Made up of an impressive six canal side 17th and 18th Century townhouses, the Waldorf Astoria is a simultaneously sprawling but precise construction which oozes elegance from the moment youstep in side to the moment you leave. Suites are spacious and bright and tasteful as is the rest of the hotel which is often decorated with the building’s freeholder’s own contemporary art collection. The Guerlain Spa opens up into one of the city’s largest private gardens, full of luscious green grass and, in spring, 5000 tulips. The hotel’s restaurant is a two star Michelin tour de force called Spectrum which has to be experienced to be believed.