High-design, all-out resorts built for blowout escapes, from a Maldivian atoll to a Rwandan rainforest. The One&Only properties the luxury press ranks first.
The full ranking
High-design, all-out resorts built for blowout escapes, from a Maldivian atoll to a Rwandan rainforest. The One&Only properties the luxury press ranks first.
One&Only Nyungwe House (Rwanda)
A plantation-style lodge on the edge of Nyungwe Forest, Africa's largest mountain rainforest and home to 13 primate species including chimpanzees. Working tea terraces surround the property, and guided chimp tracking at dawn is the signature experience.
One&Only Reethi Rah (Maldives)
One of the largest private islands in the Maldives North Male Atoll, with over-water and beach villas connected by a boardwalk through tropical forest. The resort's sheer scale, six restaurants, and exceptional house reef place it consistently at the top of Maldives rankings.
One&Only Palmilla (Los Cabos, Mexico)
The original grande dame of Los Cabos, opened in 1956 on a private peninsula where the Sea of Cortez glitters below its cliffside infinity pool. Charlie Trotter's Agua restaurant and a private chapel are among its storied amenities.
One&Only Mandarina (Riviera Nayarit, Mexico)
Woven into 88 acres of coastal rainforest above the Pacific in Riviera Nayarit, with 105 tree-house and beach villas, each with its own plunge pool and butler. Named the best hotel in North America by the World's 50 Best Hotels.
One&Only The Palm (Dubai, UAE)
A discreet resort on the outer crescent of Palm Jumeirah, shielded from the broader Palm development by its own private beach and lagoon. Zuma Dubai's outpost and One&Only Spa give the property a culinary and wellness identity distinct from Dubai's tower hotels.
One&Only Cape Town (South Africa)
Set on a private island in Cape Town's V&A Waterfront with Table Mountain rising directly behind, this resort offers one of the most dramatic urban backdrops in world travel. Nobu and Reuben's restaurants, plus a full-scale marina spa, keep guests lingering in the city.
One&Only Portonovi (Montenegro)
The brand's first European outpost, on the sheltered waters of Boka Bay where the Adriatic meets Montenegro's Black Mountains. Chenot Espace wellness facilities and a private white-sand beach set it apart in this fast-emerging Adriatic destination.
One&Only Aesthesis (Athens, Greece)
One&Only’s first European urban resort, opened in 2024 on the Athens Riviera at Glyfada within a restored seafront pine forest. Bungalows and villas along a private beach, a yacht-club sensibility, and a short drive from the Acropolis make it a new kind of city-and-sea address.
One&Only Royal Mirage (Dubai, UAE)
A sprawling Moorish-inspired palace on two kilometers of private JBR beach, predating the modern Dubai resort boom and still setting the standard for Arabian-inflected luxury. The Palace, the Residence, and the Arabian Court form three distinct hotels within the same grounds.
Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley (New South Wales, Australia)
A conservation retreat in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, where each of the 40 villas fronts a private plunge pool overlooking sandstone escarpments. Kangaroos and wombats are on-property residents, and 7,000 acres of wilderness surrounds the homestead.
Ranked across 4 sources: The Luxury Travel Expert; Upgraded Points 2026; Pursuitist 2024; Live Pricing · 5–6 Months Out (June 2026). Full scoring is on the Methodology tab above.
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