Conde Nast Traveler , purveyor of fine hotel reviews and travel advice, has just released its 2012 edition of the Hot List , a list of hotels that are setting the hotel world aflame with fresh designs and new concepts, or maybe just a solid new look at classic luxury. 41 reporters embedded themselves anonymously in hotels across the globe to review their targets. What results is a list of 121 hotels around the world that are so on fire they should be put on your watch list, just in case they end up burning down.

We at Five Star Alliance are all about the best and most luxurious hotels. We certainly keep up with the happenings in the luxury travel world and take pride in bringing our clients the latest luxury travel news.

The wonderful new Four Seasons property in Baku is a little bit off the beaten path, but we’re certainly looking forward to its opening. Coming up on June 15, 2012, Four Seasons is bringing its signature style to the Caucasus region

Las Vegas is one of the few cities in the world where the ethnic districts are not marked out by a cultural difference in the food or architecture, but rather wholly created by casino hotels. The Venetian Las Vegas has carved out its own special place in Vegas for the other city that starts with V and has quite a bit more of a storied history to it. The Venice on the strip offers a facsimile of the canaled streets, narrow buildings, and thousands of years of Italian history that come with the real thing

There are two things I love: One is a beautiful Renaissance-style Mediterranean hotel. The other is the spaciousness of Florida beaches

There’s a very interesting split in the travel industry between business and leisure travelers. And if you’re one of the business types, you know well that you’re on the road constantly and the things that matter to you, travel convenience, efficiency, and connectivity, are almost the opposite of what a leisure traveler might want. If the word ‘secluded’ ever appeared in a hotel description, you’d cross it off the list immediately

I don’t get to the Pacific Northwest as much as I should like. The quiet beauty of the temperate forests and mountain climes is as underappreciated as it is unbelievable. And the Sunriver Resort happens to be placed smack dab in the middle of all of this awesome (in the literal sense of the word) natural architecture.

We understand that no one aims to come in second place; there is no recognition for mediocrity. We at Five Star Alliance understand better than anyone the importance of offering the most luxurious resorts in the world, so we notice what’s going on in the industry, and it matters to us, because it matters to you. We work hard to offer you the best in the industry, and we’d like to welcome you to our second blog series where we feature the best and most luxurious resorts in the world.

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and, as such, it’s time to think about where you’d like to spend the day with that special someone.