28 essentials | hotel wire
Brave New Stays Waldorf Astoria’s latest in the Middle East
A new Edition in London
The Waldorf Astoria has made its first addition to the UAE with a 346-room property in Ras Al Khaimah. Set against majestic mountains, amidst the red desert and green plains of the site’s creeks and lagoons, rooms are (naturally) over-sized. With a private beach and 10 dining options, this hotel’s determined to make a splash.
Fifteen years after the Sanderson and St. Martins Lane, Ian Schrager returns to London with his latest addition to The Edition. Opening this September, the second of Schrager’s tie-ins with the Marriott comes across as a combination of country manor and gentleman’s club. The 173 wood-panelled rooms feel like cabins on an edgy, contemporary yacht.
www.waldorfastoria.com
www.editionhotels.com
A farm-turned-luxury hotel in Menorca
Aman goes to Venice
Torralbenc is a white-washed 19th-century Menorcan farm that’s now a luxury hotel. Surrounded by vineyards, it boasts a hilltop view of the Mediterranean. With a restaurant in an old grape storehouse, run by Michelin-starred Paco Morales and charming rooms furnished in limestone, wood and natural fabrics, it’s a rustic paradise.
Opened this June in the Palazzo Papadopoli, the Aman Grand Canale comprises 24 suites in two five-storey buildings dating back to the 16th century. Expect neo-Renaissance frescoes in the rooms, sweeping canal views from the dining areas, the garden terrace, the salon and library, as well as an intimate rooftop terrace.
www.torralbenc.com
www.amanresorts.com
Bespoke