Khajuraho, North & Central India, India

This is Khajuraho’s top hotel and the only one actually boasting a view of the temples themselves. You can sit in the garden and look across the lawns, dotted with white domed pavilions, to the carved towers of the Western Group nosing above the foliage.

The hotel’s a small one by five-star standards, and all the nicer for it, though they haven’t stinted on the furnishings: embroidered silk bedspreads and upholstery add a touch of Indian glamour to the rooms, which have gleaming marble floors and all overlook the lovely, clover-shaped pool.

An exotic Sandhya Aarti ceremony is staged by local priests to bless guests in the evening, followed by a sound-and-light show. And bikes are available for rent should you wish to shake loose and explore the quieter, outlying temple sites.