[Aman Aegean Sea Greece]courtesy of Aman Resorts * FOUR SEASONS, MANDARIN ORIENTAL, AND AMAN RESORTS ARE LUXURY HOTEL CHAINS WITH LOCATIONS ALL OVER THE WORLD. * WE COMPARED THE LUXURY HOTEL CHAINS ON PRICE, LOCATIONS, DESIGN, AMENITIES, AND PERKS TO FIND OUT WHICH IS THE BEST. * FOUR SEASONS AND AMAN RESORTS WERE CLOSE, BUT ONE WAS THE CLEAR WINNER. ------------------------- To be a luxury hotel, a resort has to be more than expensive — although you should definitely expect to pay high prices if you want to stay in splendor and indulgence. As defined by Travel + Leisure, "a luxury hotel promises something all travelers dream of: a lavish break from daily life and a sumptuous journey into an opulent otherworld. Luxury hotels promise the best service in the best settings, from room to restaurant." Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, and Aman Resorts are among the most popular luxury hotel chains in the world. All three have resorts in the United States and around the globe with stellar service and consistent elegance. We took an in-depth look at the three luxury hotel chains and compared them on price, number of locations, design, standard amenities, and extra perks. Customer service is another important aspect to look at for hotels, but we found that guest services at all three of these companies is so strong that they were impossible to rank. All of them have marvelous concierges and staff that will go out of their way to make sure each guest loves their stay. Each chain had their greatest strengths, but at the end of the day, one stood out above the rest. Keep reading to find out how they stacked up. VALUE courtesy of Four Seasons We compared the nightly rates of each hotel chain in three cities where all of them operate: Marrakech, Morocco; Shanghai, China; and Tokyo, Japan. All prices are available on hotel websites and are for a one night stay for two adult guests. In Marrakech, the lowest nightly rates at the Mandarin range from $1,059 to $1,303. On a typical night at the Mandarin Oriental Marrakech, the most expensive room would be $2,545. At the Aman in Marrakech, the cheapest room goes for $807 most nights but the most exquisite option will set you back $3,352. At the Four Seasons, the cheapest stay is usually less than $620 and often less than $497 in Marrakech. In addition to the lowest rate, the Four Seasons provides the most options for rooms and thus the greatest price flexibility. The panoramic two-bedroom presidential suite costs $3,476 most nights. Similar results were found in Shanghai and Tokyo. Four Seasons wins here because it offers the cheapest hotel rooms, but also has the widest range of room types, including suites as expensive as anything Mandarin or Aman offers. BEST VALUE: Four Seasons LOCATIONS courtesy of Four Seasons Mandarin Oriental and Aman have similar global presences. Each has 32 destinations in 20 countries. Aman has only three locations in the US, while Mandarin Oriental has twice as many. The majority of Aman's resorts are in Asia, where the company was founded and is headquartered. Mandarin Oriental is dispersed equally between Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Four Seasons is the largest luxury hotel chain by far, with 109 resorts in 46 countries. Four Seasons has four resorts in Central and South America, Mandarin has one, and Aman has none. And even with Aman's centrality in Asia, Four Seasons still has more resorts on the world's most populated continent. MOST LOCATIONS: Four Seasons DESIGN courtesy of Aman Resorts Each of the three hotel chains has a distinct design that often mimics the local architecture in a given destination. Four Seasons describes its interior guest rooms as "refined, relaxed, and stylish" while "the design of each room reflects the architecture of its building." Aman shares the same approach as Four Seasons. "The key element, I think, is that the design must be relevant to the location of the resort," Adrian Zecha, founder of Aman said. Case in point: Aman's new Shanghai resort, Amanyangyun, is made up of villas preserved from Ming and Qing dynasty homes. The antique structures were restored and set amid serene courtyards for guests to enjoy. Meanwhile, Mandarin Oriental uses design that traces back to its Asian roots with a combination of traditionally Asian decor and a hyper-modern twist. Less so than the other hotels, Mandarin sticks to a single template and designs all of its hotels without regard for the locality. Mandarin describes its own hotels as having "elegant classical design" combined with "contemporary detailing." The consistency between hotels ensures a Mandarin hotel has the same style whether in Jakarta or New York. For the lengths Aman goes to make sure each hotel fits naturally into the climate, it gets the upper edge here. BEST DESIGN: Aman SEE THE REST OF THE STORY AT BUSINESS INSIDER SEE ALSO: * In each of the top 10 richest places in the world, residents have a combined wealth of at least $1 trillion * Billionaire Betsy Devos is the richest member of Trump's cabinet — and most of her wealth came from a company that has been called a 'pyramid scheme' * 20 of the most luxurious and expensive hotels in New York — and how much it costs to stay there SEE ALSO: 25 OF THE BEST LUXURY HOTELS AROUND THE WORLD RIGHT NOW SEE ALSO: OWNING A $1 MILLION HOME IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED A LUXURY IN AMERICA
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