It has been a busy luxury year here at TLTB. Our jet-weary writers have climbed mountains, trekked jungles, sailed seas, tested sun-loungers, soaked in spas and schussed down ski slopes, all to bring you reports on the globe's most gorgeous luxury hotels, luxury resorts and to-die-for destinations. We've checked the thread count so you can sleep easy. Yes, we did it all for you... We thought you'd like to revisit a few favourites, so here in no particular order are the top ten stories of 2011.

1. Charley Boorman

We've had a lot of seriously starry celebrities write for us or talk to us this year - not surprisingly Richard Gere's article on starting his Bedford Post Inn was popular. It is not every day a mega-star tells you what it is like to be an innkeeper.  Michael Palin pulled more than a few, as did Bill Bryson one of the most famous travellers on the planet, the erudite Jason Isaacs was a TLTB favourite (a Harry Potter villain, a real life charmer) but Charley Boorman tops the lot.

2. Top Ten Sexiest Hotels

We know you pick hotels for their service, their design, their location - and all sorts of other worthy reasons but what's the other reason you check in?  Yes, the dangerous liaison, the dirty weekend,  the sex-on-a stick stay.  It appears our readers are especially interested in these, which is why this article proved to be one of 2011's Most Popular. We wrote about the hotels we thought had luxury lust appeal. Have we romped in and road - tested them all? Now that would be telling...

3. Alia Villas Uluwatu

24-carat gold sand, diamond-clear water and champagne at sunset obviously appeal to our readers, our bikini clad reviewers love reporting from the resort frontline and doing it  tough on your behalf. We brought you our favourite chill-out zones from around the world. Favourites included: Uma Ubud, Bali, the ten bedroom residence at Alia Villas Soori,  Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa Sicily but most especially Alia Villas Uluwatu.

 4.  Top Ten Luxe Bathrooms

We've always known that our readers were water babies, you just love getting into the blue from Mega-pools right down to the Top Ten infinity pools, you can't get enough of articles about hotels that do wonderful things with water.  The mark of a good hotel room in 2011 was definitely the bathroom, with hotel designers outdoing themselves to bring us terrific tubs. We chose ten of the best with help from our friends at iescape.

5. Private Islands - Makepeace

Our Private villas section has been especially popular. No surprise really, privacy is the ultimate luxury. We've looked at exclusive villas, ski lodges, magnificent mansions and castles to call your own. But most popular of all was the concept of the private island. A piece of paradise that you only share with those you invite. Topping the charts -our piece on Makepeace Island in Queensland.

6. Paul Kerr

We are truly honoured to have had so many of the world's top movers and shakers in the travel industry share their insights with us during 2011; making The Luxury Travel Bible the number 1 site when it comes to finding a stable of expert opinions of this calibre. Ted Teng from Leading Hotels of the World, Geoffrey Kent from Abercrombie & Kent,  Neil Palmer of Per AQUUM, Gordon Campbell Gray of Campbell Gray Hotels.  Reto Wittwer of Kempinski,  Niki Leondakis of Kimpton Hotels all fascinated our  readers but it was Paul Kerr from Small Luxury Hotels whose article was most popular. 

7. Top Ten Spas at Sea

Ahhh...the joy of life on the ocean wave. The world floats past your balcony (of course most of our cabins have balconies, what would you expect from a luxury site?) and you don't even have to pack and un-pack your bag. Luxury liners, sleek yachts - we've been aboard the best in 2011, including checking out the cosmetic facelift for Crystal Symphony. One favourite article was our Top Ten Spas at Sea. 

8. Lewa Downs in Kenya

Africa is always a popular destination with readers that is why our article on  The Royal Livingstone Hotel, was popular  - must be the thought of all those zebra's grazing on the lawn. Also favourites were kids on safari, and our piece on Leleshwa, luxury camp on the edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve. We also wrote about Mahogany Springs Lodge, Bwindi, Uganda. But the royal seal of approval is bestowed upon Lewa Downs in Kenya, where Prince William proposed to the Duchess of Cambridge .

9. Top Ten Shanghai Hotels

You loved reading our hotel reports about Armani Hotel Milano, Italy, Hilton Queenstown, New Zealand, Peninsula Shanghai, China, Hotel Le Bristol, Paris, Babington House, Somerset and the new Mandarin Oriental, Paris. Hotel round-ups proved popular too, especially when we shone the spotlight on particular destinations such as Shanghai.

10.  Orbital Technologies ' Space Hotel

We all like dreaming about the future (especially at the turn of the year) sometimes the more outlandish the promised future luxury, the better. How will we travel in years to come? From sci-fi chic accommodation to the jaw-dropping transport that will get us there, we take a sneaky peak at the exciting, inspired and seemingly impossible designs that are destined to change the way we explore the world. In the meantime, dream on... Our Future Luxe section has been a niche favourite.

Posted 1/1/12