Top 10: luxury hotels with private helipads & airports

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Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.

Today (May 27, 2015): top 10 hotels with private helipads and airports.

Only a select few, fabulous hotels & resorts around the world offer their VIP guests the possibility to arrive by air, adding a soupçon of glamour to an already exclusive holiday experience. I hereby present you my selection of 10 ultra-luxurious hotels that have spectacular helipads, amazing airstrips or their very own private airport. And while arriving at a luxury hotel by helicopter is already pretty decadent, all attention of course goes to the top hotels in the list which not only have their own private airport, but fly in their guests on their privately owned plane(s)!

There is more info below the slideshow. Think I missed one? Share your most amazing hotel helipad or private hotel airstrip in the comments section, or take my poll at the bottom of the page!

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10. THE PENINSULA HONG KONG, CHINA

Hong Kong’s oldest hotel continues to set hotel standards worldwide, offering a blend of the best Eastern and Western hospitality in an atmosphere of unmatched classical grandeur and timeless elegance. In 1994, the original hotel was extended with a 30-storey tower, which is topped off by a private helipad that is used to transport VIP guests to and from Hong Kong International Airport in under 7 minutes.

Hotel website: The Peninsula Hong Kong
Other top 10 accolades: The Peninsula Hong Kong features in my top 10 list of the best luxury hotels in Hong Kong.
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast, and $100 USD food & beverage credit).

9. TWELVE APOSTLES HOTEL & SPA, SOUTH AFRICA

Nestled between the unspoiled natural beauty of the Table Mountain National Park and the Atlantic Ocean, the award-winning Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa in Cape Town is a perfect getaway in what is undeniably one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Hotel residents have the unique opportunity of taking a 8-minute helicopter flip to the V&A Waterfront from the hotel’s private helistop, while overflying spectacular scenery.

Hotel website: Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa
Tip: enjoy VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, tea by the sea for two people, a luxury one way airport road transfer, early check-in and late check-out; for stays of 4 or more nights guests also receive a scheduled helicopter transfer for two to the V&A Waterfront).
Review: read here my review of the 12 Apostles Hotel & Spa.

TWELVE APOSTLES HOTEL, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

8. BURJ AL ARAB, DUBAI, UAE

The distinctive sail-shaped silhouette of Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, a glittering architectural marvel in the middle of the Arabian Gulf, is more than just a stunning hotel, it is a symbol of modern Dubai. There’s no better way to arrive at this iconic hotel than by a 15 minute helicopter transfer from Dubai’s airport, offering birds-eye-view of the desert city’s glimmering skyline and culminating in a dramatic landing on the hotel’s helipad on the 28th level.

Hotel website: Burj Al Arab
Other top 10 accolades: Burj Al Arab also features in my top 10 lists of the world’s most expensive hotels, the world’s most outrageous hotel experiences, and world’s most amazing hotel lobbies.
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast, and a complimentary 50-minute massage for up to two people, per room).

7. ONE&ONLY HAYMAND ISLAND, AUSTRALIA

In the heart of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland, lies Australia’s most iconic private island resort, One&Only Hayman Island, where stylish elegance reflects the harmony of the surrounding natural splendour. The ultraluxurious resort has its own helipad, to whisks its well-heeled VIP clientele straight from the airport or Australian mainland to their suites while they can enjoy spectacular views of the Whitsunday Islands.

Hotel website: One&Only Haymand Island
Other top 10 accolades: One&Only Hayman Island also features in my top 10 lists of the world’s most exclusive private island resorts, the world’s best family hotels, and best luxury hotels in Australia.
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast, and one island escape for two).
Review: click here to read my review of Hayman Island.

6. SINGITA BOULDERS LODGE, SOUTH AFRICA

Considered to be one of Africa’s most luxurious safari lodges, Singita Boulders Lodge is situated in the world-renowned private Singita Game Reserve in Sabi Sands on the wildlife-rich banks of Sand River. Singita Boulders offers just twelve suites, all overlooking the wilderness, framed by floor to ceiling glass walls. Guests are flown in to Singita’s private airstrip, located 10 minutes from the lodge.

Hotel website: Singita Boulders Lodge
Other top 10 accolades: Singita Boulders Lodge also features in my top 10 lists of Africa’s most luxurious safari lodges and the world’s most spectacular hotel bathrooms.

5. THE BRANDO, FRENCH POLYNESIA

The Brando, former home of actor Marlon Brando, is a unique luxury resort on the breathtakingly beautiful private island of Tetiaroa – an atoll composed of a dozen small islands surrounding a sparkling lagoon 30 miles northeast of Tahiti. Two luxurious 8-passenger Britten Norman Airplanes are on hand to transport guests from a private terminal at Tahiti’s Faa’a International Airport, delivering them to the resort in only twenty minutes time.

Hotel website: The Brando
Other top accolades: The Brando also features in my list of the best new luxury hotels of 2014 and in my top 10 list of the world’s most expensive hotels.
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and 100 euro resort credit).

4. DESROCHES ISLAND, SEYCHELLES

Desroches Island is a luxurious resort in the remote Amirante Archipelago, 230 km from the capital Mahé and considered to be one of the most pristine and untouched islands still around today. The island is clothed in exotic jungle that guests can explore by bicycle to discover the unique fauna and flora. With its own private fully serviced concrete airstrip, Desroches Island and Mahe are connected by daily scheduled flights and private charter plains.

Hotel website: Desroches Island.
Other top 10 accolades: Desroches Island also features in my top 10 list of the best luxury resorts in the Seychelles.

3. AMANPULO, THE PHILIPPINES

Set on its own private island in the Sulu Sea, Amanpulo is the epitome of a tropical paradise, and has been for the past two decades. It is managed by Aman, the world’s most exclusive hotel brand. Located 288 kilometres south of Manila, the island is five kilometres long and only 500 metres across at its widest point. From Manila, guests travel one hour southwest by private plane, landing on Amanpulo’s own airstrip.

Hotel website: Amanpulo
Other top 10 accolades: Amanpulo also features in my top 10 list of the world’s most exclusive private island resorts.
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast, and one a la carte lunch for 2).

2. LAUCALA, FIJI

Laucala is one of the worlds most exclusive private island resorts, offering unspoiled wilderness of rainforest, mangroves, and beaches. Private aircraft are permitted to land on Laucala’s airport, with international procedures such as customs and immigration clearance organised on-island by request. Laucala Island’s private airport operates day and night, with the concrete airstrip suitable for jets with a maximum 40 t MTOW (aircraft type Falcon 900).

Hotel website: Laucala
Other top accolades: Laucala also features in my top 10 lists of the world’s most exclusive private island resorts, the world’s most outrageous hotel experiences, and the world’s most expensive hotels.

1. SONEVA KIRI, THAILAND

Soneva Kiri is Thailand’s ultimate luxury hideaway, surrounded by untamed jungle and pristine beaches, and offering palatial villas, authentic Thai experiences and mouth-watering organic food. The resort has its own ‘hidden’ airport on a nearby jungle-covered island. A 90 minute flight in the resort’s private plane will take you there from Bangkok, soaring through the skies over Thailand’s eastern seaboard and coast over the Gulf of Thailand.

Contact me to receive a complimentary room upgrade at the time of booking when you decide to spend your holiday at Soneva Kiri (which I highly recommend!).

Hotel website: Soneva Kiri
Other top 10 accolades: Soneva Kiri also features in my top 10 lists of the world’s most beautiful hotel beaches, the world’s most amazing beach resorts, the most astonishing beach retreats in Asia, the world’s most outrageous hotel experiences, the world’s best luxury hotels, the world’s best family hotels, the world’s most remote hotels, and the resorts with the best private plunge pools in the world.
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when you book via Virtuoso (e.g. villa upgrade, breakfast, early check-in , late check-out, welcome Champagne with Thai tapas on arrival, and a 30 minute spa treatment for two).
Review: to read my review of Soneva Kiri, click here.