Two Indian properties make the cut
1. Palacio Nazarenas, Cusco, Peru.
This former 16th century Carmelite convent, now a resort and spa, is next to Cusco’s main Nazarenas Square. Cusco is close to the Inca sites, the famous Machu Picchu, and the walled towns of Ollantaytambo and Sacsayhuaman. The Nazarenas is filled with objects of historic significance, from Inca relics to the remnants of its more recent Spanish history, and features bathrooms lined with Peruvian marble and Persian rugs, among other fancies. Cusco is 3352.8 m above sea level, and the hotel’s rooms boast great views. Worried about the thin air at that altitude? The Nazarenas has piped-in oxygen in all its 55 rooms.
6. Wildflower Hall, Shimla, India
10. Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Los Cabos, Mexico
(This story appears in the 14 November, 2014 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)