Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, South Africa Kruger National Park, South Africa

No. of Units: 52 
Price: $$$$

Don't let the remote location fool you: "I'm very picky when it comes to eating, and the staff always make sure there is food that you like. They make the best macaroni and cheese I've ever had!" There are four lodges on this reserve: Selati Camp has a colonial feel, while Earth Lodge's furniture is made from trees uprooted in floods, and all the suites have plunge pools. "It's absolutely amazing luxury in the middle of the bush," a location that secures a perfect score. Expect to spot giraffes, wildebeests, and lions during three-hour game drives or at the reserve's water hole. Dinners tend to be African barbecue dishes such as roast warthog, but less indulgent alternatives such as arugula with pine nuts and roasted peppers are also on offer.

Palazzo Avino (formerly Palazzo Sasso), Ravello

No. of Units: 43 
Price: $

“If I could go to only one place again in my life, it would be here. Everything was perfect!” This twelfth-century medieval and Baroque palace in the town’s former aristocratic quarter gets three perfect scores. Rooms are outfitted in handcrafted Vietri tiles, eighteenth-century Italian antiques, brass accessories, and Frette linens. At Rossellinis, enjoy dinner on one of the terraces as you look down on fishing boats a thousand feet below, sampling dishes like cod fillet with Gaeta olive crust. Caffé dell’Arte, with a black-and-white-tile floor, serves casual regional cuisine.

 

Hotel Caesar Augustus, Capri Capri, Italy

No. of Units: 55 
Price: $$$

Perched 1,000 feet above the Bay of Naples, a perfect-scoring location, this former Russian prince’s mansion has “amazing views from anywhere on the well-maintained grounds.” It’s a five-minute walk from Anacapri’s town center, where shops sell local pottery, made-to-measure sandals, and Capri’s limoncello liqueur, using the island’s lemons. All perfect-scoring rooms have down duvets, linen sheets, marble bathrooms with double sinks, and private balconies, but for a sense of grandeur, get one of the five specialty suites—the Caesar has arches, columns, and a bust of Augustus himself. The bi-level infinity pool “seems to drop into the sea. What a stunning sight.”

Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, New Zealand Northland, New Zealand

No. of Units: 24 
Price: $$$

Guests “feel like royalty” at this plantation-style lodge on the North Island that collects a bevy of perfect scores. Mixing Greek Revival and a South Carolina plantation house with an East Hampton summer cottage, the perfect-scoring design centers around blue and blond hues amid dark-oak English and European antiques. “Beautiful rooms,” done in light colors with a country feel, garner a perfect score. Sip a Kauri Cliffs Kiwi Mojito before indulging in the “divine cuisine” at the blue-and-white main dining room. Staff deliver perfect-scoring service—“they made us feel like we were the only guests they had to take care of the whole time we were there.” Perfect-scoring activities include “one of the prettiest golf courses in the world.”

Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, Maldives Maldives, Maldives

No. of Units: 64 
Price: $$$$

Garnering five perfect scores, the second-highest-rated property on this year's list is "a true gem, even with such a strong luxury market in the Maldives. There's nowhere else on earth I would rather stay!" On its own private motu, "it is perfect for anyone who craves peace and quiet." The "heavenly villas" have palm-thatched roofs and wood finishes on the exteriors and floors, and all come with panoramic Indian Ocean views. "The bathrooms are spacious and filled with fresh flowers, and one wall is glass so you look at the glinting ocean while having a shower or bath." There are "numerous little spots where you can lounge in a hammock," and activities such as the sunset dolphin-watching cruise are "just breathtaking." Deep End Restaurant offers "top-notch world cuisines," focusing mostly on the tastes of Europe.

Qualia Hamilton Island, Australia

No. of Units: 60 
Best Room: Pavilion No. 6 for its views, seclusion, and walkway to the beach; or the Beach House for a private lap pool and guest quarters. 

HOTEL FEATURES

"It doesn't get any better" than this: It's the only property on this year's Gold List to get all perfect scores. "I had high expectations, and they were all surpassed." Pronounced kwa-lee-ah, which in Latin means "a deeper sensory experience," this property is on the northernmost tip of Hamilton Island. "Relaxation kicks in upon arrival, with the first sip of champagne taken with a view of the other Whitsundays." Hillside pavilions are spread over 30 acres of tropical bushland above the Coral Sea, and are designed to reflect Aussie style using local hardwoods and quarried stone. "The attention to detail is exceptional," and some pavilions have sundecks and private pools. The Pebble Beach restaurant serves casual Australian lunches, while the more formal Long Pavilion is all about seven-course meals that include dishes such as the organic chicken with autumn vegetables and the Tasmanian salmon with whiting and enoki. "No request is too difficult" for the "super-friendly, super-efficient staff." "Once you stay at Qualia, it's difficult to stay anywhere else."