Few experiences can beat the glamour and excitement of taking to gleaming waters on board a private boat.
But you don’t have to give up the home comforts of accommodation on shore.
Choose one of these ten hotels with boats and you can have it all.
Caribbean charm: Take a sunset cruise from Antigua’s Carlisle Bay
Elivi Skiathos, Greece
Stay at this smart five-star hotel on the Pounta peninsula and avoid well-worn island-hopping routes by exploring some lesser-known places instead. A typical day-long cruise on a luxury yacht operated by DiaManti Cruises includes visits to uninhabited Arkos and the isle of Dasia to dive and swim in the Blue Cave, before sailing to the west side of Mamma Mia! island Skopelos.
Rooms cost from £169 a night (elivihotels.com). One-day island-hopping excursion from £87pp.
Caresse, Bodrum, Turkey
This boutique-style resort in a secluded cove on the Aegean Sea is the perfect place to unwind. But Bodrum is close by too, so there are restaurants and bars if you want more action. Better still, pack something chic to wear and go sailing on one of the resort’s luxurious yachts, including Katia, used in the film Casino Royale.
B&B stays cost from £230 a night, and a half-day cruise costs from £115pp (caresse.com).
Alex, Lake Zurich, Switzerland
The first guests will stay on August 15 in this, the latest gem from One Aldwych founder Gordon Campbell Gray. The boutique hotel has 44 rooms and suites, many with lake views from private terraces. A private boat arranged by the hotel is perfect for day trips with lunch on board.
Rooms cost from £246 a night B&B (campbellgrayhotels.com). Rates for boats to be announced.
Anantara Kihavah Villas, Maldives
Heavenly: Guests can book a night on the Ocean Whisperer at Anantara Kihavah Villas
Leave your over-the-water villa and spend a night on the Ocean Whisperer, a luxurious 75ft yacht sailing to Kudarikilu, where you’ll get the chance to dive with turtles, dolphins and sharks.
A four-night all-inclusive stay costs from £6,850pp, including a night on the yacht (kihavah-maldives.anantara.com).
Ballyfin, Ireland
Experience life as one of Ireland’s landed gentry at this Georgian mansion at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains. There is a choice of 20 bedrooms and the Gardener’s Cottage. Take a boat trip on the lake with a personal butler to take care of the rowing, and enjoy a picnic lunch.
B&B stays cost from £505 a night (ballyfin.com). The boat trip is free but picnics are extra.
Coral Reef Club, Barbados
If you can drag yourself away from the charms of this hotel in one of the best parts of Barbados – and its attractions including watersports, golf and tennis – you could hop aboard the 62ft catamaran The Cat & The Fiddle for trips ranging from shared cruises to private charters.
B&B stays cost from £386 a night (coralreefbarbados.com). Cruises cost from £120pp.
Casa San Agustin, Colombia
Stay at this elegant hotel in Cartagena, which incorporates three restored 17th Century colonial homes, and you have the option of an excursion on a private boat heading to the remote Isla Baru, where white-sand beaches provide the backdrop for a day of feasting on fruit, octopus and shrimp.
B&B stays cost from £360 a night. Boat excursions cost £610 for two (hotelcasasanagustin.com).
Carlisle Bay, Antigua
The white-sand beach at Carlisle Bay is among the best on the island and the 87-suite resort is special too, with activities such as watersports, tennis and rainforest treks to keep you busy. You can also board the resort’s skippered yacht for deep-sea fishing for marlin and king fish, or take a sunset cruise along the coast.
B&B stays cost from £900 a night with afternoon tea. A boat charter costs from £545 for up to six people. (carlisle-bay.com).
Hoshinoya Kyoto, Japan
Tranquil setting: Guests arrive by boat at the Hoshinoya in Kyoto
Boats are an integral part of the service for guests, starting when you check in at the pier near Togetsukyo Bridge for a trip along the Oi River to the resort. The feeling of peace continues when you arrive at the hotel’s landing stage to a traditional greeting by staff. Facilities at the hotel include meditation and spa treatments.
B&B stays cost from £460 a night (hoshinoya.com/kyoto/en). Use of the boat is free.
Villa d’Este, Lake Como, Italy
Enjoy la dolce vita at this exquisite 16th Century villa. If you tire of the indoor and outdoor heated pools, take a boat excursion to the lakeside towns of Tremezzo and Bellagio, or hire the hotel’s traditional vaporina for something special.
B&B stays cost from £515 a night (villadeste.com). Boat trips cost from £755 for five-hour tours.