Daily Tablet Hotel

Tortuga Bay, Puntacana Resort & Club : Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:00:54 GMT

It wasn’t all that long ago that the Dominican Republic was known chiefly as the place where baseball players come from — as a travel destination it came into its own only recently, and as a high-end one, more recently still. The apex, though, has to be the opening of the Tortuga Bay Villas, at the (itself not at all un-luxurious) Puntacana Resort & Club.

Located within a vast gated residential community, the fifteen villas and their fifty suites were designed by none other than Oscar de la Renta, and they’re a fine example of the new minimal-luxe, with just enough of the bells and whistles: home theaters, miniature kitchens, huge and indulgent bathrooms, and views of the Caribbean or at least the golf courses. Some come with Jacuzzis and all come with golf carts, for when you’re too blissed-out to move under your own power.

Privacy and exclusivity are obviously the name of the game but Tortuga Bay’s special relationship with Puntacana means that if you need more than one pool, one beach, one restaurant, you’re free to roam the larger resort at your leisure — an especially fortuitous arrangement when it comes to leisure activities, as it means Tortuga Bay can offer diversions few other fifty-room hotels can manage: from diving and sailing to a kids’ program and a full-service marina.

Blanket Bay : Glenorchy Otago, New Zealand

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:00:53 GMT

With the Humboldt mountain range on one side, and the shores of Lake Wakatipu on the other, Blanket Bay is blessed with one of the most extraordinary locations of any of New Zealand’s lodge hotels. And the lodge itself is stunning — it’s almost shocking that it contains only eight rooms, so grand is its scale.

American visitors may find there’s something familiar about the architecture: Blanket Bay was built by an Idaho architect as a conscious homage to the lodges of the American West. Exotic it isn’t — this place’s impact is derived not from novelty but from sheer excess. The setting is not alien but simply spectacular, and the lodge goes easy on the New Zealand vernacular in favor of a restrained and comfortable grandeur.

The lodge rooms are handsome, with vaulted wood ceilings and aged hardwood floors, super-king beds, and private balconies or terraces. Suites add enormous living rooms and more space than you’ll know what to do with. And the chalets are pure decadence, built in a more traditional New Zealand colonial style, and offering an extraordinary degree of privacy.

And for when you’ve had enough privacy, there’s the Great Room, the lodge’s centerpiece, with its thirty-foot beam ceiling and enormous fireplace. Dinner is served at individual tables in the dining room, on the outdoor terrace with views of the lake and mountains (in front of a massive outdoor fireplace) or in the intimate environs of the Wine Cave.

As for activities, you’re an hour from Queenstown, adrenaline-sports capital of New Zealand. Anything is possible, from hiking and biking to skiing, helicopter tours and all manner of river excursions. Then again there’s no need to exert yourself — some find the quiet life at Blanket Bay to be perfectly stimulating in itself.

How to get there:

Blanket Bay is a 35 minute drive from Queenstown, or a 50 minute drive from the Queenstown Airport. Costs are $190 NZ for a Ford Fairlane Ghia or GM Caprice and $240 NZ for a Nissan ElGrand 5 seater each way. Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com for directions or to arrange airport transfers.

Hospes Madrid : Madrid, Spain

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:00:18 GMT

It took a while, but the Hospes group has moved into the capital. The patented Hospes formula (classic building, modern-luxe interiors, signature spa and restaurant) is on display in this classic 19th-century building just off the Plaza de la Indepencia, deep in the heart of Madrid.

The forty-one rooms and suites are an object lesson in contemporary luxury design, spare but not minimal, very short on ornament but nevertheless plush in all the right places. This, most notably, means highly efficient (and well-lighted) modern bathrooms and endlessly comfortable furnishings, including great heaping king beds (well, double-doubles actually, this being Spain and all).

No Hospes hotel would be complete without the Senzone restaurant and the Bodyna spa, the former serving a high-end interpretation of the classic local cuisine in a stylish monochrome dining room and the latter offering a full range of body and beauty treatments. Scenic central location, devoted service, intimate atmosphere and all the most essential comforts of a much bigger luxury hotel — what else is there?

Finca Cortesin Hotel Golf & Spa : Casares, Malaga, Spain

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:00:17 GMT

Southern Spain is blessed with an array of natural gifts: not just sun, sand and surf, but a climate and a landscape that are ideal for the game of golf. And while golf resorts the world over are a conservative lot, Spanish hotels have been quicker than most to modernize — beneath its traditional red tile roofs, the brand-new Finca Cortesín is a contemporary-style luxury resort of the new breed.

It’s an all-suite property, with some 67 of them, from junior suites on up to the presidential. All are at least fifty square meters, and open onto a private garden or terrace. Bathrooms are luxurious, spa-style, and the living rooms come with plasma televisions and interactive home theater systems.

A resort as modern as Finca Cortesín naturally includes a fitness center, in this case with a 25-meter indoor pool, and a full-service spa with a range of treatments as a diversion for non-golfers. Two outdoor pools make the most of the plentiful Andalusian sunshine, and a private beach club is due to open next year. And of course there’s the golf club itself, with an 18-hole par-72 course spread over 70 acres and a Jack Nicklaus golf academy for first-class instruction.

Hotel Pont Royal : Paris, France

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:00:12 GMT

Time was, in the early years of the last century, the Pont Royal was a haunt for literary types — this, of course, back when Paris was the destination of choice for writers in any language. Today it’s known for creation of a different sort; not only is it an intimate 75-room luxury boutique hotel, but it’s the home of the Atelier de Joël Robuchon, the workshop-restaurant where one of France’s culinary heroes practices his craft.

The Pont Royal’s rooms are bigger, brighter, airier than the typical Parisian lodging, even toward the top end of the market. The Saint Germain des Prés location is a fine one, and the views from the upper floors are improbably scenic. Service is well-oiled, and the facilities are top-notch — in short, it’s an absolutely classic Paris hotel, no surprises, and sometimes classic is what you’re in the mood for.

What is surprising and ultimately unique about the Pont Royal is the Atelier de Joël Robuchon. It’s a high-end restaurant, featuring world-class cooking, but with a couple of experimental angles. First, no tables: diners pull up to something like a sushi bar or lunch counter, which winds its way around a central open kitchen — perfect for solo diners. And there are no dinner reservations, at all, for anyone — it’s strictly first-come first-served, with patrons lining up out into the night for their elaborate multi-course meals.

Jade Mountain : Soufrière, St. Lucia

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 05:00:10 GMT

That view of the Pitons from the wraparound infinity pool pretty much sums it up — this little corner of St. Lucia is one of the most stunning sites in the Caribbean. And now, with the opening of Jade Mountain, it’s got the small, intimate luxury resort that it’s always deserved.

They certainly make the most of their views: the peaks are visible not from one central semi-public pool but from 24 of them, one for each of the “Sanctuary” suites. And you never have to leave them behind — the open-air bedrooms are missing a wall, so that the mountains and the waters Caribbean are the backdrop to just about every scene. Same goes for the “Sky” suites; while they lack infinity pools, they do have Jacuzzis, and panoramic open-air views.

And once the visual shock wears off, there’s plenty to do — just down the hill is Anse Chastanet, with a full complement of resort amenities available to Jade Mountain guests, from two soft sand beaches and some fine reef diving to spa services, mountain biking, tennis, even yachting. Best of all, at the end of the day, it’s back up to Jade Mountain, where there’s nothing at all to come between you and the view.

Boston Harbor Hotel : Boston, MA, USA

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 05:00:11 GMT

Boston’s got a reputation for being one of America’s most old-fashioned big cities — accurate or not, there’s no denying that it’s not exactly the trendiest city on earth. Of course that’s not a bad thing at all; and what Boston lacks in design fireworks it more than makes up for in old-world grandeur — which, if you’ll allow us some license, is basically what the Boston Harbor Hotel is made of.

The massive arched entrance is imposing enough for arrivals by land, but with Rowes Wharf right there it’s perhaps easier (and certainly less ordinary) to arrive by yacht or by water taxi direct from Logan airport. And if the interiors can’t quite live up to the drama of the entry, they don’t get anything wrong either — it’s five-star luxury, all rich fabrics, ornate woodwork and Italian marble, with just enough old New England character to remind you where you are.

Bay-side views are stunning, and priced accordingly, but of course to book the city side at the Boston Harbor would be a little bit perverse. Spa and fitness facilities are comprehensive, including an indoor pool, and the restaurant’s chef is a James Beard award winner. At this end of the hotel market it’s almost impossible to go really wrong — what sets the Boston Harbor apart is its personality.

Banyan Tree Al Areen : Juffair, Bahrain

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 05:00:11 GMT

One of these things is not like the others. The latest installment in the Banyan Tree series is located not in some jungle-island paradise like the Maldives or the Seychelles but in Bahrain, in the desert a half hour outside Manama. An unlikely location, at first blush — but this Persian Gulf kingdom is challenging Dubai as the conspicuous-consumption capital of the Middle East, and the Banyan Tree Al Areen fits that mold quite comfortably.

This place is less a hotel than a complex of clustered villas, some 78 of them, designed in a contemporary, minimalist yet still overtly Arabian style. It’s a bit like a Moroccan-style riad hotel, multiplied 78 times — but each villa, once you’re inside, feels as though it could be the only one. Each comes with its own private plunge pool and jet pool, and even the smallest ones have separate living rooms (complete with home theatre systems) and dining rooms, as well as steam rooms in their sprawling bathrooms.

It’s certainly not cheap, but then again this part of the world isn’t exactly known for budget travel. In the end the price seems quite sensible — utter privacy, sheltered seclusion, and first-class dining and spa offerings have never come cheap.

How to get there:

Banyan Tree Al Areen is a 45 minute drive from Bahrain International Airport.

Adam&Eve Hotel : Belek, Turkey

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 05:00:12 GMT

Not only does it occupy the geographic and cultural frontier between Europe and Asia, but there’s a sense in which Turkey is also the wild frontier of the hotel world. And as such it’s a country that doesn’t shy away from the extreme. Take the Adam & Eve hotel as an example — this is the design hotel grown massive and gone off its medication.

Which is a wonderful thing, if you’re interested in diversity of form. The location is Belek, a Mediterranean resort town in the general vicinity of Antalya. And the hotel is minimalist by day, but a different story at night, when its monochromatic facade is lit up in every color of the rainbow.

At nearly four hundred rooms this is no mom-and-pop outfit — but Adam & Eve is proud of its size, boasting the world’s longest hotel pool as well as the world’s longest cocktail bar. Rooms are minimalist-chic and heavily mirrored, which means its claim to be the “world’s sexiest hotel” depends a bit on the sexiness of the guests. It’s certainly a contender for the title of the world’s most over-the-top hotel — know going in that it’s more about the nightclub and the pool scene than about white-glove luxury and you’re likely to have quite a time.

Luxe Hotel Sunset Blvd : Los Angeles, CA, USA

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 05:00:15 GMT

With a name like that it’s not hard to guess where they’re coming from. The Luxe Hotel Sunset Boulevard is luxe indeed, with a location that’s more upscale retreat than downtown hipster haunt — it’s spread over seven acres of parkland in Brentwood, near the Getty Center, where Sunset Boulevard is a winding mountain road, not a neon-lit urban strip.

Some stylish hotels are a little disappointing once you get past the lobby, but this is not a problem the Luxe has. If anything the rooms are even more stylish than the public spaces, and they’re long on comfort as well. The look is sleek and contemporary, the interiors clearly designed rather than just decorated, but they’re warm rather than edgy, in rich earth tones and classic materials and finishes. The smallest room is a vast 550 square feet, and the amenities are luxury through and through: flat-screen TV, iPod docking stereos, and massive Roman-style baths in the suites.

A spa with a salt-water swimming pool completes the urban-resort package, and there’s a lighted tennis court with an in-house pro, definitely a rarity in Los Angeles hotels. And all of this just minutes from the Getty Center or UCLA, with Santa Monica an easy drive away.

Hotel Yasmin : Prague, Czech Republic

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 05:00:14 GMT

Prague has been one of Europe’s most talked-about destinations for some time now, but until lately, high-design boutique hotels have been a bit thin on the ground. Bit by bit, though, the city’s classic old buildings are getting a contemporary makeover — a case in point is the Hotel Yasmin, off Wenceslas square.

It’s perfectly located for business, and well-equipped too, but to the eye, it looks custom-made for leisure — the bright colors, floral prints, and surreally organic-looking sculptural elements are a cheery break from the picturesque Gothic romance of the old city. The public spaces are especially outré, full of retro-modernist furniture and strange ornamental illustrations, while the rooms are more restrained; stylish, still, a bit minimal, but in a glossy and slightly futuristic way, not a tired Zen-boutiquey way.

With almost two hundred rooms, it’s not small, and has facilities to match: a fairly extensive restaurant space, an outdoor garden terrace, plenty of meeting space, and even a sauna and fitness center. Meanwhile just outside is the old center of Prague, including the castle, the Charles bridge, and just about any attraction you could name — business travelers could do a lot worse, and tourists could hardly do any better.

Watermark Hotel & Spa : San Antonio, TX, USA

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 05:00:12 GMT

There’s more to San Antonio than just the Alamo. Deep in the heart of Texas though it may be, the Watermark Hotel & Spa is an international-caliber luxury hotel, the sort of place any substantial American city needs one of: business-friendly enough for CEOs and traveling salesmen, and plush enough (see the 17,000-square-foot spa) for leisure guests as well.

The Watermark occupies a restored 19th-century building along San Antonio’s redeveloped Riverwalk, the charming waterfront promenade that’s quickly become one of the city’s main attractions. Inside it’s refreshingly light on Texas kitsch — there’s leather and wood, to be sure, but the calming clean lines and muted cream palette recall the Asian-inspired minimalism of the modern international luxury hotel.

With 19 treatment rooms the spa is a serious affair, and the rooftop pool and cafe are an unexpected oasis in the heart of a sun-drenched city. Meanwhile down on the Riverwalk is the restaurant, Pesca on the River, serving some of the finest fresh seafood in town. If it’s Tex-Mex cuisine and Lone Star nostalgia you’re after, you’ll have no trouble finding it elsewhere in town — the Watermark shows off a more cosmopolitan side to Texas.

Sofitel London St James : London, England, UK

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 05:00:22 GMT

Prepare for a slight case of culture shock — the old Cox’s and King’s bank on the corner of Waterloo Place and Pall Mall, just around the corner from the Picadilly Circus tube station, is now the place to go in London for a little taste of Paris. Today owned by the French Sofitel chain, it’s had a makeover courtesy of designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, and now sports a fine French brasserie overseen by chef Albert Roux.

Absent is the country-house look of the standard London luxury hotel — this one is contemporary and Continental in style. You can have five-star luxury without chintz and printed fabrics, and these rooms prove it, outfitted in smart, nearly monochrome color schemes with dark lacquered furniture against muted backgrounds, trading patterned wallpaper for black-and-white photographic prints.

Beneath the Art Deco surface you’ll find all the trappings of a state-of-the-art hotel, technological and otherwise: palatial bathrooms, flat-screen televisions, high-speed internet, spa and massage treatments and a full complement of business services. The Brasserie Roux is a worthy option, a popular spot for a business lunch, and the St. James Bar offers what’s purported to be London’s widest selection of both champagnes and cigars, in a warm private-club atmosphere.

AC Palacio De Santa Ana : Valladolid, Spain

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 05:00:09 GMT

It’s enough to make other countries swoon with envy. The United States, for example, seems to have trouble getting interesting hotels open even in some of its biggest cities, while Spain, on the other hand, has chains like AC Hotels, who manage to install swanky, stylish boutique hotels like this one, the Palacio de Santa Ana, in places like Valladolid, which for all its charms can hardly be said to be a major metropolis.

So you feel almost spoiled, walking into this 18th-century monastery on the banks of the Pisuerga, through the glass-roofed courtyard strewn with sleek modernist sofas and up to your room, all hardwood floors, half-timbered ceilings and glossy monochrome minimalist décor. It’s the kind of hotel that could get away with all sorts of rustic clichés by rights of its scenic location and cloistered quiet, but instead takes the high road, with interiors as fully realized as any sophisticated urban boutique.

It’s the top hotel in town, by a long shot, with a fine Castillian restaurant overlooking the banks of the river as well as a pool, a fitness center, and more meeting space than you probably care to know about. Quite a find, if you’ve got an excuse for traveling to Valladolid, and hotel enough to serve as its own excuse if you don’t.

Kempinski Hotel Gravenbruch : Neu-Isenburg, Frankfurt, Germany

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:00:10 GMT

Though only fifteen minutes from Frankfurt's city center, Gravenbruch is a country idyll, a wooded lakefront resort, and evolved over hundreds of years from country estate to hunting lodge to, finally, Kempinski Hotel Gravenbruch. Its current incarnation is a five-star luxury hotel, equal parts business hotel and exclusive resort, and has played host to visiting statesmen, royalty, and all manner of celebrities, from athletes to pop stars.

The guest rooms very in style and décor from the modern (though not radically so) to the somewhat traditional, and all are spacious, this being a semi-rural retreat and not a cramped city hotel. Some suites overlook the park, others have lake views, and the Presidential Suite is vast even by presidential standards, palatial enough for a Thai princess, an American president, and the King of Pop (whose stay, mercifully, was uneventful).

Dining is a featured attraction at Gravenbruch, from the traditionally German Forsthaus (named for the hotel's history as a nobleman's hunting lodge) to L'Olivo's Mediterranean tapas bar. Torschanke & Schoppenhof and the Bar & Wintergarten round out the quartet of restaurant options, and the hotel's catering service is available for special events, private dinners, even cooking demonstrations or classes.

Located as it is just minutes from Frankfurt (home to Germany's stock exchange, and thus one of Europe's financial centers), Kempinski Hotel Gravenbruch places an emphasis on the business traveler's experience. Thus, despite its country manor ambience, it provides all the services one would expect from a downtown business hotel. The business center is available 24 hours, as is room service, and shuttle service to and from the airport, the city center, or the Frankfurt Trade Fair are all included.

All of these amenities, though catering to the business traveler, are no less enjoyable for those who are traveling for leisure. You don't have to have business at the stock exchange or an appointment with Lufthansa to enjoy Gravenbruch. The noblemen who frequented the Forsthaus were not here for meetings, but to hunt and otherwise amuse themselves, in a pastoral setting, away from the bustle of Frankfurt.

Sundial Hotel : Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 05:00:28 GMT

Minimum stay may be required depending upon season.

Whistler is home to, hands down, North America's finest skiing and snowboarding. Forget Aspen and Vail with their celebrity clientele, or the gentle hills of the Northeast — and forget about tacky Tahoe, steep as the slopes may be. Whistler is blessed with the best location, and the town itself is rigidly planned, a welcome respite from the grab-bag of faux-Swiss chalets and strip malls that comprise most ski towns.

Fitting, then, that Whistler would be home to a slope-side boutique hotel like Sundial, a small and stylish all-suite property, offering the sort of personalized service that is unheard of in the average big-business ski lodge. The hotel is spanking new, renovated inside and out in 2003, and lavishly outfitted — its 49 individually decorated suites come complete with full kitchens and gas fireplaces, and some have private decks and even private outdoor hot tubs.

There are three restaurants within the hotel, and if you prefer to self-cater, the concierge can have your grocery order delivered. With the Whistler and Blackcomb gondolas close at hand, you may be able to pass your entire stay within the hotel and on the slopes. But like any resort town, Whistler likes to blow off some steam at night; there are any number of nightlife and dining options within the village, just steps from the hotel. In short, it's the best of both worlds — a small hotel with a generous helping of personality, and all the convenience and luxury of the big-money megahotels.

Room Mate Migueletes : Granada, Spain

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:01:03 GMT

There’s not much more to say that we haven’t already said about Spain’s Room Mate hotels. It’s hard to go wrong with a low-cost, high-design concept, and the central conceit of inventing a character and personality for each hotel — well, either you love it, or you ignore it, and either way it shows they’re at least aware of the need to create a unique hotel experience. And Migueletes, for all the family resemblance, is something of a departure.

The location is prime for a hotel, in the most picturesque corner of town: this Room Mate stands not in the bustling nightlife district of one of Spain’s capitals, but in the Albayzin, the Moorish heart of medieval Granada, complete with views of the Alhambra. In the 19th century the building lodged a garrison of armed policemen, and it’s these Migueletes, not the fictional hipster brothers, that lend the hotel its name — and in fact it was the Casa Migueletes hotel, in another more recent incarnation.

In this life it’s still steeped in 17th-century history, with timbered ceilings, antique furnishings, and wrought-iron bed frames. What’s updated more than anything is the approach, and the atmosphere — it’s a bit more a boutique hotel now, less a historic preservation society, and the clientele skews younger to match.

The Gore : London, England, UK

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 05:00:10 GMT

If you need a respite from the corporate efficiency of London’s modern mega-hotels, you’ll appreciate the uniquely English spirit of the Gore. This charming boutique hotel is packed with history, its six floors abloom with Victorian eccentricity.

Sisters Ada and Fanny Cooke opened the Gore on this scenic tree-lined street in Kensington in 1892. Today it’s a bit of an exception in the hyper-luxe London hotel scene, as it seems to prize character well above luxury — which is not the backhanded compliment it sounds like, but a genuine one.

The Gore’s 50 guestrooms are individually decorated with exotic fabrics, antique furniture and period prints. Judy Garland was a past patron of The Gore, and when you stay in her namesake room you’re guaranteed a night’s rest in her old gilt wood bed. The Miss Ada room, named after one of the hotel’s founders, has a four-poster bed draped in crimson velvet and a bathroom with a toilet shaped like a throne. Though luxury-hotel devotees may find these rooms a bit sparse, complimentary wi-fi access and flat-screen televisions are standard throughout.

In-house you’ll find the well-regarded Bistro One Ninety Queen’s Gate, as well as the similarly clubby and intimate Bar 190. Unlike many modern London boutiques, The Gore plays up its classic Englishness, and its location in central Kensington only exaggerates the effect. Hyde Park, Royal Albert Hall and countless other museums and attractions are within close walking distance, and the Gloucester Tube station is blocks away.

Townhouse 12 : Milan, Italy

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 05:00:13 GMT

Sister to the Townhouse 31 in Via Goldoni, Townhouse 12 makes its home slightly to the north of the city center, on the Piazza Gerusalemme, one of the centers of Milan’s nightlife. This city is permanently abuzz with activity, and this neighborhood in particular stays busy into the night.

Townhouse 12 is designed to insulate and shelter guests from the outside world. You’ll find no Starck-style whimsy or opulent Italian maximalism here — just soothing greys, exotic hardwoods and plenty of metal and glass.

Services tend to the minimal; rooms come with the basics, like internet access and satellite television, but there’s no restaurant, just a breakfast room where the concierge himself serves the guests at a long communal table. It’s hardly a handicap — a staggering array of restaurants, cafes, bars and shops lie within waking distance.

And while the Scandinavian-style ice bar is gone, what remains is the terrace bar. T may generate fewer headlines, but it's far more desirable from a guest's perspective — between shivering in parkas while downing flavored vodkas, and lounging with a cocktail under the summer sky, we know which we'd choose.

Sol Arrayan Resort & Spa : Villa La Angostura, Patagonia, Argentina

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:00:30 GMT

While it’s often the Chilean side that gets the most attention, the Argentine side of Patagonia has its fair share of charms as well. Perhaps less otherworldly, Argentine Patagonia, where the plains meet the Andes, contains a mountain idyll by the side of Nahuel Huapi Lake, and the architecturally striking modern mountain lodge of Sol Arrayán.

Century-old trees partly conceal this 42-room lodge, whose modernist lines are constructed from unfinished local wood and stone. In the rooms, the interiors are contemporary-rustic, in a style somewhere between modernist luxury-boutique, pious eco-lodge, and traditional crafts and fabrics. All of them look out over the lake, which means each one has a pretty astonishing view, and the better ones have jetted tubs or outdoor verandas facing the water.

There’s a spa and an indoor-outdoor pool, both with that same stunning view of the lake, as well as a restaurant and a bar serving Patagonian cuisine and Argentinean wines with Nahuel Huapi as a backdrop. Summer is for hiking, sailing, and the lakeside private beach, while winter is ski season — the Bayo Mountain ski resort is a short drive away, and the country around Sol Arrayán is ideal for snowshoeing or horseback rides.

How to get there:

Sol Arrayan is approximately a 50 minute (40 miles) drive from San Carlos de Bariloche International Airport. Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers.

Brown's Hotel : London, England, UK

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 05:00:14 GMT

Boutique hotels come and go, but a few of London’s top hotels have been in it for the long haul. At the end of the last century Brown’s, a fixture since 1837, was starting to show its age. But after a big-ticket renovation (the top to bottom Olga Polizzi treatment) it’s back in business, as grand, refined and quintessentially English as it must have been back in its 19th-century prime.

There’s an element of the theatrical in its studied Englishness; you’re helped out of your car by a doorman in a top hat, in front of a row of eleven Georgian townhouses in the middle of Mayfair. The interiors, though, are an updated, contemporary take on the classic London hotel, managing to come off cultured and clubby while at the same time looking quite a bit more modern and sophisticated than the standard country-house drag.

Classics of British literature line the shelves, paintings by British artists hang on the walls, and The Donovan Bar is named for the photographer Terence Donovan, whose prints are prominently displayed. And for patrons of the West End theatres, the Albemarle opens early enough to enjoy a pre-theatre dinner from its menu of British classic dishes, created by Executive Chef Lee Streeton and Director of Food Mark Hix.

The Pearl : San Diego, CA, USA

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 05:00:11 GMT

It’s an apt name for a hotel like this. The Pearl, in contrast with the rather more ostentatious boutique hotels of San Diego’s Gaslamp district, stands on Rosecrans, on the other side of the airport — the better to avoid the stretch Escalades and valet stands, one supposes. But in these inauspicious surroundings (that’s the oyster part, if you don’t mind indulging the metaphor) is a pleasant surprise: a classic, terribly dated and kitschy mid-century motel, renovated and reimagined as a pocketbook-friendly boutique hotel, the sort of place that’s full of vibrant young people enjoying themselves in that glamorously unheeding way in which vibrant young people sometimes will.

The central point is that this is one those vibrant young people can actually afford to stay at. This is bargain real estate, and the hotel is designed to match: though the furnishings are sleek and modern, and the conveniences up-to-date, the rooms are smallish and far from indulgent. Nor are they terribly quiet; this is San Diego, not Geneva, and those vibrant young people aren't exactly known for their early bedtimes.

Bedrooms here aren’t meant to be homes away from home, but simply bedrooms — the action here happens in the restaurant, the lounge, the pool. There’s plenty of room in this world for the ultra-swanky lifestyle boutiques, but there’s a demand for reasonably priced, reasonably hip hotels as well. Here’s hoping more of America’s classic motels get the Pearl treatment in years to come.

Hotel AC Barcelona : Barcelona, Spain

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 05:00:09 GMT

Barcelona’s got some fine little boutique hotels, but in a destination this popular, there’s much more demand for high-design boutique-style accommodation than the little guys can comfortably supply. It’s no surprise, then, that some of the bigger hotels would get in on the action. The AC Barcelona is in a spot, and on a scale, that would typically call for a fairly anonymous business hotel — with nearly 400 rooms, a short distance from the Diagonal Mar convention center and commercial development, it’s refreshing to see a contemporary look, shades of Barcelona’s home-grown boutique hotel tradition.

It’s a crisp minimal style, with rooms showing signs of a vaguely Eastern aesthetic along with their very up-to-date appointments. Towers mean views, and some of these rooms have those to spare. And a bigger hotel means a more complete set of services and amenities: there are views to be had from the outdoor pool deck, as well as the 13th-floor Planta Natura spa, whose fitness room faces the sea. Add a stylish restaurant finished in metallic surfaces, plus a mezzanine-level tapas-and-cocktails bar and a 13th-floor spa cafe, and the package is complete: small-hotel style, writ large, and it sure beats the business-hotel alternative.

Le Royal Champagne : Champillon-Epernay, France

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 05:00:18 GMT

Here at the edge of the town of Épernay, deep in the heart of the Champagne region, is one of northeastern France’s hidden gems: the 25-room Royal Champagne. Back when travel by coach was a luxury fit for a king, this was a stop on the line between Paris and Reims. Today it’s a destination unto itself, a family-owned and -operated boutique hotel, an unashamedly opulent 19th-century fantasy behind an understated rustic facade. And it just so happens that it looks out over a valley planted with some pretty famous grapes.

Recent renovations have left little trace; the Royal Champagne doesn’t look a day under 150. We can be rough at times on France’s oversupply of backward-looking hotels, but when they’re this thorough about it it’s hard not to get caught up in the romance of it all. The rooms and suites, though they’re of a newer vintage than the old restaurant building, are every bit as charming, each individually designed but sharing more or less the same expansive vineyard views. And while these days the guests are more likely to be on vineyard tours than royal errands, they’re rewarded with a Michelin-starred restaurant for their trouble.

Le Meridien Ra Beach Hotel & Spa : El Vendrell, Andalusia, Spain

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 05:00:14 GMT

As one of Europe’s most popular travel destinations, Barcelona is a city that doesn’t need much of an introduction. But forty minutes’ drive down the Costa Daurada it’s a different and decidedly more bucolic world. The Le Méridien Ra Beach Hotel & Spa trades in Barcelona’s legendary nightlife for something a little less urban: the coastal Mediterranean resort town of El Vendrell,

Less urban doesn’t mean less stylish. The 143 rooms and suites at Le Méridien are minimalist but warm, with accents in pleasant seaside colors and plenty of space to spread out. The better ones have private terraces with views of the sea, and all of them are outfitted with all the current luxury-hotel must-haves, including oversized bathrooms with top-shelf bath products and a full complement of entertainment-oriented gadgetry.

The Ra Wellness Thalasso Spa is as impressive as it sounds, spread over an enormous 72,000 square feet, making the most of its location with therapies based on purified high-iodine Mediterranean seawater and beauty treatments by La Prairie. Meanwhile a handful of eateries provide the dining options, including an open-air terrace bar, a poolside grill, and a beachside restaurant with the Mediterranean for a backdrop.

How to get there:

Le Meridien Ra is a 50 minute drive from Barcelona International Airport.

Moonlight Head Private Lodge : Wattle Hill, Victoria, Australia

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 05:00:13 GMT

Don’t be misled by the word “lodge,” and its associations with bearskin rugs and rough-hewn rustic furnishings — the Moonlight Head Private Lodge, deep in the coastal headlands of Victoria, Australia, is nothing if not modern and refined. The private four-bedroom retreat was designed by Glenn Murcutt, an award-winning architect and environmentalist, who has adopted as his professional philosophy the Aboriginal saying: “touch the earth lightly.” The house is made with volcanic bluestone and other sustainable materials, and designed to welcome the breathtaking natural backdrop inside. Hundreds of windows and glass ceiling panes allow for breakfast-table koala-spotting and bathtub stargazing, and the spare, minimalist décor keeps the focus on the surroundings: 40 hectares of sprawling national wilderness.

Here, the experience of luxury is crafted with the same care and devotion to quality that is evident in the lodge’s structural design. This means Italian leather sofas by Poltrona Frau, antique Persian carpets, and a bedroom boasting Australia’s only custom-made Savoir bed. Four-course dinners are served nightly, made with local ingredients whenever possible, and the in-house chef plans each evening’s menu around visitors’ dietary restrictions and preferences.

Keys to a BMW and a Ducati motorcycle are available upon request, and the Great Ocean Road, winding along the coast between the cliffs and the sea, is the ultimate open highway. Fishing, golf, helicopter tours, hiking, biking, wildlife watching and wreck diving are among the other activities that can be coordinated for guests. And when it’s time to come in, visitors can treat themselves to a range of spa services, or simply relax beside the fire.

How to get there:

Moonlight Head Private Lodge is a 2 hour drive from Melbourne Airport.

Aquapura Douro Valley : Lamego, Portugal

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 05:00:10 GMT

Traditionally Portugal hasn’t needed much more than a sunny climate (and maybe a bit of golf) to woo tourists by the tens of thousands. There are places, though, that go above and beyond the basic formula: Aquapura, in the Douro Valley, the wine-making region in the north, is one of these.

This is the modern winery spa par excellence — an old manor house surrounded by modern villas, featuring cutting-edge interiors and a spa offering treatments based on the antioxidant properties of the Douro Valley grapes. The twenty-one villas are the latest in modernist resort-luxe, each with plunge pools, and even the fifty standard rooms are sleek and state-of-the-art, equipped with the sort of bathrooms that almost render the spa redundant.

Almost. With ten treatment rooms and a facility spanning over twenty thousand square feet, it’s undoubtedly impressive, quite aside from any vine-derived health benefits. Two restaurants serve upscale Portuguese specialties, and the wine room boasts a massive list of vintages from near and far. A fine first step for the Aquapuro empire, it’s ideal as the anchor of a Douro wine tour, or a self-contained escape, located just two hours from the Porto airport.

How to get there:

Aquapura is approximately 1.5 hours from Porto-Aeroporto Internacional Dr. Francisco de Sá Carneiro by rental car. Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers.

Hotel CasaSandra : Isla Holbox, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:00:03 GMT

Not “Cassandra,” but CasaSandra. As in Sandra’s place — in this case a Cuban-born writer and artist named Sandra Pérez, who has transformed a little strip of coast on Isla Holbox, just offshore from the Yucatán, into a pared-down, unpretentious, funky little beach resort. It’s intended to be as much like a home as a hotel can reasonably be, just a dozen rooms and suites spread among a few low buildings with sunset views over the sea.

It’s pretty much the opposite of a “design hotel,” with local artisan–made or antique furnishings and a ramshackle, bohemian feeling that fits well with the low-key anti-resort vibe of the place. They’re comfortable, with fine linens and all the equipment you really need, but no messing about with marble or gold trim, or any of the other trappings of the modern ultra-luxury boutique.

Here the luxury is in the small things, like the beach with its grass-roofed palapas and the hammocks strewn about the property. Here bird-watching and shark-spotting tours (don’t worry, they’re friendly whale sharks, nothing vicious) take the place of jet-skis and speedboats, and the intimate little restaurant and pool bar are the extent of the nightlife.

How to get there:

Hotel CasaSandra is approximately a 2 hour drive from Cancun International Airport. Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers.

The Cellars-Hohenort : Cape Town, South Africa

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:00:05 GMT

It’s not the first image that springs to mind when you think of visiting the Cape, but maybe it should be. The wine country has as much to recommend it as the coast — more, one supposes, if you’re into wine — and hotels like the Cellars-Hohenort are a big reason why. The magnificent Table Mountain serves as a backdrop to this winery-estate manor house, in the Constantia Valley region just east of Cape Town proper.

The old house is a stunner, and it’s been well kept — the rooms are charming but quite modern, rather large, and the views none too shabby either. Two pools keep guests cool while a third belongs to the Madiba Villa, a separate two-story courtyard house with its own service kitchen and its own butler — accommodation options run the range from this luxury villa all the way down to some very smart single rooms.

The Cellars-Hohenort is surrounded by manicured gardens and comes complete with a spa, a beauty salon, conference rooms and even a chipping and putting green — but like any proper winery-estate hotel (and any proper Relais & Châteaux hotel, for that matter) it’s geared just as much toward drinking and dining as anything else. The Greenhouse and the Cape Malay are the Cellars-Hohenort’s two restaurants, and they’re joined by a single table hidden away in the wine cellar — it doesn’t get much more private than that.

How to get there:

The Cellars-Hohenort is approximately a 25 minute drive from Cape Town International Airport and 15 minutes from Cape Town City Center.

The Tides Zihuatanejo : Zihuatanejo, Mexico

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:00:09 GMT

The old Villa del Sol, a Zihuatanejo beachfront classic since 1978, is now the Tides Zihuatanejo — it’s owned by Kor, the same group that owns the Tides in Miami Beach as well as a number of LA-area boutique hotels. New ownership hasn’t changed the essential appeal of the place one bit; it’s still right on Mexico’s longest beach, the suites are still spacious and private as ever, and the service is still tireless and efficient.

In fact you could really just call it a polish. The interiors have been updated a bit, but the rooms are all still individually designed, each with a balcony or a terrace. Those right on the beach, naturally, are the prize ones, but there’s not a bad room anywhere. Suites come with private infinity-edge plunge pools, and the other rooms make do with the resort’s three pools (and the Pacific, of course).

One unqualified improvement is the newly expanded spa, complete with yoga studio and a fitness studio in a sunny palapa surrounded by greenery. A word for families (and those determined to avoid them): while there’s no outright prohibition on children, the Tides is an adult-oriented resort — high-maintenance kids would be better served elsewhere.