How we rank
The ordering rests on a handful of fixed principles.
I. A hotel is judged as a hotel
We weigh each property on its location, its architecture, its bedrooms and what a guest can reach without a car. The casino is noted as a feature like the spa or the pool and carries no weight in the order.
II. Words, not numbers
You will not see star ratings, percentage scores or averaged guest reviews. The order is a considered editorial call, and each review spells out the reasons in sentences you can argue with.
III. Independence
Inclusion and position cannot be bought by any hotel, owner or marketing agency. The site carries no affiliate programmes and no booking tools.
The questions behind every review
| Lens | What we weigh |
|---|---|
| Place | Would the surroundings be worth the trip without the hotel? What is a short walk from the door? |
| Architecture | Is the building memorable in its own right, through design, age or story? |
| Bedrooms | How large they are, what they look out on and how much they differ between towers. |
| Everything else | Pools, spa, gardens, restaurants and shows that a guest who never gambles would still enjoy. |
| Who it suits | The kind of trip each hotel serves best, summed up at the foot of every review. |
Keeping it current
We reread every entry on a regular cycle, and sooner if a hotel closes, changes its name or begins a large rebuild. Look above the first card for the month of the latest pass.