Certain hotels stand out in noteworthy ways that don’t fit into our other award categories. Here is where we recognize their special qualities. But Andrew Harper editors don’t just stay in hotels: We also review luxury cruises and trains around the world (always some of our favorite editorial trips). The following are 2025’s Best in Class.

Most Impressive Star Turn: Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Thailand

You can’t always believe what you see on TV. Ever suspicious of how hotels appear in the media, we set out to see how much fact was behind the fiction of “The White Lotus.” Could Bill Bensley’s 71-key Four Seasons, built almost 20 years ago, still be as glamorous as it was depicted in the series? The answer was an unequivocal yes. This Koh Samui resort is a place apart. Set on a former coconut plantation overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, it has playfully plush interiors, lush landscaping, exquisite Thai food and unfailingly kind staff members. We wanted for nothing, except to stay forever.

Read our review of Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui »