The cosy, historic 65-room St Regis hotel underwent a major, 12-million Canadian dollar renovation in 2008 and re-emerged as a business traveller favourite, with marble bathroom finishes and walls sheathed in rich, pale blue leather.

BBC: Business trip: Vancouver

Half a mile south is the 151-room St Regis Atlanta, a hotel that is as popular with locals as it is with out-of-towners due to its location at the intersection of mansion-lined West Paces Ferry Road and commercial Peachtree Road.

BBC: Business trip: Atlanta

While Buckhead hotel newcomers such as the Mansion or the St Regis have tried, they have not been able to wrestle away the crown of the 224-room Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, which sets the standard for five-star hotels in this city.

BBC: Business trip: Atlanta

In West Bay, pull up at the new St Regis Doha, the most spectacular five-star hotel in an area filling up fast with other big-name hotel brands.

BBC: Going global in Doha

From the New World to the Old, on 6 October the St Regis Florence opened in a 15th-century palazzo (formerly the Grand Hotel Florence).

BBC: Openings: Los Angeles, Florence and Qatar

The 227-room St Regis Bangkok opened in April 2011 and has quickly become the high-end hotel hotspot for visitors and locals.

BBC: Business trip: Bangkok