Make a reservation at Halkin

Halkin, a haute-couture Italian-style boutique hotel, owned by Singapore’s Christina Ong of Como Shambhala group.  The public spaces of The Halkin amount to little more than a small but handsome lobby and bar while the rooms get the star treatment.

The rooms design can be described as “”Milanese Zen”", rich leathers and soothing muted colors doing their best to expand the already generous space.  Each floor takes on as its theme one of the four ancient elements  but the differences are subtle enough to avoid gimmickry; all four are as unassumingly elegant as can be. The marble bathrooms are expansive, and the COMO Shambhala bath products add to the culture shock—you may have to walk outside and see the building’s Georgian facade to reassure yourself that this is indeed London.

The location, in quietly upscale Belgravia, is a perfect match for this chic yet grown-up hotel—attractive yet not too ostentatious, and providing easy access to Knightsbridge, Hyde Park and Picadilly.

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Make a reservation at The Prince

The Prince is a 40-room hotel housed within The Prince of Wales property, is located in cosmopolitan St Kilda neighborhood, with views of picturesque Port Phillip Bay. The Prince settles in to its second decade still a leading force – merging cutting-edge glamor with laid back luxe feel.

When you enter the lobby you see a bluestone reception desk floating  in front of an impressive Dale Frank painting. Spot light vases, designer couches and an original Le Chaise by Charles and Ray Eames, serve as visual and functional pieces within the space. Yet the rooms offer warmth and texture, are flooded with natural light and are set with an eclectic mix of furniture, lighting and objects and as hair and body products they have  the world renowned Australian company, Aesop.

The Prince Deck is located by the pool offering spectacular views over the rooftops of St Kilda and out over the Bay. You can dine exceptionally at Circa, mingle with the locals at The Prince Bar, mix with subversives’ underground at `Mink’ or take in some of the best bands and musicians on offer in the Bandroom.

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Make a reservation at Straf

Located in the heart of Milan, Straf combines two philosophies. Extreme high-tech functionality with a minimalist feel and the warm. Intimate atmosphere of the rooms are elegantly designed with innovative materials, like rough slate, burnished brass, concrete and iron, gaze-effect glass and mirrors aged by hand, along with furnishings specially designed by Vincenzo De Cotiis.

Straf has 64 rooms and suites some  overlooking the Dome.

Hotel Straf now has a series of well-being rooms. Used since ancient times, these treatments based on perfumes and colors are given a technological feel with the addition of a Japanese massage chair. While staying in Straf wake up early and stroll inside the Duomo Cathedral, Milan’s famous building.

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Make a reservation at Soho London

Situated in the heart of Soho between Dean and Wardour Streets,  Soho hotel has 85 bedrooms and suites plus 6 one and two bedroom apartments with an alternative street entrance and private elevator. The style of the hotel  is a contemporary London look being every room is different. Some burst with color and pattern, others are more calming and restrained. Although the hotel is in busy Soho district being in an alley, the rooms are very quite and comfortable.

A ten foot tall Botero cat stands guard in the lobby, welcoming you. The ground floor blends wood, metal, glass and stone – 12 inch oak floorboards sit alongside metal framed windows and doors, pebble lined pillars and French fireplaces. The hotel’s spacious drawing room with fireplaces is a host of color mostly in pinks and greens whilst the nearby library blends warm neutrals with clean-line modern sofas and lamps. Refuel bar has been designed in a palette of browns, greens and neutrals which has been offset by a long.

Make a reservation at Soho London

The Inn’s address indicates its location. Its name its not even posted on the townhouse. The location is great being  in the heart of New York’s historical Gramercy Park.  The townhouses are originally built in 1834 as three single family brownstones.  Over the years, the corner brownstone was torn down and a small apartment building was built in its place. The two remaining brownstones have stood the test of time, and they now create The Inn. While once combined as a single family home, the brownstones also housed everything from apartments, The Ingersol Men’s Club, a Speak Easy, and a Beauty Parlor and Day Spa. After completion of a three year renovation, The Inn at Irving Place opened its door in December of 1994.

The Inn has only  twelve guest rooms, junior suites and residences each of them with their own names and  every one of them has furnished with exquisite antiques reminiscent of the New York of Edith Wharton. After the lobby there is the traditional chick Mendl’s Tea Salon, where you can have your breakfast or five o”clock tea..Inn is a very interesting place to experience the life of 19th century New York.

The Spa at Aman Summer Palace is the ultimate city spa one can ever see and experience.  The Spa is located inside the Aman but is also available for the outside guests.

Whether it is for an entire day of pampering or a soothing treatment after a strenuous day on the Great Wall, the spa offers it. 9 spacious spa suites have been designed with comfort, privacy and rejuvenation in mind.  Each individual suite consist of one relaxation are, a bath and shower area and massage room. To complement the space is a comprehensive menu with everything from traditional local offerings to foreign favorites and since you are in China try the traditional Chinese massage.

Before or after your treatment the indoor 25 meter lap pool surrounded by the beds  is available for your pleasure..

Make a reservation at Rambagh Palace

If you want to taste the royal living, luxury and extravagance in Jaipur, a city with a history of royalty and legendary tales Rambagh Palace is the place to stay.
For nearly two centuries, the Rambagh Palace has been home to generations of royals. Built in 1835 on a modest scale for the queen’s favorite handmaiden Kesar Badaran, it was later refurbished as a royal guesthouse and hunting lodge. In 1925, Rambagh was converted into a palace, and became the residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur.
The palace, remained the home of the Jaipur royal family until 1957, when it was first converted into a luxury hotel by Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. But it wasn’t until 1972 that Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces took over the reins.
Located close to the Pink City, the Palace spread over 47 acres gardens, and is a mixture of Rajput and Mughal architecture. Its elegantly appointed rooms, marbled corridors and majestic gardens echo with history, and every corner has a story to tell.

Make a reservation at Rambagh Palace

Rambagh Palace offers 79 rooms including aesthetically restored suites, which were the chambers of the former Maharaja. Every room and suite reflects a world of royalty with its exquisite antiques, rich tapestry and paintings from an era gone by.
The most amazing dining place of this Palace is theSuvarana Mahal restaurant, which literally means the Palace of gold will take one through a culinary voyage of delectable Palace cuisines of Shekhawati and Marwar, Patiala and North Punjab, the Princely Avadh and Hyderabad. – accompanied by the lilting melody of classical music, and vintage wines from the Palace cellars.24 carat gold plated flatware and cutlery, high ceilings, gilded mirrors, magnificent gold hues and Florentine frescoes,  provide the perfect ambience for an evening of royal dining

Blending ancient Indian wisdom with contemporary therapies, Taj Spa within the hotel offers the best in Indian rejuvenation therapies ranging from Indian aromatherapy massages, time-honored Indian treatments, body scrubs and wraps.
In this magical city of Rajasthan the Rambagh Palace experience is part of the magic..

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Make a reservation at One and Only Ocean Club

One&Only Ocean Club, is the most elegant resort of The Bahamas.. The club was once the exclusive private estate of Huntington Hartford, who developed Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
What we like most in One&Only Ocean Club is the imported 12th-century Augustinian Cloisters and exquisite Versailles Gardens. The 35 acres of garden face out into the beautiful, green Bahamian Sea.
The stone remains of a 12th-century French monastery traveled a long road to end up in Bahamas. Newspaperman William Randolph Hearst imported the dismantled stones to the US in the 1920s, but they remained just random pieces of a giant puzzle until Huntington Hartford purchased them in the ’60s and had them reassembled (without plans) on his oceanfront Ocean Club estate which turned to One&Only Ocean Club

The Club is on the magnificent Cabbage Beach’s quietest stretch, eastern end of the Paradise Island, the most civilized in all of The Bahamas. The Club is very private and intimate although it is minutes apart from another Kerzner property  The Atlantis,  a mini-VegasOcean Clubs 105 luxurious spacious colonial-style rooms include Beachfront and Garden View Rooms and Suites, Garden Cottage and three private villas with round-the-clock butler service and luxurious touches

Created exclusively for the luxury resort market each One&Only has a restaurant with a  world known celebrity chef. Ocean Club’s signature restaurant, Dune, is the creation of uber-chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten who has virtually redefined fine dining in the tropics and the well known French architect  Christian Liaigre . In Dune you can dine on in tasteful surroundings on the best French Colonial cuisine. The menu blends French-Asian flavors with Bahamian fresh fish and herbs.

Apart from the acclaimed restaurant, the resort has also world-class golf and spa and of course, waters – the elixir of Bahamian life.
The One&Only Spa features a fusion of ancient Asian holistic philosophies with uniquely Bahamian hospitality while the championship 18-hole Ocean Club Golf Course designed by Tom Weiskopf.
Make a reservation at One and Only Ocean Club

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All pictures are courtesy of One&Only

Make a reservation at Amanusa

Amanusa is nestled between the most beautiful white beach of Bali and a manicured golf course. The resort has panoramic views of the indigo-hued Indian Ocean and unparalleled access to one of the region’s finest golf courses..Amanusa, opened 20 years ago has been designed with an artist’s eye to celebrate space and Bali’s natural beauty.

Amanusa’s design is influenced by ancient Hindu poetry, the surrounding miles of breathtaking views and by the spiritual and naturally peaceful lifestyle. Amanusa is all about comfort and as a result, rooms are spacious, authentically decorated in a soothing palette of browns, beige, cream and honey. All the 35 thatched-roof suites have wooden four-poster beds, draped in white veils.  The cavernous bathrooms feature sunken baths with directional lighting, enhancing the foliage alongside. Each suite is enclosed in a sensuous tropical setting and an outdoor shower is built into a high paras-stone wall. The walled garden courtyards are private and romantic, and have their own swimming pools.

The Terrace has views of Bali, the golf course, the Indian Ocean, Nusa Dua and the Bukit, Bali’s southern peninsula. Open only for dinner, The Italian Restaurant offers seating in an elegant room of high ceilings and leaded windows, as well as in a romantic outdoor courtyard amongst flowering frangipani trees, overlooking the pool.

The Beach Club is located on a  private white-sand beach.  The picture-perfect beach is one of Bali’s finest, and is fringed by a coral reef that provides a safe lagoon for swimming and seasonal water sports. The Beach Club is also the setting for candlelit barbecues, and sunrise breakfasts can be enjoyed in the privacy of the bales.

This over 20 years old resort is a very good example when it comes to ‘timeless design’.

Make a reservation at Amanusa

Make a reservation at Amankila

Amankila is on an impressive setting, with spectacular views and seaside seclusion, to mountains and valleys rich with Bali’s diverse culture.  The fabled Mount Agung, a volcano revered as a home of the gods by the Balinese, rears 3,142m above sea level, providing a dramatic backdrop to the 34 timeless-styled-villas.

Being on the coast near the village of Manggis in East Bali, Amankila has a private beach, incredible views of the Lombok Strait and cliff-side grounds around the three-tiered pool. Surrounded by frangipani trees, the lobby affords exceptional ocean views, as well as views of the resort’s signature three-tiered pool. Down below the resort, set back from the private beach in a coconut grove, is the Beach Club which offers another pool, as well as casual dining.  The Beach Club is located at the base of the cliff, a five minutes’ walk below the main resort. The beach is ideal for surfing, boogie boards and kayaks rather than swimming.

The 34 stilted free-standing suites are tucked into the lush vegetation around the resort, and all have outstanding sea views.They reflect the lines and flow of their East Bali surroundings, in particular the royal water palace just outside Amlapura, the district capital.

Amankila is the ideal base from which to explore the cultural diversity and rich history of East Bali, a place of temples, palaces, rice paddies and ruins, of villages where crafts lost to the rest of the island are still practiced, and where religion is an intrinsic part of everyday life, seen both in colorful festivals and in simple daily offerings to the gods.

Make a reservation at Amankila

Photos: courtesy of Aman and Ozlem Avcioglu

Make a reservation at Amanbagh

Amanbagh  is a privileged oasis in the heart of Rajasthan. It is a true Rajasthani experience.

Situated in the foothills of the Aravalli Hills and built, haveli-style, using local materials like soft sandstone and pale pink marble, Amanbagh is a regal garden estate in the starkly beautiful wilds of Rajasthan. Circled by walls which enclose a verdant oasis watered by a nearby lake and tributaries of the Chambal River, Amanbagh was once the site of the Maharajah of Alwar’s hunting lodge, and his favoured garden retreat.

Amanbagh rests within a walled enclosure and its fertile soil, watered by a nearby lake, supports an exotic garden of statuesque palms, aged eucalyptus and fruit trees, frangipani and lawns of manicured jade green – a dramatic contrast to the surrounding rugged terrain of the Aravalli Hills. Styled after the grandiose architecture of the Moghul era, Amanbagh pays homage to Rajasthan’s golden age through its elegant, unique interpretation of a grand haveli, or nobleman’s palace.

Photos: courtesy of Aman and Ozlem Avcioglu

Make a reservation at Kasbah Tamadot

Kasbah Tamadot was the former home of Luciano Tempo who purchased the property and filled it with beautiful antiques from India, Africa and the Far East.

In 1998 Richard Branson went to Morocco for circumnavigating the globe in a hot air balloon. Whilst there, his mother Liv Branson found the beautiful Kasbah and dreamed of turning it into a wonderful Moroccan retreat. Richard did not quite manage to realize his goal on that occasion, his mother eventually convinced him to purchase the property.

The refurbishment of the building was extensive, though the character and charm of the original complex of spaces have been retained and enhanced.

When Richard Branson bought Kasbah Tamadot in 1998 he also inherited Luciano’s 1000 square meter warehouse in Asni, filled to the brim with his treasures. As you wander around you see pieces of Luciano’s collection have been used to furnish the Kasbah today. Kasbah Tamadot set at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains one hour’s drive from Marrakech, Morocco, is transferred to one of the properties of Virgin Limited Edition, Richard Branson’s unique retreats.

As part of Virgin’s commitment to the community, Kasbah Tamadot approached the leaders of the local communities to offer villagers the opportunity to work at Kasbah Tamadot. Most had never worked in a hotel before, let alone spoke English, however they proudly employed and trained the local villagers in all aspects of hotel operations and English. Today Kasbah employs 100 Berber staff including the general management couple who both trained on Necker Island, one of Virgin Limited Edition properties.

Today, as the leader of the Virgin commitment group Liv Branson is spending most of her time here, working with the local Berber community leaders to improve local villagers skills.

Kasbah Tamadot has 24 rooms and suites including Luxury Berber Tented Suites Each Berber Tented Suite has its own Berber name, every one with a special meaning – Afoulky (Beauty), Addou (Wind), Amalou (Shade), Azoka (Tree), Adrar (Mountain) and Azenzer (Ray of Sun). Asounfou, the Berber word for relaxation, describes the Kasbah Tamadot spa perfectly, which incorporates the indoor pool, two treatment rooms, a sauna and a traditional Hammam and can not be missed.

Make a reservation at Kasbah Tamadot

Make a reservation at Amandari

Amandari is one of the most original resorts in the world since it is  originals among Aman resorts. It is not only designed after a Balinese village , it is in the middle of a Balinese village surrounded by the rice terraces and  the rushing water of the Ayung River. In the early morning you see villagers are passing through the pathways in front of your balcony and working in the rice fields in front of your room..During evening they use the hotels alleys to return to their houses. You feel like you are really living in a Balinese village since there are no boundaries between Amandari and the village houses..

Located 129 steps down the hill from Amandari, this statue and surrounding temple are a reminder of the deep connection that exists between the resort and the community in which it resides. Balinese believe the path
leading through Amandari – which means “peaceful spirits” – and its surrounding rice terraces are sacred ground.

The resort located adjacent to the village of Kedewatan, five minutes from the arts community of Ubud, in central Bali, Indonesia. The resort built 20 years ago as second Aman with river-stone walkways and high paras-stone walls. The  open-air lobby with towering posts of coconut wood and a cool honey-toned stone floor is designed after a village meeting place. For more than 20 years it has regularly borne witness to colorful village processions, passing through on sacred ground to the holy shrine in the valley below.

Thirty free-standing thatched suites, some with private plunge pools, are located on either side of the lobby, separated by walkways, traditional Balinese-style gateways and private gardens. Local teak and coconut wood, as well as Javanese marble and volcanic stone, is used throughout the suites, creating cool contemporary spaces with all the warmth of a true Balinese home.

Being 20 years old, the first of Amans in Bali of course is not brand new, but it has mature well, the vegetation has grown impeccable, and it is well maintained for a 20 year property.

Make a reservation at Amandari