Time Out European editors

How do you even begin to pick the top hotels in Europe? Impossible, right? There's like... a lot of them. A lot of great ones, too. But we love a challenge, so we've given it a go. Of course, 'best' is subjective, but we've tried to channel into our readership – and have gone for that perfect mix of great design, location and amenities – then factored in less tangible elements such as history, experiences and ambience, in places that you'll really really want to visit. They include timeless classics, like London’s Claridge’s, cool new brigade hotels such as Stockholm’s Ett Hem and Barcelona’s branch of Soho House. There's fin de siecle beauties like Vienna’s Hotel Sacher and Moscow’s Metropol too. Others focus on wellness, like Austria’s Ayurveda Resort Sonnhof and Portugal’s Six Senses. Woah, there's a lot! Whichever place you decide to visit, we feel sure that a stay at any of these will be one of the best hotel experiences you’ll ever have. Let's see who made the cut, shall we?  While we might not stay in and review every hotel featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, hotel amenities and in-depth research to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.