Home · Category
Founded by Egyptian businessman Karim El Chiaty, Anandes announces itself with a whisper rather than a fanfare. Set into a Chora hillside, it is close enough to wander into Mykonos Town, far enough for serenity.
Once known for bare-bones hotels in a five-star setting, Seychelles has quietly reinvented itself. On remote Platte Island, the new Waldorf Astoria proves this emerald archipelago now rivals the Maldives for immersive, guilt-free luxury.
Built to host dignitaries and now a 390-room hotel, the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental commands its own 1.3km private white-sand beach on the Gulf, moments from the capital's fashion stores and fine dining.
Opened beside the World Trade Centre, the twin-tower complex suspends a 205-metre bridge a hundred metres above the city, housing two Kerzner hotels and the UAE's longest infinity pool.
Only the 12th Peninsula in 157 years, this Peter Marino-designed new-build delivers 190 rooms, a subterranean spa and chef Claude Bosi's Brooklands, three decades after Kadoorie began hunting for the perfect site.
Eight years in the making, Atlantis, The Royal is unlike any resort before it. Having enjoyed the original Atlantis, The Palm, our writer wondered whether Dubai truly needed a second, then discovered something altogether different.
The Mandarin Oriental Doha is a hotel that seemingly took forever to open. First announced in 2005, its construction began back in 2006, only for the global economic downturn of 2008 to put a spanner in the works, halting the project until a little after Qatar had been awarded the 2022 …
Amanresorts currently boasts 34 properties around the world, but for Aman Junkies looking for a getaway in Europe that’s got most of the flavour of the original Amanpuri of Phuket, then there’s only one place to go – the Amanzoe in Greece. Why? Because the group’s other two properties i…
Monaco is one of those places that I’d imagine most of you readers know rather well. I certainly thought I did, but – after a recent visit at the invitation of SBM – I realised there was still much for me to learn. For example, did you know that Monaco wasn’t always the petite two-squar…
What makes a hotel great? Clearly space, design, service and amenities all play their part but given the top tier of the industry is all too aware that they’re competing on these points, the difference – more often than not – comes down to details and the coalescence of all those import…
Al Maryah Island is fast becoming Abu Dhabi's hottest address, drawing LPM, the Four Seasons and Zuma. The latest arrival is a beautifully designed, modestly sized yet thoroughly impressive commercial space created for Apple.
Going to Disney World is a childhood rite of passage, no doubt about that. And you’re reminded of this as you drive in from Orlando’s international airport because there’s a huge and colourful gateway spread across the motorway that reads: “Walt Disney World, The Most Magical Place on E…
When The Mercer opened in Manhattan on the corner of Prince and Mercer, 25 years ago – as the sister hotel to Hollywood’s legendary Chateau Marmont – it was groundbreaking in so many ways. Not only was it the first luxury hotel to open in SoHo, it also offered a very different concept o…
It’s funny but I have been reading about how amazing Baros is for years. Maybe it’s because I grew up in England or that I was an avid reader of magazines, but whether it was GQ, FT’s How to Spend it, The Daily Telegraph or Condé Nast Traveller, everyone, it seems, loved Baros. As if [&…
What’s the point of travelling to some far-flung idyllic tropical getaway if you can’t share it on Instagram, right? I mean, if you don’t feel hashtag blessed in a dopamine-inducing paradise like Maldives, are you even alive? And if someone else doesn’t get jelly about it, can you even …
Sometimes, simply standing apart is enough to make you stand out. It’s certainly the case with The Dubai Edition, which purposefully eschews all of those Arabesque references and ornamentation that we see so often in other Dubai hotels to offer a travertine-and-timber vision of understa…
Marriott's newest luxury brand, conceived with Studio 54's Ian Schrager to make hotels that don't act like hotels, lands in Downtown Dubai with a soaring lobby, four restaurants and 275 rooms.
Once you set foot in the lobby of the Colony Hotel Palm Beach you are treated to an enchanting visual feast thanks to a remarkable collaboration between the iconic newly renovated and re-opened hotel and the artisan wallpaper brand de Gournay. The exquisite wallpaper has the feel of a h…
Oscar Wilde once said, “I’m a man of simple tastes. I’m always satisfied with the best.” And, after reflecting upon my stay at The Woodward, I’d imagine the owner of this property must live by a similar ethos. From the moment you’re met at the airport by a tailor-suited driv…
The ultra-luxe German group behind Hotel du Cap and Le Bristol makes its Italian debut on Capri, reviving the island's oldest property with two starry architects and a deliberately unhurried philosophy.
In the virgin desert of north-west Saudi Arabia, French starchitect Jean Nouvel is carving a luxury resort into ancient cliffs, building not around the rock but hidden deep within it.
Damien Hirst has turned an entire two-floor Las Vegas suite into a living artwork, complete with formaldehyde sharks and a cantilevered Jacuzzi. At 100,000 USD a night, it is decadence on an industrial scale.
Taking pride of place in Dubai’s Business Bay district, which cradles the record-breaking sights of Downtown Dubai and waterside charms of Dubai Canal, ME Dubai by Meliá is a striking work of art by the late Dame Zaha Hadid. It’s the only existing hotel in the world to have had both its…
Set on Norway's east coast some two-and-a-half hours from Oslo, beside the country's largest national park, Spacegroup's Movikheien Cabin Resort was conceived as a quick-build answer to soaring demand for staycations.
OETKER COLLECTION HAS TODAY ANNOUNCED A NEW MASTERPIECE HOTEL IN CAPRI, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT? Together with our owner partners, the Reuben brothers, we will transform and reimagine Hotel La Palma, the first and oldest hotel on the island, which dates back to the beginning of th…
Madrid's storied Hotel Ritz was set to reopen as a Mandarin Oriental this summer after its most extensive restoration in 110 years, but the pandemic has pushed the grand unveiling to 2021.
Monique and Staffan Tollgård on swapping film for design, their guiding "red thread" philosophy and conjuring a flexible family villa in Amman against a backdrop of Jordanian limestone.
From Madrid's Belle Époque Ritz to Tokyo's rebuilt Okura and Singapore's gutted Raffles, the world's grandest hotels have spent fortunes reinventing themselves. Here is where to book once travel resumes.
On the Hawaiian island of Lāna'i, the Four Seasons Resort at Kōʻele, A Sensei Retreat, offers a serene garden of Eden. Cool mountain breezes and warming sun set the scene for genuine restoration and renewal.
If ever there was a perfect hotel to visit in time for our Born Again issue then it is Schloss Elmau in the Bavarian Alps. [Oh, and speaking of timing, it’s nice to know Lady Luck is on our side, as our visit took place in early-February 2020, just a few weeks before the coronavirus [&h…
Tucked away in a residential neighbourhood, Brach Paris is an eclectic and unpretentious new hotel by Philippe Starck that’s shaking up the city’s straitlaced 16th arrondissement. YOU’RE KNOWN TO DISLIKE TALKING ABOUT DESIGN, AS JUST DESIGN, SO WHAT WERE YOUR STARTING POINT…
Checking into the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park feels like one of those moments when you should count your lucky stars. The hotel, which is located on the south side of Hyde Park, at 66 Knightsbridge, is an imposing Edwardian-era structure with a pedigree to match, not to mention a tumult…
With its great views inside and out, Perianth Hotel is just the place you’d want to stay in order to gain a fresh perspective on Athens, a city in full revival mode. Smack-dab in the heart of Agia Irini, one of Athens’ liveliest squares, is a low-slung 1930s building that houses Periant…
Privacy and natural beauty merge at Al Faya Lodge & Spa, an eco-retreat in Sharjah’s historic Mleiha desert designed by Anarchitect. Drive down the UAE’s Al Batayeh-Al Faya Road fast enough and you might miss the five-room Al Faya Lodge & Spa, set at the foot of Sharjah’s Mount …
Why do so many of the world’s ultra high net worth individuals continue to visit Clinique La Prairie? Because it’s quite simply one of most sophisticated and advanced medical centres in the world. We have become addicted to the concept of buying stuff. Indeed, consumerism isn’t just uni…
Supported since its inception by Official Bespoke and now in its fifth year, Haute Grandeur has become a benchmark in the luxury hospitality industry, offering awards based on an unbiased algorithm of paid customer reviews. When Haute Grandeur began in 2014, it had an uphill task of est…
Located in Stockholm’s archipelago, 30 minutes from the city centre, Yasuragi is not something you’d expect to find in Sweden. That’s because it’s essentially a Japanese ryokan (inn), which was even originally designed (albeit as conference centre) in 1970 by a Japanese architect, Yoji …
Launched in 2015, the Four Seasons Private Jet Experience pairs the thrill of around-the-world travel with the hotelier's renowned luxury. For a considerable sum, guests enjoy a curated three-week adventure spanning multiple countries and continents.
You might expect robots in lieu of bellboys and motion–activated air conditioning in a high-tech hotel, but Hotel Ottilia has opted to invest in cleanliness, instead. The hotel opened early this year and has partnered with Danish company ACT.Global in order to use its proprietary ACT Cl…
It took a few confused U-turns before we finally pinpointed the small road leading to Beit Al Batroun, a quaint property in the hills of northern Lebanon. Barely visible from the main thoroughfare, it turns sharply downwards as if on the side of a precipice that might lead to a much lon…
The Four Seasons Hotel Beirut has a new rooftop playground. The best part is it’s open year round, so you can keep that summer feeling going even when the clouds roll in. Just because autumn is rolling in doesn’t mean you have to concede summer’s over. The pool, bar and lounge ato…
A weekend at the Raffles-run palace hotel off the Champs-Elysees, where Starck's whimsical mirrored interiors, an art concierge and Nobu's only Paris outpost combine to lift the spirits.
From design to gastronomy, there are no stones left unturned at The Bodrum Edition. It is a fabulous escape by Marriott’s hippest hotel chain. Great music? Check. Great lighting? Check. Amazing 130 square-metre villa suite replete with fresh orchids, a sleek, standalone tub and a …
Looking to escape electronic screens, urban riff-raff and maybe even (GASP!) Wi-Fi? Then this little bed & breakfast nestled in trees overlooking the Mediterranean Sea may be just the place. It took a few confused U-turns before we finally pinpointed the small road leading to Beit A…
It’s hard to think of anything as simple in Dubai. You might even call the glitzy city a Babylon for our era: built to wow the world and endowed with the world’s tallest tower, man-made islands shaped like palm trees and marble everything, ideally inlaid with gold. Ferraris and Rolls Ro…
Let’s begin with the 46-suite MERCHANT HOUSE in Manama, which is Bahrain’s first five-star boutique hotel and just the second Middle Eastern property for Campbell Gray Hotels (after Le Gray in Beirut). Highlights include an abundance of art, an impressive library and a delig…
Discretely built into volcanic rock and surrounded by the curative waters of Iceland’s most popular tourist attraction, The Retreat at Blue Lagoon is the country’s first five-star resort and a perfect way to brave the Arctic Circle. Winter can take its toll on even the hardiest of Canad…
Adrian Zecha may be well into his 80s but that hasn’t stopped the celebrated hotelier from launching a new affordable luxury chain with two properties in Vietnam, and others in the pipeline. Adrian Zecha is quite simply a legendary hotelier and someone who has built a career on doing th…
There are already so many awards in our region that we definitely don’t need more. But Haute Grandeur is quite different to the others. For a start, it has no judges or experts, and there’s no voting or payment system to influence the outcome. Instead Haute Grandeur relies on a computat…
There comes a time for every parent when they’re suddenly faced with the prospect of organising a family trip to Disney World. That’s not so bad, some of you singles and newlyweds might be naively thinking – it is the happiest place on Earth after all, right? Well, that description fits…
We were given one rule. One simple rule. One code of conduct for avoiding a catastrophe during our excursions in the bush: never stand up in the Land Cruiser. So here we are, in the wild, surrounded by a pride of lions. Two of them to our left, the dominant male and a lioness, have [&he…
First a disclaimer: I have long had a soft spot for the Four Seasons New York. In fact we go way back. That’s because, during the four years I spent in Rhode Island studying for my bachelor’s degree, I would often try to explore as much of the East Coast of the United States as […]
Is Morocco on your bucket list? It oozes wanderlust, yet for us, it somehow always seems to slip in terms of travel priorities. Perhaps it’s too close to home, or maybe over popular with our region’s masses, but the North African country certainly deserves a fair shake. With its colourf…
Set in a 16th century building, Venice’s Palazzo Volpi has been reimagined by the husband-and-wife team of Anna Covre and Fredrick Tubau. The city’s newest luxe apartment accommodations feature four enormous suites and the kind of interiors you’ll never want to leave. Why Venice, and wh…
At the Wadi Rum Night Camp, French firm BubbleTree's clear-domed pods let guests bed down beneath the desert sky of Lawrence of Arabia country without surrendering a single creature comfort.
From the moment you cross the scorching Maldivian runway, enter the sweaty main terminal, wait for your luggage, realise you have one bag missing, queue in line to file your claim and finally emerge at the arrivals gate, the sight of a single friendly smiley face waiting to usher you to…
La Résidence de la Pinède, a discreet 1936 beachfront hideaway, has slipped into LVMH's hands and reopened with a Wilmotte redesign, a Guerlain spa and an eventual Cheval Blanc rebrand on the horizon.
As an evening storm rolls in over the savannah and flashes of temperamental lightning compete for attention with the freight train-like roar of heavy rain, I’m safe and dry under a thick canopy of canvas. It’s the rainy season here in Kenya, when sunsets battle towering cumulus clouds f…
An hour from Shanghai, Aman's Amanyangyun is built around an historic village of fifty Ming and Qing dynasty houses, painstakingly rescued, along with an ancient forest, from the rising waters of a dam.
7Pines Resort just opened in Ibiza with some unadulterated luxury, peace and quiet and access to secluded beaches – it’s enough to keep you happy as a clam. Envision a trip to Ibiza and it probably includes plenty of partying, sweaty nightclubs and a few unmentionables. And if that’s wh…
Dating only to 1961, the Phoenicia nonetheless brims with history, an enduring symbol of Lebanon's jet-set prewar years, all gilded grandeur, sweeping staircases and palatial pillars that still enchant guests today.
Switching to LED lights in our homes, recycling cans, plastics and bottles and bringing our own reusable bags to the supermarket are some of the things most of us can now check on our list of ways in which we reduce our impact on the environment. But what else should we be considering? …
There’s something magical about the impressive rock cliffs known as the Towers of Astraka, which hang above Voidomatis River and the Gorge of Vikos. Certainly, the first time you see them in all their glory, you’ll understand just why someone would choose this idyllic location to establ…
Remember Jochen Zeitz? He’s the former CEO of Puma who now uses his millions to change opinions on climate change. He’s also a guy who fell in love with Africa and bought Segera, a Kenyan wildlife park that’s three times larger than Manhattan. Well, now he’s gone and collaborated with t…
Remember when your mother would tell you that it’s what’s on the inside that counts? As I approached Doha’s new Mondrian Hotel, my first thought was that it could have been built with that maxim in mind. From without the building is distinct, albeit for the wrong reasons, and is typical…
When the Catalan trio RCR Arquitectes, this year's Pritzker laureates celebrated for their masterful play of light and shadow, took on a Dubai project, our writer was frankly astonished by the prospect.
Say the name quickly and it sounds a lot like the name of a a world-renowned hotel chain. But unlike the luxury American brand it riffs, this one isn’t a part of the Hilton portfolio, it doesn’t have a spa, and breakfast is more likely to include eggs shakshoukeh with a side…
Three years after first sampling the Peninsula Paris, our writer comes back as a guest of Air France. The most exclusive of the Asian powerhouses to reach the City of Light still dazzles.
Small, quaint and quietly French, Megève has happily escaped the nouveau-riche crowds of Courchevel and St Moritz. Originally a medieval town, it became France's first purpose-built ski resort, and remains gloriously understated.
She was close enough to touch. Her skin, a rich, purplish black looked soft, almost velvety and as she drifted beneath me, her eyes swivelled back, watching what I was doing. She wasn’t alone. All around me, her companions swam. Some were as wide as a dining table, others even larger. I…
Belle Époque in design yet thoroughly modern in spirit, San Sebastián rose to fame when Queen Isabella II sought the cold Atlantic's cure. The aristocracy followed, and its allure has never faded.
Just because something is really amazing doesn’t mean it’s perfect. But there’s a place in the middle of the Indian Ocean that comes pretty close. The turquoise water is crystal clear, the sand is sugary white and the air is so pure and clean that by the time it makes it across the wate…
Perched in Beit Mery with soaring views over Beirut and the Mediterranean, Al Bustan commands a national affection far beyond any five-star label. Begun by Emile Bustani, it was completed by his widow Laura in 1963.
The transparent Haute Grandeur Awards, judged solely on paying guests' feedback, gathered in Bangkok to crown the Rosewood Beijing its overall winner. We tour a handful of the platform's most beguiling honourees.
Taking its name from the Sanskrit word for peace, Aman, plus Pulo, which is Tagalog for island, Amanpulo in the Philippines may date back to 1993 but it’s still one of the world’s greatest island escapes. 1. Yeah okay, so the bad news is that the journey to the Pamalican Island in Palaw…
On Phuket's classy north-west coast sits a tranquil resort with the power to overturn every preconception. Beyond the country's familiar clichés lies twice the glory, and this hideaway proves it beautifully.
From Manchester to the Pritzker Prize, Lord Foster of Thames Bank has shaped skylines worldwide. The Foster + Partners founder reflects on the journey that made him one of architecture's most celebrated names.
The coconut palms chittered in the breeze. Wending down the hill from the Amanwella resort, I reached the beach, a curving strand of sugary sand that ended at a rocky promontory about a kilometre away, where the swaying sign of a small café could be seen tucked into the trees. We’d arri…
Milan doesn’t have it easy. Competing against the likes of Venice, Florence, Rome, Portofino, Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast is not an easy task and for too long, the country’s business hub has simply been dismissed as the ugly duckling of Italy. Yet there’s been something of a renai…
While Lisbon was the trendy stop of 2017, there’s more to Portugal than its charming capital. A journey to Portugal’s Algarve reveals why it’s Europe’s best undiscovered haven, a remnant of simpler times when great food, sunny days and friendly locals made for a perfect vacation. “Every…
But when General Manager Guillaume Benezech and The Ritz-Carlton team took over the property in the autumn of 2015, the lobby’s deep reds and yellows felt heavy, musty, and well, old. Representing the Ritz-Carlton’s first foray into Switzerland, joining a wave of new luxury offerings in…
There are so many good hotels in Paris these days it’s hard to decide where to stay but the Mandarin Oriental, with its discreet obsession for perfection, is a worthy contender. Once upon a time, Saint Honoré, and its elegant continuation, the Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, was just a lo…
Nestled between two gigantic neighbours – China and India – the tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan is a majestic, serene and beautiful country that’s admired not for its gross domestic product but for its gross national happiness index. Emerging from the pint-sized terminal at Paro, Bhutan…
Sustainability reigns supreme at Vigilius Mountain Resort, a modern alpine resort near the Italian-Austrian border. It’s also the ideal setting for a well-needed dose of wellness. From Provence to Prague, nearly every little corner of Europe has had its moment in the sun over the past f…
London’s beautiful new Four Seasons Hotel at Ten Trinity Square repurposes a historic building, offering a fresh alternative for your next stay in the English capital. Let’s face it: London isn’t what it used to be. This former symbol of European prowess, royalty and provenance has slow…
For those who love Rome yet crave an alternative to the Hotel de Russie, Fendi has opened Private Suites in the centro storico. The hideaway sits five minutes from the Spanish Steps, above the brand's new flagship.
Resembling a J-class spinnaker driven into its own artificial island, the Burj Al Arab was the world's most talked-about hotel when it opened in 1999, swiftly becoming Dubai's landmark and the tallest hotel on earth.
Alila Jabal Akhdar opened last spring on the Al Hajar mountains range, which is one of Oman’s most magnificent, untouched landscapes. Perched over 2000 metres above sea level, the hotel overlooks a dramatic gorge and is perfectly positioned to explore the region’s rugged landscape, maki…
Bespoke sponsors the first Haute Grandeur Global Hotel Awards in Abu Dhabi, where a data-driven rating system crowns the world's finest retreats, from Empty Quarter dunes to a Maldivian atoll.
To reduce its dependence on oil, Oman is investing billions in a burgeoning hospitality industry. Eschewing glitter and artifice, the sultanate is betting instead on world-class service set within genuinely spectacular natural surroundings.
Before 2008, it seemed as though a new and exciting project would be launched almost every day in Dubai. After the bubble burst, so many plans got put on the backburner that it was impossible to tell which projects were put on hold and which were abandoned altogether. The Palazzo Versac…
High in the Italian Alps, a tiny glass-walled cabin set on faux-skis lets guests sleep beneath an unpolluted night sky, betting that experiential value now matters more than square footage.
A Beirut institution that has hosted kings, queens and film stars, survived the civil war and political turmoil, and lives on as a temple to art, cognac and old-world glamour.
Arab tourism to Geneva is ever rising but for the vast majority of our region’s travellers the choice of hotel revolves around the international chains. In honour of the unorthodox, we ventured off this beaten path and into the Old Town to stay at Les Armures. Did you know that Geneva’s…
The Seychelles, the Maldives or Bodrum might satisfy most. But for paradise found, Anthea Rowan suggests Thanda, a getaway on the tiny private island of Shungi Mbili off Tanzania's east coast, where heavenliness lies in slowness.
Kate Hazell checks into the second Four Seasons to open in Dubai, an Adam Tihany-designed hideaway tucked into the financial district, weighing its quiet splendour, Michael Mina dining and rooftop views against the city's super-sized hotels.
On the crown of the Aventine, Rome's most beautiful hill, lies a near-empty piazza designed by Piranesi, a man who loved a surprise. A single green door leads into the Priory of the Knights of Malta.
It is no accident that the Library, a Manhattan boutique hotel, sits a block from the New York Public Library, the grand century-old building that inspired it. Sales chief Adele Milne explains the connection.
As the Armani Hotel Dubai turns five, we celebrate its quiet refusal of Arabian cliché, Giorgio Armani's hand-picked materials and the world's tallest tower wrapped around it.
At Otahuna Lodge, a beautifully preserved historic mansion near Christchurch, it is the silence you notice first, broken only by distant birdsong and a breeze through the willows. Utter bliss awaits.