There are numerous reasons why a hotel could be considered one of the most famous in the world. Sometimes it is the architectural significance of the building, and the fact that there are images of it everywhere showing its imposing structure or magnificent beauty, or perhaps it is because it is built somewhere unusual or out of unorthodox materials such as ice. Sometimes a hotel may be famous because of its historical or cultural significance. Other hotels have found fame or notoriety because of their famous or infamous guests. Hotels have had drinks, food, songs and stories named for them and after them, here are a few of the best, old and new.

1. The Ritz, London, England & The Ritz, Paris, France – Putting on the Ritz was the song named for the Ritz and it remains a symbol of the pinnacle of high society. Tea at the Ritz is a national institution in England, and although it wasn’t the original (this was the accolade of tea at the Dorchester) it has been considered the best and so frequented by stalwarts of British society and foreign aristocracy, from Winston Churchill, the Queen and Noel Coward to Charles de Gaullle and Judy Garland. The Paris Ritz is equally famous for its luxury but also carries the tragic disposition of being The Princess of Wales last destination before her untimely death.

2. The Waldorf Astoria, New York – The Waldorf Astoria is a monolithic Art Deco structure on Park Ave in Manhattan, New York City, it is famous for its imposing appearance, history, well-known guests and references in popular entertainment. The Waldorf Salad - a salad of apple, celery grapes, walnut and mayonnaise was made at the Waldorf and named for it. Marilyn Monroe and Franklin D Roosevelt are two of numerous famous guests. Paris Hilton lived there; and a character from The Muppet Show is named Waldorf after it, his wife Astoria.

3. Hotel Cipriani, Venice, Italy – This beautified and elegant Venice hotel is named for the Cipriani family who opened it in 1958. Famous for its expense and the decadence to which its guests are exposed. A night at the Hotel Cipriani would potentially cost thousands of Euro’s. The famous Bellini cocktail, available at the hotel, was invented by Giuseppe Cipriani for Ernest Hemmingway.

4. Raffles Hotel, Singapore City, Singapore – Of architectural and cultural significance this Singapore hotel is an aging building in the midst of a very modern city. The gin-based cocktail, the Singapore Sling, was invented in its Long Bar, and the aging white colonial building is reminiscent of the grandiose of the old British Empire that it represents

5. Burj Al-Arab, Dubai, UAE – An imposing structure on the Gulf of Arabia in Dubai. The Burj Al-Arab epitomises the wealth that Dubai and the Arab states continue to expand on. It’s a new structure but one whose image has been exhibited the world over for its unusual sailboat architecture and distinctly atypical setting on a manmade island off the beach at Jumeriah, it is ‘the’ promotional image of Dubai.