Top five sexiest hotels in the world

The winner: Soho House, Istanbul.

Sleek interiors, room service, a huge king-size bed and a Do Not Disturb sign for the door. Sexy hotels are more accessible than ever thanks to the explosion of boutique hotels.

But what makes one sexy?

Ten hotels were short-listed in the Sexiest Design category at this month's travel industry show LE Miami. These properties span the globe and most hit a trifecta of traditional architecture, modern design and a breathtaking location.

"A sexy hotel embraces its neighbourhood and geography," says head of the awards panel, Rana Florida, whose company Creative Class Group consults for luxury firms.

"A hotel that celebrates its diversity and culture, that dares to be different and takes risks."

Here is the top 5:

1: Soho House Istanbul

One of the newest in the clutch of exclusive member clubs and hotels in the Soho House family, the Istanbul outpost opened in June last year in the creative Beyoglu district. Its home is a restored palazzo that dates to 1873. Sexy design credentials include marble floors, dark-wooden doors and layered textures (velvet, leather, you get the idea) to create a moneyed yet laid-back atmosphere. Members of Soho Houses are encouraged not to wear suits.

Rooms from $390 a night.

2: Chicago Athletic Association

Of-the-moment interior designers Roman and Williams (they're doing Anthony Bourdain's New York food hall) worked their magic on this 1893 Venetian Gothic building in downtown Chicago.

Rooms from $323 a night.

3: Drake Devonshire Inn

This sister B&B to Toronto's hip Drake Hotel opened in Wellington, Ontario, in April last year.

Rooms from $260 a night.

4: Elma Arts Complex Luxury Hotel

Elma stands for Elstein Music and Art and this property in Zichron Ya'akov in Israel's Haifa District features art gallery space and performance halls with its 95 elegant guestrooms, pools and spa.

Rooms from $382 a night.

5: Faena Miami Beach

This high-profile new hotel just north of the heart of South Beach lets Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin's signature OTT aesthetic run wild in hotel form, creating one of the most buzzed-about openings of the year. The hotel opened in December and other parts of the Faena development, including a music venue and condos, are still in the works.)

Rooms from $472 a night.