The North Island Lodge, located in the Seychelles, is the most expensive hotel in the world. That is the main takeaway of a new survey from Luxury-Hotels.com.

The survey was conducted in June and July and is based on double occupancy for the month of August. Resorts surveyed had a minimum 20-guest capacity.

According to those criteria, the private island sanctuary of North Island Lodge is the world’s most extravagant, at $5,843 a night per couple. Part of what makes the resort so expensive is due to the fact that guests are helicoptered into the site, which sits 30 km off the coast of the main island of Mahé.

With 11 guest villas at North Island, the private paradise is also described as a modern-day ‘Noah’s Ark’ for a massive conservation program which aims to protect and rehabilitate local flora, fauna and wildlife like the Hawksbill and green turtles and Seychelles blue pigeons.

Luxury villas meanwhile, are built using scavenged, natural materials from the surrounding area and invite guests to lounge in “barefoot luxury.”

Photos show white sand beaches leading into azure waters, palm tree-fringed villas decorated in sumptuous yet natural materials like stone, recovered wood and wicker furnishings.

The most luxurious hotels list is dominated by resorts and lodgings in Africa, remote islands and destinations in Oceania, and a handful of listings in Italy, France and Canada.

Here are the Top 10 most expensive hotels around the world

1. North Island Lodge, Seychelles $5,843 USD per couple
2. Laucala Resort, Fiji, $5,040
3. Khwai River Lodge, Botswana, $4,060
4. Savute Elephant Camp, Botswana, $4,020
5. Eagle Island Camp & Spa, Botswana, $3,970
6. Singita Grumeti Reserves, Tanzania, $3,570
7. King Pacific Lodge, Canada, $3,249
8. Mnemba Island Lodge, Tanzania, $3,100
9. Hotel Cala di Volpe, Italy, $2,939
10. Queen Charlotte Lodge, Canada, $2,800

For the full list, visit www.luxury-hotels.com/press/survey-2013.html.