Tokyo, Honshu, Japan

In a city of a thousand ultra-modern hotels, the Imperial remains a paragon of old-fashioned elegance. Close to Ginza and the Imperial Palace in prime downtown Tokyo, it has welcomed heads of state, royalty and celebs for over 120 years, remaining faithful to its original, winning combination of classic, opulent, European-style interiors and flawless Japanese service – in short, the best of both worlds. Try for a room in the older Main Building, which overlooks the palace grounds and has a lot more character, and be sure to attend a tea ceremony in the wonderful Toko-An tea room on the second floor.