The top 10 best accommodations

that I ever stayed in

    
Explanation: this is a personal list in two senses:
a) naturally only places I actually stayed in are listed ... so obviously there will be hundreds of places in the world that could outshine many of these listed (but may well remain out of my price-range for as long as I live), and
b) they also reflect particular individual, even ideosyncratic aspects much beyond the usual assessment of comfort, facilities, setting, etc., hence even B&Bs and small pensions are eligible here if, for some reason, they offered something extra-special.  
 
 
1. Selati Lodge, Sabi Sabi game reserve near Kruger Park, South Africa,
    August 2003
 
2. Kandalama Hotel, near Sigiriya, Sri Lanka, December 2006
 
3. The Majapahit, Surabaya, Indonesia, August 2014
 
4. Omaanda Lodge, near Windhoek airport, Namibia, July/August 2022
 
5. Esbelli Evi apartment, Ürgüp, Cappadocia, Turkey, August 2007
 
6. The Greenbrier, West Virginia, USA, April 2010
 
7. Munduk Moding plantation, Bali, Indonesia, August 2014
 
8. andel's, Lodz, Poland, August 2016
 
9. MAP Boutique Hotel, Nicosia, Cyprus, January 2023
 
10. Inn of the Turquoise Bear B&B, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, April 2012
 

 
Runners-up (in no particular order):
 
Pension Angelica, Tokomori, Minamiaso, Kyushu, Japan, April 2009
Norumsgården B&B, Narvik, Norway, August 2012
Collines de Niassam Lodge, Palmarin, Senegal, January 2013
Dead Valley Lodge, Sesriem, Namibia, August 2022
Propeller Island City Lodge, Berlin, Germany, November 2011
Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 2014 (best hotel breakfast ever!)
The Metropol, Venice, Italy, August 2020
Avan Dzoraget Tufenkian Hotel, Armenia, August 2010
Grand Hotel, Beijing, China, August 2005
Lodge on the Desert, Tucson, Arizona, USA, April 2012
Copper King Mansion, Butte, Montana, USA, August 2015
Sumahan on the water, Istanbul, Turkey, August 2007
D'Omah, near Yogyakarta, Indonesia, August 2014
Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal, Budapest, Hungary, October 2008
Intourist Palace Hotel, Batumi, Georgia, August 2010
La Residence, Hue, Vietnam, December 2008
Borthwick Castle, south of Edinburgh, Scotland, Great Britain, September 1991
Siam@Siam, Bangkok, Thailand, January 2009
Venus Hotel, Pamukkale, Turkey, August 2007
Port Howard Lodge, West Falkland, December 2013
Cape Cross Lodge, Namibia, August 2022
Jatinga Lodge, Mpumalanga, South Africa, August 2003
Sultan Inn, Baku, Azerbaijan, August 2010
Rica  (now Scandic) Hotel Narvik, Narvik, Norway, August 2012
Hotel Fürstenhof, Leipzig, Germany, August 2006
InterContinental Berchtesgaden Resort (now part of the Kempinski chain, 
    Obersalzberg, Germany, September 2010
Hotel Buðir, Iceland, August 2004
Nyungwe Forest Lodge, Rwanda, December 2010
 
Galapita villa, Sri Lanka, January 2007 
(sadly now closed – used to be my No. 4!!)