Luxury Escapes Magazine Issue 11

Issue 11

MOORISH MARRAKECH

5 hotels with marvelous design

Plus:

Antelope Canyon

Budapest’s Baths

Meet Malaysia

Celebrity Vacation

One of our Places of Pinterest

Must-swim historic thermal pools

An LE Destination Guide

Katy Perry, the Gansevoort Park Ave.

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CONTENTS ANTELOPE CANYON Places of Pinterest

HOTELS

MOORISH MARRAKECH

BUDAPEST’S BATHS A guide to Budapest’s thermal pools

MEET MALAYSIA An LE Destination Guide

CELEB ESCAPES The Gansevoort Park Avenue

Image: Royal Mansour

Luxury Escapes Magazine Published by Luxury Escapes, 259 Coventry Street South Melbourne, 3205, Victoria Australia Writer and Editor Elspeth Velten Publisher Jeremy Same For subscriptions sign up at luxuryescapes.com Cover Image: Selman Marrakech

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK I visited both Pulau Perhentian Kecil and Pulau Tioman in the past few weeks and my personal experience at these two islands off of peninsular Malaysia’s eastern coast (page 25,) could not have differed more. My visit to Perhentian went wrong from the very start, when most beach accommodation was already at capacity with Malay tourists and I arrived without a booking.

Two bedbug-ridden resorts – one without 24-electricity – one murky dive and four days later, I left the beautiful island feeling more stressed than when I arrived. That’s not your typical takeaway from a tropical escape.

My time on Tioman was oppositely idyllic. I booked a sweet little room ahead of time and my research paid off. Though it’s closer to Singapore, where many tourists come from each weekend, the island seemed eternally empty. The beach in the island’s main town, Tekek, was always peaceful and snorkeling and diving with sharks and turtles in the clear waters surrounding Tioman was a pleasure. A trip to the forest yielded repeated chameleon sightings and I could never tire of nightly seafood barbecue. I left Tioman with sadness, but also relaxed. And with approximately 50 itchy sandfly bites. Hey, you just can’t have everything.

Elspeth Velten Luxury Escapes Editor @ElspethVelten @ElspethVelten

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EN ROUTE

THIS YEAR’S

GLAMPING GEAR

Eau Good Water Bottle, £14.95

If there’s one type of camping we’re willing to do it’s “glamping” – that’s glam camping, of course. Obviously we want our campsite to be Instagram-ready at all times, and that’s where British site Glam Camping Co. comes in. Every item on their site is functional for the outdoors, but more importantly, cute. If we’re going to camp, we’re certainly going to do it in style.

Feurerhand Hurricane Lantern, £28.50

Adult Sleeping Bag, £60.00

Fairground String Lights, £55.00

Bamboo Bowls £11.95

Strawberries and Cream Bell Tent £510.00

EAT THIS RIGHT NOW

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1. MOMMA KONG’S CRAB SHACK Chilli crab is a must-eat in Singpore and Momma Kong’s knows hows to make it. Each crab, perfect for sharing, is doused in sweet, spicy and eggy sauce.

2. EXTRA VIRGIN FINE FOODS Featuring a Spanish and French tapas-style cuisine, this Sydney joint never fails to impress. Look for croquetas de queso and classic patatas bravas, 3. TIM HO WAN This dim sum joint’s original Hong Kong spot is the world’s most inexpensive Michelin-starred restaurant. The signature baked pork buns are worth the inevitable wait.

4. MIYAKO JAPANESE CUISINE Miyako raises the bar for sushi, sashimi and teppanyaki meals in Melbourne’s competitive Japanese market.

Beware of flinging food.

Image: Lukacs Baths

BUDAPEST’S BEST THERMAL BATHS

Besides beautiful architecture, a rich history and a hearty meal, Hungary’s capital boasts something that not many other European cities can – a booming bathing culture.

Budapest is home to many baths that harness underground thermal springs with medicinal properties. Use of these thermal waters dates back to Roman times, though the bathing complexes built by the Romans are little more than ruins now. Instead, locals and tourists alike flock to several Turkish baths that were constructed in the 16th century during the Ottoman occupation of the city and various other baths that were built later on. Although many of the baths are predominately frequented by locals, they’re also easily accessible to tourists – day passes usually include a locker and use of all facilities and many baths have coed pools where bathings suits are mandatory. Just choose your favourite and suit up.

Don’t forget your towel!

Image: Szechenyi Baths/Shutterstock

SZECHENYI BATHS

VELI BEJ (CSASZAR) BATHS

The Szechnyi Baths is one the city’s most popular with tourists, the largest medicinal bath in Europe and one of the largest public baths on the continent. The complex of pools first opened in 1881 and began using medicinal waters in 1913, before the baths’ northern wing with an impressive neo-baroque interior was built in 1927. Of the 18 pools in the complex, 15 are spring fed with waters rich in calcium, magnesium, hydro-carbonate, sodium, sulfate, fluoride and metabolic acid. Fifteen of the baths are inside and these thermal pools and steam baths range in temperature from 21C to 43C – the outdoor pools, where you’re likely to see local men playing chest while submerged in the water, range from 29C to 41C. Entry for the day is about $15 and includes a locker and access to all facilities.

This is one of the oldest Turkish baths in Budapest, also built in the 16th century, but references to healing waters in this location go back to Roman times. Csaszar has the typical Turkish octagonal pool and domed roof and this one’s surrounded by four smaller thermal pools with different temperatures. There’s also a modern swimming pool, a Jacuzzi, steam baths and saunas and a special tub for hydrotherapies. The fact that this bath is not well known amongst tourists yet makes it a good one to visit, as does the small exhibit of archaeological finds from the site.

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Image: Shutterstock

GELLERT BATHS Hotel Gellert’s famous baths were built between 1912 and 1918 in Art Nouveau style, and are some of the most beautiful in Budapest. The 13 pools here with mosaic floors and walls are partially coed – clothing is optional in same sex areas except for on Sundays when all pools are mixed-gender – and are fed from mineral hot springs from Gellert Hill. Hop between the outdoor wave pool, normal pool, sauna and cold plunge, before exploring the indoor baths and saunas. If you want to take a swim in the main indoor pool in the impressive hall, remember your swim cap – it’s mandatory and the elderly Hungarian women swimming take it upon themselves to enforce the rule strictly. Gellert’s baths are popular with both locals and tourists and although signs can be confusing, other bathers can tell you where to go.

Image: Kiraly Baths

KIRALY BATHS This traditional Turkish bath was built in the 16th century during the Turkish occupation in Hungary, and its domed roof and and dimly lit octagonal pool are both examples of Turkish elements. The Kiraly baths are supplied with mineral water from the Lukacs baths to fill its four thermal pools. There are also dry and steam saunas and massages available. These baths are always coed, and bathing suits are mandatory at all times.

Another example of Turkish influence in Budapest, the Rudas baths were originally constructed in the 1560s during the Ottoman occupation, and the swimming pool was built later in 1896. On single sex days these baths are clothing optional, but weekends are coed.

There are six dimly lit thermal pools ranging in temperature from 16C to 42C and dry and steam saunas as well. The Rudas baths stay open until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays for night time bathing.

Image: Rudas Baths

RUDAS BATHS

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LUKACS BATHS The Lukacs baths are a favourite amongst the locals, but this shouldn’t deter tourists from taking a dip. Since opening in 1894 these baths have been popular amongst writers and artists and to this day continue to draw a creative crowd. In the courtyard, look for marble tablets placed in the ground by those who were cured by Lukacs’ waters, dating back as far as 1898. Of the eight pools here five are thermal. Uniquely, there’s a drinking fountain supplying water that has healing effects for the stomach, gallbladder and kidney stones.

This drinking water is supplied around the world. Lukacs hosts Magic Bath parties with DJs, cocktails and laser lights on Saturday nights aimed at a younger crowd.

Images: Lukacs Baths

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PLACES OF PINTEREST:

ANTELOPE CANYON In our new regular column, Places of Pinterest, we’ll serve up the low down on those iconic travel images that pinners love – how to get there, where to stay, what else to see nearby… all the details that you need to turn your virtual daydream into reality.

WHERE The canyon consists of two parts – Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon – and both are located on Native American land in the Southwestern United States near Page, Arizona.

WHAT The slot canyons, as these are known, were formed by erosion to the Navajo Sandstone due to flash floods – continuous water movement is what has given these canyons their characteristic flowing shapes. These dramatic land formations are popular on Pinterest for their seemingly otherworldly streams of light and range of colors.

PHOTO TIP:

When shooting with a SLR camera, use long exposure time and a tripod. With a point and shoot, use a short exposure and no flash.

HOW

WHAT ELSE

Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon are both accessible by permit in the Navajo Tribal Park.

The Upper canyon is most popular with tourists because it’s accessible at ground level – no climbing is required to visit – and the iconic beams of light are more frequent here than in Lower, especially between March and October. Mostly visited by photographers, the Lower canyon now has metal staircases for visitor use.

Also of interest nearby are the Glen Canyon Dam, Lake Powell and the Colorado River, which eventually runs through the Grand Canyon.

The safest, and only, way to visit the canyon is through a guided tour, because both canyons are still prone to sudden, powerful flash floods, even if little or no rain has fallen in the area. A general tour lasts about 1.5 hours and is scheduled according to peak times for light beams.

Photographic tours, only for serious photographers and students, last about two hours.

Tours can be booked and paid for in Page, and range from between $30 to $80 per person.

STAY Luxury accommodation in this area is limited.

The Amangiri retreat in Utah is one of the best upscale options, but in and around Page there are various mid-level hotels and homey bed and breakfasts. To make your trip unique, we suggest renting a houseboat on Lake Powell or one of the other bodies of water nearby.

Check out Wahweap Marina, where there are plenty of houseboats to rent for every budget – some, like the Axion Star Lake Yacht, are even quite luxurious.

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CELEB ESCAPES

THE GANSEVOORT PARK AVENUE A sister property to the popular hotel of the same name over in NYC’s Meatpacking District, the Gansevoort’s newer Park Ave location is now drawing the celebrity buzz that its older sibling once did. Many A-listers are known to hang out at the hotel’s exclusive rooftop bar that boasts stunning Empire State Building views, while others, including Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera are known to spend the night here when in the Big Apple. Kim Kardashian even lived here during the filming of her reality show during the 72 days that she was married to Kris Humphries.

Images: Gansevoort Park Avenue

The hotel at 29th Street and Park Ave. has 249 rooms and suites, an impressive three story atrium lobby with herringbone granite floors, a list of well-reviewed eateries and bars, an indulgent spa and the signature rooftop complex featuring a pool and various bars and lounges.

During the filming of her show, Kim stayed in the hotel’s Presidential Duplex, a bi-level, three-bedroom pad of over 2000 square feet. The penthouse enjoys a fireplace, hardwood floors, a lofty terrace, an AV system, dining and living areas with floor to ceiling windows and stylish chandeliers and a bathroom with a steam shower, a soaking whirlpool tub and a separate vanity dressing room.

In fact, even entry-level rooms at the Gansevoort Park Ave boast a sleek design with living areas, oversized bathrooms and Juliet balconies. Beds are made with 400-thread count Egyptian cotton linens and every rooms has a hi-definition LCD flatscreen TV. Suites like the Gansevoort Suite, the Loft Suite and the Park Ave. Suite have balconies, various five-fixture bathrooms and guest bathrooms, dining areas, living areas with pull out sofas and Nespresso machines.

The Loft Suite enjoys dramatic city views and the Park Ave. Suite’s bedroom has a wrap-around balcony.

New York’s iconic skyline means one thing for sure: plenty of prime rooftop space for play, and the Gansevoort’s is no exception. Ascend to the hotel’s 20th story roof to find a heated indoor/outdoor pool with a collapsible garage door that keeps out the winter elements, making swimming possible year round. The pool is exclusively for the use of hotel guests during business hours, but opens up to the bar crowd that gathers at night. There’s a sundeck, too, where guests can soak up NYC’s summer rays.

Options for meals include the Ristorante Asellina, an Italian-inspired trattoria boasting a “traditional-meets-modern” menu and the Windsor, an upscale sports bar with plently of flat screens, relaxed drinking and dining and a mix of American and British styles.

The Exhale Spa has a full menu of treatments, a Cutler hair salon, yoga classes and a full gym. Did we mention that the Gansevoort is pet friendly? Let the staff know that you’re bringing a four-legged friend and they’ll provide premium treats, pet beds, fiji water, food and water bowls, toys, a puppy purse and even a collar tag reading “I’m staying at the Gansevoort Park Ave.” Of course, you may just want one of those tags for yourself, considering how the hotel is currently one of NYC’s hottest addresses.

Come night time, the Gansevoort’s roof is one of the most exciting places to be seen in Manhattan. The bi-level rooftop bar and lounge features several exclusive rooms like the Red Room that draws a rich and famous crowd, fire places, a patio and terraces. Not to mention a million dollar view of some of NYC’s most iconic architecture.

MEET MALAYSIA Peninsular Malaysia, that is (Malaysian Borneo is another ball game). The country as a whole was chosen as one of Lonely Planet’s top countries to visit in 2014 and during a recent visit, our editor easily learned why.

Western Malaysia is dotted with small towns boasting great food, diverse cultures, deep histories and even amazing beaches. A flight from Australia into Kuala Lumpur, the country’s capital, puts you in perfect position to jump off to any corner of the peninsula, including the idyllic islands that sit off the country’s east coast, and domestic travel between destinations is easy and comfortable.

Most large towns and cities have regional airports, but even more convenient are several modern and reliable bus lines with spacious seats and cooling aircon. We’ve travelled Western Malaysia to enlighten you on the region’s best places – here are our top picks on the peninsula.

Image: Shutterstock

Melaka See: Melaka sits on Malaysia’s west coast, south of Kuala Lumpur, and is a great place to jump into the country’s colonial history and eating scene. Spend a few hours wandering through the city’s Chinatown, lined with shophouses that have turned into cafes and restaurants, and then head across the bridge to see the Red Dutch Square, where out-of-place colonial buildings and ruins are hard to miss. Visit the night market at Jonker Street on a Friday or Saturday night and be sure to take a walk or cruise along the river that cuts through town.

Most of Melaka’s charm comes from kicking back and embracing the city’s relaxed pace.

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Images: Shutterstock

Eat: Eat: After George Town, Melaka is one of Malaysia’s best playgrounds for eaters. Cuisines vary from Chinese to Malay and Nyonya, or old school Peranakan cuisine that’s a mix of both, and there’s quite a well worn path of foodie destinations around town that all manage to remain worthy of a visit. Baba laksa, a spicy coconut noodle soup is popular here, as is Hainanese chicken with savoury little rice balls. A satay celup meal lets eaters cook their own skewers in a boiling, peanuty gravy and Indian Pak Putra restaurant is immensely popular for tender tandoori chicken.

Jonker Street night market is a great place to graze on various local dishes including little Malaysian sweets like durian puffs and pineapple tarts.

Stay: It’s best to stay in or near Melaka’s Chinatown, as that’s where most tourists attractions are located, but many luxury accommodation options are outside the borders of the area. Although not in Chinatown, The Majestic Malacca stands out amongst the city’s luxury offerings – it’s housed in a beautifully restored 1920s mansion.

Kuala Lumpur See: Kuala Lumpur doesn’t seem like a walkable city at first glance, but spend a day am-

bling between the impressive Petronas towers and the Bukit Bintang shoppper’s paradise and you’ll see that street life can be just as vibrant as in other Asian cities. On another day, stroll around Chinatown and Central Market and then make your way over to the sprawling green park in the city’s southwest to visit the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia. The museums hosts an impressive permanent collection of Chinese, Indian, Malay and Middle-Eastern Islamic artifacts and, when we visited, had a beautiful temporary collection of Islamic calligraphy.

Eat: Come night time, head over to Jalan Alor near Bukit Bintang. The street comes alive at dusk when wall to wall restaurants set up outdoor tables and seafood and barbecue stalls. Chinatown has hawker centers slinging mouthwatering Chinese-Malay cuisine, and Little India is known for great curries and fluffy roti. For breakfast, hunt down traditional Yut Kee for a glimpse into KL’s history. The shop is known for its kaya (coconut jam) toast and soft boiled eggs and its roti babi – a deep fried sandwich with pork, crab and egg. For a quick meal in the evening, street-side Ramly burgers stands are reliable and delicious. Most big malls have diverse food courts with local specialties.

breathtaking tea plantations, including the nationally famous and always busy BOH tea. The region’s forests are also attractions – it’s easy to join a tour for a hike around in the mossy mountain top forest or to hunt down a blooming rafflesia, the world’s largest flower.

There’s also a network of trails that you can walk on your own without a guide.

Lavender and strawberry farms line the two-lane road through Cameron’s tiny towns, where traffic jams are more common than you’d think. You’ll notice the region’s colonial influence – Cameron Highlands was settled by the British when they still occupied the peninsula during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Image: Shutterstock

Stay: There are many upscale accommodation options in the Golden Triangle area, which encompasses Bukit Bintang its surrounds including eating street Jalan Alor. The area is ripe with restaurants, bars, coffee shops and convenience stores, and has good transportation links to other parts of the city.

Cameron Highlands See: North and inland from KL, the Cameron Highlands region offers a refreshing respite from coastal heat and a return to nature for many domestic Malay tourists and others from Japan and Singapore.

The area is known for its green mountains, some of which are carpeted by

Eat: The area’s not especially well known for a specific cuisine, but each town has a collection of Indian and Chinese restaurants that serve up comforting classics. It’s popular to sit down to a shared steamboat meal on a chilly night – a tub of boiling broth is placed on a stovetop in front of you and ingredients are served raw, ready to be dunked and simmered to perfection.

Stay: The town of Tanah Rata is most popular with international tourists and offers everything you could want or need after a long day exploring the region. Most accommodation has a markedly outdoorsy feel with rows of muddied hiking boots piled by the doorways, but the luxurious Cameron Highlands Resort serves up an undeniable dose of colonial charm.

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Image: Shutterstock

George Town See: There’s no doubting that Penang’s historic city of George Town is predominantly an eater’s paradise, but there’s certainly no shortage of things to see and do between meals. The streets of the city’s UNESCO listed Colonial old town are lined by colorful shophouses – many already restored or undergoing restoration. There are several historic mansions and Chinese clan houses and the clan jetties jutting out from the city’s shoreline point to a diverse immigrant culture. Hours between meals are best spent wandering the old town’s streets and taking coffee breaks seriously. George Town’s Little India was our favourite in Malaysia – it consists of just a few streets but blaring music and colorful jewelry and clothing shops give the area a frenetic feel. Many walls around town boast street art – tourists spend hours searching the city to see each iconic scene and free maps divulge locations to turn art-spotting into a game.

Eat: Eating is what you’re here to do – George Town is one of Asia’s most famous grazing grounds, and with good reason. At different times of the day every street boasts changing Chinese, Indian and Malay dining options and most corners host street foods that will have you wishing for a bigger stomach. To experience a typical hawker center-

Image: Elspeth Velten

styled food court head to Red Garden Food Paradise. The food here won’t be the best you can get in the city, but the atmosphere can’t be beat. Choose what you want from a large selection of stalls and they’ll bring your food to your table, where a beverage waiter or waitress will make sure your ice bucket is continually full of cold beer. There’s weird live music every night after 9pm. Once you’ve gotten that out of the way, peruse the streets around Love Lane around dinner time to find a tasty bowl of won ton mee. Don’t leave town without eating your weight in char kway teow and start your days with an early dim sum breakfast or a plate of fluffy roti canai in Little India. A restaurant in the bottom of the teal-coloured Sky Hotel boasts the city’s best char siu pork, and Tek Sen Restaurant serves up flawless Chinese dishes from different regions.

Stay: Restored buildings make beautiful hotels. The Eastern and Oriental is one of George Town’s most opulent options and has a colonial-styled wing that was built in 1885.

For something on a smaller scale, a quick search online yields a handful of shophouse hotel results scattered throughout the city’s old town.

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Image: Shutterstock

Pulau Perhentian See: About an hour’s boat ride off of Malaysia’s northeast coast, this duo of islands, Besar and Kecil, draws both domestic and international visitors to white sand beaches and turquoise waters. Kecil especially boasts a night life that pumps until the early hours of the morning. The waters around are great for diving and day trips to snorkel various spots are popular and reasonably priced. A colourful sunset is best viewed from Kecil’s Coral Bay, but besides that and beach hopping by boat, the best thing to do in the Perhentians is sit back and relax.

Eat: Both islands have various options for mostly Malaysian food and a few Western classics available as well. Most restaurants don’t sell alcohol since the population is Muslim, but many allow separate beverage vendors to come in and do the deed instead. Seafood barbecue is a popular dinner choice – fresh fish like barracuda, king fish

and grouper are common. Ewan’s Place, on Kecil, offers simple but delicious noodles and curries – try the mamak fried noodles and the squid in belacan sauce. The prevailing dining vibe is laid-back and beachy – don’t expect anything upscale or groundbreaking.

Stay: Perhentian Kecil accommodates a younger, party hungry crowd on Long Beach and a more quiet group on Coral Island, but most families and older couples head to the big island, Perhentian Besar.

Many hotels offer bungalow or chalet-style accommodation and digs tend to be quite basic. Internet is not always included and or often doesn’t work, but many restaurants make up for that downfall by making sure their WiFi draws customers in. Be sure to book accommodation ahead here – Malay tourists pour in on the weekends and it’s easy to find the island completely full.

Image: Elspeth Velten

Pulau Tioman See: Further south, Pulau Tioman has something that gives it an edge over the Perhentian islands, in our editor’s opinion. Perhaps it’s that the island has a local population that gives it a charm and realness that the tourism-heavy Perhentians don’t have. Or maybe it’s the accessibility of the jungle, where local tour guides uncover rafflesia flowers and chameleon villages. The snorkeling and diving here are incredible – even heading right off the beach with a snorkel can yield black tip reef shark, sea turtle and sea snake sightings – and the accommodation options are of a much better quality than on the Perhentians.

Visit the Juara Turtle Project to learn about local conservation efforts, or hop on a boat to one of the tiny surrounding islands that offer picture perfect coastlines. That’s not really necessary, though, because Tioman’s own beaches always manage to seem empty and idyllic. ABC and Salang are the most popular

with Western tourists, but even the island’s center of commerce, Tekek, offers a beautiful beach and great food.

Eat: The island offers a good mix of Malay and Chinese cuisines and a great selection of fresh seafood that can be grilled up to order.

We ate at a Tekek seafood warung with great grilled barracuda and fried squid almost every night, but also enjoyed a pretty decent pizza and mojitos at the Sunset beach bar in ABC. Stay: There are one or two upscale options at the north end of ABC, but we recommend the Swiss Cottage in Tekek. This happy little place consists of 15 stylish terrace and bungalow-style rooms that lie just back from the beach, many with aircon and all including a delicious home-cooked breakfast. There’s a professional dive center on the grounds, paddle boards for hire and plenty of eating options nearby.

MARKEDLY MARRAKECH We’ve recently been obsessed with Morocco’s iconic design elements – arched doorways, mosaic-tiled walls and floors, wooden latticework, open-air courtyards, rich fabrics, painted ceilings – that can all be attributed to the country’s history of Moorish influence. Who wouldn’t want to jetset to Marrakech to lounge in an open-air riad on plush cushions next to a crystal clear pool and olive trees?

We’ve mined the options for Marrakech hotels that provide a perfect sense of place – these five hotels each offer a seamless blend of modern amenities and Moorish Moroccan traditions.

Image: Dar les Cigognes

Image: Dar les Cigognes

DAR LES CIGOGNES Celeb architect Charles Boccara turned two riads in the heart of Marrakech’s Medina into the luxury boutique hotel that is Dar les Cigognes. The hotel’s just 11 rooms are each uniquely decorated but all share a strong Moroccan influence – some have Royal Palace views and fireplaces. Come evening, warm lighting glows through every part of the riad’s intricate design. Rooms are based around a typical central open air courtyard and accents like arched doorways, embellished ceilings, wooden latticework and tiled floors are constant reminders of locale – even a quick trip up to the roof garden offers palace views and Moroccan charm.

Dar les Cigognes’ restaurant serves up local dishes like trid and tangia and even offers daily cooking classes during which guests can join the chef on a trip to the local market. The hotel’s spa has an impressive traditional hammam and gommage, along with a full list of treatments and spa products based on local and organic argan oil.

Image: KarSol/Shutterstock

Image: Villas des Orangers

Near the Koutoubia Mosque and just a short walk from the Jemaa el Fna, a 1930s riad is home to the Villas des Orangers hotel with 27 rooms and suites. Rooms and the riad itself are rife with Moorish accents like horseshoe arches, embellished wooden ceilings and wooden latticework. The hotel’s roof has a pool, gardens, solarium and plenty of bright bougainvillea vines that add a brush of color to the roof’s desert tones. The hotel also has three beautiful communal lounge rooms with fireplaces that make a perfect spot end the day. Rooms range in size and rate but towards the top of the line, the two-level Master Suite is one to lust over. Natural light filters into the suite’s rooms through latticework casting magical patterns over dark wooden furnishings and creamy walls. The Master Suite has a balcony with a pool view, an office area, a lounge with a fireplace and a walk-in wardrobe. The hotel has a restaurant serving Mediterranean food and Moroccan specials, and a spa with five treatment rooms and a traditional hammam.

Image: La Mamounia

VILLAS DES ORANGERS

LA MAMOUNIA La Mamounia was opened in 1923 on a 20acre park and garden and has hosted historical A-listers like Winston Churchill and Princess Caroline of Monaco. The hotel offers rooms, suites, signature suites and private riads, and many choices have terraces and panoramic Atlas mountain views.

Rooms are characterized overall by warm tones, horseshoe-arched doorways, dark woods, marble bathrooms and fabric-draped or embellished walls and some signature suites have fourpost beds and painted ceilings. Private riads feature pools, 24-hour butler service and impressive mosaic displays.

Each private riad has three bedrooms, two living rooms and three bathrooms, and guests receive private transfer from the airport in either a Jaguar or Range Rover. La Mamounia is home to several diverse restaurants serving local, French and Italian meals, and one of the hotel’s five bars features live jazz performances come evening.

Image: La Mamounia

ROYAL MANSOUR The Royal Mansour was designed and built by local artisans using traditional techniques and materials like cedar wood, cisele metal and sculpted plasterwork. The hotel’s design is inspired by the classic form of a traditional medina with winding paths between buildings plotted over 3.5 hectares of land. Symmetry and geometric design can be seen repeatedly around the hotel. Private riads here have three floors and between one and four bedrooms each, a living room, bar, lobby, outdoor patio, galleries and a dining room. Each has a roof terrace with a plunge pool and an open fire, and some have private hammams and Bedouin-tented areas. Each riad is distinctively decorated with central fountains, draped fabrics, mosaic tiles, wooden latticework and antiques and is fitted with a sensor roof that closes automatically with the first drop of rain. Staff move between the 53 riads via a series of discreet underground tunnels.

Images: Royal Mansour

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SELMAN MARRAKECH The stunning Selman Marrakech has 56 opulent rooms and suites, five private riads decorated by accomplished interior designer Jacques Garcia, a spa with several indoor and outdoor pools and a traditional hammam, various restaurants and bars and a majestic living collection of purebred Arabian horses that roam the hotel grounds.

Image: Selman Marrakech

Suites are marked by embroidered textiles, lattice work, leather furnishings and black and white patterened mosaic walls and floors – some have outdoor lounges and more than one terrace so guests can embrace the indoor/outdoor living that Marrakech is known for. Selman’s one or two bedroom private riads are even more over the top – each riad’s entrance leads to a typical central fountain and patio. Rooms are draped with rich fabrics and each riad has a private garden with a pool.

Each riad is served by a personal butler and private golf cart. Perhaps one of the most vibrant parts of the hotel, the Selman restaurant is striking in a garish green and purple design. The hotel’s impressive collection of horses is housed in two lavish stables, visible from the Pavillion restaurant, that blend Indian and Andalusian styles.

Images: Selman Marrakech

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worth walking for                         -         -                                      —

For more details and bookings visit

www.bothfeet.com.au or phone 1300 767 416

LUXURY ESCAPES TV Luxury Escapes reviews two of Thailand’s finest resorts!

Sofitel Krabi Phokheethra Resort

Hotel Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit

• One of Thailand’s largest pools/ access to beaches

• Centrally located near world-class shopping

• Spacious Thai/European style rooms

• Three restaurants/roof-top bar

• So Sofitel Spa and a nine-hole golf course

• Modern rooms are a calm oasis

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