EDITOR'S PICKS

From private museum visits and artisan workshops to conservation projects and multi-destination journeys, more and more hotel brands are expanding their role as cultural guides. The Luxury Collection’s new Expeditions program is a case in point

The 474-room property in Sukhumvit marks Fairmont's debut in Thailand, with seven dining venues, a theatrical supper club and a lobby chandelier made from over 35,000 crystal balls

Six years in the making, the Sabi Sabi Collection's new 5,000-hectare private reserve opened on 1 August with two safari camps, two villas and a standalone private residence in the Greater Kruger

Registrations are open for the 12 September event, which spans Surry Hills, Waterloo, Alexandria and Paddington with a program of launches, talks and showroom experiences built around direct access to the designers, makers and brand specialists behind the work.

From the cobblestone lanes of Bellagio to the hillside gardens of Moltrasio, Lake Como's villages each carry a distinct character. This guide to Lake Como accommodation maps seven of the shoreline's most cherished stops – and pairs each with the hotel that suits it best, from storied palazzos to contemporary lakeside retreats

The hardest part of staying at Somnium is deciding how to spend the time. 44 private acres above Coila Lake on the New South Wales South Coast, a private kayak beach, two architecturally designed houses and a fridge stocked by a local chef – with no one else around to share any of it

The brand's first Australian address, 25hours Hotel Sydney The Olympia is a welcome addition to the Harbour City with bold design, four dining venues and five distinct neighbourhoods on its doorstep

On a lake famous for its centuries-old grandeur, the Lake Como EDITION Hotel arrives as something genuinely different: sophisticated and yet effortlessly cool. We check in to discover bold Michelin-starred dining, Italy's first EDITION longevity spa and a floating pool that beats walking the shores any day

London has more high-end hotel brands than any other city in the world – and a new wave of openings is raising the bar. From the Waldorf Astoria at Admiralty Arch and Rosewood at the former American Embassy to Broadwick Soho's Wes Anderson-style bolthole, these are seven of the best hotels in London

Wildlife photographer Bella Falk has long believed that on an Okavango Delta safari, the animals are the only thing that matters. Three nights at Wilderness Tubu Tree and three at the legendary Mombo put that theory to the test. The thread counts, it turns out, matter rather a lot

James Viles has been visiting Bamurru Plains Lodge for a decade. This year on day one, the floodplains delivered 40 mud crabs by breakfast – and that was just the beginning of the most extraordinary menu in the Northern Territory

Gozo is where Maltese go on holiday – a 67-square-kilometre island less than 20 minutes from the mainland, with temples older than Stonehenge, a medieval citadel that once sheltered an entire population from Ottoman invaders, and coastline best explored from the water. Most Malta visitors never make the crossing. They're missing the better half

From private geisha encounters in Kagurazaka to one-table restaurants and invitation-only whisky bars, Tokyo rewards those who dig deeper. This guide uncovers the unique things to do in Tokyo – experiences that demand local knowledge, specialist access, or simply knowing where to look

Tucked into the Ayung River valley 30 minutes north of Ubud, Buahan is a Banyan Tree Escape built around a radical premise – no walls, no doors, just jungle