Royal Penthouse Suite, President Wilson Hotel,Geneva, Switzerland

Previously known as the Imperial, the Royal Penthouse Suite at the President Wilson Hotel in Geneva is Wealth-Bulletin’s second most expensive hotel room in the world – and only $1,000 cheaper than the Ty Warner Penthouse.

Apart from its sumptuous luxury, the Royal Penthouse Suite, which overlooks Lake Geneva, has an emphasis on security. All doors and windows are bulletproof, and the suite comes with its own private lift.

Not much is known about the Royal Penthouse, largely because the hotel staff are reluctant to publicise it. But one insider said the suite is almost exclusively reserved for heads of state and celebrities. “Bookings are almost exclusively through the hotel’s chairman”, he said.