Ringside Views

Europe’s chicest hotels have as much to love outside as they do in. Here, eight unforgettable places to hang your hat.

BY ANDREW BRUDZ

LE DOMAINE MISINCU

THE LOCATION: Cap Corse, Corsica

THE OUTSIDE: Splendour in the Mediterranean. Corsica’s Cap Corse, a peninsula on the northern tip, is where this five-star, eco-friendly boutique hotel is set against 85 acres of parks, gardens and coves in the island’s last remaining untouched region. Experience it all with guest-only access to a fleet of Tesla cars.

THE INSIDE: While the outdoors is unspoiled, guests of the hotel are anything but! Modern luxury gets the Corsican treatment with local fabrics, materials and woods. THE RATES: Rooms from $320/night. hotel-misincu.com

HOTEL TWENTYSEVEN

Hotel TwentySeven is in the heart of Amsterdam

THE LOCATION: Dam Square, Amsterdam, Netherlands

THE OUTSIDE: Perfectly situated at the city centre, with a glimpse of the lively square and up close to some of the Dutch capital’s most glorious architecture, including the 17 th -century neoclassic Royal Palace, which is still in use and open to the public.

THE INSIDE: The hotel’s interior is just as striking, with lush, international finishings: Nepalese carpets, handmade Italian curtains and velvet wallpaper by Pierre Frey France, with artwork from Amsterdam’s own Cobra Art.

THE RATES: Rooms from $840/night. hoteltwentyseven.com

Cocktails in Bar TwentySeven

The master suite

SÃO LOURENÇO DO BARROCAL

Picnic bicycles for guests

The lobby of São Lourenço do Barrocal

THE LOCATION: Monsaraz, Portugal

THE OUTSIDE: An orange grove, vineyard, estate lake and vegetable garden are just a few of the sprawling sites you can enjoy from this working-farm-cum-luxury-hotel in Portugal’s untamed Alentejo region.

THE INSIDE: With 200 years of family history, it’s no surprise that the 40 rooms of this white stucco beauty are filled with vintage homestead artefacts. But it’s also mixed with all the comforts and trappings of a modern boutique hotel.

THE RATES: Rooms from $220/night. barrocal.pt

NOBU HOTEL MARBELLA

The pool at Nobu

THE LOCATION: The Golden Mile, Marbella, Spain

THE OUTSIDE: Earning its moniker, gold sand beaches stretch alongside the palm-tree-lined streets on one side and the blue-onblue skyline on the other. The strip joins the charming old town with the glamorous nightlife of Puerto Banus.

THE INSIDE: Mediterranean cool abounds throughout the 49 room, adults-only hotel, with cream hues, light wood and a spa overlooking the sea. When you’re ready to get the night going, a convenient mixology cart serves up in-room cocktails.

THE RATES: Rooms from $350/night. nobuhotels.com/marbella

Nobu's chic restaurant

GRAND FOREST METSOVO

The pool at GFM

THE LOCATION: Metsovo, Greece

THE OUTSIDE: Experience mountaintop tranquility at this secluded five-star hotel. It’s nestled among the peaks of the Pindos, near the Arachthos, a calm mountain river, wooded trails and caves. Stop along the way for a picnic—with baskets available from the hotel.

THE INSIDE: Lodge meets lux. Suites’ floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies provide views of the natural splendour and twinkling city lights below. Restaurant Metsovo 1350m offers traditional and regional fare, and a panoramic rooftop view.

THE RATES: Rooms from $185/night. grand-forest.gr

GFM's organic bean and chicken salad

The view from Grand Forest Metsovo

HOTEL EXCELSIOR DUBROVNIK

See the sea from the Abakus piano bar

THE LOCATION: Dubrovnik, Croatia

THE OUTSIDE: This 1913 villa once welcomed royalty (both Hollywood and otherwise). Today, you can feel like a king or queen while overlooking the old town below. For the best view of the walls of Dubrovnik, sit on the terrace at the hotel's restaurant, Sensus. You may even get to oooh and aaah at a fireworks display.

THE INSIDE: A 2017 reno added a sleek, modern addition, known as The Tower, with rooms featuring bright bursts of colour and decadent furnishings.

THE RATES: Rooms from $300/night. slh.com/excelsiordubrovnik

SEVERIN’S—THE ALPINE RETREAT

Interior of a Severin’s suite

THE LOCATION: Lech am Arlberg, Austria

THE OUTSIDE: One of the world’s premier skiing destinations, the peaks of Arlberg mountain is just a lift ride away. And when you’re not on the slopes, relax on your suite’s terrace or balcony overlooking the village and landscapes.

THE INSIDE: Retreat to your warm, cozy—yet surprisingly tech-savvy—suite, where ancient Tyrolean wood and log fireplaces combine with iPad lighting controls and hidden sound systems.

THE RATES: Open from December to April, rooms from $1,000/night. severins-lech.a

SANDHOTEL

One of the plush rooms at Reykjavík’s Sandhotel.

THE LOCATION: Reykjavík, Iceland

THE OUTSIDE: Past meets present at this boutique hotel, created from a historic row of townhouses each more fascinating than the last: a former home of Nobel Prize-winning author, Halldór Laxness; Sandholt, a bakery making the country’s most famous cinnamon buns; and the former home of gentlemen’s store Guðsteinn Eyjólfsson, first opened in 1918.

THE INSIDE: Bask in modern luxury and art deco stylings, artwork by Icelandic artists, and plush fabrics from the city’s oldest tailors.

THE RATES: Rooms from $380/night. sandhotel.is