Best hotels for staying up all night

Forget greasy bacon butties after a big night out – in Barcelona, the agreed medicine following a session at BeCool or Macarena (two of the city’s biggest after-dark draws) is as follows: copious cava; copious jamón. Get your fix at Can Paixano (La Xampañería, to locals), a cava and tapas bar set in a former warehouse on Carrer de la Reina Cristina. From morning til night, drinkers are crammed cheek-by-jowl beneath a ham-strung ceiling.

For a big night in, Hotel Omm has its own nightclub with top DJs doing their thing. If you’re after Michelin-starred dining, ABaC Restaurant & Hotel may be more up your calle. And Mandarin Oriental Barcelona’s rooftop terrace is the place to survey the city and scope out its crowd-pulling corners. mandarinoriental.com

Early mornings in the South of France don’t have to involve stumbling home after a hard night’s partying at one of St Tropez’s trinity of nightclubs (Les Caves du Roy, VIP Room and Le Papagayo). Instead, greet the sunrise – and the stallholders – at Place des Lices on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, when the famous brocante (flea market) is in town. Here, browse curios, antiques, vintage clothes and local produce as the sunlight pokes through the leafy canopy of plane trees.

Assuming you haven’t managed to blag yourself onto a billionaire’s gigayacht, you’re still going to need a suitably glamorous hotel. You could opt for the starry Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel – not least for its poolside massages in tranquil treatment tents. Or how about hanging out at hedonistic haven Muse St Tropez, where staff will ferry you from pool to beach in the hotel’s Bentley? For a lick of culture, though, aim for La Maison du Frêne; this artistic escape can’t fail to inspire you. muse-hotels.com

London’s creative energy shows no sign of waning – but then you probably know that, as you live here. But what you might not know is that on the first Thursday of every month, more than 150 East-End galleries gang up (in a good way) to offer late-night talks, workshops and private views. If you get peckish, grab a salt-beef bagel from one of Brick Lane’s all-night bakeries. Need a trim? The Salon Neil Cornelius is the city’s first all-night hairdresser. For one last drink – or a caffeinated pick-me-up – Soho institution Bar Italia buzzes until 5am every night except Sunday.

Need a nightcap? Sip on a sophisticated painting-themed cocktail at Artist Residence London and admire the works on the walls. Borrow one of The Zetter Townhouse’s bikes and go on a before-bed ride round empty(ish) city streets. And if you miss the last train home, try the Ampersand Hotel: it’s a treat, with a pretty tea salon for restorative drinks. artistresidencelondon.co.uk/

Items for your nocturnal to-do list include: celebrating the cosmos at the Griffith Observatory’s free monthly star parties; clubbing with the cool kids at pansexual A Club Called Rhonda; mingling with magicians and their devotees at the Magic Castle (you’ll need to be invited by a magician first, mind), and breakfasting at a 24-hour diner – Swingers is the most famous, but 101 Coffee Shop is our favourite. Don’t even think about sleeping: next up, a hike in Griffith Park to watch the sun rise. Oversized shades and Berocca are a must.

Take your digestif on Petit Ermitage’s cosy fire deck and gaze over the city lights beyond. Work off your indulgences any time you want at Sunset Tower Hotel where the gym is open 24 hours a day. The bar at Chateau Marmont is legendary, and its oysters with Bloody Mary mignonette are a memorable midnight feast. petitermitage.com

Torres Vedras, an hour outside Lisbon on Portugal’s Costa de Prata, moves at its own leisurely pace. It’s all about genteel strolls on the beach, snacking on fresh mussels, and enjoying a glass or six of douro. For a hotel that represents the locale, try Areias do Seixo. Here guests gather for rustic canapés, traditional folk music and local wine. This sociable hotel hosts twice-weekly late-night bonfire soirées, not to mention nightly sessions on the terrace or by the pond where both the port and the stories flow freely.

Dine and drink until late, and watch a movie any time in the 7th Art Room, which has a big screen and a cache of classic films. If you’re there for a romantic getaway, ask for the Nha Cretcheu room: it has a seductive fireplace by the bed. The next morning, go for a surfing session on Praia do Seixo – there’s no better way to wash away a hangover. areiasdoseixo.com

Toronto is so trendy it doesn’t just have a hipster area; it’s a hipster city. Sail-in Cinema (20-22 August 2016) turns Sugar Beach into Toronto’s biggest alfresco film theatre, showing movies under the stars on a screen above a barge in the harbour. If you tire of popcorn, nip off on a tour of the city’s 24- hour restaurants: buttermilk chicken and waffles at 1am at Thompson Diner, Korean comfort food at 3am from Owl of Minerva, or mimosas and eggs benny from the Lakeview at 5am, perhaps. And while you’re in the land of the lumberjack, spend an evening chucking axes around with the Backyard Axe Throwing League, which has overtaken an old munitions factory by the water – it’s good, clean Canadian fun.

For accommodation, hotels don’t come more hip than The Drake: drink cocktails at the panoramic Sky Yard and party in the underground club – then repeat. For something a little more cultural, enjoy original Canadian art at The Hazelton before climbing into your 300-thread-count-linen-topped bed. thedrakehotel.ca

There probably will be a TV in your hotel room, but if you’re watching it, you’re not doing Phuket right. For example, you’ll be missing out on the neon-bright night markets, say, or the plethora of fantastic restaurants local and international Phuket is brimming with. Those who crave an encounter with Thailand’s national treasure can visit the newly opened Phuket Elephant Sanctuary and see the first ethical, ‘saddle off’ elephant attraction in Southern Thailand.

It would be pretty much impossible to celebrate Thailand’s history and heritage without a riot of colour. When you do need some downtime, soothe yourself with a daydreamer’s deluxe treatment in the extensive spa at Twinpalms. A sunrise breakfast in Keemala’s jungle-wrapped Mala restaurant should also be high up on your list. keemala.com

When in Morocco, it’s worth a sunrise start to float in a hot-air balloon over the mist-wreathed Atlas Mountains. But if you prefer the other end of the day, follow prayer calls to the Koutoubia Mosque to see the sun set over the city’s distinctive skyline. Djemaa el-Fna is the place to be once it’s dark: it’s a fragrant, hectic carnival of street food, gnaoua bands and impromptu dancing. Keep your wits about you, though, or you might just end up with a monkey on your shoulders (yes, really).

When it comes to accommodation, you need to figure out what’s most important to you: Riad de Tarabel has an amazing terrace where you can dine overlooking the maze of medina rooftops; El Fenn has a beautiful pool – ideal for a dip before warming up in front of the fire pit; and for breakfast, it has to be Riad Jaaneman, offering up a honey-drenched delight of local pastries. riad-de-tarabel.com

This city never sleeps. And neither should you: there’s eating to be done. Start with a pizza slice from Gansevoort Market, then go roaming in the gloaming along the High Line. Fancy some oysters at midnight? Squeeze into West Village favourite Joseph Leonard. Hungry night owls might flock to Katz’s deli to have ‘what she’s having’, but those in the know head eight blocks north to 24-hour haven Veselka for peerless pierogi and Ola’s famous veal goulash. Have pancakes di ricotta at Five Leaves in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and you’ve got yourself a proper New York morning.

In a city as striking as New York, hotel views need to come high on your priority list. So, keep your curtains open at Hotel Hugo: you won’t mind being woken by dawn breaking over the Hudson. From a suite at The Standard, High Line, you can admire three-way city views from your free-standing bath tub. Or take a side of sunlit skyline with your morning coffee on Hôtel Americano’s roof terrace. At the newly opened 11 Howard, one can follow the spiral staircase up past Dan Attoe’s neon art piece to the Blond bar and settle in with a cocktail – and at the stroke of 9pm, it turns into a nightclub. hotelhugony.com