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Si hay algo que la mayoría de los principales hoteles de París tienen en común es que todos —ya sean grandes hoteles de siglos de antigüedad o experimentos de diseño vanguardista— suelen anunciarse a bombo y platillo. Por eso tenemos debilidad por los discretos, por los hoteles parisinos que van contra corriente y no ofrecen una pasarela para lucirse, sino un rincón para descansar, hoteles como el recién renovado y reformado Recamier.
El hotel se encuentra en la pintoresca Place St. Sulpice, una de las zonas más agradables de la margen izquierda, en pleno St. Germain des Prés, donde hay una encantadora iglesia antigua y alguna que otra marca de lujo. Este hotel pequeño e íntimo, encaja perfectamente en la zona: las zonas comunes son escasas, y nunca hay aglomeraciones en el vestíbulo. El nuevo Recamier consiste simplemente en una sala de desayunos, una terraza y 24 habitaciones remodeladas con mucho estilo.
Cada planta luce una discreta temática, desde un estilo monocromático moderno hasta uno de influencia africana en tonos más terrosos. Todas las habitaciones son contemporáneas a la par que sobrias y, sobre todo, exquisitamente íntimas. La tranquilidad es un lujo muy exclusivo en París: no lo deje escapar. Por eso no hay ningún restaurante en el hotel, pero ya sabe que es imposible quedarse con hambre en París.
Please note: Villa Paola is open seasonally, April through October. Children under 12 are not permitted.
There’s no place on Italy’s Tyrrhenian coast that’s hard on the eyes, exactly, but the sixteenth-century sisters who founded the St. Francesco of Paola convent chose their location with an eye worthy of a twenty-first-century property developer. One imagines that thanks to their duties they didn’t spend an inordinate amount of time basking in the views, but present-day visitors are under no such constraint; anyone unlucky enough to miss out on a sea view from their guest quarters (read: anyone on the ground floor) will find no shortage of postcard-perfect vistas from Villa Paola’s patios and gardens.
You’ll want to spend some time looking at what’s inside as well. In Italy, like perhaps nowhere else, they’re comfortable spanning centuries in architecture and design. Here clean-lined contemporary Italian furniture blends seamlessly into sixteenth-century spaces, with modern conveniences included as a matter of course. For while the house represents its era well, it hardly shows its age; the hotel conversion included a very thorough restoration, and it’s doubtful whether it’s ever looked fresher. The village of Tropea makes for a pleasant stroll, if a quiet one — just be back at Villa Paola by sunset for a cocktail on the terrace or by the poolside.
One of the joys of the job is finding extraordinary hotels in unexpected places. Of course downtown Miami shouldn’t count as an unexpected place — some quirk of the novelty-driven travel press leads it to lavish attention on Miami Beach at the expense of its mainland neighbor. But in this case we’re also talking about finding a hotel inside of another hotel. For it’s within (or more precisely, atop) the already very fine JW Marriott Marquis that you’ll find the Hotel Beaux Arts Miami, a “private hotel” occupying the top floors of this high-rise tower, with access to the parent hotel’s five-star services and facilities but with its own private reception and lounge, and accommodations that are, incredible as it may seem, a generous cut above what’s offered downstairs.
Of course, in a more perfect world, this might be what all of Downtown’s luxury hotels look like — clean-lined minimalist rooms, modernist furniture, impressive views through full-length windows and a full complement of thoughtful conveniences, from Bang & Olufsen entertainment systems to Illy espresso machines (the product of which is complimentary), and an iPad issued to every room. The beds are enormous, the materials are rich, and the bath products are Molton Brown. All this and access to the JW Marriott Marquis too — this means access to the spa, the gym, Daniel Boulud’s db Bistro Moderne restaurant and even a golf school by Jim McLean, should your swing require a brush-up. And the rates include a wealth of extras, from breakfast to cocktails to hors d’oeuvres; if you’ve had Club Level treatment at any of Asia’s top luxury hotels you’re familiar with the drill.
As for the location, it’s not really meant to be a substitute for the hedonism of South Beach. Downtown is the home of Miami’s design district, and it’s the center of quite a bit of the city’s local life, a world apart from the tourists-only vibe on offer elsewhere. Where Miami Beach traffics in fantasy (with varying degrees of success), downtown is reality — and if the Beaux Arts is any guide, it’s a pretty appealing reality at that.
One of the joys of the job is finding extraordinary hotels in unexpected places. Of course downtown Miami shouldn’t count as an unexpected place — some quirk of the novelty-driven travel press leads it to lavish attention on Miami Beach at the expense of its mainland neighbor. But in this case we’re also talking about finding a hotel inside of another hotel. For it’s within (or more precisely, atop) the already very fine JW Marriott Marquis that you’ll find the Hotel Beaux Arts Miami, a “private hotel” occupying the top floors of this high-rise tower, with access to the parent hotel’s five-star services and facilities but with its own private reception and lounge, and accommodations that are, incredible as it may seem, a generous cut above what’s offered downstairs.
Of course, in a more perfect world, this might be what all of Downtown’s luxury hotels look like — clean-lined minimalist rooms, modernist furniture, impressive views through full-length windows and a full complement of thoughtful conveniences, from Bang & Olufsen entertainment systems to Illy espresso machines (the product of which is complimentary), and an iPad issued to every room. The beds are enormous, the materials are rich, and the bath products are Molton Brown. All this and access to the JW Marriott Marquis too — this means access to the spa, the gym, Daniel Boulud’s db Bistro Moderne restaurant and even a golf school by Jim McLean, should your swing require a brush-up. And the rates include a wealth of extras, from breakfast to cocktails to hors d’oeuvres; if you’ve had Club Level treatment at any of Asia’s top luxury hotels you’re familiar with the drill.
As for the location, it’s not really meant to be a substitute for the hedonism of South Beach. Downtown is the home of Miami’s design district, and it’s the center of quite a bit of the city’s local life, a world apart from the tourists-only vibe on offer elsewhere. Where Miami Beach traffics in fantasy (with varying degrees of success), downtown is reality — and if the Beaux Arts is any guide, it’s a pretty appealing reality at that.
Location isn’t everything when it comes to hotels, but it’s not nothing either. In some countries Le Caméléon’s crisp, contemporary monochrome look might signal little more than membership in the local boutique-hotel scene. In Costa Rica, land of natural-finish eco-lodges and thatched-hut villas, its modern interiors and glossy white-on-white color scheme is something of a statement — a statement to the effect that while the Caribbean coast is all about the beaches, the water, the jungle, there’s no reason why you can’t live in the urbane, sophisticated style to which you’re accustomed.
These rooms are about more than just looks, with comforts that begin to edge into luxury-hotel territory: plasma TVs, iPod docks, some with king beds and private balconies or terraces. Die-hard luxury junkies will have to admit they’ve seen rooms that are bigger and plusher, but in these environs, anything more would be incongruous. Suffice it to say the physical charms are every bit the equal of the visual ones, and taking the natural environment into account, it’s essentially paradise. There’s a stylish pool deck for the moments when you don’t feel like venturing all the way to the beach, there’s a full-service spa, and the Numu restaurant and bar are stylish spaces, accentuating, perhaps, the contrast between Costa Rica’s Caribbean and Pacific coasts.
How to get there:
Le Cameleon is 136 miles (3h30m) from the Juan Santamaria Airport. Airport transfer can be arranged for USD287.50 per way. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.
Please note: Eagles Palace is open seasonally, April through October.
As the sister hotel to the Excelsior, a city boutique in Thessaloniki, Eagles Palace is the opposite of an urban hotel. This part of Greece, on the peninsula just short of the remote Eastern Orthodox holy site of Mount Athos, was more or less entirely unsettled before the hotel broke ground. Fresh off a 2008 renovation, Eagles Palace is looking quite up to date — and while it’s not quite as secluded as the monks’ refuge at Athos, this part of Halkidiki is still quiet, relatively untouched by development, especially when compared with some of Greece’s better-known destinations.
The rooms start out comfortably enough, with views of the garden or the sea, their solid, unfinished furnishings taking some inspiration from the monastic setting. The suites begin to pile on the luxuries, with balconies or terraces and, in some cases, Jacuzzis. It’s in the sea view bungalows, though, that Eagles Palace really starts feeling palatial — space, obviously, is no concern, and each one comes with its own private plunge pool.
Like its city cousin, Eagles Palace comes equipped with an Elemis spa and a handful of fine restaurants, some featuring sea views from the outdoor terraces. And while you’re seemingly worlds away from it all, it’s no less stunning a natural setting than most of Greece’s island destinations. A private beach and a PADI dive center make the most of the seaside location, and a number of watercraft are available for excursions to the nearby islands and inlets.
How to get there:
Eagles Palace is a 90 minute drive from Thessaloniki, which can be reached by air or train from several European cities.
Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.
Bringing crisp minimal design out of the city and into the wild, Southern Ocean Lodge is a shining example of very modern and very Australian architecture: clean open spaces, neutral tones and tons of glass wrapped in an environmentally-friendly package. Located on Kangaroo Island just off the South Australian coast, Southern Ocean Lodge is unexpectedly hip for such a remote and rugged locale, sporting a cool, unlabored vibe that doesn’t interfere with its beautiful coastal surrounds.
Comprising 21 sea-facing rooms, the SOL hovers over the mallee scrub, offering wide views of ocean, sky and whatever fauna happens to venture past: expect anything from kangaroos to echidnas to native birds. Inside, paintings by local artists complement pure white walls, with bespoke furniture and Ecosmart fireplaces creating the type of relaxed, uncluttered feeling one vows to recreate at home.
Tuning out is the main past time at the SOL (only the Family rooms have TVs) and guests can choose to do this on their private terrace, in their sunken lounge, or on one of a long list of nature tours. The surrounding national parkland offers so much by way of exploration — sea lion-spotting, kangaroo-meeting and hiking included — that the lodge provides each guest with a custom itinerary. Of course, some may opt to do nothing more demanding than enjoy the property’s gourmet meals and open bar, including a walk-in cellar stocked with locally-produced and imported wines, all included in the tariff.
Daily sunset drinks in the lodge’s Great Room allow guests to swap travel stories while taking in views of the Southern Ocean. An onsite spa with floor-to-ceiling windows offers a further chance to unwind while watching — and being watched by, presumably — the local wildlife.
How to get there:
Connect through Adelaide for flights to Kangaroo Island, or drive to Cape Jervis to board the ferry for the island.
El concepto de hotel típico marroquí es el riad: por lo general, suelen ser mansiones enclavadas en la antigua medina de la ciudad, hoteles pequeños e íntimos que representan un tipo de hostelería algo extravagante. El Terre Resort, el primer complejo hotelero del grupo norteamericano Octogone, exporta este concepto a la Palmeraïe, un oasis en medio del desierto, a quince minutos de la ciudad de Marrakech propiamente dicha, y lo reproduce a una escala mayor y más lujosa.
El Terre se compone de veinte pequeños riads octogonales, con 52 suites cada uno, y saca el máximo partido de su entorno diáfano extendiéndose en un terreno de más de cinco hectáreas, en el que hay un spa y hammam completo, una inmensa piscina principal (que complementa las piscinas privadas y los jacuzzis de las suites) y un complejo de ocio, con restaurante, salón y biblioteca.
Los tipos de alojamiento son grandiosos y están pensados para un público que viaja por placer y por todo lo alto. Las villas y las suites son, ante todo, espaciosas y contemporáneas, y sus cuartos de baño rayan en lo extravagante. A pesar de encontrarse en el desierto, el Terre, con su pista de tenis de tierra batida, su campo de minigolf y su cercanía a la gran selección de campos de golf de la Palmeraïe, ofrece un amplio abanico de actividades.
El Terre compensa con creces la falta de sabor local (el sello distintivo de los riads de la medina) con un lujo de líneas bien definidas. Aún es demasiado pronto para poder decirlo, pero, si todo va bien, el Terre será el primero de los ocho hoteles que Octogone tiene previsto abrir en Marruecos.
Terre Resort & Spa queda aproximadamente a unos 20 minutos en coche del Aeropuerto de Marrakech-Menara y a 10km del centro de Marrakech. Si desea organizar un traslado al hotel, contacte con reservas@tablethoteles.com
After years of pining for more contemporary hotels in Paris, we’re finally getting what we wished for. Suddenly the place is awash in design-oriented boutique hotels. And not half measures, either. The Hotel Secret de Paris, for example, isn’t content with just one vibrant, contemporary look — not when it can have six of them, each one patterned after a stylized version of a different view of Paris.
There’s the Musée d’Orsay, with its famous clock face, the Tour Eiffel with its iron beams, the ballet-themed Opéra Garnier and the art deco Trocadéro. Moulin Rouge is suitably saucy, and the Atelier d’Artiste, all in white (with judicious splatters of paint), is a rather luxe interpretation of the classic artist’s garret. Suffice it to say you’re reminded at every turn that you’re in Paris.
A gym, sauna, hammam and massage room are there to keep the Secret’s guests feeling fit, and in typical Parisian style you’re left at the city’s mercy when it comes time for a meal — a blessing, in this town, not a curse. For the city’s minimalist clientele, perhaps not, but anyone who’s found Parisian hotels a bit drab is bound to love it.
Some hotels need to be seen to be properly understood. Other hotel concepts, though, more or less speak for themselves. Simply at the mention of the Armani Hotel Milan one knows what one’s going to get: a bold and tasteful elegance, a certain richness in texture and materials, and of course an imposing silhouette — and one, incidentally, that’s suitable both for business and for pleasure.
In one sense it’s almost a living showroom for the Armani Casa shop across the road. But it’s more than that — a hotel, for a fashion chain, is a showroom for an entire lifestyle, and these interiors, modern Milanese to a tee, will have you checking yourself in the mirror to make sure you’re measuring up. And like the best in fashion, they’re more than surface deep, with a remarkable amount of attention paid to the physical luxuries that don’t show up on film.
Ninety-five rooms isn’t enormous, but without question the Armani joins the Milanese big league, competing directly against the town’s top luxury hotels. The spa and the restaurants see to these high-flying guests’ needs in the manner to which they’re accustomed, and the location is tough to beat, with walking access to what’s arguably the world’s finest shopping district. As branding, it’s a stroke of genius — and it’s no less impressive as a hotel.
After years of pining for more contemporary hotels in Paris, we’re finally getting what we wished for. Suddenly the place is awash in design-oriented boutique hotels. And not half measures, either. The Hotel Secret de Paris, for example, isn’t content with just one vibrant, contemporary look — not when it can have six of them, each one patterned after a stylized version of a different view of Paris.
There’s the Musée d’Orsay, with its famous clock face, the Tour Eiffel with its iron beams, the ballet-themed Opéra Garnier and the art deco Trocadéro. Moulin Rouge is suitably saucy, and the Atelier d’Artiste, all in white (with judicious splatters of paint), is a rather luxe interpretation of the classic artist’s garret. Suffice it to say you’re reminded at every turn that you’re in Paris.
A gym, sauna, hammam and massage room are there to keep the Secret’s guests feeling fit, and in typical Parisian style you’re left at the city’s mercy when it comes time for a meal — a blessing, in this town, not a curse. For the city’s minimalist clientele, perhaps not, but anyone who’s found Parisian hotels a bit drab is bound to love it.
After years of pining for more contemporary hotels in Paris, we’re finally getting what we wished for. Suddenly the place is awash in design-oriented boutique hotels. And not half measures, either. The Hotel Secret de Paris, for example, isn’t content with just one vibrant, contemporary look — not when it can have six of them, each one patterned after a stylized version of a different view of Paris.
There’s the Musée d’Orsay, with its famous clock face, the Tour Eiffel with its iron beams, the ballet-themed Opéra Garnier and the art deco Trocadéro. Moulin Rouge is suitably saucy, and the Atelier d’Artiste, all in white (with judicious splatters of paint), is a rather luxe interpretation of the classic artist’s garret. Suffice it to say you’re reminded at every turn that you’re in Paris.
A gym, sauna, hammam and massage room are there to keep the Secret’s guests feeling fit, and in typical Parisian style you’re left at the city’s mercy when it comes time for a meal — a blessing, in this town, not a curse. For the city’s minimalist clientele, perhaps not, but anyone who’s found Parisian hotels a bit drab is bound to love it.
After years of pining for more contemporary hotels in Paris, we’re finally getting what we wished for. Suddenly the place is awash in design-oriented boutique hotels. And not half measures, either. The Hotel Secret de Paris, for example, isn’t content with just one vibrant, contemporary look — not when it can have six of them, each one patterned after a stylized version of a different view of Paris.
There’s the Musée d’Orsay, with its famous clock face, the Tour Eiffel with its iron beams, the ballet-themed Opéra Garnier and the art deco Trocadéro. Moulin Rouge is suitably saucy, and the Atelier d’Artiste, all in white (with judicious splatters of paint), is a rather luxe interpretation of the classic artist’s garret. Suffice it to say you’re reminded at every turn that you’re in Paris.
A gym, sauna, hammam and massage room are there to keep the Secret’s guests feeling fit, and in typical Parisian style you’re left at the city’s mercy when it comes time for a meal — a blessing, in this town, not a curse. For the city’s minimalist clientele, perhaps not, but anyone who’s found Parisian hotels a bit drab is bound to love it.
It’s not necessarily the owners’ Italian heritage per se that makes Casa del Horno one of Panama’s top boutique hotels. The house is an architectural treasure in its own right, dating back to the French colonial days, and its rough-hewn stone provides the backdrop against which its sleeker, more contemporary elements are allowed to stand out. But in the end it’s the keenness of that contemporary eye which elevates a charming house into an extraordinary hotel.
And it’s in the design that the owners’ influence shows through most distinctly. At the moment there’s nothing quite like Italian design for blending modernist visual impact with top-notch tactile luxury, and Casa del Horno’s interiors fit that description to a tee. Imported pieces mesh with local craftsmanship and antique details, and the result is a hotel with a character all its own — and in boutique hotels, that’s at least half the battle.
The other half, of course, is the nuts and bolts: the LCD televisions and iPod docks, the Old Town location with its picturesque views, the in-room massage service, the thoughtful concierge and the generally high level of service. It’s safe to say there’s nothing else quite like it anywhere else in town.
How to get there:
Casa dal Horno is 33.5km away from Tocumen International Airport (30-40 min) or 3.5km from Marcos A Gelabert Airport. Transfers can be organized for USD35 for 2 guests, each way and USD10 per additional guest. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.
Please note: Locanda Rossa is open annually April through December. Three night minimum required for stays in June, July and August. Two night minimum required for all other dates.
The Maremma, the coastal region where Tuscany meets Lazio, is a bit of a Johnny-come-lately as a holiday destination, though you’d never know it from looking at it today — here a once-impoverished agricultural region has been transformed into, well, a not-at-all-impoverished agricultural region, and one that’s as well known for tourism as for produce. And this fame is due in no small part to a wealth of independent hotels, places like Capalbio’s Locanda Rossa.
Locanda Rossa’s original structure has undergone a modern expansion, but the seams don’t show a bit. Contemporary interiors meet farmhouse architecture in the rooms and suites, which, if not for the half-timbered ceilings and the views of the farm, could easily pass for modern urban apartments. Then again those views of the olive groves, not to mention the gardens and the pool deck, are why you’re here and not in a modern urban apartment in the first place.
There’s a spa for those tough cases who need even more relaxation, and the Osteria Wine Bar is more than a wine bar, serving sophisticated local fare, much of it made from the estate’s own produce. Meanwhile the beaches are minutes away, and the splendid Maremma countryside surrounds — all less than two hours’ drive from Rome.
How to get there:
Train: Rome to Capalbio, approximately 2 hours. Transfers from the train station can be arranged with the hotel.
Driving Directions from Rome: Take Strada Statale 1 Aurelia in the direction of Livorno. Exit at Chiarone 124 km then turn left towards Pescia Fiorentina. After 2.5 km, take mandatory left turn to Capalbio. After 3 km you will find the red entrance to Locanda Rossa on your right. Approximate driving time from Rome is 1.30 hours.
Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with directions.
There are places whose appeal waxes and wanes with the trend-chasing crowds — and then there’s the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. The boom in Sri Lankan hospitality doesn’t seem to have much to do with the changing fashions, and one imagines a place like Aditya, though recently opened, is in it for the long haul, as its splendid beachfront location and its low-key, friendly approach to service are unlikely to see substantial revision any time in the near future.
Most every boutique hotel thinks of its design sense as “eclectic,” but Aditya presents a stronger case than most, its starkly modernist beds, furniture and bathrooms sharing time with antique pieces and traditional architectural details. Five suites are nestled into private gardens, six of them face out to sea, and the Grand Surya Suite, a two-story villa, has a private terrace with a plunge pool and a prime view of the Indian Ocean sunset.
The activities on offer are suitably low-key, from spa treatments to cooking classes to coastal explorations, whether that means the old fort at Galle or dolphin-watching at Mirissa. The beach occupies its fair share of guests’ daytime hours, as does the pool. And while there’s no nightlife to speak of, it’s hard not to imagine that that’s just how Aditya’s guests like it.
How to get there:
Aditya is located on a secluded beach 10 minutes north of Galle (on the SW coast of Sri Lanka). The hotel is 2.5 hours south of Colombo. Transfers can be arranged from/to the Bandaranaike International Airport (135 km away) in Colombo. Train service is also available from Colombo to Galle (where a taxi can be arranged to pick you up). Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for further questions or assistance with airport transfers.
There are places whose appeal waxes and wanes with the trend-chasing crowds — and then there’s the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. The boom in Sri Lankan hospitality doesn’t seem to have much to do with the changing fashions, and one imagines a place like Aditya, though recently opened, is in it for the long haul, as its splendid beachfront location and its low-key, friendly approach to service are unlikely to see substantial revision any time in the near future.
Most every boutique hotel thinks of its design sense as “eclectic,” but Aditya presents a stronger case than most, its starkly modernist beds, furniture and bathrooms sharing time with antique pieces and traditional architectural details. Five suites are nestled into private gardens, six of them face out to sea, and the Grand Surya Suite, a two-story villa, has a private terrace with a plunge pool and a prime view of the Indian Ocean sunset.
The activities on offer are suitably low-key, from spa treatments to cooking classes to coastal explorations, whether that means the old fort at Galle or dolphin-watching at Mirissa. The beach occupies its fair share of guests’ daytime hours, as does the pool. And while there’s no nightlife to speak of, it’s hard not to imagine that that’s just how Aditya’s guests like it.
How to get there:
Aditya is located on a secluded beach 10 minutes north of Galle (on the SW coast of Sri Lanka). The hotel is 2.5 hours south of Colombo. Transfers can be arranged from/to the Bandaranaike International Airport (135 km away) in Colombo. Train service is also available from Colombo to Galle (where a taxi can be arranged to pick you up). Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for further questions or assistance with airport transfers.
Please note: 1864 The Sea Captain's House is open seasonally, March through mid-December.
In Santorini, the location does almost all of the work; most hotels just do their best not to spoil the view. Any hotel that can actually add something to the natural experience very quickly crosses over into the extraordinary — and the reason we’re here, as you might have imagined, is that the delightfully named 1864 The Sea Captain’s House is one of this rare breed.
First of all, even on Santorini, there are locations, and then there are locations. Oia, at the top of the inner crescent, is probably the island’s most picturesque town, its terraced residences cascading precipitously down the cliffside. The Sea Captain’s House joins them — with just four suites (and no reception or other common space), it’s scarcely a hotel at all, presenting what’s essentially an idealized, luxe version of Oian village life.
That means jacuzzis in every suite, for one, and an approach to decorating that goes beyond the stripped-down Greek-island norm — there are hints of the baroque in these bedrooms, with their antique woodwork and gilded mirrors. It’s all in the name of character, though, rather than pure flash; the scale of the place prevents it ever feeling over-opulent. Dine in, if you’re in the mood for some privacy, or book a table at one of the owners’ two village restaurants, if you prefer a more sociable stay.
How to get there:
Santorini (Thira) can be easily reached by plane or ferry. Flight time from Athens is approximately 45 minutes.
Ferries from Athens' Pireaus port to Thira take approximately 3 hours. For more information about ferry schedules, and to purchase tickets in advance of your trip, we recommend the following website: Paleologos
Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with transfers to the hotel.
Thai boutique hotels tend to stick to a couple of themes; think beach villas in the coastal regions, or ultramodern design in Bangkok. More suited to the old northern capital of Chiang Mai, however, is 137 Pillars House, a luxury boutique that’s more elegant than funky, more traditional than outré, a natural stylistic evolution from the old house’s former use as the headquarters of the East Borneo Company.
So well kept is 137 Pillars, however, that the result is more a trad-luxe fantasy than an outright preservation job. Much of the construction, however classic in style, is in fact a painstaking contemporary reconstruction, giving the lie to the notion that “they don’t make them like they used to.” In fact they make them better; these century-old suites are only improved by the addition of modern electronics, plumbing and climate control, and the 19th-century atmosphere suffers not a bit.
The common spaces are equally genteel in aspect, from the Library Bar to the Parlor Lounge, from the dark and romantic Dining Room to the casual show kitchen, which mounts demonstrations and cooking classes. The gym, spa and pool keep guests in fighting trim, and outside, rather than some generic entertainment district, is Old Chiang Mai, home to any number of temples, monuments and cultural attractions.
How to get there:
137 Pillars House is located 10 minutes from Chiang Mai Airport. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.
Thai boutique hotels tend to stick to a couple of themes; think beach villas in the coastal regions, or ultramodern design in Bangkok. More suited to the old northern capital of Chiang Mai, however, is 137 Pillars House, a luxury boutique that’s more elegant than funky, more traditional than outré, a natural stylistic evolution from the old house’s former use as the headquarters of the East Borneo Company.
So well kept is 137 Pillars, however, that the result is more a trad-luxe fantasy than an outright preservation job. Much of the construction, however classic in style, is in fact a painstaking contemporary reconstruction, giving the lie to the notion that “they don’t make them like they used to.” In fact they make them better; these century-old suites are only improved by the addition of modern electronics, plumbing and climate control, and the 19th-century atmosphere suffers not a bit.
The common spaces are equally genteel in aspect, from the Library Bar to the Parlor Lounge, from the dark and romantic Dining Room to the casual show kitchen, which mounts demonstrations and cooking classes. The gym, spa and pool keep guests in fighting trim, and outside, rather than some generic entertainment district, is Old Chiang Mai, home to any number of temples, monuments and cultural attractions.
How to get there:
137 Pillars House is located 10 minutes from Chiang Mai Airport. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.
Chances are, the “infinity” in Infinity Residences & Resort refers to the seemingly endless views out into the Gulf of Thailand. But it could equally refer to how far this corner of northwestern Koh Samui feels from the rest of the island’s booming tourist business. If you’re feeling social you’re a short drive away from Bophut Bay and Chaweng Beach, but from these wooded hillsides you don’t even have to know they exist — and if you’re a frequent Tablet reader you know that in Koh Samui there’s no greater luxury than that.
Infinity’s residences range from one to four bedrooms, and while the space and equipment necessarily vary a bit, there are some constants: king beds, sea views, full open kitchens, modern electronics, and massive bathrooms. Some have private lap pools, others hot tubs or plunge pools, and in the very worst case you’ll share a pool with the other half of your duplex — life is pretty good when that’s the worst case.
The gym, spa, pool and restaurant, naturally, are up to the same general level as the accommodations, and there’s an astonishing view from just about every corner of the place. If there’s anything to grouse about, perhaps it’s the location, which might feel slightly out of the way in comparison with the rest of the island’s high-end properties — but if remoteness feels like a disadvantage, then we humbly suggest that you just might have your priorities the wrong way round.
How to get there:
Infinity Residences & Resort is located 20 km from the Koh Samui airport.
Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.
Luang Prabang is one of those destinations where you hardly need an extraordinary hotel to have an extraordinary experience — which makes the fact that there are several of them feel almost gratuitous. Not that we’re complaining. In the case of the Hotel de la Paix it means a rare conjunction of historical architecture and modern design, and a chance to inhabit an ancient place in an atmosphere of the utmost contemporary luxury.
The architect, Duangrit Bunnag, is responsible for some very fine modernist beach hotels in Thailand, and here he’s wedded a handful of original French Colonial structures (including the old governor’s mansion) to a number of new buildings, heavily influenced in turn by traditional Lao architecture. The result is a strangely timeless blend, especially in the guest suites, which feel not just sequestered in space but somehow lost in time as well.
Only some of them come with private pools, but all are indulgent in their own way, with private gardens and spa-like bathrooms. Of course there’s a proper spa as well, for when “spa-like” isn’t quite enough, and a main pool for a more serious approach to swimming. Add a fine restaurant and lounge, as well as a cooking school, and the culinary angle is more than covered — especially when you add the restaurants at 3 Nagas, the sister hotel, just a few minutes down the road.
How to get there:
Hotel de la Paix is conveniently located just 5 minutes from the central area of town and a 15-minute drive from the Luang Prabang Airport. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.
Val Thorens makes much of its status as the Alps’ highest ski resort; more practically, it makes much of its status as its largest, at least in terms of terrain. But from our hospitality-centric viewpoint, a French ski town isn’t really on the map until the Sibuets have opened a hotel there. Altapura, like its sisters in Megève, answers a number of perennial ski-hotel complaints — it’s modern in style without sacrificing a sense of place, it’s comfortable without lapsing into kitsch, and it’s proof positive that a stylish social scene and a family-friendly vibe need not be mutually exclusive.
The look of the place is often described as Scandinavian, but if you look beyond the blond wood you’ll see what’s essentially a post-modern take on a very French alpine lodge. The heavy timbers, it seems, have been hauled down and made into furniture, into patchwork tiles, or into latticed screens; even the traditional taxidermy is present, though largely in stylized carved wood.
In a ski lodge, however, the tactile pleasures often take precedence over the visual ones. Here Altapura doesn’t disappoint. The rooms, however striking, are never stark, and that modern furniture lacks for nothing in terms of comfort — and the less tangible conveniences include Apple iPads alongside pervasive wi-fi and satellite television.
The three restaurants inhabit equally contemporary spaces, but vary in atmosphere, from the ultra-cozy La Laiterie to the rather more adult Les Enfants Terribles. Meanwhile the Pure Altitude spa, with its seven treatment rooms and heated indoor pool, is a viable alternative to a day on the slopes. And last but not least, Altapura benefits from ski-in ski-out access, as well as a ski shop in partnership with Goitschel.
How to get there:
Altapura is located 30 km from the Courchevel Airport (CVF). This is approximately 1 hour by car. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.
Though it might have been strange to say so a few years ago, the Fairmont Monte Carlo Hotel as it stands today is a building of some architectural distinction. This Seventies-vintage zig-zag of a modernist hotel behemoth has climbed out of the stylistic uncanny valley, the aesthetic no-man’s-land between contemporary and retro. Now it’s a piece of historic Monte Carlo, a pleasingly retro modernist monument — and, not incidentally, one of the finer luxury hotels in town.
And while the bones of the place have improved with age, the interiors have been kept very much up to date; a thorough renovation has this Fairmont looking extremely well turned out, if a touch on the conservative side. That’s no criticism — one doesn’t come to Monte Carlo to have one’s world turned upside down, but rather for a taste of the good life, in classic Riviera style. The basic rooms are big enough, and certainly comfortable enough, but it pays to spring for an up-close sea view, available in the better rooms and many of the suites.
Either way, you’ll soak in the view at L’Argentin, the fine dining restaurant, and Saphir 24, the lounge and bar, both of which look out over the Mediterranean through wraparound floor-to-ceiling windows. Meanwhile the spa and health club occupy a new addition to the hotel, and the soothing interiors, all white and sky blue, only intensify the atmosphere of relaxation. Monte Carlo has hotels with a longer history, as well as hotels of a more recent vintage than the Fairmont; still, in terms of character, this place stands apart.
Chances are, the “infinity” in Infinity Residences & Resort refers to the seemingly endless views out into the Gulf of Thailand. But it could equally refer to how far this corner of northwestern Koh Samui feels from the rest of the island’s booming tourist business. If you’re feeling social you’re a short drive away from Bophut Bay and Chaweng Beach, but from these wooded hillsides you don’t even have to know they exist — and if you’re a frequent Tablet reader you know that in Koh Samui there’s no greater luxury than that.
Infinity’s residences range from one to four bedrooms, and while the space and equipment necessarily vary a bit, there are some constants: king beds, sea views, full open kitchens, modern electronics, and massive bathrooms. Some have private lap pools, others hot tubs or plunge pools, and in the very worst case you’ll share a pool with the other half of your duplex — life is pretty good when that’s the worst case.
The gym, spa, pool and restaurant, naturally, are up to the same general level as the accommodations, and there’s an astonishing view from just about every corner of the place. If there’s anything to grouse about, perhaps it’s the location, which might feel slightly out of the way in comparison with the rest of the island’s high-end properties — but if remoteness feels like a disadvantage, then we humbly suggest that you just might have your priorities the wrong way round.
How to get there:
Infinity Residences & Resort is located 20 km from the Koh Samui airport.
Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.
Advertencia: en determinados fines de semana del año, el hotel exige estancia mínima de dos (2) o tres (3) noches.
Si hay algo que la mayoría de los principales hoteles de París tienen en común es que todos —ya sean grandes hoteles de siglos de antigüedad o experimentos de diseño vanguardista— suelen anunciarse a bombo y platillo. Por eso tenemos debilidad por los discretos, por los hoteles parisinos que van contra corriente y no ofrecen una pasarela para lucirse, sino un rincón para descansar, hoteles como el recién renovado y reformado Recamier.
El hotel se encuentra en la pintoresca Place St. Sulpice, una de las zonas más agradables de la margen izquierda, en pleno St. Germain des Prés, donde hay una encantadora iglesia antigua y alguna que otra marca de lujo. Este hotel pequeño e íntimo, encaja perfectamente en la zona: las zonas comunes son escasas, y nunca hay aglomeraciones en el vestíbulo. El nuevo Recamier consiste simplemente en una sala de desayunos, una terraza y 24 habitaciones remodeladas con mucho estilo.
Cada planta luce una discreta temática, desde un estilo monocromático moderno hasta uno de influencia africana en tonos más terrosos. Todas las habitaciones son contemporáneas a la par que sobrias y, sobre todo, exquisitamente íntimas. La tranquilidad es un lujo muy exclusivo en París: no lo deje escapar. Por eso no hay ningún restaurante en el hotel, pero ya sabe que es imposible quedarse con hambre en París.
"No hay dos habitaciones iguales".
Esta es la típica frase publicitaria que podría atribuirse cualquier hotel con un mínimo de personalidad y, en el caso de los Tablet Hoteles, seguro que no faltaría a la verdad o, al menos, hasta cierto punto (aunque es posible que, algún día, nuestra oferta incluya algún hotel colmena japonés). Sin embargo, también es cierto que el hecho de que no haya dos copos de nieve iguales no es precisamente una razón de peso para dormir en la nieve.
Lo que no admite ninguna duda es que, en el caso de L'Hôtel, esta afirmación da en el clavo. Todas sus habitaciones son diferentes, tan diferentes que parecen encontrarse en hoteles o incluso en continentes distintos. El estilo barroco italiano de la Barroco contrasta con la decoración antigua japonesa de la Pagode y con las telas de leopardo de la Léopard, mientras que la Oscar Wilde recrea, en un estilo tradicional inglés, parte del comedor londinense del célebre escritor y exhibe cartas enmarcadas en las que los empleados del hotel le instan a saldar su cuenta (cosa que no hizo en vida). Todo ello se ha logrado con tal pericia y tal encanto que no podría considerarse un mero golpe de efecto, sino más bien un estilo auténtico y una personalidad propia.
Al fin y al cabo, lo que hace de un hotel un Tablet Hotel no es el servicio de habitaciones de 24 horas, ni las piscinas cubiertas, ni ningún otro servicio típico de cualquier hotel de cinco estrellas, sino su personalidad. Sinceramente, no creemos que ninguno de esos hoteles que las cadenas hoteleras fabrican en serie pueda igualar la escalera de caracol central de L'Hôtel, ni la luz natural que se cuela por el techo abovedado de cristal y la inunda, ni tampoco la piscina construida, al estilo de los baños romanos, en una cámara subterránea del hotel.
El hotel ofrece a los huéspedes un buen restaurante; no es de tres estrellas, pero sigue siendo excelente. Le Restaurant no ha sido concebido para potenciar las relaciones públicas ni para aumentar los beneficios del hotel con la venta de comida y bebida, sino como un servicio al cliente; cocina francesa excepcional, moderna y liviana, a precios razonables. Este restaurante es muy popular con los vecinos del lugar así como con celebridades. En una ciudad como París sería un verdadero crimen secuestrar a los huéspedes durante la cena, teniendo en cuenta la gran variedad de delicias culinarias que les esperan en la calle.
Nada más lejos de la intención del hotel que ofrecer todos los servicios necesarios para una estancia completa en París; en realidad, sólo pretende complementar los encantos de las inmediaciones. L'Hôtel se encuentra en el barrio de St. Germain-des-Prés, en plena rive gauche, el margen izquierdo del Sena, a poca distancia de la Escuela de Bellas Artes de París y de una infinidad de galerías, cafeterías y boutiques. No sería descabellado afirmar que ningún hotel podría estar mejor situado en esta ciudad; quienes deseen descubrir el auténtico París, no podrían empezar por ningún lugar mejor que éste.
Es más, si L'Hôtel fuera uno de esos grandes hoteles de negocios tremendamente aburridos, sólo por el barrio, merecería la pena alojarse en él. Pero estamos hablando de un hotel extraordinario, con una vida y una personalidad arrolladoras, que, sumadas su ubicación, hacen de él una residencia parisina idónea y, probablemente, el Tablet Hotel ideal.
La información más esclarecedora que podemos proporcionarle acerca del Elbow Beach es que pertenece a la cadena de hoteles Mandarin Oriental.
Aunque no siempre ha sido así: este inmaculado y flamante complejo hotelero fue inaugurado en 1908 con el nombre de South Shore Hotel. Entonces era uno de los hoteles más prestigiosos y exclusivos de las Bermudas, al igual que lo es ahora: una finca colonial que se alza sobre la costa atlántica de la isla.
El hotel no ha perdido la majestuosidad de antaño, con su entrada, flanqueada por columnas y resplandeciente a la luz del atardecer. Las habitaciones son lujosas y espaciosas, equipadas con cuartos de baño de mármol y patios o balcones. El Elbow Beach está decorado con un estilo contemporáneo, en el que la comodidad prima sobre el diseño: los muebles son más suntuosos y consistentes que atrevidos desde el punto de vista estético.
Los servicios y las instalaciones son los propios de un complejo hotelero de primera categoría (como todos los hoteles de la cadena Mandarin), con todo lo que cualquier persona que viaje por placer podría desear. Los huéspedes tienen a su disposición varios restaurantes en el interior y al aire libre, amplias instalaciones para negocios y conferencias, una piscina, un spa, un health club y canchas de tenis iluminadas. Bermudas es un destino vacacional dedicado, en gran medida, al golf; aquí hay más campos de golf que en cualquier zona proporcionalmente extensa de Escocia o, incluso, de Florida. También pueden practicarse todas las actividades acuáticas imaginables, desde la relajación en la playa hasta el submarinismo en alta mar.
Debido a que está más cerca de Nueva York que de Miami y a que no hay muchos vuelos internacionales, el archipiélago permanece al margen de las hordas de turistas que invaden el Caribe. En este lugar se respira, por tanto, una tranquilidad y una exclusividad acentuadas por el ambiente suntuoso y el servicio impecable del Elbow Beach.
Las habitaciones estándar del Ace Hotel tienen cuartos de baño compartidos. Que quede muy claro: la mitad de las habitaciones no cuentan con cuarto de baño privado.
Esperamos que siga leyéndonos alguien; lógicamente el Ace Hotel no atraerá al mismo segmento de mercado que, por ejemplo, el Sorrento. Este sitio derrocha modernidad, una modernidad natural y sin pretensiones. El vestíbulo, con su suelo de madera oscura de nogal y sus paredes blancas retrofuturistas (más estilo Barbarella que Balazs), no parece un vestíbulo de hotel, sino una galería de arte, y las habitaciones, con sus techos de más de cuatro metros de alto y sus paredes de ladrillo encalado, tienen más aspecto de galería que la mayoría de las galerías.
Se podría objetar, cínicamente, que los hoteles orientados a mercados jóvenes suelen justificar su decoración blanco sobre blanco y su falta de imaginación con toda suerte de comparaciones artísticas, cuando, en realidad, toda esa cal tiene por objeto ocultar la mala calidad de la construcción y vestir el hotel con el «traje nuevo del emperador». No es el caso del Ace Hotel, que tiene la honradez de llamar ladrillo pintado de blanco a lo que lo es y la decencia de cobrar un precio baste inferior a 100 dólares por una habitación individual estándar.
Aun a riesgo de caer en un estereotipo de carácter regional, esto no es Hollywood, sino el noroeste del Pacífico. En Seattle, donde expertos en tecnología con carteras de valores se ponen camisetas térmicas procedentes de excedentes militares, ser moderno significa gastar el dinero de manera inteligente, y la decisión de subir los precios de las habitaciones solo le restaría caché a este «club de los pijamas» sin lujos.
Aquí podrá dormir bajo la atenta mirada del André el Gigante de Shepard Fairey y disfrutar de las vistas a la bahía Elliot y las montañas Olympic o solo a las calles de Belltown. Los cuartos de baño compartidos no son horrorosos, como los de los colegios mayores, sino que están limpios como una patena. No obstante, si no puede vivir sin un cuarto de baño privado, merece la pena pagar los cincuenta y pico dólares de más. Una puerta giratoria oculta, al estilo Batman, permite acceder a un precioso entorno minimalista, decorado (cómo no) con madera de nogal y en color blanco, con un lavabo industrial de aluminio y sin rastro de Philippe Starck.
Los servicios y comodidades se reducen a la mínima expresión: la televisión por cable es el mayor lujo disponible. Si ha leído hasta aquí, ya sabrá que el lujo no es la cuestión; la cuestión es disponer de un lugar para dormir y un punto de partida para explorar la ciudad (con conexión a Internet, por supuesto, que se trata de gente civilizada). Probablemente habrá gente despierta a todas horas, de modo que tal vez no sea un lugar idóneo para acostarse temprano o recuperarse del desfase horario.
En la planta baja se encuentra el nuevo local del Cyclops Café, uno de los favoritos de la zona (todos los hoteles dicen lo mismo de su restaurante asociado, pero, en este caso, damos fe de ello), y fuera le esperan todos los bares y cafeterías de Belltown, así como los clásicos lugares de interés de Seattle, como la plaza Pioneer y el mercado de Pike Place. Puede que el verdadero propósito de las paredes blancas sea obligar a los huéspedes holgazanes a salir a la calle y disfrutar.
Posiblemente Chewton Glen es el hotel rural que sirve de referencia para el resto de hoteles. Su ubicación es espectacular, pues ocupa 53 hectáreas de terreno al borde del New Forest (en su día terreno de caza para los nobles normandos, después refugio de los contrabandistas que se dedicaban a traficar productos europeos). Asimismo, se encuentra cerca de la Catedral de Salisbury, Stonehenge y la Isla de Wight, y todavía más cerca de la sublime y espectacular costa de Dorset y del Canal.
Pese a lo espectacular del paisaje, es posible que muchos huéspedes no lleguen a disfrutar de él, pues el hotel es tan sumamente lujoso que salir de las inmediaciones del mismo requiere un esfuerzo brutal. Es posible que desde fuera el edificio se perfile simplemente como una enorme casa de campo, pero tras sus puertas se esconde un hotel de lujo completamente moderno. Quienes busquen interiores del siglo XVIII pueden sentirse decepcionados, pero aquellos que prefieran los muebles más desvencijados (pero siempre auténticos) probablemente estarán encantados. No nos engañemos, no existían suites tan espaciosas (sobre todo cuartos de baño) en el pasado. Y el espacio no es el único lujo que ofrece el hotel: los enormes ventanales permiten contemplar unas preciosas vistas de los jardines, un panorama tan hermoso que puede competir con la televisión vía satélite y los centros de entretenimiento Bang & Olufsen.
El hecho de que exista un restaurante excelente puede incitarle a salir de su habitación: el Marryat ofrece un menú ecléctico y moderno, con setas y caza del New Forest, marisco de Christchurch, y una gran variedad de platos vegetarianos, así como una excepcional carta de vinos.
Para reforzar la filosofía del hotel, que apuesta por la relajación extrema y decadente y por conservar la tradición de las termas romanas del Sur, se creó el Chewton Glen Spa: uno de los mejores de Inglaterra, que ha sido condecorado en multitud de ocasiones. El spa ofrece un amplísimo abanico de tratamientos, para los que se utilizan productos de las casas Clarins, Thalgo y Guinot. Si lo que prefiere es dar unas brazadas, sumérjase en la piscina interior de 17 metros, que se encuentra en el hall central del hotel. Esta piscina no sólo es masiva y tremendamente fotogénica, sino que ha sido tratada con ozono, para reducir la necesidad de cloración, lo cual ha contribuido a convertir una piscina interior de uso diario en un lujo propio de los mejores spas.
En cuanto a las actividades al aire libre, en el Chewton Glen Hotel podrá encontrar todo lo que pueda imaginarse, gracias a su ubicación cerca del bosque y del mar. En los terrenos del hotel podrá jugar al golf, tenis y croquet, y muy cerca podrá disfrutar del campo de tiro y montar a caballo. Si se siente audaz y aventurero, el personal del hotel estará encantado de organizarle una jornada de pesca, excursiones en 4X4 por el New Forest e incluso salidas en velero por el Solent (el canal que existe entre Hampshire y la Isla de Wight).
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