Where to stay on your next city, beach or mountain holiday
IRENE RAWLINGS
Pictured above is a guest room at The Langham, Boston, which has traditional American furnishings and a marble bathroom. The two-story brass-framed windows of the hotel’s trademark Loft suites date back to when the building served as the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The former office of the bank president has been converted into an event venue, and it has murals by the renowned artist N.C. Wyeth. Members of The Langham Club get access to a private lounge on the hotel’s eighth level, where they may enjoy a variety of meals and drinks throughout the day. Access to XO Private Aviation’s specialized fleet of super mid-sized planes is expedited through a collaboration with the firm. From $525; langhamhotels.com
The popular Blackberry Farm resort in Tennessee is expanding to the states of North Carolina and Wyoming. High Hampton Resort (from $595; highhampton.com) near Cashiers, North Carolina, has been a favorite family vacation since it opened in the 1930s because to its own lake, tiny cottages, and woodland hiking paths. The mountain retreat has kept its appealing rustic appeal thanks to the Blackberry Farm team’s expertise and hospitality prowess. Blackberry Farm co-founder Sandy Beall has made a personal investment in the outdoor-focused Snake River Sporting Club in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (memberships start at $2,400; snakeriversportingclub.com). Expect a new lodge (below) and culinary enhancements when the resort begins year-round operations in addition to fly-fishing, horseback riding, golfing, shooting sports clays, and hiking. There will be weekly rodeos at the renovated historic ranch.
The site of the well-known healing resort in the Hamptons, Shou Sugi Ban House, also includes the adjoining Shou Sugi Ban Inn. The inn itself has three suites and two standard rooms for guests, and there are also two detached houses nearby that can be rented out for longer stays and each have as many as seven beds. Breakfasts created by Mads Refslund, co-founder of Copenhagen’s three-Michelin-star Noma restaurant, provide a variety of healthy plant-based options. While staying at the inn, guests get exclusive access to all of Shou Sugi Ban House’s spa and wellness facilities. Beginning as $795 | shousugibanhouse.com
The Aerial is a health retreat perched like a stronghold on Buck Island, a private, 43-acre island in the British Virgin Islands. It is staffed by nutritionist-chefs, yoga teachers, and other wellness practitioners. Water sports, creative writing classes, immune-boosting spa treatments, and scenic hikes are just some of the options. Each of the five luxuriously rustic homes has expansive glass walls that slide back to reveal the outdoors. The island is normally offered for the exclusive use of up to 30 people for $40,000/night, all-inclusive with a three-night minimum, while individual parties may rent a room during certain vacation weeks.aerialbvi.com
One&Only Portonovi (below), a large 60-acre resort in Montenegro’s “New Riviera” on the picturesque Boka Bay, is opening soon. The resort’s 123 rooms, suites, and villas all have views of the Adriatic Sea or the Black Mountains. Chef Giorgio Locatelli (whose London restaurant holds a Michelin star) presides over the kitchen at Sabia, which specializes on southern Italian fare. The Tapasake Club is a poolside eatery and bar serving pan-Asian food, sake-based cocktails, and laid-back DJ sessions. Swiss company Chenot offers a customizable, multi-day wellness program. Starting from $580 (oneandonlyresorts.com)
Thompson Opening in January, Austin will have 212 guest rooms and suites. The concrete walls are softened with dark wood, soft leathers, and lush vegetation, paying homage to the Texas college town’s renegade spirit and Hill Country roots. At Diner Bar, chefs Mashama Bailey and Johno Morisano give traditional Southern dishes a Tex-Mex twist. The Club + Pool on the fourth story of Wax Myrtle is the place to go for stunning panoramas, inventive drinks, and daring eats. Starting at $330 (ThompsonHotels.com)
The Cloudveil (pictured) in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel with 100 rooms, and it is known for its unique decor, including a 3,000-pound rock that acts as the front desk. Located in the Town Square, this property pays homage to Wyoming’s ranching past through its architecture. The taps in the guest rooms are reminiscent of spigots, while the towel racks, seats, and rockers all have equestrian or saddle themes. Beginning at $450 on thecloudveil.com
The 47 rooms at Casa Cipriani, located in New York City’s Battery Maritime Building (a former Beaux-Arts ferry dock), have been decorated by Thierry Despont with maritime motifs and bespoke Italian furnishings. The Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty may be seen from the private balconies of several of the apartments. Starting at $850 (Casa Cipriani):
The Hästens Sleep Spa Hotel, the firm’s first hotel, opened in Coimbra, Portugal. The company is based in Sweden and makes high-end mattresses. In honor of the nearby Biblioteca Joanina, which is on the World Heritage List, each of the 15 rooms features a bathtub decorated with 1,200 hand-carved and gold-plated book spines. The handcrafted Hästens beds in each room are another major selling point. CBR Boutique Hotel rates start at $600/night (bookable at cbrboutiquehotel.com).
You can have the best of both city and country at the new Beaverbrook Town House in London and its sister property, Beaverbrook, in Surrey. Celebrating its colorful previous owner, Lord Beaverbrook, a newspaper baron and wartime MP, this 35-room estate in the Surrey Hills brings back the mood of the roaring twenties. The Lord’s colorful life in London is remembered in the 14-suite Beaverbrook Town House, where he entertained the likes of Ian Fleming, Winston Churchill, Rudyard Kipling, Elizabeth Taylor, and Laurence Olivier. Both hotels provide the feel of visiting the house of a kind, wacky friend. Expenses start at $615 / beaverbrooktownhouse.co.uk
The St. Regis Bermuda Resort (bottom right), located in St. George’s, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and overlooking the white beaches of St. Catherine’s Beach, features 120 guest rooms and suites, each with an own balcony. The food is heavily influenced by the islands, although you can also get a BLT steak. Guests may enjoy the spa, 24-hour fitness center, pool, children’s club, and distinctive Butler Service, as well as separate pools for adults and families. Starting at $595 (www.stregisbermuda.com).
Located in the historic and upscale Salamanca neighborhood of Madrid, the Rosewood Villa Magna has been recreated as a tranquil and exquisite private property with 155 rooms and suites designed accordingly. The Tardeo bar has indoor and outdoor seating, while the Rosewood’s distinctive Sense Spa features a traditional Turkish hammam. Starting from $760 (RosewoodHotels.com).
Beach villas, artist house-ateliers, 18th-century hunting pavilions, and renovated townhouses in ancient cities are just some of the interesting and unusual lodgings listed on Welcome Beyond, a German website. Iceland, South Africa, Brazil, and Indonesia are just few of the places represented.welcomebeyond.com