Shortly before the country was engulfed in the region’s wars and revolutions, Cambodia’s prince and future king, Norodom Sihanouk, tapped French architect Laurent Mondet to design a paean to mid-century modern on the edge of the ancient temple city Angkor Wat. Looking as if it might have been lifted out of swinging Southern California, the one-story Villa Princièr welcomed everyone from Jackie O to Peter O’Toole before falling into disrepair under the Khmer Rouge. Restored and rechristened by the Amanresort group in 2002, this contemporary design gem is once again an elegantly modern perch from which to explore one of the world’s ancient wonders. Perfumed with jasmine and ornamented with stylish objects, the Amansara is among a handful of truly luxe Cambodian properties, but with its breezy Zen decor and intimate vibe it feels more like a private guest house than a hotel. READ FULL REVIEW »
Stretched over 21 acres of manicured paths and ponds, Banyan Tree is the most luxurious of the five properties forming the 988-acre Laguna Phuket development. But the complex of individually sized and shaped walled villas also comes with one of Thailand’s top spas, making it perfect for hardcore spa-seekers as well. And with its high level of privacy and top-notch recreation amenities such as numerous swimming pools and an on-site par 71 golf course, the resort is perhaps Phuket’s only real competitor to the venerable Amanpuri. No wonder it is popular with the Thai Royal family. READ FULL REVIEW »
Long before Americans turned spa into a verb, travelers from around the world have been checking into stately Brenner’s Park in the spa city of Baden-Baden to relax and rejuvenate. While you could be very comfortable just staying in the hotel, the real point of a visit is taking part in the spa. And spa-ing is done a bit differently here—forget about an herb wrap and starvation. Instead, the spa experience is all about indulgence—a wonderful meal, fine wine, a lovely room, a stroll through the park and a night at the casino. READ FULL REVIEW »
The chefs at this sublime Michelin two-star restaurant know a thing or two about running a hotel as well, and giving your entire night to this intimate property is ineffably rewarding. Walk through the colonnaded front porch and you instantly feel like a distinguished member of the Pommery champagne dynasty, which built the château in a 17-acre park in the early 1900s. READ FULL REVIEW »
When it opened in 2001, the Irish had to warm to this American-style hotel that seemed disproportionately large for the red brick mansions and embassies of Dublin’s leafy Ballsbridge. But now they’re mad for it, and the property’s become a favorite venue for private parties and glitzy premieres, creating a lively backdrop for the leisure traveler. It’s not in the heart of Dublin’s city center (you’re 10 minutes away by taxi), but the neighborhood is cosmopolitan with excellent local restaurants. And come bedtime, you’ll appreciate the quiet locale, well out of earshot of Dublin’s increasingly raucous nightlife. READ FULL REVIEW »
Salt Lake City was presented as an idyllic stage for the 2002 Winter Olympics. They had the craggy Wasatch Mountains, abundant snowfall, an easily accessible international airport and a reputation of good-natured, God-fearing citizens. What Salt Lake City lacked was a grand hotel to house Olympic VIPs. Resident billionaire Earl Robert Holding, who owns the Little America hotel in Salt Lake City as well as the Snowbasin Resort in Ogden and the Sun Valley Resort in Idaho, saw an opportunity to create a new temple in his fair city. He brought in slabs of white granite from Vermont, Murano glass and Carrera marble from Italy, cherry-wood Richelieu furniture from France, and hand-sewn wool carpets from England. The result was a 24-story American-sized hotel (it takes up a full city block) with a touch of old-world opulence. READ FULL REVIEW »
There’s no shortage of five-star hotels in St. Moritz, which may be why the Kulm styles itself as a six-star property—a category, of course, that does not officially exist. Whether or not you think it deserves the notional extra star depends on your taste. Although many wealthy families with young children enjoy staying here, it’s not really for young honeymooners. This is a plush, somewhat old-fashioned property that from the outside looks unmistakably grand, but perhaps not attractive. The point of St. Moritz, however, is not to look at the hotels—but to look out from them. Significantly higher up the hill than Badrutt’s, the Kulm has the very finest views of the Engadin Valley and its mountains, not to mention the lake on which horse-racing (on ice!) is held in January and February. READ FULL REVIEW »
It figures that the world’s first luxury ecolodge was built by two Minnesotans. Set in a 1,000-acre private nature reserve where the variety of species is vast enough that new ones are still being discovered, Lapa Rios Ecolodge hovers above an empty expanse and the Pacific beyond. It’s rustic, sure, but the activities, the food and the macaws that are spectators to your swan dives into the pool override any minor inconveniences that come from living in a screened-in suite in the middle of the jungle. READ FULL REVIEW »
Twelve years after its opening redefined a region, making Cabo San Lucas and Baja an option for super-refined getaways, Las Ventanas al Paraíso continues to lead the way. The hotel purveys an atmosphere of desert starkness wrapped in a good-times-for-all beach resort. Throughout, the intimate property attempts—often successfully—to merge with the landscape. A magnificent punched-tin star chandelier hangs from the white adobe entrance framing the dark blue Sea of Cortez, while the low profile of the resort buildings melts toward the sea. Three sinuous infinity pools curve along the sand, giving the impression that the resort grew up organically from the beach. Wide hammocks scattered artfully on the sand only add to the illusion. READ FULL REVIEW »
Staying here is like stepping back into a gentler, more elegant era where good manners, cream teas and dressing up for dinner are the order of the day. It starts when the gravel crunches beneath your tires as you sweep into the drive. A beaming youth steps out across the threshold of a 17th-century manor house to meet you. Across extensive lawns there is the sound of croquet at play, the gentle thwack of ball and mallet. Inside, a fire crackles in the grate, a carriage clock ticks; there is the rustle of newspapers being read and the whispering of a couple enjoying a game of Scrabble. READ FULL REVIEW »
In April 2007, full management duties at Le Touessrok passed from One&Only to Sun Resorts Limited, when the latter gained full control over four Mauritius properties that had been managed jointly. But the quality of the Le Touessrok experience has hardly suffered as a result of the transition. Set over an evenly spaced archipelago of islands linked by bridges or accessed by boat on the east coast of Mauritius, Le Touessrok celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2008, although it received an early gift with a major redesign and refreshment in 2002. But while its sleek new interiors are reminiscent of a boutique hotel, its sprawling resort feel doesn’t exactly evoke Zen calm. With three restaurants, two pools, a championship golf course, Givenchy Spa and countless water-sports on offer, it’s ideal for families with kids or for couples who want sporty outdoor fun with their high-end comfort. READ FULL REVIEW »
If you thought luxury tent lodges were strictly the purview of Botswana, Tanzania and South Africa, think again. Located at the edge of the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, one of India’s most important protected wildlife areas, the Vanyavilas offers tranquility and adventure set within two dozen tents that happen to be more luxurious than many five-star hotel suites. But this tented resort doesn’t offer hair-raising game drives and safari-style adventure. Wildlife abounds, but in the interest of preservation, access to the national park is tightly controlled. Your chance of spotting a tiger is pretty high across a two- or three-day visit, but there’s no guarantee. Instead, guests come back for unparalleled luxury in an unusually tranquil environment. READ FULL REVIEW »
There’s no question that the hotel’s most remarkable feature is the breathtaking views of the Gulf of Salerno and terraced Amalfi Coast. But this 12th-century royal palace, set atop a 1,000-foot cliff in the medieval town of Ravello, more than holds its own with sumptuous historic luxury. The building itself has had a checkered past, opening as a hotel after World War II then closing in the 1970s, only to reopen again in 1997 after a $20-million refurbishment. But today it boasts stunning interiors with vaulted ceilings, arched windows, balconies and a soothing cream palette that won’t distract from why you came here in the first place: the view.READ FULL REVIEW »
The Berkshires have long been the preferred weekend haunt for many stressed-out New Yorkers and Bostonians, and there are plenty of resorts competing for their attention. But there’s none quite so beautiful as this Peabody and Stearns-designed Italianate palazzo, built in the late 1800s (by a Manhattan financier for his daughter) but inspired by 16th-century Florentine architecture. Even the surrounding land has a pedigree—Frederick Law Olmsted (aka Mr. Central Park) was brought in to do the landscaping. For years, it was a working farm. Today, the 380-acre spread within walking distance of Tanglewood (the summer home of the Boston Symphony) is one giant backyard for the lucky few who can get a weekend booking. READ FULL REVIEW »
This estate, some 8,350 feet in the lower Himalayas, isn’t the original structure that became the colonial Raj era’s capital in sweltering summers—that’s long gone. What has replaced it is a gorgeous modern version from the Oberoi group. This hotel, set on 23 pine- and cedar-covered hills, is too modern to call it a faithful re-creation and smells too new to say it harks back to another era. Yet it does one thing very successfully: It takes colonial-era comfort to a much grander scale. And in case you need a dose of Indian authenticity, the markets and monasteries of nearby Shimla are close by. READ FULL REVIEW »