(Penthouse Suite)
45 Park Lane’s exclusive Penthouse Suite can be found on the ninth floor of the hotel and is accessed by key-controlled lift ensuring both privacy and security. The interiors are contemporary in style with art deco influences combining rich dark natural materials with light colours and soft textures.
(Penthouse Suite)
A wrap-around balcony offers panoramic views of London. Guests arrive to an entrance hall benefiting from its own cloakroom which leads through to a spacious living room and separate oval dining room, perfect for entertaining.
Hotel 45 Park Lane
45 Park Lane, Mayfair,
London, W1K 1PN
England
La Grenouillere
62170 La Madelaine sous Montreuil
Normandy
France
T: 33.3 21 06 07 22;
Carved into a hillside on the remote Indian Ocean island of Mahé, Four Seasons Resort Seychelles seeks not to impose itself on the landscape so much as bend to its will. Its 67 villas, including five suites, are wrapped in dense jungle foliage, and feature more outdoor than indoor space. Building materials and design motifs embrace the island’s Creole tradition, as timber and brick give way to breezy, spacious interiors.Of course, Four Seasons Resort Seychelles doesn’t go entirely native.
Private plunge pools, deep soaking tubs, and flat-screen TVs are only some of the amenities you’ll find in each room. The spa, shared fitness facilities, and a massive outdoor infinity pool round out the list of Western accoutrements.The island’s Creole roots are again evinced in Four Seasons Resorts Seychelles’ cuisine. Beachside restaurants serve traditional curried dishes alongside a range of Asian and Western options for the gastronomically timid. But really, try the curry.
Four Seasons Resort Seychelles
Petite Anse, Baie Lazare
Mahé
T: (248) 439 3000
(Rooms from $800 USD per night)
Delaire Graff Estate has achieved what owner and globally renowned visionary Laurence Graff, Chairman of Graff Diamonds International, had in mind when he acquired this magnificent Cape Winelands property in 2003 and vowed to transform it into South Africa’s most desirable art, hospitality and wine destination.
(Deck & Pool)
Today, with two outstanding restaurants, a state-of-the-art winery, exclusive Lodges, a destination Spa and two luxury boutiques, the transformation of this piece of paradise, nestled between majestic mountains and overlooking the vineyards of Stellenbosch, one of the world’s leading wine destinations, is now complete. Striking Cape Dutch architecture meets African artefacts and styling, with original artworks from Laurence Graff’s personal collection on display throughout, representing some of South Africa’s finest contemporary artists.
Delaire Graff Estate Lodges & Spa
Helshoogte Pass
Stellenbosch
Banhoek Valley 7600
South Africa
T. +27 21 885 8160
A luxurious hideaway in the Port wine vineyards of the Douro Valley, Portugal. Stunning scenery and gorgeous accommodations are just some of what Aquapura Douro Valley has to offer.
Aquapura Douro Valley
Wuinta do vale abraão
5100-758 Lamego, Douro
Portugal
T: +351 254 66 06 00
(Bowery King from $450 USD per night)
The Bowery Hotel
335 Bowery
New York, NY 10003
USA
The artsandresidence Casa do Conto (House of Tales) is a charming building in the emerging Cedofeita area in central Porto. It is the result of a restoration project to convert a 19th-century bourgeois home to host demanding and discerning guests in an atmosphere of striking cultural imagery. An innovative project which could only have been possible in the urban setting of a city.
Casa Do Conto
Rua da Boavista, 703
Porto 4050-110
Portugal
(De Luxe Double Room from $600 USD per night)
5 star The Grand Hôtel in Stockholm has been home to celebrities, high-profile events and everyday bon-vivants since 1874. Situated in the best waterfront location imaginable, the hotel overlooks the Royal Palace and Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s old town. The Grand is also home to the classic Swedish Veranda restaurant, renowned for its traditional smörgåsbord, Mathias Dahlgren’s Michelin star restaurants and the spectacular Cadier Bar. For recreation, there’s the Nordic Spa & Fitness club with hot saunas and cool dipping pools.
Grand Hôtel
Södra Blasieholmshamnen 8
P.O. Box 164 24
SE 103 27 Stockholm
Sweden
T: +46 (0)8 – 679 3500
(Tenbosch Junior Suite)
Tenbosch House is conveniently located in central Brussels,in the stylish quartier of Ixelles, just off chic Avenue Louise. with easy access to the galleries, restaurants, trendy shops and historic sites of the city. Tenbosch House is situated between famous Place Chatelain and Place Brugmann.
(Lounge & Bar)
Lounge & Bar is a meeting place for guests and invited locals. Stretching from the front of the house to the rear garden, the Lounge & Bar provides plenty of space for socializing or quiet contemplation of the extensive library that ranges from contemporary art, architecture and design to fashion and beauty.
Tenbosch House
Rue Washington, 131-1331050
Brussels
Belgium
T: +32 2 888 90 90
Hotel The Exchange is a hotel with a special love of fashion. Students of the Amsterdam Fashion Institute dressed the rooms like models on the catwalk. The result: a hotel where architecture meets fashion.Hotel The Exchange has 61 rooms, ranging from 1 to 5 stars. Each room has been designed and dressed by graduates and alumni of the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI). The rooms are as diverse and inspiring, as the neighborhood the hotel lies in.The romantic at heart can fall asleep in a Marie Antoinette-inspired room where a huge dress drapes over the walls and unto the bed. Or, if you prefer a more minimal look, opt for a room that is based on the old fairy tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes.Hotel The Exchange is a concept by Suzanne Oxenaar and Otto Nan, initiators of the Lloyd Hotel & Cultural Embassy. Hotel The Exchange is part of ‘The Red Carpet,’ an urban-renewal project that is aimed at giving the Damrak a more diverse and fashionable look.The hotel is located in three buildings, of which the oldest dates back to the 17th century. In the same buildings there is a 230 m2 contemporary department store Options! and a restaurant Stock that serves breakfast till late
The Exhange
Damrak 49
1012 LL
Amsterdam
Netherlands
T: 020-6201400
The Samujana development blends luxury and elegance with modern Thai architecture, designed and created by Gfab Architects. Live in staff will attend to your every desire. A highly qualified cook can create mouth watering Thai and Western cuisine if you require it. If you would like a relaxing massage or spa treatment, this can be arranged to take place in your room. Samujana also has a grass tennis court which is kept in pristine condition.Samujana occupies a tranquil location with all villas overlooking the sparkling ocean and rolling hills of Koh Samui, yet it is still only a few minutes drive away from the vibrant beach front area of Chaweng.
Samujana,
63/22 Moo 5 Chong Mon Beach
Tambon Bophut
Koh Samui 84320
Thailand
The Park Hotel at Hyderabad, a 270 room flagship property of The Park Hotels’ collection of boutique hotels is one of the finest luxury hotels in Hyderabad. The hotel’s contemporary design derives succor from Hyderabad’s traditional lineage as a historical nerve centre and a modern day capital of design and production of precious stones and rich textiles. The breathtaking façade references jewelry settings and metal reminiscent of the Nizam’s legendary jewellery collection.The unique perforated metal exterior has been inspired by the ‘Jalis’ of old Indian palaces, while the naturally illuminated, indulgently luxurious interiors reflect traditions of patterning, craftsmanship and style. With a jewel tuned palette and custom installations, lighting and furniture in the rooms and suites, all inspired by the legendary jewels of the Nizams, every guest would feel like royalty.This Hyderabad hotel brings to you exceptional spaces; from the varied range of rooms and suites to choose from to the choicest of lounges, hippest of restaurants and other areas of absolute entertainment. The array of facilities, services and recreational options added to the fantastic location of being right in the heart of the leading business and pulsating city, guests at The Park are guaranteed to have a truly inspired stay.
Park Hotel *******
22, RajBhavan Road
Somajiguda
Hyderabad
India
T: 040 23456789
A constellation of islands lay in the shimmering waters of the Indian Ocean, where the last true vision of paradise can be found. Less than a one hour flight from Malé, up to the Maldives’ uncharted northern edge, beckons an island of singular beauty. Over 17 acres of palm-edged, pristine sand rises Viceroy Maldives, where only 61 villas encircle a lagoon of startling blue.No detail remains unanswered, with Viceroy’s unparalleled service enriching the resort’s soaring interiors and elemental lounge areas. Five diverse dining venues, including the Treehouse (which blends East African and Middle Eastern cuisines), offer everything from casual beachside cuisine to elegant fare while incorporating Asian and European influences. Treatments and yoga at the Ayurvedic spa are balanced by the island’s wealth of outdoor activities accessible from the Dive & Watersports Center. Here, at Viceroy Maldives, seclusion and rejuvenation are realized within a world of total luxury.
Viceroy Maldives Resort
Vagaru Island P.O. Box 2031
Shaviyani Atoll
Maldives
T: +960 654 5000
(Junior Suite from €360 EUR)
At Barcelona’s Ohla hotel, it’s understood that the evolution of an urban center is a delicate and time-intensive operation. In a city where it might take well over 100 years to build one church (see: Sagrada Familia), it pays to consider your design and architecture choices carefully. Make a wrong move, and you may well be laughed right out of town.74 rooms are modern, minimalist, and dressed in stark shades of black and white. The scheme here is in the details.
(Rooftop Pool)
Fresh, bespoke scents lace bedsheets of your choosing, natural oak flooring sits warm beneath your feet, and custom curated music mixes and bathsalts wait just as you’ve requested them.Barcelona is a social place, so it makes perfect sense that all four dining and reclining spaces open out to the city. Whether you seek gastronomic bliss at the Michelin starred Sauc Restaurant or a casual bite and poolside cocktail way up high at the rooftop bar, your senses will always be dually intrigued by the tastes of the city, and the feeling of its air on your cheek.
Ohla Hotel (*****)
Via Laietana 49
08003 Barcelona
Spain
T: 933 415 050
The former Palace Hotel fronting Shanghai’s Bund waterfront is one of the city’s oldest hotels. In its opening year, 1909, the First International Opium Commission was held here, and Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling celebrated their engagement in 1927.
Winding the clock forward to 2011, this venerable landmark has been re-set as an ‘art residence’ for jet-set artists and travellers by new leaseholders, the Swatch Group.
The Swatch Art Peace Hotel
中国上海市南京东路23号(外滩19号),邮编:200002
23 East Nanjing Road (Bund 19)
Shanghai 200002
China
T: +86 21 23298500
It’s taken almost 150-years to realize its original design for a restaurant within the famed Palais Garnier – but alas in 2011 comes the restaurant inside that grand rotunda space that’s immediately become the toughest reservation in Paris. Designed by Odile Decq, the booming architect behind Rome’s award-winning Museum of Contemporary Art, the restaurant is concealed behind the pillars of the eastern facade within a glass sarcophagus supported by a single piece of steel.
The multi-level restaurant features an upper mezzanine as dramatic as the best Puccini opera, with grand staircase lined in red carpet ready for its solo act. At the helm of the restaurant is Christophe Aribert of Grenoble’s 2-star Michelin ‘Les Terrasses’ creating traditional French dishes with local sourced products including an herb and honey garden on the rooftop. The menu is adapted from classic French dishes in true gastronomic style, reinvented around key ingredients sourced personally by the chef from his favorite food purveyors and growers. An additional bar space doesn’t disappoint, offering opera theme cocktails like a classic Martini Charles and Phantom by Martini. Paris Opera lands first-ever restaurant designed by Odile Decq with 2-star Michelin chef Christophe Aribert at the helm.
L’Opéra Restaurant
Opera Garnier Place
Jacques Rouché Paris
75009 France
T: (33) 01 53 86 09 09
(Chambers Suite from £488 GBP per night)
A Victorian masterpiece restored…Sir John Betjeman called this Gothic treasure “too beautiful and too romantic to survive” in a world of tower blocks and concrete. After years of devoted restoration, the St Pancras Renaissance London Hotel is being hailed as the city’s most romantic building.
(Chambers Suite from £488 GBP per night)
This London 5-star hotel features glorious Gothic Revival metalwork, gold leaf ceilings, hand-stencilled wall designs – and the grand staircase are as dazzling as the day the hotel opened in 1873. Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott to receive travellers through St Pancras Station, the former Midland Grand Hotel offered its guests a world of grandeur, luxury and fantasy behind its fairytale red facade. Innovations such as ascending rooms (elevators) and revolving doors heightened the sense of awe. In 2011, the doors of his luxury hotel in London are spinning again, sweeping guests into a world where modern amenities mingle with the extravagance of rail’s golden age.
St. Pancras Marriot Renaissance Hotel *****
Euston Road
London, NW1 2AR
United Kingdom
(Lounge)
Fresh, bright and inspired by Hyde Park greenery, Four Seasons presents a completely new experience in the heart of Mayfair. Chic interiors soar with light and liveliness. High-style dining brings the gardens indoors. Above it all, a glass-walled rooftop spa blends sophisticated pampering with 360-degree views. Smoothly skilful Four Seasons staff provide the most devoted personal care – curating the very best of London.
(Park Suite from £3.000 GBP)
The Park suite living room features a fireplace, lounge seating for six including a sofabed, a dining area for six, a writing desk, an enhanced audiovisual system and a 42-inch (107-centimetre) LCD television.
(Amaranto Restaurant/Bar)
Presenting a new concept in luxury hotel dining, Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane is destined to be among the city’s most fashionable venues for cuisine and cocktails. Amaranto is a single destination near Hyde Park with three different areas – restaurant, bar and lounge – serving a consistent Italian-inspired menu throughout the day. Simply choose the setting most appropriate for your occasion and mood.Amaranto Restaurant offers a warm environment that extends to a sun-filled glass conservatory and al fresco dining in the private garden overlooking Park Lane. Amaranto Bar provides a clubby, social destination, featuring a dramatic glass wall of wine bottles. Amaranto Lounge is a succession of three window-side rooms, providing a casually elegant meeting place.
Four Seasons
Hamilton Place, Park Lane
London W1J 7DR
England
T:+44 (20) 7499-0888
The Hotel Aire de Bardenas is a four star hotel with 22 rooms including four deluxe suites, piercing alongside the Bardenas Reales National Park and Biosphere Reserve in Tudela, Spain. The restaurant invites you to sit and enjoy authentic savory dishes in the middle of nature. The chefs cultivate the same products served to your table. Vegetarians will find themselves in paradise with the vegetables from the Ribera of Navarre, their speciality. Each room combines comfort and well being with simplicity and naturalness. Some of the rooms include a private patio with an exterior bathtub.
Hotel Aire De Bardenas
Ctra. de Ejea, Km. 1,5
31500 Tudela
Spain
T: 948 11 66 66
(Cityscape Corner Room from $269 USD)
Nolita — “North of Little Italy” – is your neighborhood in New York and The Nolitan Hotel is your home when you’re here.At the corner of Kenmare and Elizabeth Streets, The Nolitan Hotel is the first luxury boutique hotel in Manhattan to open in this authentic New York City neighborhood.
Nolitan Hotel
30 Kenmare Street
New York, NY 10012
USA
T: (212) 925-2555
(Round Caged Bed, Hotel Pamplona, Osaka 2005)
Sex creates odd cultural conventions everywhere, but nowhere has an institution quite like the Japanese love hotel. To be rented by the hour for amorous liaisons, the theme rooms revealed in this provocative collection of photographs are steeped in fantasy, their elaborate dcor ranging from simulated subway cars to religious bondage with much kink in between. These brash rooms are fascinating in themselves, but also present a window into a very classified aspect of this society. The foreword by best-selling author Natsuo Kirino and passages from hotel guest books lend humor and context to these 80 haunting room portraits, creating an astonishing document of sex and romance, public and private space in Japan.
(Basement Room #1, Hotel Pamplona, Osaka)
Misty Keasler regularly contributes to Texas Monthly and Dwell magazine. She lives in Dallas.Natsuo Kirino is the author of Out, which was a recipient of the Grand Prix for Crime Fiction in Japan and one of its major literary awards, the Naoki Prize. She lives in Tokyo.
- ($26.13 USD) Book:Love Hotels: The Hidden Fantasy Rooms of Japan
(Deluxe Water Villa)
Discover barefoot luxury at the award-winning Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort, set on two private islands among miles of idyllic white-sand beach and unspoilt reef. Arrive at our Maldives hotel in style in a seaplane over the lagoon, dine in the world’s first all-glass, undersea restaurant and indulge in luxurious spa therapies.Sited in a picturesque corner of the Maldives, our luxury Maldives resort is spread across two islands, surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and lagoon.
Twice voted ‘Best Hotel in the World’ and several times ‘Best Resort’, our Maldives hotel boasts 50 luxurious water villas, 79 exotic beach villas and 21 fabulous spa water villas with private treatment rooms.
The Wine Cellar. This chilled cellar sits six feet below sea level and features a selection of 600 fine wines. The Wine Cellar is a paradise for wine-lovers: sit with the resort’s sommelier at the communal table fitted with interactive personal screens, while a five-course dégustation menu is presented by the Chef, and each dish is paired with a matching wine.
Conrad Resort & Hotels
Rangali Island, 2034
Maldives
T: 960-668-0629
(Owners lodge from $2700 USD per night)
Situated on the highest crest of the magnificent Helshoogte Mountain Pass linking the Cape’s two leading wine districts – Stellenbosch and Franschhoek – the Delaire Graff Estate has one of the leading restaurants and boutique hotels in this illustrious vineyard region, if not in South Africa itself. The Estate has achieved what the owner Laurence Graff, Chairman and founder of Graff Diamonds International, had in mind when he vowed to make it one of South Africa’s ultra premier winery, restaurant and hotel destinationsExpect to discover the world’s most exceptional accommodation, art, design, food and wine in one of the most exceptional natural settings. Delaire Graff Estate Hotel and Spa combines understated elegance with state-of-the-art design; a sense of provenance with modern sustainability; and abundant nature with all the creature comforts that one would expect from a leading international luxury brand like Graff Diamonds.Continuing the theme set by the restaurant and wine cellar, architect Pierre Bories of France-based Palm Architects and his team conceptualised a delightful blend of classic and indigenous architecture for the Hotel and Spa. Scale is determined by vineyards and trees, with structures nestling into the scenery, and simple contemporary forms and spacious volumes opening onto wooden decks, creating a seamless flow between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Delaire Graff Estate
P.O. Box 3058
Stellenbosch 7602
South Africa
T: +27 21 885-8160
(Rates from €475 – 2395 EUR)
Château de Bagnols is in the village of Bagnols, near Lyon. Located in the Beaujolais region of south-east France, it’s surrounded by both Beaujolais and Burgundian vineyards. There’s a golf course not far away, and tennis courts within easy walking distance. The Lyon international airport is within 45-minutes’ drive and Lyon train stations are 30-minutes’ drive.
The suites are very charming and romantic. Set among vineyards, forests and green hills in the heart of the Beaujolais countryside is the 13th-century castle Château de Bagnols. The lovingly restored Château retains many of its original features including the spectacular stone vaulted cellar and their own incredible 1* star michelin restaurant.
Nothing is left to chance, nothing is too much trouble – especially in the kitchen. Lyon is world famous for its cooking and food markets, and the Chef at the Château de Bagnols is justly proud of his seductive restaurant menus, which offer a range of regional specialities, traditional spit-roasted meats and game and inspired new dishes.Meanwhile, the Sommelier offers guests, from his splendid and varied wine list, all the subtle varieties of taste of the various Beaujolais wines, including the ten celebrated Beaujolais crus, as well as any of the great wines of neighbouring Burgundy.
Indeed, the Chateau de Bagnols wine list features the finest wines of France and many other countries. On fine days, you might choose to eat out of doors on the south-facing terrace under the shade of the 100-year-old lime trees; a sublimely romantic location. From here, you look down to the gently splashing fountain, which stands at the centre of the park surrounded by an orchard of cherry trees underplanted with wild flowers. Beyond, there lies a dazzling panorama, which melts into the hazy distance of hills covered in vineyards and woods.
Château De Bagnols
69620 Bagnols
France
T: +33 (0) 4 74 71 40 00
Find chic relaxation on a horseshoe-shaped bay of crystal-clear turquoise water, at Brazil’s Insólito Boutique Hotel.Pairing Mediterranean design with chilled-out luxury, Insólito is set on lush Ferradura Beach in Armação de Búzios. With 26 beaches, the five-mile long peninsula is a beach lover’s dream, offering warm, calm water for swimming and snorkeling, and open sea for surfing.The 12 spacious rooms and suites maximize the stunning sea views, and feature modern interiors done in tasteful themes celebrating Brazil’s landscape and rich culture. Designer furniture, spa bathrooms, and fine linens are standard.The hotel restaurant (reserve the rooftop deck for the best sunset) serves flavorful French-Brazilian cuisine, including plenty of local seafood. And the gorgeous outdoor saltwater pool must be seen – and tested – to be believed.
Insolito Hotel, Búzios, Brazil
Praia da Ferradura
Rua E1 – Lotes 3 e 4
Condomínio Atlântico
CEP 28950-000
Búzios, Rio de Janeiro
Brazil
The quintisentially British luxury of the Connaught hotel has been given a classic update in the form of it’s sensational new bar, designed by internationally renowned designer, David Collins. Collins, famous for his work at The Blue Bar and The Landau, has gracefully updated what was once the American Bar as part of the Connaught’s recent £70 million refurbishment.
Connaught Hotel
Carlos Place
Mayfair London W1K 2AL
England
+44 (0)20 7499 7070
(Room from $199 USD per night. Penhouse suite is $799 USD)
I love staying at this small boutique hotel when I’m in New York.
Night Hotel
132 W 45th St,
New York, NY 10036
USA
Lying 264-meters below sea level, Ma’In Hot Springs is the inspired site for the well appointed Evason Ma’In Hot Springs. Set like an oasis in the dramatic terrain, the location is easily accessible and defines the resort and spa experience in the Middle East – making it a destination of choice for those seeking the perfect retreat to relax and be pampered whilst enjoying the therapeutic benefits of Ma’In hot spring waterfalls.
Evason Ma’In Hot Springs
P.O. Box 801 Madaba
11117 Ma’In
Jordan
T: +962 5 324 5500
(From 550 EUR per night)
Even by Italian standards, Positano is naturally breathtaking: its colorful houses and churches cling desperately to the mountainside, with postcard-perfect views of the sea coming seemingly a dime a dozen. Perhaps a bit more than a dime, actually; it’s possible (if unlikely) that there are still some secret places left on the Italian coasts, untouched by tourism, but even if that’s true, Positano certainly isn’t one of them.Il San Pietro isn’t much of a secret either, and the key to its appeal is quite simple; it may just be the best hotel on the Amalfi Coast, and is a strong contender for any global list.A small 17th-century chapel devoted to San Pietro marks the hotel entrance, and the rest of the property hangs on the cliffside below, each level descending the face like a staircase—perhaps a disquieting experience for those not comfortable with heights, but offering unparalleled views of the sea from every room and every terrace. The hotel is built just one room deep, and there are no inferior views; each room hugs the cliff at its back side and opens onto a private terrace at the front.Given the views, the interiors are almost irrelevant. Fortunately they haven’t been neglected: rooms are spacious, with tile floors, individually designed in a spare and tasteful style.
Standard and deluxe rooms differ mostly in size, and the “special” rooms offer such unique details as glass-walled bathrooms for bathing with a view.The restaurant at the hotel’s top offers traditional Italian cuisine with stunning views of the Gulf of Salerno, as does the swimming pool, carved dramatically into the terraced cliffside. A lift descends from the hotel lobby to a private beach below, complete with a seaside cocktail bar.All of this paradise on earth means Il San Pietro is not exactly a budget hotel—“exclusive” hardly begins to describe the situation. Positano is one of the world’s great hideaways, a celebrity haunt for decades, and Il San Pietro has seen its share of the beautiful people; one guess who room 8½ is named for.
Il San Pietro di Positano
Via Laurito, 2
Positano, Campania
Italy
(From 350 USD per night)
Generously dotted amid the coastal forest, Phuket boutique hotel Sri Panwa’s seductive collection of 52 luxury villas slopes down to the sea via the warm white sands of its private beach. Each glass-boxed bedroom overlooks vast swathes of ocean and, if your bed were any closer to your private pool, your pillow would be wet.
Sri Panwa
88 Moo 8 Sakdidej Rd.,
Tambon Vichit, Phuket
Thailand
(Junior Suite from only €209 EUR per night)
St. Georg is one of Hamburg’s most vibrant, diverse neighbourhoods, rife with trendy boutiques good restaurants, reputable theatres and inviting street cafés. The latest addition to the local scene is the new George Hotel, which adds a touch of old-school elegance to the hip and fashionable quarter.Interior designer Sibylle von Heyden of SynergyHamburg chose old, English-style social clubs as her inspiration for The George, combining classic sensibilities with modern design motifs. Accordingly, the hotel features a noble library, a smoker’s lounge complete with leather furniture, a sophisticated bar and an impressive restaurant serving Mediterranean fare. The George’s 118 rooms, five junior suites and two penthouses all come equipped with flat-screen TV, Internet access, mini-bar and safe, while three grand, timber-floored event rooms provide for all business and entertainment needs. And after a day out on the town shopping, site-seeing or admiring Hamburg’s charming Alster Lake – only a few minutes walk from the hotel itself – guests can relax at The George’s light-flooded rooftop spa, an urban retreat in the middle of the bustling Hanseatic City.
The George Hotel
Barcastraße 3
22087
Hamburg
Germany
T: +49 (0) 40/ 28 00 30 0
(From only $434 USD per night)
Secluded, serene and so seafront you’re almost in the water, tropical island hideaway Abacá Boutique Resort teams a seductive spa with Med-influenced fine dining to romantic effect. Cool, contemporary suites showcase the work of renowned local designers (including Brad Pitt’s bed-maker) alongside ethnic touches from the Philippines’ archipelago, warm, dark woods and soothing stone.
Abacá Boutique Resort
Punta Engaño Rd
Lapu-Lapu City 6015
Philippines
T:032 495 3461
(From $624 USD per night)
Surrounded by Khoalak‘s pristine, breathtaking beach and benefiting the rare sense of serenity. Casa de La Flora provides the perfect getaway from the bustling city life. Not only we offer a peace of mind through the well-preserved, first-class tropical beauties and lush flowers strewn over the premise, our unique design hotel is also attentive to the design details.
Triumphing aesthetically modern and cutting edge architecture.Casa de La Flora’s prevalent features exudes neoteric lifestyle and fashionable holidaying but without forgetting to add in tangible warmth, homegrown hospitality and graceful service to the mix.At Casa de La Flora, we blend privacy, peace, beauty,nature, comfort together with style, sewing it on a trendy silver plate.
Casa De La Flora
67/213 Moo5, Khuk Khak,
Takuapa. Phang Nga 82190
Thailand
(From €780 EUR per night. Crédits Photo : Harald Gottschalk/LaSociétéAnonyme)
Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris offers a lively and elegant artistic residence featuring the legendary hallmark of luxury Raffles service. Designed completely by the renowned Philippe Starck, each room captures the charm, joy and vibrancy that is quintessentially Paris.
(From €780 EUR per night. Crédits Photo : Harald Gottschalk/LaSociétéAnonyme)
Located minutes from Arc-de-Triomphe and a 5 minute walk from the Champs-Elysées; the hotel will be a playground for intellectuals, artists, epicureans, dreamers and adventurous souls.
(From €780 EUR per night. Crédits Photo : Harald Gottschalk/LaSociétéAnonyme)
Featuring the largest indoor hotel pool in Paris at 28 meters long, a gastronomic Italian fine dining restaurant, exiting traditional French cuisine at La Cuisine and the famous Pierre Hermé as executive Pastry chef, a visit to Paris will not be complete without an experience at Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris
Le Royal Monceau
37 avenue Hoche
Paris
France
(Rooms from €600 EUR in high-season)
The Sezz Saint-Tropez, like an island nestling within a tiny peninsula, is an inventive combination of charm and design which creates that special feeling of escape.The 35 rooms are more akin to bungalows and open onto outdoor showers, terraces and private gardens.Plus 2 villas with outdoor shower, terrace and private pool & garden.The hotel has the facilities to cater for the needs of guests with limited mobility.
Also, be sure to check out the Dom Perignon bar!
Hotel Sezz
Route Des Salins
83990 Saint-Tropez
France
T: +33 (0)4 94 55 31 55
The Saxon is easily the most awarded hotel in South Africa. It is being voted ‘South Africa’s Leading Boutique Hotel’ since 2001. It has also been recognized and honored as ‘World’s Leading Boutique Hotel’, “Africa’s Leading Boutique Hotel”, “Africa’s Leading Suite” and one of the “Leading Small Hotels of the World”. It was originally the home of insurance giant Douw Steyn. It was converted into a boutique hotel with 24 luxury hotel suites and opened its doors in June 2000. He wanted it to be the exclusive venue that exceeded the expectations of any leisure or business traveler.The Saxon is spread on six acres of lush landscaped gardens. Located in the exclusive suburb of Sandhurst, Johannesburg, the hotel has a stately staircase and a central glass dome that allows natural light and brightens up the luxury boutique hotel. The main hotel consists of 20 Egoli suites and four Presidential Suites. All electronic gadgets and amenities HD LCD televisions, Blu-ray/DVD player, state-of-the-art surround-sound music systems are provided in every suite. Every premium suite features a lounge, a dining room and a guest suite. The bathroom with the master bedroom boasts of Jacuzzi and steam room.The Saxon Restaurant provides some of the finest cuisine and the world class chefs keep reinventing the menu afresh. The award winning sommelier will suggest the perfect wine from the perfect vintage for each course. Chef’s Table is the new addition to the hotel, dressed with crisp white linen and the finest silver, crystal glassware and bone china dinnerware located in the heart of the state-of-the-art kitchen. The Saxon Spa and Studio has also been recognized as a ‘Leading Spas of the World’ and provides several Signature Therapies. The Villas have added a new dimension to the hotel by providing five-star hotel service combined with freedom and privacy.
Saxon
36 Saxon Road, Sandhurst
Johannesburg 2196
South Africa
Luxury design boutique hotel located on the shores of the Bosphorus, in the city center of Istanbul at Ortakoy.
The House Hotel
Salhane Sokak No: 1,
Ortaköy, Istanbul
Turkey
(Villa by Barton G. rates begin at $850 a night)
Experience an incomparable hotel stay at The Villa By Barton G., a sanctuary on Ocean Drive where your every desire is realized.Delight in the attentions of your round-the-clock personal butler. Luxuriate in one of the Villa’s 10 custom hotel suites featuring king or custom double king size beds, custom Italian marble oversized bathrooms with two shower heads, expansive closet space, separate living rooms or sitting areas and balconies or patios. Enjoy exclusive access to The Thousand Mosaic Pool and two private lounges. Dine in The Villa’s restaurant, set in hotel’s the pebble-mosaiced Dining Room with a focus on refined continental cuisine, or choose to breakfast or lunch en suite or poolside. End the day with The Villa’s signature Nightly Nibbles, turndown treats that insure the sweet dreams.Find respite inside the walls of 19,000-square-foot Villa or venture steps from the hotel to enjoy fine dining, shopping and entertainment.The Villa By Barton G., your oasis in South Beach.
The Villa By Barton G
1116 Ocean Drive
Miami Beach
USA
T: +01 (305) 576-8003
(The new boutique self-catering accommodation in Valletta, Malta. “Lucia Nova Suite”)
No Hotel, is a Maltese house – historic, slightly worn at the edges, a little bit of the old mixed with the new. Distressed original walls preserved for their beauty, are combined with beautiful fabrics and contemporary design furniture and lamps. Located in the old quarter of the town, where the windows and balconies are festooned with the day’s washing, hanging out like street decorations ready for a parade.Lucia Nova is a place to inspire and stimulate; this is achieved both by the location and the interior design, giving guests a feeling of luxury in an old part of town full of surprises and beauty. This makes Valletta by far the most fascinating and interesting city life in the whole of Malta.The walls of Lucia Nova have recently been compared to ‘The Therapy Room’ in the award winning movie The King’s Speech.
The Valletta Suites
St Lucia Street
Valletta VLT 1515
Malta
T: (0)7948 8047
(From 28.000 YEN per night)
Fujiya Inn is a 8-room, 4-star, Japanese-style Inn in the Yamagata Perfecture in Japan. Situated on Ginzan Hot Springs, Fujiya Inn is a getaway that offers a seamless transition from the serenity of the Inn and guest rooms, to the hot springs and surrounding area of outstanding natural beauty.
The 3-story, all wooden, and authentic-styled Fujiya Inn is a place to relax and unwind, forget the stresses of day-to-living and enjoy some of the best natural hot springs available in Japan.
Fujiya Inn
443 Shinpata Oaza Ginzan Obanazawa
Yamagata 999-4333
Japan
T: +81-237-28-2141
(Perivolas Suitea from €1600 EUR)
true definition of contemporary luxury, the Perivolas Suite covers over 140 sq. meters, including a separate ensuite bedroom with a double bed and king-sized bed in the living room area. Located on the top floor, this suite offers magnificent panoramic sea view from the private terrace under a traditional pergola. The suite has a private spa facility offering steam bath and hydrotherapy massage pool.
(Perivolas Suitea from €1600 EUR)
The private swimming pool (not heated) stretches out to the grand terrace completing the harmonious atmosphere. An experience of unsurpassed romance and luxury, where living and sleeping areas combine into one huge living space, exemplify the rustic side of an idealistic retreat. The Perivolas Suite is an oasis of modern idleness symbolizing extravagance and class.
(Perivolas Suitea from €1600 EUR)
Perivolas is the ultimate in laidback luxury. Poised on the cliff high above the Aegean, this intimate escape is designed as a place where you can let the rest of the world slip away. Built amphitheatrically, Perivolas’ secluded location combines expansive views with the luxury of absolute tranquillity. It’s just a short walk from Oia, the most beautiful village on Greece’s most romantic and dramatic island, Santorini.
Perivolas Suites
GR-847 02 Oia Santorini
Greece
T: (0030) 22860 71308
(From $183 USD per night)
In a new four-storey sandstone building, Le Gray’s smooth façade, ranks of tall, narrow windows and street-level sunshades seem straight out of French Mandate Beirut. This historical sleight of hand is courtesy of Kevin Dash, who introduces overt modernity in the glass-walled rooftop bar, the ice cube-like infinity pool overlooking Martyrs’ Square and the Med, and the Bundestag-esque light well at the hotel’s heart. Gordon Campbell Gray and Mary Fox Linton decorated the 87 rooms.
Hotel Le Gray
Martyrs Square
Central Beirut District
Lebanon
T: 01-971111
(Mesa Suite from $1.000 USD per night)
Amangiri (peaceful mountain) is located on 600 acres in Canyon Point, Southern Utah, close to the border with Arizona. The resort is tucked into a protected valley with sweeping views towards the Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument.
Built around a central swimming pool with spectacular views, the resort blends into its dramatic surrounds where deep canyons and towering plateaus create a raw landscape of immense power.
Amangiri’s Aman Spa features a floatation therapy pavilion, water pavilion with sauna, steam room, cold plunge and step pool, fitness centre and yoga pavilion.
Amangiri
1 Kayenta Road
Canyon Point
Utah. 84741-285
USA
T: +01 435 675 3999
Aquapura Douro Valley is a 5 star boutique hotel in a dream location by the Douro River where harmony and comfort are met. The exclusive manor house that harbours the hotel was built in the 19th century by a Port wine producer and today you will find an inspiring blend of the original architecture and a touch of modern design.Called Portugal’s first six-star hotel, this hotel will charm you with its calm atmosphere, its wonderful surroundings in the Douro Valley where the river flows by beautiful and endless fields of vineyards and with an exquisite décor that include hand picked art objects brought from Asia.Those of you who enjoy pampering and luxury in a friendly environment, will find this hotel (member of ‘Small Luxury Hotels of the World’) a must.Your stay at the Aquapura Hotel in the Douro valley will inspire your soul and mind.
Aquapura Douro Valley Hotel, Portugal
Quinta do vale abraão
5100-758 lamego
Douro
Portugal
T: +351 254 66 06 00
(Diamond suite from €280 EUR)
Located in the middle of the Medina (old city) of Fez, Riad Le Calife is a historic home of the last century (1933), recently converted into a charming guesthouse.Accommodations at Riad Le Calife include three prestigious suites and four charming rooms. Three lounge areas overlooking the patio are available to guests for their leisure: a lounge-bar, a dining room and a reception-lounge–library. The Riad also has two terraces (the pergola bar and the Caid’s tent), which offer a stunning panoramic view of the Medina. To complete the remarkable experience of body, mind and spirit, a relaxation salon is also available to guests seeking complete tranquillity.
Riad Le Calife
19 bis derb el ouarbiya
el makhfia Fès Médina
Maroc
T: 00 212 (0) 5 35 76 26 08
(Casitas $350; Villas From $1.500 USD; La Loma From $9,000)
A sprawling swathe of jungles, beach, wilderness and fruit plantations two hours from Puerto Vallarta, Cuixmala is one of Mexico’s biodiversity hotspots, but it’s the Moorish Palace-inspired casas and casitas that make this Costa Alegre boutique hotel such a breath-taking stay. Kissinger, Reagan and Nixon holidayed here when it was home to British billionaire James Goldsmith. Now managed by his daughter Alix, this Pacific paradise attracts A-listers to its immaculate suites like butterflies to bonfires.
Cuixmala
KM 45 Carreterra Barra De Navidad
Puerto Vallarta
Mexico
Hôtel Les Bains-Douches
4 & 4 Bis, Rue du Pont Guilheméry
rue de la Charité
31000 Toulouse
T: +33 (0)5 62 72 52 52
(Villa Sol De Occidente From $4.000 USD)
Located in the most desirable position in Careyes, the castle sits at the end of a pristine peninsula between the sleeping Playa Teopa and the charming Playa Careyitos. Surrounded by a vast swimming pool, the castle’s bedrooms and living areas have views to the ocean, coastline, beaches and mountains. An electric gondola takes guests to a small private beach with palapa.
The inspired design includes a romantic bedroom suite inside a tower located on the cliff’s edge. Incomparable.
Rentals Careyes
KM 53 Carr. Barra De Navidad
Puerto Vallarta
Costalegre, Jalisco
48980 Mexico
T: + 52 (315) 3510 320
(‘Tower Room’ From 610 EUR, Three original and unusual rooms situated in La Reserve’s round tower, enjoying a panoramic view over the Mediterranean and the many different trees and shrubs of the hotel garden)
La Reserve de Beaulieu is a legendary destination of charm on the Riviera, an exceptional location in the pure tradition of Mediterranean palazzi…In keeping with Beaulieu-sur-Mer, La Reserve breathes the sweet Mediterranean way of life. It is above all a byword for luxury and relaxation. The hotel staff consists of 130 persons dedicated to the tranquillity and pleasure of the guests.Under the guiding hand of the Delion family, which has owned the premises since 1997, the pink palace has come into its own, embodying the art of the welcome in a spirit which is both luxurious and discreet, in perfect harmony with the unique natural setting. La Reserve was founded in 1880 by Pierre Lottier, a restaurant owner from Nice. It began as a luxury seafood restaurant, and “La Reserve” was the nickname given to the live fish tank which Pierre Lottier had dug out in order to stock the local fishermen’s catch.In 1905, La Reserve de Beaulieu added some ten prestigious rooms reinforcing its status as preferred destination of the world’s aristocracy flocking to the Cote d’Azur.Aristocrats, captains of industry and artists used to meet up at La Reserve : King Gustave V of Sweden, King Leopold II of Belgium, Leo Tolstoy, Sir Thomas Lipton, Gustave Eiffel and Mistinguett to name but a few.The American press magnate and sports lover Gordon Bennett Jr became a great habitué of La Reserve and promoted it in his newspaper, The New York Herald.He gave the palace a unique window on the world by furnishing it with the first telephone number (04 93 01 00 01) and by encouraging road and local transport infrastructures.La Reserve lived through the Belle Epoque, the Great War, the Roaring Twenties…At the end of the Second World War, the new owners built a large Florentine style villa adjoining the restaurant’s veranda.La Reserve’s celebrity guest book from this period and the following years is a compendium of illustrious guests from the fifties and the age of glamour such as Rita Hayworth, Clark Gable, Paul Newman, Charlie Chaplin, or Edith Piaf, Jean Marais, Frank Sinatra…La Reserve de Beaulieu’s current owners are Nicole and Jean-Claude Delion who have vowed to continue the tradition of this palace on the Cote d’Azur
(The Restaurant des Rois)
The jewel in the crown of La Reserve, the gastronomic restaurant was described early on as “the Restaurant of Kings and the King of Restaurants” by a gastronomic critic.The restaurant, which has been regaling the finest palates of the planet since its opening in 1880, has carried on the good work and today, thanks to the efforts of its Chef – Olivier Samson – carries two stars in the Michelin Guide and 17/20 in Gault&Millau guide.
La Réserve De Beaulieu & Spa
5 Boulevard du Maréchal Leclerc
06310 Beaulieu-sur-Mer,
France
T: 04 93 01 00 01
(Deluxe Cabbana w. Private plunge pool from $448 USD per night)
In the early 1980s, Francis Ford Coppola visited Belize, immediately fell in love with the location, and purchased the abandoned Blancaneaux Lodge. For more than a decade the resort was used as a family retreat before Francis opened his tropical paradise to the public in 1993.Tucked away in a pocket of the Maya Mountains, Blancaneaux Lodge is a 20-room luxury resort where waterfalls tumble into turquoise pools above the jungle canopy. Its remote mountain setting makes it a perfect place to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.Guests can also explore the ancient civilization of the Maya, which still endures in the sacred sites throughout this magical region. From the ceremonial caves along the white-water rivers of the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve to stalactite caverns and the vast ruins of Caracol deep within the lush rainforest, Blancaneaux is your window into the world of natural and archaeological wonders.
(Deluxe Cabbana w. Private plunge pool from $448 USD per night)
Blancaneaux Lodge is located in the northwest corner of the 107,000-acre Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve in western Belize’s Cayo District. The lodge itself is nestled on the bank of Privassion Creek and is set among tropical pines, oaks, palmetto, craboo and ancient melastome shrubs. Within a couple of miles of the lodge lie the steep limestone hills and valleys of the 13,000-acre Noj Kaax Meen Elijio Panti National Park. The dense jungle, steep ravines, spectacular waterfalls and fast flowing rivers are uninhabited and home to many rare or endangered species of flora and fauna.Beyond the Mountain Pine Ridge lies the vast uninhabited network of 14 protected areas that comprise the 1.2 million acre Maya Mountain Massif. Less than an hour drive along dirt roads to Guacamallo Bridge, the granite bedrock and red soils of the Mountain Pine Ridge meet the karst limestone and moist tropical broadleaf forests of the 264,000-acre Chiquibul National Park and the Caracol Archaeological Reserve.
(Deluxe Cabbana w. Private plunge pool from $448 USD per night)
Blancaneaux Lodge
Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve
P.O. Box B, Central Farm,
Cayo District
Belize
T: 011-501-824-3878
