Greek traditions updated in state-of-the-art facilities that include an aroma steam grotto, hammam, vitality pool, and chill showers. Experienced spa-goers will delight in their innovative, results-oriented treatments, while those in serious need of relaxation and pampering will be very well taken care of.
Housed in two distinct buildings and a collection of private bungalows, accommodation options at Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel range from light-filled rooms and suites to ultra-exclusive garden cottages.
With its modernist architecture and retro-chic design at Arion, guests will find a laid-back vibe expressed in breezy rooms and suites. Four of the Hotel’s restaurants and lounges are also here, along with the Spa and indoor pool.
At Nafsika, azure sea views dominate every room and suite – including some with private pools. The social hub Avra Lounge and Terrace is here, along with two other restaurants, the fitness center, and several luxury boutiques.
For guests seeking more space and privacy, and perhaps a little nostalgia, Four Seasons offers The Bungalows, originally built in the early 1960s and now reborn with a fresh look and up-to-date amenities for today’s travelers.
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