Hotel Banyan Tree Macau (Macau, China)

Reviewers routinely rave about the wonderfully-appointed guestrooms that provide a haven of serenity from the clamour of the casinos. Spacious and with Thai decorations, the ambient and temperature-controlled rooms are hard to leave, while the giant wooden bathtubs are stand-alone double showers afford a uniquely relaxing experience.

Forget the remarkable rooms, amazing amenities and fabulous food—it's the staff that'll live longest in your memory. Genuine, helpful and with the sincerest of smiles, amazing personnel pride themselves on ensuring your satisfaction. According to many, this is as good as service gets the world over.

It's impossible to summarise the dining experience here from the list of superlatives used to describe it. Seemingly, it's nothing short of perfection. Generous portions of exquisite food at Belon delight, while the Thai buffet at Saffron allows you to sample an array of culinary pleasures.

Given the volume of guests staying here, the sheer dearth of negativity is testament to the extremely high standards maintained throughout. Occasionally, someone will endure a less than 5-star encounter, but these instances are rare, unrelated and not indicative of the profoundly positive experience of most.