July 2009

HOTEL HANDBOOK: SCORE GREAT DEALS!

hotels ıssue

JULY 2009

2009

IT LIST

THE 45 BEST NEW HOTELS OF THE YEAR

Hong Kong New bars, dining, museums and more CHINA GOLF BEST FIVE COURSES REVIEWED

INSIDER SECRETS CONCIERGES REVEAL 19 HIDDEN ASIAN HOTSPOTS

New York High style for less at these boutique stays travelandleisuresea.com

Exclusive must-book deals across Asia

SINGAPORE SG$6.90 ● HONG KONG HK$39 THAILAND THB160 ● INDONESIA IDR45,000 MALAYSIA MYR15 ● VIETNAM VND80,000 MACAU MOP40 ● PHILIPPINES PHP220 BURMA MMK32 ● CAMBODIA KHR20,000 BRUNEI BND6.90 ● LAOS LAK48,000

Privilege knows no boundaries.

Carried by the Global Elite, the world over.

By invitation only.

For expression of interest call Singapore: + (65) 6295 6293 Hong Kong: + (852) 2277 2233 Thailand: + (66) 2273 5445

MORE THAN JUST A CARD™

EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR AMERICAN EXPRESS® PLATINUM CARDMEMBERS Take advantage of your status with this ultimate travel experience Experience living in luxury at one of the world’s most exclusive resorts, located in paradise!

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa is the first luxury resort in the Maldives south of the equator. Offering guests a stylish experience in a spacious, boutique-style environment, the resort encompasses lush vegetation including 17,000 coconut trees, over six kilometres of picturesque coastline and nearly two kilometres of stunning white sandy beaches.

The stylishly furnished accommodation includes private ocean retreats to tropical tree house villas - unique to the Maldives - with panoramic views. Guests can enjoy a tempting selection of dining and entertainment facilities, innovative treatments at CHI, The Spa and a variety of water- based leisure activities. Explore by bicyle the five neighbouring islands connected by a 17- kilometre road. For those who seek an experience with a difference, take a cruise on a luxury yacht for lunch on the equator.

The resort is a 70-minute flight from Malé and an eight-minute boat ride from Gan Airport on Addu Atoll.

SPECIAL OFFER: PAY 3 NIGHTS, STAY 4 NIGHTS* Complimentary: • Return domestic flights from Malé to Gan • Daily half board • Upgrade to the next villa category at check-in subject to availability (Platinum Card Members only) • One CHI, The Spa experience for two guests • Guided Nature Trail Tour • Bicycle tour of Addu Atoll • Daily breakfast for 2 (a-la-carte) (Platinum Card Members only) • 4pm late check-out (Platinum Card Members only) • Special Amenity: “Relax” bath ritual for up to 2 people per villa on the last night of the stay (retail value at US$55+10%) (Platinum Card Members only) *Offer valid from July 26 to October 31, 2009. *Terms & Conditions: Minimum consecutive travel dates should begin and end within the validity date. This offer is subject to availability, 10% service charge and mandatory Maldivian Bed Tax of US$ 8.00 per person per night regardless of age. This offer is valid for Public Rates and Wholesale Rates only. Complimentary nights are on half board basis on the lowest-booked villa category and rates are subject to Maldivian Bed Tax. This offer is applicable for two persons only. The supplement of additional person will be charged for the entire duration of stay. This offer is only applicable for Pool Villa, Water Villa, Beach Villa, Twin Beach Villa and Tree House Villa and is subject to maximum occupancy per villa. CHI, The Spa Experience entitles to two one-hour treatments of choice between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Advance reservations recommended. Meal period cannot be exchanged or combined and beverages are not included. Half board is not applicable for In-Villa Dining and supplement charges will be applicable for Themed Dinner and Dine-By-Design. For safety reasons, Water Villa and Tree House Villa are not allowed for children under 12 years old. Rates do not apply to groups that consist of 5 or more villas. For group rates please contact regional sales offices or contact resort directly. Above offer is not exchangeable, transferable or refundable. It cannot be combined with any other offers. All bookings must be guaranteed with credit card and International arrival and departure flight numbers.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS EXCLUSIVE OFFER OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, CALL THE PLATINUM CARD® SERVICE: SINGAPORE: +(65) 6392 1177 HONG KONG: +(852) 2277 2233 THAILAND: +(66) 2 273 5599

(Destinations)07.09 Florence 132 New York City 44, 64 Hong Kong 20, 35, 47, 50, 56, 66, 114 Singapore 24, 34, 50, 66, 75

Kolkata 122 Siem Reap 20, 48

World Weather This Month -40oF -20oF -40oC

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Issue Index Khao Lak 20 Krabi 50 Kuala Lumpur 39 Luang Prabang 33 Phuket 20, 50 Siem Reap 20, 48 Singapore 24, 50, 66, 75 Thailand 50

ASIA Beijing 20, 66 China 88 Kolkata 122 Sanya 50 Shanghai 25, 66 Seoul 47 Tokyo 36, 47

EUROPE Florence 132 London 36 THE AMERICAS Mexico 36, 142 New York City 44, 64 U.S. 36

Currency Converter Singapore Hong Kong Thailand Indonesia Malaysia Vietnam Macau Philippines Burma Cambodia Brunei Laos US ($1)

(SGD)

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(RM)

(VND)

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(P)

(MMK)

(KHR)

(BND)

(LAK)

1.44

7.75

34.0

10,325

3.48

17,760

7.98

47.1

6.44

4,130

1.44

8,543

Source: www.xe.com (exchange rates at press time).

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(Contents)07.09

>114 A view of Hong Kong’s famed skyline.

114 Eat Drink Shop Hong Kong is nothing if not adept at rolling with the punches, writes STUART LAWRENCE. And it’s always a good time to visit.

Photographed by SAMANTHA SIN. GUIDE AND MAP 121 122 Oh! Kolkata!

GUY TREBAY navigates teeming 8

street-side markets, inspects stunning temples and uncovers a rich history in the overlooked Indian metropolis formerly known as Calcutta.

Photographed by CHRISTIAN WITKIN. GUIDE AND MAP 131 132 Rooms with a View After a meticulous seven-year restoration, the 15th-century Palazzo della Gherardesca has now evolved from a Renaissance villa into the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, where GINI ALHADEFF finds

JULY 2 0 0 9| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

remarkable frescoes, expansive gardens and delicious artisanal cooking. Photographed by SIMON WATSON. GUIDE 141 Special ● The It List > 93 This year’s list extends to some far-flung corners of the globe you might not expect. So whether you’re looking for a quick getaway in a former convent or hoping to get away from it all on a quiet beach, we’ve found the place for you.

SAMANTHA SIN

113-132 Features

HOTEL HANDBOOK: SCORE GREAT DEALS!

(Contents)07.09

JULY 2009

2009

IT LIST

hotels ıssue

THE 45 BEST NEW HOTELS OF THE YEAR

Hong Kong New bars, dining, museums and more CHINA GOLF BEST FIVE COURSES REVIEWED

INSIDER SECRETS CONCIERGES REVEAL 19 HIDDEN ASIAN HOTSPOTS

New York

Departments 12 16 18 20 22 25 142

Editor’s Note Contributors Letters Best Deals Ask T+L Strategies My Favorite Place > 44

Art Deco meets traditional Cambodian design. BY ROBYN ECKHARDT 50 Spas Not all hotel spas are created equal.

Here, we review four new and notable ones around the region. BY HUI FANG 53 Quick Getaway Three hours from Cambodia’s capital, Kampot is the perfect rustic retreat from big city life. BY NAOMI LINDT 56 Restaurants Four hotel restaurants in Hong Kong that redefine what eating in means.

BY LARA DAY

High style for less at these boutique stays travelandleisuresea.com

Exclusive must-book deals across Asia

SINGAPORE SG$6.90 ● HONG KONG HK$39 THAILAND THB160 ● INDONESIA IDR45,000 MALAYSIA MYR15 ● VIETNAM VND80,000 MACAU MOP40 ● PHILIPPINES PHP220 BURMA MMK32 ● CAMBODIA KHR20,000 BRUNEI BND6.90 ● LAOS LAK48,000

Cover On Ko Samui, Thailand.

Photographed by Nat Prakobsantisuk. Styled by Araya Indra. Hair and make-up

by Apichart Norasethaporn.

Model: Irena/Apple. Polka dot lycra swimsuit by Lacoste.

> 75

63-67 Stylish Traveler

34 Newsflash New hotels for Singapore and Luang Prabang, a refreshing fragrance from Prada, and catching up with French chef Pierre Gagnaire.

36 Eat Ordering six of our favorite roomservice burgers. BY SHANE MITCHELL 39 The Expert Three veteran concierges in Asia share their favorite spots in their cities.

BY LARA DAY 44 Check-in Their rooms may be small, but these fresh Big Apple boutique hotels have flair to spare—and friendly rates.

47 Wellness Six hotels around Asia listen to the exercise nuts and spruce up their fitness centers. BY JENNIFER CHEN 48 Room Report The still-stylish Hôtel de la Paix, where 10

> 64

75-88 T+L Journal 75 Perservation Mixing old and new, the Capella Singapore makes a bold statement about architecture and luxury.

BY JENNIFER CHEN 80 Reflections Hedonism is alive and well. So, short of staying home, can you reconcile doing good with having fun? BY PETER JON LINDBERG 83 Adventure Journeying from Battambang to Phnom Penh by rail ends up becoming a metaphor for the state of Cambodia. BY ANDREW BURKE 88 Outdoors As golf booms in China, here are five clubs across the vast country where it’s worth booking a round.

BY SPENCER ROBINSON

C L O C K W I S E F R O M FA R L E F T : M O R G A N & O W E N S ; D A R R E N S O H ; C H R I S T O P H E R S T U R M A N

33-56 Insider

63 Icon The hotel bathrobe always makes you feel right at home—even when you’re far away. BY SHANE MITCHELL 64 Fashion T+L drops into New York’s historic Mark Hotel for a sneak peek at the revamped address.

66 Beauty Take your pick of the best hotel toiletry kits from around Asia, amenities that will leave you soft and smooth.

67 Sourcebook Ever considered swiping hotel amenities?

LYNN YAEGER examines the fine line between in-room perks and sticky fingers.

(Editor’s Note) 07.09

P

LAYWRIGHT GEORGE BERNARD SHAW once remarked that, “The

great advantage of a hotel is that it’s a great refuge from home life,” and I couldn’t agree more. One of the advantages of my position is that I get to experience some of the finest hotels in the region—in fact, recently I was invited for a non-workrelated (of course) stay at a hotel in Bangkok, which seems odd considering I work not too far away. But the funny thing is that I’m very tempted; the thought of a few days’ pampering anywhere with full amenities is powerfully attractive—and I might even get to enjoy the city as a tourist again. This particular hotel caters more to business travel, but the great thing about Bangkok and most other cities and towns in Southeast Asia is the myriad choices available. Across the road is a pared-down glass-box boutique hotel; a stone’s throw away is a mid-range property by a wellknown brand; and a short hop down the road takes me to an fabulous five-star.

Since hotels are such an integral part of the travel experience, it makes perfect sense to devote one issue largely to this topic, pegged around 2009’s “It List” (page 93), T+L’s annual peek at the best new hotels worldwide, with some exceptional Asian properties making the list. But a hotels special shouldn’t just focus on the new and noteworthy, so we’ve compiled an in-depth guide to help you score better deals (“Hotel Handbook,” page 25), rounded up some of the best hotel spas in the region (“Serene Stays,” page 50), and focused on the sumptuous 15th-century property that is now the Four Seasons Florence (“Rooms with a View,” page 132).

Most (all?) of us have also, at one time or another, at least contemplated taking

those brand-name bath salts/shower gel/body lotion that good hotels always 67 (“Suite Temptations”) and e-mail me if you agree or not.—MATT LEPPARD TRAVEL + L EISURE EDITORS, WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE THE INDUSTRY’S MOST RELIABLE SOURCES. WHILE ON ASSIGNMENT, THEY TRAVEL INCOGNITO WHENEVER POSSIBLE AND DO NOT TAKE PRESS TRIPS OR ACCEPT FREE TRAVEL OF ANY KIND. 12

JU LY 2 0 0 9| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

C H E N P O VA N O N T

provide us with. A modern traveler’s dilemma? I think so: Read all about it on page

SPECIAL ISSUE

ASIAN BEACH BREAKS 26 (ALL FOR US$150 OR LESS)

TRAVEL SECRET THAI ISLANDS FAMILY 55 MUST-KNOW TIPS YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF LET ALONE VISITED!

HOTEL HANDBOOK: SCORE GREAT DEALS!

SUMMER SPECIAL

The new and the different: why go now

Mentawai 5 fresh ways to enjoy Asia’s surf capital

2009

IT LIST

THE 45 BEST NEW HOTELS OF THE YEAR

Maldives

Hainan Explore China’s tropical paradise

HIS AND HERS SIZZLING SWIMWEAR

Matt Leppard

ART EDITOR DESIGNER EDITORIAL ASSISTANT INTERN

Ellie Brannan

Paul Ehrlich Fah Sakharet Jennifer Chen Chris Kucway Wannapha Nawayon Wasinee Chantakorn Piyanant Nimakorn

JULY 2009

JUNE 2009

Beaches& Islands

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITOR-AT-LARGE ART DIRECTOR FEATURES EDITORS

hotels ıssue

Hong Kong New bars, dining, museums and more CHINA GOLF BEST FIVE COURSES REVIEWED

INSIDER SECRETS CONCIERGES REVEAL 19 HIDDEN ASIAN HOTSPOTS

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Joe Yogerst, Adam Skolnick, Robyn Eckhardt, Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, Lara Day, Naomi Lindt Cedric Arnold, Steve McCurry, Peter Steinhauer, Nat Prakobsantisuk, Graham Uden, Darren Soh

New York High style for less at these boutique stays travelandleisuresea.com

Plus: 20 money-saving travel deals

SINGAPORE SG$6.90 ● HONG KONG HK$39 THAILAND THB160 ● INDONESIA IDR45,000 MALAYSIA MYR15 ● VIETNAM VND80,000 MACAU MOP40 ● PHILIPPINES PHP220 BURMA MMK32 ● CAMBODIA KHR20,000 BRUNEI BND6.90 ● LAOS LAK48,000

travelandleisuresea.com

Exclusive must-book deals across Asia

SINGAPORE SG$6.90 ● HONG KONG HK$39 THAILAND THB160 ● INDONESIA IDR45,000 MALAYSIA MYR15 ● VIETNAM VND80,000 MACAU MOP40 ● PHILIPPINES PHP220 BURMA MMK32 ● CAMBODIA KHR20,000 BRUNEI BND6.90 ● LAOS LAK48,000

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Robert Fernhout Lucas W. Krump Pichayanee Kitsanayothin Michael K. Hirsch Kin Kamarulzaman Shea Stanley Gaurav Kumar Kanda Thanakornwongskul Supalak Krewsasaen Porames Chinwongs

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TRAVEL+LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA VOL. 3, ISSUE 7 Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is published monthly by Media Transasia Limited, Room 1205-06, 12/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2851-6963; Fax: +852 2851-1933; under license from American Express Publishing Corporation, 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the Publisher. Produced and distributed by Media Transasia Thailand Ltd., 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, 75/8 Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoeynue, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. Tel: +66 2 204-2370. Printed by Comform Co., Ltd. (+66 2 368-2942–7). Color separation by Classic Scan Co., Ltd. (+66 2 291-7575). While the editors do their utmost to verify information published, they do not accept responsibility for its absolute accuracy.

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(Contributors) 07.09 hristian Witkin has been “hugely obsessed with photographing India” since his first trip there in 1992 (“Oh! Kolkata!,” page 122). “I’ve shot all of the country’s big cities, and Kolkata is its own beast,” he says. “You hit the jam-packed streets full of grit and grime, then bump into an amazing temple in the middle of a block, and a little farther Above: Horsedrawn carriages down, encounter a beautiful, in Kolkata. Right: Christian Witkin. dilapidated Victorian structure.” Witkin also shoots for The New York Times Magazine and Vanity Fair. He lives in New York.

Simon Watson “I have a deep connection to Italy,” says the Dublinborn photographer, who has frequented Filicudi, an island near Sicily, for the past 10 years (“Rooms with a View,” page 132). He traveled to Florence to capture the Four Seasons Hotel, a converted Renaissance palace. “The staff is lovely,” he says, “but it’s the Italian courtyard that will dazzle the guests.

Watson’s work also appears in W magazine.

Andrew Burke The

prospect of riding on the roof of a train and an enduring love for Cambodia were enough to get Burke onto the country’s last passenger train (“Time Travel,” page 83). “You never remember comfortable but unremarkable trips,” he says. “A journey like this, you never forget.”

Having lived in Phnom Penh, Burke now resides in Bangkok where he reports on the region for a number of magazines.

Samantha Sin A native of Hong Kong, Sin studied photography in the U.K. before returning to the southern Chinese city to work. This month, she shoots her hometown (“Eat Drink Shop,” page 114). “It’s a good place for photographers, everything is within easy reach and, even though photography is very much an individual pursuit, in Hong Kong you’re never alone.” Currently, she is working on a corporate shoot for HSBC.

ABOVE, FROM TOP: CHRISTIAN WITKIN (2) B E L O W, F R O M FA R L E F T : C H R I S T I N E W E B E R ; C O U R T E SY O F A N D R E W B U R K E ; C O U R T E SY O F S A M A N T H A S I N

C

(Letters)07.09 insider

| eat

France’s Freshest Crop. Where can you find figs from Provence, chèvre from the Pyrenees, and almost any French comestible you can imagine? At the Pari Fermier food fair. By CHRISTOPHER PETKANAS

I

Stopping for a crêpe lunch at the Pari Fermier food fair.

Below, from left: Honey shortbread from Les Ruchers d’Enchanet; opening walnuts from the Périgord region at the OccitaNoix stand.

FRANCE

48

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2 0 0 9| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

T USED TO BE THAT the only option

open to gastronauts wanting to taste and buy a broad range of handcrafted food products from the six corners of France was to clear their calendars for five years, purchase an atlas and take to the road. Pari Fermier has changed the game. Held six times a year in and around Paris, the fair assembles in one spot up to 200 independent, smallscale producers from some 21 regions, including makers and growers of honey from the Auvergne; cider from Normandy; spice cake from LanguedocRoussillon; Espelette pepper from the Pays Basque; lentils from the Berry.

During the Pari Fermier in Paris last October, chefs gave demonstrations in a kiosque du goût using ingredients supplied by exhibitors. There was even a complimentary porter to help load your purchases into a taxi.

The event has the insider-y, narrowand-deep feel of a professional food fair, with the friendly, leisurely difference that it was conceived for the public. The €8 admission buys the right to sample everything that is sampleable (the guinea fowl and Aveyron veal roasts will make you wish you knew someone in Paris with an oven). With patience you can make a meal grazing from stand to stand, if you don’t mind abusing the generosity of the sellers. Tables, benches and a bar serving coffee are set up to encourage people to buy small portions of the foods on display and sit down to lunch.

At a past Pari Fermier, I composed a lovely meal of Philippe Labadie’s creamy oysters; Raymonde and Dominique Baële’s silky duck ham; dried lamb sausage, unknown to me and delicious, from La Ferme de Jaugeny; and prunes, fragrant and fleshy, from Pruneaux Cabos. The only thing I tried that I hope never to see again is Mon Copain J.P.’s seaweed tartare.

Farm to Table Clockwise from far right: Sheep’s-milk Tomme from the Famille Marty farm, in Tarn; fresh goat’s- and cow’smilk cheeses from Marayn de Bartassac dairy in the southwest of France; sampling the sweet milk confiture produced by Mille Pattes, a farm in Languedoc-Rousillon; greens from the village of St.-Julien-Aux-Brois, in central France.

SHOPPING LIST There are up to 200 producers and farmers at the Pari Fermier food fair, held six times a year.

How to decide which to visit?

Below, a handful of our favorites.

L’Escargotière Bonvalot Escargots La Ferme Fruirouge Cassis vinegar and mustard

While 60 percent of the participants have farms or other operations you can visit, a quarter also offer lodgings.

Information about visits and rooms is usually included on cards or brochures, so it pays to pick them up. Not every item at the fair is organic, but all producers adhere to an eight-point sustainable-agriculture charter, are vetted with on-site inspections, and are required to personally man their stands to conduct tastings, answer questions and smile. In this way you can meet the faces behind the fig syrup, chutney and compote of Les Figuières, which cultivates more than 150 varieties of the fruit in Provence; the cassis vinegar and mustard of La Ferme Fruirouge, in Burgundy; the handpicked walnuts of OccitaNoix, in the Périgord; the brine-

washed goat cheese of Maison Lanset, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques; the freerange escargots, raised on a diet of wild botanicals, of L’Escargotière Bonvalot in the Jura; and the unctuous wholesheep’s-milk confiture (for spreading on crêpes) of Mille Pattes, in the Lozère. If there’s a better way of spending a day in Paris, I don’t know what it is.

May 8-10: Pari Fermier à Rambouillet, Bergerie Nationale, Parc du Château de Rambouillet. May 30–June 1: Le Village Fermier de Levallois, Jardins de l’Hôtel de Ville, Levallois-Perret. October 16–19: Pari Fermier, Espace Champerret, Rue Jean Oestreicher, Porte de Champerret, 17th Arr.; 33-1/44-54-90-06; parifermier.com.

Photographed by MARIE HENNECHART

La Ferme de Jaugeny Lamb sausage La Ferme du Leconet Seasonal, organic vegetables; goat cheeses Les Figuières Fig syrup, chutney and compote Les Ruchers d’Enchanet Honey and honey products Maison Lanset Goat cheeses Maraÿn de Bartassac Cow’s-, goat’s- and sheep’s-milk cheeses Mille Pattes Sheep’s-milk confiture OccitaNoix Walnuts; walnut oils and pastes Philippe Labadie Oysters Pruneaux Cabos Prunes Raymonde and Dominique Baële Duck ham

T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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49

LETTER OF THE MONTH Don’t Get Fresh With Me

I really can’t stand it when you feature stories like the one about local produce in France [“France’s Freshest Crop,” May 2009]. Inevitably, I’ll sit down to read these food tales and walk away starving: “unctuous wholesheep’s-milk confiture (for spreading on crêpes)…” Are you serious? I can’t buy organic vegetables, fresh goat cheeses or locally caught oysters without a financial bailout. What kind of magazine would print such stories? Are you really trying to make me travel to Paris and eat at a local market? Actually, that sounds like a great idea to me!

— H A N NA H

B E RT R A N D , JA K A RTA

Europe For Less?

I agree with your editor-in-chief that, despite money being generally tight right now, many of your readers will be traveling to Europe this year and next, so thanks for an excellent Europe issue.

✉

However, your definition of “affordable” in the hotels section [“8 Affordable European Hotels,” May 2009] seems to be stretching things a bit. OK, so it breaks the T+L mold of regarding anything for less than US$250 per night as affordable, but even €89 may be a little spendy for a lot of readers.— M A R K G O H , S I N G A P O R E Keep No Secrets Instead of ranting and raving about the lost jewels of Asia [“Paradise Rebranded,” May 2009], perhaps Anthony Mecir should have spent more time on what we travelers can do to improve things at popular sights. He did touch on this, but more information on making a positive change would have been useful since the topic does veer into nostalgia too easily. Even he agrees with that. Keeping places you think are special secret is not the answer either. Things may not be as they once were, but we could all travel responsibly to keep what’s left.

— S A L LY

BU N K M A N , H O N G KO N G

Flying Designs Thanks for the peek inside the new Qantas A380 [“Superjet,” April 2009] and the story behind the Australianborn designer who worked on the plane’s interior. It’s always interesting to get a behind-the-scenes look at a place I’ll likely never see in person (I’m speaking of the first-class suites on the lower deck there). That said, I can at least aim for premium economy on the top deck.— PAU L S T R E N , S Y D N E Y

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T he Fairest of them all .

The Fairest of them all

Photographed at The Langham, London

Shop in splendour and stay at The Langham in Peking Road, the city’s most enviable shopping location.

With temptation everywhere, you might want to bring an extra suitcase....or three.

(Best Deals) 07.09 The just-opened Fairmont Beijing.

We found some of the region’s most attractive bargains for you ■ CHINA Introductory offer at the Fairmont Beijing (86-10/8511-7777; fairmont.com). What’s Included A complimentary night with one night’s stay. Cost From RMB1,288, through September 30. Savings 50 percent.

Golf package at the Shangri-La Hotel, Fuzhou (86-591/8798 8288; shangri-la.com).

What’s Included Accommodation in a deluxe room; daily breakfast; a free round of 18-hole golf (AMAI or Hot Spring Golf Club), including green, caddie and insurance fees; round-trip transfers between the hotel and the golf club; RMB300 credit for the hotel’s F&B outlets; and late check-out until 5 P.M. Cost RMB1,580, through December 31. Savings 20 percent.

■ CAMBODIA Exclusive offer to T+L Southeast Asia readers, the Stay Two Nights, Get the Third Night for Free at The Sothea (65/6260-9512; preferredboutique.com/sothea) in Siem Reap. What’s Included A three-night stay for the price of two; daily breakfast; a welcome drink; butler service; and complimentary Wi-Fi, laundry, mini-bar and a bottle of wine. Cost From 20

US$320 per night, through September 20; cite the “TNL” code when booking. Savings Up to 54 percent.

■ MALAYSIA Value Stay package at the Hotel Nikko Kuala Lumpur (60-3/2161-1111; hotelnikko. com.my). What’s Included Daily breakfast; return airport transfers; complimentary broadband Internet access; complimentary daily laundry for three pieces; complimentary local calls; a 20 percent discount on spa treatments at the hotel spa and 15 percent discount at the hotel salon; and late check-out until 3 P.M. (subject to availability). Cost From RM780, through December 31. Savings 60 percent.

■ THAILAND Family Stay and Play package at Le Méridien Khao Lak (66-76/427-539; lemeridien.com).

What’s Included Accommodation in Deluxe Garden View room and a second room for free for children; daily breakfast; 50 percent discount on dining for children between 3–12; free dining for children under 3; and US$20 credit for activities. Cost Bt4,500 per night, through October 31. Savings 60 percent. ✚

JULY 2 0 0 9| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

HONG KONG Credit Crunch package at The Fleming (852/36072225; thefleming.com.hk).

What’s Included A twonight stay for the price of one; daily breakfast; free mini-bar; a 10 percent discount on F&B, excluding wine; and standard perks such as free Internet and local calls, and 10 percent off laundry and business center services. Cost From HK$1,880, through August 31 (for pre-paid bookings made at least 14 days in advance); extra nights start at HK$838.

Savings Up to 70 percent.

The lobby of The Fleming.

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E SY O F FA I R M O N T B E I J I N G ; C O U R T E SY O F T H E F L E M I N G

DEAL OF THE MONTH

I’ll be visiting Bangkok this summer and want to head to a beach without flying. Where should I go?

—LOUIS PERRIN, SHANGHAI

MY HUSBAND IS A CARRACING NUT. HOW CAN I BUY HIM TICKETS TO THE SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX AND THE RACE IN MACAU? —BETTY TING, HONG KONG

A:Automotive fans have two chances to see some top- flight racing in Southeast Asia. The Singapore Grand Prix takes place this year on September 27, with qualifying rounds held the previous two days.

Tickets are available at singaporegp. sg, priced from S$128 on race day and from S$28 on the other days.

The course is laid out through the city’s Marina district and offers no less than 10 grandstands for viewing.

In November, the Macau Grand Prix (www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo) includes races over four days, with two days of qualifying. Tickets for race days start at MOP300.

22

One option immediately springs to mind. A few hours southeast of Bangkok is Ko Samet, an island with 14 beaches only 40 minutes by ferry from the mainland. Samet is busiest on its east coast, with a mix of accommodations in every price range and with a variety of bars and restaurants sure to keep everyone sated. On Ao Wong Duean, one of the larger beaches on the island, is the comfortable Samet Cabana (samedcabana.com), where rates start at Bt3,200 a night. On the west and quieter side of the island at Ao Prao is Lima Coco (limacoco.com) where stylishly smart guest rooms start at Bt2,590.

I’d like to know where I can go jogging when I’m visiting Kuala Lumpur in September.

—TED STEPHENS, SEATTLE

Jogging in any large Asian city is always problematic, but Kuala Lumpur has some excellent options to lace up and set off. In the center of the city, there is a gently undulating track in the park next to the Petronas Towers. For those with more time on their hands, head out to Taman Tasik Perdana, or Lake Gardens, which is a fantastic setting for a run. The tranquil park dates back to the 1880’s and is home to an orchid garden, a butterfly park with more than 6,000 butterflies and Carcosa Seri Negara, a beautifully restored pair of 19th-century mansions. A third option is Taman Tasik Titiwangsa in

✉

the north of Kuala Lumpur—another public park with jogging paths, and one popular with locals. At each of these locations, if the groups of runners are any indication, early morning tends to be the best time for a run.

Can you tell me where I can get some great flight deals in Asia?

—CHUTIMAPORN SWING, BANGKOK

Almost all the region’s airlines are offering deals this summer, so it’s really just a matter of keeping up to date with your favorite carrier. Until the end of November, Cathay Pacific (cathaypacific.com) is promoting flights to Malaysia, either Kuala Lumpur or Penang, with airfares priced from HK$1,350 out of Hong Kong. There’s a healthy number of domestic discounts available on Malaysia Airlines (malaysiaairlines.com), though the Kuala Lumpur–Singapore international route has return flights priced at RM125. For its part, Singapore Airlines (singaporeair.com) has a long list of fare deals around the world, though these are constantly changing so it’s best to check the carrier’s website for updates. Thai Airways (thaiairways.com) has round-trip flights between Bangkok and Phuket for Bt2,120. And don’t forget budget carriers such as Air Asia X (airasia.com) or Jetstar Airways (jetstar.com), both of which constantly list discounted airfares online. With all airlines, remember that these restricted fares are often not eligible for mileage or upgrades, and most importantly, watch for additional surcharges and taxes, which can add up to 30 percent onto the listed price of a ticket.

E-MAIL T+L SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO TLEDITOR @ MEDIATRANSASIA.COM. QUESTIONS CHOSEN FOR PUBLICATION MAY BE EDITED FOR CLARITY AND SPACE .

JULY 2 0 0 9| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

I L L U S T R AT E D BY WA S I N E E C H A N TA KO R N

Q:

(Ask T+L)07.09

From its breathtaking location on a headland jutting into the Gulf of Thailand, Six Senses Hideaway Samui is everything that breathes life into the word idyllic.

Honored with plaudits such as Number One in the World, by the readers of CondĂŠ Nast Traveller 2008, this all-villa resort redefines hospitality for this beautiful island.

SIX SENSES HIDEAWAY SAMUI Koh Samui, Thailand T: +66 (0) 77 2 45678 E: reservations-samui@sixsenses.com www.sixsenses.com

(Strategies) 07.09

D AV I E S + S TA R R . D I A R Y B Y S M Y T H S O N O F B O N D S T R E E T ; W AT C H B Y M O N T B L A N C

The T+L Hotel Handbook To help improve— and save money on—your next hotel experience, we’ve done the research for you.

Here, you’ll find the latest tips on loyalty programs, avoiding hidden fees and getting a better room rate. PLUS great booking sites.

Illustrated by RYAN HESHKA

25

handbook CLOSER LOOK

THE LOWDOWN ON L O YA LT Y P R O G R A M S

FIVE PROGRAMS TO JOIN NOW Our favorite loyalty plans at a glance HILTON

The only program that counts award stays toward elite status; allows hotel-stay credit to be used for both HHonors points and airline miles (more than 60 participating carriers); no blackout dates for award bookings.

HYAT T

No blackout dates for award bookings; gives Elite Diamond members four upgrades a year on paid suites; allows you to convert points into miles on 30 airlines.

INT ERCONT INENTAL

Points never expire; no blackout dates for award bookings; special promotions let you redeem as few as 5,000 points for some rooms.

MARRIOT T

Use 33 percent fewer points for hotels on PointSavers list; no blackout dates for award bookings; lets you pay for an upgrade in cash when you book a room with points.

STARWOOD

Cash-and-points program lets you make up with cash when you’re short on points; no blackout dates for award bookings; you can get a room for as few as 2,000 points.

D AV I E S + S TA R R . T R O L L E Y B Y T I TA N

strategies | hotel

H O W FA R Y O U R M O N E Y G O E S I N S H A N G H A I Luxury, mid-range and budget hotels worldwide are enticing guests with free nights and reduced rates. T+L compares four hotels to see where you’ll find the best value.

Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu; 86-21/6279-8888; ritz-carlton.com

Park Hyatt Shanghai 100 Century Ave., Pudong; 86-21/6888-1234; shanghai.park.hyatt.com

The Langham Yangtze Boutique 740 Hankou Lu; 86-21/6080-0800; langhamhotels.com

The Ivy Shanghai 709 Jiaozhou Lu; 86-21/3221-2600; ivyshanghaihotel.com

Towards the west end of the city, the hotel offers 610 modern, comfortable guest rooms.

Exquisite service and design on the 79th–93rd floors of the Shanghai World Financial Center.

Opened in May, this 96room hotel is housed in a historic Art Deco building.

Funky décor and butler service on every floor set this 46-room hotel apart.

Rack Rate

RMB4,000 per night, double

RMB5,000 per night, double

RMB3,000 per night, double

RMB1,300 per night, double

Deal

The Reconnect package offers deluxe rooms for RMB1,400 per night.

Doubles for RMB1,920 per night with 7-day advance purchase (non-refundable).

Introductory offers include RMB1,700 per night for a double.

If booking online, you can score a double for RMB650 per night.

What You Get

Stay two nights and receive US$50 in credit; stay three nights and receive US$100 in credit.

A 55–60 sq. meter room with king-size bed, Wi-Fi, inroom espresso machine and sky-high views.

A stay in a king room with breakfast for two.

At 26 sq. meters, the king room is small but the rate does include Wi-Fi and breakfast for two.

Bottom Line

A good deal for one of the city’s top-flight hotels that’s conveniently located on a main commercial drag.

More than 60 percent off the rack rate at Shanghai’s classiest property.

Guests save 43 percent, though note rooms, starting at 31 sq. meters, are on the small side.

One of Shanghai’s best affordable options, though service can be patchy if well-meaning.

Hotel

TO P : © P E T E R H A N S E N / D R E A M ST I M E .CO M . M I D D L E F RO M L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F R I T Z - C A R LT O N ; D A R R E N S O H ( 3 ) . B E L O W : © L U C C A D I F I L I P P O / I S T O C K P H O T O . C O M

Highlights

WEB TIPS THE LATEST ONLINE-BOOKING ADVICE

handbook THE FINE PRINT

HIDDEN HOTEL FEES

HOW TO GET A BETTER R O O M R AT E Like airfares, hotel prices can vary dramatically between sources—and from one day to the next. Aggregator websites such as kayak.com are a good place to start, but it pays to search thirdparty sites such as Expedia and hotels.com as well—they often run one-time deals you won’t find elsewhere. And don’t overlook the old-fashioned way, the telephone: a reservationist or travel agent may know of a non-Internet deal that you simply can’t refuse.

—MEEGHAN TRUELOVE T+L TEST CASE THE ROOM

A standard double at the Fairmont Singapore (fairmont.com) for Saturday, July 18, 2009.

RATES OFFERED LOWEST

Kayak S$194

Hotels.com S$196

Expedia S$196

Zuji S$230.69

Asiarooms S$253

fairmont.com HIGHEST

S$280

F R O M L E F T : I M A G E S O U R C E / J U P I T E R I M A G E S ; S T E V E H A M B L I N /A L A M Y

strategies | hotel

Ascott_25Anniv_T+LSEA 266.3x203.2mm(48).o_OK.indd 1

4/6/09 23:36:14

strategies | wine

Asia’s Best Wine Shops A quick tour of four cities in the region offers up some top stops for budding sommeliers. By CH’NG POH TIONG

BEIJING

HONG KONG

SINGAPORE

Globus Wine Shops (above) 376 Wukang Lu (near Hunan Lu), and two other locations; 8621/6466-8969; www. globus-wine.com

Top Cellar (above) 1 Guang Hua Lu, Chaoyang District, and three other locations; 86/139-1148-6749; www.topcellar.com.cn

Ponti Wine Cellars (above) Ground floor, 118–130 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, and two other locations; 852/2730-1889; www.ponti-fwc.com

Crystal Wines #01-02/03, Valley Point, 491 River Valley Rd.; 65/6737-3540; www. crystalwines.com

1ST RUNNER-UP

Vin 118 Xingye Lu, intersection of Madang Lu; 86-21/6385-2127; www.vin-world.com

Aussino Cellar No. 66, Gongti Bei Lu, Dongcheng District; 8610/6552-0133; www. aussino.net

Rare and Fine Wines Bank of East Asia Building, 10 Des Voeux Rd., Central, and two other locations; 852/2522-9797; www. rarenfinewines.com.hk

Vinum (above) Level 3, Unit 20/21, Shaw Centre; 1 Scotts Rd.; 65/6735-3700; www.vinum.com.sg

2ND RUNNER-UP

Aussino Wine Shop No. 816, Changle Lu; 86-21/6248-7715; www. aussino.net

Cellar Le Pinot Shop 5, Zuncai Apartment, Oriental Plaza, Wangfujing, Dongcheng District; 86-10/8515-1715; www. lepinot.com

Watsons Level LG1, Great Food Hall, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, and more than a dozen other locations; 852/2526-2832; www.watsonswine.com

The Oaks Cellars #B2-03/04, Great World City, 1 Kim Seng Promenade; 65/6835-3511

BEST

SHANGHAI

If you are interested in receiving Ch’ng Poh Tiong's newsletters, please e-mail him at wine@pacific.net.sg

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F RO M L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F G LO B U S W I N E S H O PS ; CO U RT ESY O F TO P C E L L A R ; CO U RT ESY O F P O N T I W I N E C E L L A R S ; CO U RT ESY O F V I N U M ; © P I E T U S / D R E A M ST I M E .CO M

is often a constant traveler. He or she continually flits to and from foreign locales, orders wine knowingly in restaurants and has a keen sense of where to buy favorite bottles. Around Asia, that last act isn’t always so simple—or inexpensive. Hong Kong, for instance, is one of the best cities in the world to buy wine from a shop, but not necessarily to drink in public. After wine duties were abolished in February 2008, the city became a wine paradise overnight. Retail prices in Hong Kong are certainly competitive. Surprisingly, though, when it comes to ordering the same bottles in a restaurant or hotel, Singapore remains less expensive because the overheads of doing business are, generally speaking, lower in the island republic. There is, however, a growing thorn on the side of wine lovers in Singapore: the 7 percent GST on top of wine duties.

Criteria for choosing these wine shops include pricing, the selection of labels, range, the quality of wine storage (including temperature and humidity controls), the availability of wine accessories, the knowledge of staff and operating hours. Also, in compiling the best wine shops in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore, I’ve also called on the help of readers of my weekly e-newsletters, GrapeVine and SOA (Sommeliers of Asia).

T

HE MODERN-DAY WINE LOVER

Good rubs.

Four new and notable hotel spas around Asia <(page 50)

Well done.

Six of the best burgers that room service has to offer <(page 36)

Taste test.

Sample four outstanding hotel restaurants in Hong Kong (page 56) >

+

• Art Deco revisited in Siem Reap • Tips from Asia’s top concierges • Singapore’s newest boutique stay

(Insider) Photo credit by tktktk

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F N U H O T E L ; C O U R T E S Y O F A N A N TA R A S I K A O ; A D A M W I S E M A N ; C O U R T E S Y O F H O T E L D E L A P A I X ; L A R A D AY

Flair to spare.

Boutique hotels with good rates in New York <(page 44)

Where to GoWhat to EatWhere to StayWhat to Buy

FEB MROUNATRHY 2 0 0 7 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E . C O M

000

| newsflash

Summer Scent Prada debuts its Ephemeral Infusion Collection—a limited edition line that will consist of one fragrance a year—with Infusion de Fleur d’Oranger.

Created by perfumer Daniela Andrier, orange blossom is given depth with the addition of mandarin oil, while an overall sweetness is injected into the mix with neroli (the distilled essence of orange blossom) and notes of jasmine and tuberose.

It’s the essence of summer, which the venerable Italian fashion house thoughtfully packages with its own funnel and travel decanter.

— H U I FA N G

Brave New Hotel A new breed of hotels is starting to turn up in Southeast Asia: urban stays that are oh-so-hip and all-inclusive. At Singapore’s Quincy (22 Mount Elizabeth; 65/6738-5888; quincy.com.sg), which debuted in February, the complimentary favors kick in once you land, with a limousine transfer from the airport, and continue well after check-in: free Wi-Fi access, mini-bar, evening cocktails, and breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hotel—not bad for rates that start at S$208. Residents also have access to a heated swimming pool on the 12th floor and iMacs in the lobby. In the 108 stylishly spare guest rooms, the hotel offers perks such as 42-inch plasma TV, feather duvets and Molton Brown toiletries.— H U I FA N G

TREND

HOTEL

LAO LUXE BEAUTY

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Accommodations in Luang Prabang just got fancier. Finally opening its doors, the eagerly awaited Amantaka (55/3 Kingkitsarath Rd., Ban Thongchaleun; 856-71/860-333; amanresorts.com; suites from US$400) — the latest from resort guru Adrian Zecha and his team — is located in a compound of 32 French colonial buildings once occupied by the provincial hospital. Expect the usual Aman touches in the property’s 24 suites: refined décor that alludes to the town’s heritage, lofty spaces, and well-stocked bathrooms and private bars. The two largest suites — which each sprawl over 120 square meters — have their own verandas, pools and spa treatment rooms. If exploring the pristine environs and beautiful temples doesn’t provide enough amusement, the resort also has a yoga studio, tennis courts, a library and an art gallery.

R I G H T CO LU M N , F RO M TO P : CO U RT ESY O F Q U I N CY ( 2 ) ; CO U RT ESY O F A M A N R ES O RTS

insider

Left: Ponte Nuev, Paris at night.

Below: Pierre Gagnaire.

F RO M L E F T: © S E D M A K / D R E A M ST I M E .CO M ; CO U RT ESY O F P I E R R E GAG N A I R E

Rd., Central; 852/2820-8590]—I worked 30 years ago with the executive chef Roland Tyrel in Paris—and the Mandarin Grill at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong [5 Connaught Rd., Central; 852/2825-4004].” ● Quintessential Hong Kong

FIVE QUE STIONS

Pierre Gagnaire T+L Southeast Asia catches up with the iconoclastic French chef and, with restaurants from London to Hong Kong, seasoned globetrotter. By JENNIFER CHEN ● Favorite food city “My favorite city would have to be Paris, because of the beauty of city, the romantic atmosphere, the quality of the products, the know-how of the chefs and, of course, the wine!”

● Hong Kong hotspots “Grissini

[Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Rd., Wanchai; hongkong.grand.hyatt.com; 852/2588-1234] where my good friend Marco Avitabile works. I also like Isola [3rd floor, IFC Mall 2, 8 Finance St., Central; 852/2383-8765], Lei Garden [3rd floor, IFC Mall 2, 8 Finance St., Central; 852/2295-0238], the food court [café TOO] and Petrus at the [Island] Shangri-La [Pacific Place, Supreme Court

food moment “I have to say that the experience of having dim sum at City Hall [Maxim’s Palace, City Hall, Connaught Rd., Central; 852/2526-9931] is fascinating for a foreigner.” ● Downtime “I don’t have that much free time when I am in Hong Kong, but I like going to the Peak, or take a boat and go swimming, or have a tea at the Peninsula, a glass of champagne at the China Club [Old Bank of China Building; Bank St., Central; 852/2521-8888] or just visit the amazing food markets of the town without forgetting a good foot massage afterwards!” ● Ideal holiday “With my loved ones, silence, books, a pencil, an eraser and a piece of paper.”

insider

| eat The burger at New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Four Seasons Hotel is 284 grams of Niman Ranch beef.

lag is a juicy room-service burger. Here, T+L picks six of our hotel favorites. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only one question to ponder before ordering: Want fries with that? By SHANE MITCHELL 36

JULY

2 0 0 9| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

D AV I D N I C O L A S

Cheeseburger Heaven. Sometimes the best antidote to jet

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F T H E P A R K H YAT T T O K Y O ; C O U R T E S Y O F E N C H A N T M E N T R E S O R T ; A D A M W I S E M A N ; D AV I D N I C O L A S ; C O U R T E S Y O F T H E C O N N A U G H T ; C O U R T E S Y O F T H E K A H A L A H O T E L & R E S O R T

THE ULTIMATE ROOM-SERVICE CHEESEBURGERS (AND WHERE TO FIND THEM)

Tokyo: Park Hyatt

Arizona: Mii Amo at Enchantment

New York City: Four Seasons

Say arigato to a grilled Wagyu beef burger smothered in melted cheddar on a toasted sesame bun. Toppings include lettuce, tomato, red onion and a sour pickle slice. Make sure to special order the New York Grill’s golden-brown shoestring taters, which are fried in duck fat. 3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku; 81-3/53221234; park.hyatt.com; Y2,400.

Go healthy with this resort spa’s veggie burger, made with rolled oats, quinoa, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, bell pepper, cremini and portobello mushrooms, red onion, garlic, parsley, thyme, oregano, and egg whites. Served with lettuce, tomato and sweet-onion ketchup, it adds up to only 208 calories— unless you add Vermont white cheddar cheese (recommended!). 525 Boynton Canyon Rd., Sedona; 1-928/203-8500; miiamo.com; US$13.

This natural Niman Ranch beef burger weighs in at a hefty 284 grams, and that’s not counting the hickory-smoked bacon and Vermont cheddar cheese (or a special order of Maytag blue), all on a toasted brioche bun. It’s served with lettuce, sliced tomatoes and raw onions, with an ample side of steak fries. 57 E. 57th St.; 1212/758-5700; fourseasons.com; US$30.

Honolulu: Kahala Resort

London: The Connaught

Mexico City: Habita

Aloha here means a Hawaiian-style, coarse-ground angus beef patty topped with a fried egg, bacon, guacamole, white cheddar and shaved onions on a toasted Kaiser roll. On the side: paprika-seasoned fries, spicy ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard.

5000 Kahala Ave.; 1-808/739-8888; kahalaresort.com; US$20.

Your personal butler will deliver a Wagyu beef burger—on bespoke Wedgwood china—topped with a special reserve Gruyère. The organic sesame-seed buns are baked daily in the hotel kitchen. Carlos Place; 44-20/74997070; the-connaught.co.uk; £22.

At this Polanco-district hot spot, room service delivers a hearty lamb burger with Roquefort and lime mayonnaise.

The wedge-cut potatoes, seasoned with truffle salt, are perfectas. 201 Ave. Presidente Masaryk; 52-55/5282-3100; hotelhabita.com; 205 pesos.

T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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C O M | J U LY

2009

37

the expert | insider Concierges Tell All. T+L asks some of the top concierges in the business to give us the low-down on their cities: the best bars, restaurants and more. By LARA DAY

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F M A N D A R I N O R I E N TA L H O N G K O N G ; C O U R T E S Y O F C H I N A C L U B ; C O U R T E S Y O F G A I A ; © T H O R J O R G E N U D VA N G / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M ; C O U R T E S Y O F K E E C L U B

Giovani Valenti Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong BACKGROUND Giovanni Valenti came to Hong Kong by way of London, Cannes and his native Florence.

Fluent in multiple languages, he has been head concierge of the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong for 27 years. “Very often when guests arrive at the hotel, the first thing they do is come up to me and say, ‘Giovanni, bonjour!’” he says.

TRAVEL TIP “You really need four or five days to enjoy yourself in Hong Kong. If the weather is good you can spend a whole day just in Stanley—take bus No. 6 from Central, for HK$7.90.”

GREAT VALUE

SHANGHAI STYLE “For Chinese food, I book the China Club [13th floor, Old Bank of China Building, Bank St., Central; ●

852/2521-8888; dinner for two HK$650]. It has a wonderful 1930’s Shanghai atmosphere and excellent live music. After dinner, go out onto the balcony. The view is incredible! It’s paradise in a beautiful city.” ●

MUST-SEE SIGHTS “Of course you have to go to the

Peak for the views, but if the weather is a little bit foggy

don’t waste your time as you don’t see anything.” ● A TASTE OF HOME “I left Florence 42 years ago but I still love Italian cooking. Gaia [Ground floor, Grand Millennium Plaza, 181 Queen’s Rd. Central; 852/2167-8200; www. gaiaristorante.com; dinner for two HK$1,000] does real Italian food—even a simple fish can be beautiful. The terrace is like a piazza in Rome.”

Hong Kong’s Best From top: Giovanni Valenti of the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong; China Club; octopus salad at Gaia; Victoria Peak; inside Kee Club.

● WHERE TO BE SEEN “Hong Kong’s crème de la crème go to Kee Club [6th floor, 32 Wellington St., Central; 852/28109000; keeclub.com]—you can dance, drink, have dinner. For important guests, I call the manager and ask them to do something special: send a flute of champagne, a little touch, very discreet.” »

T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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C O M| J U LY

2009

39

insider

| the expert Agung Prabowo Hotel Indonesia Kempinski BACKGROUND Formerly the concierge of The Park Lane hotel, Jakarta local Agung Prabowo is now chief concierge of the historic Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, Jakarta’s first five-star hotel, newly reopened this February.

SENSATIONAL SATÉ “I always recommend things that Jakarta people would do. Satay House Senayan [No. VI/6 Jln. Pakubuwono; 62-21/739-5021; dinner for two Rp250,000] is a great restaurant specializing in saté and gado-gado. It’s very casual.”

●

OLD BATAVIA “Go to Dapur Babah on Jalan Veteran 1, near Merdeka Square [No. 18–19 Jln. Veteran I; 62-21/3855653; dinner for two Rp450,000], for good Indonesian food with Javanese and Chinese influences. The antique décor takes you back to the Jakarta of long ago.”

LAID-BACK LOUNGE “Dragonfly [Graha BIP, No. 23 Jln. Gatot Subroto; 62-21/520-6789] is one of my favorite places for a quiet drink. I like the crowd and the modern Asian décor—the music is good and not too loud so you can really relax.”

●

ALL-NIGHT PARTY “For a fun night out, go to Plaza Senayan [No. 8 Jln. Asia Afrika]. Red Square [Plaza Senayan

●

Insider’s Jakarta Clockwise from top: Agung Prabowo of Hotel Indonesia Kempinski; batik making; gado-gado; mixing drinks at Red Square; Dapur Babah restaurant; Dragonfly.

Arcadia, Units X-105, Jln. New Delhi–Pintu I Senayan; 6221/5790-1281; redsquarejakarta.com; drinks for two Rp500,000] is a vodka bar where the bartender does fantastic juggling performances, and X2 [4th–5th floors, Plaza Senayan; 62-21/572-5559; drinks for two Rp500,000] has an industrial feel and a really good sound system.”

JAKARTA COUTURE “Oscar Lawalata is one of Indonesia’s most talented designers. His boutique Oscar Lawalata Culture on Jalan Panglima Polim VII [62-21/722-9065; oscarlawalata.net] carries his brands Oscar Couture, which focuses on high-end glamour, and O2L, which does popular fashion.”

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ARTS AND CRAFTS “For those interested in traditional Indonesian batik, Iwan Tirta’s boutiques offer batik lessons for customers [iwantirtabatik.com]. I like the one on Jalan Panarukan 25, [in] Menteng—the staff are really friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about batik.” »

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F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F H O T E L I N D O N E S I A K E M P I N S K I ; © R A M O N M A R K U S K A D I / B L O O M P Y. C O M ; © A S I A F O T O / I S T O C K P H O T O . C O M ; C O U R T E S Y O F D A P U R B A B A H ; © E R W I N O VA / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M ; C O U R T E S Y O F R E D S Q U A R E

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| the expert

Classic KL From top right: The Village Bar; Chandira Segaran of the RitzCarlton; teh tarik.

Chandira Segaran, Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur BACKGROUND Since studying interior design, chief concierge Chandira Segaran has been with the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur for 16 years, and advising guests on his city’s top destinations for 12.

CITY OF FOOD “Kuala Lumpur is a food heaven, with excellent Chinese, Indian and Malay cuisine. Enak [Starhill Gallery, 181 Jln. Bukit Bintang; 60-3/2141-8973; enalkl.com; lunch for two RM100] does Malay family recipes, passed from generation to generation, all prepared in the traditional way—they still use stone bowls to grind their spices, and the aroma is magnificent.” ●

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TEA TIME “I love the teh tarik [Malaysian milk tea] at

Societé Café & Wine Bar [S23-27, 2nd Floor, Lot 10 Shopping

Centre, 50 Jln. Sultan Ismail; tea for two RM12]. It’s a local favorite and very different from normal tea.”

Foodie Heaven Clockwise from above: Taking a break at a food stall on Jalan Alor; outside of Bar Savanh; inside Enak restaurant.

● TOP TIPPLES “Village Bar [Starhill Gallery, 181 Jln. Bukit Bintang; 60-3/2782-3852; drinks for two RM40] is a popular after-work hangout and offers excellent ambience and value; you can get a beer for just RM14. The whole place is decorated with stacked bottles—you really need to experience it.” ... “I recommend Bar Savanh [Asian Heritage Row, Jln. Doraisamy; 60-3/2697-1180; drinks for two RM70] because of the R&B music they play and the subtle ambience, and they have cool themes like retro nights.”

MAKAN STREET “At night you have Jalan Alor, a hawker’s street where you get really good street food.

If it rains there’s no shelter, otherwise people just eat along the road.”

GREAT VALUE

SHOP LIKE A LOCAL “Central Market [1st–3rd floors, 10 Jln. Hang Kasturi] isn’t just a touristy place. It’s a hot spot for gifts, crafts, local cuisine and antique corners. Street portrait artists are another popular highlight there.” ✚

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F R O M T O P : D A N I E L K O O ; C O U R T E S Y O F R I T Z - C A R LT O N K U A L A L U M P U R ; © I S S E Y / I S T O C K P H O T O . C O M ; © M I N G T H E I N / M I N G T H E I N . C O M ; C O U R T E S Y O F B A R S AVA N H ; C O U R T E S Y O F E N A K

insider

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insider | check-in

New York: High Style for Less. Their rooms may be small, but these fresh Big Apple boutique hotels have flair to spareâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and the friendly rates will surprise you. Photographed by MORGAN & OWENS

U.S.A.

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Looking west from a fifth-floor room at The Standard, in New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Meatpacking District.

DOWNTOWN THE STANDARD André Balazs understands that stellar views in New York City have less to do with the height of a building than with its context. The perennial hotelier to the hip—and in this case, hip and budgetconscious—has opened his fourth Standard hotel, on a Meatpacking District site surrounded by low-lying warehouses. The result: practically every room has stunning skyline or Hudson River vistas. Vast swaths of glass work to that end. At full operation later this year, the hotel will have two restaurants and five bars, and the building straddles the High Line, the freight railway that’s being turned into a much-hyped city park. T+L TIP In some rooms, it’s possible to sit in the tub and see the Statue of Liberty. 848 Washington St.; 1-212/6454646; standardhotels.com; doubles from US$295.

GREAT THE JANE While The Jane, VALUE designed by Sean MacPherson (The Bowery hotel, The Maritime hotel), is romantic in theory—an old riverfront building with tiny rooms modeled after European train sleeper cars—keep in mind that a New York hotel with starting rates in the double digits comes with drawbacks.

Our room had a 27-inch flat-screen TV, an iPod dock and complimentary water, but the room was too hot, and opening the window wasn’t an option because the property is next to the roaring West Side Highway. Bathrooms are shared and coed, which won’t appeal to all travelers. T+L TIP The location is great for Greenwich Village access, and plans for doubles and a lobby bar are in the works. 113 Jane St.; 1-212/9246700; thejanenyc.com; singles from US$99.

MIDTOWN ACE This month, Seattle-based indie hotelier Alex Calderwood is opening the first ace on the east coast, just north of Gotham’s Madison Square Park.

Rooms have an old-school rocker sensibility (some of them come with turntables and curated vinyl collections) while referencing the nearby Garment District: instead of closets you’ll find clothing racks made from plumbing pipes. T+L TIP Stumptown coffee roasters, a popular West coast chain, is making its New York debut on the ground » GREAT VALUE

Standard Issue Clockwise from top: The Standard rises above its gritty surroundings; a bed with a view at The Standard; the hotel’s ultramodern lobby; the front desk.

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insider | check-in floor, near a new restaurant from the proprietors of the consistently mobbed Spotted Pig. 20 W. 29th St.; 1-212/679-2222; acehotel.com; doubles from US$169.

GREAT STAY Vikram Chatwal’s 210-room VALUE stay has joined the midtown scene with panache. The hotel is decorated with Murano glass chandeliers and an 68,000-liter aquarium, and the compact slate-and-burntorange rooms have 42-inch plasma screens and L’Occitane amenities. There’s not much space to store luggage, so pack light.

T+L TIP Aspen Social Club, the hotel’s smallplates restaurant, becomes a raucous lounge nightly by 11 P.M. Ask for a room on the west side, which is much more peaceful. 157 W. 47th St.; 1-866/950-7829; stayhotelny.com; doubles from US$152.

UPTOWN

New York News Clockwise from top: A Queen Alcove room at the Nu Hotel; The Jane’s front desk; a sleeper-car–style room at The Jane; the sleek, contemporary design of a deluxe queen room at Ace; the redone lobby of The Empire Hotel; a double room at Stay, in Times Square.

York also has welcomed a run of renovations at existing hotels. At the Upper West Side’s On the Ave, guest rooms have been redone and come with ample windows. The revamped outdoor lounges on floors 14 and 16 offer excellent views, and foodie favorite Fatty Crab opened on the lobby level in January. 2178 Broadway; 1-800/509-7598 or 1212/362-1100; ontheave-nyc.com; doubles from US$249. Closer to Lincoln Center is The Empire, a Roaring Twenties hotspot that’s been redone with a new pool deck, a rooftop bar and the center-cut steakhouse. 44 W. 63rd St.; 1-212/265-7400; empirehotelnyc.com; doubles from US$279.

BROOKLYN NU HOTEL The brick-and-steel Nu Hotel has 93 minimalist-chic rooms appointed with faux-sheepskin rugs, gauzy white curtains and Brooklyn-centric artwork.

Playful touches enhance the clean aesthetic: oversize hammocks in suites, bathroom walls made of chalkboard and rotary-dial phones in the otherwise modern lobby. T+L TIP The hotel offers bicycles for loan. 85 Smith St., Brooklyn; 1-718/852-8585; nuhotelbrooklyn.com; doubles from US$169, including breakfast. ✚ — R EPORTE D BY CH R IST I N E AJ U DUA , SA R A H K A N T ROW I TZ , ST I R L I NG K EL SO , GREAT VALUE

SOR E N L A R SON A N D BR EE SPOSATO

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C LO C KW I S E F RO M TO P : CO U RT ESY O F N U H OT E L ; CO U RT ESY O F T H E JA N E H OT E L ( 2 ) ; CO U RT ESY O F A C E H O T E L ; C O U R T E S Y O F T H E E M P I R E H O T E L ; C O U R T E S Y O F S TAY H O T E L

ON THE AVE and THE EMPIRE HOTEL New

wellness | insider

Fitness on the Go. Staying fit on the road once meant old equipment shoved in a basement, but as hotels ratchet up their game, exercise nuts now have plenty to choose from. By JENNIFER CHEN

F RO M L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F L A N G H A M P L AC E ; CO U RT ESY O F P A R K H YAT T T O K Y O ; C O U R T E S Y O F F O U R S E A S O N S H O N G K O N G

Q BANGKOK Personal trainers use computerized assessments to tailor-make regimens for residents at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit’s (250 Sukhumvit Rd.; 66-2/649-8644; sheratongrandesukhumvit.com; doubles from Bt5,300) serene, third-floor gym, which is open from 5 A.M. to 10 P.M. The free-form pool is surrounded by a lush garden, providing an oasis from the bustle below.

Q HONG KONG With sweeping views of the city, the stylish 24-hour gym at Langham Place (555 Shanghai St., Mongkok, Kowloon; 852/3552-3388; hongkong.langhamplacehotels.com; doubles from HK$1,500) offers sauna and steam rooms, hot tubs, and a meditation room. Besides personal trainers, yoga, boxing, pilates and tai chi instructors are also on call. Avid swimmers will be pleased with the 20-meter, heated pool on the roof, where they can do laps to relaxing tunes piped in through the underwater sound system.

Q HONG KONG Four Seasons Hong Kong’s (8 Finance St., Central; 852/3196-

8888; fourseasons.com; doubles from HK$4,200) 500-square-meter facility has state-of-the-art equipment and top-notch trainers. But its trump card is the superb view of Victoria Harbour, courtesy of floor-to-ceiling windows.

Set on the sixth floor, the hotel’s infinity edge pool offers an alfresco take on that vista; serious swimmers can claim the adjacent 20-meter lap pool.

Q JAKARTA At the Grand Hyatt Jakarta (Jln. M. H. Thamrin Kav. 28–30; jakarta.grand.hyatt.com; 62-21/390-1234; doubles from US$200), residents can work up a sweat at the 450-square-meter gym, four tennis courts, basketball court, two squash courts or 550-meter jogging track. For a more low-impact workout, sign up for Latin dance lessons held in the aerobics studio.

Q SEOUL Probably the most comprehensive hotel gym in Asia,

The Shilla Seoul’s (202 Jangchung-dong

2-ga, Jung-gu; 82-2/2233-3131; shilla.net; doubles from KRW800,000) fitness center boasts 220 cardio and weight machines spread over more than 3,500 square meters. And it doesn’t stop there: Guests also have access to an indoor driving range, massive pools both indoors and out, as well as two jogging tracks—a gentle 1.8-kilometer path and a more rigorous 3-kilometer track.

Post-workout, relax in the 4-hectare sculpture garden.

Q TOKYO On the 47th floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo (3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku; 81-3/5322-1234; park.hyatt.com; doubles from Y35,700), guests can burn calories on the latest line of Cybex and Life Fitness equipment while gazing at the glittering city below (don’t emulate Bill Murray in Lost in Translation and stay on the treadmill). Classes range from ballet to circuit training, while the glass atrium–topped, 20-meter pool is perfect for a relaxing, nighttime dip.

In Shape From left: The rooftop pool, Langham Place, Hong Kong; Tokyo views at the Park Hyatt’s gym; the Four Season Hong Kong’s pool.

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| room report

CAMBODIA

Clean Cut Clockwise from left: The Hôtel de la Paix’s Art Deco exterior; a courtyard suite bath; the spa; dining at Meric.

Siem Reap Sophisticate. T+L revisits the Hôtel de la Paix, where Art Deco and traditional Cambodian design meet. By ROBYN ECKHARDT

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exhibits of works by local artists. Dogooders, meanwhile, can donate to one of the several charities sponsored by the hotel, including a hospitality school and even a training center for seamstresses. Sivutha Blvd.; 85563/966-000; hoteldelapaixangkor.com; doubles from US$354.

Q THE AREA The property is a 15-minute walk from Pub Street’s myriad bars and restaurants. A few steps further is Psar Cha wet market,

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where you can stock up on knickknacks and absorb a bit of local culinary culture. If you’d rather ride than walk, hotel-affi liated tuk-tuks are right outside the door.

Q THE DESIGN Bill Bensley, who also designed Chiang Mai’s Four Seasons Resort and the Anantara Resort and Spa in Hua Hin, displays his fondness for Art Deco in the property’s curvilinear walls, woodframed leather armchairs and sofas,

CO U RT E SY O F H ô T E L D E L A PA I X

Q THE OVERVIEW Located in the heart of Siem Reap, Hôtel de la Paix is still one of the most striking properties in town that’s seen a building boom in recent years. Eye-catching design is evident upon entering: a stark white octagonal atrium lobby gives way to a series of tall arched doorways and a serene inner courtyard. But this stylish property isn’t just about looks.

Adjacent to the courtyard stands The Arts Lounge, which doubles as a gallery hosting regularly changing

Still Stylish Clockwise from top: A Khmerinspired detail in the hotel; a deluxe suite; squid salad from the restaurant.

and neutral gray, taupe and black palette. Khmer flourishes include the framed textiles that grace the hotel’s walls and staff uniforms: clean-cut modish shirts, traditional pantaloons and smart leather slippers. The hotel’s low-rise, enclosed-courtyard design can mean a long walk from one’s room to the pool or spa, but the aromatherapy candles and black-andwhite gelatin prints by Cambodiabased photographer John McDermott lining its corridors ease the journey.

Q THE SERVICE Low-key but seamless service begins with check-in at The Arts Lounge, accompanied by an iced towel and a glass of reviving ginger tonic. Evening turndown eschews the usual chocolate on the pillow in favor of homely baked treats such as squares of orange poppy-seed cake. Most pleasing is the palpable esprit de corps among the hotel’s staff—assisted, perhaps, by its no-

tipping policy, which is clearly spelled out in writing.

Q THE DELUXE SUITE With courtyard or city views, these 65square-meter open-plan living spaces provide much-needed serenity from ever-expanding Siem Reap. Entryways open onto a large terrazzo-floored seating area furnished with black leather sofa and chairs and a generous work desk. On the other side of a low rectangular console sporting a sizeable flatscreen TV, a king-size bed floats on an island of timber-plank flooring.

Intricate wall mountings, contemporary ceramics and heavy silk draperies personalize each suite.

Q THE BATHROOM Separated by frosted glass, bathrooms are light and airy. Constructed almost entirely of vanilla-hued terrazzo, they boast separate shower stalls and deep soaking tubs, as well as super-thick

towels and heavy silk-and-cotton robes.

In keeping with the hotel’s ethics, toiletries are stored in elegant, locally sourced ceramic containers rather than plastic throwaways.

Q THE AMENITIES Unusual for hotels in the area, Hôtel de la Paix is up to speed technologically speaking: rooms have pre-programmed iPods (DVD players for suites) and complimentary Wi-Fi. But the ultimate extra is the opportunity to do good via a variety of community development programs. One-off donations buy water wells, a pair of piglets for a family, or a push bike that will enable a child living in one of Siem Reap’s outlying villages to attend school in town. Longer-term sponsorships will keep a family in rice or cover the tuition of one of the students at the Sewing Training Center, where disadvantaged youth learn a skill that will support them for a lifetime. ✚

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| spas

Serene Stays. They’ve become de rigueur,

CHINA SPA VILLAGE, MANDARIN ORIENTAL, SANYA THE CONCEPT The hotel’s 3,200square-meter Spa Village offers therapies based on traditional Chinese medicine, using specially created products by U.K.-based company Aromatherapy Associates. No expense has been spared with each of its 18 treatment rooms: all come with private steam showers and an outdoor bathtub, with saunas and whirlpools in couples’ rooms and additional luxe touches such as stone scrub tables and daybeds in the VIP suites.

THE TREATMENTS Opt for the more unusual treatments. The Hilot—an ancient Filipino massage—treats body imbalances through a combination of deep-tissue massage and smooth, flowing strokes, while the Dagdagay Foot Therapy is performed using a bamboo or rattan stick to stimulate the foot’s nerves. Or get into the local spirit with the two-hour-long Chinese Time Ritual: a medicinal massage and herbal soak that’s prescribed for your needs by a traditional Chinese doctor.

12 Yuhai Rd.; 86-898/8820-9999; mohg. com; massages from RMB988.

Calm Corners From top: Entering the Chinese Spa at Six Senses; a treatment room at the Mandarin Oriental, Sanya; a Thai spa room at Six Senses.

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THAILAND SIX SENSES DESTINATION SPA PHUKET THE CONCEPT Elevating spas to a whole new level, every facet of Six Senses’ 10.5-hectare Naka Yai property is entirely devoted to your well-being. Guests here sign up for multi-day programs revolving around four approaches—Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and Thai—and sup on wholesome meals featuring ingredients from the resort’s organic vegetable garden. Reachable only by boat, the exotic location near the limestone karsts of Phang Nga Bay makes the experience all the more memorable.

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F S I X S E N S E S ; C O U R T E S Y O F M A N D A R I N O R I E N TA L , S A N YA ; C O U R T E S Y O F S I X S E N S E S

but not all hotel spas are created equal. Here, four new and notable ones around Asia. By HUI FANG

THE TREATMENTS The menu runs the gamut of the spa encyclopedia.

Zero in on the signature Shiffa facial, which uses precious gems. For the rundown corporate climber, the ayurvedic Abhyanga treatment uses warm, medicated herbal oils to detox and destress your body. And if you’re thinking about a second career, sign up for the five-day Thai massage course and learn with the pros. 32 Moo 5, Tambon Paklok, Amphur Thalang; 66-76/371-400, sixsenses.com; scrubs from Bt1,900 and massages from Bt3,800.

F R O M L E F T: C O U R T E SY O F B L I S S S PA ; C O U R T E SY O F A N A N TA R A S I K A O

SINGAPORE THE DAMAI, GRAND HYATT SINGAPORE THE CONCEPT True to its name— which means “peace” in Malay—each of the 11 rooms at The Damai comes with its own decorative water feature and outdoor garden that’s perfect for post-treatment relaxation. Inspired by the city’s multiethnic heritage, the spa draws on Chinese, Indian, Malay and European traditions: there’s a specially designed Chinese aji stone bed for water therapy treatments and the menu lists massages and facials based on aryuveda and Malay jamu.

THE TREATMENTS The Damai’s signature pressure-point Damai Orchid massage leaves you knotless.

Other recommended treatments include the Abhyangam massage, an oil-based (jasmine, grapefruit and cedarwood) detoxifying massage, and the invigorating Kneippe Body Therapy, a classic hydrotherapy treatment that combines dry body brushing with alternate sprays of warm and cold water. 10 Scotts Rd.; 65/64167156; singapore.grand.hyatt.com; massages from S$150.

THAILAND ANANTARA SI KAO THE CONCEPT With lush tropical gardens created by Bill Bensley, whitesand beaches and blue waters fringed by palm trees, the location alone provides plenty of relaxation. Still, Anantara prides itself on its spas, and the one here further burnishes its reputation. On offer are several weeklong programs with a strong focus on aryuveda and yoga; the Cyclic Meditation and Yoga Diet on the Beach are recommended.

THE TREATMENTS Only have a day?

Then book the Energise Me treatment, comprising a foot treatment, herbal steam bath, massage, a green tea scrub and an organic lunch. 198–199 Moo 5, Had Pak Meng-Changlang Rd.; 6675/205-888; sikao.anantara.com; Energise Me treatment Bt7,400.

HONG KONG BLISS SPA, W HONG KONG THE CONCEPT Expect the trademark Bliss Spa touches: a menu with witty names, the indulgent brownie buffet and, of course, a great location—in this case, the 72nd floor of the W Hong Kong with bird’s eye views of Victoria Harbour. The nine treatment rooms are kitted out with the latest modern conveniences (digital lockers; glass-tiled steam showers), but the real find is the two DVD-equipped mani– pedi stations.

THE TREATMENTS The time-efficient services are well-suited to Hong Kong’s hectic pace. Popular treatments include the 135-minute Ginger Rub with freshly grated ginger; the 105-minute Hangover Herbie; and the Triple Oxygen Treatment, a 85-minute intensive cleansing treatment with an exfoliating fruit acid wash and pre-extraction oxygen wrap.

1 Austin Rd. West, Kowloon; 852/37172797; blissworld.com; scrubs from HK$940 and massages from HK$1,100. ✚

Chill Out Left: The view from Bliss Spa at W Hong Kong. Above: The gardens at the Anantara Si Kao.

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| quick getaway

DAY 1 ■ CHECK IN For boutique waterfront living, try Rikitikitavi (Riverside Rd.; 855/12-235-102; rikitikitavi-kampot. com; doubles from US$35), a Europeanrun hotel that’s on Kampot’s main drag along the peaceful Kampong Bay River. Housed in a converted rice barn, the five rooms feature fourposter beds and timbered ceilings.

Further afield is the family-friendly Les Manguiers (2 kilometers north of town; 855-92/330-050; mangomango. byethost18.com; doubles from US$22), whose simple wooden bungalows are set in a grassy field. Kids will love the playground, while the free kayaks and bikes are great for exploring.

■ HISTORY MARCH Not only are Kampot’s bougainvillea-edged streets ideal for a quiet stroll, but they’re also lined with breathtaking architecture; the charming, crumbling shophouses and regal colonial-era homes are the sole remnants of a time when this was one of French Indochina’s key ports.

Look out for the Chinese-roofed pagodas, a rare sight in Cambodia.

River Town. A three-hour drive from the Cambodian capital, Kampot is the perfect rustic retreat from big city life. By NAOMI LINDT

■ CRUISE TIME For a sunset ride, book a seat on one of the small, wooden boats that set sail at 3 P.M. (US$5 per person; hotels can arrange).

You’ll follow the river south until it »

CAMBODIA

Rural Retreat Clockwise from top: Across the river in Kampot; a server at Epic Arts Café; a guest room at Rikitikitavi; drinks on the river at the Rusty Keyhole.

Photographed by CHRIS KERRIGAN

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| quick getaway

Slow Days Clockwise from left: Students at the Epic Arts Café; a fishing village; a basket of peppercorns.

merges with the Gulf of Thailand, where the boat anchors on a sandbar that’s perfect for swimming, crabbing and searching for sea shells. On the way back, watch the local fishermen head out to sea for the night.

■ GLOBAL MEAL With warm

lighting, art on the walls and an eclectic playlist, Jasmine Restaurant (Riverside Rd.; 855/12-927-313; dinner for two US$25) makes it easy to kick back for a long meal. Super tender steaks and fish amok are the house favorites; look out for the daily specials, often inspired by the American–Khmer owners’ travels.

DAY 2 ■ BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

If only every Cambodian town had an Epic Arts Café (May 1 Rd.; no phone; epicarts.org.uk; breakfast for two from US$8): freshly baked bagels and divine cakes and cookies served in an airy, cheerful setting. The place is mainly staffed by deaf and disabled Khmers who’ve been given a second chance by Epic Arts, a U.K.-based charity. The organization also 54

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conducts an impressive arts and dance program.

■ HAUNTED FOREST When the French colonialists wanted to escape the heat, they would head 40 kilometers west to the hill station of Bokor, where they built an elegant weekend resort complete with casino and church. Sok Lim Tours (across from Blissful Guesthouse; 855/12-801-348; soklimtours.com; US$25 per person) arranges guided treks to the 80-yearold ruins, now part of a national park.

■ PUB LIFE It’s tempting to spend all

night curled up in a papasan chair at the Rusty Keyhole (Riverside Rd.; 855/12-679-607), a relaxed pub serving affordable cocktails. Every night sees a festive barbecue on the terrace, which features baked potatoes and superb, US$5 melt-in-yourmouth ribs (the recipe is a secret).

lime-green rice fields.

Across the river are the mesmerizing, grey stretches of Cambodia’s only salt fields, while the nearby pepper plantations produce some of the world’s finest peppercorns. The seventh-century brick temple in Phnom Chhnork cave, 8 kilometers out of town, is one of the country’s oldest and is cared for by a trio of friendly monks. A day trip with Sok Lim starts at US$15 per person.

■ FAIRYTALE SETTING Grab a sunset cocktail at Rikitikitavi’s breezy, riverfront bar before savoring

a candlelit meal in its restaurant (dinner for two US$30). The Khmer and Western dishes are made using only the freshest local produce and the best imported meats from Australia and Argentina.

■ COUNTRY TIME Spend the day

■ MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL Before bed, stop by Kampot Massage by the Blind (Riverside Rd.; 855/12-662 -114).

visiting Kampot’s lush and varied countryside, which is dotted with craggy limestone mountains and

Seeing-impaired masseuses offer restorative foot, body and shiatsu-style rub-downs for just US$4 an hour.

DAY 3

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insider

| restaurants

HONG KONG

Hong Kong’s Best Boutique Eats.

A taste test at four outstanding hotel restaurants that redefine what eating in means. Story and photographs by LARA DAY ■ AMBER THE PLACE A sweeping amber-hued ceiling

Hotel Stars Clockwise from above: Dim sum at Tang Court; Amber’s wine line-up; Tasmanian salmon at the restaurant; Amber’s Richard Ekkebus.

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sculpture sets the tone for this boldly modern dining room designed by Adam Tihany, hinting at the culinary artistry in the kitchen. Situated on too low a floor to command views of pulsating Central, the restaurant opts instead for intimacy: warm lighting, rounded ebony armchairs, gleaming mahogany wall panels and soft champagne banquettes.

THE FOOD Two-Michelin-starred Dutch chef Richard Ekkebus is a master of invention, using top-quality international ingredients to create French-inspired but utterly original dishes. Standouts include Dungeness crab in “five textures and four temperatures” ranging from hot bisque to ice cream, and wild Tasmanian salmon smoked at your table and served with kyuri cucumber and avocado. Playful treats, like the delectable “lollipop” of foie gras coated in raspberry-and-beetroot gelée, keep tastebuds titillated between courses, while the legendary French cheese platter—which includes such rarities as époisse de Bourgogne and livarot from Normandy—

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might just be the perfect way to finish off any meal. 7th floor, Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen’s Rd. Central; 852/21320066; dinner for two HK$2,500.

■ TANG COURT THE PLACE This longstanding Cantonese restaurant, whose name alludes to China’s so-called golden age of the Tang dynasty, predates the present-day Langham by two decades. The two-story dining room has been updated with modern touches such as contemporary Chinese paintings, though its defining elements have been preserved: the grand spiral staircase retains its original wooden balustrade. Wine-colored satin draperies lend an air of opulence and drama to the numerous private dining areas.

THE FOOD Executive chef Siu Hin Chi’s menu is almost overwhelming in its exhaustiveness. But not to fret: it’s difficult to go wrong when ordering at this twoMichelin-star restaurant. Even a dish as simple as pan-fried cheung fan with »

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| restaurants

On the Menu From top: Aspasia’s interior; a mini pavlova at Azure; the updated look at Tang Court.

homemade XO sauce becomes a feat of culinary excellence, with delightfully crispon-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside riceflour rolls zinging with multi-layered flavor.

Try top-notch dim sum classics such as har gao (shrimp dumplings) and char siu bao (roast-pork buns), or more unorthodox offerings such as mango-and-shrimp spring rolls or abalone canapés. When it’s time for dessert, don’t miss the delicate almond soup with egg white and the dainty bird’s nest tartlets. The Langham, 8 Peking Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; 852/2375-1133; dinner for two HK$1,200.

■ ASPASIA THE PLACE At first glance, this first-floor eatery seems almost casual, with its whitewashed tiled floors, bleached woodenframed armchairs and comfy brown leather couches. But take a closer look and you’ll notice the flamboyantly eccentric touches—leopard-print upholstery and exuberant Italian artworks—that are the signature of its home, The Luxe Manor.

Fanciful wooden screens divide the room

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into four distinct areas—a study, a bar, a parlor and a conservatory—while the restaurant’s signature purple walls unify the space and complement the décor’s mainly neutral tones.

THE FOOD Designed by Austrian Chef Rolland Schuller, the modern Mediterranean menu displays a flair for the life aquatic. Angel hair pasta with sea urchin, and spring vegetable and squid-ink risotto with pan-seared Japanese scallops are particularly memorable. If you’re after terrestrial protein, try the melt-in-yourmouth braised beef cheek topped with candied ginger and served with a scoopful of chestnut purée. And whatever you order for the main course, make sure to end your meal with the pistachio cannoli that comes with amaretto ice cream and apricot purée. The Luxe Manor, 39 Kimberley Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; 852/3763-8800; dinner for two HK$2,000.

■ AZURE THE PLACE A sculptural staircase leads

you up from Hotel LKF’s 28th-floor bar– lounge to its dramatic 29th-floor restaurant, which offers some of the most enviable views in town. Not that the design takes a backseat: with its high ceilings, velvet couches, edgy lighting scheme and slick dark-wood bar backed by a giant, circular mirror, this spaces aims to dazzle.

THE FOOD The fusion fare doesn’t always live up to the restaurant’s stunning veneer.

The seasonal set menu—promising “a world of spices”—proved disappointingly bland on a recent visit. Nonetheless, à la carte offers reliable dishes such as the fivelayer blue crab salad with ginger–Dijon vinaigrette, generously stacked with dressed crab, smoked salmon, fresh avocado, mesclun greens and crispy pancetta. Desserts are also consistently good—tuck into the mini pavlova with dark-chocolate ice cream before ducking out onto the restaurant’s balcony for the views. Hotel LKF, 33 Wyndham St., Central; 852/3518-9330; dinner for two HK$1,000. ✚

Sout h & S outhe a st As ia Re g i o n a l He a d q u a r t e r s: C a n o n S i n g a p o r e P t e L t d 1 H a r b o u r F r o n t Av e n u e , # 0 4 - 0 1 K e p p e l B a y To w e r, S i n g a p o r e 0 9 8 6 3 2

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The Villas is driven by anonymity and a philosophy of tailor-made personalized service that reflects the grace of Malaysian hospitality and friendly attitude. Capped by the standards of a fine property, this cocoon of calm delivers the perfect recipe for comfort, serenity and indulgence.

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Diversions include a discreet butler service, inviting dips under blue or midnight skies in the infinity-edge plunge pool, catnaps on the sturdy deckchair while taking in the sights and sounds, a soak in the sunken bathtub drawing on fresh, botanic ingredients and heavenly scented essential oils.

There are also scrumptious meals and light snacks in addition to a brilliant wine and music selection available at The Pavillion—a private enclave exclusive to guests of The Villas—and a stroll through the haven of natural fauna and flora to the trill of birdsong.

Blending in to the natural surroundings is the awardwinning Mandara Spa. The Spa’s crescent-shaped structure houses 10 sumptuous single and double spa suites with hints of Balinese culture. Welcoming guests over 16 years old, Mandara Spa’s repertoire of treatments consists of more than 30 types of aromatherapy massages, wraps, facials, scrubs and baths. It also features luxury spa and skincare brand, Elemis, which offers a lavish range of anti-aging facial therapies, body treatments and spa packages.

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StylishTraveler Terry robe with microfiber exterior, from the Breakers Palm Beach.

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closet or behind the bathroom door, on a hanger with the belt cinched, embroidered logo usually on the left, just waiting to be unfurled after a long, hot soak in the tub—or, as is often the case, flung on when room service arrives just a little too promptly with the breakfast cart. You see, in the world of hotels, the bathrobe can be perfectly appropriate attire. It’s a tone poem in fluffy terry— sometimes with a satiny outer layer, like at the Breakers Palm Beach, where it often makes poolside appearances. Whether it’s embracing a statuesque Marilyn Monroe at the Hotel del Coronado or a blasé Bill Murray at the Park Hyatt Tokyo, the hotel robe’s appeal is never lost in translation.

—SHANE

M I TC H E L L

THE HOTEL BATHROBE Looking for comfort? This in-room staple always makes you feel right at home—even when you’re far away. Photographed by NIGEL COX T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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Damask coat, Moschino Cheap and Chic (moschino.it); cotton top, Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti (albertaferretti.com); cotton-and-silk pants, Ella Moss (ellamoss.com); leather heels, Cole Haan (colehaan. com); gold earrings, Roberto Coin (robertocoin.com); turquoise-and-gold necklace, Kenneth Jay Lane (kennethjaylane.net); gold watch, Cartier (cartier.com); ring with diamonds, sapphires and quartz, Nouvelle Bague (lanouvellebague.it); leather bag, D&G (dolcegabbana.it); trunk and train case, Samsonite Black Label (samsoniteblacklabel.com); calfskin travel wallet, Smythson of Bond Street (smythson.com).

Hitting the Mark New York Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mark Hotel just got a total makeover. T+L takes a sneak peek at its new design. Photographed by CHRISTOPHER STURMAN. Styled by MIMI LOMBARDO 64

A S S O C I A T E F A S H I O N E D I T O R : C A T H E R I N E C R A T E . M O D E L : T A N Y A P. / F O R D . H A I R B Y R O B E R T LY O N / A T E L I E R . M A K E U P B Y M E L I P E N N I N G T O N / I G R O U P

Silk dress, Dolce & Gabbana; tortoise-frame glasses, John Varvatos (johnvarvatos.com); jade-and-turquoise necklaces, Alicia Shulman (aliciashulman.com); watch, Gucci (gucci.com). On bed: Canvas beauty case, Bottega Veneta (bottegaveneta.com).

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the corner of 77th and Madison since 1927, in a handsome but unremarkable red-brick building, the Mark has long been overshadowed by its splashier Art Deco neighbor, the Carlyle. But the hotel is set to open this month with some downtown-style pizzazz, thanks to a US$150 million makeover from Jacques Grange. “It’s a project that I could not resist,” says the French interior designer, whose clients have included Yves Saint Laurent and Princess Caroline of Monaco. Now, when you enter the lobby, you’ll find a dizzying Op Art marble floor and wildly eclectic furnishings, all commissioned by Pierre Passebon, owner of the Parisian furniture boutique Galerie du Passage.

The 118 rooms are no less detailed, with soothing tones of brown and beige; Bar Mark, on the other hand, is a vivid fantasy environment with a shiny, undulating bar created by contemporary artist Guy de Rougemont. 25 E. 77th St.; 1-866/744-4300; themarkhotel.com; doubles from US$825. —K A R R I E J A C O B S ITTING DEMURELY ON

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1 Founded in 1869, Italy’s Acca Kappa mixes lavender with juniper to produce its ethereal White Moss soap, shampoo and conditioner — the perfect match for the sublime Park Hyatt Shanghai (86-21/6888-1234; shanghai.park.hyatt. com). 2 Capella Singapore (65/63778888; capellasingapore.com) embraces organic with U.K.-based Abahna’s deliciously scented and beautifully packaged wares. The white grapefruit– and–may chang (a berry from China) products in the guest rooms add a bright zing to your morning shower.

3 Hong Kong’s Hotel LKF (852/35189688; hotel-lkf.com.hk) wins our vote with its Molton Brown toiletries. You can indulge in some of the brand’s long-time favorites such as the Indian Cress Conditioner and Ziao Jao Healthy Hairwash. 4 Hotel G in Beijing (86-10/6552-3600; hotel-g.com) might represent all things trendy, but it sticks to the classics when it comes to toiletries. Guest bathrooms have L’Occitane’s verbena bath essentials; lemon and orange essential oils give it an appealingly citrusy lift. 5 Stay at any Ritz-Carlton (ritzcarlton.com) in Asia and you’ll find generously sized bottles of Bulgari Au Thé Blanc bath amenities. Made with white pepper, musk and its namesake, white tea, they have a lightly herbaceous scent.

6 Proving that it’s truly a business hotel with a difference, Singapore’s Naumi (65/6403-6000; naumihotel. com) stocks its room with an array of goodies from Kiehl’s (confession: we’d happily stay in any hotel that offered amenities from this New York fave). Expect bestsellers such as the Amino Acid Shampoo and the ExtraStrength Conditioning Rinse with Coconut Oil. 7 + 8 Notes of bergamot, lemon, fig and magnolia accent Ferragamo’s Tuscan Soul bath and beauty line, available at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong (852/2522-0111; mandarinoriental.com). Guests in the hotel’s suites can luxuriate during bath time with ultra-exclusive Acqua di Parma.—J E N N I F E R C H E N

S T Y L E D B Y E L L I E B R A N N A N A N D W A N N A P H A N A W AY O N

What sets a luxury hotel truly apart? The quality of its toiletries. Here, we pick some of our all-time favorites in Asia. Photographed by CHANOK THAMMARAKKIT

stylish traveler

| sourcebook

Suite Temptations. Ever considered swiping your favorite hotel amenities? LYNN YAEGER examines the fine line between in-room perks and sticky fingers.

PLUS: Our favorite freebies and products worth the splurge.

STOLE A LAUNDRY BAG FROM THE A LVEAR PALACE Hotel in Buenos Aires. It was made of thick ivory linen, embroidered with the words “dry cleaning” in cerulean blue, and looked like something that I could have found at an antique textiles show. But that wasn’t the case.

I’m usually pretty scrupulous about purloined souvenirs.

Of course, I help myself to soap and shampoo, sewing kits, even those black sponges meant to spruce up your shoes— oh, and ballpoint pens and darling little notepads. But the laundry bag was my first sojourn into the land of, what shall we call it...outright theft?

How widespread is this brand of petty larceny? A brief survey of my acquaintances—a glass of wine, or three, helped them remember—reveals that B. (names are omitted for patently obvious reasons) spends an inordinate amount of time at her favorite inn in St. Bart’s hoarding the Hermès soap (using the same one for the sink and tub and then pilfering the other), and K. became so addicted to the slippers at the Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg that she now begs peripatetic friends to bring back their extra pairs. Both of these tales were recounted in voices dripping with shame— which, it turns out, was entirely uncalled for.

The truth is that even the most parsimonious innkeepers want you to take their grooming products and paper goods home, the thinking being that every time you use an item that bears the hotel’s name you’ll remember what a wonderful time you had there and plan another visit (and not just to take more stuff). At the supercool Chic & Basic

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Photographed by DAVIES + STARR

budget hotels in Amsterdam and Barcelona, the owners even anticipate guests’ illicit impulses: their toiletries read, “This is the cutest soap that you will steal from a hotel.

Enjoy it.” and “Amazing quality shower gel rarely found as hotel amenity.”

François Delahaye, general manager of Paris’s Hôtel Plaza Athénée, confirms that the shampoo, shower gel, slippers, of course, and even ashtrays (remember those?) are good to go.

Delahaye says anything with the hotel’s moniker is extradesirable. “If you want it stolen, put your logo on it,” he tells me. Usually, he says, hotels shrug off minor lightfingeredness—it’s just part of the cost of doing business.

But sometimes it gets on even his steady nerves. Lately, he says, there has been such an epidemic of filched silver tea strainers that “it’s become a nuisance.” At least he hasn’t lost his sense of humor. He chuckles as he recounts the tale of the absconded umbrellas. Like all good hotels, the Plaza Athénée provides parasols for rainy days. At one time, they were not for sale, but that didn’t prevent them from »

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regularly showing up on eBay. (The hotel, noting this flourishing secondary market, now sells these brollies for €33.) Okay, François, what about my laundry bag? Was my misdeed really so awfully naughty?

Silence, then a most surprising confession: turns out that way back in the day, Delahaye once helped himself to a laundry bag at a Rosewood hotel. This mischief, though hardly sanctioned by the property, had the desired effect.

“Whenever I use it,” Delahaye says, “I’m thinking about that Rosewood.”

Lifting laundry bags is nefarious enough, but it’s hardly world-class in the hotel-theft department. For that we must turn to the notorious saga of the bad, bad girl who told me in hushed tones that, while she was staying in a room with two beds at the Setai in Miami, she proceeded to carefully remove the Christian Fischbacher satin sheets from the unused bed, then meticulously remake it so as not to alert housekeeping. Or there’s the story of the Kiton-suited banker who never met a wooden shoe tree he didn’t like enough to take back with him to Park Avenue.

Now you’d probably think that even the most unscrupulous guest could never walk off with a nailed-in showerhead. Guess again. Andrew Stembridge, managing director of Chewton Glen, a manor hotel nestled in England’s Hampshire countryside, says he’s had visitors unscrew all types of furnishings, including the big bottles of Molton Brown lotion carefully affi xed to the spa’s walls.

Stembridge cheerfully volunteers harrowing tales of people pocketing silver sugar tongs and still others helping themselves to the iPod docks available at reception.

“Sometimes the culprits are the fanciest people—it’s not the guests on the special Sunday night rate. We just factor it in,” he shrugs philosophically.

On the other hand, Stembridge is not afraid to fight back. Once, when an antique cup and saucer went missing from a room, he confided that he actually riffled through the guests’ luggage, which had been stored as they took a final spin around town. “They had a lovely leather bag falling to bits,” he remembers. As he suspected, the dishes were indeed packed in the crumbling old bag, but any triumph Stembridge felt at their retrieval quickly vanished when he realized “I couldn’t zip the case!” He finally managed to close it, just minutes before Bonnie and Clyde returned.

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That crockery wasn’t for sale, but the good news is that plenty of coveted items offered by hotels can be yours, legitimately, for the simple swipe of a credit card. Have sweet dreams of the bed at the Four Seasons? Everyone knows you can order it. Develop an unwholesome relationship with the Perspex mini-mannequin lighting at the Soho Hotel in London? The property can arrange a set for you.

And what about that classic stuff-it-in-your-suitcase item, the terry robe? Plaza Athénée’s Delahaye says that this is actually a much smaller problem than it was a decade ago, since there is frequently no room in today’s carry-ons for these puffy behemoths. Do hotels really charge for swiped robes, making good on the threat implicit on those little signs in the bathroom? Since I have learned the hard way that a diet Coke gulped on the sly the final day of your stay will almost surely show up on your bill, I have always wondered about the robe scenario.

“We put a charge for the robe on a card if we can be absolutely sure someone took it, and didn’t just pack it by mistake,” says Leslie Lefkowitz, the Four Seasons Hotel New York’s director of public relations. On the other hand, some hotels have bent the stick far in the other direction.

At the Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, they not only gift a bathrobe to VIP guests, they monogram it, too. (But do these swells take their personalized dressing gowns homes?

Nope—they often let the hotel keep them for use on subsequent visits.)

As it turns out, sometimes resisting temptation can be just as haunting as giving in to one’s base instincts. My friend P., who has been traveling longer than many of us have been alive, recalls wistfully, “As you know, hotels of a certain caliber turn down the bed at night and put little linen towels down so your feet should never, heaven forbid, touch the carpeting. Not only did they do that at the Ritz in Paris, but they put down a second one for my dog. It had a bone embroidered on it with the words ‘I Am Ritzy.’ I didn’t take it and, to this day, I regret it.”

Maybe he should have just folded “Ritzy” into his Goyard duffel. Then he and Fido could have dreamed of the Ritz as they rested their tootsies back home, just as the sight of my ill-gotten Argentinean laundry bag has me fantasizing about dancing the tango at 2 A.M. in the grand ballroom of the Alvear Palace.

O P P O S I T E : P R O D U C E D B Y C H R I S T I N E A J U D U A A N D S A R A H K A N T R O W I T Z W I T H S H I R A N A N U S A N D K AT H R Y N O ’ S H E A- E VA N S

stylish traveler

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STEAL A few of our favorite hotel products that are yours for the taking.

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11 1 CUSTOMIZABLE STATIONERY Chateau Marmont, Hollywood. 2 MALIN + GOETZ “MOJITO” SOAPS with lime and rum scents, Condesa DF, Mexico City. 3 PENCILS

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made from recycled CD cases, Andaz Liverpool Street and Andaz West Hollywood. 4 MILLER HARRIS SHAMPOO with Marché au Foin scent, created exclusively for the Haymarket Hotel, London. 5 CERAMIC DOG BOWL Sunset Tower Hotel, West Hollywood. 6 REMÈDE TOILETRY SET with polyvinyl case, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts. 7 CLOTH SLIPPERS Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. 8 KAMA AYURVEDA BATH PRODUCTS with organic herbal ingredients and citrus fragrance, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts.

9 WICKER BEACH bag woven by artisans, Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita, Riviera Maya, Mexico. 10 SANTA MARIA DEGLI ANGELI GLYCERINE SOAPS Bauer Hotel and Bauer Il Palazzo, Venice. 11 TERRY FOAM-AND–RUBBER FLIPFLOPS Hotel Guanahani & Spa, French West Indies.

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SPLURGE These 10 hotel boutique finds are too good to leave behind.

5 1 UMBRELLA Beverly Hills Hotel, US$57. 2 COTTON BATH MAT the Ritz Paris, US$135. 3 OPERA GLASSES Empire Hotel, New York, US$35. 4 DOUBLE HAPPINESS CANDLE with essences of Chinese green tea and mandarin orange, Mandarin Oriental, New York, US$50. 5 SFERRA 400-THREADCOUNT COTTON SHEETS Thompson Hotels, US$285 for king set. 6 LEATHER JEWELRY ROLL Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris, US$158. 7 LOCALLY PRODUCED ORGANIC HONEY (proceeds benefit the

Puntacana Ecological Foundation), Tortuga Bay Villas at Puntacana Resort & Club, Dominican Republic, US$5.

8 TERRY CLOTH TOWEL W Hotels, US$38. 9 CANVAS CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN ESPADRILLES with rope soles, designed exclusively for One & Only Resorts, One & Only Palmilla, US$375. 10 URUGUAYAN MERINOWOOL PONCHO made by local artisans for the Estancia Vik Jose Ignacio, US$150.

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T+L Journal A photo tribute to the Capella Singapore’s architecture.

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SINGAPORE

Don’t Look Back

At the newly opened Capella Singapore, the past meets the present, and a new take on luxury in the Lion City is born. By JENNIFER CHEN. Photographed by DARREN SOH

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Old Meets New Left: Two attendants await guests at Tanah Merah, the two colonial buildings that form the heart of the Capella Singapore. Right: Heading to the resort’s spa — British architect Norman Foster designed the striking, curvilinear modern wing.

INGAPORE IS NOT A CITY of grand entrances. There is no Beaux Arts cathedral of a train station with a vaulted ceiling covered in constellations that compels you to look up and thank the god of your choice that you’re in New York. Nor is there a majestic, watery approach à la Death in Venice, with the city’s architectural wonders unfolding as you bob languorously in the lagoon. In Singapore, you’re ferried from the airport to your hotel in 25 minutes max, passing block after stodgy block of public housing flats, softened occasionally by bits of tamed jungle and potted shrubs in the highway divider. Prosaic but very convenient, lah.

But if you’re fortunate enough—that is, you still have a gainful employment and haven’t sunk your retirement savings into credit-backed securities—to stay at the Capella Singapore resort, you’re afforded one of the city’s rare grand entrances.

It starts out unpromisingly: you drive past the

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Swiss cheese–like façade of Vivocity mall’s carpark and then onto a squat, utilitarian four-lane bridge that leads to Sentosa Island. The view is dominated by the dock cranes of Keppel Terminal on the left and, on the right, the construction cranes of the gambling/entertainment/hotel mega-complex Resorts World. Once onto Sentosa, you take a right, and then a sharp left—keep an eye out for a slate blue sign that bears the name Capella and its discreet two-star logo—climbing up an incline covered in ferns and shielded by bamboo groves.

The foliage thins, and before you continue along a gracefully curved driveway, you glimpse the dazzling white portico and terra-cotta roof tiles of Tanah Merah, the 19th-century former British Army barracks that is the resort’s centerpiece.

When you reach the porte-cochère—after the safari suit–clad attendant opens the car door and greets you—make sure to turn and look back at the ancient angsana and ficus trees that ornament the

sloping lawn, lowering your gaze to shut out the docklands and focusing only on the calls from the mynah birds and not the clang of construction. It’s actually more than a grand entrance—it’s a portal to a different time. A young colonial officer, or the corseted, beribboned wife of that officer, probably experienced a similar arrival—minus the paved road and Mercedes.

And most definitely minus the aluminum louvers that sprout from the sides of Tanah Merah and the sculptural, saucer-shaped canopy on the western edge. They hint at the hotel’s modern wing, a futuristic, curvilinear structure that comes courtesy of Britain’s Norman Foster. This new building, and its relationship with the old, is the reason for my visit. For, while the Capella can be viewed as many things—a classy part of Sentosa’s ongoing rehabilitation from mockable kitsch-fest to a hip tourist draw or the progeny of

the city’s love affair with imported, heavyweight architects— it is, above all, the latest chapter in Singapore’s rediscovery and embrace of the old, but in a decidedly 21st century way.

Historic preservation is something that Singapore does very well. But that knack didn’t come naturally: like many a rapidly modernizing state in Asia, Singaporean authorities razed swathes of historic buildings in the 1960’s and 70’s, ignoring the occasional outcry. Then, in the 80’s, the government realized that the city was losing too much of its local color—the stately edifices, the charming bungalows, the delightful architectural mash-ups that are its shophouses—as well as the tourists who wanted to peruse those colonial-era remnants, and began reversing its policies.

Despite some early missteps—the Disneyfication of Chinatown, for example—Singapore has done more than most Southeast Asian cities to protect its architectural »

Revisiting History Clockwise from below left: Inside Cassia, one of the restaurants at the Capella, designed by Andre Fu; dinner is set at Cassia; Jaya Ibrahim created the guest rooms’ interiors; the lobby; a chef at The Knolls restaurant; Cassia’s hand-painted wallpaper.

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Not a Period Piece Clockwise from top left: The dining room at The Knolls; most of the resort lies behind Tanah Merah; Wedgewood china provides a classy touch; in the library, located in Tanah Merah; a server at The Knolls; the terraced pools, with a view of the sea.

heritage. “Singapore’s not only had a conservation policy longer, but it’s also had the support of the government and the legal infrastructure for more than 20 years,” observes Hoyin Lee, the director of a historic preservation program at the University of Hong Kong and a critic of that ex-colony’s shoddy conservation record.

Since the 1990’s, architects and developers here haven’t been simply restoring historic buildings, they’ve given them a whole new purpose. Called adaptive reuse in preservation lingo, this practice takes, say, a former post office, and turns it into a grand hotel, as seen with The Fullerton Hotel.

Adaptive reuse marks a sea change in preservation approaches, especially in this region, where history tends to be put on the mantelpiece and dusted off only on occasion— if not demolished altogether. “It’s about taking an old building where the original function is obsolete and giving it 78

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a more socially relevant function,” says Lee. “It’s acknowledging the use is as important as the design.”

Adaptive reuse requires some imaginative re-engineering of old buildings—an early 20th century building like the Fullerton, after all, wasn’t designed with hotel guests in mind. Now, architects are going further by adding new elements, sometimes, entire structures, alongside the old, and Singapore has been quicker than most Asian cities in embracing this trend. Again, practicality is often at the forefront: in the Capella’s case, it was impossible to fit 111 guest rooms in a pair of colonial buildings—abandoned in 1958—that cover little more than 2,600 square meters. But it also means putting a contemporary stamp on a project.

“You design in today’s terms and are true to your age, the here and now, and not the late 19th century, but the beginning of 21st,” says David Nelson, the head of design at

Foster and Partners. “However, you need to be sensitive to what exists, to achieve a balance between what is new and what is old.”

That, he points out, is a lot more complicated than it sounds. Pontiac Land Group, the owner of the Capella, wisely picked a firm that’s designed some of the most innovative and deservedly praised examples of adaptive reuse: the Reichstag in Berlin, the courtyard of the British Museum, New York’s Hearst Tower and, more recently, the Dolder Grand hotel in Zurich. Each of those projects, Nelson tells me, was a puzzle that required different approaches. When it came to drawing up the master plan for the Capella—which also has 38 villas and accommodations for long-term guests including two “manors” housed in officers’ bungalows—the main hurdle Foster and his team faced was how to design all that space, which totals more than 47,000 square meters, without dwarfing Tanah Merah. “It had to be a sort of quiet architecture that brought attention to the importance of the original buildings,” Nelson explains.

“Quiet architecture” translated into echoing Tanah Merah in an understated manner: the color of the aluminum roof of the new building matches the colonial terra-cotta tiles while its louvers serve the same function as those on the heritage structures—providing shade from the tropical sun.

That, in turn, reflects the even more subtle fashion in which Foster honors colonial architecture: the modern wing is green in the way that Tanah Merah had to be. Before the advent of airconditioning, buildings needed shade and ventilation in order to make life in the tropics bearable. “These buildings are tremendously sophisticated, and they’re naturally environmentally sensitive—that’s what we want today and we can learn a lot from them,” Nelson tells me. For our times, Foster minimized the need for airconditioning by placing the lifts, staircases and corridors outside, designing a soaring roof that wards off the sun and rain, and laying out a courtyard filled with palm trees that, after a few more months of rain, will eventually form its own, cooler, microclimate.

Being green also meant that the inspiration for the modern additions doesn’t derive solely from what’s man-made, but also the landscape. The resort sits on 12 hectares, mostly on a hill overlooking the sea, and with its curvilinear shape, the contemporary wing mimics the contours of the land. It cascades down the hill, which helps achieve the notion of quiet architecture: though it’s five

‘These buildings are tremendously sophisticated, and they’re NATURALLY environmentally sensitive’

stories, the new wing’s third story shares the ground level of Tanah Merah so you don’t grasp the size and depth of the building until you venture out onto the second flight of outdoor, granite steps.

Walking along the corridors, I also realized that the curves force you to look outwards, onto the courtyard and Tanah Merah—since you can’t see what’s immediately before you—while the terraces in the back of the building direct your gaze onto the landscape below. The guest rooms’ muted interiors, too, deflect attention—and purposefully so. “The views are so stunning that it was important to keep the interiors on the background, to keep them quiet,” Jaya Ibrahim, the interior designer behind the Capella’s guest rooms and public spaces, says.

“Before the views were apparent, everyone was quite upset. They wanted me to use color, but I kept arguing that the views should take precedence.”

Foster’s involvement in the project might be a major selling point, but his most prominent contribution is a strikingly modest building, generously demurring from the spotlight and inviting guests to admire the restored colonial buildings—which houses many of the showstopping art pieces selected by curator Elizabeth Weiner and a sensuously elegant restaurant designed by Andre Fu—and the landscape. If anything, the hope is for that landscape to grow back into the former lushly overgrown state.

During our first conversation, Nelson described how tricky creating the staircases—the transitions between the old and the new—were. “You won’t notice it,” he says, “the thing with architecture is that if all that effort is invisible, you’ve been successful.” That’s true of Foster’s entire creation— it’s seemingly effortless in striking that balance between old and new, natural and man-made. It pays homage, not by imitating, but by considering all the factors that make you remember a place, long after that grand entrance.

1 The Knolls, Sentosa Island; 65/6377-8888; capellasingapore.com; doubles from S$750.

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Pleasure vs.

Principles

Isn’t vacation a time for avoiding reality? For forgetting the price of gas, the rising cost of air travel and the toll our trivial peregrinations take on the earth? Why all this hand-wringing and nail-biting about sustainability when travel is about, y’know, “getting away from it all”?

So chants a chorus of increasingly defensive tourists who would just as soon not face the world’s problems while on holiday, thank you very much. (Never mind that many of us also ignore the world’s problems at home.) Call it obstinacy, call it entitlement: a sizable portion of the traveling public is convinced we deserve a break—and the responsibility zeitgeist, frankly, is bumming us out. The noble opposition may argue till they’re green in the face, yet still come our petulant retorts: Where’s my wave pool? Where’s my trained dolphin? Where’s my back nine?

And how could we be denied? Outsize excess has not only survived the doomsaying; it’s positively booming. For every sensibly scaled retreat that sets up on the edge of a rain forest, another dozen behemoths open just down the shore.

Cruise ships continue to swell: this autumn will see the debut of Royal Caribbean’s 5,400-passenger Genesis, the latest “world’s biggest cruise ship,” this one a whopping 40 percent larger than the previous one. Then there’s the trinity of whogives-a-damn extravagance: Las Vegas, Dubai and Macau.

Even now, as the world goes down the 11-liter-flush toilet, most travelers seek only an effective means of escapism.

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Especially now. We stroll on the beach in blissful oblivion, tracing our carbon footprints in the sand. We luxuriate in scorching deserts, cooled by poolside misters (talk about ecounfriendly: you might as well spray caviar out of a firehose).

We continue to bow before the Fun God in the face of all evidence that Fun is not so good for the planet.

Who’s responsible, then: the travelers who demand all this or the companies that indulge them? In the industry’s defense, while it’s hard enough to persuade people to do the right thing in their homes and workplaces, it’s even harder to persuade them to make those choices while on vacation, when otherwise-thoughtful citizens turn into decadent reprobates. A couple of newlyweds checks into a honeymoon suite at a beachfront resort to find all the expected amenities—and energy-saving CFL bulbs in the bedside lamps. The couple may drive a Prius and carry reusable grocery bags back home. But will they be happy spending their honeymoon bathed in fluorescent cubicle light? Those commonsense sacrifices that seemed reasonable back in Bloomington are suddenly out the window in Anguilla. Few travelers are willing to compromise an experience they’ve spent so much time and money on. And few hotels will risk alienating guests by forcing compromise upon them.

This is not an easy time for the tourism industry. Leaving aside spiraling costs, the very idea of leisure travel is under environmental scrutiny. Other endeavors may sap as many resources, but tourism is a voluntary indulgence. No one

I L L U S T R AT E D BY E D W I N F O T H E R I N G H A M

For all our talk of responsible travel, hedonism remains alive and well—and it’s growing bigger and brasher than ever. Short of giving up and staying home, can travelers hope to reconcile doing good with having fun? By PETER JON LINDBERG

needs to holiday in Fiji, just as no one has to build a party boat the size of an aircraft carrier.

So what are the giants of the industry to do? Well, they can turn the tables and try to play the eco-card themselves.

Hotel chains, cruise lines, theme parks and airlines are all showing their green stripes these days. Here at T+L U.S., our in-boxes are flooded with press releases trumpeting the Good Word. Imagine our surprise when the Environmental Protection Agency bestowed an Environmental Quality Award on Harrah’s Entertainment. But indeed: at its four Atlantic City casinos, the company is recycling cooking oil, installing waterless urinals, and making other green improvements so you can feel good while behaving badly.

Speaking of sustainable dens of iniquity, Las Vegas’s 3,066-room Palazzo Resort Hotel recently became the largest building in the world to receive LEED certification.

This has only accelerated a Vegas-wide race for the other kind of green, as the major resort players vie for the title of “most eco-friendly gambling colossus.”

(Is a LEED rating the new Michelin star? Discuss.) Even Dubai has cast its bid for redemption—at the feet of Brad Pitt, who will consult on a new 800room, green-minded hotel for developer Zabeel Properties. Not to be outdone, Donald Trump intends to cash in carbon credits with his Trump on the Ocean development in New York. The restaurant-and-nightclub complex will use 20 percent recycled materials in construction, nontoxic paints in its interiors, and ozonefriendly refrigerants in the air-conditioning.

Is this just a lot of hot—er, cold air? Corporate apologists call it admirable progress. Hard-core eco-warriors call it greenwashing. But perhaps it’s too easy to be cynical. Instead of dismissing such efforts as token PR moves, we should think of the alternative: no movement at all. Even token compliance is still compliance. Perhaps the real question is not, How can these behemoths ever be considered green? but rather, How can the rest of the world ever be green without them?

Consider the curious cases of Jamie Sweeting and Adam Werbach, two of the judges for our Global Vision Awards.

Both have extensive experience on both “sides” of the field.

Both garnered impeccable green credentials: Sweeting as a senior business advisor and senior director of travel and leisure with Conservation International, Werbach as the youngest-ever president of the Sierra Club. But to the consternation of many in the eco-tribe, both found roles in the corporate sector. Sweeting is now vice president of environmental stewardship for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, where he helped develop the new Celebrity Solstice, which, in addition to its revolutionary, energy-efficient hull

design, will be the first commercial cruise ship to use solar power. Werbach has consulted on sustainability issues for Wal-Mart and directs Saatchi & Saatchi S, the “sustainable branding” division of the advertising giant. Both men insist that the future of environmentalism lies in promoting change on a broad scale—by engaging the corporate “big guns” rather than labeling them as beyond repair.

Going green can mean huge savings for a company’s bottom line, from lower electric bills to tax credits. The image of virtue certainly doesn’t hurt, but neither Werbach nor Sweeting is overly concerned with PR. “We tend not to work with companies who approach us from within a socialresponsibility framework,” Werbach says. “Those interests generally don’t have a lot of power within their organizations. We prefer when they say, ‘We want to save 30 percent on our fuel costs’ or ‘We want to make our employees happier at work.’ These are core business challenges that in some ways have nothing to do with being green—they have to do with making money. And there’s never been a time in our lives when financial interests were so closely aligned with the needs of the planet.”

Sweeting concurs. “Green concerns are not seen as a competitive advantage among the cruise lines—we’re all trying to work together,” he says. “As an industry we recognize that maintaining a safe and clean environment on the oceans is vital to our business.”

Reforming the big guns may prove as slow as, well, turning a cruise ship around. Yet on this scale even incremental changes can have a sizable effect. Not only do these companies have the most impact and influence within their fields; they also reach the widest audience of the unconverteds. So if a cruise line makes the decision to offer conservation lectures alongside the obligatory melon-inyour-cleavage relay races on the lido deck, maybe it’s time to see that not as greenwashing but as a measure of…progress?

The road to salvation may lie, not in that eight-room ecoresort in the Costa Rican jungle, but in Las Vegas, where 750,000 of us go in a single week to forget our troubles. If just 1 percent of that number can learn to live without highpressure showerheads, maybe we can all learn to shift our priorities and be a little more mindful than mindless. Perhaps one day fluorescent-lit honeymoons will be the norm, and we’ll no longer pine for the alternative. We won’t feel guilty and resentful for not complying or smug for doing so; we’ll just do it, because that’s what we do.

In the meantime, we’re going to need a little help from on high. So could we please switch off the poolside misters? ✚

The road to salvation may lie in LAS VEGAS, where 750,000 of us go in a week

Peter Jon Lindberg is editor-at-large for T+L (U.S.).

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CAMBODIA

Time Travel

Making the journey from Battambang to Phnom Penh by rail, best described as a glacially slow trip, turns out to be a metaphor for the state of Cambodia. Story and photographs by ANDREW BURKE 6:20 A.M. ON A Sunday and the sun is shining brightly on the bleach yellow Battambang train station. The clock above the entrance has rigor mortis, the time of death being 8:02 A.M. on a day long past. Below it, a rusting steel grate casts shadows into a dusty ticket hall, where broken furniture fills one corner and a barrow load of pineapples waits in another. Outside everything is still. Two pariah dogs lie unmoved, while a lottery ticket seller dozes on her hands.

Cambodia’s second-most populous city, Battambang, is a low-rise place with a patchwork of

I

Local Delays Clockwise from above: The train stops en route to pick up supplies; a railway worker; one car mounts another at a bump on the tracks.

T’S

red-tile roofs and colonial-era shophouses that testify to its importance as a trading hub in this vast rice-growing region, and to the long history of conflict that has deterred vertical growth. But on this day, my destination is the capital, Phnom Penh, 272 kilometers to the southeast. By road, the trip takes about four hours, but I’m on the week’s single rail service—the last passenger train in the country.

The sole operating ticket window opens beneath a handwritten note announcing the departure time as 6:40 A.M. The sign says TICKET FOR THE FOREIGNER. PHNOM PENH 25,300 RIALS, about » T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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Khmer Connection Above: Cambodian rail cars look as if they’ve been abandoned in the jungle for years. Opposite page from top: Loading up locally cut timber from a norry while the train trundles towards the capital; on this slow-moving journey, the Cambodian sunset is the best entertainment around; while food isn’t a given on this trip, local produce abounds; relaxing on top of the Battambang–Phnom Penh train.

US$6. It’s not busy. When I ask what time we’ll arrive in Phnom Penh, the clerk looks to his assistant who shrugs, smiles and with a let’s-tell-him-something-he-wants-to-hear look says “Nine.” It’s a measure of my low expectations that the word “nine” fills me with relief. Fourteen hours isn’t so long, I reassure myself—I’ll be in Phnom Penh for dinner. I buy the ticket.

At exactly 6:40 A.M. the train lurches forward. I’m impressed with the punctuality until I realize, as time wears on, that 6:41 A.M. is the last time we’ll be on schedule for the entire journey. Our train is pulled by a red-and-yellow diesel locomotive. Behind are three empty wagons and two passenger cars that look as if they’ve just been rediscovered after years abandoned in the jungle.

I take a seat in the rear car along with a couple of elderly women transporting pineapples and eight other barang (foreigners). In all, there are 15 passengers; the Khmers are taking produce to Phnom Penh, the rest of us are here to experience a classic rail journey before it is, if the press releases are to be believed, upgraded and replaced with an “Orient Express–style” service linking Phnom Penh with Bangkok. Optimistic reports have that train starting by 2011.

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Meanwhile, this is a service like no other. Most of the high-backed wooden seats are piled up in the middle of the passenger car, leaving it half empty. There’s a hole in the roof, and the lining from the walls and ceiling has mostly disappeared, exposing the steel outer shell. There is no glass.

No lights either. Actually, there are no electrical wires, the copper having been stripped away and sold for scrap. Gaps in the floorboards are wide enough to swallow my leg and, given their position over the rusting, whining rear axle, lend new meaning to the phrase, mind the gap.

The train crawls along at a leisurely 10 kph, barely enough to feel the breeze on my face but ample time to take in the scenery. As Battambang recedes, we enter a pancake-flat landscape of green rice paddies, interrupted every few kilometers by shaded villages fanning out from the crumbling, bullet-riddled remains of French-era stations.

For foreigners, one of the main attractions of this journey is being able to ride on the roof. I clamber up the broken stairs and onto the rusting rooftop to feel the wind through my hair. The only trouble is, moving around up top isn’t easy when the carriage is rocking like a rodeo bull. Each piece of missing track is announced by a loud crash and followed by a

sudden lurch. Eventually, our roof-riding comes to an abrupt end when an especially big bump causes the rear carriage to mount the one in front of it.

It hasn’t always been like this. There was a time when this railway, known as the Cambodian Northern Line, was the pride of the French colony. In many ways, the 80-year history of the railways is a tale of hope and trauma that largely tracks the highs and lows of the country as a whole.

The next few hours are spent trying to get comfortable, sweating as the temperature rises and speculating on how long this trip might take. We stop frequently but only at the larger stations do many people get on. When they do, they’re hefting nylon bags stuffed with charcoal, or bulging baskets of durian, watermelon, jackfruit and pineapple. After watching me for a while, one woman with a red-checked krama wrapped around her head stops me to ask what I think of the train. Thinking of the rooftop perch, I tell her I’m rather enjoying it. It isn’t the answer she’s after.

“No, no, no!” she exclaims, vigorously shaking her weathered face. “Cambodian trains no good, no good.”

Heng, a fat-faced railway worker with a funereal disposition who happens to speak a little English, takes up the baton. “You like this train, but you only use it once,” he tells me. “For us, it is embarrassing. My government doesn’t care about the train.” I explain that there are rumors that the government is due to sign a deal to rehabilitate the track and trains, but Heng isn’t impressed. “I’ve heard this before,” he says. I ask how often he makes the trip. “One time each month,” he replies, dabbing sweat from his neck, “that is enough.”

By 3 P.M., storm clouds are forming and we still haven’t reached Pursat, 165 kilometers from Phnom Penh. At our current speed, I calculate that we’ll arrive the next day at 9 A.M. It’s little surprise, then, that when we reach Pursat at 4 P.M. most of the barang get off. Four of us remain committed to “going all the way” and are soon joined by about 20 locals carrying hefty bags of produce as well as several soldiers, onboard riding shotgun along this more remote stretch of rail. When the clouds eventually burst, they deliver one of those merciful monsoonal storms that doesn’t last long but washes away the dust and humidity, and transforms the paddy fields into a sparkling sea of luminous green.

South of Pursat, the line veers away from the main Phnom Penh-to-Battambang road and, as if stepping back in time, becomes the main form of transport for those villages »

The train crawls along at a leisurely 10 kph, barely fast enough to feel the BREEZE

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A deserted Art Deco Phnom Penh arrival.

Considering that this is the sole arrival this WEEK, and we’ve been on the tracks for 25 hours, the reception is underwhelming

dotted along the next 140 kilometers of track.

Most date from the early 1930’s when the rail link was built, and for them the single weekly service is not enough to keep them connected. Instead, they treat the train as a lumbering cargo ship for transporting timber and produce to Phnom Penh.

To get from town to town they take norries, homemade carts consisting of a flat bamboo tray that drops onto two axles, made from wheels cannibalized from destroyed tanks, and a small motor. When two norries meet head on, the one carrying the least is lifted, piece by painstaking piece, off the track to allow the other to pass.

Cambodian improvisation at its best.

I first see a norry in a village south of Pursat.

Unlike the somnolent settlements earlier, this place is abuzz. Before we stop, the action begins, with every able-bodied person—from 10-year-old boys to an elderly man with a body straight from the cover of Men’s Health—feverishly passing logs up to the roof, through the windows and into the wagons.

Three men roll the norry to the back of the train and tie it on with a rope. That, and the fact the villagers seem almost frantic, has me puzzled.

What’s the hurry? It’s not as if the train isn’t already irredeemably late.

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pole vaulters trying to load still more logs—and I sprint along the tracks to catch it. I understand why they were in such a hurry. Whatever they couldn’t load would have to wait seven days for the next train, and the sale. For the guys on the norry, however, this wasn’t a problem; they just kept loading into the carriage as we rolled on, glacially, towards Phnom Penh.

This frenzied loading is repeated in several villages and by dusk the train has timber anywhere it will fit; the wagons, the aisles and the rooftops are packed. At one stop, my new seat neighbor, a 68year-old farmer, insists on ordering me a dinner of plain rice with chicken and a boiled egg, washed down with sugar cane juice. I’d heard this train was once a village-on-wheels, with a variety of food vendors and even a makeshift bar (the later the train, the greater the trouble, I was told), so hadn’t bothered to pack food. But those days have passed.

I climb to the roof to watch the sunset and find a dozen men accompanying their timber to Phnom Penh. Between the black clouds above and paddy fields glowing like liquid fire is a sky burnished the color of copper and gold. It’s a truly remarkable sunset, and as I sit on damp wood, atop the slowmoving train, in the cool air of dusk, it seems the whole trip is worth it just for this moment.

Once it’s dark, all I can see are an occasional torchlight and fireflies darting above the rice fields.

Like the Khmers onboard, I stop worrying about when it is we’ll get to Phnom Penh. I’m powerless to speed things along in any case, have no immediate alternatives and, because this is Cambodia, am resigned to low expectations.

I am brought back to reality when the man opposite taps my watch and says: “Arrive Phnom Penh 6 A.M.” And so we do. Almost. After waiting 90 minutes while the lumber is unloaded on the outskirts of the city, we finally rattle into Phnom Penh’s Art Deco train station at 7:40 A.M. Considering that this is the sole passenger arrival of the week, and we’ve been on the tracks for 25 hours, the reception is underwhelming. But for motorbike taxi drivers the station—complete with a huge Pepsi ad featuring Britney Spears dressed as a gladiator and instructing us to “Dare For More”— the place is deserted. I realize that this was the most uncomfortable—and most memorable—train trip I’ve ever taken.

Currently, the Battambang–Phnom Penh service runs sporadically, about once a month, although track upgrades are causing delays to the schedule, if not outright cancellations.

t+l journal

| outdoors

Chinese Tees As golf booms in China, we look at five clubs across the vast country where it’s well worth booking a round. By SPENCER ROBINSON. Photographs by ALEX JENKINS URING THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION, the few golf courses that existed in China were dug up and returned to the people.

The game that was described as a “prime example of Western decadence” was duly banned. It was not until 1984 that golf returned to the mainland when the first modern-day course was opened at Chung Shan Hot Spring Golf Club. A mini golf boom followed in the late 1980’s, but it wasn’t until the late 1990’s that the game really began to take root among the local population.

Today, China is one of the fastest-growing golf markets in the world with almost 400 courses in play.

D

The Kau Sai Chau Public course on Hong Kong’s Sai Kung Peninsula.

CHINA

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Although the Chinese government has been cautious about the progress of the sport, with legitimate concerns being raised about the amount of land and water it uses, there’s a strong belief that senior level approval—along with funding for the development of public facilities and coaching—will be forthcoming if, as expected, golf is readmitted to the Olympic Games for 2016.

CHUNG SHAN HOT SPRING GOLF CLUB Anyone who’s old enough to remember Richard Nixon and his “ping-pong diplomacy” in China will also recall Arnie’s Army. They were the loyal fans

The Spring City Golf Resort sits more than 2,000 METERS above sea level

Above Par Clockwise from top left: Putting at the Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course; the 17th hole on the Nicklaus Course at Chung Shan Hot Spring; caddies at Mission Hills.

who lined fairways around the world to support legendary American Arnold Palmer whenever he lit up a tournament with his presence.

Less familiar is the second Arnie’s Army—the thousands of laborers who created history by building mainland China’s first modern-day course with their bare hands in the city of Zhongshan, a 30-minute drive from Macau.

It was 25 years ago that the Chung Shan Hot Spring Golf Club, inspired by the open-door policy of then-paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, unveiled its 18-hole Arnold Palmerdesigned course. What is perhaps most remarkable about this historic golfing venue is that the course was constructed without the help of a single piece of heavy machinery. From the initial earth moving to the breaking up of rocks, all the way through to the shaping of the holes, the developers relied on seemingly unlimited manpower.

Given the lack of expertise in building golf courses in China at that time, it remains a tribute to those in charge that the course turned out as well as it did. According to one senior member of the original management team, an eagleeyed foreman spotted that the design plans had been misread and that a couple of greens had been outlined in areas that were actually supposed to be tee boxes. The errors were caught just in time.

The course flourished, playing host to the first professional golf tournament in China, the Alfred Dunhill Cup Asia-

Pacific Qualifier in 1988, attended by former British prime minister Edward Heath. Another frequent visitor to Chung Shan in the early days was leading government reformer Zhao Ziyang, an avid golfer before he was placed under house arrest.

JOCKEY CLUB KAU SAI CHAU PUBLIC GOLF COURSE For decades, Hong Kong politicians said a lack of space was the biggest obstacle to the expansion of the royal game in the former British colony. In such a land-scarce city, where was the justification in building green lungs that would be used by only a small minority?

There were, however, those in high places at the then Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club who adopted a more positive approach. Grasping the benefits to the community of a public golf complex, they actively went in search of potential locations. And so it came to pass that an area was identified that was unsuitable either for residential or industrial buildings in the northeast corner of the territory.

There was still a rather pressing problem to overcome. For the island of Kau Sai Chau, set in the scenic Sai Kung Peninsula, had formerly been used by the British military for shelling practice. Cue a stream of “beware the bunker” jokes. Still, it was a serious business to confirm that no unexploded bombs—or any other military hardware, for » T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A

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t+l journal

| outdoors

that matter—remained before the go-ahead was given to proceed with the project.

With the land donated by the Hong Kong government and construction costs amounting to HK$500 million underwritten by the Jockey Club, work duly began on the first public golfing facility in the city. South African great Gary Player was brought in to sculpt two courses, the tough North Course and the more user-friendly South Course.

“This is one of the finest public golfing facilities in the world,” said Player after visiting the venue in the mid-1990’s.

Last year, a third layout, the Nelson & Haworth–designed East Course, was unveiled. Today, Kau Sai Chau is an

environmental sanctuary where golfers share 250 hectares with eagles, egrets and pond herons, as well as the occasional barking deer.

MISSION HILLS GOLF CLUB Some used to believe—incorrectly it should be noted—that the only structure on earth visible from the moon was the Great Wall of China. Well, these days China can lay claim to another astonishing landmark of such gargantuan proportions that it, too, has been labelled “other-worldly.”

Welcome to the Mission Hills Golf Club.

David Chu Shu-ho can attest to the fact that it pays to

The 18th hole at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Spring City. Top left: KSC East Course’s 8th hole. Top right: The Mission Hills World Cup Course.

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think big in China. In little more than a decade, Chu has simultaneously created the world’s largest golf club and, in so doing, played a significant role in placing China onto the global map. In anyone’s language, Mission Hills, located close to the burgeoning metropolis of Shenzhen, is an astonishing success story.

Just consider that today the club has 12 courses for a total of 216 holes, two sprawling clubhouses with state-of-the-art convention facilities, as well as the first David Leadbetter Golf Academy in China. Then there’s the small matter of a 51-court floodlit tennis center in Mission Hills Country Club, which also incorporates an acclaimed spa and a host of other leisure facilities.

The club employs more than 6,500 people, boasts a 315room hotel and has successfully integrated a variety of properties alongside the fairways, ranging from luxurious villas to resort apartments.

Voted Golf Resort of the Year by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators in 2005, Mission Hills has also been named as one of the “Top 10 Sights in Shenzhen.” Even the Guinness World Records has confirmed that Mission Hills is the largest golf club in the world. If numbers are your thing, total investment in the project is said to have risen to US$1 billion.

SHESHAN GOLF CLUB Sheshan Golf Club unashamedly bills itself as “Shanghai’s first truly private and exclusive Members Only golf club.”

Set amidst stunning Tuscan-themed architecture and forested landscaping, Sheshan’s raison d’etre is to offer a luxurious experience to those seeking only the very best in a golf getaway.

To be able to command top dollar from the crème de la crème, you have to be a cut above the rest. In that regard, Sheshan lives up to its reputation. On and off the immaculately manicured course, no stone has been left unturned in the club’s attempts to provide an experience to savor for its 650 elite members.

For those who can afford to pay the not inconsiderable price of living within the confines of what it terms its international golf community, the Nelson & Haworth– designed golf course is the centerpiece.

Helping to underpin the club’s exclusivity is the continued

staging of the HSBC Champions, the richest and most prestigious tournament in the region.

Another giant leap has been taken this year with the event’s elevation to World Golf Championships status, effectively meaning it’s one of the top-10 tournaments on the global golfing calendar. Headlining the field in this November’s US$7 million extravaganza will be Tiger Woods, his third appearance at Sheshan.

As the world’s top golfer will attest, one of the best features of the course is the natural forestation that is integrated into the design. In building the course, no fewer than 10,000 trees and other natural foliage were preserved, including two 1,000-year-old ginko trees that grace the fourth hole.

As a private club, visitors cannot gain access to the facility unless they’re accompanied by a member. So, if you wish to follow in the trails of a Tiger, you best befriend a member.

SPRING CITY GOLF & LAKE RESORT The prospect of playing on world-class courses is enough to get any genuine golfing addict salivating. In the past, a visit to traditional golfing strongholds such as Scotland, the United States and Australia would have been required to sate the craving.

The good news for Asia, though, is that the region’s reputation as a golfing haven is growing. Indeed, there are now a handful of venues right on our doorstep that have been acclaimed as worthy of placement alongside the chosen few that have been appearing in top-100 lists for decades now.

Among their number are the two courses at the Spring City Golf & Lake Resort in Kunming, one bearing the signature of Jack Nicklaus and the other having been sculpted by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Celebrating its 11th anniversary this year, the Spring City complex sits more than 2,000 meters above sea level. In every way this is an above-par golfing destination. “Golf Paradise of Asia” screams the club’s brochure. It’s no exaggeration. Both courses boast tranquil vistas of Yang Zong Hai Lake and mountainous backdrops as well as providing a colorful array of indigenous flora and fauna.

That’s not all. The cool, temperate, year-round spring-like climate is hard to beat. No excessive heat or humidity. No unbearable cold snaps.

GUIDE TO GOLF IN CHINA Chung Shan Hot Spring Golf Club Zhongshan City, Guangdong; 86-760/ 8669-0055; cshsgc.com.cn; green fees from RMB550 weekdays, RMB1,320 weekends.

Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course Sai Kung,

Hong Kong; 852/2791-3388; www.kscgolf.org.hk; green fees from HK$490 weekdays, HK$670 weekends.

Mission Hills Golf Club 1 Mission Hills Rd., Shenzhen; 86-755/2802-0888; missionhillsgroup.com; green fees

from RMB1,380 weekdays and RMB1,800 weekends.

Sheshan Golf Club Lane 288, New Linyin Ave., Sheshan National Tourism Resort, Shanghai; 86-21/5779-8088; sheshangolf.com; green fees from RMB1,080 weekdays and

RMB1,580 weekends, but only when accompanied by a club member.

Spring City Golf & Lake Resort Tangchi, Yiliang, Yunnan; 86-871/767-1188; springcityresort. com; green fees from RMB1,640 weekdays, RMB1,940 weekends.

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THE T+L EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 20 09

L I LY B E C K E R

Looking onto Biscayne Bay from the pool deck terrace at Florida’s new Mondrian, in South Beach.

In compiling Travel + Leisure’s annual It List, our editors once again visited hundreds of new hotels around the globe. This year’s list is surprising for extending to some far-flung corners of the globe you might not expect. So whether you’re looking for a quick getaway in a former convent or hoping to get away from it all for a while on a quiet beach, we’ve found the place for you.

the top 45 new hotels of the year BEIJING

Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing HAINAN ISLAND

Ritz-Carlton Sanya HONG KONG

W Hong Kong

MAURITIUS

Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita

FLORIDA

MADIKWE GAME

Canyon Ranch Miami Beach Fontainebleau, Miami Beach Mondrian, Miami Beach Viceroy Miami

RESERVE

SHANGHAI

Park Hyatt Shanghai

ZIGHY BAY

NEW DELHI

Aman New Delhi

OMAN

Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay

VARANASI

UNITED ARAB E M I R AT E S

Taj Nadesar Palace

DUBAI

THAILAND

Atlantis, The Palm Dubai

PHUKET

Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa Six Senses Destination Spa AFRICA, T H E M I D D L E E A S T, AU S T R A L I A , AND THE SOUTH PAC I F I C B OTSWANA OKAVANGO DELTA

Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Beach SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, A Luxury Collection Hotel

SOUTH AFRICA

Molori Safari Lodge

INDIA

94

Xudum Okavango Delta Lodge

AUSTRALIA TASMANIA

Priory Country Lodge NORTH AMERICA U N I T E D S TAT E S ARIZONA

InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa, Scottsdale CALIFORNIA

Montage Beverly Hills

GEORGIA

The Mansion on Peachtree, A Rosewood Hotel & Residence, Atlanta MASSACHUSETTS

Mandarin Oriental, Boston NEVADA

Encore Wynn, Las Vegas NEW MEXICO

Encantado, Santa Fe

OREGON

U R U G U AY

The Nines, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Portland

JOSÉ IGNACIO

THE CARIBBEAN, MEXICO, AND CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA CARIBBEAN THE GRENADINES

Firefly Bequia

Estancia Vik EUROPE ENGLAND LONDON

Rough Luxe FRANCE PROVENCE

Le Couvent des Minimes

JAMAICA

I TA LY

Geejam

FLORENCE

MEXICO

Four Seasons Hotel Firenze

MAYAKOBA

Banyan Tree Mayakoba Resort & Spa MEXICO CITY

Distrito Capital ARGENTINA SALTA

PIEDMONT

LaVilla Hotel S PAI N BARCELONA

ME Barcelona SWITZERLAND

Legado Mítico

ZURICH

BRAZIL

Dolder Grand

TRANCOSO

TURKEY

Uxua Casa Hotel

ISTANBUL

PERU

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus Park Hyatt Maçka Palas

COLCA CANYON

NEW YORK

Las Casitas del Colca

The Standard, New York

Inkaterra La Casona

CUZCO

CO U RT ESY O F T H E LUXU RY CO L L ECT I O N ; CO U RT ESY O F G E E JA M ; E N ZO BA RA D E L ; C O U R T E S Y O F R I T Z - C A R LT O N S A N YA ; E L S A Y O U N G . O P P O S I T E P A G E : M A R K U S G O R T Z

ASIA CHINA

BEACH

MAURITIUS

Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita A resort halfway around the world had better offer something spectacular, and the Four Seasons Mauritius does just that on an island already known for its fivestar hotels. Villas offer views of either the crystal-blue lagoon or the Bambou Mountains and are hewn from local hardwoods and volcanic stone. Oversize bathrooms lead to rustic outdoor showers, and sliding doors off bedrooms frame plunge pools surrounded by tropical greenery.

All this, combined with an attentive, well-informed staff, makes it the new place to stay on ﾃ四e Maurice. Beau Champ; 230/402-3100 ; fourseasons.com; doubles from US$944.

The pool overlooking the lagoon at the Four Seasons Resort Mauritius.

BEACH

JAMAICA

Geejam Björk, Gwen Stefani and India Arie have all checked in to music producer Jon Baker’s treetops resort, where seven Zen-spare suites on two lush hectares overlook Port Antonio and the Caribbean Sea. With a staff-toguest ratio of 4 to 1, anything you ask for is possible, from a picnic of jerk chicken and planter’s punch on Frenchman’s Cove to spontaneous staff-led rafting trips. You can even have a band to back you up in the recording studio should you feel so inspired. In a world of cookie-cutter boutique hotels, Geejam is truly bespoke. Port Antonio; 876/975-3354; islandoutpost. com; doubles from US$595.

BEACH

RI V I ERA M AYA, M EX ICO

Banyan Tree Mayakoba Resort & Spa How do you make a splash in a destination that’s already seen its share of It List hotels? Banyan Tree’s first foray into North America starts with an impressive 15-meter pagoda-style lobby; moves into Asian-meets-Mexican-style villas with outdoor pools, Jacuzzis and rooftop terraces; and really delivers on the promise of an Asian property by staffing its spa only with Thai-trained therapists. Once we were suitably relaxed (who can resist an alfresco treatment?), a riverboat awaited to bring us through a lush mangrove forest to a stretch of powdery white sand. Km 298, Crta. Federal ChetumalPuerto Juárez, Playa del Carmen; 52984/877-3688; banyantree.com; doubles from US$495.

BEACH

THE GRENADINES

F R O M L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F R I T Z - C A R LT O N S A N YA ; C O U R T E S Y O F S I X S E N S E S . O P P O S I T E P A G E : D AV I D N I C O L A S

Firefly Bequia Looking for your Next Great Caribbean Getaway? We’re betting it may be the Grenadines, a part of the still-unspoiled Windward Islands just west of Barbados, and especially Bequia, one of largest of the archipelago. At Firefly, a four-room oasis on an 18th-century plantation, a martini-shaking bartender arrives by speedboat; the wild beach is practically yours alone; and turndown includes candlelight, Billie Holiday on an iPod and Italian linens. More hotels are on the horizon in Bequia, but for now, this is the spot for an idyllic, sybaritic fantasy. 784/458-3414; fireflybequia.com; doubles from US$495, including breakfast.

BEACH

=H;7J L7BK;

guest rooms, with plasma TV’s and iMacs. The staff is still adjusting to the demands of such a huge hotel, but it’s the public spaces that really impress: the epic lobby, the glowing floor of the Bleau Bar, and, outside, a seemingly endless series of pools, lounge chairs, palm trees and yet more pools. 4441 Collins Ave.; 1305/538-2000; fontainebleau.com; doubles from US$249.

BEACH

HA INA N ISLA ND, CHINA

Ritz-Carlton Sanya Welcome to the Hawaii of the South China Sea. The 450-room Ritz-Carlton is a standout among the growing number of resorts on Hainan, China’s only tropical island. Amid crowds of well-heeled mainland Chinese (including lovestruck newlyweds in matching Hawaiian shirts) we found a Forbidden City–inspired retreat with gardens, reflective lagoons and wooden pillar-lined walkways. After a day spent by your villa’s plunge pool, don’t be daunted by the distance to the seawater-themed Espa at the other end of the resort: a personal butler awaits to drive you there.

Yalong Bay National Resort District; 86898/8898-8888; ritzcarlton.com; doubles from RMB1,296. =H;7J L7BK;

BEACH

P H U K E T, T H A I L A N D

Six Senses Destination Spa Spa-obsessed jet-setters take note: Six Senses has brought the best of Asia’s healing arts to a speck of land off Phuket’s eastern coast. A 10.5-hectare retreat houses four individual spas—yes, four—each dedicated to Chinese, Indian, Indonesian or Thai traditions.

Many of the practitioners have trained for years to fine-tune a single treatment, apparent during our deep-tissue Indian Abhyanga massage. Between appointments, we lounged by the ocean and ordered seaside delivery of addictive Thai dishes such as chili lobster.

32 Moo 5, Tambol Paklok, Amphur Thalang; 66-76/371-400; sixsenses.com; doubles from Bt92,547, including treatments and meals.

BEACH

T R A N C O S O, B R A Z I L

Uxua Casa Hotel Bahia’s sexiest beach village takes a giant leap forward with this ninesuite gem masterminded by the creative director of Diesel. The design is outdoorsy elegant, with burnished reclaimed timber, billowing muslin curtains and Midcentury Brazilian furnishings. The »

MIAMI BEACH

Fontainebleau

It’s got Rat Pack glamour and Morris Lapidus–design-icon status, and now, after a US$1 billion renovation, the Fontainebleau also has top restaurants and lounges (11 of them, including Alan Yau’s muchanticipated Hakkasan) and 1,504

Suite Dreams Above: The presidential suite at the Ritz-Carlton Sanya, on Hainan Island. Right: Six Senses Destination Spa, in Phuket. Opposite: At Jamaica’s Geejam. Swimsuit by Ralph Lauren Blue Label.

97

BARCELONA

ME Barcelona We may never have ventured into Poblenou, Barcelona’s emerging tech district, if it weren’t for Dominique Perrault’s 122-metertall glass-and-steel den of cool.

Barcelona’s beautiful people bear the 15-minute cab ride from the city center to arrive at this hotel (surprisingly, run

by Sol Meliá, better known for its allinclusives), where they gather on ebony wingback chairs and chalk-white daybeds at Angels & Kings, an outpost of musician Pete Wentz’s New York bar. We couldn’t get over our room’s postcard-perfect views of the Sagrada Familia, the Agbar Tower and the hills of Catalonia beyond. 272 Pere IV; 1-866/436-3542; me-barcelona.com; doubles from €172. =H;7J L7BK;

three best villas open onto the Quadrado, Trancoso’s town green, and every evening, bossa nova wafts across the lawn, and you’re right in the heart of the action. 55-73/36682166; uxuacasahotel.com.br; doubles from US$790, including breakfast.

DESIGN

ZURICH

Dolder Grand It’s rare that a hotel feels both stolidly conservative and explosively futuristic, but that’s the effect architect Norman Foster has achieved with his redesign of the Dolder Grand, in Zurich. The hilltop property overlooks the city and lake, and the original 1899 façade and turrets, now restored, are flanked by dramatic new stone-and-glass buildings, the Golf Wing and the Spa Wing. Inside, gently curving hallways evoke a 2001: A Space Odyssey sort of mood, and wooden doors open to reveal quietly modern guest rooms— off-white leather upholstery, smokedoak flooring and private terraces.

65 Kurhausstrasse; 41-44/456-6000; thedoldergrand.com; doubles from €560.

Grand Hotel Right: The guest entrance at SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills. Opposite, clockwise from top left: At ME Barcelona; Norman Foster’s redesigned Dolder Grand, in Zurich; the lobby of the Mondrian, in South Beach; a room at the Park Hyatt Shanghai, designed by Tony Chi.

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DESIGN

MIAMI BEACH

Mondrian Dutch designer Marcel Wanders’s Baroque-minimalist palace on the calm waters of Biscayne Bay is a feast for the imagination: Step inside, and South Beach’s Art Deco aesthetic melts away. In the lobby, stark white surfaces lead to a latticed black spiral staircase and rooms come with enormous digitally manipulated femme-fatale paintings.

When it all becomes too much—the

chandelier that turns out to be a showerhead; the trompe l’oeil cloudmosaic bathroom tiles—retreat to the hotel’s waterside patio to take in the Technicolor sunset over downtown Miami. 1100 West Ave.; 1-305/514-1500; morganshotelgroup.com; doubles from US$495.

DESIGN

SHANGHAI

Park Hyatt Shanghai Situated atop the towering 101-story Shanghai World Financial Center, the Park Hyatt radiates calm. Interior designer Tony Chi’s décor is almost monastic in its restraint, but unlike monks, guests are invited to indulge: cream-of-artichoke soup with caviar in the dining room, an acupressure massage in the dreamlike Water’s Edge spa, or a swim past curious egg-shaped sculptures in the infinity pool. We were only lured outside into the city below by the hotel’s well-thought-out menu of guided tours on food, art and architecture. 100 Century Ave.; 86-21/6888-1234; park.hyatt.com; doubles from RMB5,493.

DESIGN

LOS ANGELES

SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, A Luxury Collection Hotel Combine Philippe Starck’s exuberant interiors with the genius for tapas of chef José Andrés and the retail vision of design curator Murray Moss, and you have a hotel unlike any other. Though the lobby may border on chaotic, the guest rooms are whisper-quiet and American Gigolo–minimalist, with peekaboo sliding doors between the bath and boudoir. But God help you if you have self-esteem issues: virtually every surface in the rooms is reflective.

Ultra-trendy it may be, SLS service is doting to a fault. 465 S. La Cienaga Blvd.; 1-310/247-0400; slshotels.com; doubles from US$389. »

CO U RT E SY O F T H E LU X U RY CO L L EC T I O N . O P P O S I T E PAG E , C LO C KW I S E F RO M TO P L E F T: C O U R T E S Y O F M E B A R C E L O N A ; C O U R T E S Y O F T H E D O L D E R G R A N D ; L I LY B E C K E R ; D A R R E N S O H

DESIGN

HONG KONG

W Hong Kong The “Whatever, Whenever” motto of Starwood’s boutique brand couldn’t be more appropriate in Asia’s frenetic financial capital. Sure, the concierge can have a bespoke suit tailored in just 24 hours, but if money is no object he can also have a private jet at the ready for that last-minute trip to Shanghai.

All 393 guest rooms have skyline views and remote-controlled everything (blackout curtains; multicolored mood lighting; iPod docking stations), but be sure to request harbor-facing rooms, as the ICC tower obstructs the panorama on the Hong Kong city side.

1 Austin Rd. West, Kowloon; 852/37172222; starwood hotels.com; doubles from HK$2,000.

RUSTIC

J O S É I G N A C I O, U R U G UAY

Estancia Vik Looking for the boho-chic crowd that made Punta del Este the ne plus ultra

RUSTIC

M O M B A R R U Z Z O, I TA LY

LaVilla Hotel If Piedmont’s Slow Food movement has meant better eating for everyone, an unexpected consequence has been the increased popularity of this once-sleepy corner of western Italy. Which is why LaVilla, just east of the town of Le Langhe, is such a welcome addition. The 17thcentury palazzo sits amid rolling hills, and its rooms are understated, with covetable antiques (claw-foot tubs; 19th-century armoires) and all the comforts (heated tile floors; overstuffed =H;7J L7BK;

down pillows; an honor bar stocked with the best Barbera wines). The complimentary breakfast of freshly baked croissants, fruits, artisanal cheeses and prosciutto is a highlight.

7 Via Torino; 39-041/793-890; lavillahotel.net; doubles from €149.

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MADIKWE GAME

R E S E RV E , S O U T H A F R I C A

Molori Safari Lodge Tucked into the hills of South Africa’s Madikwe Game Reserve, the fivesuite Molori Safari Lodge presents a compelling argument for the place of indulgence in a recessionary world.

South African designer Stephen Falcke mixes traditional elements (thatched roofs; carved-wood statues) with Fendi chaises and gilded Louis XVI–style chairs. Indeed, the lodge excels at fantasy fulfillment. Fancy a romantic wood-fired braai (barbecue)?

A candlelit table and chef are at the ready. And let’s not forget the game drives: two a day with an expert ranger. Should you find yourself wondering where Africa lies in all of this, open the retractable glass walls of your suite and step out onto your deck. An elephant is around the corner. Madikwe Game Reserve; 2782/613-5723; molori.com; doubles from US$1,870, all-inclusive.

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B OT H W E L L , AU S T R A L I A

Priory Country Lodge

Out of Africa Above: Dinner at Xudum, Botswana’s newest game lodge. Right: The Metsi deck at Molori Safari Lodge, in South Africa’s Madikwe Game Reserve.

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The 1848 Tudor-style lodge in Bothwell, a Tasmanian town known for game hunting, offers a dizzying roster of activities. Guests can fill their days with trout fishing, rounds of golf (the nearby course is the oldest in the Southern Hemisphere), visits to a whiskey distillery and guided walks through World Heritage–protected wilderness. The cookouts are also a hit—especially the highland favorite: braised lamb shanks on mash. 2 Wentworth St.; 613/6259-4012; thepriorycountrylodge.com; doubles from A$717. »

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DESIGN

of South American beach destinations?

You’ll find them in José Ignacio, armed with reservations at Estancia Vik, the town’s first luxury guest estancia. All 12 spare suites feature installations by Uruguayan artists; big names, including sculptor Pablo Atchugarry and painter Clever Lara, have work in the public spaces. The location—on 1,600 hectares of pasture 8 kilometers from the beach—is close enough to town that you can dine at midnight, as locals do. Km 8, Cam. Eugenio Saiz Martínez; 598-64/675-838; estanciavikjoseignacio.com; doubles from US$750.

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MANE-EN-PROVENCE, FRANCE

Le Couvent des Minimes Relais & Châteaux has the Provence hotel scene sewn up, especially now that the company has put its stamp on Le Couvent des Minimes, a country hideaway near the eastern edge of the Luberon Valley. Set in a former convent, this 46-room retreat welcomes visitors with a cloistered courtyard and strategically placed bouquets of lavender— all handpicked from the terraced herb garden and used in the full-service spa, the first in France from Provençal cosmetics company L’Occitane. We loved the Cassine suite, which looks out onto a carp fountain from the former bell tower. Chemin des Jeux de Mai; 33-4/92-74-77-77; couventdesminimes-hotelspa.com; doubles from €283.

Le Couvent des Minimes, in France’s Luberon Valley.

O K AVA N G O D E L T A ,

BOTSWANA

Xudum Okavango Delta Lodge Amid the colonial-throwback camps in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, there’s an iconoclastic new kid in town from &Beyond, the safari company formerly known as CC Africa. The 25,000hectare reserve, one of the largest in any permanent African delta, is a part-land, part-water experience. Guests from the nine pinewood suites punt for hours along water channels in mekoro dugouts, or make incursions into the acacia-andpalm-studded plains, hot on the trail of hippos, Cape buffalo and a profusion of wild cats (hence the lion research institute, the reserve’s only other tenant). Okavango Delta; 27-11/809-4314; andbeyond.com; doubles from US$1,375 per person.

RESORT

P H U K E T, T H A I L A N D

Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa For its first Phuket property, Anantara eschewed bare-bones minimalism in

RESORT

DUBAI

Atlantis, The Palm In a place that already defines excess, Atlantis manages to push the envelope further. Situated on the arch of the Palm Jumeirah artificial island, the Dubai incarnation of the Bahamas resort is ersatz-oceanic in style—with a 15million-liter Aquaventure theme park, nearly 2 kilometers of powdery manmade beachfront, and a 65,000-creature marine habitat. And then there are the rooms—1,539 in all—with waterfront balconies that look onto the Persian Gulf or the construction-project-inaction that is Dubai. 971-4/426-1000; atlantisthepalm.com; doubles from US$500.

RESORT

MIAMI BEACH

Canyon Ranch Miami Beach Miami’s hotel spas trembled at the arrival of Canyon Ranch earlier this year. Here, yogis replace Baywatchstyle joggers, and a 6,500-squaremeter maze of David Rockwell– designed spaces serves as the backdrop to a host of treatments ranging from mud baths to thalassotherapy. An over-the-top gimmick: “experiential” showers (picture a simulated rainstorm, with the sound and lighting effects to match). Guest rooms offer ocean views and residence-style touches such as graniteclad kitchens and refrigerators that can be stocked with healthful organic staples upon request. 6801 Collins Ave.; 1-305/514-7000; canyonranch.com; doubles from US$350.

RESORT

S A N TA F E , N E W M E X I C O

Encantado It was with a sigh of relief that we entered the airy casita at Auberge Resorts’ newest spa property just north of busy Santa Fe. It wasn’t only the perfect late-afternoon light that did us in (who doesn’t love sun streaming onto a plush down bed while a piñonscented fire crackles in an Indian kiva?), but the fact that a stay here delivered what we didn’t even realize we’d hoped for: a luxurious Southwestern desert experience minus even a hint of dream-catcher kitsch. 198 State Rd. 592; 1-505/946-5700; encantadoresort.com; doubles from US$575.

RESORT

S C O T T S DA L E , A R I Z O N A

InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa The High Life Right: A Dale Chihuly sculpture presides over the lobby at Atlantis, The Palm, in Dubai. Opposite, clockwise from top left: The Atlantic views from a terrace at Canyon Ranch Miami Beach; Auberge Resorts’ new Encantado, north of Santa Fe; a private picnic at Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay, in Oman; daybeds at Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa.

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With its graceful plazas and arcaded walkways, this 14-hectare retreat so resembles an Andalusian pueblo blanco that you’ll forget you’re in Arizona. To set apart its North American flagship in resort-rich Scottsdale, InterContinental »

C O U R T E S Y O F A T L A N T I S , T H E P A L M . O P P O S I T E P A G E , C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : L I LY B E C K E R ; C O U R T E S Y O F E N C A N TA D O ; C O U R T E SY O F S I X S E N S E S R E S O R T S & S PA S ; C O U R T E SY O F A N A N TA R A R E S O R T S A N D S PA S

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favor of a fresh take on classic Thai aesthetics. Hidden within a former coconut plantation are 83 bougainvilleacovered villas, whose wooden walls and sloping roofs make guests feel as if they’re meandering through a local village. But there’s nothing rustic here: each villa, clad in teak and raw silk, comes with a swimming pool, an outdoor daybed and a terrazzo bathtub. The expansive spa lured us from our rooms for the kind of massage that makes jet-lagged muscles thankful to be in Thailand. 888 Moo 3, Tambon Mai Khao; 66-76/336-100; anantara.com; villas from Bt28,925.

Z I G H Y B A Y, O M A N

Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay created a Spanish hideaway made up of four “villages” featuring fountainfilled courtyards, garden terraces and vistas of Camelback Mountain from the outsize suites. Unexpected flourishes, such as live flamenco music, complete the picture. 4949 E. Lincoln Dr., Paradise Valley; 1-480/627-3200; icmontelucia.com; doubles from US$295.

RESORT

NEWPORT BEACH,

CALIFORNIA

Resort at Pelican Hill Frankly, we didn’t want to like the Resort at Pelican Hill going in—after all, who wouldn’t find the sprawling Palladian-inspired resort, with its marble-tiled, mansion-size villas and 2,100-square-meter spa—to be out of touch with the pared-down sensibility of 2009? Yet when we were hiking the 204 coastal hectares, strolling past colonnades and through archways, or lounging beside the circular pool, we had to admit that it was fun to play contessa for a day. 22701 Pelican Hill Rd. S.; 1-949/467-6800; pelicanhill.com; doubles from US$695.

The Imperial suite at Beijing’s new Aman at Summer Palace.

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Just getting there is an adventure— whether by 4 x 4 on a dirt road cresting a jagged mountain, by speedboat or by paraglider. But once you’ve arrived at this rough-hewn yet ever-so-stylish and comfortable eco-hideaway, stretched out along a white sand beach on Oman’s remote Musandam Peninsula, you won’t want to stray far. There are private plunge pools at the villas; dazzling views of the Strait of Hormuz; a spa with two hammams and classic Six Senses and regional treatments; and a cliff-top bar and restaurant overlooking it all. Zighy Bay, Musandam Peninsula; 968/26735555; sixsenses.com; doubles from US$1,282.

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BEIJING

Aman at Summer Palace Amanresorts’ first foray into China is a cocoon of quiet sophistication near the heart of the frenzied capital. The 51 rooms and suites—housed in what was once a Qing-dynasty imperial complex—are steps from the Summer Palace (pop through a private door and you’re on the grounds) and are decorated with Ming-style furniture and Jin clay tiles. Some 400 preservation experts and traditional craftsmen

worked on the multiyear project, which painstakingly restored and re-created the internal courtyards and ornate pavilions.

15 Gongmenqian St., Summer Palace; 8610/5987-9999; amanresorts.com; doubles from RMB3,753.

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FLORENCE

Four Seasons Hotel Firenze Renaissance palazzo? Check.

Fifteenth-century frescoes? Check.

Florence’s largest private garden?

Check. If you’ve ever imagined what it might be like to sleep in the Pitti Palace, look no further. A stay at the Four Seasons Florence will make all your Medici fantasies come true.

The former papal residence, a short walk from the Duomo, has been meticulously restored. Guest rooms are decorated in silks and velvets chosen to set off the delicate tones of the original quattrocento painted ceilings. All this and the Tuscan countryside, too, in chef Vito Mollica’s locally sourced menu: eggs come from a farm outside Pisa, Cinta Senese salami from Siena and olive oil from nearby Mont Amiata.

99 Borgo Pinti; 39-55/26261; fourseasons.com; doubles from €500. » C O U R T E SY O F A M A N R E S O R T S . O P P O S I T E PA G E : C O U R T E SY O F TA J H O T E L S R E S O R T S A N D PA L A C E S

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VA R A N A S I , I N D I A

Taj Nadesar Palace Taj Hotels won us over last year with the Umaid Bhawan Palace, so we couldn’t wait to see how they’d transform another former maharajah’s palace, this one in the holy city of Varanasi. Jasminescented grounds surround the 18th-century property, where 10 supersize suites are worthy of prominent former guests (Queen Elizabeth II and Indira Gandhi among them). Gauzy textiles in lotus-petal pinks and marigold yellows are draped over four-poster beds, and etched mirrors hang next to claw-foot bathtubs. Our favorite touch: finding a silk pouch filled with palate-cleansing, silver-coated cardamom pods at turndown. Nadesar Palace Grounds; 91-542/250-3001; tajhotels. com; doubles from R19,680.

The Historical suite at the Taj Nadesar Palace, in Varanasi, India.

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Inkaterra La Casona Since it opened, this conquistador’s mansion has challenged the 10-yearold Hotel Monasterio for the title of Cuzco’s finest address. In fact, La Casona is just a short stroll across the Plaza Las Nazarenas from the grande dame herself. Inside, the 16th-century colonial building has ornate frescoes of monkeys and roosters, beds are topped with handwoven blankets, and large marble baths are furnished with a nearby apothecary’s mintand heliotrope-scented amenities.

The requisite Wi-Fi and DVD’s are available to all—but we swear in the name of Machu Picchu that you won’t use them. 113 Plaza Nazarenas; 511/610-0400; inkaterra.com; doubles from US$720, including breakfast.

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C O L C A C A N YO N, P E RU

Las Casitas del Colca The word casita is a misnomer for the first upscale resort in Peru’s dramatic Colca Canyon. These “little houses” (20 in all, scattered on 24 hectares in one of the deepest canyons in the

At Distrito Capital, in Mexico City.

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CITY

NEW DELHI

Aman New Delhi No one is able to escape the tumult of New Delhi, but Aman embraced this challenge, unleashing the equivalent of design Xanax—interior spaces in warm sandstone; hectares of manicured lawns that enclose the hotel like a verdant moat—at its new urban resort. We wonder: Will anyone use the plunge pools on the private terraces adjoining most of the rooms? Or will they dive instead into the full-size pool that Italian designer Rosita Missoni described as “a perfect length for swimming laps, which you rarely find in a hotel,’’ never mind one nestled at the center of a seductive and confounding capital city. Lodhi Rd.; 91-11/4363-3333; amanresorts.com; doubles from US$550.

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MEXICO CITY

Distrito Capital An elevator ride up 28 floors lands you in a cool lobby of monochromatic granite, above the haze blanketing Mexico City. The 30 rooms in Grupo Habita’s latest scene-y hangout in the Santa Fe business district have a starkly macho sensibility, with glazed-tile baths, crisp white platform beds and studio windows.

What saves Distrito Capital from becoming just a Modernist box? Clever flourishes by Paris-based designer Joseph Dirand, including Thomas Glassford’s silver Aster sculptures that dominate reception and an alreadypacked rooftop bar and pool terrace (mucho tequila, ningún inhibitions). 37 Juan Salvador Agraz; 52-55/5257-1300; designhotels.com; doubles from US$190. =H;7J L7BK;

CITY

LAS VEGAS

Encore Wynn Las Vegas In a city where one-upmanship is the reigning mantra, the 45story Encore delivers grandeur and a degree of intimacy unprecedented on the Strip. Casino mogul Steve Wynn added the requisite bling to his second namesake hotel (we are =H;7J L7BK;

CO U RT ESY O F D ES I G N H OT E L S ™

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Americas) are 27 square meters apiece, each with a private pool. Here, luxury and authenticity go hand in hand: a day might start with condor-spotting or a trip to a pre-Incan village, followed by a massage with plant-infused oils under giant eucalyptus trees. At night in your chandelier-lit guest room, you could almost forget that you’re in the Andean outback—until you step out on the terrace beneath a blanket of stars.

Parque Curiña s/n Yanque; 51-1/6108300; lascasitasdelcolca.com; US$523 per person, all-inclusive.

in Vegas, after all) in the form of Swarovski-crystal peacock sculptures, and 46-inch swiveling flat-screen TV’s in the ebony-and-gold rooms.

But we fell for the natural touches: sunlight inside the casino and a botanical backdrop of sculpted flower beds, laurel trees and potted palms that make the 213,000 square meters of public space feel downright cozy. 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 1-702/ 770-8000; encorelasvegas.com; doubles from US$189.

CITY

I S TA N BU L

Four Seasons Hotel at the Bosphorus

F R O M L E F T: C O U R T E SY O F M A N D A R I N O R I E N TA L H O T E L G R O U P ; R I C H A R D WA I T E

A former Ottoman palace on the European side of the Bosporus has quickly become one of Istanbul’s most coveted destinations, thanks to a nine-year restoration. Sure, the marble-covered building down the way from Çiragan Palace Kempinski is a hit with Turkish brides, but

jet-lagged travelers can still find serenity beneath the Murano chandeliers in the understated guest rooms, or when taking in the views of Asia from the waterfront pool deck.

The unfailingly discreet service—not to mention three sultan-worthy hammams—has already proven to be a draw for the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Lenny Kravitz and Colin Farrell. 28 Çiragan Cad., Besiktas; 90212/381-4000; fourseasons.com; doubles from US$533.

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S A LTA , A RG E N T I NA

Legado Mítico This handsome provincial capital, known for its meat empanadas and some of the world’s best-preserved mummies, has lately been burnishing its claim as Argentina’s third city for tourism, after Buenos Aires and Mendoza.

Still, we were surprised to come across a hotel so refined, especially =H;7J L7BK;

on a noisy commercial street near the main square. Each of the 11 guest rooms in this former private residence is named for a notable person (a poet; a gaucho; a sculptor) and dressed accordingly with art from the region.

Guests can linger in the courtyard for hours under swaying alamo trees while sampling the region’s tangy, refreshing Torrontes wines. 647 Mitre; 54-387/422-8786; legadomitico.com; doubles from US$170.

CITY

BOSTON

Mandarin Oriental For its fifth U.S. hotel, occupying a prime spot in tony Back Bay, the Mandarin Oriental group pulled out all the stops. The US$300 million tower of limestone, marble and New England brick—designed according to feng shui principles, of course—offers massive Asiaopulent rooms and the largest hotel spa in town. Expect the perfect balance between contemporary elegance (touch-activated fireplaces; glowing marble; and noble hardwoods) and sheer indulgence (cloudlike Ploh duvets; soundproof windows that actually open). 776 Boylston St.; 1-617/535-8880; mandarinoriental.com; doubles from US$375. »

Brahmin Best Left: The Mandarin Oriental in Boston’s Back Bay. Above: The Four Seasons Hotel at the Bosphorus, in Istanbul.

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LOS ANGELES

Montage Beverly Hills CITY

AT L A N TA

The Mansion on Peachtree, A Rosewood Hotel & Residence Set in Buckhead, a.k.a. Beverly Hills East, Robert A.M. Stern’s serene Neoclassical limestone hotel stands in welcome contrast to the two shopping malls across the street.

The ebony-and-cream interior mixes classical motifs with modern touches (an Impressionist painting peels back via remote control, revealing a flatscreen TV). Want to unwind? Start your grapeseed-infused massage with a complimentary glass of Chardonnay.

Got a late-night craving for braised beef short ribs? Room service comes courtesy of Tom Colicchio’s fourth outpost of Craft, located on the premises. 3376 Peachtree Rd.; 1-404/995-7500; rosewoodhotels.com; doubles from US$199. =H;7J L7BK;

A Maybach parked out front sets the tone at the Montage Beverly Hills, which channels old Hollywood (beamed ceilings; muraled walls) and new L.A. (rooftop pool; Pilates studio). Despite the fact that the hotel opened in November—during an awful economic stretch—this sister to the super-successful Montage Laguna Beach still pampers with perks like poolside foot massages and a monogrammed bolster on the bed.

Oh, and did we mention the Mercedes convertibles available to guests staying in suites or the hotel’s gold-ink pens?

Both are befitting of this glamorous address. 225 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills; 1-310/860-7800; montagebeverlyhills.com; doubles from US$495.

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P O RT L A N D, O R E G O N

The Nines, A Luxury Collection Hotel To see the future of green design, take a close look at the Nines (as in “dressed to the…”), set on the top =H;7J L7BK;

Eco Luxe Above: The Nines, a green hotel in Portland.

Right: The Mansion on Peachtree, a Rosewood Hotel.

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floors of the former Meier & Frank department store overlooking Portland’s Pioneer Square. Fashion-inspired interiors—Ralph Pucci–designed mannequins in the lobby and Tiffanyblue guest rooms—belie the serious environmental effort behind the scenes.

For example, 90 percent of the waste produced during renovation was recycled, and all of the hotel’s electricity comes from renewable sources. Expected in 2009: LEED Silver certification, which will make this one of the greenest urban luxury hotels in the United States.

525 SW Morrison St.; 1-503/222-9996; thenines.com; doubles from US$209.

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I S TA N BU L

Park Hyatt Maçka Palas In the heart of the fashionable Nisantasi district—known for its Art Nouveau façades and high-fashion boutiques— the 90-room Maçka Palas has become a home away from home for European jet-setters. Media moguls and creative types hobnob in the bar of this 1920’s palazzo-style town house, sleep in »

F RO M L E F T: CO U RT ESY O F T H E N I N ES ; CO U RT ESY O F ROS E WO O D H OT E L S & R ES O RTS

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NEW YORK

The Standard André Balazs’s fourth Standard hotel, a glass-andconcrete behemoth towering over the Meatpacking District’s lowslung warehouses, has fast become a crash pad for the international style set. Inside the Todd Schliemann– designed building—straddling the city’s new High Line park on 60foot pylons—scene-seeking denizens mingle over sidecars and single malts.

The modish vibe melted away in our fifth-floor room, decorated with a tambour wooden headboard reaching dramatically up to the ceiling; a glass-enclosed shower; and walls of windows showcasing the Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty and the sprawling cityscape. 848 Washington St.; 1-212/645-4646; standardhotels. com; doubles from US$195. =H;7J L7BK;

chocolate-and-beige guest rooms (some with French balconies), and feast on dry-aged sirloin at the hotel’s Prime restaurant, the first steak house in the city. If you want to feel plugged in, this is the place to go in Istanbul. Tesvikiye, 4 Bronz Sk., Sisli; 90-212/315-1234; park. hyatt.com; doubles from US$463.

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LONDON

Rough Luxe Don’t expect an elevator, soundproofed walls, TV’s or ensuite baths at this new B&B, in London’s King’s Cross area. What you can expect is a visual experiment that mixes opulence and grit. The Georgian terrace has been partially stripped back to its circa-1827 bones, then draped with a selection of bespoke textiles—ranging from psychedelic riffs on Fortuny damasks to Technicolor pony skin—and a witty collection of contemporary art. It’s not for everyone, but it is worth checking out—even if only via afternoon tea in the jewel of a back garden (call ahead to book). 1 Birkenhead St.; 44-20/7837-5338; roughluxe.co.uk; doubles from £149. =H;7J L7BK;

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MIAMI

Viceroy Miami Kor Hotels and its design doyenne Kelly Wearstler strike again—this time in downtown Miami. Using her signature spin on Hollywood Regency and chinoiserie, she has transformed what could have been just another

New American Classics Above: A Kelly Wearstler–designed suite at the Viceroy Miami. Right: André Balazs’s Standard hotel, in New York’s Meatpacking District.

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drab high-rise into a bold statement.

(Our favorite Wearstlerisms: Asian foo dog lamps and fanciful threemeter-tall cranes painted onto lobby walls.) The Biscayne Bay property (which shares a spa with the Philippe Starck–designed Icon Brickell condo building next door) heated up further when chef Michael Psilakis and restaurateur Donatella Arpaia, both of New York’s Anthos, moved into its 15th-floor restaurant. 485 Brickell Ave.; 1-305/503-4400; viceroymiami.com; doubles from US$500.

EDITED BY Niloufar Motamed, Sarah

Kantrowitz and Jennifer Flowers.

Written by Christine Ajudua, Gini Alhadeff, Luke Barr, Lily Becker, Laura Begley, Paul Chai, Jennifer Chen, Tanvi Chheda, Yolanda Crous, Matthew Evans, Amy Farley, Elettra Fiumi, Ozgur Gezer, Alice Gordon, Serra Gurcay, Catesby Holmes, Tina Isaac, Karrie Jacobs, David Kaufman, David A. Keeps, Stirling Kelso, Sharon Leece, Peter Jon Lindberg, Shane Mitchell, Bob Morris, Nancy Novogrod, Bruce Schoenfeld, Clara Sedlak, Swapan Seth, Maria Shollenbarger, Adam Skolnick, Bree Sposato, Rima Suqi, Guy Trebay, Hillary Geronemus Truslow, Bonnie Tsui and Elizabeth Woodson.

F R O M L E F T: C O U R T E SY O F T H E V I C E R OY M I A M I ; C O U R T E SY O F T H E S TA N D A R D

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(T+L)07.09

A

SUITE AT THE

FOUR SEASONS, FLORENCE. PHOTOGRAPHED BY SIMON WATSON

114 Hong Kong WHEN it’s worth it 122 Visiting Kolkata on its OWN terms 132 A HOTEL to remember in Florence 113

Hong Kong is nothing if not adept at rolling with the punches, never been a better time to visit if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for deals,

EAT DRINK SHOP In Hong Kong, food is never far away.

PHOTO CREDIT TKTK

writes STUART LAWRENCE, who also advises that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s without giving up quality. Photographed by SAMANTHA SIN

ERCHED AT A BEACH BAR IN SHEK O, off in the southeastern corner of Hong Kong Island, sipping a beer and feeling the fine sand between my toes, it’s difficult to believe I am only 30 minutes from the throbbing heart of one of the world’s busiest cities. As the South China Sea rolls ashore, it’s also hard to fathom all the talk of a credit crunch, economic gloom and flu pandemics. That’s when it strikes me that there has rarely been a bad time to visit Hong Kong.

I’m not talking about the weather here. Even the city’s most ardent backers would be hard pressed to recommend a stay during the humid summers. Instead, I’m referring to the myriad charms of this endlessly exciting 21st-century Chinese city and former colonial outpost—its unique ability to recover from any number of setbacks that have been hurled at it at the most inopportune times. Back in 1997, as the British handed Hong Kong back to the Chinese, the city was rocked by the Asian economic crisis. A few years later came SARS. Then bird flu and, most recently, the global economic meltdown and a new flu crisis.

The front-page headlines eventually pass, yet travelers have long memories. So why visit Hong Kong now? There are more than a few good answers. Hong Kong, after all, is a first-world, super-efficient city with one of the world’s best transport systems, chockablock with dining and shopping opportunities. On the other side of the coin, it’s also an expensive destination compared with its neighbors in Southeast Asia, yet quality rarely comes cheap. Still, in the current economic climate, you can visit Hong Kong without breaking the bank.

The numbers, at least partly, bear this out. In the first quarter of the year, visitor arrivals to Hong Kong grew by 1.8 percent, largely boosted by a double-digit increase from mainland China. The city’s tourism board, while more than content with the massive Chinese market next door, is also appealing to ethnic Chinese markets in the United States and Canada. Fortunately for the rest of us that means promoting what the marketing gurus call “mega events.” »

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Bright Lights Clockwise from above: Central’s alwayschanging Wyndham Street; local retailer G.O.D. offers iconic Hong Kong on a plate, coaster and even a mailbox; another night in Lan Kwai Fong; Bird’s Nest, one of 12 dishes from a set dinner at the Krug Room; it’s all business at the Mandarin Oriental’s restaurant; the Dada lounge at The Luxe Manor; interior décor at Amber restaurant.

Absolutely everything — from your shirt to your The Hong Kong Summer Spectacular, for starters, focuses on “trendy shopping areas, hip cafés and concerts,” while October sees the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival take place. Cashing in on the government’s decision to drop the duty on imported wine, 2009 has been declared “Hong Kong Food and Wine Year” with discount coupons valid in more than 2,000 outlets available from the tourism board’s visitor centers. Then, in the cool of November and December, comes the Hong Kong Hiking Festival.

As I hike along the trail known as the Dragon’s Back to my old haunt of Shek O, I’m rewarded with stunning views out to sea and—this is Hong Kong remember—a welcoming array of dining options when I finally arrive. It’s easily accessible from the city center. When I first moved there almost 20 years ago, Shek O reveled in its reputation as the last true village on the island. It was the sort of place another stop on the south coast of Hong Kong Island, the town of Stanley, used to be.

Today in Shek O, you’re spoiled for choice with a range of restaurants and watering holes from Chinese to Thai to Mediterranean. The newest addition is the Paradiso Beach Club, where local professionals down imported beer and fash118

ionable cocktails, chilling out to cool sounds. Leave your shoes at the door. Even the bar has a sand floor. Not exactly how most people picture hyper Hong Kong, is it?

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I STOP IN FOR LUNCH, staff at BLT Steak, a new restaurant at the southern tip of Kowloon, are recovering from the previous night’s dinner for 14 of the city’s top concierges. Serving a group like that, people whose recommendations can make or break a restaurant in what remains one of the world’s most competitive dining scenes, was no ordinary evening. Fortunately, lunch is much more low key, but once night falls again, the deck of this French-inspired take on a traditional American steakhouse is one of the best places to enjoy the laser show above the city’s harbor. Across the water, one of the world’s most famous skylines is lit up like some neon-infused rebuttal to arguments against conspicuous consumption.

No matter the economic climate, Hong Kong continues on its own course. And there are two Cantonese expressions anyone visiting the city should know. The first, a greeting that can be taken literally or not, is sihk-faahn mei a, or have you HEN

Big City Clockwise from left: The timeless view towards Hong Kong Island from BLT Steak; a deck for dining among Wan Chai’s highrises at Bo Innovation; the laid-back look and feel of Paradiso Beach Club in Shek O; cauliflower panna cotta in sea urchin shells at Amber; the Chinese façade at The Pawn in Wan Chai.

lunch — comes with a price tag in Hong Kong eaten yet? It underlines the Cantonese love of food, something you’ll quickly learn is essential to adopt when visiting.

The second is quite possibly something you’ll hear even more often: géi-do chín? How much? Absolutely everything— from the shirt you’re wearing to what you’re having for that day’s lunch—comes with a price tag that is up for debate in money-centric Hong Kong.

Both expressions come into play with Hong Kong’s restaurant scene too. Of course, the newest entries have had to cut a few corners, which can mean bargains for those in the know. BLT Steak is just one in a string of new restaurants planned in rosier economic times but now operating in a very different environment. The man behind it in Hong Kong is Sandeep Sekhri, managing director of a group that has a dozen other restaurants in town. Sekhri knows how timing can affect a restaurant: he opened his first ventures just prior to the SARS outbreak. “Difficult times,” he tells me, “bring opportunities and the response has been even better than we could have expected.”

Across the harbor at Pacific Place in Admiralty, Domani opened last November, days before it was announced offi-

cially that Hong Kong was in recession. At Domani, no expense was spared. The glass-enclosed restaurant was designed by award-winning architect Thomas Heatherwick, while Michelin two-star chef Maura Uliasi was drafted in from Senigallia, Italy to create the menu.

On nearby Star Street, it’s a similar story at Cépage, which opened in February. Blending old-world opulence with cutting-edge design on three levels, including three private dining rooms, a sleek all-white wine cellar and rooftop bar, Cépage claims to have the best wine collection in the city with a choice of 2,100 labels. This is serious fine dining from chef Thomas Mayr with the menu degustation coming in at HK$1,320, but the budget-conscious can sample two-course lunches for HK$290, or three courses for HK$360.

Just around the corner at Bo Innovation, the enfant terrible of extreme Chinese cuisine, Alvin Leung, has been kicking up a storm and winning himself two Michelin stars in the process. Born in London and raised in Toronto, Leung despises the term “fusion,” insisting instead that he uses modern cooking techniques to give new life to traditional Chinese ingredients while incorporating non-Chinese ingredients » 119

Central’s strong banking presence as seen from Sevva.

into centuries-old recipes. The result pushes the boundaries of expectation, while remaining unmistakably “Chinese.”

Leung, who looks more like a rock star than a chef, says, “I like to challenge people’s expectations, to surprise and excite them.” This he does with dishes like belly of tuna with foie gras powder and freeze-dried raspberry, monkfish with Yunnan ham sauce and a crispy salisify, and cheung fun noodles with wagyu beef and black truffle soy. Bucking the trend, Bo Innovation feels no need to cut prices with the eight-course chef ’s menu priced around HK$800 and a 12-course dinner at HK$1,080. “In the current climate there’s only two ways to go, very low or very high,” laughs Leung.

Despite all the new competition, one of the hottest tables in town remains Amber, the domain of another two Michelin star chef Richard Ekkebus. He says, “I honestly believe Hong Kong is the most dynamic food city in Asia, offering the very best from East and West. It’s the home of Cantonese food with the best live seafood along with great Szechuan and northern Chinese food options. And due to the downturn, in most places you don’t need a reservation!” Except at Amber, where the two- and three-course lunches change weekly and provide a taste of what a full-blown dinner can deliver.

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For full-blown views, few places beat Sevva, a penthouse bar and restaurant amid Central’s towering bank buildings.

Owner and socialite Bonnie Gokson is inspired by what she calls “the DNA of Hong Kong”—traditional Asian food with Western fine dining. While drinking in the views, be sure to savor the tapas with an Asian twist.

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ELIEVE IT OR NOT, there is more to do in Hong Kong than eat. The city has become an arts center with regular auctions and, although space is always at a premium, along Hollywood Road the galleries offer a tantalizing glimpse of Chinese artifacts and modern art from the mainland. Like many other locals, I tend to stroll to look, not to buy. There is a walking guide to the Central and Western districts, even if it is frustrating to find some buildings that are listed no longer exist. Fortunately, the Central Police Station, dating back to Edwardian times, now is to be preserved.

More mainstream are stops like the Fringe Club, an alternative arts club in Central, and nearby Peel Fresco for funky, offthe-wall jazz, poetry and just about everything else. And you can’t speak of arts in Hong Kong without thinking of movies.

Also on the island, in Sai Wan Ho, is the Hong Kong Film

Archive, nirvana for movie fans, this hidden gem has just taken delivery of 700 original prints from the famed Shaw Studios.

More famous than those Hong Kong flicks is the city’s shopping. If there’s not a sale on, something is definitely wrong. Fashion labels abound, from the European design houses lighting up almost every corner of Central to the local shops not much bigger than a phone booth lining the back alleys of Causeway Bay and everywhere in between. Two local stores that are always popular are the beautifully retro Shanghai Tang in Central and G.O.D.—or Goods Of Desire, as if there were any other type in Hong Kong—which sells funky designs that reflect the city. Anyone for a shower curtain that is a black-and-white photo of a dilapidated Hong Kong block of flats?

“There’s so much to see and do here with all the dining,

partying and shopping,” Rainy Chan, The Peninsula’s general manager says. “I always tell visitors to be prepared for a tour of total indulgence.”

That sense of indulgence pervades The Peninsula’s latest offering: Salon de Ning, an innovative lounge and bar. Kick back on the cushions among the 1930’s-style “Shanghai Deco” furnishings while sipping a glass of Salon de Ning Rose Champagne, specially created by Deutz of France.

Of course, if you really want to push the boat out before you leave, gather a group of friends and head to the Krug Room at the Mandarin Oriental in Central. Once one of the city’s best-kept secrets, and invitation only, the word is now out: the top table in town is open to all-comers. Credit crunch or no credit crunch, maybe the best things in life don’t come cheap after all. But sometimes they are worth paying for.

GUIDE TO HONG KONG Jia Stylishly hip boutique hotel designed by Philippe Starck. 1—5 Irving St., Causeway Bay; 852/3196-9000; jiahongkong.com; doubles from HK$1,195.

Salon de Ning.

Landmark Mandarin Oriental 15 Queen’s Road, Central; 852/2132-0188; mandarinoriental.com/landmark; doubles from HK$3,100.

The Luxe Manor Splendidly eccentric take on a European manor house transported to Asia.

39 Kimberley Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui; 852/ 3763-8888; theluxemanor.com; doubles from HK$1,170.

I L L U S T R AT I O N BY WA S I N E E C H A N TA KO R N

Mandarin Oriental 5 Connaught Rd., Central; 852/2522-0111; mandarinoriental.com/ hongkong; doubles from HK$2,600.

WHEN TO GO Hong Kong’s weather is subtropical, with summers notoriously hot and humid. The best time to visit is from October to February when the weather is generally sunny and warm with clear blue skies, cleaner air, good visibility and low humidity.

The Peninsula Salisbury Rd., Kowloon; 852/2920-2888; peninsula.com; doubles from HK$3,490.

GETTING THERE There are frequent flights from most major cities into Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok (hongkongairport.com) on Lantau Island, which is connected by a fast train service, the Airport Express (HK$100), to Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK Paradiso Beach Club Main beach, Shek O; 852/2809-2080; dinner for two HK$1,400.

WHERE TO STAY Hotel Jen Smart, spacious rooms, and a rooftop gym and pool, all within striking distance of Central and Soho. 508 Queen’s Rd. West; 852/2974-1234; hoteljen.com; doubles from HK$630.

Hotel LKF A three-star boutique hotel in the heart of Hong Kong. 33 Wyndham St., Central; 852/3518-9688; hotel-lkf.com.hk; doubles from HK$1,888.

W Hong Kong 1 Austin Rd. West, Kowloon; 852/3717-2222; starwoodhotels.com; doubles from HK$2,000.

BLT Steak Ground floor, Ocean Terminal, Kowloon; 852/2730-3508; dinner for two HK$1,000.

Domani Level 4, Pacific Place, Admiralty; 852/2111-1197; domain.hk; dinner for two HK$1,200.

Cépage 23 Wing Fung St., Wan Chai; 852/2861-3130; dinner for two HK$2,800.

Bo Innovation Shop 13, 2/F J Residence, 60 Johnston Rd., Wan Chai; 852/2850-8371; boinnovation.com; dinner for two HK$2,200.

Amber Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen’s Rd., Central; 852/2132-0188; dinner for two HK$2,500.

Salon de Ning Basement, The Peninsula, Kowloon; 852/2315-3355; salondening.com; drinks for two HK$400.

The Krug Room Mandarin Oriental, Central; dinner for two HK$4,000.

SEVVA Night-time views of Central’s bank buildings are unbeatable. 25th floor, Prince’s Building, Central; 852/2537-1388; sevvahk. com; dinner for two HK$1,200.

The Pawn A public house, dining room and roof garden in a beautifully restored former pawnshop dating back to the 1880’s.

London chef David Tamlyn serves traditional British food with a modern twist. 62 Johnston Rd., Wan Chai; 852/ 2866-3444; thepawn.com.hk; dinner for two HK$1,000.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO G.O.D. (Goods Of Desire) There are stores in Causeway Bay (Leighton Centre, Sharp St.), Central (48 Hollywood Rd.) and Tsim Sha Tsui (Silvercord, Canton Rd.); www.god.com.hk.

Fringe Club 2 Lower Albert Rd., Central; www.hkfringe.com.hk.

Peel Fresco 49 Peel St., Central; www. peelfresco.com.

Hong Kong Film Archive 50 Lei King Rd., Sai Wan Ho; tickets: www.urbtix.hk.

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Horse-drawn carriages await fares at Victoria Memorial Hall.

guy trebay navigates teeming markets, inspects overlooked Indian metropolis formerly known

OH! KO

Views of the Nile from the steamship, Sudan, traveling from Aswan to Luxor, Egypt.

Kolkata native Nitasha Thapar in the Park Street Cemetery.

temples and uncovers a rich history in the oftenas Calcutta. photographed by christian witkin

LKATA!

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hat a weird dog,” said a stalwart traveling buddy of mine as our taxi curved around the driveway of the Tollygunge Club.

Something piebald and mangy stood at the edge of a putting green.

“I don’t think that’s a dog at all,” I replied, peering past the driver. “I think it’s a fox.”

Whatever it was cocked its snout and swiveled its pointy ears, nostrils quivering to scout our scent.

In the backseat, our novelist friend Susanna craned her neck as the taxi approached the clubhouse’s porte cochère. She nonchalantly leaned forward and said, in a way that this particular pal has of making uncanny things sound matter-of-fact: “Oh, that’s not a fox. It’s a jackal.”

Of course it was. Aren’t there jackals in the suburbs of every major metropolis, loping around the golf course and skittering onto the runways at the international airport to shut down flights? We were in Calcutta—or Kolkata, to use the official name—and it was getting toward the hot season and the curious occurrences were only bound to get curiouser.

We had come into town a few days before from the Indian back-of-beyond.

Upon our arrival we learned from the Telegraph, Kolkata’s daily newspaper, that we were in for a day unlike any “ever before seen in our lives.” An astronomical confluence would result in Good Friday, the natal day of the Prophet Mohammed, and the Hindu festival of Holi occurring simultaneously.

“It is extremely rare that three events of different religions fall on the same day,” a spokesman for the All India Federation of Astrologer’s Societies said on the radio. His unctuous tone put me in mind of Constella, an astrologer on the radio when I was a kid. “The stars guide,” an announcer used to say when introducing Constella, his voice reverberating as if he were talking through the wrong end of a megaphone. “They do not govern. Your life is largely in your own hands.”

That notion is loopy, of course, and never more so than in India, where anyone deluded enough to imagine that fate is theirs to decide will soon be persuaded otherwise. An old Hindi adage points out that in India, there are seven days in a week—but eight religious festivals (“Saat vaar aur aath tyohaar”). This is one piece of local wisdom that, it strikes me, is worth keeping in mind. »

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A suite at The Oberoi Grandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spa.

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It’s not that I had outsize ambitions for this visit. Kolkata is Palaces and it does not possess the marbled texture of urban not renowned for throwing travelers a welcome mat. More nougat, studded and veined and patterned with the strange than any Indian place of my acquaintance, this alternately and wonderfully accreted remnants of centuries.

One may not visit Kolkata to tick landmarks off an imagitony, intellectual and legendarily squalid Bengali city expects to be taken at its own pace and on its own terms, and that was nary life list. And unlike, say, Delhi, where the remnants of ancient dynasties lie jumbled atop one another in landscapes fine with me.

Still, had the hotel been any other, it might have felt like that read like palimpsests, it more closely resembles a crummisfortune to land in a city when everything was half shut- bling South Asian version of a Victorian industrial center. Its tered in anticipation of a big holiday. But my friend and I put pleasures, like its citizens, take time to know. But it is an up at The Oberoi Grand, and few lodgings are more accu- unusually good place for a walker, abundantly supplied with rately named. Like Claridge’s in London or (at one time) the the decayed civic furniture of the British Raj. And the food is Plaza in New York or the Taj Mahal in Mumbai, the Grand justly celebrated, as anyone knows who has ever tucked into has been a source of civic pride and a landmark of social a plate of yellow lentils and the river fish called begti at arrival for more than a century. A vast block-long pile at the Kewpie’s Kitchen, a landmark in the southern part of town.

The Indian Museum there, the country’s largest, is a vast heart of the city’s main thoroughfare, Jawaharlal Nehru and stolid colonial edifice full of unherRoad (formerly Chowringhee Road), alded oddities and treasures hidden in the Grand is equal parts fortress, manKolk ata is an plain sight. On the morning of the day sion and society bastion, the kind of unusually good after our arrival I took an extremely place where anyone who has ever been anyone in the city has been proud to let place for a walker, pleasant stroll to the museum along Jawaharlal Nehru Road, which was you know they are lodged. abundantly just waking up, the fruit vendors and Period photos show Chowringhee Road as a broad European boulevard, supplied with the chai wallahs bustling around to set up their stalls by the curb. Paying my but a snapshot taken now would tell a decayed civic R150 (US$3) admission, I entered the different tale. In place of the sahibs in museum and found, to my pleasure, natty straw hats and ladies in starched furniture of the that I had it almost to myself. linen are teeming crowds sheltering british r aj My main accompaniment was the beneath the hotel’s covered colonnade. noisome gossip of the mynahs, which That street-facing façade is now a market where refugees from the poor Indian state of Bihar set up kept up a running conversation in the museum’s interior shop daily on militarily contested patches of ground. Each courtyard as I mooched contentedly along, from spaces full of morning they unroll bundles of T-shirts, cheap wallets, bat- first- to third-century Gandharan friezes to rooms where teries, plaster birds, paperbacks and handmade gizmos, and cases held items like a pair of women’s iron bangles—recovset about advertising the superiority of their wares at pain- ered, a label explained, from the intestines of a crocodile.

Another morning I made a pilgrimage to the tumbledown level volume until well after dark.

Discordant juxtapositions, let’s face it, are nothing new in Marble Palace, built during the 19th century by the trader India and no novelty, either, to the foreign audiences that Raja Rajendra Mullick to accommodate a strange hoard of crowded into Slumdog Millionaire. At The Oberoi Grand, a Chinese urns and ornate statues of naked European ladies guest slips in an instant from tumult into a hushed security. and pictures allegedly by Rubens and Murillo, whose paint Even before November’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the now flakes and whose canvases sag in their frames.

Feeling a bit weighed down by the place, I exited the palace transition from the hubbub of the pavement into the enveloping safety of the hotel (armed guards pass mirrored wands and went walking in its scrubby gardens, where stood the under the chassis of each incoming vehicle) was welcome, rajah’s aviary and the wood-caged remnants of what must largely because the greatest luxuries in India are private space have once been an impressive menagerie. For a time my attention was so absorbed by the morose Bengal porcupine and a place to escape the insanity of the street.

Not that Kolkata is a maelstrom. Yes, there is plenty to and some molting pied hornbills that I failed to notice a large, deplore. But one could say the same of Detroit. Unlike wild-eyed monkey advancing along a pathway until it was Kolkata, however, Detroit was never known as the City of almost on top of me. »

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“There are missions for that,” another acquaintance I hotfooted it out of there and spent the rest of that day threading the labyrinth of roofed lanes inside the colonial-era remarked when I posed the same question to her. Kolkata is New Market (or, rather, its replica since the 19th-century full of them, she added, and of missionaries happy to distriboriginal burned down back in 1985) behind the Oberoi, shad- ute one’s largesse. “That’s what Mother Teresa is for,” she owed all the while by a man whose official badge identified added, and it was admittedly a relief to acknowledge that better and worthier people than I stand ready to take on tasks him as a coolie.

It is probably worth noting here that, like the existence of that, given a thousand lifetimes, I could not.

Why falsify things? Or why do so in Kolkata, where realism barefoot rickshaw pullers in the streets, the presence in Kolkata of anachronisms like coolie is troubling in light of the can be voiced in a tongue as lashing as that of Kali, the city’s preening new status as a booming tech hub, home to ghoulish deity locally venerated for her bloodlust? It probably a sophisticated and highly educated middle class. Last year, for says a certain amount about a place that its presiding goddess instance, the city donated a total of 2.5 hectares for the cre- is usually pictured enwreathed in flames and wearing a garation of a contemporary-art museum to be designed by land of skulls. Kali, the destroyer, the insatiable, devours her Herzog & de Meuron, architects of London’s Tate Modern. enemies in a cavernous maw; in her tantric form, she is comSet to open in 2013, the museum will be anchored by monly depicted squatting atop the corpse of Shiva in an act of unseemly posthumous carnality. holdings amassed by some of India’s new art-infatuated superrich.

A squall came out An old friend I had unexpectedly run into at the hotel’s breakfast buffet conThese types may share the air of of nowhere, the sented to join me for an outing to the Kolkata with the tout who tirelessly famed Kali Temple on an imposingly trailed me past vendors of jasmine sky went dark, muggy afternoon. “In God’s name, garlands, plastic flip-flops and bright r ain pelted and a why?’’ another friend, a devout Hindu, bolts of sari cloth, but it goes without asked when informed of our plans. saying that such people inhabit a unichop in the “That temple is the most godless place verse very distant from his. My tout on earth.” At least, she added, avoid the steered me forcefully away from my hooghly caused place on sacrifice day, when the paths stated goal (the Tibetan antiquarian the boat to list can be slick with freshly spilled blood. shop Chamba Lamba) and toward We went anyway and found a scene stalls operated by Kashmiri vendors, drunkenly to port that, far from tumultuous, was oddly where my more than charitable purchase of a R250 pashmina would bring him that much closer domestic. Shedding our shoes at the gateway, we fell in behind a few pilgrims shuffling toward a shrine where devoto his kickback, the fake Rolex of his dreams.

It happened that, conducted by friends or else carrying let- tees chanted or else slumped in any available shade. Like ters of introduction from the hotel, we were able to visit some everyone else, we paused at the door, peering at an idol that of Kolkata’s private clubs, which was how we happened to looks much smaller in real life than in her photographs.

Trailing the crowd through to what looked like an exit we find ourselves wandering the empty golf course at the Tollygunge one hazy afternoon, eyes peeled for the jackals found ourselves instead in an adjacent temple dedicated to Shiva, Kali’s erstwhile lover. Not unusually for such places, we that, I learned later, are a routine hazard on the fairways.

We had afternoon tea on the lawn of the Saturday Club, were soon accosted by a Brahman priest. Knotting an auspiwatched a cutthroat game of badminton, and, on another day cious thread around my friend’s wrist, the priest whispered at another club, were served fish croquettes by a doddering that R1,000 was the customary temple donation. The figure, he went on, was barely enough for a bag of rice with which ancient wearing frayed cotton gloves and a lopsided turban.

On one of these outings I asked an acquaintance for help to feed the starving local populace. Being relatively new to making sense of the distortions of a city where, from the win- temple scams my friend gamely forked over the cash.

Then it was my turn. The priest rewound his spiel, first dow of the car ferrying us from the airport, I spotted a man asleep on a median, naked and barely recognizable as a mem- favoring me with a smile of oily insincerity rarely seen outside ber of human society. She gave me an indulgent look Indians a Jerry Lewis telethon. Ignoring his scandalized look when I tend to reserve for foreigners who come to Kolkata seeking did so, I handed him a more customary R100 note and remarked that, if rice was going for R1,000 a bag in » easy explanations or cheap profundity.

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The Oberoi Grandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pool and courtyard.

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these parts, he should get out of the god business and onto the commodities floor.

From the Kali Temple we took ourselves to South Kolkata and the Weavers Studio, easily the most sophisticated textile gallery I know of in India, and wandered around in a daze induced by the wealth of crafts traditions (among other things, India invented block printing, calico, chintz, crewel, and tie-and-dye), and also somewhat sticker-shocked by the price tags on saris of embroidered kantha cloth or shawls of naturally golden silk from Assam.

Toward the end of our stay, I went walking in Kumartuli, near the Hooghly River, where about 600 families of traditional idol makers work and live. It is at Kumartuli that countless effigies of Hindu gods and goddesses are constructed from mud dredged from the river bottom and then molded over frames of bamboo, lath and straw. Passed from one generation to another, the idol-making craft reaches a pitch of activity in autumn, during the festival of Durga Puja, when gaudy images of the goddess Durga and her daughter Saraswati, tarted up with glitter, foil and sequins, are carried to the Hooghly on palanquins and sunk. Or they were, until soggy idols polluted the riverbanks so much that officials insisted worshippers fish them back out after immersion.

Other than crossing it on a bridge, we had not seen much of the Hooghly, so we hired a boat to convey us to Belur Math, the campus of the Ramakrishna Vivekenanda wing of Hinduism. The vessel, about the size of a small ferry, carried the two of us past the Nimtala Ghat, the crematory where a stoned Allen Ginsberg once sat all night watching the flames consume the dead; by the imaginary demarcation between the old “white” and “black” cities; and beneath the Hooghly

Bridge, where hordes from among the 2 million pedestrians who cross the river on foot each day staggered along, each carrying what looked like an armoire on his head.

We landed at Belur Math’s temple complex, which is kept unusually pristine. We walked around for a while but soon grew bored by the bandbox modernity of the place and spooked by the expressions on the faithful’s faces, a familiar smug look that seems to creep over the spiritually assured.

We reboarded the boat and headed south. Suddenly a squall came out of nowhere, the sky went dark, rain pelted and a chop in the Hooghly caused the boat to list drunkenly to port. More alarming still, the wind pressed smoke toward us from the industrial east shore like an infernal cloud bank, a shroud. Suddenly we were in a scene out of Blake.

At the storm’s approach most people had scattered for shelter. But my eye was caught by the sight of two children laughing and splashing at the water’s edge near the burning ghat. If their insouciance struck me as strangely wonderful, it may be due to a passage I had read that morning by the 94year-old Indian writer Khushwant Singh. The miracle of life, Singh wrote, quoting the Mahabharata, is that while we all know death is inevitable, no one truly believes it will come to him. Death is something that happens to other people. Each of us secretly expects to live eternally.

If the kids on the riverbank looked convinced of their own immortality, my own felt substantially less secure. Yet, as suddenly as the storm had begun, it subsided. The turbulent water went flat. I glanced at my watch and realized with surprise that the cosmic convergence had crept up on us. It was Good Friday. It was Holi. It was the Prophet’s birthday. It was time for a drink.

GUIDE TO KOLKATA GETTING THERE Most of Southeast Asia’s major cities have direct connections with Kolkata.

The Bengal city is also convenient by train from India’s other main cities.

WHERE TO STAY Hyatt Regency Kolkata Business-district hotel on landscaped grounds.

JA-1, Sector 3, Salt Lake City; 91-33/2335-1234; hyatt.com; doubles from R8,770.

The Oberoi Grand 15 Jawaharlal Nehru Rd.; 9133/2249-2323; oberoi.com; doubles from R13,580.

Park Kolkata Boutique hotel

that’s an easy walk both to the Indian Museum and the Park Street Cemetery. 17 Park St.; 91-33/2249-9000; the parkhotels.com; doubles from R13,530.

entrance fee R100; dinner for two R250.

WHERE TO EAT Kewpie’s Kitchen 2 Elgin Lane; 91-33/2486-1609; dinner for two R500.

Indian Museum 27 Jawaharlal Nehru Rd.; 91-33/2286-1699; indianmuseumkolkata.org.

Oh! Calcutta The second choice, after Kewpie’s, for Bengali food. 4th floor, Forum Shopping Mall, 10/3 Elgin Rd.; 91-33/2283-7161; dinner for two R1,150.

Marble Palace Muktaram Babu St.; access permits available 24 hours in advance from the West Bengali Tourism Board; 91-33/22488271; wbtourism.com.

Tollygunge Club 120 Deshapran Sasmal Rd., Tollygunge; 91-33/2417-6022; thetollygungeclub.com;

Victoria Memorial Hall 1 Queen’s Way; 91-33/22231890; victoriamemorial cal.org.

WHAT TO DO Chamba Lamba No. F-58–60, New Market; 91-33/2252-6408.

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ROOMS

after a meticulous seven-year restoration, the 15th-century palazzo della gherardesca has opened its doors as the four seasons hotel firenze, where gini alhadeff finds remarkable frescoes, expansive gardens and artisanal cooking. photographed by simon watson

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V I EW The Four Seasons Hotel Firenzeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gardens.

Opposite: Suitlania and Valerica at work in suite 122.

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AKE THE EG G AT THE N E W F O U R S E A S O N S H O T E L I N F L O R E N C E .

T H E R E S I DE N T C H E F, V I TO M OL L IC A , M E T T H E man from whom it came, Paolo Parisi, on the farmer’s estate near Pisa. There, he feeds his 1,200 hens a concoction containing fresh goat’s milk—from his own goats—among other nourishing ingredients. This egg, which costs about US$1, is no ordinary egg. Or rather, it is everything an egg should be, and nothing an egg shouldn’t. It comes in a large white shell.

The yolk is not bright orange but creamy yellow, and has an almondy aftertaste. When it arrives in your room, soft-boiled, let’s say, on Ginori china—white with emerald-green and gold ornamentation—and the man ushering it in, along with little home-baked croissants or Bircher muesli, as the case may be, convincingly utters that therapeutic Italian word, Buongiorno!, you might not be so vulgar as to say this is heaven, but the day begins to look rather promising.

A fine hotel, a really fine hotel, can give you a rosy opinion of your life and of your role in it. Especially when everything that somehow comes into contact with you, from the sheets to the jam, has been so carefully considered. Even the lawn mower is worthy of an establishment that was once the Palazzo della Gherardesca: it goes about its business on magical autopilot, up and down the grassy expanses, robotically and noiselessly. Whenever it encounters gravel, an ancient magnolia or a rare willow, it stops momentarily, 134

bewildered, then swivels around and sets off in a different direction. The same fanatical care was taken in the choice of personnel (2,000 were interviewed, I was told, to fill a few hundred positions). The result is an assortment of charming, sensitive people, such as a concierge who can discern from a phone conversation just what sort of restaurant you’d enjoy.

Marzio, Claudia, Vito, Patrizio, Alessandro, Elisa: you’ll want to learn their names; they’ll know yours.

I have firsthand knowledge of Renaissance villas in Florence, having been cloistered in one for three years, from ages 15 to 18, at a rather strict boarding school. Despite the frescoes, high ceilings, reliefs and stuccos I was privileged to live with, the experience leads me to be rather grateful today La Dolce Villa Opposite, from top left: The for the Palazzo della Gherar- clockwise hotel lobby; chambermaids desca’s superior heating; far bet- Suitlania and Valerica; a bust Asclepius, Greek god of ter beds; vast and luxurious of medicine, in the botanical bathrooms; and utterly delightful gardens; waiter Daniele by the bar at Il Palagio food. Unassuming luxury is the restaurant; ravioli trombetta prevalent mood, from the service with zucchini and buffalo mozzarella at Il Palagio; the to the general style of the place tearoom; a view of the hotel (and unlike at boarding school, I from the grounds; concierge Niccolò in the tearoom. can come and go as I please). » Center: A lobby sitting area.

I HAVE FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE OF RENAISSANCE VILLAS IN FLORENCE, HAVING BEEN CLOISTERED IN ONE FOR THREE YEARS

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Il Pagio’s chefs. From left: Luca, Milos, Miroslav and Nicla. Opposite: The restaurant’s interior.

EVERY ROOM IS DIFFERENT, AS IN A PRIVATE HOUSE, AND EVERY ROOM HAS CHARACTER— THAT’S GOOD ARCHITECTURE

The reinvention of the Palazzo della Gherardesca as a Four Seasons hotel can be credited in part to the marchese Jacopo Mazzei, a Florentine nobleman fed up with the sort of tourism that divides the city between outsiders and insiders—the insiders retreating to the quieter neighborhoods, places where there is less to see and do, less to attract visitors. What a set of entrepreneurial Florentines would like visitors to appreciate now is their way of life, and not merely their treasures of art and architecture. The Four Seasons is one of a handful of hotels in a part of Florence the Florentines still consider relatively unspoiled, on the right bank of the Arno.

Patrizio Cipollini, the hotel’s general manager, calls it “Italy’s first city resort, with a park, a spa and a pool, and just a short walk from town.” He intends not only to anticipate his guests’ wishes but also to “dazzle them.” (What a difference from my headmistress, who wanted only to terrify.)

Every room in the hotel is different, as in a private house, and every room has character—that’s good architecture. The royal suite, with its majolica floors and gallery of tall arched windows overlooking the Fountain Terrace, is one of many stunning spaces. Just who, exactly, is responsible for the design is a bit of an art-historical whodunit. A thick volume titled La Casa del Cancelliere weighs the problem. The architect of the courtyard, with its graceful arches and allegorical reliefs dating back to the late 1400’s, was said to have been Giuliano da Sangallo, who later collaborated with Raphael on St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. But he was Lorenzo de’ Medici’s favorite architect, so it seems unlikely that the owner of the house, Bartolomeo Scala, the son of a miller from the rural provinces who had risen to the ranks of chancellor at the Medici court, would have dared hire him. Besides, Sangallo would have been too young at the time. The book theorizes that Scala very likely designed his own house, availing himself of the city’s most gifted artisans and adhering to the architec138

tural precepts of the Renaissance man, Leon Battista Alberti, whom he admired. Accounting records pertaining to the construction of the house, which was a humble casa colonica, seem to support this idea, because an architect is never mentioned among the minutely documented expenditures.

It was, and is, a perfect spot—poised between the center of the city and the countryside: the botanical garden is nearby, as is the school of architecture and a handful of private gardens, such as that of the neighboring Kunsthistorisches Institut. But the 4.5-hectare park of the Gherardesca is by far the largest private one in Florence. Scala wisely bought up small parcels of land to expand his domain, and it stayed in the family for two generations, until there were no male heirs left. Three daughters, all nuns, were given a lifelong income from the proceeds of the sale in 1585 to the new owner, Cardinal Alessandro de’ Medici, who soon afterward moved to Rome as Pope Leo XI. He lasted such a short time in this role—26 days, before succumbing to an untimely death—that he was dubbed the Lightning Pope. His sister Costanza, who was married to a Gherardesca, inherited the house in Florence. The family, continuing a practice the cardinal had begun, frescoed the history of their most notable ancestors onto the ceilings of the house, and a certain Count Guido Alberto della Gherardesca refashioned the garden in the 1800’s into its current romantic form, with avenues, a pond and rare trees, including the first mandarin oranges in Italy.

In 1885, the house was sold to Ismail Pasha, a former viceroy of Egypt, who quickly resold it to a railroad association when he was denied permission by the city of Florence to bring along his harem of 75 women.

Filippo Calandriello, the architect in charge of renovations, is following a master plan by Studio Noferi and Magris & Partners, with interior design by Pierre-Yves Rochon. He told me that the most rewarding aspect of his job was »

Lunch guests on Il Palagioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s terrace. Opposite, from left: A suite bathroom; the restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seared scallops with black olives and fennel ciambotta.

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WE DIDN’T HAVE MUMMIES AT MY BOARDING SCHOOL—ITS ONLY ESOTERIC ATTRACTION WAS A SPIDERWEB-ENCRUSTED TUNNEL witnessing the uncovering of frescoes in the piano nobile—the principal wing of the building—“every day bringing to light the beauty of the original as it once was.” Many had simply been painted over as a form of protection. The Superintendence for Artistic and Historical Patrimony of Florence, which makes sure works of historical interest are not tampered with, has stringent rules, so the layout of the rooms could not be changed. If a door had to be inserted into a wall with a fresco on it, the fresco was lifted and applied to the door. Calandriello collaborated with local architects to make sure plans “respected the rules,” supervising three studios and a team of landscape, interior and lighting designers.

Across the street is the city’s botanical garden, where the azalea shrubs were in full bloom when I visited—pink, crimson and white. It’s a thrilling neighborhood one can easily navigate on a bicycle, as Florentines do, with the San Lorenzo market for clothes and a startling array of fresh produce (I counted seven varieties of tomatoes and five types of artichokes). A huddle of addictive restaurants, from the formal to the vernacular, serve fish carpaccios and etherealized Tuscan fare. There is also a synagogue and a family-run kosher café called Ruth’s. Florentines like to buy trippa alla fiorentina (tripe in tomato sauce) from the street vendor around the corner from the celebrated Trattoria Cibrèo. Close by are some of Florence’s more esoteric sights—such as Fra Angelico’s wall frescoes in the monks’ cells at San Marco, and the city’s ethnological museum, filled with finds by adventurous mid-19thcentury Italians. Most of the display cases are still originals.

The archaeology museum, centering on Medici and Hapsburg-Lorraine private collections, houses Egyptian treasures in Art Deco vitrines that line the walls of a hall whose center aisle is occupied by an impressive row of mummies.

We did not have any mummies at my boarding school—the villa’s only esoteric attraction was a spiderweb-encrusted subterranean tunnel that supposedly led straight to Piazza Pitti, though we never did muster the nerve to try it. Like the Palazzo della Gherardesca, it also had a “Chinese” hall, with wallpaper depicting a fanciful notion of chinoiserie: parasols in delicate cherry shades, ladies with very white faces and chrysanthemums popping out from behind their shoulders.

The bathrooms of my school villa were vast and festooned, but shared by groups of 20 girls. A luxurious bathroom is one in which you might dance around the tub, for instance, and never bump into any walls, given the expanse. There are several of those at the Four Seasons, laden with soaps and scents by the Florentine perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi, and with views that might make you late in the morning. If you are a 140

Modernist, there is one perfect suite near the Conventino in a self-contained barn that once housed lemon trees in winter.

If you want your privacy, you can stay at the Conventino itself, whose public spaces are somewhat more austere with an entrance onto Via Capponi that leads straight to Piazza Santissima Annunziata and Brunelleschi’s Ospedale degli Innocenti and, in five minutes on foot, to the Duomo itself.

The food at the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze is serious and excellent. Vito Mollica, the chef at the hotel’s Il Palagio restaurant, has immersed himself in contemporary cooking techniques without giving up on traditional Italian preparations. “I studied with Herbert Berger,” Mollica says, referring to the chef at London’s Michelin-starred 1 Lombard Street.

“But don’t get me wrong: I haven’t changed my philosophy of cooking. I still love the ‘terroir;’ I have just refined my craft.

Our job is to exalt ingredients.” Mollica is just 37, with a wife and two children. He has very black eyes, a neatly clipped beard, and a mustache. There is a monklike seriousness to this man. “The ingredient,” Mollica declares, “has to be issued an ID card. You have to know names and surnames: The pasta, for instance, is by Benedetto Cavalieri from the Salento area of Puglia. The olive oil is by Armando Manni from Mount Amiata—absolutely fantastic. The vinegar is by Cesare Giaccone. These are all passionate artisans.”

You can taste a pecorino cheese with a glass of Sassicaia or a canapé of wild salmon with a martini at the bar, which serves light dishes like the local pappa al pomodoro (bread-andtomato soup), barley salad, and a lighter version of Florentine tripe than the one sold by the street vendors. At Il Palagio, Mollica serves homemade pastas such as ricotta-and-mint ravioli in a lamb sauce. (The lamb comes from Sardinia.)

For a change of pace from Mollica’s perfections, La Giostra, so named because the long, vaulted space once housed a carousel, is a perfectly straightforward restaurant on Borgo Pinti, a brief walk away, owned and run by Prince Dimitri and Soldano d’Asburgo Lorena. Everything’s good, from a plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce to the boneless pigeon on a spit and the “infernal potatoes” it comes with.

Back at the hotel, you will be met with a smile. Our headmistress usually scowled when we came through that impressive solid-wood portal, which was about a meter thick. At the Palazzo della Gherardesca, there’s no scowling, and you won’t have to wear a scratchy gray uniform and a starched pleated collar for the pleasure of waking up to a fresco over your head.

Gini Alhadeff is a contributing editor for T+L (U.S.).

A reproduction of Michaelangelo’s Bacchus in the lobby courtyard.

GUIDE TO FLORENCE WHERE TO EAT Il Palagio 99 Borgo Pinti; 39-055/26261; dinner for two ¤187.

La Giostra 12/R Borgo Pinti; 39-055/241-341; dinner for two ¤105.

Osteria del Caffè Italiano A café with delicious small plates, located on the ground floor of a palazzo in Santa Croce. 11/13R Via dell’Isola delle Stinche; 39-055/289-368; lunch for two ¤112.

Portfino Seafood restaurant with a canopied terrace. The branzino, baked in salt, is a must-try. 25-27R Viale Mazzini; 39-055/244140; dinner for two ¤120.

WHEN TO GO The city has warm, pleasant weather in the spring and fall. Many stores and restaurants close in August, when Italians flee the city heat for the coast.

WHERE TO STAY Four Seasons Hotel Firenze 99 Borgo Pinti; 39-055/26261; doubles from ¤500.

Ruth’s The city’s best kosher option. Don’t miss the lox and falafel. Via Luigi Carlo Farini; 39-055/248-0888; lunch for two ¤47.

Trattoria Cibrèo A casual restaurant with refined Tuscan cooking. 122R Via de’ Macci; 39-055/234-1100; dinner for two ¤75.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO Archaeological Museum of Florence The museum has held Medici collections of

Etruscan, Roman, Greek and Egyptian art since 1870. 38 Via della Colonna; 39-055/294-883; firenzemusei.it.

Botanical Gardens 3 Via Micheli; 39-055/275-7402; msn.unifi.it.

Brancacci Chapel Contains The Expulsion of Adam and Eve, Masaccio’s early Renaissance masterpiece. Santa Maria del Carmine, Piazza del Carmine; 39-055/276-8224.

National Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology Houses an impressive collection of African and Asian art. 12 Via del Proconsolo (near the Duomo); 39-055/2396449; msn.unifi.it.

San Lorenzo Market Piazza del Mercato Centrale; no phone.

San Marco Museum Includes the famed monks’ cells with frescoes by Fra Angelico.

3 Piazza San Marco; 39-055/290-112; firenzemusei.it.

Santissima Annunziata View the church’s frescoes by Perugino, Andrea del Sarto and Jacopo da Pontormo. Piazza Santissima Annunziata; 39-055/266-181.

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(My Favorite Place) The Ayana in Bali. Left: Horst Schulze.

INDONESIA

That’s kind of difficult because when you travel as I do, more than 200 days a year, your favorite place becomes home. But offhand, there are two spots that I love: one is Bali, and of course, the Ayana resort [managed by West Paces]. It’s totally private, and, on the other hand, it offers a lot of activities. The word “ayana” in Sanskrit means “place of refuge,” and that’s what it is. When you travel, and there’s so much stress in your life, that’s what you look for: a retreat.

At the same time, you have to be allowed to connect to other people: it’s not just a hideaway, but also a place of connection. I like connecting to the culture of the place where I am, and Bali has a wealth of culture, tradition and history.

It’s got plenty of local color—unique artistic and cultural traditions—but it’s also very global at the same time.

M

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Y FAVORITE PLACE?

Closer to home, I like Mexico and, in particular, the Capella Pedregal [also managed

by West Paces]—for similar reasons. It’s got culture and an exotic history. It’s fulfilling—it’s not just a good beach. And it’s a place where you can really connect with other people. You always need a buzz: say you’re at a restaurant and there’s only one table with people besides your own. You’ll probably notice that the people at that table tend to whisper because they feel shy—there’s not enough people to create a sense of belonging.

I’ve met some wonderful people during my stays in these two places. Once when I was in Bali, I met a couple and it turned out that they came from my hometown in Germany. I’m traveling there and we’re planning to meet up again. These experiences add spice to a vacation. You expand as a human being when you meet others. ✚

JULY 2 0 0 9| T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E S E A . C O M

SCHULZE’S FAVORITES O Ayana

Resort and Spa Jln. Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran; 62361/702-222; ayanaresort.com; doubles from US$168.

O Capella

Pedregal Cabo San Lucas; 52/163-43-50; capellapedregal. com; doubles from US$575.

L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F W E S T P A C E S H O T E L G R O U P. R I G H T : C O U R T E S Y O F A Y A N A R E S O R T A N D S P A

Veteran hotelier Horst Schulze, the president and CEO of West Paces Hotel Group, tells JENNIFER CHEN what makes up the ideal hotel for him