Here are widely recognized “leading” luxury resorts for 2025 (global selection across regions), with a one-line note on why each is notable and sources showing industry recognition in 2025.

1. Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi — standout overwater villas, top-ranking in Travel + Leisure’s 2025 World’s Best/Top 100 lists. (stories.hilton.com)
2. Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas — repeatedly ranked among Travel + Leisure’s Top 100 and top U.S. city/resort lists for 2025. (stories.hilton.com)
3. One&Only Le Saint Géran (Mauritius) — long‑standing luxury island resort frequently nominated/winner in 2025 industry awards (World Travel Awards nominee list). (worldtravelawards.com)
4. The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort / Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora (French Polynesia) — signature overwater luxury resorts that appear in Travel + Leisure and World Travel Awards coverage for 2025. (worldtravelawards.com)
5. Vakkaru Maldives — Maldives property named among leading resort nominees/winners in 2025 industry awards (World Travel Awards nominee list). (worldtravelawards.com)
6. Capella Hotels & Resorts properties (brand) — named Travel + Leisure’s 2025 World’s Best Hotel Brand; Capella properties (e.g., Capella Ubud, Capella Sanya) are therefore frequently cited among top luxury stays in 2025. (traveldailynews.com)
7. qualia (Hamilton Island, Australia) — regularly appears on 2025 “best island/resort” lists and was a World Travel Awards nominee in 2025. (worldtravelawards.com)
8. Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas / Velaa Private Island / Four Seasons Maldives properties — Maldives leaders that feature in Travel + Leisure’s Top 100 and World’s Best coverage for 2025. (travelweekly.com.au)
9. Acqualina Resort & Residences (Sunny Isles, Florida, USA) — listed among Travel + Leisure 2025 World’s Best winners for the Americas and cited by Leading Hotels of the World for 2025 recognition. (lhw.com)
10. Nayara (Nayara Tented Camp and Nayara Gardens, Costa Rica) — named in Leading Hotels / Travel + Leisure 2025 roundups for best resorts in the Americas and top luxury eco/wellness stays. (lhw.com)

Notes and sources:

• Travel + Leisure’s 2025 World’s Best Awards and Top 100 lists (reader-driven) are a major 2025 industry benchmark and are cited above for multiple entries. (traveldailynews.com)
• World Travel Awards (2025 nominees/winners) list many of the same global resort names and is a separate industry recognition source. (worldtravelawards.com)
• Leading Hotels of the World and other trade/press roundups published in 2025 highlight many independent luxury resorts (examples cited above). (lhw.com)

If you want:

• A focused list by region (e.g., Caribbean, Maldives, US), or
• Booking‑level details (best room category, typical price range, signature experiences) for any of these resorts,

I can expand any section and pull the latest availability/pricing or more award details.