Live like a king or queen on luxury getaway

When it comes to hotels, the word "luxurious" is an adjective that might be losing its impact. Top celebrities are increasingly looking to more majestic surrounds for their holidays, and we're taking a leaf out of their book. Rather than seek out places that simply have the most opulent amenities and décor, we've gone a step further to discover imperial destinations where you'll be treated like royalty. It's not just a castle and comfy chambers that make a king or queen smile - it's the special attention and care one receives at these regal sanctuaries that really make them a crown and sceptre above the rest.

For a truly royal treatment, faultless service is a necessary part of the package, and these palatial destinations have been careful to seek out only the most discerning and knowledgable staff to create a seamlessly majestic experience. The Umaid Bhawan Palace in India, for example, ensures their guests are personally taken care of every step of the way. Built from 1928 to 1943 for Maharaja Umaid Singh, the grandfather of the present Maharaja of Jodhpur, the venue is now owned and operated by Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, and is an exotic royal escape that has captivated Mick Jagger, Elizabeth Hurley, Amitabh Bachchan, Brad Pitt, the Dalai Lama, Madonna and the Prince of Wales.

"Your personal butler will be waiting to greet you and whisk you away to the comfort of your plush palace room," says Anushka Gurnaney, assistant manager, public relations for Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. "He will take the reins to ensure that your stay is nothing short of perfect. He will readily assist you with all things indulgent like setting up a fragrant evening bath from a specially designed menu, helping you neatly unpack your luggage and planning a personalised itinerary for your entire stay."

Another venue that pays ample attention to the service it provides is the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, the last example of a royal edifice from the magnificent Ottoman empire. Now a hotel operated by the Kempinski Group, Ciragan Palace has hosted countless royals, heads of state and celebrities such as Prince Muhammad Ali of Egypt, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Thai princess Mom Luang Rajadarasri Jayankura, actor Orlando Bloom and singer/actress Jennifer Lopez. Guests staying at the hotel's Palace Suites are attended to by personal butlers trained at the prestigious Ivor Spencer Butler School. Palace Suite guests have their own private entrance where their butlers await them on a red carpet, ready to assist with checking in and checking out, unpacking and packing, making restaurant and spa reservations, arranging city tours and limousine services, getting airline and concert tickets, organising boat trips or sightseeing by helicopter, and handling food and beverage requests.

Meanwhile, Château de Saint-Loup in France's Loire Valley has tried a different approach, offering service with a truly personal touch - here, guests receive individual care from the owners themselves, Count Charles-Henri de Bartillat and his wife. The château receives many unusual requests, most of which they have met with much panache. "A gentleman once asked us to bring in a chamber orchestra with a harpsichord to serenade him and his sweetheart as they settled in for the night in their rooms," says the château's operations manager, Sophie Havet. "We also had a guest ask us to fill his room with red roses for his beloved. On several occasions, we've been asked to provide a top chef for the duration of a guest's stay, which we gladly did. We also organise hot-air balloon rides with a picnic onboard and helicopter tours. We once arranged for a horse-drawn carriage ride for a guest and his fiancée, and arranged a private concert for another guest in our library."

This sounds like a fairy tale come true, and the venue certainly looks the part. The guesthouse, surrounded by a large water-filled moat, is the quintessential storybook castle. Built during the reign of Louis XII, the château is a masterpiece of French architecture built by the Marquis de Carabas, a nobleman who inspired Charles Perrault's Puss in Boots. The château was inhabited as far back as AD980 by the first Lord of Saint-Loup, who was known as "Dragon". It once served as a prison for the French king John the Good during the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. Manicured gardens with fruit trees, hand-carved canopy beds and old paintings take guests back to an age of romance and chivalry.

So if you're looking to hold court during your next vacation, one of these hotels ought to be worthy of the royal seal of approval.

ROYAL GARDENS
Castles and palaces almost always come with some of the most magnificent and well-tended gardens. Here are some of the world’s finest.

KENROKU-EN GARDEN, JAPAN
Located near the border of Kanazawa Castle in Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture is Kenroku-en Garden. Considered one of the most beautiful scenic landscape gardens in Japan, it was developed over time by the feudal lords of the Kaga clan. Its man-made hills, ponds and tea houses make it perfect for a serene stroll.
www.kanazawa-tourism.com/eng/guide/ guide1_1.php

CHÂTEAU DE VILLANDRY, FRANCE
The Renaissance-style garden of Château de Villandry in the Loire Valley is renowned for its ornamental hedges in the shape of hearts, butterflies, musical symbols, spirals and fans, as well as its water garden and checkerboarddesign kitchen garden.
www.chateauvillandry.fr/en/

GENERALIFE, SPAIN
The garden of the legendary Alhambra Palace in the city of Granada, Andalusia, is one of the world’s oldest Moorish gardens. Built in the 13th century, Generalife served as a leisure spot for the kings of Granada when they needed respite from official palace affairs.
www.alhambra-patronato.es/index.php/ Bienvenido/1+M5d637b1e38d/0/