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At these five hotels, the journey begins well before check-in. There are no roads leading to the entrance, no taxis pulling up outside; instead, the final leg is made across a lake, lagoon, river or stretch of open sea. Some arrivals take barely five minutes, others require a flight followed by a boat ride. Each crossing offers a brief separation from the world left behind, whether it is the crowded waterfront of Venice or the tropical coastline of French Polynesia. Here, the water is not merely scenery. It is the threshold to the hotel, and an essential part of the stay.
Maharana Jagat Singh II built it between 1743 and 1746 as a summer palace on Jag Niwas, a four-acre island in Lake Pichola. It faces east, towards the City Palace. The hotel’s private boat service, from a jetty near the City Palace, is the only way in. Taj Hotels took over management in 1971. There are 83 rooms and suites (65 rooms, 18 suites). Octopussy used it as a location in 1983.
Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar, opened the hotel in 1958 at the tip of Giudecca, facing St Mark’s Basin. A complimentary private launch makes the five-minute crossing to St Mark’s Square and is listed as running around the clock. A 15th-century annexe, Palazzo Vendramin, has butler service. The hotel is open from April to September.
The resort occupies Motu Tehotu. Guests land at Bora Bora airport on Motu Mute, then take a boat of about 15 minutes, the only route to the resort. It has 15 accommodation types: four overwater bungalow suites, five overwater bungalows with plunge pools and six beachfront villa estates with private pools.
Böëna Lodges, which also runs Pacuare Lodge, operates this riverside property, reached only by boat. From San José it is a 30-minute flight, or about four and a half hours by car and boat. Tortuguero village is a 10-minute boat ride away. Stays of two nights or more include full board and a three-hour canal boat tour, according to UK operator Caribtours. Turtle-nesting visits run July to October only.
The resort has 144 rooms on its own island, Pulau Pangkor Laut, reached by a 15-minute speedboat from Marina Island Jetty, Lumut. Boats to the resort leave at 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm; six sailings leave the island between 8.30am and 3.30pm. Guests check in at the Marina Island office 20 minutes before sailing. One 2026 review says direct bookings include transfers.