The must-know boutique hotels of 2025: SLH award winners revealed

As SLH marks 35 years of celebrating independently minded stays, this year’s awards spotlight the hotels redefining boutique luxury around the world. Handpicked by our travel experts and voted for by our passionate community, the 2025 winners are stylish, soulful stays to have firmly on your radar. Bookmark this list now, and thank us later.

Hotel of the Year – Breidenbacher Hof, Germany

For a hotel that embodies what it means to be part of SLH: independent, exceptional, unforgettable

An icon of Düsseldorf hospitality for over two centuries, Breidenbacher Hof perfectly balances heritage and modernity. Its grand turn-of-the-century façade opens onto opulent interiors, light-filled rooms, and an atmosphere of understated elegance. With a sensational spa, The Duchy’s refined brasserie-style dining, and impeccable personal service, this city-centre sanctuary redefines contemporary luxury. Add in its sustainability and deep local partnerships, and you have a hotel that embodies the soul of Düsseldorf – past, present, and future.

Country House Hotel of the Year – Stein Eriksen Residences, USA

A celebration of the hotel that has redefined the country escape in 2025

For those who dream in fresh powder and mountain air, Stein Eriksen Residences is the ultimate backcountry escape. Perched high in Utah’s exclusive Deer Valley on the Silver Dollar Ski Trail, these sleek, ski-in, ski-out lodges pair modern alpine architecture with all-out luxury. Think wrap-around windows framing snowy peaks, hot tubs bubbling under starlit skies, and fires crackling after a day on the slopes.

Most ‘Liked’ Hotel – The Retreat Koh Chang, Thailand

Presented to the hotel whose posts on SLH’s channels captured the most love over the past year

With its sleek lines, private plunge pools and palm-framed ocean views, The Retreat Koh Chang is pure camera candy. Every corner feels made for the feed – from sunrise yoga decks and floating breakfasts to dusky dinners at the oceanfront Zojima. It’s the kind of place that captures Thailand’s new golden glow, especially as the country gets a fresh wave of wanderlust after The White Lotus Season 2. Stylish, sustainable, and impossibly photogenic – this is island life through a modern lens.

SLH Spirit Award – The Tokyo Station Hotel, Japan

Awarded to a property that deeply embodies the spirit of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World brand

The Tokyo Station Hotel captures everything the SLH boutique spirit stands for – heritage, heart, and a flawless sense of place. With over a century of history behind its red-brick façade, it delivers timeless elegance infused with genuine Japanese hospitality. From bespoke service to its beautifully restored details, this is grand hotel living on an intimate scale.

Hotel Hero Award

Recognising an on-property team member who sets the benchmark for excellence, going above and beyond in the SLH spirit

Germain Duchanaud, Concierge – Grand Hotel du Palais Royal, Paris, France

Previous

Tuscany, not as you know it: inside La Roqqa’s riviera escape

Latest stories

The must-know boutique hotels of 2025: SLH award winners revealed

As SLH marks 35 years of celebrating independently minded stays, this year’s awards spotlight the hotels redefining boutique luxury around the world. Handpicked by our travel experts and voted for by our passionate community, the 2025 winners are stylish, soulful stays to have firmly on your radar. Bookmark this list

Tuscany, not as you know it: inside La Roqqa’s riviera escape

In the mid-20th century, Porto Ercole was a hot spot for the Hollywood jet-set. Now, design-led La Roqqa is putting this quaint seaside town – and Tuscany’s unsung Argentario coast – back on the international crowd’s map.

The ultimate Vilnius city guide

With a complicated political past (and present), Lithuania might not typically be top of mind when brainstorming a European getaway. But Vilnius, the country’s vibrant capital, is a burgeoning hub for culture with a vibrant international food scene. And the utterly walkable metropolis — just a short flight away from

Surfer stays and tropical hideaways: top boutique hotels for October

October is the ideal month to mix autumn cosiness with a dose of winter sun. Think an Australian surfer-chic stay on a working farm with crackling wood-burning fires, or a striking architectural gem on Mexico’s surf-kissed Mazunte coast. If it’s sun you’re chasing, island boltholes in the Caribbean await, while