The Luxury Collection is Marriott's answer to a simple question: what happens to legendary hotels that are too distinctive, too historically significant, or too deeply rooted in their cities to rebrand as a Ritz-Carlton or a St. Regis? They become Luxury Collection properties — approximately 120 hotels and resorts across 35+ countries, each maintaining its own name, its own identity, and its own relationship with its city. The Gritti Palace in Venice is not "a Marriott hotel." It is a 15th-century doge's palace on the Grand Canal that has been welcoming guests since before Marriott existed. Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens is not "part of a chain." It is a national landmark overlooking the Acropolis that has hosted every notable visitor to Athens since 1874. The Luxury Collection provides these individually remarkable properties with the distribution, loyalty integration, and preferred partner benefits of the world's largest hotel company — without asking them to become anything other than what they already are.
The Luxury Collection Identity: Treasures, Not Templates
Marriott describes Luxury Collection properties as "treasures" — hotels that are destinations in themselves, with stories that intertwine with the history and culture of their locations. This is not marketing language. It is a genuinely accurate description of a collection that includes 15th-century Venetian palazzi, 19th-century Athenian landmarks, clifftop Santorini retreats, Parisian art deco masterpieces, and rainforest lodges in Costa Rica. What unites them is not a design template or a service script but a shared commitment to embodying the best of their place — the history, the architecture, the cuisine, the culture.
For travelers, the practical benefit is significant. Booking a Luxury Collection property gives you the character and individuality of an independent luxury hotel with the rewards and protections of Marriott Bonvoy — full point earning, elite recognition, and the ability to book through STARS for guaranteed complimentary perks. It is the best of both worlds: independence plus infrastructure.
The Best Luxury Collection Properties
Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens
Occupying the entire eastern face of Syntagma Square with direct views of the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and the Greek Parliament, Hotel Grande Bretagne has been the definitive luxury hotel in Athens since 1874. The building itself is a neoclassical masterpiece — marble floors, crystal chandeliers, museum-quality antiques in every public space — and the rooftop restaurant and bar provide what is arguably the most spectacular dining view in all of Greece: the illuminated Acropolis at eye level, with the Athenian cityscape stretching to the Saronic Gulf below.
The Grande Bretagne Spa, built around an indoor pool beneath a glass atrium, incorporates ancient Greek wellness traditions — thermal circuits, herb-infused steam rooms, and treatments using Greek botanical ingredients. For couples visiting Athens, a late-evening dinner on the rooftop with the Parthenon glowing above is one of the most romantic dining experiences in the Mediterranean. This is a hotel that has witnessed 150 years of Greek history from its windows, and that sense of historical gravitas is felt in every corridor.
The Gritti Palace, Venice
A 15th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal, originally built for the Doge Andrea Gritti, and continuously operated as a luxury hotel since 1895. The Gritti Palace is not merely a hotel in Venice — it is one of the great buildings of Venice, as much a part of the city's architectural heritage as the Doge's Palace or the Basilica of San Marco. The rooms overlook the Grand Canal (in the most desirable categories), the interior courtyard, or the rooftops of Dorsoduro. Club del Doge, the waterfront restaurant, serves Venetian cuisine on a terrace directly above the Grand Canal — water taxis and gondolas passing at arm's length.
For romantic getaways, The Gritti Palace offers experiences available nowhere else: private gondola rides departing from the hotel's own water entrance, candlelit dinners on the Grand Canal terrace, and the Gritti Epicurean School — a cooking class in a 15th-century palazzo kitchen where couples learn traditional Venetian recipes from the hotel's chef. As a Valentine's Day or anniversary destination, the Gritti Palace occupies a category of its own.
Mystique, Santorini
Carved into the volcanic cliffside in Oia — the village famous for the most photographed sunset in Greece — Mystique occupies one of the most dramatic hotel locations in the world. The 41 suites and villas, each with private terraces and many with infinity pools, are built into the cliff face with unobstructed views across the caldera to the volcanic islets of Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni. The cave-style architecture — whitewashed walls, arched ceilings, blue accents — is authentically Cycladic, and the boutique scale creates an intimacy that larger Santorini resorts cannot match.
Charisma restaurant, perched on the cliff edge, serves contemporary Greek cuisine as the sun descends into the caldera below. The Secret Wine Cave offers private tastings of Assyrtiko and other indigenous Santorini varietals in a candlelit grotto. For couples seeking a Greek island romantic retreat with world-class sunset views, Mystique is the quintessential Santorini experience — more intimate than the larger resorts and more luxurious than the boutique cave hotels.
Santa Marina, Mykonos
The most exclusive resort on Mykonos, occupying a private peninsula on Ornos Bay with its own private beach — a rarity on an island where most hotels share public beaches. The 101 rooms, suites, and villas cascade down the hillside to the waterfront, with the premium villas featuring private infinity pools that appear to merge with the Aegean Sea. Colonial Pool Restaurant and Buddha-Bar Beach provide the social energy that Mykonos is known for, while the resort's private beach and secluded villas offer retreat when the island's famous energy becomes overwhelming.
For couples who want the Mykonos experience with the option to retreat into genuine privacy, Santa Marina strikes the ideal balance. The sunset views across Ornos Bay and the Cycladic islands, the private beach, and the resort's proximity to Mykonos Town (10 minutes) make it both a romantic retreat and a social base.
Nayara Springs, Costa Rica
An adults-only retreat set in the rainforest surrounding Arenal Volcano, Nayara Springs comprises 35 private villas — each with its own natural hot spring-fed plunge pool, outdoor shower, and garden terrace. The villas are positioned within the tree canopy, and the sounds of the rainforest — toucans, howler monkeys, tropical birds — create a natural soundtrack that no wellness resort could replicate artificially. The Amor Loco restaurant serves farm-to-table Costa Rican cuisine, and the Spa at Nayara incorporates volcanic mineral treatments and rainforest botanicals.
For couples seeking a romantic retreat that combines luxury with genuine natural immersion, Nayara Springs is exceptional. The combination of private hot spring pools, rainforest setting, volcano views, and adults-only exclusivity creates an experience that is simultaneously adventurous and deeply intimate — quite unlike any other Luxury Collection property, which is precisely the point of the collection's diversity.
Prince de Galles, Paris
An art deco landmark on Avenue George V — steps from the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe — Prince de Galles occupies one of the most prestigious addresses in Paris. The building, constructed in 1929, has been meticulously restored to preserve its original mosaic floors, geometric patterns, and art deco ironwork while adding contemporary comfort. The inner courtyard, a glass-roofed winter garden surrounded by the building's original facade, serves as the hotel's social heart — a dining and cocktail space of extraordinary architectural beauty.
The 159 rooms and suites feature art deco furnishings, Carrara marble bathrooms, and views across the Parisian rooftops. For travelers choosing a luxury hotel on or near the Champs-Élysées, Prince de Galles offers more architectural character and historical personality than its neighbors — a Luxury Collection property that earns its place through genuine distinction rather than brand name alone.
Romantic Getaways: The Luxury Collection for Valentine's Day
The Luxury Collection's individually distinctive properties make it particularly compelling for romantic travel — because the hotel itself becomes part of the story. A Valentine's weekend at the Gritti Palace is not just a hotel stay; it is a Venetian experience that begins at a 15th-century water entrance and unfolds through Grand Canal dinners, private gondola rides, and palazzo cooking classes. A romantic week at Mystique Santorini is defined by cliffside infinity pools, caldera sunsets, and wine cave tastings in candlelit grottos. A couples' retreat at Nayara Springs is an immersion in volcanic hot springs, rainforest sounds, and private villa seclusion.
When planning romantic travel, the character of the hotel matters as much as the destination itself. The Luxury Collection's strength is that every property has a story — and that story becomes part of your own. A Valentine's Day at the Grande Bretagne means toasting beneath the illuminated Acropolis. An anniversary at the Gritti Palace means candlelit dining above the Grand Canal with gondolas passing below. A honeymoon at Mystique means watching the Santorini sunset from your private infinity pool. These are not generic luxury experiences — they are moments that only these specific hotels, in these specific places, can create.
Marriott STARS at The Luxury Collection
The Luxury Collection is fully eligible for Marriott STARS benefits:
- Daily breakfast for two
- Hotel credit toward dining, spa, or experiences
- Priority room upgrade at check-in
- Early check-in and late check-out on priority request
- VIP welcome amenity and recognition
- Full Bonvoy point earning
The collection advantage: Because Luxury Collection properties maintain their own identities and operating cultures, STARS recognition is applied with a personal touch that reflects each hotel's character. At the Gritti Palace, VIP recognition might mean a handwritten note from the hotel director and a Venetian glass welcome gift. At Nayara Springs, it might mean a private guided night walk to spot tree frogs in the rainforest. The recognition is genuine because the properties are genuinely distinct.
How to Book Luxury Collection with STARS
WhataHotel! holds STARS authorization for Luxury Collection properties worldwide. Book at the same rate as marriott.com with STARS benefits applied automatically and full Bonvoy point earning. Whether you are planning a romantic Valentine's escape to Venice, a Greek island honeymoon in Santorini, or an adventurous couples' retreat in the Costa Rican rainforest, the Luxury Collection provides the character and individuality of the world's most distinctive hotels — with the perks and rewards of the world's largest hotel company.
The collection's breadth is part of its appeal. A single booking platform provides access to Athenian palace hotels, Venetian canal-side palazzi, Cycladic cliff retreats, Parisian art deco landmarks, and Central American rainforest sanctuaries — each one earning Bonvoy points, each one eligible for STARS benefits, and each one maintaining the independent character and storytelling that make it worth visiting in the first place. For travelers who value hotels with genuine stories, histories, and identities, The Luxury Collection is among the most rewarding collections in global luxury hospitality. Explore properties at WhataHotel! and begin your next chapter with complimentary perks at a hotel that has been writing its own story for decades — or in some cases, centuries.