One&Only Resorts and hotels offer the best in luxury with amazing facilities and superb service at the choicest locales in the world. One&Only operates ultra-luxury hotels and resorts around the world with hotels across North America, South America, the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, and more recently, they have just opened the first One&Only hotel in Europe. Below, we review the best One&Only hotels in the world.
Of course, selecting the best One&Only hotel is impossible. They are all great, and preferences depend on personal experiences. We have picked some of our favorites with our reasoning.
1. One&Only Portonovi
One&Only’s first European resort, Portonovi, offers a glamorous nautical lifestyle. Explore rugged coastlines lapped by sparkling seas and decorated with charming historic palaces, relax on sun-soaked hidden bays, visit cobbled old town streets, and hike UNESCO national parks. We selected this resort at the very top because Luxury Travel Diary is based just south of London, England, so the launch of this resort offers an extraordinary opportunity for us Europeans to enjoy the One&Only experience with just a short flight.
Resplendent at the entrance of Boka Bay, a fjord-like idyll on Montenegro’s Adriatic Sea, One&Only Portonovi is the ultra-luxury brand’s first outpost in Europe. With its moated walled towns, the backdrop of unspoiled coastal mountains, and perched amongst one of the sunniest year-round spots on the Adriatic, the resort is a perfectly placed sanctuary from which to explore the coastline and charms of Montenegro.
Presenting guests with private sandy beaches, a revolutionary wellness experience with Chenot Espace, world-class dining by Michelin-starred chef Giorgio Locatelli, and the intuitive service for which the brand is renowned, eagerly anticipated One&Only Portonovi is a definite “must stay” for your bucket list.
2. One&Only Palmilla
The prize for the most popular One&Only resort booked by clients of our luxury travel concierge is One&Only Palmilla in the Los Cabos area of Mexico and we think it is one of the best luxury hotels in Los Cabos.
Probably the biggest advantage of One&Only Palmilla over other resorts in the area is its beach, which is generally swimmable. One of the beaches here is safely swimmable year-round, even when the waves here are both spectacular and rough. If you prefer to stay poolside, the infinity pools elevate you so that you can enjoy views of the Pacific, even when the waves crash against this rocky peninsula.
That said, if it is good beaches you’re looking for, it’s also worth considering Four Seasons Los Cabos and Amanvari also have similarly good beaches, although these are found on the other, calmer side of the Cape.
One&Only Palmilla attracts celebrities and Hollywood A-listers. It ticks all the boxes with impressive fine dining, an excellent spa, and at certain times of the year, you can watch distant humpback whales navigating the Pacific.
The feel of this resort is Spanish colonial with white-washed walls. The resort has a true Mexican vibe, a stunning spa, a beautiful church, and very nice landscaping, pools, and beach. The service is outstanding. The bars and restaurants here ooze sophistication with colorful furnishings. The open-air terrace named Breeze overlooks the pools and is a good place to have breakfast or lunch. Expect your breakfast to have a touch of Mexican mixed in with the usual. For example, how do scrambled eggs, guacamole, and Pico de Gallo sound?
Suviche offers sushi and a bar in the evening, or try one of two beachside grills. For something special, head to the most high-end restaurant in the resort, ‘Seared’ by Michelin-starred Jean-Georges Vongerichten, which serves a delicious gourmet menu with a hint of Mexican.
The One&Only Spa has its own yoga garden and treatment cabanas situated in landscaped courtyards. There’s an excellent children’s and teens’ club and a private surf school making this a great choice for families with children. There’s also a Jack Nicklaus 27-hole golf course exclusive to the resort, along with paddle-boarding and tennis.
Standard ‘Ocean Front’ rooms are large, but ‘Pool Casita Suites’ are perfect for a special occasion or a honeymoon and have a private plunge pool and incredible ocean views and are the ones to pick if your budget stretches that far.
3. One&Only Reethi Rah
One&Only Reethi Rah is the One&Only in the Maldives and sits on its own private island. It’s the kind of place that offers endless beaches and is so relaxing that the only decision you’ll have to make is whether your toes prefer to dip in warm sands or the refreshing Indian Ocean. Explore private beaches, open waters, and an array of glamorous dining options during your stay.
You can choose to spend your days on any of the 12 beaches; you can exercise at two championship-grade tennis courts, relax in the spa, or go underwater at the Maldives’ only PADI National Geographic dive center.
Secluded villas have their own private verandas, the beachside restaurants are idyllic, and the infinity pool is outstanding. Just remember not to pack too many heels. They simply don’t work in the sand (you sink!).
4. One&Only Mandarina
One&Only Mandarina is a hidden retreat in Riviera Nayarit, with palm-fringed sands, swimmable shores, and an energetic environment. Situated in Mexico’s coastal rainforest and offering emerald cliffs, dropping down to soft white sands and a warm, life-filled ocean, One&Only Mandarina offers a glamorous paradise.
Step out from your private cliff-top villa or treehouse and head down to the picture-perfect Pacific to surf the waves or zipline through the rainforest canopy to start your day. The cuisine here is crafted by celebrity chef Enrique Olvera, with an ethos of drawing you closer to the natural world, where fresh and inspiring ingredients, bold vistas, and a unique microclimate awaken and overwhelm your senses.
For the ultimate thrill, fulfill childhood dreams with a stunning one-bedroom treehouse floating 12 meters above ground level.
5. One&Only The Palm
If you are heading to Dubai, there are two One&Only resorts. The Palm and the Royal Mirage. The Palm offers a world of cosmopolitan beachside living with refreshing pools surrounded by elegant loungers, outstanding cuisine, and wonderful grounds.
One&Only The Palm is located on the tree-shaped Palm Island archipelago. The food is a major highlight here, with three wonderful restaurants overseen by acclaimed French chef Yannick Alléno. 101 Dining Lounge & bar is hip, with a DJ on most evenings, and offers Mediterranean dishes next to the resort’s private marina. Stay by Yannick Alléno offers French cuisine, and Zest restaurant is a relaxed outdoor affair.
Perhaps most noteworthy for Dubai is that this hotel is boutique-sized, with only 90 rooms.
6. One&Only Royal Mirage
Considered Dubai’s most stylish beach resort, One&Only Royal Mirage offers three distinct environments: The Palace, Arabian Court, and Residence & Spa. Larger than its sister hotel, One&Only Royal Mirage offers luxurious rooms and suites, nine inspiring restaurants, and dramatic, Arabesque architecture.
With more than 65 acres of immaculate gardens, soothing fountains, arches, and so forth, you can get lost and find your own space to merge with the glorious foliage. Meandering pathways lead down to the one-kilometer sweep of Jumeirah Beach.
One&Only Royal Mirage’s wonderfully unique rooms and suites vary across the three stunning hotel areas – The Palace, Arabian Court, and the Residence & Spa – so you can choose from numerous room types, each with their own individual style.
7. One&Only Le Saint Geran
One&Only Le Saint Géran is a tropical island escape where you can spend lazy days on your private terrace or experience one-of-a-kind Indian Ocean adventures. Wake up to endless ocean views on this secluded island paradise, where ancient rainforests and volcanoes meet the azure blue of the Indian Ocean.
Situated between a sheltered lagoon and the Indian Ocean, One&Only Le Saint Géran, Mauritius, offers accommodation on a private peninsula with ocean, beach, or lagoon views.
Surrounded by coral reefs and clear waters, framed by a crescent-shaped stretch of white sand beach, this really is an extraordinary resort.
8. One&Only Cape Town
One&Only Cape Town offers a bustling waterfront retreat where artistic charm meets traditional splendor framed by the dramatic mountain peaks of Table Mountain.
Nestled between the dramatic peaks of Table Mountain and the roaring Atlantic Ocean, you’ll spend warm, leisurely days by glistening pools or bask in relaxation at the spa and balmy evenings sampling local flavors at the exquisite restaurants Nobu, Vista Bar & Lounge, and Isola.
9. One&Only Nyungwe House, Rwanda
One&Only Nyungwe House, Rwanda, is a rainforest-inspired eco-retreat immersed in greenery with the authentic beauty of Rwanda.
Journey to Rwanda, where the unforgettable scents of the rainforest and verdant jungle terrain are endless, and wildlife roams free. Captivating wildlife, dramatic mountain landscapes blanketed with greenery, and their own working tea plantation; see natural wonders flourish at One&Only Nyungwe House.
10. One&Only Kéa Island
One&Only Kéa Island, Greece, has not yet even launched but will be a wonderful European One&Only hotel. A haven in the azure Aegean Sea, Kéa is an island of stories, myths, and marvels. In a secluded bay laced with pristine golden sands, One&Only Kéa Island will also offer an enviable collection of private villas. I can’t think of a nicer place to call home!
Copyright Luxury Travel Diary 2014 - 2024. Duplication outside of luxurytraveldiary.com is forbidden.
Image(s) courtesy of One&Only Portonovi.
Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing but may be amended at discretion of the vendor. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.
