Travel and Leisure Top 5 Hotels for 2011

Oberoi Vanyavilas

Rajasthan, India

25 luxe jungle tents, a fresco-painted haveli main lodge, and a 3-room spa on 20 acres next to Ranthambore National Park & Tiger Reserve.

Insider Tip: Visit the crafts stores that sell block-print textiles in the nearby town—proceeds support local schools.

Cost: From $885

Triple Creek Ranch

Darby, Montana

Adults-only mountain retreat on thousands of acres with recently refreshed log cabins (wood-burning fireplaces; hot tubs).

Insider Tip: Take a free birding and nature tour in the Bitterroot Valley to look for peregrine falcons, hawks, and eagles, as well as elk, moose, and possibly even a bear or wolf.

Cost: $750, all-inclusive

Fairmont Mara Safari Club

Masai Mara, Kenya

50 renovated tents on a Mara River oxbow (prime for hippo-viewing) known for activities including balloon safaris.

Insider Tip: Accompany a staff guide on a birding walk through camp—more than 70 species inhabit the area.

Cost: $429 (includes two game drives)

San Ysidro Ranch, A Rosewood Resort

Santa Barbara, California

500 bucolic acres and clapboard cottages for only 90 guests; a renovation updated the rooms and restaurants and added a wine cellar.

Insider Tip: The hotel has been pet-friendly since the 1930’s, when the former owner’s dachshunds wandered freely. Now dogs receive food and water dishes, toys, and even in-room massages.

Cost: $650

Oberio Amarvilas

Agra, India

Moghul-themed palace mirroring the nearby Taj Mahal—all Moorish archways, intricate pavilions, and fountained courtyards.

Insider Tip: After a dip in the pool, have a gin and tonic in the hotel’s Verandah Lounge and watch the last of the day’s light illuminate the Taj Mahal.

Cost: $895

all rates are subject to change.