THIS IS THE BUCKET-LIST MONEY

One&Only isn't trying to be your everyday luxury hotel brand. These are the resorts you start looking at when the trip itself is supposed to be a statement. Maldives. Dubai. Mexico. Rwanda. South Africa. Montenegro. Greece. Places where the destination is already special before One&Only starts adding private villas, dramatic pools, beaches, spas and serious restaurants.

Part of Kerzner International, the same hospitality company behind Atlantis Resorts, One&Only occupies the quieter, considerably more expensive side of the family. The portfolio is intentionally small, and the properties are designed around their destinations rather than stamped out from the same resort blueprint.

For Black travelers, this is aspirational travel without needing to feel traditional or stuffy. The milestone birthday. The honeymoon where we stopped pretending there was a budget. The safari with a ridiculous resort attached. The anniversary where we're upgrading everything. One&Only fits the trips we've been talking about taking for years and finally decided to book.

The obvious problem is price. One&Only can get expensive enough to make you close the browser and reconsider your priorities.

But if we're ranking hotel brands based partly on where we'd love to wake up tomorrow morning, One&Only absolutely belongs here.