Virtuoso’s 2019 Best of the Best has uncovered the top hotel trends for 2019. 

The annual directory, which this year is the largest version ever with 700 pages, features over 1,300 properties in 103 countries and 52-pages worth of experiences. 

In a bid to keep the book fresh and responsive to consumer preferences, Virtuoso has added 94 properties to its 2019 offering.

Private retreats are among the top trends in luxury hotels for 2019, with Virtuoso’s villas and residences seeing a surge of travellers looking for privacy and the opportunity to feel more local than tourist.

Countryside escapes are also on the rise, according to the travel advisor. Holidaymakers are looking for somewhere they can live like historic aristocracy, like at 11th century French chateau Domaine des Etangs, which offers contemporary art, landscaped gardens and a Michelin-starred restaurant. 

Meanwhile, Virtuoso’s wellness sales are up more than 15 per cent, putting properties like Waldhotel & Medical Excellence in Switzerland - which offers specialist consultations and personalised treatment plans - at the forefront of holistic travellers’ minds. 

American trips are also climbing, with Virtuoso reporting a 13 per cent increase in U.S. bookings year on year. 

Customers can choose from 21 new American gems, including The Hamptons' Gurney's Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa, which offers guess access to a 2,000-foot private beach, five restaurants and bars and an ocean-fed seawater pool; and one of Las Vegas’ best kept secrets: Prestige at the Palazzo. 

Virtuoso’s 2019 Best of the Best also earmarks iconic properties set to open this year, such as Anantara Quy Nhon Villas in Vietnam; New York City’s Equinox Hotel; and The Lodge at Blue Sky in Utah.

The directory is being distributed to 150,000 Virtuoso clients around the globe.