Bali · Maldives · Dubai · 48 stays
The hotels I keep going back to
A short list, kept by hand. Islands, old cities and the quiet weeks in between, for couples and families who would rather book one right room than scroll through two hundred.
By kind of stay
Where to start
Five lists, built around the trips you actually write to me about.
- Honeymoon weeksQuiet hotels for the first trip as a married couple, where nobody rushes you at breakfast
- Island water villasOver-water and beachfront rooms in the Maldives, Bali and Phuket
- Rooms that fit fourTwo-bedroom villas and connecting rooms, for families who would rather stay together
- Old India, a few nightsPalace and heritage stays in Udaipur for a short trip that still feels like a journey
- City stopoversOne or two nights in Singapore and Dubai, close to what you came for
The hotels
On my list this season
Rooms I have stayed in or sent people to recently. Rates are live and include taxes.
Taj Lake Palace
5.0Udaipur, Rajasthan
An island in Lake Pichola, reached by boat — the arrival alone makes the trip feel like a journey. Two nights is enough. Not for anyone who wants to walk out to the city.
Choose dates for prices
The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
5.0Udaipur, Rajasthan
A three-minute walk from Lake Pichola and the courtyards do the work. I'd give it two or three nights, with childcare on call if you have little ones along.
Choose dates for prices
Gili Lankanfushi Maldives
5.0Maldives
Overwater villas built from sustainable materials, and the water sports sit right there on site. This is the one I'd pick for a quiet honeymoon week.
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Constance Halaveli
5.0Maldives
All 85 rooms have private pools, which is the whole point on a honeymoon — you never have to dress for a swim. Ocean-facing and calm.
Choose dates for prices
Milaidhoo Maldives
5.0Maldives
Right on the beach on Milaidhoo Island, with couples' private dining and private picnics. Small enough that nobody hurries you.
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Kagi Maldives Resort & Spa
5.0Maldives
Fifty rooms, each with a private plunge pool and Egyptian cotton sheets. On the beach, and small enough to stay quiet all week.
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Anantara Veli Maldives Resort - Adults Only
5.0Maldives
Adults only, overwater bungalows with direct lagoon access. Exactly right for a honeymoon, and clearly wrong if you are travelling with children.
Choose dates for prices
The Leela Palace Udaipur
5.0Udaipur, Rajasthan
On Lake Pichola with the palace grandeur intact. Two or three nights here is a proper short trip, and they run yoga on site if you wake early.
Choose dates for prices
By place
The places I know well enough to advise on
I stay in these cities often enough to know which side of the hotel to ask for.
How booking here works
No surprises between the photo and the payment
Live rates, taxes in
The price you see is the price for your dates, with taxes already counted. Nothing is added at the end.
Charged only on confirmation
Your card goes through once the hotel confirms the room. If they cannot take it, the charge does not happen.
Cancellation shown first
The cancellation terms for your rate sit on the page before you pay, not in an email afterwards.
How I choose
I book the room before I recommend it
I do not put a hotel here because the lobby photographs well. I look at what the room is like at seven in the morning, whether the breakfast is worth waking for, how the staff treat a family with a tired child, and whether the quiet side of the building is actually quiet.
So the list stays short. If a place slips, it comes off. If you write to me about a trip and nothing here fits, I will tell you that instead of selling you the nearest thing.
- Taj Lake Palace · Udaipur, Rajasthan
- The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur · Udaipur, Rajasthan
- Gili Lankanfushi Maldives · Maldives
What people ask me
Can I book for dates months ahead?
Yes. Search your dates and you will see what the hotel is holding for that period, at the live rate.
What if the hotel cannot take the room?
Then you are not charged. The payment only goes through on the hotel's confirmation.
Can I cancel?
It depends on the rate you pick. The terms for that exact rate are shown on the page before you pay, so you can choose a flexible one if you would rather.
Do you take requests?
Write to me on Instagram with your dates and who is travelling. If I know the city, I will point you at the right room.
Tell me where you are going
Or start with the full list and search your dates.