Search results for

Industrialization came late to Sweden, which may explain why locals have retained a love for traditional crafts. Come here for well-priced goods made from natural materials—everything from scrubbing brushes and birdhouses to bread boards and table linens—that will add a bit of Scandinavian charm to any home.

The country’s most famous interior design store has been shaping Swedish tastes for decades (the founder, Estrid Ericsson, was an early proponent of all-white walls). Particularly popular are the fabulous fabrics designed by Austrian émigré Josef Frank. There’s also a tiny, but charming, tea shop on the upper floor.

Why we love it: A sprawling retreat offering high design and a beachfront location

The Highlights:

• Guest rooms with private plunge pools or whirlpools
• The only Thalasso therapy wellness spa in Baja
• Five separate pools, plus 4,000 square feet of beachfront

The Review
Though the Baja Peninsula has welcomed a slew of luxury properties over the past few years, it seems the 128-room Solaz is only in competition with itself. First, there are the sophisticated stone-and-wood interiors, which balance high-tech details (remote controlled lighting) and luxe amenities (outdoor showers, private plunge pools) with locally sourced decor and wall sculptures by Mexican artist César López Negrete.

Guests even have the option to add personal butler service, which can arrange everything from swimming with whale sharks to ordering a bottle of local wine from the property’s wine cellar. Outdoors, the landscaping features endemic desert plants like agave and cacti, with a hardly a palm tree in sight.

Then there’s the spa, a 10,000-square-foot refuge that features the region’s only Thalasso therapy seawater treatments and a Himalayan salt igloo. Five pools (including two sleek infinity ones that overlook the Sea of Cortez), four dining outlets (a Mexican breakfast spot, a seafood restaurant, a poolside cafe, and a coffee lounge), a beachfront fitness center, and 4,000 square feet of white-sand shoreline complete the desert dream.

The Four Seasons earns its five stars for everything from its location—smack in the middle of Seoul’s most-visited palaces and landmarks—to its detailed amenities, such as customizable mattresses. Rooms overlook Gyeongbokgung Palace, the largest and arguably most beautiful of the royal residences, or Cheonggyecheon stream, each a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. Its seven restaurants and lounges include a two-level sushi and sake bar, a Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant, and an exotic cocktail bar hidden speakeasy-style in the basement. The massive wellness center combines traditional Korean spa rituals with personalized beauty treatments and a 24-hour gym with panoramic views. An indoor pool and saunas, a virtual golf simulator, and a Lego kids’ lounge provide something for every guest.

A few minutes from the shops, galleries, and restaurants of Sedona, but tucked away along the banks of quiet-flowing Oak Creek, L’Auberge de Sedona is one of the Southwest’s most romantic hideaways. It has red-rock views, as every accommodation in Sedona must, but its French-country-inn style, in the land of adobe architecture, and its leafy, creekside location, are what define it. Through a series of chefs, its restaurant, Cress on Oak Creek, has maintained a stellar reputation, in no small part because of the romance of dining at a table that in some cases is practically in Oak Creek. And the spa, L’Apothecary, with at least one seasonally offered treatment requiring guests to wade in up to their ankles, draws much of its essence from the creek, too. Extensive renovations done in 2011 included the redesign of the 58 rooms and cottages, and the addition of 29 more, many with fireplaces, private decks, and—because romance matters—outdoor cedar-lined showers. Still there, and still popular, are the early morning duck feedings and the nighttime telescope sessions with a professional astronomer.

A 600-suite hotel within a hotel, The Cove is the most luxurious of the room towers at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort. Kids aren’t banned, but the vibe is definitely grown-up—witness the adults-only Cove Pool, with its DJ-driven party scene, outdoor gaming tables, and mating-ritual pool wear. But there’s a sense of sophistication in the two-story lobby, which soars above ponds of water lilies, as well as the suites, which have balconies with ocean views, sunken living rooms, and marble-floored bathrooms. All the activities of Atlantis, including those that make adults feel young again—such as the Abyss and Leap of Faith waterslides, or the dolphin encounters—are only steps or a free shuttle ride away. Also available is immersive programming that connects guests to the rich history, art, people, food, and festivities of the islands, from exhibits showcasing regional artists and a weekly Junkanoo Fest & Feast (honoring a more than 500-year-old tradition) to five new outposts of beloved local Bahamian restaurants.

Built in 1934 from a couple hundred pine boards, the Dürkheimer Fass is the world’s largest wine barrel, and often described as the heart of the German Wine Route. Constructed by barrel maker and vintner Fritz Keller, it could feasibly hold 449,092 gallons of wine, but has never actually contained any liquid. Instead, it functions as a unique wine bar and restaurant, conveniently located on Bad Dürkheim’s main square.

Surrounded by vineyards, the small town of Bad Dürkheim is of course famous for wine, but it’s also known for its annual sausage festival, which takes place over two long weekends in September and is said to be the largest wine-related festival in the world. Additionally, the “Bad” in the town’s name indicates local wellness facilities, including thermal baths, a spa park, and the old Kurhaus, a former sanatorium that now houses a hotel. If you’re feeling energetic, you can hike up to Limburg Monastery, which was built in the 11th century and today hosts concerts and theater performances.

With its gold-hued, Egyptian pyramid-inspired exterior—topped by a glass peak that lights up like a beacon at night—it’s easy to recognize the 19-story Raffles hotel among Dubai’s glittering skyline. Inside, distinguishing features include the spacious rooms and suites—the 252 options are among the largest in town, and come with private terraces, Arabic design touches, tubs and walk-in showers, and service from a Raffles butler. The seven dining options draw a mix of in-house guests, expat locals, and business people. Choose from restaurants for Italian, Japanese, Arabic, and international buffet fare, a tea salon for refined sweet and savory creations, a cabana-ringed garden for shared plates and weekly barbecues, a bar and café adjacent to the well-sized pool, and a cocktail bar that pairs drinks with telecasts of the latest sports matches. Global influences can also be felt at the well-appointed spa, where the treatments are inspired by Asian, European, and Middle Eastern techniques.

If you’d like the space and privacy of a vacation apartment but still want the service and amenities of a hotel, the Cottages & Lofts at the Nantucket Boat Basin are ideal. You’ll be whisked away from the Hy-Line ferry and taken to the wharves of Nantucket’s harbor, about as close you can get to the water without staying on a boat. Cottages and loft rooms range from studio-size to three bedrooms, all with full kitchens and private patios. A complimentary shuttle bus can take you to the beach, and bicycles can take you wherever you can’t walk from the cottages. There’s no restaurant on-site, but plenty of options are at the marina, and guests get a discount at the White Elephant’s Brant Point Grill. Children and pets are VIP guests as well: Kids get fishing and beach gear to use during their Nantucket stay, and a pet concierge will assist with stays at the “Woof Cottages.”

You won’t find a better pool than the one that awaits at this 357-room family-friendly resort situated on the powdery sands of Palm Beach. With cascading waterfalls, a swim-up bar and grill, two outdoor Jacuzzis, and a two-story waterslide, the 8,000-square-foot stunner is every kid’s dream. If more adult-centric diversions are on your wish list, the concierge can arrange catamaran-sailing excursions, deep-sea fishing trips, and snorkeling and scuba-diving expeditions off nearby shores, as well as spa treatments that utilize local ingredients like red mud, seaweed, and aloe vera. The resort’s 10 dining options provide plenty of atmosphere for winding down after a jam-packed day: sample seafood specialties like scallops a la plancha in a setting inspired by the island’s plantation ruins, or watch the sun set over the water, rum punch in hand, from your perfect perch at the pier bar.

A 1920s townhouse in Brussels’ well-heeled Châtelain neighborhood, the intimate, Fellini-inspired Odette en Ville might as well be your fashionable Belgian friends’ pied-à-terre in the European capital. Its older sibling, Chez Odette, a landmark restaurant and inn, is hidden away in the tiny village of Williers, on the French-Belgian border, and when the Brussels iteration opened, it dressed up with all the panache of a newer arrival: a little bit flashier, a little bit sleeker, a little bit more urbane. Its marble bathrooms, dark walls, and chrome accents all feel very grown-up, but roll-top tubs, fireplaces, and vintage decor reveal those homey country roots, as does the fresh, unpretentious cuisine, including the homemade jam at breakfast. With just eight rooms, the hotel feels intimate and private, an atmosphere only enhanced by the private library, a cozy lounge (notably, adjacent to the bar) with overstuffed leather Chesterfields, vintage chess sets, shelves of art books, and a working fireplace.

This atmospheric all-inclusive resort opened in 1986 on the white sands of Little Cayman’s Preston Bay and consists of eleven rooms in wood and stone cottages, some of which are oceanfront. Guests, mainly advanced divers and repeat visitors, come for healthy corals, diverse marine life, and the hospitality. Since 2015, owner and manager Susan Howard has carried forward the legacy of her mother and the original owner of Pirates Point Resort, Gladys Howard, by fostering an “Island Home Away From Home” vibe. In addition to complimentary bicycle rentals and island-wide conservation efforts, Howard opens up her home on Friday nights for a champagne and sushi cocktail reception.

The resort operates on a safari schedule with wake up and breakfast bells, daily and untimed dives at numerous sites, and hearty lunches upon return to the lodge around 3pm. The hotel sea front view is lovely, with hammocks strung on the white sand beach and easy, protected swimming and snorkeling within the barrier reef.

When Garden Village Bled opened in 2014 it took the concept of glamping to an entirely new level. Guests can choose to stay in glamping tents (some come with their own hot tubs), treehouses or pier tents. Treehouses are great for families as they come with kitchenettes, hammocks, and two bedrooms. The pier tents are the most basic, but are still done up with electricity, and super comfy beds. Each tent is set on a pier on the river so guests can fish right from their deck and the chef will cook up their day’s catch. I loved falling asleep to the soft rumble of the river below.

Set on Cox Bay, one of the best surf spots in Canada, the Pacific Sands resort offers one- bedroom suites and two-story beach houses with fireplaces and bay-view patios. If you forgot your raincoat or rubber boots (two must-haves in Tofino, which receives 100 inches of rain per year), don’t worry. The resort stocks them in every room. From $144. (250) 725-3322. This appeared in the August/September 2013 issue.

Opened in 2013, Andaz’s first and only Hawaiian property has four cascading infinity pools (plus many more private plunge pools) and an enviable location on Mokapu Beach, meaning guests are never more than a few steps from water.

The 290 rooms and suites are decked out in stylish, contemporary furnishings—some even come with Viking grills on private lanais—and 10 luxurious villas feature up to four bedrooms, with the largest maxing out at a sprawling 4,000 square feet.

The resort’s full calendar of activities offers everything from coconut leaf weaving to kayaking, outrigger canoeing, and stand-up paddleboarding—plus GoPro shooting and editing lessons to best capture it all. At Morimoto Maui, one of four restaurants on the property, renowned chef Masaharu Morimoto combines Japanese and Western influences in inspired dishes like yellowtail “pastrami,” served with a gin-spiked crème fraîche.

At the ‘Awili spa, where guests can choose locally sourced ingredients for a custom body treatment.