SLH Be Inspired Magazine Issue 3

ISSUE

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EXPERIENCE

SMALL LUXURY HOTELS OF THE WORLD™

SCENE STEALERS SLH’s newest member hotels have bagged all the hot spots

ENTER THE DRAGON A whirlwind tour of mainland China

INTO THE WILD Book now for your most thrilling holiday yet

ANOTHER

WORLD

WITH

THE WORLD IS OUR HOME YOU ARE OUR GUEST

Mei Liu is a welcome guest on EY867/EY37 every two months. Ask her why and she’ll enthuse about the miraculous effects of the complimentary cold-stone eye revive treatment, offered at the Six Senses Spa in our lounges at Abu Dhabi. At Etihad, we’re inspired by the best the world has to offer, and treat everyone as our guest.

Shanghai to Paris, daily.

Canaves Oia Hotel Santorini, Greece

WELCOME to Be Inspired We recently received an email thanking Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ for being the best hotel loyalty club in the business. In our (small) world of luxury travel, we strive for nothing less. Setting aside our fabulous room upgrades for a moment, what distinguishes SLH is the exceptional choice it offers, in terms of number of destinations, style of hotel within those destinations and variety of experiences offered by those hotels.

The overall experience is different – we’d say better – too. Because SLH hotels are small and independent, they have their own personality and a warmth of service that is harder to find in larger properties – plus, the owner is often on site to give his or her idiosyncratic take on the local culture. Be Inspired, our biannual showcase of destinations, hotels and experiences, can only ever offer a taste of the enormous wealth of choice on offer – from new SLH properties in (re-)emerging hotspots such as Kazakhstan and Kashmir to heritage hotels, family-friendly retreats and where to go for superlative regional cuisine or the adrenalin fix of a lifetime.

Whatever your interest, we hope the features inspire you to try something new. It’s easy to book, whether through slh.com, our free iPhone or iPad app, Facebook, or your favourite travel agent – and you can save money by opting for a pre-paid stay. If you’re a Club member, we look forward to treating you to even more of those fabulous room upgrades and other benefits, such as our private monthly pre-paid flash sales; and our dedicated call centres would be delighted to put together a personalised itinerary for you. If you’re yet to join, have a look at www.slh.com/club. It couldn’t be easier. And it’s free.

It’s all there in the name. Small Luxury Hotels of the World™. Small hotels. Big experiences.

P a u l Ke r r C E O f o r Small Luxury Hotels of The World™ and Joint Managing Direc tor of Hill, Goodridge & A ssociates Ltd.

B r i a n Mi l l s Joint Managing Direc tor of Hill, Goodridge & A ssociates Ltd. Hill, Goodridge & Associates Ltd. is the global management c o m p a n y o f S m a l l L u x u r y H o t e l s o f t h e Wo r l d ™ L t d .

PRODUCTION Editor: Lisa Johnson Production Editor: Anna Wood, SLH Email: beinspired@slh.com Design & Production: Strattons (strattons.com) Front cover image: Casa Bonita, Dominican Republic Back cover image: Baros Maldives © Small Luxury Hotels of the World Ltd™

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retreival system, digitised or transmitted in any form, whether by means of photocopying electronically, mere copying or in any other way, without obtaining the written consent of Small Luxury Hotels of the World Ltd™.

To book visit www.slh.com

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CONTENTS

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Left: San Antonio, Santorini, Greece Middle: Donatello Boutique Hotel, Almaty, Kazakhstan Right: Hotel im Wasserturm, Cologne, Germany

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MAKE IT A DATE If you need a reason to travel, choose one of this year’s top sports or cultural events, and turn it into a real occasion by booking with SLH.

10-11 CRASH PADS After hosting a wedding, you may just want to rest up for a few days.

Make sure you do it in style.

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SCENE STEALERS From the heart of the city to the fringes of the ocean, SLH’s newest member hotels are fantastically located, with breathtaking views and easy access to the best of the area.

So if you’ve been there and done that, try one of these.

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To book visit www.slh.com

16-19 WATER WONDERFUL WORLD For some people, a holiday isn’t complete without a large body of water to swim or dive in, sail or surf on. Whatever your passion, SLH has it covered, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Pacific Ocean.

20-21 TIME TRAVELLERS Stay in a SLH that was built in another era and there is endless scope for musing on the past, without forgoing any modern-day luxuries.

22-23 ENTER THE DRAGON 21st-century China is definitely where it's at, but planning a trip to such a vast, largely unknown country is a daunting prospect.

Ed Peters keeps things simple.

24-27 THE GENERATION GAME Finding a hotel that works for different ages and interests can be tricky. Ask SLH to do the work for you.

28-29 WHEN IN ROME Do as the Romans do. When you’ve taken in the ancient sights and views from The Eternal City’s seven hills, ask your hotel concierge how the locals spend their weekends.

30-33 FLYING THE FLAG Cuisine is one of the most accessible expressions of national or regional culture, and some chefs are exceptionally good at it.

28 34-37 BALANCING ACT Feeling good is all about restoring your equilibrium. Choose a hotel where you can be active as well as pampered.

38-41 ON TOP OF THE WORLD The Alps are most famous for their winter sports, but just as spectacular in summer when life-enhancing green replaces pristine white and skiing makes way for hiking, says Jane Anderson.

Left: Rome skyline Middle: Spice Island Beach Resort, St George’s, Grenada Right: Echo Valley Ranch & Spa, Jesmond, Canada

34 42 42-45 INTO THE WILD Staying in a SLH doesn’t just mean sleeping in luxury Egyptian cotton, eating superlative local cuisine or spending an entire day in the spa. It could be the adventure of a lifetime.

46-47 EN ROUTE From the north to the south, the east to the west, there are many ways to get around France. It’s all about the journey – and the hotels at the end of it.

48-49 BAGS OF FUN

50-51 HOW WAS IT FOR YOU? Posts from The Club of SLH.

54-57 HOTEL LISTINGS 60

ON THE ROAD WITH SLH Q&A with Honoured Member Morten Imset.

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RESERVATIONS

Shopping in a new city is one of the great joys of travel. Let your hotel point out the best markets, speciality stores and designer boutiques.

Download digital versions by visiting www.slh.com/beinspired

To book visit www.slh.com

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To book visit www.slh.com

To book visit www.slh.com

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DIARY

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MAKE IT A DATE

Flower Viewing JAPAN In Japan, the arrival of spring is synonymous with hanami: picnicking under sakura (cherry blossom) trees as the sun lights up the pinkywhite petals. The progress of the cherry blossom front is followed intently as it moves north, reaching Kyoto and Tokyo by the beginning of April. SLH has seven Japanese hotels, including Hotel Il Palazzo in Fukuoka, Hotel La Suite Kobe Harborland in Kobe, Noborioji Hotel in Nara prefecture, Hoshinoya Kyoto in Kyoto City, and L’Hotel du Lac in Nagahama Shiga.

Hotel La Suite Kobe Harborland, Kobe

If you need a reason to travel, choose one of this year’s top sports or cultural events, and turn it into a real occasion by booking with SLH.

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To book visit www.slh.com

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Hays Festivals

WORLDWIDE

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Rijksmuseum

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AMSTERDAM tober ay m m pte se

Amsterdam is in celebratory mood this year, with anniversaries of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (125th), Van Gogh (160th) and the Canal ring (400th). To top it all, one of the world’s most famous fine arts museums reopened on 13 April after a 10-year, €375-million makeover.

Book at Canal House or The Dylan.

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Dubbed ‘the Woodstock of the mind’ by Bill Clinton, Hay celebrates great writing and the power of great ideas. From humble beginnings 25 years ago in the Welsh border town of Hay-on-Wye, the original event has generated offshoots the world over from Nairobi (September) to Istanbul (October) and Cartagena (January 2014).

Stay at, respectively, Hemingways Nairobi, Hôtel Les Ottomans and Movich Hotel Cartagena de Indias.

Hôtel Les Ottomans, Istanbul

Formula One

Art Basel HONG KONG Leading contemporary art fest Art Basel makes its debut in Hong Kong this year. From 23 to 26 May, some 250 galleries will exhibit works by around 2,000 artists; stay at Lanson Place Hotel, a tranquil bolthole in Causeway Bay. Alternatively, wait until the Basel show (13 to 16 June) then escape for some R&R and Alsatian wine at Château d’Isenbourg near Colmar, France; or mix your art with sun and sea at the Miami Beach outpost (5 to 8 December), basing yourselves at The Betsy South Beach.

EUROPE

The European Grand Prix left the starting line in Spain on 12 May, before moving onto Monaco (26 May), the UK (30 June), Belgium (25 August) or Italy (8 September). Stay at, respectively, the Port Palace, overlooking the super yachts in Monte Carlo; Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa, a magnificent former stately home in a beautiful rural setting; the Montgomery Hotel, a peaceful retreat in Brussels; and 19th-century Hotel de La Ville in Monza, near Milan.

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D I A RY To book visit www.slh.com

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DIARY tober ne m juove n

Biennale

VENICE

Everyone who’s anyone in the art world will be passing through Venice this summer, as the city hosts the 55th Venice Biennale. From 1st June to 24th November, visitors will wend their way east to the national pavilions in the Giardini and Arsenale, and add their voices to the chorus of (dis)approval. Stay at one of six Venice hotels, including the newest to SLH, Hotel Ai Reali, an enchanting Venetian palazzo in a dreamlike setting just yards from the Rialto Bridge.

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Tour de France

Midsummer

WORLDWIDE Originally a pagan holiday, the summer solstice is also associated by some Christians with the birth of John the Baptist, six months before that of Christ. Good places to be include Stonehenge in the UK (21 June), where some 2,000 neo-pagans and tourists huddle around the famous stone circle to await the sunrise; Barcelona (23 to 24 June), where revellers gather on the beach to light bonfires and watch fireworks; and Estonia (23 to 24 June), where the locals light bonfires and jump over them. Stay at, respectively, Lainston House in Winchester, Hotel Bagués in Barcelona, and Pädaste Manor on Muhu Island in Estonia.

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To book visit www.slh.com

To mark the 100th birthday of the world’s biggest bike race, cyclists will be hitting the roads of Corsica for the first time. The first of 21 stages leaves Porto Vecchio on 29 June and arrives in Bastia 212km later; since the route is almost totally flat, a sprinter is predicted to take the yellow jersey. Stay at Hôtel & Spa des Pêcheurs in Bonifacio, and drive to Porto Vecchio to see le grand départ from there. Other key stages include the 25km Nice-to-Nice team time-trial on 2 July (stay at Hôtel La Pérouse).

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Hôtel & Spa des Pêcheurs in Bonifacio

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SAN FRANCISCO

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America's Cup

All eyes will be on San Francisco from 7 to 22 September as Oracle Team USA shoots past Alcatraz in a bid to defend the America’s Cup against Emirates Team New Zealand, Pradabacked Luna Rossa and other challengers in San Francisco Bay. To prepare for the onslaught of visitors, the city is creating a vast new viewing area as well as upgrading its dilapidated piers.

Retreat from the mayhem at The Huntington Hotel and Nob Hill Spa.

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Festival of Lights

INDIA Day of the Dead MEXICO Catrinas – skeletal figurines dressed up to the nines – might look grim to outsiders, but Día de los Muertos (1 to 2 November) is a happy occasion, with celebrations to honour the dear departed. Xcaret Park on the Riviera Maya hosts a festival with dance performances and concerts; Mixquic, southwest of Mexico City, organises the procession of a cardboard coffin to the cemetery for a candlelit vigil; and on Patzcuaro Lake, the Purepecha fishermen of Janitzio island take to the water in torchlit boats. SLH’s nine Mexican hotels include Esencia Hotel and Blue Diamond Riviera Maya in Playa del Carmen, the Downtown in Mexico City, and Anticavilla Hotel in Cuernavaca.

Diwali is a magical time to be in India: the entire country is lit up by small clay oilburning lamps. Representing the start of the Hindu New Year, the five-day festival signifies the victory of good over evil and celebrates the triumph of Lord Rama and the monkey god Hanuman over the demon king Ravana. It reaches a climax on the third day (3 November this year), and is especially exciting in Jaipur, where whole markets are illuminated; and in Goa, where villages burn vast effigies of Ravana. SLH has 10 Indian hotels, including The Raj Palace in Jaipur.

The Raj Palace, Jaipur

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D I A RY To book visit www.slh.com

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HONEYMOON

CRASH PADS

AFTER HOSTING A WEDDING, YOU MAY JUST WANT TO REST UP FOR A FEW DAYS. MAKE SURE YOU DO IT IN STYLE San Antonio, Santorini, Greece

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To book visit www.slh.com

CHÂTEAU DE BAGNOLS, BAGNOLS, NEAR LYON, FRANCE

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Romance is key here at one of the most elegant vineyard château hotels in the world.

Enjoy lazy days by the pool or take a hotair balloon ride over the vineyards before picnicking in the beautiful French countryside and tasting the delicious Beaujolais wines.

EIGHT HOTEL PORTOFINO, PORTOFINO, ITALY This cool, quiet, contemporary haven, housed in a traditional Ligurian house, offers hammocks in a lush garden shaded by chestnut trees and complimentary transfers to a private beach. Explore the city on a scooter or jump on a boat for a jaunt along the Italian Riviera.

SLEEP in Lady Hamlyn’s Apartment, with its exclusive 17th and 18th-century furniture and south-facing terrace overlooking the Beaujolais valley.

EAT robust regional cuisine in the majestic Salles des Gardes dining room or on one of the many terraces.

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RELAX in the formal gardens, admiring the drawbridge, moat and traditional planting or discover the pretty villages surrounding the château by bicycle.

RELAX with a couples' treatment in the hotel's candlelit spa corner or a cooking class for two in the garden.

Privacy is all at this west coast hideaway, shaded by a coconut grove beside a whitesand beach. Should you wish to venture forth, however, there is a large central pool, and Galle Fort and the elephant orphanage at Pinnawala are within striking distance.

SAN ANTONIO, SANTORINI, GREECE

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EAT on the beach at sunset, served by your butler.

It’s hard to tear yourself away from the view of the sea-filled caldera at this romantic hideaway, carved into the volcanic rock between the villages of Imerovigli and Oia. Happily, you can also see it from the glorious infinity pool, outdoor restaurant and cave spa.

SLEEP in the serene white Master Suite, with private garden, outdoor Jacuzzi and pergola-shaded dining area.

RELAX with an Ayurvedic treatment in your room, or an outdoor Jacuzzi for two under the stars.

EAT island cuisine on one of the hotel’s whitewashed rooftops, watching the sunset over the sea.

RELAX with a volcanic stone massage for two in the hotel’s Spa Suite.

TONGSAI GRAND VILLAS, KOH SAMUI, THAILAND Another tranquil retreat, this time on a lush hillside overlooking Tongsai Bay and a private beach. When you’ve caught up on sleep, luxuriate in one of the beautiful pools, go snorkelling, or try a Thai cookery class.

SLEEP in the Junior Suite with view of Castello Brown.

EAT Italian specialities at Eight Restaurant, a magnificent 19th-century villa overlooking the beach (April to October only).

SERENE PAVILIONS, WADDUWA, SRI LANKA

SLEEP on the upper level of your pool Pavilion overlooking the ocean – wake in a four-poster bed to breakfast on the balcony.

1 — Château de Bagnols 2 — Serene Pavilions 3 — Tongsai Grand Villas 4 — Eight Hotel Portofino 5 — San Antonio

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SLEEP in a Seafront Pool Villa with terrace, bath and pool-with-a-view, or lie in your outdoor gazebo, listening to the frogs.

EAT fresh surf and turf on the beach, under a sky bright with stars.

RELAX with a Samui Dream (coconut oil body mask, massage and facial) for two in the spa.

To book visit www.slh.com

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NEWS

S C E NE ST EALE RS

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Tel Aviv, Israel Donatello Boutique Hotel, Almaty, Kazakhstan The Mirror, Barcelona, Spain Hotel Cram, Barcelona, Spain Lanson Place Bukit Ceylon, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Hotel Lord Byron, Rome, Italy L'Angolo di San Pietro, Rome, Italy

From the heart of the city to the fringes of the ocean, SLH’s newest member hotels are fantastically located, with breathtaking views and easy access to the best of the area.

So if you’ve been there and done that, try one of these:

IN THE CITY SLH has several new city hotels to offer members this year, some in exciting new destinations. Take Tel Aviv, the heart of modern Israel and a compelling combination of Bauhaus architecture, first-rate restaurants and glorious Mediterranean beaches. From September, visitors will be able to soak it all up from The Norman, two renovated 1920s residences in the White City, offering 360-degree vistas from a rooftop pool, and a concierge to point out all the hottest spots.

Or try Kazakhstan, fast becoming the go-to country in central Asia with its Soviet-era and space-age capitals of Almaty and Astana. Discover Almaty’s Soviet buildings, designer shopping and café culture, then kick back in the lounge bar, Italian restaurant or spa at the glamorous Donatello Boutique Hotel, before heading off to hike, ski or skate in the beautiful Tian Shan mountains.

If you’re visiting Malaysia, or stopping over on your way out east, book at Lanson Place Bukit Ceylon Serviced Residences in Kuala Lumpur. Owned by the same group as the Hong Kong boutique hotel, these serviced residences in the Malaysian capital’s Golden Triangle also come with a Sky Lounge and Sky Bar on the 43rd and 44th floors.

And if you’re travelling in Colombia, consider a detour to Cali, the world capital of salsa. Opening shortly, Hotel La Sagrada Familia is part of a new complex set around four leafy patios in a former convent near the financial district, with a vast spa, swimming pool and an open-air lounge.

Elsewhere, new member hotels offer a different perspective on established city break destinations. In Barcelona, there are panoramic views from the 7th-floor terrace bar and pool at the Hotel Cram located between Eixample and the Old Town. Restaurant L'Angle Barcelona headed up by Michelinstarred chef Jordi Cruz has moved here, livening up tradition with innovative touches. Alternatively, book at The Mirror, an ode to shimmering white and silver just steps from the shops, bars and clubs of Eixample, with a contemporary seafood restaurant overseen by two-Michelin-starred Paco Pérez.

In Rome, meanwhile, the stylishly contemporary L’Angolo di San Pietro has just opened with a cracking location in Vatican City, just steps from St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, and complimentary use of a Vespa 50 LX and Fiat 500. Or opt for the Hotel Lord Byron, a 1930s villa that serves as a discreet retreat in a residential area near the lovely Villa Borghese.

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NEWS

BY THE SEA The Amalfi Coast is another long-standing Italian favourite, combining stunning views with a balmy climate and myriad vestiges of civilisations past. The Grand Hotel Angiolieri in Seiano stands on the site of a Roman villa, and has a Roman arcade to remind you, plus an infinity pool, spa treatments, and gardens full of oranges and lemons. There’s more R&R in store at two hotels in the Cyclades islands of Greece.

De.Light Boutique Hotel is set above Agios Ioannis beach on Mykonos, with whitewashed walls, an infinity pool, a poolside cocktail bar and views of the Aegean Sea from every suite, while closer to Athens on Kea, Porto Kea Suites overlooks the port and sea in the popular beachside resort of Korissia.

And in Spain, Hotel Torralbenc is a collection of renovated whitewashed farm buildings on a 70-hectare country estate in southeast Menorca, with contemporary interiors and sea views from the restaurant and outdoor terrace.

Heading to the mainland, Villa Padierna Palace Hotel, set in the Marbella hills, has an air of aristocratic elegance about it. The hotel boasts three magnificent 18-hole golf courses surrounding its Tuscan palazzo-styled architecture.

Glistening sea views, a truly luxurious spa and tennis courts are among the many indulgences of this pampering palace.

Moving to tropical climes, the ocean views come with Creole-inspired cuisine and a dose of rum at French CoCo, set to open in November just metres from a glorious beach on the Caribbean island of Martinique.

Watch the fishermen bring in their catch in Tartane, then kick off your shoes on your private terrace.

LONG, HOT SUMMER Like the idea of hanging out in Santa Monica for more than a few days? Do like the Hollywood A-list and stay at the Hotel Shangri-La. A restored Art Deco gem with 70 rooms just steps from the beach, it is small enough to feel intimate but big enough to offer all the treats, from a courtyard swimming pool, Jacuzzi, spa and gym to a gourmet restaurant and an open-air, rooftop bar and lounge overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Plus, half the rooms are suites with high-spec kitchens that can be restocked at the twice-weekly Farmers’ Market right outside your door. Stays of 14 days or more receive special rates and include daily housekeeping, complimentary Wi-Fi and reduced rates on valet parking. Stays of 30 days or more are also tax-exempt.

Or head east to Sri Lanka, where two new hotels await. On the west coast in Negombo sits the stylish Jetwing Lagoon, superbly located between the lagoon and the Indian Ocean. After a couple of days of respite here, head northeast to Jungle Beach where you can explore and discover nature trails through the mangroves and lagoons before relaxing by the sea.

If you like wildlife, there is the prospect of spotting dolphins frolicking in the turquoise waters off Bintan Island in Indonesia, where the white-sand beaches are backed up by rainforest and Silver-leaf monkeys play in the mangroves.

Enjoy it all from The Sanchaya, a beachfront resort due to open this summer on Lagoi Bay. A short ferry ride from Singapore, it will have a first-rate spa, Indonesian and Thai cuisine and a walk-in wine, cheese and cigar cellar.

Dolphins also frequent the Marlborough Sounds on the northern tip of South Island, New Zealand, as do fur seals and orcas – all can be spotted from the Bay of Many Coves. The choice of activities is as impressive as the views, ranging from bird watching to fishing and sea kayaking. This being Marlborough, fantastic wine is also on the menu, as is a heated outdoor pool and spa.

UP A MOUNTAIN For those who prefer gazing at peaks, forests, rivers and lakes, SLH has two exciting new options. Aristi Mountain Resort is a group of pretty stone buildings in the Zagori region of northwest Greece, with rooms that overlook the vertical rock formations of the Towers of Astraka. Guests can also drink in the views while horse riding, hiking or hang gliding, then recuperate in the heated swimming pool and spa.

In India, all the accommodation at the The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa in Kashmir comes with breathtaking views of peaks and valleys. Clad in pine and slate, the resort has several restaurants, plus a heated swimming pool and spa, but most guests go to hike through meadows and forests, or ski – the Gulmarg Gondola to Kongdoori Mountain is mere steps away.

Opposite Page Top left: The Amalfi Coast, Italy Bottom left: The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa, Kashmir, India Top right: Bay of Many Coves, South Island, New Zealand Bottom right: Aristi Mountain Resort, Zagori, Greece

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St Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas, Crete

W AT E R S P O R T S

Grand Hotel Poltu Quatu, Sardinia

Canaves Oia, Santorini

J.K. Place Capri, Italy

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To book visit www.slh.com

WATER WONDERFUL WORLD FOR SOME PEOPLE, A HOLIDAY ISN’T COMPLETE WITHOUT A LARGE BODY OF WATER TO SWIM OR DIVE IN, SAIL OR SURF ON. WHATEVER YOUR PASSION, SLH HAS IT COVERED, FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN

MEDITERRANEAN SEA The Mediterranean is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the 14km-wide Strait of Gibraltar, but otherwise almost entirely enclosed – hence its name, from the Latin for ‘in the middle of the land’. Its relatively safe waters, bewitching coastline and deep blue hues – combined with hot dry summers, delicious healthy cuisine and numerous vestiges of classical antiquity – make it a joy for sailors, particularly around the Balearic Islands in the west, Corsica and Sardinia in the middle, and the isles of Greece in the east.

From Cap Rocat, a refurbished 19th-century military fortress overlooking the Bay of Palma on Mallorca, guests can sail, dive or fish, and swim off the jetty in a natural reserve. Crossing into France, Château Eza is a fairy tale in rustic stone on the cliffs between Nice and Monaco, with phenomenal views along the Côte d’Azur from its balconies and all-glass restaurant, and opportunities to sail and water ski, or swim off a private beach.

In Italy, hop on a boat to the famous Blue Grotto or Amalfi Coast from J.K. Place Capri, a sophisticated retreat in nautical white and blue on a cliff above the harbour. Or charter a yacht around the islands of Mortorio, Soffi, and Maddalena from the Grand Hotel Poltu Quatu, a village-style hideaway at the tip of a natural fjord near the yachting hub of Porto Cervo in Sardinia. There are more islands to discover – Dalmatia’s Solta, Brac, Hvar and Lastovo – from Vestibul Palace, housed within Roman Emperor Diocletian’s fourth-century palace in the Croatian city of Split. In Greece, guests at Canaves Oia, twin retreats overlooking the caldera on the northwest tip of Santorini, are invited to charter a 69-foot Catamaran for a cruise around the Cyclades Islands. There’s more sailing, as well as scuba diving, from St Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas, a seafront retreat with a private beach, spa and beachfront restaurant on Crete’s Mirabello Bay.

To book visit www.slh.com

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W AT E R S P O R T S CARIBBEAN SEA The Caribbean Sea gets its name from the Carib people, who dominated the region until Christopher Columbus chanced across it in 1492 and paved the way for colonisation.

It extends to the Central American coast but is most famous for its island territories.

The tropical climate, warm turquoise waters and balmy sea breezes appeal to water sports enthusiasts of all descriptions.

Diving is a big draw: from the beautiful Harbour Village Beach Club on Bonaire, you can see extraordinary sponges and corals, including azure vase sponges and orange ball corallimorphs, right off the white-sand beach. Kite surfers, meanwhile, love Cabarete near Puerto Plata on the north coast of the Dominican Republic: the Casa Colonial Beach & Spa, a contemporary-styled resort with a rooftop infinity pool, is only a short drive away.

INDIAN OCEAN The Indian Ocean is the warmest ocean in the world and calmer than the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans, with powerful monsoons that made it easy for ships to sail west, then east on the so-called Trade Winds. Chinese Admiral Zheng He had already done the voyage before Vasco da Gama made it to India in 1497. From the east coast of Africa to the west coast of Indonesia via Mauritius, Seychelles and the Maldives, the ocean’s warm waves and gentle winds attract visitors in their thousands, particularly during the winter months.

The Kenyan coast is known for its dhow sailing, game fishing, wind- and kite surfing: Diamonds Dream of Africa, an IndoArab-styled villa retreat on the seafront with a free-form swimming pool in Malindi, also makes a great base for diving over the coral gardens of the nearby marine park.

Further south on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar, Diamonds Star of the East is a stunning collection of Swahili style/ contemporary villas with plunge pools and tropical gardens where guests can learn to dive or go swimming with dolphins or turtles.

Or book into the Zanzibar Serena Inn on the seafront in Stone Town and watch the dhows drift in and out of the harbour from a hammock on the balcony of your Swahili-style room, then head off in search of humpback whales, which come here to mate and calve from July to October. Moving east to 18

To book visit www.slh.com

Scuba diving from Harbour Village Beach Club, Bonaire Zanzibar Serena Inn, Zanzibar

Mauritius, Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort in Bel Ombre on the southern coast, offers a range of water sports, including sailing, diving, water-skiing and kite surfing.

Those who prefer to keep their feet dry can hop on a boat to enjoy an encounter with dolphins, sail along the coastline aboard a catamaran or try their hand at game fishing.

Nakamanda Resort & Spa, Thailand

Crossing the ocean to Sri Lanka, there are opportunities to dolphin-watch, shipwreck and reef dive, or just drift through the Muthurajawela wetlands, looking out for herons, kingfishers and other birds from Jetwing Beach, a cool contemporary boutique hotel surrounded by palm trees outside Negombo. The Andaman Sea west of Thailand is another popular dive destination: base yourself at Nakamanda Resort & Spa, a collection of traditional-style villas near Krabi, and charter a boat for a day’s cruising and diving around the Phi Phi islands, or kayak to spectacular sea caves, then treat yourself at the spa. From L Hotel Seminyak Bali, meanwhile, a short walk from the beach and a gleaming new gem on the Bali hotel scene with personalised butler service and sensational sunset sea views from the rooftop restaurant, you can surf at nearby Uluwatu, with nothing between you and Antarctica but ocean. Recover afterwards with a therapeutic L massage at L’SPA, reviving the senses with a gentle or firm rub using essential aromatherapy oils.

PACIFIC OCEAN The Pacific Ocean was given its name by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who encountered calm seas on the Spanish expedition he led to circumnavigate the globe in 1519.

The largest of the earth’s oceans, covering almost half of the world’s water surface, it is also the deepest, reaching 10,911 metres in The Mariana Trench north of Papua New Guinea.

Kim's Beach Hideaway, Australia Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort, Mauritius

Surf spots abound, famously in Australia: at Kims Beach Hideaway on Towoon Bay north of Sydney, guests can sleep in a bungalow on the golden beach, listening to the sound of the waves, then jump on a board or try their hand at fishing, and unwind with a Martini in the bar, listening to jazz from the resident musicians. Borocay island in the Philippines is a hot spot for both diving and kite surfing: at Discovery Shores Boracay, an allwhite retreat surrounded by palm trees, you can also try waterskiing, parasailing and even cliff jumping, then collapse by the pool to be waited on by a pool or beach butler.

On the southwest coast of Costa Rica, Rancho Pacifico is a rainforest hideaway in a wild and pristine spot near another popular surfing spot, Dominical. Other activities include diving, sport fishing and hiking to an extraordinarily shaped sandbar known as the 'Whale's Tail' at Punta Uvita. From December to April, humpback whales come here to mate – after relaxing with an open-air spa treatment, listening to the sound of birds and waterfalls, guests can watch them through the telescopes in the hotel’s Clubhouse.

To book visit www.slh.com

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ARCHITECTURE

t i m e

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t r av e l l e r s STAY IN A SLH THAT WAS BUILT IN ANOTHER ERA AND THERE IS ENDLESS SCOPE FOR MUSING ON THE PAST, WITHOUT FORGOING ANY MODERN-DAY LUXURIES.

Take the Hotel im Wasserturm near the magnificent Gothic cathedral in Cologne, Germany, now a handsome 11-storey hotel with 88 modern rooms, two restaurants, three stylish outdoor terraces and a glamorous bar.

As the name implies, the hotel was a water tower – Europe’s largest to be exact – when it was built 140 years ago by British engineer John Moore, but it was damaged during World War II. The reconstruction of the listed building in the late 1980s took four years and 300,000 specially treated new bricks, with 10 floors and windows – some of them 15ft high – added to what was previously an empty, bricked-in space.

The classic modern interiors, meanwhile, housed in rooms shaped like slices of cake, are by the late French designer Andrée Putman, who had set the benchmark for boutique hotel design at Morgan’s Hotel in New York City in 1984. Putman took her cue from the geometry of the water tower to create semi-circular basins in the bathrooms, semi-circular coffee tables that extend to full circles, and quarter-circular corner wardrobes with round sliding doors. The overall result is a fabulous example of industrial cool, and the views from the two-Michelin-starred rooftop restaurant La Vision are superb.

The building that houses the Anticavilla Hotel & Spa in Cuernavaca, Mexico – near the Teopanzolco pyramids in the ‘city of eternal spring’ – is older, dating back to colonial times. Now a 12-room boutique hotel with an Italian restaurant, a lounge bar, a Natura Bissé spa, a tropical garden and a beautiful outdoor pool, it started life as a manor house known as Santa Águed.

The skill and vision of the original architect, Jesús Sánchez, are evident in the high ceilings, vaults and domes and a myriad of artistic flourishes, and numerous 17thcentury features were salvaged for the hotel, including columns and a fountain.

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To book visit www.slh.com

But when Mexican architect Bernardo Gómez Pimienta – co-founder of TEN Arquitectos – took on the renovation in 2007, he chose to contrast the original architecture with modernist, minimalist interiors. Huge copies of paintings by 20th- and 21st-century Italian painters such as De Chirico and Modigliani are the dominant features.

On an adjacent plot, a loggia-style restaurant was added that blends in with the colonial building and tropical garden, but the pièce de résistance is a spectacular outdoor pool with a semi-olympic swimming channel and underwater loungers – Martinis and Margaritas optional.

Fort Cochin in Kerala, India, is another magnet for aspiring time travellers, with its antique Chinese fishing nets and a wealth of colonial buildings left by the Portuguese, Dutch and British – notably 16th-century St Francis Church, once the resting place of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama.

A wonderful place to let it all sink in is the Old Harbour Hotel, housed in a Dutch colonial building minutes from the iconic fishing nets. Originally built as a hotel – the first in Fort Cochin – it was later occupied

by British tea-brokers, then stood empty for a number of years before its restoration by Karl Damschen. The German architect and local resident left the original façade and architectural features intact and removed all inauthentic additions to create an airy hotel with 13 high-ceilinged rooms and suites, furnished with an eclectic mix of period furniture and art.

There is also a large swimming pool set in carefully tended gardens, the ideal location for a seafood barbecue.

Images: 1, 2, 7, 10 Hotel im Wasserturm, Cologne Images: 5, 8, 9, 11 Anticavilla Hotel & Spa, Cuernavaca Images: 3, 4, 6, 12 Old Harbour Hotel, Fort Cochin

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To book visit www.slh.com

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BEIJING

D E S T I N AT I O N

BEIJING The Emperor, Beijing: Minimalist chic, butler service and a fabulous rooftop bar, right next to the Forbidden City and Imperial Palace. 30km from Beijing airport.

Hotel Éclat Beijing: Gleaming glass pyramid in the central business district of Chaoyang with Dali and Warhol on the walls, and easy access to designer boutiques.

25km from Beijing airport.

ENTER THE DRAGON 21st-century China is definitely where it's at, but planning a trip to such a vast, largely unknown country is a daunting prospect. Ed Peters keeps things simple.

China is a biggie: as every native schoolchild learns, what was once called ‘The Middle Kingdom’ was responsible for the invention of fireworks, paper and much else besides during the course of its incredible 5,000-year history.

Today, with a population that long since accelerated past one billion, borders that enclose 9.6 million square kilometres of mountains, desert, forest, farms and cities, and enough financial clout to challenge the US, it’s a massive destination in every sense.

For those contemplating a visit, the commercial capital Shanghai is the obvious first stop. From the historic Bund beside the Huangpu River to the bustling shops on Nanjing Road and the trendy party district of Xintiandi, there’s a huge amount to explore. The former French Concession is especially picturesque, and hosts many art galleries.

From Shanghai, high-speed trains run to the garden city of Suzhou, and Hangzhou, which is bordered by scenic West Lake. Both destinations afford a glimpse into ancient Chinese culture, while up-to-date spas offer treatments to restore weary travellers.

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Further afield, Yunnan is one of China’s most intriguing provinces. There are natural wonders such as the 280-millionyear-old Stone Forest, the entrancing hurly burly of Kunming’s bird and flower market, and the aptly named historic town of Shangri-La. As the capital, Beijing not only hosts the Great Wall and the Forbidden City – each well worth a day’s exploration with a knowledgeable guide – but more modern attractions like the Olympic Stadium. There’s also the network of streets and alleyways known as hutong, which are fast changing from residential areas into hip shopping and dining venues.

Finally, everywhere in China boasts its own distinctive cuisine, from Shanghai’s dumplings to Beijing’s hotpot to Yunnan’s noodles, all of which provide a delicious and lasting memento of a trip to China.

Ed Peters is a freelance writer and editor based in Hong Kong. His most recent project was The Asia Villa Guide.

YUNNAN

YUNNAN Tengchong Hot Spring Spa Villas Resort: Spa villas with geothermal pools at the gateway to the Tengchong Volcanic Geothermal National Park in Yunnan Province. 14km from Kunming Yunnan airport.

Tengchong Hot Spring Spa Villas Resort, Yunnan Province

SHANGHAI

Pudi Boutique Hotel Fuxing Park, Shanghai

SHANGHAI

AROUND SHANGHAI

WH Ming Hotel Shanghai: 26-storey retreat with a 5,000m2 spa in relatively tranquil Yangpu District, overlooking Huangxing Park. 30km from Hongqiao airport.

Pudi Boutique Hotel Fuxing Park: Contemporary interiors, French-Asian cuisine, a Champagne bar and a roof terrace in the former French Concession. 15km from Hongqiao airport.

Wuzhen Clubhouse: Three ancient canalside houses in the ‘water town’ of Tongxiang City, criss-crossed by bridges in Zhejiang Province. 80km from Hangzhou Xiaoshan airport.

Pingjiangfu Suzhou Hotel: Courtyard building with contemporary interiors and a traditional-style tea lounge in Suzhou, a city known for its ancient gardens in Jiangsu Province. 30 minutes by high-speed train from Shanghai.

Sheng He Club: Contemporary interiors, butler service and nine private dining rooms on the Haohe River in Nantong, Jiangsu Province. 125km from Hongqiao airport.

Regalia Resort & Spa Nanjing: Contemporary haven with magnificent views of the Qinhuai river, a Thai-style spa and Thai-Western fusion cuisine.

75 minutes by train from Shanghai.

Pins de la Brume (New to SLH this year): a stylish, glass-fronted boutique hotel, close to the Ling Yan Temple and scenic West Lake in Hangzhou.

50 minutes by speed train from Shanghai.

Pingjiangfu Suzhou Hotel, Suzhou

To book visit www.slh.com

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F A M I LY

The Generation Game Finding a hotel that works for different ages and interests can be tricky.

Ask SLH to do the work for you.

Dear SLH My father sadly passed away last year, and I would really like to treat my mother to a short city break. She loves pottering round museums and antiques shops, and dressing up for dinner and concerts. We haven’t been to Lisbon so I thought that might work. What do you think?

Dear Madam Lisbon would be perfect for this. Hotel da Estrela is right in the heart of the city, and you could either book a twin or splash out on two Hästens suites, with super-comfortable beds. You could start by taking the Tram 28 from the Estrela garden all the way to St George’s Castle, then stroll down through the Alfama district until you reach the Fado Museum. For antiques shops, head to Chiado and Bairro Alto. You could then go to Belém, where you will find the Berardo Museum of Contemporary Art and the amazing horsedrawn carriages in the Museu Nacional dos Coches.

While you’re there, visit the Jerónimos Monastery, a Unesco World Heritage Site, and try a Pasteis de Belém, the famous Portuguese pastry. For dinner, eat at the hotel’s restaurant then try Tasca da Esquina near the hotel. You can experience fado at Casas de Fado in Bairro Alto.

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To book visit www.slh.com

Dear SLH

I wonder if you could help me put together a special summer holiday for me, my husband and our teenagers – I think it may be our last family holiday for some time.

Our daughter is 17 and massively into shopping and art, while our son, 15, is in his element in the great outdoors, surfing, white water rafting, rock climbing – if it’s dangerous, he loves it! I was thinking of a few days in the city followed by a week or so the mountains. Where would you recommend?

Dear Madam Have you considered Mallorca? You could start in Palma at the supremely cool Hotel Tres, which is within walking distance of shops and museums, including the Es Baluard Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Back at the hotel, there’s a great rooftop terrace, Wifi is free and all the rooms have DVD players – your son and daughter just need to pick up DVDs at the front desk. Book the suite, which has two bedrooms and bathrooms and a private terrace with a Jacuzzi and views of the cathedral.

For the second part of your holiday, head to Gran Hotel Son Net, a 17th-century finca with a beautiful pool surrounded by private cabanas. It’s only a 20-minute drive from Palma, but right in the heart of rural Mallorca, surrounded by the Tramuntana mountains.

It’s the ideal base for hiking and biking as well as more daredevil pursuits, with a nature reserve a few minutes from the hotel where your son can rock climb and ‘fly’ over the forest on zip wires. At the hotel itself, your daughter might like the art by Mark Chagall and David Hockney. Book a cottage suite (with its own terrace, garden and swimming pool) and an adjoining superior room.

Dear SLH I am a single mother with two small children, a girl of six and a little boy of four, and I’m desperate for some R&R somewhere warm and sunny this summer. I am looking for somewhere near an airport and a sandy beach that’s safe to swim and snorkel from, and has a lovely pool and crèche/ children’s club, so I can divide my time between playing with the children and reading on a lounger or relaxing in a spa. Suggestions appreciated.

Dear Madam We would suggest the Columbia Beach Resort in Cyprus.

This all-suite property is only half an hour’s drive from Paphos airport and any of the suites would work for you, from the 37m2 Junior Suite Garden View (with twin beds and one extra bed) up. The resort is located on a 2km sandand-shingle Blue Flag Beach, which is safe for swimming and snorkelling, and has a shallow children’s pool next to the 80-metre main pool. There’s also an award-winning spa offering lovely Elemis treatments, and the Sailors Kids Club will keep the children busy while you are relaxing.

To book visit www.slh.com

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Here and below: Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa Lake Placid

Dear SLH My father will be 80 this August, and my brother and I want to splash out on a fabulous birthday party weekend for him, with all his family (sister, son, daughter and spouses, and five grandchildren aged one to 20) in attendance. He (still) loves fishing, the girls will all want beauty treatments, and the kids will want a pool and lots to do. And we’ll all need a great restaurant for the birthday dinner proper. Where would you suggest?

Dear Sir Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa in Lake Placid is fantastic for multi-generational families. It’s right on the shores of the lake and has its own sandy beach, where you can take out canoes, kayaks, paddleboats and rowboats, as well as a heated indoor pool and a heated outdoor pool with breathtaking views of the lake and Adirondack Mountains.

Older children love the nearby mountain biking trails, and for little ones there’s a wonderful Scavenger Hunt. After a fun day outdoors, the Inn offers tea with homemade chocolate-chip cookies, and a large selection of board games and DVDs.

10-minute drive away and you can also fish for trout on Mirror Lake or Lake Placid. For the girls, meanwhile, there’s a fabulous spa offering very popular Maple Sugar Body Scrubs, Vichy showers, Thai Herbal Ball massages and a eucalyptus steam room.

The resort has a number of dining options, including fourdiamond restaurant The View, which would be wonderful for the birthday celebration proper. For lunch, there is the more casual Cottage, which has a panoramic view of the lake and High Peak Mountains, or an outdoor deck offering the same magnificent view.

Your father will be in his element – the area offers some of the best fly-fishing in the US as well as rod-fishing.

The famous West Branch of the Ausable River is only a To book visit www.slh.com

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WEEKEND

When in Rome

Do as the Romans do. When you’ve taken in the ancient sights and views from The Eternal City’s seven hills, ask your hotel concierge how the locals enjoy their weekends

Hotel Lord Byron

HOTEL LORD BYRON LOCATION At the edge of the Villa Borghese gardens in the exclusive Parioli neighbourhood

ON SITE Art Deco pieces by revered French Art Deco designer Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann

STYLE A restored Art Deco mansion showcasing NEARBY Borghese Gallery, Villa Giulia Etruscan museum-worthy antiques, objets d’art, paintings museum, Maxxi contemporary art museum, and furniture Auditorium Parco della Musica USPs Luxurious retreat near the city’s major attractions, superlative service, fantastic food and wine

L’Angolo di San Pietro

L’ANGOLO DI SAN PIETRO LOCATION Right by the Vatican City and St Peter’s Basilica STYLE Bright rooms enhance the stunning views of St Peter's Dome and the finest materials reflect the splendour and understated luxury of Rome

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To book visit www.slh.com

DO AS THE ROMANS DO Head to Crepida near the Pantheon for his and hers handmade madeto-measure shoes, clutches and purses in a range of fabrics, colours and styles.

USPs The unique location (this is the only five-star boutique hotel next to San Pietro); customised service (a choice of bed linens and toiletries prior to arrival, minibar recognition); scope for private parties and exclusive use (there are only nine rooms)

ON SITE A skylit lounge for breakfast, morning coffees, light meals and evening aperitifs.

Complimentary use of iPads NEARBY St Peter's Square and the Vatican Museums in the heart of baroque Rome. Castel Sant'Angelo and its museum DO AS THE ROMANS DO In summer: enjoy a sunset aperitif or dinner at one of the seasonal outdoor bars on the banks of the Tiber.

The atmosphere is amazing and the buzz incredible!

VILLA SPALLETTI TRIVELLI LOCATION Steps from the Trevi Fountain STYLE Elegant 20th-century villa, owned by aristocratic family, with individually decorated rooms USPs Private collection of period furniture, art, antiques and Flemish tapestries; magnificent wood-panelled library ON SITE Spa, restaurant, sun terrace, Italianate gardens

NEARBY Trevi Fountain, Quirinale Palace (and its sublime views), designer boutiques of Via Condotti, Colosseum DO AS THE ROMANS DO Head to Panella for delicious coffee or a cool glass of Prosecco; eat gluten-free gelati at Fatamorgana; explore the boutiques and vintage stores on Via del Governo Vecchio; order cacio & pepe followed by tiramisu at Flavio al Velavevodetto, or try the ever-popular Antico Arco at the top of Janiculum Hill; enjoy a passeggiata in the Jewish Ghetto or nearby Trastevere.

HOTEL BERNINI BRISTOL LOCATION On Piazza Barberini, opposite the Triton Fountain and Via Veneto

ON SITE Restaurant, comprehensive spa and fitness centre

STYLE Modern or classically-styled rooms, some with frescoes, behind a 20th-century façade

NEARBY Triton Fountain, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Borghese Gardens

USPs The views from the rooftop terrace and bar; the sixth-floor Tritone Suite with private terrace and pool Villa Spalletti Trivelli

DO AS THE ROMANS DO Eat at Da Meo Patacca in Trastevere; savour the sights and scents at Campo de Fiori market; picnic in the grounds of Villa Doria Pamphili (you can buy a basket and blanket on site).

HOTEL D’INGHILTERRA LOCATION Off the Spanish Steps and Via dei Condotti STYLE Aristocratic 17th-century palace with beautifully crafted interiors USPs Lovely salotti (sitting rooms) furnished with period sofas, sumptuous fabrics and Baroque mirrors; atmospheric English-style bar ON SITE Cafè Romano serving innovative local cuisine

NEARBY Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Borghese Gardens, designer boutiques of Via dei Condotti DO AS THE ROMANS DO Visit the antiques market on Piazza Verdi in the Parioli district (fourth Sunday of the month) and the Porta Portese flea market in Trastevere (Sunday mornings until 2pm); eat brunch at Residenza Di Ripetta, or go for happy-hour cocktails in the garden; stop for coffee at Sant’Eustachio.

HOTEL SPLENDIDE ROYAL LOCATION Overlooking the Borghese Gardens STYLE 19th-century palace with ornate, Baroque-style interiors USPs One of the best restaurants in Rome; elaborate décor of antiques, oil paintings and Murano chandeliers ON SITE Mirabelle restaurant with sun terrace, roof terrace, cocktail bar

NEARBY Borghese Gallery with paintings by Caravaggio, Spanish Steps, designer boutiques of Via dei Condotti DO AS THE ROMANS DO Savour a real coffee, hand-made gelato, superior pizzas and artisanal beers at Eataly, a brand-new, four-storey ode to the highest-quality Italian produce; visit MercatoMonti, a Sunday market showcasing independent clothes designers, vintage fashion, handicrafts and books in the ancient Roman neighbourhood of Rione Monti.

Inn at The Roman Forum

THE INN AND THE VIEW AT THE SPANISH STEPS LOCATION Via dei Condotti by the Spanish Steps

ON SITE Buffet breakfast and afternoon snacks on the roof terrace

STYLE Listed 17th-century residence with glamorous modern or softer grey and blue interiors. Hans Christian Andersen once lived here

NEARBY Designer boutiques of Via Condotti, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Venezia

USPs Roof terrace and Penthouse with spectacular views over the Spanish Steps

DO AS THE ROMANS DO Enjoy a Sunday family picnic in the Borghese Gardens; visit The Attic under the Arcades, a twice-monthly Sunday market on Piazza Augusto Imperatore, with more than 100 stalls selling paintings, prints, furniture, antique ceramics and fabrics.

THE INN AT THE ROMAN FORUM LOCATION Near the Roman Forum and Colosseum

ON SITE Roof terrace, cocktails in the lounge, gardens of fig trees and palms, breakfast room

STYLE Dramatic modern rooms with canopied beds, some with private patios

NEARBY Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon

USPs A ‘Cryptoporticus’, or ancient Roman underground gallery decorated with engravings that can be traced back 2,000 years; lovely views of Capitoline Hill

DO AS THE ROMANS DO Stroll through the city centre, stopping for ice cream and tiramisu (at Venchi and Pompi, respectively, both on Via Croce near the Spanish Steps) as you go.

To book visit www.slh.com Hotel d'Inghilterra

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GOURMET

FLYING THE FLAG Cuisine is one of the most accessible expressions of national or regional culture, and some chefs are exceptionally good at it

Paco PĂŠrez, The Mirror Barcelona

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To book visit www.slh.com

Chef: PACO PÉREZ Hotel: The Mirror Barcelona Cuisine: Catalan (Empordà/Cap de Creus)

Here, and below: The Mirror Barcelona

Paco Pérez’s culinary education started young: at just 12 years of age he was working in La Peña, his family’s tapas bar in Llançá, in the Alt Empordà region of Catalunya. He then spent his summer holidays working in different restaurants until he was able to devote his energies full time to his vocation. His training included stints in France with three-Michelin-starred Michel Guérard, one of the fathers of nouvelle cuisine, and back in Catalunya with the famously creative Ferrán Adrià at elBulli.

After marrying Montse Serra, the couple took over the Restaurant Miramar in Llancà and transformed it from a traditional restaurant into the avantgarde, two-Michelin-starred experience it is today.

Pérez also has two Michelin stars at the Enoteca restaurant in Barcelona, which he oversees, and since December 2010 he has owned and headed up The Mirror Restaurant in the hotel of the same name in Barcelona, where he specialises in contemporary seafood cuisine.

What are the principal components of Catalan cuisine?

My favourite is picada, a traditional thickening agent added to sauces, stews, meat and fish. Traditionally it would include garlic, almonds and toast, roughly crushed in a pestle and mortar. I also like to add tomatoes, onions – and of course, love.

What is your favourite Catalan dish?

Guisantes a la catalana: Maresme green peas, mint, botifarra blanca and botifarra negra (two types of Catalan sausage), tender onions and garlic.

What’s your spin on it?

To prepare it as simply as possible – by slowly frying a few onions, adding the garlic and moistening with a local white wine. You then add the peas (they must be high-quality), cook them for a few minutes, remove them from the heat, scatter with mint leaves and serve.

What would you serve by way of accompaniment?

A good wine. My favourite Spanish wines are Finca Garbet from Castillo de Peralada (D.O. Empordà), Benjamin Romeo’s Contador (D.O. Rioja) and Augustí Torelló’s Kripta (D.O. Cava).

To book visit www.slh.com

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Chef: MARC DE PASSORIO Hotel: Hôtel Le Vallon de Valrugues & Spa Cuisine: Provençal Marc de Passorio’s passion for food started at a young age. Born in Cameroon and educated in Réunion, he worked overseas, then in Nice and Toulouse before moving to Provence, where he oversees the Bistrot and Restaurant at the Hôtel Le Vallon de Valrugues & Spa. His creative approach combines recollections from his grandmother’s cooking with discoveries from his travels; traditional French cuisine with overseas flavours.

What are the principal components of Provençal cuisine?

Lots of sun-kissed vegetables (I particularly love the tomatoes), aromatic herbs (rosemary and basil), meat served in casseroles, seafood and of course garlic and olive oil.

What is your favourite Provençal dish?

Sea bass in olive oil and fresh herbs, ratatouille and tapenade (made with olives, garlic, capers and anchovies) are all typical of the region.

I like carpaccio of tuna a la plancha with balsamic vinegar, baby capers and cured ham from Les Hautes Alpes.

What’s your spin on it?

I take the products and make them travel, inject them with exoticism gleaned from my travels.

So a fillet of red mullet with local olive oil from Maussane might be served with olives candied in turmeric. My presentation is innovative rather than traditional.

Marc de Passorio

What would you serve by way of accompaniment?

Really good regional wines, in particular from the Alpilles.

Here, and right: The cuisine at Hôtel Le Vallon de Valrugues & Spa

TEA IN LONDON Afternoon tea is a must on any visit to England, but with every luxury hotel offering its own take on the tradition, where should you go? At Stoke Park outside London, chef Chris Wheeler has conjured up an Afternoon Tea at the Movies to celebrate the country house hotel’s cinematic heritage: just four miles from Pinewood Studios, the mansion and grounds have appeared in numerous films from Goldfinger (the famous golfing duel between Sean Connery’s 007 and Gert Frobe’s villain) to Bridget Jones’s Diary (the ‘mini break’ and rowing scenes) and Layer Cake (the final

scenes on the mansion’s steps).

Try a Tuxedo éclair, Fruit rowing boat tartlet and Chocolate, coffee and orange-layered opera as part of your own mini-break.

Back in the city, the afternoon tea at St. James’s Hotel and Club London in Mayfair comes courtesy of Michelin-starred chef William Drabble. The hotel also offers a gluten-free version, created for Fashion Week last February, featuring waferthin sandwiches on gluten-free bread, gluten-free scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam and gluten-free bites such as

macaroons with raspberries.

Or cross Piccadilly to Flemings Mayfair for a decadent Chic Chocoholic Afternoon Tea created by the hotel’s award-winning chef Braden Charlesworth.

Kicking off with a hot chocolate liqueur – Amaretto, Baileys, or Kahlua – or a glass of Jacquart pink Champagne, it also includes a limited-edition tea (Chocolate & Cream, Chocolate or Caramel), freshly made sandwiches, double chocolate scones and petits fours such as praline and gold leaf truffles, so is probably something fashionistas should steer clear of.

Stoke Park, London

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To book visit www.slh.com

Here: The cuisine at Villa di Monte Solare Right: A cooking class Far right: The chefs

Chef: MATTEO RAGNI Hotel: Villa di Monte Solare Cuisine: Umbro-Tuscan Perugia-born Matteo Ragni is the chef at Villa di Monte Solare near Lake Trasimeno in Umbria. The hotel specialises in organic, seasonal Umbro-Tuscan cuisine and also offers cooking lessons and wine tastings. In the summer, guests can eat on the outdoor terrace, overlooking formal Italian gardens of box hedges, scented roses and citrus trees.

What are the principal components of Umbro-Tuscan cuisine?

The area is very diverse. Cinta Senese pork (from an ancient breed of ‘black’ pig) and beef from Tuscan Chianina cattle are typical, as are legumes, cereals, hams and cold cuts from Norcia, as well as fish from local lakes and rivers, seasonal truffles, olive oil and much more.

What are your favourite regional dishes?

I am very fond of typical Umbrian cuisine but don’t like anything too heavy. I love stuffed broiled pigeon, any kind of roast meat from locally bred livestock and local, seasonal

vegetables. My favourite is a traditional dish that Umbrian grandmothers used to prepare on Sundays in winter: fresh tagliolini pasta in a chicken broth with small meatballs made of bread, pigeon and salsiccia (sausage), mixed with eggs and cheese.

What’s your spin on them?

The authenticity of the ingredients is crucial. With knowledge, technique, imagination and curiosity, I try to get the best out of each.

What would you serve by way of accompaniment?

Extra virgin olive oil, Pecorino cheeses at different stages of the ageing process – Marzolino Toscano from the Chianti area, Pienza from the town of the same name, Seggiano from the Grosseto area and ricotta from Norcia. Plus wines such as Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Sagrantino di Montefalco or Orvieto Classico.

BREAKFAST ON SANTORINI Waking up to a magnificent spread that celebrates local traditions and produce is a highlight of many holidays.

The unique cuisine of Santorini – nourished by the island’s volcanic soil and the Aegean sun and sea – is one of Europe’s best-kept secrets, and the island’s wines, from the dry whites to the sweet dessert Vinsanto, are highly regarded too. At the tranquil haven that is Aressana Spa Hotel and Suites, guests start the day with an award-winning cornucopia of sweet and savoury delights. Think Santorinian tomato fritters, delicious Greek cheeses, smoked fish with

lentils, chick peas, black-eyed peas and caper leaves, and home-made tsoureki (sweet bread) with grilled Manouri cheese and fig jam, all served in the turquoise and white breakfast room or outside by the pool. The love affair with all things fresh and fragrant continues in the Tefsion Kallos Spa, where the menu features body scrubs with yoghurt and honey, and treatments that harness the therapeutic qualities of grapes and beeswax.

To book visit www.slh.com

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SPA

balancing act FEELING GOOD IS ALL ABOUT RESTORING YOUR EQUILIBRIUM. CHOOSE A HOTEL WHERE YOU CAN BE ACTIVE AS WELL AS PAMPERED SPICE ISLAND BEACH RESORT, ST GEORGE’S, GRENADA

CASA COLONIAL BEACH & SPA, PUERTO PLATA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

AQUAPURA DOURO VALLEY, PORTO, PORTUGAL

This beachfront retreat on the nutmeginfused Caribbean island of Grenada is balm to stressed-out souls: the gardens are scented with lemon, the pool suites are steps from the sea, and the Creole restaurant has its feet in the powder-white sand. WORK OUT in the gym or on the tennis courts, take out a Hobie Cat or kayak, and drift past tropical wonders in a dive mask. CHILL OUT by the reflection pool in Janissa’s Spa, designed

by US architect Kobi Karp. Treatments include body polishes, wraps and facials: start with a signature massage using local spiced oils.

Treats are many and varied at this contemporary-styled colonial mansion with its private beach and tranquil gardens: after relaxing by the rooftop infinity pool, guests can dine on Cajun cuisine, gazing at the mangrove jungle.

WORK OUT in the gym, go kitesurfing, or hit the nearby 18-hole golf course.

CHILL OUT at Spa Bagua, a 12,400ft2 Feng Shui-designed space by local architect Sarah Garcia, with three outdoor oceanfront gazebos. Treatments range from couples massages to anti-ageing facials, and draw on the restorative and rejuvenating powers of amber, royal jelly, honey and ocean water.

If the views from this sleekly renovated 19th-century manor house overlooking centuries-old vineyards and the Douro river don’t work wonders, a swim in the heated outdoor pool, surrounded by rustling cypress and olive trees, just might. WORK OUT in the 24-hour gym, with a yoga class or game of tennis, or in the outdoor heated pool with its breathtaking views. CHILL OUT in the superb 2,200m Zen spa, with its hydrotherapy pool and herbal sauna.

The menu fuses local ingredients (olive oil, cherries and grapes) with Asian rituals and techniques: try a body scrub, vinotherapy or Thai massage.

GRAND BARRAIL CHÂTEAU HOTEL & SPA, SAINT-EMILION, FRANCE

LINDOS BLU, RHODES, GREECE

L HOTEL SEMINYAK BALI, BALI, INDONESIA

This imposing château with its fairytale turrets is wonderfully spoiling, with canopied beds draped in silk, manicured lawns surrounded by vineyards, a dining room with stunning stained-glass windows, and plenty of opportunities for tasting the world-famous wines.

WORK OUT in the gym, with its Sismo (oscillating) fitness platform, go cycling, canoeing or white water rafting, or play a round of golf. CHILL OUT in the outdoor heated swimming pool and spa with its Jacuzzi, hammams and saunas. Treatments focus on anti-ageing, slimming and relaxation: take the medical cosmetology route, using hi-tech Sampar products, or book a reflexology session.

This glass-fronted, adults-only hideaway overlooking the Aegean is all about taking it easy: at the very most you might venture out to the quaint, cobblestoned village of Lindos or visit the ancient acropolis, but for the most part you’ll be soaking up the phenomenal views from your private balcony or terrace, sunbathing by the gorgeous pool, or refuelling in one of the bars or restaurants. WORK OUT in the gym with a view. CHILL OUT in one of the pools, sauna or Jacuzzi, or with a body scrub, hot stone massage or pedicure.

It’s all happening at this glamorous hotel near the boutiques and nightlife of lively, upmarket Seminyak: guests get a private butler, dining options include a rooftop restaurant and couples’ Love Table complete with cascading water, pre-dinner cocktails are complimentary, and the spa hosts pamper parties. WORK OUT in the gym, with a yoga class, or go snorkelling, diving, sailing or surfing. CHILL OUT at the spa, with a body scrub, herbal wrap, aromatherapy massage or reflexology.

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To book visit www.slh.com

This Page: Grand Barrail Château Hotel & Spa, France Opposite Page Top: Spice Island Beach Resort, Grenada Bottom Left: Lindos Blu, Rhodes Right Top: Aquapura Douro Valley, Portugal Right Bottom: L Hotel Seminyak Bali, Indonesia

To book visit www.slh.com

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JETWING LIGHTHOUSE, GALLE, SRI LANKA There’s plenty to keep you busy at this Dutch Colonial-feel retreat on Sri Lanka’s southwest coast, from visiting Galle Fort and boutique shopping to whale watching, boating through the mangroves and dining under a starlit sky; alternatively, gaze at the ocean from your private balcony. WORK OUT in the gym, with a game of tennis or squash, or go jet skiing, cycling or shipwreck diving. CHILL OUT in one of the two swimming pools, steam room or plunge pool, then try the spa’s signature Marma experience, incorporating an Ayurvedic pressure-point massage with aromatic herbal oil.

TENGCHONG HOT SPRING SPA VILLAS RESORT, TENGCHONG, CHINA This destination spa in southern China’s Yunnan Province is at the gateway to the stunning Tengchong Volcanic Geothermal National Park, so if basking in the private geothermal pool on your spa villa terrace doesn’t do the trick, try one of the pools and lakes on your doorstep. WORK OUT in the gym, play tennis or golf, or trek through the national park, counting the 99 volcanoes as you go. CHILL OUT in your spa villa pool or on a day bed beside it; or hit the spa with its sauna, outdoor pool and Chinese and Thai remedies using essential oils, volcanic stone and jade.

GROTTA GIUSTI RESORT, GOLF & SPA, MONSUMMANO TERME, ITALY This 19th-century villa with its frescoed ceilings and antique furnishings isn’t just another elegant Tuscan hotel serving delicious cuisine: it also harbours a superb natural spa with an underground thermal lake, rock-hewn steam rooms and an outdoor hydro-massage pool. WORK OUT on the tennis court, fitness trail and 17-hole La Vecchia Pievaccia golf course, or go scuba diving in the 34°C waters.

CHILL OUT in ‘Paradise’, ‘Purgatory’ and ‘Hell’ (the three cave spa zones) or choose from a menu of 80 treatments, including mud packs and thermal inhalations, Ayurvedic and aromatherapy massages.

Here, and right: Eskaya Beach Resort and Spa, Philippines

ESKAYA BEACH RESORT AND SPA, BOHOL, PHILIPPINES This island hideaway in the Central Visayas is a tropical Eden, with diminutive tarsiers in the hills and whales and dolphins offshore. On site, there is a mesmerising infinity pool, a swimup bar and a private white-sand beach; dining options include beach barbecues under the stars and alfresco suppers by the pool. WORK OUT Go kayaking, mountain biking and diving in some of the best spots in the world. CHILL OUT with a traditional massage treatment incorporating hot herbal leaves, oil or banana leaves under a soaring pitched roof at the hilltop Handuraw spa.

To book visit www.slh.com

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UNPLUG

ON TOP OF THE WORLD The Alps are most famous for their winter sports, but just as spectacular from May to September when lifeenhancing green replaces pristine white and skiing makes way for hiking, says Jane Anderson

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To book visit www.slh.com

MONT BLANC HOTEL VILLAGE, LA SALLE, ITALY This traditional wood and stone hotel at the foot of Mont Blanc is reborn in summer as guests revel in the fresh Italian Alpine scenery, hiking, horse riding, tennis, Michelin-starred Aosta Valley cuisine, grotto spa and outdoor Jacuzzi.

Height above sea level 1,000m View The Italian Alps.

HOTEL CAPRICE, WENGEN, SWITZERLAND This picturesque lodge in the Bernese Oberland has a gourmet restaurant and a relaxed bar, lounge and terrace. In summer, visit the impressive Trümmelbach Falls or follow hiking trails to stunning views and hidden lakes. Nearby Interlaken is beautiful for swimming and boat trips.

Jagdgut Wachtelhof, Austria

ON THE SLOPES JAGDGUT WACHTELHOF, HINTERTHAL MARIA ALM, AUSTRIA Surrounded by green meadows and beautiful forests, this former hunting chalet in a car-free village has interiors draped in fur throws, a heated outdoor pool and three restaurants. In summer, hiking, horse riding, climbing, mountain biking, archery, tennis, rafting and yoga are all popular. Plus it’s warm enough for guests to swim in nearby mountain lakes.

Height above sea level 1,280m View The Eiger, Münch and Jungfrau mountain range.

Huvafen Fushi

Height above sea level 1,020m View The Steinernes Meer (stony ocean) mountain chain.

GRAND HOTEL BELLEVUE, GSTAAD, SWITZERLAND Summers are a joy at this grand, early 20thcentury resort hotel with its contemporary interiors and Philippe Starck beds, Michelinstarred cuisine and superior spa. When the sun is out, guests go mountain biking, barefoot hiking, swimming in lakes and rock climbing. Summer events include the Beach Volleyball Grand Slam Tournament and Menuhin Festival.

Height above sea level 1,050m View The hotel’s grassy, flower-filled park, the lovely little town of Gstaad and the impressive mountains beyond.

Grand Hotel Bellevue, Switzerland

Hotel Caprice Wengen, Switzerland

To book visit www.slh.com

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We invite you to discover our luxurious and exotic blends in select Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ properties around the world.

BY THE LAKE GRAND HOTEL TOPLICE, BLED, SLOVENIA Bled is a summer Mecca for lake swimming and beach picnics, rowing, rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, golf and fly fishing.

This richly furnished hotel makes the ideal base with its lakeside lido, three restaurants, three saunas and indoor thermal pool.

Height above sea level 475m View The emerald waters of Lake Bled, the fairytale church on Otok Island, Bled Castle and the Julian Alps.

EDEN AU LAC, ZÜRICH, SWITZERLAND This striking Art Nouveau hotel has prime position on the shores of Lake Zürich, close to the Opera House and trendy Seefeld quarter. In summer, the town comes alive with festivities such as the Züri Fäscht with its fireworks and street parade. The lake is a hub for freshwater swimming and boating. In the evening, it’s still warm enough for drinks and dinner on the beautiful rooftop terrace.

Height above sea level 406m View Across Lake Zürich.

Eden au Lac, Switzerland

ART DECO HOTEL MONTANA, LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND Right on the shores of Lake Lucerne, this glamorous palace hotel with period and contemporary interiors has a jazz and whisky bar and stunning Penthouse spa suites. Summer means swimming in the lake, dipping into the local café culture and hiking to Rigi, Pilatus and Bürgenstock.

Height above sea level 500m View The deep blue lake with its colourful boats, historic centre of Lucerne and snow-capped Swiss Alps.

Art Deco Hotel Montana, Switzerland

CHÂTEAU D’OUCHY, LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND The sparkling waters of Lake Geneva are irresistible in the summer and this renovated neo-gothic castle has its own boat for exploring the area. Clean-lined contemporary interiors, Mediterranean cuisine, a relaxing spa area and an outdoor pool provide the finishing touches.

Height above sea level 372m View Lake Geneva and the Vaudois Alps.

To book visit www.slh.com Grand Hotel Toplice, Slovenia

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ADVENTURE

INTO THE WILD The Lodge at Pico Bonito, Honduras

Staying in a SLH property doesn’t just mean sleeping in luxury Egyptian cotton, eating superlative local cuisine or spending an entire day in the spa. It could be the adventure of a lifetime.

If you live in a city, there may be days – cold, rainy ones in late winter – when home, with its reassuring daily routine, cosy lunches with friends, even the glamour of a night out, loses its appeal.

You long for adventure – not of the rickety buses and cockroach-infested hostels kind, but a grown-up adventure of luxury tents and campfire feasts.

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To book visit www.slh.com

AUSTRALASIA On days like those, somewhere like Tasmania, off the south coast of Australia, suddenly seems very compelling. At Woodbridge on the Derwent, a beautifully furnished listed mansion built by convicts in 1825, you can start the day with a campfire breakfast in the hotel’s riverside truffle orchard, watch possums in the trees and spot platypus – even seals, penguins and dolphins – in the river.

You can disappear for a few days with a guide on the Cradle Mountain Overland Track, then be driven back to the Woodbridge for a glass of whisky beside a crackling fire, watching the comings and goings on the river through a telescope. If that isn’t adventurous enough, try boarding a seaplane on the river from a jetty in front of the hotel, take off under the bridge that gave the hotel its name, and fly off over the pristine temperate forests of the Southwest Wilderness, with views up the wild ‘Shipwreck Coast’, for a water landing and gourmet picnic at Recherché Bay.

Blanket Bay on New Zealand’s South Island is another thrilling proposition. Set against the snow-capped Humboldt Mountains on Lake Wakatipu, the stone and timber hideaway offers a number of James Bond pursuits, from river canyoning, parachuting and horseback riding to jet boat rides on the Dart River, deep into the mountains and valleys of the sublime, Unesco-protected Mount Aspiring National Park. Or board a helicopter for a spectacular two-hour ride over Greenstone Valley and the Sutherland Falls to the mouth of the Milford Sound, continuing over rugged West Coast beaches, alpine lakes and glaciers. Then return to the hotel for a soak in the spa pool overlooking the lake, and dine on the terrace beside a vast, outdoor fire.

Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa, USA

Blanket Bay, New Zealand Woodbridge on the Derwent, Australia

Echo Valley Ranch & Spa, Canada

THE AMERICAS The scope for adventure offered at The Lodge at Pico Bonito in Honduras is dizzy-making: from the pine and stone cabins scattered among cacao groves, you can trek through the rainforest, bathe under cascading waterfalls, raft Class IV rapids, ride horseback along the coast and snorkel over coral reefs. Wildlife includes more than 400 bird species, as well as kinkajous (‘honey bears’), jaguars and the endangered West Indian manatee, which is protected in a coastal refuge at the confluence of the Cuero and Salado rivers and the ocean. Guests travel there in a small motorised train or a burra pushcart along a narrow-gauge railway, then tour the estuaries in a canoe or motorised skiff, looking out for monkeys, sloths, caimans, crocodiles, iguanas and turtles, as well as one of the 50 elusive manatees. Lunch is Mesoamerican-style back at the lodge.

Heading north into the USA, Wyoming is a wonderland year-round, and Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa in Jackson makes a wonderful base for exploring it, with an award-winning restaurant and four-hands massages to help you recover from a day’s fly fishing, white water rafting, rock climbing or skiing. In the spring and summer, the popular Wolves and Grizzlies package takes guests to the northern end of Yellowstone – the ‘Serengeti of North America’ – as bison, elk, pronghorn and mule deer congregate in the valleys, bears emerge from hibernation and wolves gather to mate.

Depending on access, the route can take in the Old Faithful geyser and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, with its waterfall more than twice the height of Niagara Falls, as well as the phenomenal terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs. Alternatively, wait for the snow and book the Escape into Winter package, which includes a horse-drawn sleigh ride to the National Elk Refuge, a snowmobile tour in the Gros Ventre Mountain Range, and half a day’s dog-sledding.

Hiking, panning for gold and fly-fishing are all offered at Echo Valley Ranch & Spa in Canada, a luxury hideaway in the wilderness of British Columbia’s Cariboo country. Topping the bill, however, is an all-day horseback ride with a farmfresh picnic from the chef and two experienced wranglers to guide you – from mighty Fraser Canyon in the south to the grasslands in the west, Marble Ranch Mountains in the east and the Cariboo Plateau in the north. Back at the ranch, there are indulgent western and Thai treatments in the spa and outdoor summer barbecues of rosemary-roasted lamb, slow-baked salmon, ranch-raised beef burgers, and fresh vegetables from the kitchen garden. Then sit around the open fire pit and gaze at the ultimate luxury: a sky filled with stars.

To book visit www.slh.com

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ADVENTURE

Larsens Camp, Kenya

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To book visit www.slh.com

Exploreans Mara Rianta Camp, Kenya

Kirawira Camp, Tanzania

Kirawira Camp, Tanzania Lorem ipson

Exploreans Mara Rianta Camp, Kenya

Larsens Camp, Kenya Lorem ipson

AFRICA Of course the classic wilderness experience is an African safari, and the classic safari experience would take in the Great Migration – of two million wildebeest and other herbivores from Tanzania’s Serengeti to Kenya’s Maasai Mara, crossing the crocodileinfested Grumeti and Mara rivers as they go. Overlooking the plains on the Western Corridor of the Serengeti, Kirawira Camp is ideally placed for this epic summer event, as well as game drives in search of the ‘big five’.

Tents hark back to the hunting safaris of the Edwardian era, with rocking chairs, writing desks and four-poster beds, while dining is on blue and white china. Alternatively, enjoy a Champagne breakfast in the bush after a morning’s balloon ride, and end the day with a hilltop sundowner.

From around August, the migrating herds are ready to cross into Kenya where the Exploreans Mara Rianta Camp, just north of the National Reserve in the Mara North Conservancy, makes the perfect base. After coffee and home-baked pastries at dawn, guests can breakfast in the bush and lunch by the pool, overlooking the Olololo escarpment and listening to hippos in the Mara river, which winds its way around the camp. Nature walks with professional Maasai rangers, following tracks and learning about the medicinal value of plants are also offered, as are night drives in search of aardvarks, whitetailed mongooses and bat-eared foxes. Or sit around a campfire and listen to the tales of the resident naturalist and the cries of hyenas before retiring to your beautiful polishedwood and canvas tent.

Outside the area of the Great Migration, Northern Kenya has an even wilder feel than the Maasai Mara, and is also home to wildlife not seen further south, such as the endangered Grevy’s zebra, the rare Beisa oryx and the blue-shanked Somali Ostrich, not to mention extraordinary birdlife. At Larsens Camp in Samburu National Game Reserve, guests land on the Samburu airstrip and sleep in luxury tents with luxury en-suite bathrooms and private verandas overlooking the mighty Ewaso Nyiro River. Massages and beauty treatments can take place on a wildwood deck listening to the sounds of the bush, while game drives can be timed to include breakfasts and sundowners in the bush. Then have lunch or dinner on the riverbank, watching elephants as they come down to drink.

To book visit www.slh.com

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BY BOAT

JOURNEYS

ALONG THE CÔTE D’AZUR As a wealth of artists and jetsetters will attest, much of the appeal of the Côte d'Azur is down to the magical quality of its light. Engage in some discreet people watching as you soak it up on a private speedboat from Villa Marie, a gorgeously stylish boutique hotel outside St-Tropez, with a freeform swimming pool set among elegant gardens, and outdoor dining with views to Pampleonne Bay. Or go sailing from Hôtel Belles Rives, a breathtaking Art Deco palace, located on the water's edge in Juan-les-Pins on Cap d'Antibes, with a private beach, stylish piano bar and stunning waterside dining terraces.

E N ROUTE

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LEFT BANK TO RIGHT BANK With its gorgeous buildings, designer boutiques and pavement cafés, Paris was made for walking. Start in St-Germain-des-Prés with a lazy morning and Michelin-starred lunch at L’Hôtel, the final home of Oscar Wilde, now theatrically renovated by Jacques Garcia. Then amble past the art galleries of rue Bonaparte to the Seine, crossing the Pont des Arts to the Musée du Louvre and paying your respects to da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks. Stop in the glamorous black-and-white houndstooth-check restaurant at Hôtel de Vendôme for tea and pastries, then wander past the luxury fashion houses on rue Faubourg St-Honoré and through the Jardin des Tuileries to Café Sud near Place de la Madeleine for dinner. Retire to Le Pavillon des Lettres, winding down with a digestif from the honesty bar before bedding down in one of the contemporary rooms, each named after a different author.

To book visit www.slh.com

BY TRAIN

ON FOOT

From the north to the south, the east to the west, there are many ways to get around France. It’s all about the journey – and the hotels at the end of it PARIS TO COLMAR VIA STRASBOURG Instead of taking the TGV (high-speed train) from Paris to Avignon, why not buck the trend and travel east (and back in time) instead? After a night in Paris’s Opéra district at the belle époque Banke Hotel, enjoying the cocktails, creative Mediterranean cuisine and magnificent crystaldomed ceiling, take the train from Gare de L’Est to Strasbourg. Spend a night or two at nearby Château De L’Ile, a 19th-century turreted confection set in gorgeous wooded parkland on the banks of a river. Sample Alsace wines and regional specialities and stretch out with a Thai massage.

Then continue on to the medieval town of Colmar, the capital of the Alsace wine route, basing yourself at Hostellerie Le Marechal, a 16th-century warren of winding staircases, shuttered windows and canopied beds, right on the water’s edge.

Fly home from Basel in Switzerland.

BY BIKE

AROUND BRITTANY & PROVENCE Cycling around L'Agapa Hotel & Spa on Brittany’s Côte du Granit Rose – named after the area’s pink-granite rocks, carved into extraordinary shapes by the wind and waves – is invigorating stuff. Try a 20km round trip along an old railway line to the medieval town of Lannion, or a lovely coastal route to Ploumanach beach and harbour. Treats back at your hotel include an Ocean Spices Massage at the Nuxe spa, the creative cuisine of Michelin-starred chef Mickaël Tanguy accompanied by spectacular ocean views, and a sound night’s sleep in your 1930s-influenced minimalist room.

Or head south to warmer climes and Hôtel Le Vallon De Valrugues & Spa, an elegant bastide in Saint-Rémy de Provence in the Alpilles. Enjoy the Michelin-starred

cuisine, impressive new 500m2 spa and fabulous outdoor pool, then cycle to Villa Regalido, a former olive mill in Fontvieille with a vaulted dining room, a diminutive pool and lovely gardens. Depending on how fit you are, you can either go via the lovely hilltop town of Les Baux, or along the beautifully flat Vieux Chemin d’Arles.

Alternatively, base yourself at Les Bories & Spa in Gordesen-Provence, a cool, contemporary resort hotel surrounded by olives and cypress trees, lavender and aromatic gardens.

Cycle into the village or to the 12th-century Abbaye de Sénanque, then relax with a swim, aromatherapy massage or beauty treatment and dress for cocktails and dinner courtesy of Michelin-starred chef Pascal Ginoux.

Hôtel Le Vallon De Valruges & Spa, Saint-Rémy de Provence

BERGERAC TO THE PYRENEES VIA BORDEAUX Fasten your seatbelts for a drive through western France, windows down, Edith Piaf blaring. Fly to Bergerac airport and get into the holiday spirit at Château Des Vigiers Golf & Country Club, a richly furnished 16th-century château offering foie gras and truffles, tastings of superb local wines, a comprehensive Maria Galland spa and a 27-hole Donald Steel-designed golf course surrounded by plum orchards and vineyards. Proceed via Saint-Emilion to Les Sources de Caudalie on the Château Smith Haut Lafitte estate outside Bordeaux, for more wines by the glass (the cellar has 15,000 bottles), vinotherapy spa treats, Michelin-starred food, and beautiful, contemporary interiors (for a real treat, book the L’Ile aux Oiseaux suite). Then it’s back in the car for an exhilarating ride south to Auberge Ostapé, housed in five whitewashed farmhouses outside the Basque village of Bidarray. Enjoy the tranquillity of the 120 acre-estate and views of the Pyrenees, sample the Navarrian cuisine in the striking black-and-white dining room, take a cookery class or just wander through the orchards. Head to Biarritz for a bracing oceanfront walk before catching a plane back home.

Miramar Boutique Hotel, Corsica

BY HELICOPTER

BY CAR

The Villa Marie Speedboat, Côte d’Azur

NICE TO AJACCIO One way to get up close and personal with the Mediterranean is on a chopper. Nice to Monte Carlo is the better-known route, but you can also fly from Nice (stay at Hôtel La Pérouse, with its dizzying views over the Baie des Anges) to Ajaccio in Corsica. The elegant Miramar Boutique Hotel is only a little further south, overlooking Corsica’s Gulf of Valinco near beautiful Campomoro Bay. Swim in the outdoor heated pool, have a massage in an outdoor gazebo, then charter a sailboat for another fix of the Med.

To book visit www.slh.com

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SHOPPING

BAGS OF FUN

SHOPPING IN A NEW CITY IS ONE OF THE GREAT JOYS OF TRAVEL. LET YOUR HOTEL POINT OUT THE BEST MARKETS, SPECIALITY STORES AND DESIGNER BOUTIQUES

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To book visit www.slh.com

SINGAPORE

STAY At The Scarlet, a heritage building in the Central Business District with sensuous red, black and gold interiors, and a rooftop bar, restaurant and Jacuzzi.

PACK Your partner. It’s all about seduction here. Ask the front office for the hotel’s signature Lover's Amenities kit.

SHOP In nearby Chinatown for tokens of local culture such as orchid souvenirs, history paintings and batik textiles. Or at Marina Bay Sands, a Las Vegas-style casino resort with a 74,000m2 mall, five minutes away by taxi.

BRING BACK Premixed selections of local cuisine such as laksa and chilli crab from The Scarlet’s in-house restaurant Our Korner.

Velda Mah, Marketing & Communications Director

ANTWERP, BELGIUM

STAY At De Witte Lelie (The White Lily), 11 contemporary rooms in three 17th-century houses, where guests are treated like family.

STAY At Cour des Loges, four Renaissance houses set around six interior courtyards in Old Lyon.

PACK A couple of your most stylish outfits and very little else – you’ll need room to spare for all your designer purchases.

PACK Your most comfortable shoes, for roaming the narrow cobbled streets in this Unesco-designated World Heritage Site, and along the banks of the Saône and Rhône.

SHOP At the flagship stores of Dirk Bikkembergs, Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Raf Simons et al.; and the canalside HQ of antiques dealer, collector and interior designer Axel Vervoordt in nearby Wijnegem (Thur & Fri 2pm to 6pm or by appointment).

SHOP At Les Halles Paul Bocuse, a unique covered market where oyster sellers, fishmongers, butchers, wine merchants, bakers and pastry chefs vie to outdo each other; and among the silk-weaving workshops, antique dealers and second-hand bookstores of Old Lyon.

BRING BACK Waffles, chocolates and glass artwork from upcoming Antwerp designer Klaar Prims.

BRING BACK Palet d’Or chocolate from chocolaterie Bernachon, cooked meats from Madame Sibilia delicatessen at Les Halles Paul Bocuse.

Bart Busschop, Owner

NEW ORLEANS, USA

STAY At Soniat House, three 1830s townhouses filled with antiques and objets d’art in the French Quarter. Café au lait and buttermilk biscuits are served on the courtyard under a magnolia tree.

PACK Smart clothes – New Orleanians still dress for dinner.

SHOP In the antiques shops of the French Quarter including the hotel’s own in-house antiques store; and at Mignon Faget, a renowned native designer of extraordinary jewellery inspired by New Orleans culture and nature.

BRING BACK A sterling-silver banana leaf from Mignon Faget; Cajun spice mix.

Frances Smith, owner

LYON, FRANCE

Mathilde Tissot, Sales Manager

FLORENCE, ITALY

STAY At Hotel Lungarno, a stylish and charming homefrom-home, a stone’s throw from Ponte Vecchio.

PACK Comfortable shoes. The best way to explore the city’s magnificent architecture and web of streets at its centre is on foot.

SHOP At Lungarno Details, which offers seasonal collections of elegant dinnerware, Burmese lacquerware, hand-blown hourglasses and more, a few steps from Ponte Vecchio. Foodies should head to the daily Sant’Ambrogio Market and antiques collectors will love the Sunday market on Piazza Santo Spirito.

BRING BACK A beautiful fashion photograph of Florence in the 1950s from Lungarno Details.

Cristina Fogliatto, Public Relations Manager

To book visit www.slh.com

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CLUB TESTIMONIALS

How was it for you?

Posts from The Club of Small Luxury Hotels of the World™

Hotel Villa Ducale, Sicily

Rest Assured “After surgery in 2008, I needed to spend a weekend somewhere hot and beautiful to inspire me to regain my fitness. The Hotel Villa Ducale in Sicily – a short flight from London to Catania, followed by a stunning cliff drive to Taormina – ticked all the boxes. The hotel is very pretty and the location, food and service are wonderful. I have memories of the scent of oranges and lemons, peaceful Mediterranean colours, gorgeous flowers and classical music wafting through the summer air. Not forgetting the magnificent views of Mount Etna – erupting!”

Merryn Wilshier, Loved Member, London, UK

See Venice & Die

Ca'Sagredo Hotel, Venice

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To book visit www.slh.com

“My wife and I had always wanted to see Venice and Ca'Sagredo Hotel turned out to be the perfect base. It’s very beautiful, full of murals, paintings, Murano glass chandeliers, period furniture and embroidered fabrics, and our room had a stunning view over the Grand Canal. We explored

Venice from the Vaporetto stop close by, hopping on and off at whim, and walked about with no fixed agenda, stopping for coffees in the different neighbourhoods. A trip to Venice should be compulsory in everyone’s lifetime.”

Clifford and Diane Baugh, Loved Members, Gillingham, UK

Ramble On “My wife and I stayed at the Hotel Bagués in Barcelona recently to celebrate the anniversary of our engagement. What an exquisite property this is. The doorman looked more like he was standing in front of one of the world's most exclusive nightclubs – he was hip and funky right down to his hat.

We were greeted with big smiles in perfect English and immediately shown to our room. Unfortunately it was right next to the elevator so we asked for a different room and explained that as members of the SLH Club we usually benefited from an upgrade. We were told this wouldn't be a problem but we may have to wait; in the meantime the concierge made us a lunch reservation at an amazing vegetarian restaurant.

Hotel Bagués, Barcelona

Hotel El Convento, Puerto Rico

We set off to explore the city and its amazing Gaudí architecture and after what felt like days of walking returned to the hotel. Our new room was ready, gorgeous, and amazingly quiet even though it faced Las Ramblas. Over the next four days the hotel staff did everything to make our stay wonderful, from making reservations to calling nightclubs. To top it all we were told we could bring our poodle with us next time. How brilliant – a five-star hotel in the centre of Barcelona that takes dogs. Thanks again Hotel Bagués and thank you to the best loyalty club in the world: SLH. Saludos.”

Jeremy and Maia Fiederer, Loved Members, Antwerp, Belgium

Location Location Location “On our way to Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, a friend recommended a stopover at the Hotel El Convento, a former Carmelite convent in Puerto Rico. We were greeted by a handsome young doorman and shown the lush green interior courtyard, the area where wine and cheeses are offered in the evening and the rooftop pool area, where, over the course of our stay, we met other guests to share each day’s experiences.

We were then encouraged to step onto the quaint cobblestones outside the hotel and explore the neighbourhood.

Hotel El Convento is superbly located right in the centre of Old San Juan and full of colourful colonial buildings. By day, the streets are busy with schoolchildren and sightseers. By night, they are softly lit and full of quiet music and happy chatter, as young people and tourists stroll around and dine alfresco, with the ocean just blocks away.

Guided by the hotel staff, we walked to the historic Castillo de San Cristóbal, drove through interesting local communities to El Yunque Rainforest and stopped for lunch and terrific Mojitos in the Condado Beach area. Our room was full of Spanish flair, minor issues were quickly remedied and while we mostly ate outside the hotel (the local cuisine is to die for), we thoroughly enjoyed our Champagne breakfast at Patio del Nispero and our final dinner at El Picoteo restaurant.

We had such a wonderful time that we contacted the hotel manager the following year for a hotel recommendation in Florida and were introduced to the beautiful Betsy Hotel. Just steps from busy South Beach and across the street from the ocean, we found ourselves once again in exactly the right location with hotel staff who were able to help us make the most of it. Now we always go to SLH first when planning a trip.”

Conrad and Robert Coral, Loved Members, Los Angeles, USA

The Betsy South Beach, Florida

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ANTIGUA ARGENTINA

Inn at English Harbour CasaSur Art Hotel Correntoso Lake & River Hotel Entre Cielos Los Cauquenes Resort & Spa Bloomfield Lodge – Beautifully remote Injidup Retreat Kims Beach Hideaway Smiths Beach Resort The Louise Thorngrove Manor Woodbridge on the Derwent Altstadt Vienna Art and Relax Hotel Bergwelt Bentleys House Das Tyrol Grand Tirolia Kitzbühel Hoteldorf Grüner Baum Im Weissen Rössl Jadgut Wachtelhof Kristiania Lech Coral Reef Club The Sandpiper De Witte Lelie Die Swaene Hotel de Orangerie Hotel de Tuilerieën Montgomery Hotel Brussels The Pand Hotel Ka'ana Boutique Resort and Spa Haras Larissa Hotel Toriba Premier Luxury Mountain Resort Angkor Village Resort Echo Valley Ranch & Spa Georgian Court Hotel Trout Point Lodge Windsor Arms Hotel Han's Royal Garden Hotel Beijing Hotel Éclat Beijing Pingjiangfu Suzhou Hotel Pins De La Brume Hotel Hangzhou Pudi Boutique Hotel Shanghai Regalia Resort & Spa (Nanjing Qinhuai River) Sheng He Club Tengchong Hot Spring Spa Villas Resort The Emperor WH Ming Hotel Shanghai Wuzhen Clubhouse Movich Hotel Cartagena de Indias Pacific Resort Aitutaki Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens Rancho Pacifico Vestibul Palace Villa Dubrovnik Sandton Kura Hulanda Hotel & Spa Sandton Kura Hulanda Lodge & Beach Club Columbia Beach Resort Thalassa Boutique Hotel & Spa Chateau Mcely Quisisana Palace Nimb Hotel Casa Bonita Casa Colonial Beach & Spa Sivory Punta Cana Boutique Hotel Sublime Samana Hotel & Residences The Bannister Hotel Harbour Village Beach Club Pikaia Lodge Galapagos Alexander House Hotel & Utopia Spa Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club Danesfield House Hotel & Spa Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel & Spa Dukes London Flemings Mayfair Grand Hotel Eastbourne Great Fosters Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel Lainston House Langshott Manor Leopold Hotel Lords of The Manor Hotel Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa No.11 Cadogan Gardens Pennyhill Park Hotel & The Spa

28 36 43 16 54 17 10 34 40 15 6 9 42 65 3 30 82 86 94 22 29 88 45 11 30 20 45 63 26 15 17 36 112 80 18 180 12 28 33 100 97 42 52 37 21 19 50 166 84 32 27 44 10 11 56 80 77 94 58 23 19 17 12 50 55 76 48 40 14 38 106 87 40 90 129 152 44 20 50 22 90 27 144 54 123

St John's Buenos Aires Villa la Angostura Mendoza Ushuaia Tierra del Fuego Cairns Injidup Toowoon Bay Yallingup Barossa Valley Adelaide New Norfolk (Tasmania) Vienna Tirol Zürs am Arlberg Vienna Kitzbühel Bad Gastein St Wolfgang Hinterthal Lech Am Arlberg St James St. James Antwerp Bruges Bruges Bruges Brussels Bruges Cayo Monte Mor Campos do Jordao Bansko Siem Reap Jesmond Vancouver East Kemptville Toronto Beijing Beijing Suzhou Hangzhou Shanghai Nanjing Nantong Yunnan Province Beijing Shanghai Tongxiang City Cartagena Aitutaki La Fortuna de San Carlos Uvita de Osa Split Dubrovnik Willemstad Westpunt Limassol Paphos Mcely Carlsbad Copenhagen Barahona Puerto Plata Punta Cana Santo Domingo Santo Domingo Bonaire Galapagos Islands Turners Hill (East Sussex) Forest Row (East Sussex) Nr Windsor (Buckinghamshire) Skipton (North Yorkshire) London London Eastbourne (East Sussex) Egham (Surrey) Windermere (Lake District) Winchester (Hampshire) Horley (Surrey) Sheffield (Yorkshire) Cheltenham (Gloucestershire) Luton (Bedfordshire) London Bagshot (Surrey)

www.slh.com/englishharbour www.slh.com/casasur www.slh.com/correntoso www.slh.com/entrecielos www.slh.com/cauquenes www.slh.com/bloomfield www.slh.com/injidupretreat www.slh.com/kims www.slh.com/smithsbeach www.slh.com/thelouise www.slh.com/thorngrove www.slh.com/woodbridge www.slh.com/altstadt www.slh.com/bergwelt www.slh.com/bentleyshouse www.slh.com/dastyrol www.slh.com/grandtirolia www.slh.com/grunerbaum www.slh.com/imweissen www.slh.com/wachtelhof www.slh.com/kristiania www.slh.com/coralreef www.slh.com/sandpiper www.slh.com/dewittelelie www.slh.com/dieswaene www.slh.com/orangerie www.slh.com/tuilerieen www.slh.com/montgomery www.slh.com/thepand www.slh.com/kaanabelize www.slh.com/haraslarissa www.slh.com/toriba www.slh.com/premiermountainresort www.slh.com/angkorvillage www.slh.com/evranch www.slh.com/georgiancourt www.slh.com/troutpoint www.slh.com/windsor www.slh.com/hansroyalgarden www.slh.com/eclatbeijing www.slh.com/pingjiangfu www.slh.com/brume www.slh.com/pudiboutique www.slh.com/regaliananjing www.slh.com/shengheclub www.slh.com/tengchong www.slh.com/theemperor www.slh.com/whming www.slh.com/wuzhenclubhouse www.slh.com/cartagenadeindias www.slh.com/pacificresort www.slh.com/nayara www.slh.com/ranchopacifico www.slh.com/vestibul www.slh.com/villadubrovnik www.slh.com/kurahulandaspa www.slh.com/kurahulandalodge www.slh.com/columbiapissouri www.slh.com/thalassa www.slh.com/chateaumcely www.slh.com/quisisanapalace www.slh.com/nimb www.slh.com/casabonita www.slh.com/colonial www.slh.com/sivory www.slh.com/samana www.slh.com/bannisterhotel www.slh.com/harbourvillage www.slh.com/pikaia www.slh.com/alexander www.slh.com/ashdown www.slh.com/danesfield www.slh.com/no11cadogangardens www.slh.com/dukeslondon www.slh.com/flemings www.slh.com/grandeastbourne www.slh.com/greatfosters www.slh.com/holbeck www.slh.com/lainstonhouse www.slh.com/langshott www.slh.com/theleopold www.slh.com/lordsofthemanor www.slh.com/lutonhoo www.slh.com/no11cadogangardens www.slh.com/pennyhillpark

AUSTRALIA

AUSTRIA

BARBADOS BELGIUM

BELIZE BRAZIL BULGARIA CAMBODIA CANADA

CHINA

COLOMBIA COOK ISLANDS COSTA RICA CROATIA CURACAO CYPRUS CZECH REPUBLIC DENMARK DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

DUTCH CARIBBEAN ECUADOR ENGLAND

Middle: Angkor Village Resort, Cambodia Bottom: Langshott Manor, England

54

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Country

ESTONIA FINLAND FRANCE

FRENCH POLYNESIA GERMANY

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Rockliffe Hall South Lodge Hotel St. James’s Hotel and Club London Stapleford Park Country House Hotel & Sporting Estate Stoke Park The Ampersand Hotel The Arch London The Arden Hotel The Capital Hotel & Apartments The Chester Grosvenor The Manor House Hotel and Golf Club Tylney Hall Pädaste Manor Telegraaf Hotel Hotel Haven Auberge de Cassagne & Spa Auberge Ostapé Banke Hotel Château d'Artigny Château de Bagnols Château d'Esclimont Château d'Isenbourg Château de Divonne Château de Fere Château de Gilly Château de l'Ile Chateau des Vigiers Golf and Country Club Château Eza Château la Chenevière Cour des Loges Domaine de Beauvois Grand Barrail Château Hotel & Spa Hostellerie Le Maréchal Hôtel Belles Rives Hôtel De Vendôme Hôtel Le Cep Hôtel Juana Hôtel Jules César Hotel La Pérouse Hôtel Le Pigonnet Hôtel San Régis Hôtel Square Hôtel & Spa des Pêcheurs Hôtel Le Vallon de Valrugues & Spa Hôtel Vernet Hôtellerie du Bas-Bréau L'Agapa Hotel & Spa L'Hôtel La Bastide de Marie La Chartreuse du Val Saint Esprit Le Bellechasse Hotel Le Choiseul Le Grand Hotel Le Pavillon de la Reine Le Pavillon des Lettres Le Prieure Les Bories Les Etangs de Corot Les Jardins de la Villa Les Sources de Caudalie Miramar Boutique Hotel Relais Christine Royal Mougins Golf Club & Spa Villa Marie Villa Regalido Vahine Island Alpenhof Murnau Belle Epoque Brandenburger Hof Berlin Heidelberg Suites Hotel Hotel Die Hirschgasse Heidelberg Hotel im Wasserturm

61 89 60 55 49 111 82 45 49 80 48 112 24 86 77 42 22 94 65 22 52 41 34 29 48 62 30 12 29 61 36 46 30 43 29 64 40 50 56 48 43 22 39 48 50 20 45 20 15 53 33 32 75 54 26 21 33 43 33 49 26 51 29 42 15 9 71 16 72 19 20 78

Darlington (Durham) Lower Breeding (West Sussex) London Nr Melton Mowbray (Leicestershire) Stoke Poges (Buckinghamshire) London London Stratford-Upon-Avon (Warwickshire) London Chester (Cheshire) Castle Combe, Nr Bath (Wiltshire) Hook (Hampshire) Muhu Island Tallinn Helsinki Avignon Bidarray, Pyrenees Paris Montbazon Bagnols St-Symphorien-le-Chateau Rouffach Divonne-les-Bains Fere-en-Tardenois Vougeot Ostwald Monestier | Bergerac Eze Village Port-En-Bessin Lyon Luynes Saint-Emilion Colmar Juan Les Pins Paris Beaune Juan Les Pins Arles Cedex Nice Aix-en-Provence Paris Paris Bonifacio Corsica Saint-Remy-de-Provence Paris Barbizon Perros-Guirec Paris Menerbes Gosnay, Bethune Paris Amboise Cannes Paris Paris Chenehutte-les-Tuffeaux Gordes-en-Provence Avray Paris Bordeaux-Martillac Propriano Paris Mougins Ramatuelle – St Tropez Fontvieille Tahaa Murnau am Staffelsee Baden Baden Berlin Heidelberg Heidelberg Cologne

www.slh.com/RockliffeHall www.slh.com/southlodge www.slh.com/stjameshotel www.slh.com/stapleford www.slh.com/stokepark www.slh.com/ampersand www.slh.com/thearchlondon www.slh.com/ardenhotel www.slh.com/capitalhotel www.slh.com/chestergrosvenor www.slh.com/manorhouse www.slh.com/tylney www.slh.com/padaste www.slh.com/telegraaf www.slh.com/hotelhaven www.slh.com/aubergecassagne www.slh.com/ostape www.slh.com/banke www.slh.com/chateauartigny www.slh.com/bagnols www.slh.com/esclimont www.slh.com/isenbourg www.slh.com/divonne www.slh.com/fere www.slh.com/gilly www.slh.com/chateauile www.slh.com/vigiers www.slh.com/eza www.slh.com/cheneviere www.slh.com/courdesloges www.slh.com/beauvois www.slh.com/barrail www.slh.com/lemarechal www.slh.com/bellesrives www.slh.com/vendome www.slh.com/cep www.slh.com/hoteljuana www.slh.com/julescesar www.slh.com/laperouse www.slh.com/pigonnet www.slh.com/sanregis www.slh.com/square www.slh.com/pecheurs www.slh.com/valrugues www.slh.com/hotelvernet www.slh.com/basbreau www.slh.com/agapa www.slh.com/lhotel www.slh.com/bastidedemarie www.slh.com/lachartreuse www.slh.com/lebellechasse www.slh.com/choiseul www.slh.com/grandcannes www.slh.com/pavillon www.slh.com/pavillondeslettres www.slh.com/prieure www.slh.com/bories www.slh.com/etangcorot www.slh.com/jardinsdelavilla www.slh.com/caudalie www.slh.com/miramarboutiquehotel www.slh.com/christine www.slh.com/royalmougins www.slh.com/villamarie www.slh.com/villaregalido www.slh.com/vahine www.slh.com/alpenhofmurnau www.slh.com/belleepoque www.slh.com/brandenburgerhof www.slh.com/heidelbergsuites www.slh.com/diehirschgasse www.slh.com/imwasserturm

To book visit www.slh.com

55

HOTELS Country

GREECE

GRENADA WEST INDIES GUERNSEY HONDURAS HONG KONG

INDIA

INDONESIA

IRELAND

ISRAEL ITALY

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Kloster Hornbach Parkhotel Adler Schlosshotel Kronberg Schwarzer Adler Suitess an der Frauenkirche Villa am Ruhrufer Golf & Spa Wald & Schlosshotel Friedrichsruhe Aegean Suites Hotel Aqua Blu Boutique Hotel & Spa Aressana Spa Hotel and Suites Aristi Mountain Resort Belvedere Hotel Bill & Coo Canaves Oia Cape Sounio Exclusive Resort Carpe Diem Chromata Cosmopolitan Suites De.light Boutique Hotel Eagles Palace Hotel & Spa Elounda Gulf Villas Finikas Naxos Hotel Gold Suites Hotel Nikopolis Thessaloniki Imaret Hotel La Maltese Estate Lindos Blu Liostasi Hotel & Spa Minos Beach Art Hotel Mykonos Grand Hotel and Resort Notos Therme & Spa On The Rocks Santorini Ostraco Suites Petasos Beach Resort & Spa Petra Hotel & Suites Pietra e Mare Beach Hotel Mykonos Porto Kea Suites Rimondi Boutique Hotel Rodos Park Suites Hotel San Antonio Santorini Kastelli Resort St Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas Sun Rocks Thalatta Seaside Hotel The Excelsior Hotel The Margi Theoxenia Palace Yria Resort Spice Island Bella Luce Hotel and Spa The Lodge at Pico Bonito Hotel Pravo Hong Kong Lanson Place Hotel The Luxe Manor Chrome Hotel Fragrant Nature Hotel & Resort Kollam Ganga Kutir Resort & Spa Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa Old Harbour Hotel Orange County Coorg Orange County Kabini The Raj Palace Serai Chikmagalur Ketapang Estate L Hotel Seminyak Bali Spa Village Tembok Bali The Balé The Sanchaya Viceroy Bali Dunraven Arms Hotel Hayfield Manor La Stampa Hotel & Spa Park Hotel Kenmare The Lodge at Doonbeg The Efendi Hotel The Norman Albergo al Sole Albergo Pietrasanta Alpin Royal Aquapetra Resort & Spa Borgobianco Resort & Spa Ca'Sagredo Casa Angelina Lifestyle CastaDiva Resort & Spa Castello di Velona

46 56 58 14 21 12 66 20 53 48 18 43 24 36 150 10 22 10 20 156 28 24 14 99 25 9 70 22 129 107 30 17 20 93 12 30 35 32 59 26 60 113 17 42 34 89 83 56 64 22 22 92 194 159 62 20 16 85 13 40 30 29 29 7 30 31 29 28 25 74 88 27 46 39 12 50 23 20 52 25 48 42 43 75 46

Hornbach Hinterzarten Kronberg Vogtsburg – Oberbergen Dresden Mülheim a.d. Ruhr Zweiflingen-Friedrichsruhe Skiathos Lambi – Kos Fira-Santorini Aristi – Zagori Mykonos Mykonos Oia – Santorini Sounio Santorini Imerovigli – Santorini Fira – Santorini Mykonos Halkidiki Crete Pyrgaki – Naxos Imerovigli – Santorini Thessaloniki Kavala Imerovigli – Santorini Lindos – Rhodes Ios Aghios Nikolaos – Crete Mykonos Vlychada – Santorini Imerovigli – Santorini Drafaki – Mykonos Mykonos Grikos – Patmos Mykonos Korissia – Kea Rethymno – Crete Rhodes Imerovigli – Santorini Kamari – Santorini Aghios Nikolaos Firostefani – Santorini North Evia Thessaloniki Athens Athens Paros St. George's St Martins La Ceiba Kowloon Hong Kong Kowloon Kolkata Kerala Kolkata Kashmir Fort Cochin Coorg Mysore District Jaipur Chikmagalur Bali Bali Bali Bali Bintan Bali Adare Cork Dublin Co Kerry Doonbeg, Kilrush Acre Tel Aviv Asolo (Treviso) Pietrasanta (Lucca) Ahrntal (Bolzano) Telese Terme (Naples) Polignano a Mare (Bari) Venice Praiano (Amalfi Coast) Blevio (Lake Como) Montalcino

www.slh.com/klosterhornbach www.slh.com/parkhoteladler www.slh.com/kronberg www.slh.com/schwarzeradler www.slh.com/suitess www.slh.com/villaamruhrufer www.slh.com/waldschloss www.slh.com/aegeansuites www.slh.com/aquablu www.slh.com/aressana www.slh.com/aristi www.slh.com/belvedere www.slh.com/billcoo www.slh.com/canaves www.slh.com/capesounio www.slh.com/carpediem www.slh.com/chromata www.slh.com/cosmopolitan www.slh.com/delight www.slh.com/eaglespalace www.slh.com/eloundagulf www.slh.com/finikas www.slh.com/goldsuites www.slh.com/nikopolis www.slh.com/imaret www.slh.com/lamaltese www.slh.com/lindosblu www.slh.com/liostasi www.slh.com/minosbeach www.slh.com/mykonos www.slh.com/notospa www.slh.com/ontherocks www.slh.com/ostraco www.slh.com/petasos www.slh.com/petra www.slh.com/pietraemare www.slh.com/portokea www.slh.com/rimondi www.slh.com/rodos www.slh.com/sanantonio www.slh.com/kastelli www.slh.com/stnicolasbay www.slh.com/sunrocks www.slh.com/thalatta www.slh.com/excelsiorhotel www.slh.com/margi www.slh.com/theoxeniapalace www.slh.com/yria www.slh.com/spiceisland www.slh.com/bellaluce www.slh.com/picobonito www.slh.com/hotelpravo www.slh.com/lansonplace www.slh.com/theluxemanor www.slh.com/chromehotel www.slh.com/fragrantnature www.slh.com/gangakutir www.slh.com/khyber www.slh.com/oldharbour www.slh.com/orangecountycoorg www.slh.com/orangecounty www.slh.com/rajpalace www.slh.com/seraichikmagalur www.slh.com/ketapangestate www.slh.com/lhotelseminyak www.slh.com/tembok www.slh.com/thebale www.slh.com/sanchaya www.slh.com/viceroy www.slh.com/dunraven www.slh.com/hayfield www.slh.com/lastampa www.slh.com/parkkenmare www.slh.com/lodgeatdoonbeg www.slh.com/efendi www.slh.com/thenorman www.slh.com/albergoalsole www.slh.com/pietrasanta www.slh.com/alpinroyal www.slh.com/aquapetra www.slh.com/borgobianco www.slh.com/casagredohotel www.slh.com/casaangelina www.slh.com/castadiva www.slh.com/castellovelona

Top: Palazzo Sant'Angelo sul Canal Grande, Italy Middle: Baros Maldives, Maldives Bottom: Albergo al Sole, Italy

56

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Country

JAPAN

JERSEY KAZAKHSTAN KENYA

LAOS LATVIA LITHUANIA LUXEMBOURG MALAYSIA

MALDIVES

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Centurion Palace Eight Hotel Portofino Escalus Luxury Suites Grand Hotel Angiolieri Grand Hotel Cocumella Grand Hotel Majestic Grand Hotel Parker's Grand Hotel Poltu Quatu Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte Grotta Giusti Resort, Golf & Spa Hotel ai Reali Hotel Bernini Bristol Hotel D'Inghilterra Hotel De La Ville Hotel Lord Byron Hotel Lungarno Hotel Splendide Royal Hotel Villa Athena I Portici Hotel di Bologna J.K. Place Capri J.K. Place Firenze L'Angolo di San Pietro Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda Liassidi Palace Lungarno Suites Mont Blanc Hotel Village Palazzo Righini Palazzo Sant'Angelo sul Canal Grande Park Hotel ai Cappuccini Park Hotel Mignon & Spa Park Hotel Villa Grazioli Petit Palais H么tel de Charme Punta Tragara Relais dell'Orologio Relais Hist貌 Relais La Suvera Relais Villa d'Amelia San Montano Resort & Spa Ischia Seiser Alm Urthaler The Gray The Inn and The View at the Spanish Steps The Inn at the Roman Forum Therasia Resort Sea and Spa Villa Carlotta Villa di Monte Solare Villa Ducale Villa Le Maschere Resort Villa Mangiacane Villa Spalletti Trivelli Hoshinoya Kyoto Hotel Il Palazzo Hotel La Suite Kobe Harborland L'Hotel du Lac Noborioji Hotel Sankara Hotel & Spa Yakushima Unzen Kanko Hotel The Atlantic Hotel Donatello Boutique Hotel Diamonds Dream of Africa Exploreans Mara Rianta Luxury Camp Hemingways Nairobi Hemingways Watamu Larsens Camp The Luang Say Residence Hotel Bergs IDW Esperanza Resort Albert Premier Hotel Restaurant Cameron Highlands Resort Gaya Island Resort Lanson Place Bukit Ceylon Pangkor Laut Resort Tanjong Jara Resort Lanson Place Bukit Ceylon Serviced Residences The Majestic Malacca Baros Maldives Huvafen Fushi Island Hideaway Spa Resort & Marina Naladhu Maldives

50 18 10 37 50 80 82 146 106 64 31 127 88 70 32 73 69 27 87 22 20 9 90 26 41 40 24 26 82 50 52 18 44 21 48 36 37 71 54 21 30 13 94 26 25 17 65 27 14 25 62 70 13 12 29 44 50 22 35 20 45 76 20 24 38 34 40 56 121 150 140 99 105 54 75 44 48 19

Venice Portofino Verona Vico Equense Sorrento Verbania (Lake Maggiore) Naples Poltu Quatu, Arzachena (Sardinia) Viareggio (Lucca) Monsummano Terme (Pistoia) Venezia Rome Rome Monza Rome Florence Rome Agrigento (Sicily) Bologna Capri Florence Rome Gargnano (Lake Garda) Venice Florence La Salle (Aosta) Fossano (Cuneo) Venice Gubbio (Perugia) Merano Frascati (Rome) Milan Capri Pisa Taranto Pievescola (Siena) Benevello (Cuneo) Lacco Ameno, Ischia Seiser Alm (Alpe di Siusi) Milan Rome Rome Vulcano, Aeolian Islands Taormina Tavernelle di Panicale (Perugia) Taormina Florence San Casciano Val di Pesa (Florence) Rome Kyoto Fukuoka Kobe Nagahama Nara Yakushima Unzen City St Brelade Almaty Malindi Masai Mara Nairobi Watamu Samburu District Luang Prabang Riga Kozelkiskiu Village, Trakai District Luxembourg Ville Cameron Highlands Kota Kinabalu Kuala Lumpur Pangkor Laut Terengganu Kuala Lumpur Malacca North Male Atoll North Male Atoll Male Male

www.slh.com/centurion www.slh.com/eighthotelportofino www.slh.com/escalus www.slh.com/angiolieri www.slh.com/grandcocumella www.slh.com/majestic www.slh.com/grandhotelparkers www.slh.com/poltuquatu www.slh.com/principedipiemonte www.slh.com/grottagiusti www.slh.com/aireali www.slh.com/berninibristol www.slh.com/hoteldinghilterra www.slh.com/delaville www.slh.com/lordbyron www.slh.com/lungarno www.slh.com/splendideroyal www.slh.com/villaathena www.slh.com/iporticidibologna www.slh.com/jkcapri www.slh.com/jkplace www.slh.com/angolo www.slh.com/lefay www.slh.com/liassidi www.slh.com/lungarnosuites www.slh.com/montblanc www.slh.com/palazzorighini www.slh.com/santangelo www.slh.com/parkcappuccini www.slh.com/parkmignon www.slh.com/villagrazioli www.slh.com/petitpalais www.slh.com/puntatragara www.slh.com/relaisdellorologio www.slh.com/relaishisto www.slh.com/suvera www.slh.com/villadamelia www.slh.com/albergosanmontano www.slh.com/seiseralm www.slh.com/thegray www.slh.com/spanishsteps www.slh.com/romanforum www.slh.com/therasiaresort www.slh.com/villacarlotta www.slh.com/montesolare www.slh.com/villaducale www.slh.com/villamaschere www.slh.com/villamangiacane www.slh.com/villaspalletti www.slh.com/hoshinoyakyoto www.slh.com/ilpalazzo www.slh.com/lasuitekobe www.slh.com/lhoteldulac www.slh.com/noborioji www.slh.com/sankara www.slh.com/unzenkankohotel www.slh.com/atlantic www.slh.com/donatello www.slh.com/dreamofafrica www.slh.com/exploreans www.slh.com/hemingwaysnairobi www.slh.com/hemingways www.slh.com/larsenscamp www.slh.com/luangsayresidence www.slh.com/bergs www.slh.com/esperanzaresort www.slh.com/albertpremier www.slh.com/cameronhighlands www.slh.com/gayaisland www.slh.com/lansonbukit www.slh.com/pangkor www.slh.com/tanjong www.slh.com/clubsaujana www.slh.com/majesticmalacca www.slh.com/baros www.slh.com/huvafen www.slh.com/island www.slh.com/naladhu

To book visit www.slh.com

57

HOTELS Country

MARTINIQUE MAURITIUS MEXICO

MONACO MONGOLIA MOROCCO

NETHERLANDS

NEW ZEALAND

NICARAGUA PERU PHILIPPINES

POLAND PORTUGAL

PUERTO RICO

RUSSIA SCOTLAND SINGAPORE SLOVAKIA SLOVENIA SOUTH AFRICA SPAIN

SRI LANKA

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Niyama Velassaru Maldives French Coco Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort Anticavilla Hotel Blue Diamond Rivieira Maya Downtown Esencia Hotel Guaycura Boutique Hotel & Spa Hotel Habita MTY La Casa Que Canta Port Palace Boutique Hotel Terelj Hotel Fellah Hotel Jardin D'Inès Kasbah Agafay Hotel and Spa La Sultana Marrakech La Sultana Oualidia Canal House Château St Gerlach The Dylan Amsterdam Bay of Many Coves Blanket Bay Eichardt's Private Hotel Grasmere Lodge Solitaire Lodge The George Mukul Resort, Golf & Spa Royal Park Hotel Discovery Shores Boracay Eskaya Beach Resort & Spa Misibis Bay Pangulasian Island Resort The Granary – La Suite Hotel Alentejo Marmoris Hotel & Spa Aquapura Douro Valley Blue & Green Vilalara Thalassa Resort Carmo’s Boutique Hotel Hotel da Estrela Infante Sagres Internacional Design Hotel L'AND Vineyards Resort Palácio Estoril – Hotel, Spa and Golf Quinta Da Casa Branca Quinta das Lágrimas Palace Vila Monte Country & Spa Hideaway El Convento Olive Boutique Hotel Royal Isabela Alexander House Nira Caledonia The Marcliffe Hotel & Spa Naumi The Scarlet Hotel Marrol's Antiq Palace Hotel & Spa Grand Hotel Toplice Grande Roche Hotel ABaC Restaurant Hotel Cap Rocat Club Marítimo de Sotogrande El Lodge Ski and Spa Resort Gran Derby Hotel Gran Hotel Son Net Hacienda Zorita Wine Hotel & Spa Hotel Bagués Hotel Cram Hotel Claris Hotel Torralbenc Hotel Tres Hotel Villa Real Hotel Viura La Plantación del Sur La Pleta Hotel & Spa The Mirror Barcelona Villa Padierna Palace Hotel Villa Soro Jetwing Beach Jetwing Lagoon Jetwing Lighthouse Hotel & Spa Jetwing Vil Uyana Jungle Beach Serene Pavilions The Fortress Ulagalla Resort

87 129 17 158 12 128 17 29 14 39 27 50 52 69 26 20 28 11 23 97 40 11 13 5 12 10 53 39 75 88 15 37 42 47 45 71 111 15 19 70 55 22 161 43 52 53 58 15 20 19 28 41 40 84 54 13 87 28 15 24 41 20 41 31 40 31 67 120 27 41 115 33 163 68 63 139 25 78 55 60 25 48 12 49 20

Male Male Tartane Bel Ombre Cuernavaca Playa del Carmen Mexico DF Playa del Carmen Todos Santos Monterrey, Nuevo León Zihuatanejo Monte Carlo Ulaanbaatar Marrakech Marrakech Marrakech Marrakech Oualidia Amsterdam Valkenburg aan de Geul Amsterdam Marlborough Sounds Queenstown Queenstown Canterbury Rotorua Christchurch Tola-Rivas Lima Boracay Island Panglao Island, Bohol Cagraray Island, Albay El Nido, Palawan Wroclaw Alentejo Lamego (Douro Valley) Porches (Lagoa) Ponte de Lima Lisbon Porto Lisbon Montemor-o-Novo Estoril Funchal – Madeira Coimbra Moncarapacho – Algarve San Juan Condado Isabela St.Petersburg Edinburgh Aberdeen Singapore Singapore Bratislava Ljubljana Bled Paarl Barcelona Cala Blava (Mallorca) Sotogrande Sierra Nevada (Granada) Barcelona Puigpunyent (Mallorca) Salamanca Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona Alaior (Menorca) Palma (Mallorca) Madrid Rioja Alavesa Adeje (Sta. Cruz de Tenerife) Baqueira Barcelona Marbella San Sebastian Negombo Negombo Galle Sigiriya Colombo Wadduwa Galle Anuradhapura

www.slh.com/niyama www.slh.com/velassaru www.slh.com/frenchcoco www.slh.com/telfair www.slh.com/anticavilla www.slh.com/bluediamond www.slh.com/downtown www.slh.com/esencia www.slh.com/guaycura www.slh.com/habitamty www.slh.com/casaquecanta www.slh.com/portpalace www.slh.com/terelj www.slh.com/fellah www.slh.com/jardins www.slh.com/kasbahagafay www.slh.com/lasultana www.slh.com/lasultanaoualidia www.slh.com/canalhouse www.slh.com/gerlach www.slh.com/dylan www.slh.com/manycoves www.slh.com/blanketbay www.slh.com/eichardts www.slh.com/grasmere www.slh.com/solitaire www.slh.com/thegeorge www.slh.com/mukul www.slh.com/royalparkhotel www.slh.com/discoveryshores www.slh.com/eskaya www.slh.com/misibisbay www.slh.com/pangulasian www.slh.com/thegranary www.slh.com/alentejomarmoris www.slh.com/aquapura www.slh.com/vilalara www.slh.com/carmosboutique www.slh.com/daestrela www.slh.com/infantesagres www.slh.com/idesignhotel www.slh.com/landvineyards www.slh.com/palacioestoril www.slh.com/casabranca www.slh.com/lagrimas www.slh.com/vilamonte www.slh.com/convento www.slh.com/oliveboutique www.slh.com/royalisabela www.slh.com/alexanderhouse www.slh.com/niracaledonia www.slh.com/marcliffe www.slh.com/naumi www.slh.com/thescarlethotel www.slh.com/marrols www.slh.com/antiq www.slh.com/toplice www.slh.com/granderoche www.slh.com/abac www.slh.com/caprocat www.slh.com/maritimo www.slh.com/ellodge www.slh.com/granderby www.slh.com/granhotelsonnet www.slh.com/haciendazorita www.slh.com/bagues www.slh.com/crambarcelona www.slh.com/claris www.slh.com/torralbenc www.slh.com/tres www.slh.com/villareal www.slh.com/viura www.slh.com/laplantacion www.slh.com/lapleta www.slh.com/mirrorbarcelona www.slh.com/villapadierna www.slh.com/villasoro www.slh.com/beach www.slh.com/jetwinglagoon www.slh.com/lighthouse www.slh.com/viluyana www.slh.com/junglebeach www.slh.com/serenepavilions www.slh.com/fortress www.slh.com/ulagallaresort

Top: Spa Village Tembok Bali, Indonesia Middle: Huvafen Fushi, Maldives Bottom: Blanket Bay, New Zealand

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To book visit www.slh.com

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SWEDEN

Ett Hem Lydmar Art Deco Hotel Montana Château D'Ouchy Cordée des Alpes Crystal Hotel Eastwest Hotel Hotel Caprice Hotel Eden au Lac Grand Hotel at Waldhaus Flims Mountain Resort & Spa Grand Hotel Bellevue Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola au Lac Villa Silvana at Waldhaus Flims Mountain Resort & Spa Hotel Éclat Taipei Hotel Quote Taipei Hotel Royal Chiao Hsi San Want Residences Taipei The Crystal Resort Sun Moon Lake Diamonds Star of the East Kirawira Camp Zanzibar Serena Inn 137 Pillars House Akaryn Samui Akatsuki Resort Phuket Aleenta Resort and Spa Hua Hin Aleenta Resort & Spa Phuket Bo Phut Resort and Spa Hansar Bangkok Hotel La Flora Resort Patong Maduzi Hotel Nakamanda Resort & Spa Pimalai Bay Resort and Spa S31 Sukhumvit Hotel Santhiya Resort and Spa The Racha The Siam Tongsai Grand Villas Twinpalms Phuket Zeavola The Villas at Stonehaven Dar Said Les Ottomans The Marmara Bodrum Tomtom Suites – The Old Franciscan House Desert Palm Castle Hotel & Spa Castle Hill Resort & Spa Diamond Mills Hotel Hotel Chandler Hotel Ella Hotel Shangri-La Hotel Wailea Inn at Great Neck Mill Street Inn Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Santa Maria Suites Soniat House Southbridge Napa Valley The Betsy South Beach The Chesterfield Hotel The Huntington and Nob Hill Spa The Inn at Irving Place The Inn at Montchanin Village & Spa The Iroquois The Manor on Golden Pond The Peacock Inn The Pillars Hotel The Quin Hotel The Refinery Hotel The Reluctant Panther Inn & Restaurant The Talbott Viana Hotel and Spa Wentworth Mansion Princess D'Annam Resort and Spa Vinpearl Luxury Nha Trang

12 46 62 50 32 71 41 18 50 77 57 83 39 62 64 198 81 20 11 25 51 30 50 5 21 30 61 94 67 40 39 80 90 78 71 39 15 97 52 42 24 10 95 20 28 31 20 30 138 48 70 72 85 23 128 31 105 35 33 21 62 53 135 12 28 114 24 16 18 200 197 20 149 116 21 48 84

Stockholm Stockholm Lucerne Lausanne Verbier St Moritz Geneva Wengen Zurich Flims Waldhaus Gstaad Lugano Flims Waldhaus Taipei Taipei Yilan County Taipei Sun Moon Lake Zanzibar Arusha Zanzibar Chiang Mai Koh Samui Koh Samui Hua Hin Phuket Koh Samui Bangkok Phuket Bangkok Krabi Koh Lanta Bangkok Koh Phangan Phuket Bangkok Koh Samui Phuket Koh Phi Phi Bon Accord Sidi Bou Said Istanbul Bodrum Istanbul Dubai Tarrytown (New York) Ludlow (Vermont) Saugerties (New York) New York (New York) Austin (Texas) Santa Monica (California) Maui (Hawaii) Great Neck (New York) Newport (Rhode Island) Lake Placid (New York) Jackson (Wyoming) Paradise Valley (Arizona) Key West (Florida) New Orleans (Louisiana) St. Helena (California) Miami Beach (Florida) Palm Beach (Florida) Nob Hill, San Francisco (California) New York (New York) Wilmington (Delaware) New York (New York) Holderness (Hampshire) Princeton (New Jersey) Fort Lauderdale (Florida) New York (New York) New York (New York) Manchester Village (Vermont) Chicago (Illinois) Westbury (New York) Charleston (South Carolina) Ke Ga Bay, Binh Thuan Province Nha Trang

www.slh.com/etthem www.slh.com/lydmar www.slh.com/montanalucerne www.slh.com/chateaudouchy www.slh.com/cordee www.slh.com/crystal www.slh.com/eastwest www.slh.com/caprice www.slh.com/eden www.slh.com/waldhaus www.slh.com/grandhotelbellevue www.slh.com/villacastagnola www.slh.com/silvana www.slh.com/eclattaipei www.slh.com/hotelquote www.slh.com/royalchiaohsi www.slh.com/sanwant www.slh.com/thecrystal www.slh.com/staroftheeast www.slh.com/kirawira www.slh.com/serena www.slh.com/137pillarshouse www.slh.com/akarynsamui www.slh.com/akatsuki www.slh.com/aleentahuahin www.slh.com/aleenta www.slh.com/bophutresort www.slh.com/hansarbangkok www.slh.com/laflorapatong www.slh.com/maduzihotel www.slh.com/nakamanda www.slh.com/pimalai www.slh.com/s31 www.slh.com/santhiya www.slh.com/theracha www.slh.com/siamhotel www.slh.com/tongsai www.slh.com/twinpalms www.slh.com/zeavola www.slh.com/stonehaven www.slh.com/darsaid www.slh.com/lesottomans www.slh.com/marmara www.slh.com/tomtomsuites www.slh.com/desertpalm www.slh.com/castlehudson www.slh.com/castlehill www.slh.com/diamondmills www.slh.com/chandler www.slh.com/hotelella www.slh.com/shangrila www.slh.com/wailea www.slh.com/greatneck www.slh.com/millstreet www.slh.com/mirrorlake www.slh.com/rustyparrot www.slh.com/sanctuary www.slh.com/santamariasuites www.slh.com/soniathouse www.slh.com/southbridge www.slh.com/betsyhotel www.slh.com/chesterfield www.slh.com/huntington www.slh.com/irving www.slh.com/montchanin www.slh.com/iroquois www.slh.com/goldenpond www.slh.com/peacockinn www.slh.com/pillars www.slh.com/quin www.slh.com/refinery www.slh.com/pantherinn www.slh.com/talbotthotel www.slh.com/viana www.slh.com/wentworth www.slh.com/princessdannam www.slh.com/vinpearl

SWITZERLAND

TAIWAN

TANZANIA

THAILAND

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO TUNISIA TURKEY

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES USA

VIETNAM

To book visit www.slh.com

59

WHICH SLH HOTEL HAD THE BEST VIEW?

ON THE ROAD

Both Château d’Esclimont and Château de Fère offered fantastic views over landscaped gardens and woodland. But Mont Blanc in winter, covered in snow and sunshine, was probably the most impressive.

with SLH

WHERE WERE YOU MOST IMPRESSED BY THE STAFF? Hôtel Le Cep, Beaune

Q&A with Loved Member Morten Imset from Oslo, Norway

Hôtel Le Cep – all the staff were really helpful, providing information about the wine region around Beaune.

WHO WAS THE MOST INTERESTING PERSON YOU’VE MET ON A SLH TRIP? Jean-Claude Bernard, the owner of Hôtel Le Cep. WHICH SLH HOTEL HAD THE BEST SPA? Mont Blanc Hotel Village – and the views from the heated outdoor pool were fantastic.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A SLH MEMBER?

WHICH SLH HOTEL AND DESTINATION ARE NEXT ON YOUR HIT LIST?

Five years. We have stayed at eight SLH hotels.

HOW MANY DO YOU STAY AT PER YEAR? Between two and five.

WHAT FOR YOU IS THE PRINCIPAL BENEFIT OF MEMBERSHIP? Knowing we'll have excellent service at marvellous, small hotels in exciting locations.

WHICH SLH HOTEL DID YOU STAY AT MOST RECENTLY? Hôtel Le Cep in Beaune, set around courtyards with lots of old-style charm in the Burgundy wine region of France.

WHAT’S YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE SLH HOTEL? Hôtel Le Cep, the last hotel we stayed in on a fantastic tour through France that also took in the magnificent turreted Château D’Esclimont in St Symphorienle-Château near Versailles and Château de Fère, another fairy-tale château in Fère-en-Tardenois, Champagne – all arranged with the help of SLH. We were most impressed by the wonderful rooms and superb service in Beaune.

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To book visit www.slh.com

HOW MANY NIGHTS DO YOU USUALLY SPEND AT AN SLH HOTEL? One or two, although in 2010 we spent a very enjoyable week in March at Mont Blanc Hotel Village in the Italian Alps, outside the ski resort of Courmayeur. The weather was fantastic, the skiing was perfect and our home-from-home was charming with a great spa and dramatic mountain views.

Vila Monte Country & Spa Hideaway in the Algarve, Portugal, at the end of April, and Kristiania Lech in Austria, during the ski season.

Château d'Esclimont, France

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A HOTEL? A wonderful location, a high standard of service and lots of charm.

WHAT’S THE MOST EXCITING CITY YOU’VE VISITED THROUGH SLH? London. I just really love the city!

IN WHICH SLH HOTEL DID YOU HAVE YOUR BEST MEAL? At the St James’s Hotel and Club in London. The modern French-style cuisine was delicious and the service excellent.

Vila Monte Country & Spa, Algarve

R E S E R VAT I O N S

A World of Choice

iPhone app You can browse hotels, click to call or book directly from the free SLH iPhone app. Go to slh.com for details.

Facebook Browse hotels and book directly from Facebook. Follow us at www.facebook.com/smallluxuryhotelsoftheworld.

Also follow us on:

How to make a reservation The Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ reservations network spans the globe. Whether you have access to the internet, a telephone or prefer to speak to a travel agent, Small Luxury Hotels of the World gives you choice: slh.com See rooms, view rates, check availability and join The Club.

Toll Free We also offer a worldwide telephone reservation service.

Phone from many countries toll-free as listed below.

TOLL FREE RESERVATIONS United States United Kingdom Australia Belgium Brazil Canada China Denmark Finland France Germany Hong Kong India Italy Japan Malaysia Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Norway Russia (within Moscow) Russia (outside Moscow) Singapore South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Thailand

1-877-234-7033 0800 0482 314 1 800 219 010 0800 39519 0800 89 23567 1 877 542 6890 4 001 203276 80250932 0 800 9 15896 0800 949 774 0800 723 4738 800 966 234 000 800 650 1456 800 976000 006 633 813 074 1 800 8 16904 001 866 293 1774 0800 265 9162 0800 464013 800 11173 8 6628225 84 956628225 800 4411404 00798 44 341262 900 803 143 0200 125 402 0800 740 173 1800442231

Please note: The numbers listed above may not be accessible by mobile phone. If you are in any other country, please call the number in the region nearest to you. Remember, they are NOT toll free.

EUROPE +44 (0) 203 285 8911 THE AMERICAS +1 631 891 4300 ASIA/PACIFIC + 65 6232 5060

twitter.com/SLHLuxuryHotels blog.slh.com plus.google.com/+slh/posts pinterest.com/SLHLuxuryHotels Email If you would prefer to email us, please send us your enquiry to reservation@slh.com and we will endeavour to respond within 24 hours (Monday – Friday).

LX for LuXury If you have a travel partner, they will know about our unique LX (for LuXury) GDS code. They will be able to make your reservation and issue you with a written confirmation.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World is pleased to offer our travel partners instant confirmation through the airline GDS systems under the LX code for LuXury. You can locate the LX code in the following systems: • Sabre (Abacus) • Amadeus • Apollo/Galileo • Worldspan GDS Helpdesk: United States 1-800 554 5713 Visit our Travel Agents website: http://agents.slh.com

The Small Luxury Hotels of the WorldTM Brand Commitment When you book a Small Luxury Hotels of the World property using one of the reservation channels outlined above: • You will be provided with the most accurate details available about the hotel • The very best room available will be reserved for you in the category and style you select • You will receive the highest standards of personal service that all our hotels are committed to provide • And as a member of The Club of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, your personal preferences will be noted in advance and special benefits will make your stay even better.

Visit slh.com/club to join.

We guarantee the best rates at all our hotels.

If you find one of our hotels at a lower rate within 24 hours, we will refund the difference.

See www.slh.com/slhpromise.

Why not save money and pay in advance?

SLH Prepaid Rates on slh.com are at least 10% lower than the hotel’s Best Available Rate. Look for the SLH Prepaid Rate when you make your reservation at a selection of properties on slh.com (certain conditions apply)

GIFT CERTIFICATES Choose from a variety of Experience Gift Certificates including gourmet, spa, honeymoon or 1, 2, 3 night stays. Alternatively purchase monetary value Gift Certificates and give the gift of choice the world over!

To book visit www.slh.com

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SMALL LUXURY HOTELS OF THE WORLD™ EXPERIENCE ANOTHER WORLD

OVER 520 HOTELS IN MORE THAN 70 COUNTRIES

GDS CODE: LX FOR LUXURY

SLH.COM