Here Are The 20 Largest Yachts In The World

From merely enormous to humongous, we list them out by length.

By Geri Ward, Julia Zaltzman 03/02/2020

From the exceedingly large to the downright gargantuan, the top 20 largest yachts in the world continue to impress. Built by shipyards all over the world—from the Netherlands to the United Arab Emirates, Italy, the United States, Greece, and the United Kingdom, to name just a few—new launches and refits are delivered each year, at the request of owners around the globe. Some yards, such as the Germany-based Lürssen, complete more than their share of the largest yachts. Of the top 20 featured here, the company has built nine, and that’s not even including the two built by Blohm+Voss. The below list changes a little every year, but some of these vessels have remained in the top 20 for years. Here are the top 20 largest yachts in the world to date.

20. ‘Al Mirqab’ (133-metres), Kusch Yachts

PIRAEUS - GREECE, JANUARY 27 2016: Al Mirqab Superyacht is one of the largest motor yachts ever built. Anchored at Marina Zeas in Piraeus - Greece.; Shutterstock ID 368381120; Notes: top 20 largest yachts in the world

Kusch Yachts’ “Al Mirqab.” Photo: Shutterstock / PitK

Launched in 2008, Al Mirqab was built for Qatar’s former prime minister under the supervision of Kusch Yachts in the Peters Werft shipyard in Wewelsfleth, Germany. The Tim Heywood exterior includes a long, navy-blue hull with a white superstructure. The yacht’s diesel-electric propulsion involves an azimuth pod drive and gives the 133-metre vessel a top end of 21 knots. Its interior by Andrew Winch won several awards, with images showing Arabic-influenced motifs on the marble floors of large social areas. The yacht’s centrepiece is a stunning, complicated floating staircase encircled by custom-made glass panels. Al Mirqab has staterooms for 36, and crew quarters for 45.

19. ‘Serene’ (133.9-metres), Fincantieri

Fincantieri Serene superyacht

Fincantieri’s “Serene.” Photo: Nick Wells

Serene was Fincantieri’s launch into the superyacht segment, and what a debut it was. The largest yacht ever launched in Italy when it was delivered in 2011 (surpassed three years later by Ocean Victory), the Espen Øino seven-deck design features a long, sleek blue hull, crowned by a white superstructure. The somewhat racy curves serve as a nice counterpart to the more serious-looking sections of the yacht, which include cutouts along the main and upper decks to allow strong visibility from the saloon and staterooms. The curved balconies on three levels are a nice touch that work aesthetically—and practically for better views. The open stern area has a winter garden (enclosed glasshouse) that allows dining in all seasons. Serene also has two helipads and a hangar, a big swimming pool, and a tender garage large enough for a submarine. Pascale Reymond of Reymond Langton Design created the 4000-square-metre interior for the Russian owner, though its details have remained closely guarded.

18. ‘Crescent’ (135-metres), Lürssen

Lürssen Crescent superyacht Larry Ellison

Lürssen’s “Crescent.” Photo: Klaus Jordan

Espen Øino’s dark hull and tiered superstructure was one of the most exciting launches of 2018. Custom-built Project Thunder, as it was called internally at Lürssen, features cut-outs along the hull sides that allow full ocean views from the saloon on the primary deck, as part of Crescent’s distinctive curved superstructure. Its most noteworthy feature is the jaw-dropping bank of three-deck-high windows in the centre of the yacht. This architectural feature serves as the centrepiece of a very compelling design. The yacht has accommodation for 18 guests in nine staterooms. Little is known about the François Zuretti-designed interior, other than that Lürssen describes it as being “traditionally styled”. If it lives up to Crescent’s brash exterior, the complete yacht promises to be an entirely groundbreaking design.

17. ‘Savarona’ (136-metres), Blohm+Voss

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 25, 2015: Savarona yacht at Kurucesme port. Savarona was the largest yacht when launched in 1931. The Turkish government bought the yacht for Mustafa Kemal Ataturk; Shutterstock ID 348707636; Notes: top 20 largest yachts in the world

Blohm+Voss’s “Savarona.” Photo: Shutterstock / EvrenKalinbacak

Launched in 1931, Savarona was built for American heiress Emily Roebling Cadwallader. The yacht was eventually acquired by Turkey to be the presidential yacht of Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Turkey. Jane’s Fighting Ships described the yacht in 1949 as “probably the most sumptuously fitted yacht afloat”. Savarona was later converted to a training ship for the Turkish Navy and, in 1978, destroyed by fire. The yacht laid in tatters for 10 years. A Turkish businessman spent around $67 million refurbishing Savarona, commissioning Donald Starkey for the interior and replacing the original steam-turbine engines with modern Caterpillar diesels. The yacht’s interior was refitted again in 2013, once again becoming the official presidential yacht in 2014. Savarona features a swimming pool, Turkish bath, 85-metre grand staircase, a movie theatre, and a library dedicated to Atatürk.

16. ‘Flying Fox’ (136-metres), Lürssen

Lürssen's Flying Fox superyacht.

Lürssen’s “Flying Fox.” Photo: Courtesy of SuperYachtTimes/Youtube

Delivered jointly by Imperial and Lürssen in 2019, 136 metre Flying Fox is recognised by a curvaceous dove grey hull. Exterior design is by Monaco-based Espen Øino, a key feature of which is a 1-metre swimming pool which runs athwartship on the main aft deck. A feat of engineering by the new construction team at Imperial, it is the first time a yacht has been fitted with a pool of this type. Imperial has disclosed little about the interior design by Mark Berryman, apart from the inclusion of a two-floor 400-square-metre spa. Flying Fox is PYC compliant and can accommodate 25 guests.

15. ‘Rising Sun’ (138.4-metres), Lürssen

Lürssen Rising Sun superyacht

Lürssen’s “Rising Sun.” Photo: Courtesy of Lürssen

Designed by the original guru of yacht designers, Jon Bannenberg, Rising Sun was built by Lürssen for Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. The yacht was delivered in 2004 and last refitted in 2011. Defined by banks of windows across the superstructure, Rising Sun has 800 square metres of living space in 82 rooms. It can accommodate 18 guests in nine cabins, with the capacity to carry up to 46 crew. The interior by Seccombe Design includes a gym, cinema, and wine cellar. The rear cockpit deck was designed as a basketball court.

14. ‘Al Salamah’ (139-metres), Lürssen

Lürssen Al Salamah gigayacht

Lürssen’s “Al Salamah.” Photo: Courtesy of Lürssen

When Lürssen launched Al Salamah in 1999, it was the third-largest yacht in the world. Its ranking at number 14 shows how much has changed in the last 20 years. Code-named MIPOS, or Mission Possible, the yacht was designed by Terence Disdale. The large imposing exterior is primarily protected space, with an upper deck exposed to the elements. Al Salamah has staterooms for 40 guests, including two owner suites, 11 VIP staterooms, and eight twin cabins. The yacht can carry up to 96 crew and has a top speed of 22 knots. Al Salamah was last refitted in 2009.

13. ‘Project Lightning’ (140-metres), Lürssen

Lürssen's "Project Lightning" Yacht

Lürssen’s “Project Lightning.” Photo: Courtesy of SuperYachtTimes/Youtube

At 140-metres, Lürssen-built Project Lightning (as it is currently dubbed) was the largest launch of 2019, and the highest new entry in the world’s top 20 largest yachts. Project Lightning underwent sea trials in the Spring, and is preparing for its imminent 2020 delivery, but to date few details have been released by the German shipyard. What can so far be deciphered from photography includes two helipads, forward and aft, and a large beach club aft, as well as a reported seven-foot beam.

12. ‘Ocean Victory’ (140-metres), Fincantieri

Fincantieri Yachts’ 459-foot Ocean Victory Photo by Trevor Coppock / TheYachtPhoto.com

Fincantieri’s “Ocean Victory.” Photo: Trevor Coppock / TheYachtPhoto.com

The largest motor yacht ever built in Italy, Fincantieri’s Ocean Victory was delivered to its owner in 2014. The seven-deck exterior by Espen Øino includes two helideck platforms and a hangar belowdecks, as well as exceptional outdoor social areas, and a floodable tender dock. Ocean Victory has accommodations for 28 guests as well as quarters for 56 crew. Ocean Victory also has six pools, a 306-square-metre spa, and an underwater observation room. The interior by Alberto Pinto remains a secret.

11. ‘Yas’ (141-metres), Abu Dhabi Mar

Superyacht Yas in Barcelona

Abu Dhabi Mar’s “Yas.” Photo: Harvey Barrison

As a converted yacht, Yas is one of the most interesting vessels on this list. The dolphin-like exterior was originally a former Dutch Navy frigate that launched in 1978 and eventually sold to the navy of the United Arab Emirates, where it was renamed Al Emirat. The yacht underwent its dramatic conversion in a facility in Abu Dhabi’s main port, emerging as a gleaming superyacht in 2011, with one of the most interesting profiles on the water. It was eventually delivered four years later. The design by the Paris-based Pierrejean Vision, defined by massive glass surfaces, can accommodate 60 guests and 58 crew members. Mated to a steel hull, the superstructure is the largest composite edifice ever built. Yas is capable of a 26-knot top speed.

10. ‘A’ (142.8-metres), Nobiskrug

Nobiskrug sailing yacht A.

Nobiskrug’s sailing yacht “A.” Photo: Courtesy of Nobiskrug

Delivered in 2017, the futuristic look of sailing yacht A includes smooth, silver-metallic surfaces and windows that look nearly invisible, three composite masts that bend slightly, and a deck hidden by high bulwarks. The Philippe Starck-design is a wild fantasy yacht of the future. The 142.8-metre sailing yacht is a technical victory for German yard Nobiskrug, which developed composite fashion plates to create the unusual shapes, without any compromises in strength or fluidity. It has the tallest freestanding composite masts on any sailing vessel, a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system and state-of-the-art navigation systems. The boat also reportedly has an underwater viewing platform in the keel. “Sailing yacht A is undoubtedly one of the most visionary projects Nobiskrug has ever been involved in,” said Holger Kahl, the firm’s then managing director. Starck’s interior remains a secret. The yard reports the yacht has a top speed of 21 knots.

9. ‘El Mahrousa’ (145.7-metres), Samuda Brothers

"El Mahrousa" Yacht, Samuda Brothers

Egypt’s royal yacht, “El_Mahrousa.” Screengrab

El Mahrousa, which means “the protected” in Arabic, is currently Egypt’s presidential yacht, though the 145-metre vessel has a separate history as that country’s royal yacht. The London-based Samuda Brothers began the build in 1863, and it was launched in 1865. It was originally built for the Ottoman governor of Egypt, Khedive Ismail, and later carried three Egyptian kings into exile. The yacht was also at the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. The world’s oldest superyacht features external design by the British naval architect Sir Oliver Lang, and has had multiple modifications over the years, including a lengthening by 12-metres in 1872 and another 5-metres in 1905. During the second refit, the owners replaced its paddle-wheel engines with turbine-driven propellers. The yacht, in care of the Egyptian Navy, occasionally goes to sea for a day or two. In 2015, it was used to inaugurate the new Suez Canal.

8. ‘Prince Abdulaziz’ (147-metres), Helsingør Værft

IBIZA, BALEARIC ISLANDS, SPAIN - OCTOBER 26, 2016: Prince Abdulaziz, one of the largest motor yachts in the world, moored in harbor on October 26, 2016 in Ibiza, Balearic islands, Spain.; Shutterstock ID 516017752; Notes: top 20 largest yachts in the world

Helsingør Værft’s “Prince Abdulaziz.” Photo: Shutterstock / Artesia Wells

This custom yacht, launched by Helsingør Værft in Denmark in 1984, was most recently refitted in 2005. The 5,200-tonne Prince Abdulaziz is one of the Saudi Royal family’s yachts, its first owner being King Fahd. Designed by Maierform, the yacht was the longest and tallest in the world at the time of its launch. At 147-metres, Prince Abdulaziz held the title for 22 years until Dubai launched in 2006. The late David Nightingale Hicks, known for his use of bright colors, was the interior designer. The lobby is said to be a replica of the Titanic. Last refitted in 2005, it is rumoured to be carrying surface-to-air missiles, though that may be an urban legend.

7. ‘A+’ (147.2-metres), Lürssen

Lürssen Topaz largest yachts in the world

Lürssen’s ‘A+.’ Photo: Klaus Jordan

Very little is known about A+ (formerly Topaz), which was launched by Lürssen in 2012, other than it is the fourth-largest yacht ever built by the German shipyard. Tim Heywood Designs did the exterior, which features helipads on the foredeck and amidships on an upper deck. A lower aft deck includes a swimming pool. The German yard has not released any images of the Terence Disdale interior. Reported to be owned by Manchester City Football Club owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahnan – Emirati royalty and deputy prime minister of the UAE – A+ has a top speed of 22 knots, and can carry 62 guests and up to 79 crew.

6. ‘Al Saïd’ (155-metres), Lürssen

Al Saïd Lürssen

Lürssen’s “Al Saïd.” Courtesy of Shutterstock

Another yacht from Lürssen, the original Project Sunflower gained its official name of Al Saïd following its launch in 2016. Espen Øino’s exterior is akin to a classic cruise liner, complete with the twin exhaust stacks in the center of the superstructure. Owned by the Sultan of Oman, six-decked Al Saïd can carry 154 crew and, according to some sources, 70 guests. Lürssen says Al Saïd has a top speed of 22 knots. The London-based Redman Whiteley Dixon studio designed the interior, which includes a concert hall that can hold a 50-piece orchestra.

5. ‘Dilbar’ (156-metres), Lürssen

Espen Øino Dilbar yacht

Lürssen’s “Dilbar.” Photo: Josep Baresic

The 2016 launch of Dilbar gave Lürssen the distinction of not only building the longest yacht ever (Azzam), but also the largest in terms of volume. Espen Øino designed the exterior, creating a full-bodied superstructure of long, flowing decks, along with two helicopter pads. Dilbar also has a 25-metre swimming pool that according to Lürssen, is the world’s longest on a yacht. The interior by Winch Design is defined by its “rare and exclusive luxury materials,” says the builder, declining to go into detail. Lürssen added that the world’s largest motor yacht was one of the most complex and challenging yachts ever built, because of its dimensions and technology. Despite Dilbar’s volume, the designers did a masterful job making the yacht look relatively svelte, with no obvious bulges along the length of the light ivory and bronze-accented hull.

4. ‘Dubai’ (162-metres), Platinum Yachts

DUBAI UAE - DEC 16: Dubai - yacht of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai. December 16 2014 in Dubai UAE

Sheikh Al Maktoum’s yacht, “Dubai.” Photo: Bigstock

This Andrew Winch design was originally commissioned for Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei as a joint project between Blohm+Voss and Lürssen, before it was halted in 1998 with just a bare hull and skeletal superstructure. The hull was sold to the government of Dubai, and, under the direction of the country’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, work on the 162-metre boat began again, though this time by Platinum Yachts. Dubai delivered in 2006 and is now the sheikh’s royal yacht, with accommodations for 24 guests and quarters for 88 crew. The seven-decked yacht has an impressive 21-metre-wide atrium, landing pad for a Black Hawk helicopter, submarine garage, disco, and cinema. Full certification was obtained from Lloyd’s Register in October 2006, and it can reach a top speed of 26 knots.

3. ‘Eclipse’ (162.5-metres), Blohm+Voss

Private white luxury Superyacht Eclipse anchored off the beach. Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain. Summer, 05.07.2011; Shutterstock ID 1059530906; Notes: top 20 largest yachts in the world

Blohm+Voss’s “Eclipse” anchored off the beach of Ibiza. Photo: Shutterstock / R_Pilguj

Stately Eclipse, the 162-metre yacht delivered to billionaire Roman Abramovich, took five years to design and build. When it left the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg in 2010, it was the world’s largest yacht. The interior has 17 staterooms and a palatial master suite, with the capacity to carry 85 crew. Both the interior and exterior are designed by Terence Disdale. A proportional profile is defined by tiered decks that sweep upward and bend ever so slightly at the aft ends. Eclipse has a 56-metre-long owner’s deck and, at the time of its launch, the largest swimming pool on any superyacht (the bottom raises and converts to a dance floor). Other features reflecting its stature: the capacity to hold three helicopters, including one in its belowdecks hangar, a sophisticated stabilisation system, six tenders, and an enormous spa, gym, and beach club. Hybrid diesel-electric engines are connected to Azipod drives that give Eclipse a top-end speed of 21 knots, with a range of 6000 nautical miles.

2. ‘Fulk Al Salamah’ (164-metres), Mariotti Yachts

"Fulk Al Salamah," Mariotti Yachts

Mariotti Yachts’ “Fulk Al Salamah.” Screengrab

Little information has ever been released about the world’s second-longest superyacht, custom-built Fulk Al Salamah, and it has been shrouded in mystery since first announced in 2014. Even the overall length of 164-metres has been estimated from AIS data. However, built and delivered by Italian builder Mariotti Yachts in their Genoa shipyard in 2016, the imposing vessel is believed to be owned by the Omani royal family. Exterior design is by Studio de Jorio, and it is considered by some to resemble more of a support vessel than a superyacht. Nonetheless, aerial photography shows an impressively large helideck, raked masts and a bathing platform.

1: ‘Azzam’ (180.6-metres), Lürssen

Lürssen Azzam

Lürssen’s “Azzam.” Screengrab

It’s not surprising that the world’s longest yacht hails from a shipyard dominating the upper echelon of boat-building. Unfortunately, Lürssen could never really boast about Azzam after its launch in 2013 because of the owner’s penchant for privacy. Mubarak Saad al Ahbabi directed a team of designers and engineers who started with the bare concept, worked through the technical challenges of what might be the most complex superyacht ever, and finished with an unusually large vessel that can top the 30-knot mark. Nauta Yacht’s exterior features a long, sleek forward area, with well-proportioned tiers moving up to the skydeck. Lürssen describes the interior by Christophe Leoni as “sophisticated, with luxurious decor inspired by the Empire style of the early 19th century”. Its gas turbines connected to water jets push Azzam to more than 30 knots, giving it the ability to operate at high speed in shallow waters. She also boasts an impressive build time for a yacht of her size, with construction taking only three years after one year of engineering.

ADVERTISE WITH US

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Stay Connected

You may also like.

Capella Brands Their Own Caviar to Mark Chinese New Year

Capella Sydney continues its commitment to exceptional luxury experiences, with a high tea and caviar upgrade all part of its 2025 Lunar New Year celebrations to usher in the Year of the Snake.

By Belinda Aucott-christie 07/02/2025

These days caviar bumps are on the menu at all the best seaside restaurants, and now guests checking into a suite at Capella Sydney will be saved the trip to the beach with a tin of caviar conveniently stationed in their mini bar.

Downstairs at the chic lobby café Aperture, caviar is also part of their elegantly indulgent high tea. Expertly crafted by Head Pastry Chef Arthur Carré. This bespoke menu features a delectable selection of delicacies, including Capella Kaluga Caviar, sesame prawn toast, Peking duck pancake roll cornetto, fried pork dumplings, and pandan and mandarin lamingtons. The experience is complemented by the delicate notes of white rabbit jasmine tea from Zensation Tea House, with an optional upgrade to a glass of Louis Roederer Champagne for a truly indulgent experience.

It’s all part of a chic lunar collaboration with Kaluga Caviar (from central China) which supplies 21 of the 26 three Michelin starred restaurants in Paris. Kaluga caviar offers a balance of luxury, flavour, and sustainability. Its rich, creamy texture and large pearls make it a close alternative to Beluga caviar with a lovely walnut aftertaste.

Even if you are a guest just for the day at Capella Sydney you can indulge your palate with a high tea that pairs Oscietra black caviar, from Russian Sturgeon stock, with champagne and traditional accompaniments.

Ask for the Capella Lunar New Year Afternoon Tea when you make you reservation, and take your place at the table. Each set comes with a 10g tin of Capella Sydney x Kaluga Queen Caviar.

Capella Sydney

Buy the Magazine

Subscribe today

Stay Connected

What It’s Like to Stay at Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, a one key Michelin Guide Hotel in The Heart of Japan’s Hokkaido ski fields.

This small ski lodge is a heart-starter hotel. By the end of your trip, you’ll be connected back to nature in both the spiritual and sporting sense.

By Belinda Aucott-christie 02/09/2024

Welcome to Checking In, a new review series in which our editors and contributors rate the best new (and revamped) luxury hotels based on a rigorous—and occasionally tongue-in-cheek—10-point system: Each question answered “yes” gets one point. Will room service bring you caviar? Does your suite have its own butler? Does the bathroom have a bidet? Find out below.

Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Japan.

Describe the hotel in three words: Exclusive, relaxed and sophisticated.

What’s the deal?

On the page the hotel might sound a bit ordinary, but in reality it’s s anything but.

This is an all-season alpine resort at one of Japan’s top winter sports destinations in Hokkaido. The hotel opened in 2020 with little, to no, fanfare thanks to Covid, and it has two high seasons, one in summer and one in winter. 

Domestic tourists come for hiking and wilderness in summer and foreign tourists, who love skiing, come in the winter. YTL Hotels acquired Niseko Village for six billion yen (US$58m) in 2010 from PC One YK, a Japanese limited liability company, and they have made it one of their ultimate destination, nature reserve hotels.

The ski-in/ski-out destination’s main attraction is its accessibility to 2,191 acres of skiable terrain and extensive backcountry skiing, alongside an international ski school, chairlifts and gondolas. There is also a dining and retail venue and easy access to two world-class golf courses and an outdoor activity park for children. 

Now the 50-room Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is the first Japanese Ritz-Carlton Reserve and YTL’s fifth destination in Niseko Village, residing at the base of Mount Niseko Annupuri.

Niseko Village has been selected as the venue for some of the 2030 Winter Olympics’ events; slalom, giant slalom, super-giant slalom (super-G) and downhill.

The hotel is sophisticated with panoramic mountain views. Having just 50 rooms it feels like a private home, with all the luxury you need to feel utterly spoilt. 

The Best Room

The largest family suite has plenty of room for a family of 4-5 persons, plus space for an au pair. It’s exactly the same layout as the suite, with the addition of a large walk-in-robe, dressing table and lounge room with a dining table. The lounge contains a fold out sofa, for babysitter, plus plenty of room for the children to relax in the hotel after a morning of skiing.

The Rundown

Did they greet you by name at check-in? 

Yes, fireside check-in happens in the Ume Lounge in a comfy seat next to 6-metre high windows overlong Mount Yotei. 

Was a welcome drink ready and waiting when you arrived? (Bonus points if it wasn’t just fruit juice).

Yes, we were welcomed by name with an exotic tea made from local flowers and herbs. I was more in the market for a whisky on this particular day, but the glass of Champagne at lunch of tempura and local sashimi at Yukibana more than made up for this.

Is there a private butler for every room?

Yes, the 24 hour do san concept it alive and well at this Ritz-Carlton Niseko and the message on check in is that nothing is too much trouble. 

Is the sheet thread count higher than 300?

Yes both the beds and the bed linen are incredible. They beds are fitted with white cotton sateen 400-thread count which literally feels like 600 after a day of skiing in the cold. 

The Ritz-Carlton hotel whites are all 100% cotton sateen. They are impeccably crafted of pure extra-long staple cotton sateen, these hotel linens are silky soft to the touch and have a lustrous look that catches the light. The bed is so comfortable you almost don’t want to leave.

Is there a heated floor in the bathroom? What about a bidet? No, bidet but the room and floor are heated. In fact sometimes the suite was too warm, when strolling around in ski gear. 

Are the toiletries full-sized?

Yes, everthing is French full-sized and created heritage beauty brand Sothys just as in the Chasi spa. Extra bath salts are provided daily to make up for the fact that Onsen waters aren’t piped up to the rooms.

Is there a private pool for the room’s exclusive use? How are the spa and gym?

No, private pool in the room but there is a private onsen which can be booked from the Sothy’s Chasi Spa. Both the spa and gym are state-of- the-art. Everything here is sweet smelling and super clean. 

Do you want to spend Friday night in the lobby bar?

Ume Lounge has a very elegant, minimal Armani Casa vibe. Think antler chandeliers, stacks of white birch logs, ceramics and camel pony skin rugs but it is not a party vibe.

You can easily spend at least one night by the fire after dinner reading from the library, but it is not the kind of place where you get carried away with friends. It’s soft lounge  lighting and high end food offering makes it feels small and intimate. The mood is enhanced by the excellent food and service at Yukibana. That said, it  didn’t stop some old college friends from getting stuck into bourbons one night for an evening at the bar.

Is there caviar on the room service menu? If so, what kind?

No, there is no caviar offered on in-room menu, but if you want a crab Eggs Benedict in bed, or prawn tempura you have come to the right place. Ditto the best raw sashimi you have ever eaten anywhere and incredible healthy food nails the east-meets-west twist at every turn. 

Would you buy the hotel if you could?

Yes, undoubtedly. I received more spa treatments and personalised attention in one weekend than I will probably have throughout the rest of my life.

Score: 8/10

What Our Score Means:

1-3: Fire your travel agent if they suggest you stay here.
4-6: Solid if you’re in a pinch—but only if you’re in a pinch.
7-8: Very good. We’d stay here again and recommend it without qualms.
9-10: Forget booking a week. When can we move in permanently?

Visit Ritz-Carlton Niseko

 

Buy the Magazine

Subscribe today

Stay Connected

This Rare BMW 507 Roadster Series II Could Fetch Over $3.2 Million at Auction

Only 252 examples of the convertible grand tourer were built during its four years in production.

By Bryan Hood 04/02/2025

There’s another BMW roadster you can buy if you don’t want to wait for the upcoming Skytop.

A stunning 1958 507 Roadster Series II will be auctioned off by RM Sotheby’s next month in Paris. Nearly seven decades after rolling off the line, the sleek two-door remains one of the best-looking vehicles ever built by the German luxury marque.

Like the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and Porsche 356 Speedster before it, the 507 owes its existence to the American car importer Max Hoffman. In the mid-1950s, the businessman convinced BMW that American enthusiasts were eager for a convertible version of the 501 and 502 coupe. The plan was to build and ship thousands of examples of the open-top grand tourer to the U.S. each year, but an unexpectedly exorbitant sticker price sunk any chance the project had of catching on and only 252 cars would be built between 1956 and 1959.

Photo: Maximilian Vogl/RM Sotheby’s

The 507 offers up ample proof that (immediate) commercial success isn’t indicative of a vehicle’s worth. The roadster is easily one of the finest sports cars to come out of the post-war period. Its sophisticated design, which was penned by Albrecht von Goertz, combines smooth lines with the ideal proportions. But the 507 is more than just a car to be seen in. It also delivers more than respectable performance, thanks to a 3.2-litre V-8 that makes 111 kilowatts and pushes the vehicle to a top speed of 196 kph. It’s little wonder the car served as the inspiration for one of BMW’s most beloved modern-day models, the Z8.

Inside the 507 Roadster Series II Maximilian Vogl/RM Sotheby’s

The 507 that RM Sotheby’s is selling, chassis no. 70136, left the factory in Ivory White, and was shipped to Havana. It spent three decades in the Cuban capital before being returned to Germany in the late 1980s. In the years since, it was the recipient of a thorough restoration and was repainted in a glossy coat of black that matches its folding soft-top (there’s also a rare hard-top) and center-lock Rudge wheels. The interior—which because the car is a Series II example has more room—has grey leather seats and door cards. Just as striking is the period-correct is eight-cylinder under the hood. It may not be the numbers-matching original, but that mill comes with the lot too.

1958 BMW 507 Roadster Series II
Maximilian Vogl/RM Sotheby’s

The 507 Roadster will cross the block as part of RM Sotheby’s upcoming Paris sale, which will be held on February 4 and 5. The auction house has high hopes for the sports car, which is unsurprising considering its condition and rarity. It’s expected to sell for between $2.1 million and $3.2 million.

Click here for more photos of the 1958 BMW 507 Roadster Series II.

Buy the Magazine

Subscribe today

Stay Connected

How to Wear Linen Like a Style God (Don’t Sweat the Wrinkles)

Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the essential summer textile, including how to care for it.

By Eric Twardzik 24/08/2024

Next to the fig leaf, linen might be humankind’s oldest covering. It’s turned up in the wrappings of Egyptian mummies and was even worn as armor by Alexander the Great. So how is it that modern men still son’t know quite what to make of it?

Anthony Keegan, creative director of the luxury essentials menswear brand Bugatchi, has a theory. “It’s a sophisticated material, and I don’t think you grow up wearing linen. It’s something the well-dressed man learns about.” But once the well-dressed man—or woman—becomes wise to its charms, it’s hard to go back.

Lilly Lampe’s aha moment with linen came while traveling in Southeast Asia during summertime. “It was this wake-up call that everything we’d read about linen was true,” she tells Robb Report. “It has amazing moisture-wicking properties and a beautiful, visually appealing natural texture. There are just so many reasons why it’s historically been a big part of warm weather garments, and also had other utilitarian uses throughout time.”

So impressed was Lampe that in 2015, she and her husband Alex Robins founded Blluemade, a unisex, workwear-inspired apparel line built around the fabric’s unique performance qualities.

How Does Linen Perform?

J. Mueser

Robins, who refers to linen as “ancient performance technology,” sees it as a natural alternative to engineered textiles. “It’s technical fabric from Egypt, in a way,” he tells Robb Report. Its ability to breathe easily, wick away moisture and dry quickly goes back to the cellular structure of flax (the plant from whic it is derived). Unlike cotton—which Robins likens to a “solid rod”—linen has a hollow core, which proves to be advantageous when wet. “It literally sucks up moisture like a straw,” he says.

Just don’t mistake the hollowness for fragility. Linens are also highly durable, a quality that made it the de-facto labor uniform for much of history. “Before the introduction of denim, it was the go-to workwear cloth,” Robins say.

What Makes Quality Linen

Crop of newly harvested golden flax stems left to dry under a warm French sun. Crop of newly harvested golden flax stems left to dry under a warm French sun. Getty Images

Not all linen is created equally. A key differentiating factor is the length of the fibers, with long flax fibers resulting in a stronger linen that’s softer and less prone to deep creasing, whereas short fibers render a textile more coarse and wrinkle-prone.

Blluemade’s linen comes exclusively from the Flanders region of Belgium, where a rainy, cloudy and temperate climate results in linen strands measuring between two and four feet. Lampe compares this to linen grown in drier and hotter environments, whose strands measure as little as two to four inches.

Other climes blessed (or perhaps cursed) with similar weather tend to produce quality linen, notably Ireland and the Normandy region of France.

Maison Hellard founder Nathan Hellard, whose eponymous firm turns Norman flax into tailor-ready linens, deploys an appropriately Gallic metaphor. “Just like wine, if you have good soil and a good amount of rain and sun, then you have the longest possible fiber in the end. And that’s the biggest difference between a low-quality linen and a high quality one,” he tells Robb Report.

Should you not have the opportunity to measure the strands yourself, Hellard says that quality can be detected visually, too. While linen is a naturally slubby textile, inferior linen will appear far slubbier and fuzzier due to their short fibers, whereas superior linen is smoother.

Will Linen Always Wrinkle?

Linen deconstructed blazer with patch pockets. Brunello Cuccinelli.

You can make linen from gold prize-winning flax and it will still wrinkle. That’s simply a product of how its strands meet together, and the fact that it is a vegetable fiber lacking the natural elasticity of wool.

“The wrinkles are part of the job,” says Keegan, laying out the facts. “And if you have been brainwashed into no wrinkles, period, then you’re going to have to grow into this.”

However, some linens will “bounce back” from wrinkles better than others. Lower quality or lighter weight linens are susceptible to long-lasting creases, whereas heavier linens and those made from longer fibers or with particular finishes will merely rumple rather than buckle. “It’s not that it won’t crease, it’s how it creases,” Hellard clarifies.

Linen’s wrinkle factor should be considered when forming an outfit. With a linen suit, Keegan prescribes a crisp oxford shirt to create contrast, and would avoid linen shirting and its resultant “wrinkle-on-wrinkle” effect. Jake Mueser, founder of the West Village tailor J. Mueser, nixes wool jackets with linen pants, but not its opposite. Mueser is an expert on wearing suiting in the summer without breaking a sweat.

“A crisp, light wool trouser with a linen jacket—that is a good combo,” he tells Robb Report.

How Does Linen Tailor?

Matthew Woodruff, creative director of J. Mueser, wearing an ivory linen suit from the tailor. J. Mueser

Mueser, whose Christopher Street atelier is thronged with linen suit-wearers in summer, highlights the choices available to those commissioning a linen suit.

“Like wool, there’s a lot of variety to linen. You can have a lighter weight, softer, more Italian linen that’s going to have more give and more wrinkle. You can have stiffer Irish linens, more washed and treated linens like Solbiati,” he says, referring to the linen-centric Italian mill purchased by Loro Piana in 2013. “There’s a big variation.”

Indeed, it’s the treated linens that increasingly make for interesting, paradigm-breaking commissions. To take just one example, the Hong Kong and Taipei-based tailor The Anthology has championed a “sueded” linen with a unique finish that leaves it soft to the touch on the exterior, yet crispy and springy on its reverse.

Anthology co-founder Buzz Tang in the brand’s sueded linen suit.
Anthology

“I think this specific linen is quite unique, because it sits right between the most traditional of Irish linens and the Italian ones,” says Anthology founder Buzz Tang. “It lends the Italian softness to the cloth, but at the same time, it still has a certain integrity in terms of drape and hang.”

An undeniable part of the fabric’s appeal at the present, dressed-down moment is its inherently casual appeal, a factor Mueser takes advantage of by often sporting his linen suits with a crewneck tee or Western shirt underneath. However, he doesn’t believe that it must be confined to the most casual side of tailoring and recalls seeing linen used in more structured suits and even dinner jackets to great success.

“Just because linen feels more casual, it doesn’t have to be patch pockets and deconstructed,” he says. “I think there’s a charm to taking linen and building it up more.”

Caring for Linen

Chalk stripe deconstructed linen blazer and leisure fit linen trousers. Brunello Cuccinelli.

For linen garments that can be machine washed, Lampe sounds a warning: no detergents with enzymes.

“If you spill ketchup or food on your clothes, it’ll eat away at that,” Lampe says of the additive’s advantages. “But linen is also natural, and so enzymes will eat away at that. And once you eat away at the outer lining of a hollow core material, you have a hole.”

In the interests of keeping linen hole-free, she instead recommends an enzyme-free detergent, such as the one produced by Le Blanc. For those taking the dry-cleaning route, Mueser suggests a similarly careful touch—perhaps skipping the actual dry cleaning altogether.

“I tell people all the time, take your suit to the dry cleaner, tell them to just steam it and press it. It comes back looking and feeling fresh and new, and it doesn’t need to have a chemical bath,” he says.

And finally: does a guaranteed-to-wrinkle garment ever need an ironing in the first place? Keegan says no. “I actually think it would be more of a steam than an iron… steaming is, for something like linen, a really good way to get it to its natural state.” That means crisp, cool, comfortable—and just the perfect amount of wrinkled.

Buy the Magazine

Subscribe today

Stay Connected

This Speedy New Personal Submarine Is Like an Underwater Supercar

Three times faster than most personal submersibles, U-Boat Worx’s Super Sub has a top speed of 10 knots.

By Michael Verdon 04/02/2025

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Super Sub!

U-Boat Worx’s just-launched, ruby-red flagship may have more in common with the original 1950s Superman than the color of his cape. The Dutch submersible builder has released images of one of the world’s fastest personal subs, with maneuvering capabilities that should make it a natural for the next Bond movie.

The three-person submersible has a “droplet-shaped hull,” according to U-Boat Worx, and “advanced wing configurations” that deliver a top speed of 10 knots (most personal subs do about three knots and dolphins about seven knots) and the ability to make steep 45-degree climbs and sharp turns at depth. That’s like comparing the speed and maneuverability of a supercar to the family SUV. Besides basic forward, up, and down movements, the Super Sub can also move laterally, which gives it more precise handling on approaching objects like reefs or wrecks, or in a current.

“It’s a first-class ticket to explore the ocean like never before, combining speed, safety, and sophistication in every dive,” said U-Boat Worx marketing manager Roy Heijdra in a statement.

he design has the lithium batteries and thrusters at the rear so the pilot and passengers can enjoy the view. U-Boat Worx

Hyperbole aside, the Super Sub is an advanced design, starting with the cockpit, which has two front passenger seats behind the large acrylic bubble for exceptional viewing in all directions. The pilot is seated behind, so the guests or owners can enjoy the best view. The seats have five-point harness seatbelts because the ride can get kind of wild at full tilt.

The Super Sub’s touchscreen display shows all relevant navigational data as part of the U-Boat Worx Information System (UIS). Safety features such as Maximum Depth Protection, which prevents the sub from descending beyond its 300-metre (1,000-foot) depth limit, and the Deadman’s Switch (which a passenger can trigger to automatically ascend if the pilot is incapacitated) give some sense of the technology behind the design. The sub also has an “auto-heading” feature, equivalent to autopilot, which keeps the submersible on its current heading over long stretches.

The cockpit blends comfort and technology.
U-Boat Worx

Compared to the bubble look of most submersibles, this stealthy, cylinder-shaped vessel looks cool, with its large propellers and rear hydrofoils that combine to improve maneuverability. The thrusters, powered by an electric motor and 62 kWh lithium battery have a total power output of 100 kW—with enough juice to also power the air-conditioning.

The cylindrical shape is faster and more efficient than smaller, bubble-shaped personal subs.
U-Boat Worx

Beyond personal use, the speed and handling of the Super Sub could also make it a candidate for search and rescue and research missions.

Buy the Magazine

Subscribe today

Stay Connected