Search results for

The Belmond Villa San Michele knows something about history. Michelangelo designed its facade, Franciscan monks tended its gardens, and Brigitte Bardot stayed here. But, like any elegant host, it’s not brash about its pedigree. Manicured Italian gardens—designed by 15th-century friars—beckon you for sun-soaked strolls. The colonnaded loggia is a pleasant place for a sunset aperitivo or candlelit dinner, especially with a view of Florence and the Arno Valley. The hotel’s expansive rooms are already decked out in the most tasteful, almost understated interpretation of Renaissance luxury—terra-cotta tile floors, heavy wood furnishings, just a dash of red velvet, and plenty of cream-colored walls—and then the panoramic views, original frescoes, and modern Carrara marble bathrooms steal the show. There’s a real-deal cooking school, where the chef actually works with each person in hands-on preparations—no demonstrations-only here. Other perks include the hillside pool, the concierge service that can get you into the Uffizi outside of operating hours, and, from the Loggia Restaurant, a view of the ancient Roman road that once connected Florence to Fiesole.

The Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires, which opened in 1992, is really two hotels in one. The more historic of the two is the three-story, Belle Epoque mansion, built in 1920 as a wedding gift from Félix de Álzaga Unzué, a member of a prominent local family, for his bride, Elena Peña. There are mansard ceilings and toile de Jouy wall panels, and many suites are housed here. The other building is a modern 12-floor tower, which holds the bulk of the rooms. These feature double-glass windows, private bars, and armoires with HD TVs. Every cushy amenity expected of a Four Seasons property is found in both styles.

In 2013, most of the common spaces underwent a $49 million renovation, completely overhauling the lobby and the spa, and adding two new restaurants. There’s still the Roman-style outdoor heated pool overlooking La Mansión, but to complement it, more of the outdoors has been worked into the hotel: lavishly landscaped gardens, a rooftop garden, and a glass-enclosed asado-style restaurant that can be opened up to fresh air.

This small, chic hotel came into being after an Argentine PR director and her English record producer husband couldn’t find the perfect place for their visiting guests to stay during their Buenos Aires wedding. They needed a place with a bar, a spa, a nice pool, good cocktails in a friendly environment—and so in 2005 they opened Home, one of the pioneer boutique properties in Palermo Hollywood. Strategically located within blocks of much of the city’s nightlife, Home has become something of a base for those coming to the city looking to indulge in it.

Generally though, Home’s reputation is quite positive. Few modern design elements have been left out, from Knoll furniture and vintage wallpaper to the Chilean wool rugs and tech-friendly amenities like iPod-ready stereos and LCD TVs. A spacious walled garden area is the focal point of the property, holding the heated swimming pool plus deck chairs and ferns, alongside a bar and restaurant.

Bar Raval looks ordinary from the outside, but inside, the sinuous lines of the floor-to-ceiling mahogany woodwork—bar, walls, window frames—instantly bring Gaudí to mind. Created to mimic the spirit of Barcelona’s pintxos bars (in addition to the Catalonian influence of the decor, platters of food are laid out on the bar, as is the Basque pintxos tradition), the space is often packed. In the mornings, patrons sip lattes and enjoy doughnuts finished with a lick of chocolate and spiced hazelnut.

With its lanes of thatched-roof, old-Irish bungalows fronted by flowering gardens, lovely little Adare is beloved by a certain subset of Irish grannies as the prettiest village in Ireland. It’s easy to see why: An hour south of Shannon Airport on the river Maigue, the town has charm to spare (although it’s quite touristy these days). Adare’s crown jewel is east of the town center, where the 19th-century Adare Manor lies with its pergola-covered stone walls, turrets, and gables on 840 acres of manicured gardens and wild woodlands.

Designed in grand Gothic Revival style and completed in 1862, the manor took 30 years to build—and provided valuable industry for villagers during the potato famine years. Inside, it’s a castle with some quirks: 365 stained-glass windows and 52 chimneys, for instance, for each day and week of the year. Rooms have four-poster or carved-mahogany beds, sitting areas, and semi-chintzy drapes.

The Post Hotel & Spa is set in the heart of the pristine Banff National Park, surrounded by the Canadian Rocky Mountains and overlooking Lake Louise. The original log-walled lodge—opened in 1942 as the Lake Louise Ski Lodge—has stone fireplaces and a cheery red alpine roof, and the numerous add-ons, extensions, and renovations over the years have preserved and accentuated this rustic design. This is further enhanced by the hotel’s interior color palette of burgundy and neutrals, and set off by luxurious touches such as overstuffed couches and Egyptian-cotton sheets. The accommodations include intimate cabins for two and a 3,000-square-foot mountain chalet ideal for groups and families. Just minutes away from one of Canada’s largest ski areas and blessed with an abundance of perfect powder each season, the Post Hotel & Spa is popular with skiers and boarders from across North America; in summer it attracts outdoor enthusiasts keen to explore the myriad treasures of the national park. It has been a Relais & Châteaux property since 1990.

You’d never know that this pueblo-luxe hotel was once the town penitentiary. It’s a credit to Rosewood Hotels & Resorts that the hotel group chose to renovate the existing structure rather than level it and start from scratch. And, if the rooms are on the smaller side, no one seems to mind, especially after the just-completed renovation by Jim Rimelspach, who originally designed the property when it opened nearly 25 years ago. Named after the lost tribe of the Anasazi, ancestors of the Pueblo, the hotel tastefully pays tribute to the Southwest. Adobe walls, kiva-style fireplaces, handwoven carpets, and throw pillows made from Pendleton blankets pair seamlessly with Italian linens by Rivolta Carmignani and toiletries by New York’s C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries. There’s also plenty of Native American art, including Arlo Namingha’s bronze sculpture Hano Mana and Ken Rosenthal’s silver gelatin print Seen and Not Seen, throughout the three-story hotel. The result: A vibe that is modern and sophisticated while still maintaining a sense of place.

The two owners of Galapagos Safari Camp dreamed up the idea for this luxury tent camp while sitting in a tree and admiring the views on the 135-acre farm where the lodge now sits. Opened in 2007 in the highlands of Santa Cruz’s transition zone at 1,575 feet above sea level and bordering Galapagos National Park, the camp is modeled after African safari camps but sports an Ecuadoran theme. The main lodge, complete with a 15-foot Balinese teak dining table and a glass wall looking out to sweeping vistas of the Pacific Ocean, anchors the rural property. The luxury tents are connected to the lodge by a volcanic rock path and sheltered under three layers of covering to protect from sun and rain. They sit on elevated platforms and are outfitted with balconies and en-suite bathrooms with hot showers. Part of the owners’ vision for the property has been to rid the former cattle farm of invasive species, allowing the endemic plants that are better protected in the national park to once again flourish. These measures will increase the activity of the giant tortoises that occasionally make their way onto the property.

Housed in a 19th-century French hospital, the Covent Garden Hotel is the oldest and most historic of Tim and Kit Kemp’s celebrated Firmdale hotels portfolio. Opened in 1996 by the husband-and-wife team, it bears a staid style that reflects its early position in the cannon of hotels, which have since become far more exuberant and quirky. The hotel’s muted, pared-back look will undoubtedly appeal to those who crave discretion. It’s not unusual to spot venerable British actors tucked away in a corner, quietly conducting a meeting. This is, after all, the heart of Theatreland—or London’s West End—where a recognizable clientele comes with the territory. However, the Covent Garden Hotel is by no means the see-and-be-seen spot of its media-magnet sister properties, including Charlotte Street Hotel, The Soho Hotel, and Ham Yard. Instead, go here to sequester yourself with a book in the upstairs drawing room, which, with its crackling stone fireplace and wood-paneled walls, resembles the traditional lounge of an English country house.

Although you can find most cuisines in Berlin now, Jamaican food is nowhere near as ubiquitous as it is in, say, London, and it’s mostly relegated to shacks or pop-up stalls at festivals. Enter RosaCaleta, a full-service restaurant run by two transplants from Jamaica via New York who have created a perfect balance of traditional Jamaican dishes playfully reinvented for a European palate. White walls and a wood floor set the stage for a menu that includes oven-roasted pork fillet, fiery jerk guava chicken served with fluffy dumplings, and vegetarian dishes such as vegetable stews and lentil salads mixed with mango and ginger. The restaurant also has a superlative rum collection, used for an inspired cocktail list that is as fruit-filled as it is potent.

There’s more to Dutch cheese than edam and gouda. Besides endless variations on these two, including raw milk versions, there are also lesser known Dutch cheeses to try, as well as imports from all over Europe. You can also buy tools for cooking with cheese (graters, slicers, etc), wine, and foods that pair well with cheeses. One of my personal favorites were raisins on the grape vine --so cool looking! Staff generally have good English and even if you get an employee that doesn’t, you can always use the mime and point method to get a nice chunk of cheese cut off one of the massive rounds in the shop.

Throughout Budapest are a whopping 123 therapeutic hot springs, but these, in the stately, slightly dusty Hotel Gellért (built in 1918) might be the most famous. The communal bath in the center of the hotel spa is for everyone, but the most interesting traditional spa experience is in the back thermal pools, which have been coed since 2013. Here, join Hungarian locals in pools of varied temperatures, steam baths, and saunas, and jumping into ice-cold baths in between. Everyone takes their time to not only bask in the baths but also gaze at the Art Nouveau tiling on the walls and vaulted ceilings.

Rickshaw rides are common in Chandni Chowk, the vast and crowded market in the Old Delhi quarter, but book a comprehensive rickshaw tour for an immersive experience that lasts longer than 15 minutes. Witness the architectural marvels, multicolored facades, beautifully decorated shops, and the fragrances emanating from the potpourri of eateries that line the historic alleys. The tour covers 20 main sites—palaces, mansions, elegant shrines, and colorful bazaars—and finishes at an 1860 haveli (mansion) where you’ll visit a gallery of photos depicting the lifestyle of Mughals, as well as a small lounge where you can relax and try some typical snacks.

It took a 1920s cotton magnate and a 1980s oil heiress to create the city’s most iconic stay, the former incorporating hallmarks of European design into a 10,000-square-foot house the likes of which had never been seen in Dallas—think Italian marble columns, 19th-century Spanish cathedral doors, and a ceiling inlaid with 2,400 separate pieces of wood. The latter transformed it into the Mansion Restaurant, which remains an award-winning favorite, adding a new wing with 143 guest rooms and suites and establishing the first property in the now-global Rosewood chain. Past the signature peach facade, the since renovated accommodations mix modern technologies with gracious amenities, historic touches, and residential-style décor—a combination that’s proved a hit with visiting dignitaries, international business travelers, and privacy-seeking celebs. A small pool, fitness center, and massage treatment rooms round out the facilities in the new wing, while meeting rooms and event spaces are located in the mansion’s gorgeous former living quarters. Young professionals flock to the leather-walled Mansion Bar for after-work craft cocktails and live music on weekends, while the brunch crowd heads to the Terrace restaurant to dine around outdoor fireplaces and oak trees hung with lanterns. Just don’t pass up ordering the legendary tortilla soup at The Mansion.

When Mike Richardson exploded onto the fairly limited Fes dining scene in 2007, he took the medina by storm. Suddenly there was someplace where locals, tourists, and a handful of resident expats could convene. They came to view exhibitions by up-and-coming young artists, to hear Sunday sunset concerts featuring the likes of Houariyat—an all-female drumming band—and to tuck into the café’s legendary camel burger. All these attractions are still going strong, but Clock has expanded and begun offering excellent traditional-cooking classes, and holds movie nights in a screening room furnished with vintage cinema seats. It now also has a sibling in Marrakech and another soon to open in Chefchaouene, and a country cousin in the Scorpion House in Moulay Idriss, which you can book for private lunches. If all this doesn’t whet your appetite at least come at brunch for the best coffee and Berber eggs in town.