When international monarchs book a hotel, there are three prerequisites: comfy beds, palatial surroundings and a resort steeped in history.
And for guests looking for similar royal treatment, many of the stately resorts are open for public bookings.
Here are six hotels fit for a king or queen to inspire your next holiday.
Gasthof Post, Austria
This family-owned property may have all the luxuries and amenities of a five-star boutique hotel, but the owners insist at its heart it remains “an inn”.
The 48-room property has been a firm favourite of generations of the Dutch royal family, with Queen Beatrix and Queen Juliana passing on their love of the resort to King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, who are regular visitors during ski season.
King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan have also stayed at the hotel, which is home to a day spa and perfumery, as well as fine dining and traditional restaurants.
postlech.com
Hotel Hassler Roma, Italy
Hotel Hassler, situated at the top of the Spanish Steps, has welcomed many of the world's stars.
Since it opened in 1893, it has been a port of call for royalty including Queen Noor of Jordan, King Carlos of Spain, King Gustaf of Sweden, Prince Felix of Luxembourg and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark.
The UK's King Charles III (who was then a prince) stayed with his former wife Diana, Princess of Wales in 1991, while Monaco’s Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly honeymooned there.
It's home to nine categories of regal suites and penthouses, which are fit for kings and queens, and offers traditional elegance, magnificent paintings, French silk accents and stunning views of the ancient city. It's also where you'll find the Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Imago.
hotelhasslerroma.com
Fairmont San Francisco, US
Sitting at the top of Nob Hill, this 592-room property offers panoramic views across San Francisco and has welcomed plenty of royal guests.
Built in 1907, the Fairmont San Francisco has a firm place in pop culture as the first location where Tony Bennett sang his enduring hit I Left My Heart in San Francisco.
Music royalty aside, the likes of King Charles III, Camilla, Queen Consort and King Hussein of Jordan have all stayed there, as have Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit during their 2013 tour of the US.
fairmont.com/san-francisco
Taj Mahal Palace, India
The blend of heritage and opulence at this luxury hotel at the Gateway to India has attracted royal visitors and dignitaries for 120 years.
Modern visitors include members of the Japanese royal family and the king and queen of Norway, while past dignitaries include Britain's Prince Philip, King George V and Queen Mary.
When Prince William and his wife Kate, Princess of Wales visited in 2016, they stayed in the Rajput Suite and enjoyed the Jivaniya couple’s treatment from the spa.
tajhotels.com
Le Meurice, France
When a hotel is nicknamed the “Hotel of Kings” and its opulence is inspired by Versailles, it’s clear some serious luminaries have passed through the front doors.
The hotel from Dorchester Collection, which opened in 1835 in Paris, has hosted royals from past and present, including King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece and Nikola I of Montenegro.
King Alfonso XIII of Spain stayed at the hotel after he was ousted from the throne in 1931.
Overlooking the Tuileries Garden, all rooms come with butler service and it has the only Valmont spa in Paris.
dorchestercollection.com
Suvretta House St Moritz, Switzerland
A self-professed “fairytale castle” in the Swiss Alps, Suvretta House St Moritz is used to welcoming royals looking for some seriously good skiing. King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden are regulars.
It opened in 1912 and King Farouk of Egypt and Crown Prince Akihito of Japan have stayed at the hotel, which has a private ski lift from the front door to whisk guests off to an array of runs and Piz Nair.
The property aims to take a more traditional approach, with a daily tea served at 5pm, while a suit and tie is mandatory for men dining in the evening.
suvrettahouse.ch
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
