“Particularly in Singapore, where 90% of fresh produce is imported, having our own aquaponics farm is a win-win for everyone,” says Marcus Hanna, Sydneysider MD of the massive 2,030-room complex, designed by architect I.M. Pei, that pairs Fairmont Singapore with Swissôtel The Stamford.

“This is this ideal rural base for travelling with a sense of purpose – and yet you are only 20 minutes by train or car from the Louvre and the heart of Paris,” says Grégoire Salamin, GM of the palatial Waldorf Astoria Versailles – Trianon Palace.

My first memory of Rosewood Hong Kong is, in all honesty, its women-only speakeasy, XX Bar – at my visit, the only guys around were the mixologists. There were fluffy pink slippers to borrow as I sipped my ‘Radha’ cocktail, a strawberry, plum, and Monkey Shoulder single malt concoction named for Rosewood’s ultra-suave President, Radha Arora.

One of many reasons the 212-room Equinox Hotel is unique is its adjacent climbing frame, namely architect Thomas Heatherwick’s 45m-tall honeycomb-shaped Vessel sculpture. More one-offs: enter the hotel’s main door to walk past an undulating aluminium and steel wall (remember distorting mirrors at fairgrounds?). At the 25th floor reception, fashionistas in white suits explained that the David Rockwell-designed hotel occupies floors 24-38 of the 92-floor Related-owned building, anchor of Hudson’s Yards redevelopment on the city’s west side.

Thomas Kochs, GM of the Corinthia Hotel London, realised the customer-essential ingredient of story-telling far ahead of most luxury hoteliers. From the moment he arrived in 2017, this perceptive German knew he had an unbeatable offering that had ingredients of history, product, food and entertainment, wellness, people and location. “Add to this a team that is extremely welcoming, and knows how vital experiences are”, he says.

There is nothing that unites the world more than sport, and Rugby is one of the catalysts. A conversation with Sebastien Carré, GM of Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff Johannesburg quickly honed in on Johannesburg’s Ellis Park stadium. Seating 65,000, it hosts the final, this 7th August, between the Springboks and the visiting British & Irish Lions. The Lyon-born Carré knows all the rugby lingo. He is also naturally into food.

You glide rather than walk when arriving here, at this Kowloon icon, The Peninsula Hong Kong. The Rolls-Royce, in that dark Peninsula Green that aficionados know so well, purrs up to the front door. The reception party is never overbearing – say three people, immaculately attired in black and white and not a single hair out of place – welcomes you, escorts you through a lobby soaring to the top of its 20-metre-high columns. You are whisked past front desk, and you turn left to the elevators before you realise your Rimowa wheelie has been kidnapped.

There are many pundits who say new luxury is city-free and rural-dependent, it is vital to remember and support nations that are doing what they can to support businesses. Indonesia, for example, launched a sovereign fund this February – Indonesia investment authority INA – with one of its stated goals to build up the country’s business-friendly culture.

London has a plethora of traditional luxury hotels that is, frankly, without parallel. Within three years, too, it will have four examples of 21st century openings (note that their exact names, key count and other details might well change before opening).