22 minute read
HOTELS WE COVET
from coveted
TOP LUXURY HOTELS TO DISCOVER
This is our editors’ annual rhapsody on their forever-favourite hotels from around the globe. In this year’s incarnation, we went beyond places to stay, including a range of experiences we consider truly exceptional—cruises, flights, restaurants, bars, destinations—along with the deeply personal reasons we love them. This was the stuff we daydreamed about in lockdown, and a few places we were actually able to visit—all that sustained us in a year of curtailed travel.
Advertisement
AIRELLES CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES, LE GRAND CONTRÔLE
Paris, France
Built-in 1681 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the architect to King Louis XIV, Le Grand Contrôle is one of those buildings in the Palace of Versailles that nourish French history. Airelles will have the privilege of investing in this place from 2021 to offer a new experience, never before offered.
Thanks to privileged access to the Domaine de Versailles, guests will be able to explore the Château as well as the Petit Trianon during private visits. The Grand Contrôle offers direct access to the Orangerie parterre and the French gardens designed by André Le Nôtre. During a boat trip on the canal, travellers will be able to appreciate the grandeur of the Palace of Versailles. An unparalleled historical immersion. Invite yourself to the heart of French history, sleep in Madame de Staël or Jacques Necker’s bedroom, meditate in the Audience Room. Discover the Petit Musée du Grand Contrôle and leaf through Madame de Staël’s marriage contract, signed by King Louis XVI, Queen MarieAntoinette and the royal family. Admire the Orangerie parterre or even the Swiss Water Piece from your window. Get lost in the deserted corridors of the Palace of Versailles, stroll in a boat on the Grand Canal, a glass of champagne in your hand. Dine in the heart of the estate’s groves enjoys a picnic in the gardens of the Château… More than a dazzling experience, an unforgettable memory.
It’s been buzzed about for years, and now the highly anticipated hotel project is becoming a reality. Back in 2015, the management of the Chateau de Versailles called for bids for transforming three buildings just outside the palace gates. Dating from the 1680s, these buildings—the Hôtel du Grand Contrôle, the Petit Contrôle and the Pavillon—have impressive views over the Orangerie. Ultimately, Airelles and Ducasse Paris were awarded the contract to develop a luxury hotel on the property. And, now, the opening of Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle has been announced for spring 2020. Over the last four years, interior architect Christophe Tollemer has pored over the Chateau de Versailles’s archives to ensure the property’s meticulous restoration. His team has handpicked original antiques and art, inspired by the nearby Petit Trianon Palace. Expert French artisans were commissioned to replicate the parquet and wood panelling, while Maison Pierre Frey and Royal Manufacture of Aubusson created bespoke upholstery and fabrics. This 18th-century splendour will be on full display in The Grand Salon on the first floor. There will be just 14 rooms and suites, with the larger suites situated on the lower floors according to tradition. Sprawling over 1,300 square feet, the Signature Suite will come with a four-poster bed, living area and bathroom overlooking the Orangerie. All rooms will showcase
18th-century chandeliers and antique wall lights. Enticements will include the Valmont spa, 15-meter swimming pool and Alain Ducasse restaurant, complete with a terrace for dining al fresco. The best part of all? Guests will be privy to exclusive, personalized experiences at the Palace of Versailles and its sprawling gardens. Airelles, the luxury hotel brand of the LOV Group, is a collection of exceptional properties including Les Airelles in Courchevel and La Bastide in Gordes—both awarded the prestigious palace hotel recognition by Atout France. Other projects in the pipeline include the soon-to-open Mademoiselle in Val-d’Isère and the ongoing renovation of Château de la Messardière St. Tropez before it becomes part of the Airelles portfolio.
CHATWAL LODGE, BETHEL
New York, USA
As the iconic ‘Jewel of Manhattan’, The Chatwal in New York has offered the quintessential urban luxury boutique hotel experience since 2010. Now for the first time, esteemed hotelier Mr Sant Singh Chatwal is introducing a luxury retreat in the country, a private realm in harmony with nature known as The Chatwal Lodge in Bethel, NY. In reverence to its pure, unspoiled setting on 60 acres along the wooded shores of the 1,000-acre Toronto Reservoir, the retreat has been designed to celebrate life itself.
There’s a new luxury resort set to open in New York’s Catskills this spring. The Chatwal Lodge will be unveiled on May 1, 2021, a getaway that its owner promises will be a retreat that is “a private realm in harmony with nature, located in a wide expanse of preserved wilderness.” That’s quite a statement, given that the “wilderness” is just 90 miles north of New York City, in the town of Bethel, New York. The Chatwal Lodge, which resembles an Adirondack Lodge more than a classic Catskills resort, will offer the kind of rarefied and sublime luxury experience that’s not readily available to anyone in the greater New York City area. In fact, you’d probably have to venture way up to the
Adirondacks or out West to the Rockies to find a comparable setting and a similar level of luxury and privacy. The promise is luxury “rustic” accommodations for a handful of well-heeled guests, absolute privacy, and the chance to relax with fly fishing, boating, kayaking, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, golfing, lawn croquet, and recreational badminton. Personal pampering and growth activities include Ayurvedic wellness treatments, yoga, meditation, private wine tastings, cooking classes, and music lessons. In short, this is a far cry from the Catskills depicted in The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. The project is from hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, the founder and chairman of Dream Hotel Group, whose flagship property is The Chatwal, New York in Manhattan, which was built in 1905 by Stanford White and restored and renewed by architect Thierry Despont in 2010. The Chatwal Lodge is located within 30 acres of environmentallyprotected land within The Chapin Estate, a 2,500-acre gated residential community. At its heart is the 1,000-acre Toronto Reservoir Lake. There will be just 10 suites, some with private patios overlooking the Toronto Reservoir Lake, featuring vaulted ceilings, arched windows, reclaimed-wood walls, log-treated stairs, hand-carved headboards, and faux fur and wool upholstery. Some accommodations will additionally have larger lakeside decks, outdoor showers, deep soaking tubs, kitchens, dining and living areas suitable for family gatherings. The amenities include 24-hour valet service, concierge and butler service, as well as 24-hour insuite dining. One of the speciality suites is a 1,000-square-foot treehouse raised 25 above the ground, with a fireplace, and an outdoor deck. Another is also an 850 square foot glamping-style tent with a king bed, an ensuite bath, and wrap-around verandas. The main lodge building is the social heart of the lodge and will feature a farm-to-table restaurant, a lobby lounge, a wine cellar, a bar, and a private dining room. Guests can take breakfast on the terrace or opt for alfresco dining. The chef, who has yet to be named, will focus on organic, locally-sourced fare. Fresh herbs and homegrown vegetables will come from the kitchen gardens on the premises. Afternoon tea, cocktails, and all-day dining can be enjoyed beside the massive fireplace or on the outdoor terrace with heaters to take in the lake view all year round. There will also be a library, a lakeside pavilion, and rooms to accommodate meetings and weddings. The architecture and design is by Steve Dubrovsky, who specializes in 19th-century Adirondack style residential buildings. His private homes can be found throughout The Chapin Estate and in an earlier life, he was a four-time circuit champion of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association. The debut of The Chatwal Lodge will be followed by resort openings in San Miguel de Allende and Valle de Guadalupe in Mexico. Rates at The Chatwal Lodge will start at $1,200 per night.
SUBLIME COMPORTA
Setúbal, Portugal
Sublime Comporta was actually never meant to be. Gonçalo Pessoa and wife Patrícia Trigo originally bought the 17-hectares estate with the view to create a private retreat for their family. However, by 2014 it was clear that the potential for high-end tourism in the area was great and so the pair began to convert their holiday home into a boutique hotel.
Get ready for the indoors to take over the outdoors. More now than ever, designers and architects seek that seamless transition from your indoor spaces to your outdoors. In fact, in Alaire we frequently accomplish this transition with furniture and décor that looks for the interiors but withstands all weathers. And it is this seamless fusion what the fantastic Sublime Comporta wanted to achieve in its indoor and outdoor design. Alaire Comporta helped achieve this mission. Sublime Comporta is a wonderful luxury retreat surrounded by nature, offering rooms plus cabanastyle suites and villas with private pools and cosy fireplaces. It’s located near the idyllic beaches of Comporta, Carvalhal and Pego. In the first place, Sublime is nestled on a stunning 17-acre estate, surrounded by undulating umbrella pines and cork trees, wild dunes, stunning rice fields
and over 60km of pristine, white-sand beaches. This makes this hotel – a magical, unspoiled place yet to be discovered. Similarly, the hotel’s architecture finds its inspiration in the old rice storing facilities of the area. Nonetheless, in keeping with the essence of Comporta, the decor is sophisticated yet relaxed. The rooms and villas stretch across several buildings adding to the exclusivity of the hotel. These are the Main House, the Guest House, and the Villas. The hotel includes 14 bedrooms and suites as well as several 2, 3, 4 and five-bedroom “cabana” villas. Despite Comporta’s laid-back, unpretentious atmosphere, the glimmer of an immense villa here and there among the trees indicates just what an exclusive area this can be. In that sense, in a close working relationship with the hotel owner, we custom-made modern designs for this idyllic location. We used these tailored pieces mainly for the outdoor spaces and added a refreshing contrast to the rest of the decor. We chose to use our Italian Brand Gervasoni extensively for indoor and outdoor, as its quirky and rustic design fits perfectly with the Comporta style. While Comporta has been compared to Ibiza, St. Tropez, the Hamptons and even Yves St. Laurent’s Marrakesh, none of this is true. Comporta is different from all beach sites, precisely because it does not seem like it. And there’s still just one hotel in Comporta, and thankfully, it’s one that’s sublimely comfortable. That one isn’t only a lazy adverb. Sublime Comporta retreat truly lives up to its name.In all, in this project, we fully supported Sublime Comporta, to retain its unique style and originality. Open spaces with bohemian and casual decoration, few furniture and glass walls to enjoy the landscape. Comporta is located on the Alentejo coast of Portugal, only an hour south of Lisbon (a car is essential), although you’ll feel a world away. It’s perfect for a weekend escape or a long lazy stay. Comporta is an understated, working paradise. Its wild coastline holds the gift of abundance for fishermen; rice paddies populated by incredible numbers of storks bedeck the landscape; and forests of pine and cork trees line the quiet roads that snake towards nearby hamlets.
VILA VITA PARC
Algarve, Portugal
CovetED presents the amazing and exquisite behind-the-scenes of Vila Vita Parc, one of Portugal’s most precious luxury hotels and one of the most stunning hospitality designs in Portugal (and worldwide). In these exclusive interviews, discover everything about the experienced team that we’re about to unveil! From the wine cellar team to the restaurant’s chef or the head of the customer service, step inside the usually unknown world of the luxury hotel.
Many people don’t know the existence of this fabulous place that makes part of Villa Vita’s incredible history. Also known as “A Cave de Vinhos”, this special place is where you will find the best wine qualities to complement the luxury experience at this incredible resort in the south of Portugal. Wine tasting, personalized service, personalized dinner for the guests and incredible tours through the wine house facilities are some of the main activities that you will have the chance to experience in Villa Vita’s incredible Wine House.
“I joined Villa Vita on March 15, 1998, and the “Cave de Vinhos” was finished in May 1998. I started by helping in the replacement of bottles and the organization of spaces, and later things developed and I ended up working in this inspiring place where guests can not only experience this delicacy but also know everything about wine, which is one of the great pillars of Portuguese culture.”
Originally from the small village of Resende in the region of Lamego (which is in the north region of Portugal), António Pinto started his journey at the incredible Villa Vita as a simple waiter but he was always passionate about the Portuguese wine culture. After working in Switzerland for several years in the field of restoration, António Pinto thought that it was time to return to his home country. Later on, when he enters the Villa Vita team, António Pinto decided to know the history and the process of winemaking through a 10 months course on one school specialized in restoration. “My passion for wine began in my childhood when I helped my grandfather at the time of the grape harvest to clean the traditional pip. From the grape harvest to the grape picking, all this was what made me fall in love with this area.” This inspiring White House started as a simple storage space for the resort’s incredible wine collection in 1998, and today it is considered one of the best parts of Villa Vita’s luxury experience.
They have some of the best wine collections in the world, and about 70 percent of them correspond to wines created in Portugal. Besides this incredible selection, the Vila Vita’s amazing wine house also features some of the best wine qualities from France, California, Spain, Italy, among other places. “I would say that 90% of the guests want to know the good Portuguese wines. As you know, our wines are recognized worldwide for their excellent quality, so when they visit this magnificent place, people want to know and experience the good national wines since having excellent quality for the price set.”
Daniela Luz – Yoga Instructor
Originally from the beautiful city of Lagoa in Algarve, Daniela has travelled throughout the world where she had the chance to experience different cultures and customs. When she moved back to Portugal, she later had the opportunity to join the Villa Vita Spa team. Besides working the Vila Vita’s health club, Daniela is dedicated to the spa’s yoga activities, where the guests can experience incredible yoga lessons, meditation, and Pilates. “Although I was born here in Lagoa, in the Algarve, I lived outside the country until four years ago. I had the opportunity to live in Australia for five years, but I also stayed in Italy and Mozambique, so I can say that I’m a bit of the world. Before my definitive return to Portugal, I decided to take a long trip through Asia for a year to learn about its culture.” The passion for Yoga is something that accompanied Daniela throughout her life. “The curiosity to go further and connect with the body, mind, and spirit, came to me very early when, as a child, I was looking for something more. At the age of 17, I started to read about meditation in books and magazines and realized that yoga could help me get there. I started to practice yoga in one of the first centres in the region which was located in Portimão, 15 years ago and at that time yoga was not a very common topic.”
Daniela believes that yoga is one of the greatest secrets to experiencing a positive life experience because it is a way to have a clear mind and spirit, something that will later help you to face the biggest obstacles or problems with a positive perspective. “My mission is to make the person self-meet and connect more with the body, heart, and mind“, enhanced the yoga instructor.
The passion for Yoga is something that accompanied Daniela throughout her life. “The curiosity to go further and connect with the body, mind, and spirit, came to me very early when, as a child, I was looking for something more. At the age of 17, I started to read about meditation in books and magazines and realized that yoga could help me get there. I started to practice yoga in one of the first centres in the region which was located in Portimão, 15 years ago and at that time yoga was not a very common topic.”
Isaurinda Pires – Mizu Restaurant Chef
Isaulinda is a chef at the Mizu Restaurant in Vila Vita Parc, and she works there since 2001. According to Isaulinda, Vila Vita has been constantly evolving. “One of the good things that Vila Vita has is the organization of training lessons for the workers, which allows us to be in constant evolution.” Sushi is their strong suit within the Mizu restaurant. They work with high-quality products and are always receiving amazing feedback from their customers. They are definitely at the right track. “The world of cooking is not easy, but I give myself completely to the kitchen, I am very pleased to be able to give the customers food that will satisfy them.”
According to Isaulinda, it’s very important that the entire team works in the same direction. But for that, there must be affirmation and the certainty of what you want. It’s not only necessary to know how to cook, but also it’s very important to listen, respect and work.
Lukas Neves – The House Bar’s Bartender
Lukas Neves is a bartender at the House Bar at Vila Vita Parc and he has been working there for 6 years. According to Lukas, when he was younger, the world of the hotel business never fascinated him. But what once started just for fun, soon began to be a passion. He took a course at the hotel school and started to work at Vila Vita when he was 18 years old. Vila Vita has become Lukas’ second home and they are open all year. Their priority is the bar and they consider their cocktail bar unique. His focus has changed in the last few years, for Lukas, the cocktail presentation is very important and it sells as much as a beautiful dish.
According to Lukas, a lot of people ask themselves if it’s really worth it, and he explains that is totally worth it because it’s a luxury experience and for him, that is what really remains.
Márcio Baltazar – Pastry Chef
Márcio Baltazar is a Pastry Chef at Vila Vita Parc, that stands out through his amazing creations within the bakery and pastry industry. On the context of his work in the Hotel, Márcio focuses mainly on “giving the client a tasteful and original experience, because I don’t follow trends, and I don’t like to create them”. He’s able to create the most exquisite and eccentric items that will leave you absolutely breathtaking. That happens due to his “creative process because there’s always an original source. It can be a challenge or even something that’s spontaneous that comes up!” Although the pastry chef has created many incredible items, with different styles and concepts, “at the moment there’s a need to invest in the classical and traditional concept of desserts, and through that, I eventually end up influencing others”. And with a menu full of different flavours, there’s something that Márcio makes sure it stays, and that is Portuguese elements on the menu. “I always make sure to produce items that have some Portuguese
Mariana Soares – Oásis Bar Bartender
Meet Mariana Soares, the friendly bartender within the Oásis Bar of Hotel Vila Vita Parc. Before her new life stage at this position, everything began in Leiria, her hometown, where she luckily “chose the training for Restaurant and Bar, and then my love for it instantly grew”. First, she was interested in the art of making sophisticated cocktails due to the “adrenaline I felt while making them”. She started on the Restaurant industry, but after a while, she realized that the industry was “a choreographed dance” and that the bar industry was “constantly a new day because you never know what you’re going to get, every day you meet different people”. First, she was “an introvert person, so this position was very important for my development because I began to feel more comfortable”. With this position, she “grew with much more confidence”, although she says that this is not an easy industry and that everyone must be sure when pursuing this line of work. Thanks to her growth, she is able to establish a bespoke relationship with her clients, “it’s a Portuguese way, it’s all origin, in a way or another. In order to embellish and create the perfect dessert, there are many factors that the chef must keep in mind, such as the “visualization of every ingredient and baking process whether on paper or inside my mind”. Márcio thinks that that’s one of the most important things to consider due to the opportunity of the “reinvention within a classical item”. To reinvent within the industry, you have to think that “nothing is defined by nature, we can create something and then it turns out absolutely different”. To get to this stage in his life, Márcio Baltazar shares a “massive passion for bakery and pastry”. “I started to work as a bartender in a restaurant, and meanwhile I applied to a kitchen course. Then, I easily realized that I really wanted to be a pastry chef, due to its connection to architecture and paintwork”. On his daily routine at Vila Vita Parc, we take his works very seriously, to create the most amazing desserts, that is “according to how I’m feeling, according to what I want to do”.
about the smile, and about the welcome greetings”. Through her experience as a bartender in Vila Vita Parc, she learns to love and appreciate the selling action with the customers. “I like to talk to the clients, at the bar we have time to have a real talk, to play a little”. She personally takes interest in interacting with children because she likes to “interact with children, and the parents take that in absolute consideration, with the bespoke details I’m able to reflect on the service. It’s all about simplicity and kindness”!
Roberto Venturinha – Head Of Customer Service
Presenting Roberto Venturinha, the Head of Customer Service, which means that he’s responsible for everything to function perfectly when the guests arrive at Vila Vita Parc. “I’m responsible for everything when it comes to guests, travel agencies and personal assistant’s needs. We prepare a customized itinerary for the guest upon his arrival, taking into consideration their requests, from the most normal to the most original”. Roberto lives in Algarve since 1988 and has been working on the hospitality business for all his life. For six years, he has been working on this Hotel’s department that requires a “lot of knowledge, many contacts within the region, in order to satisfy the guests’ requests. From restaurant reservations, spa, golf, transfers, helicopters and private planes”. His love for hospitality began when he was very young, through his work in the reception area. “When I was very young, I started to work at the reception, and it was always a challenge for me to satisfy everyone. Not only unveiling the best that Portugal has to offer, but it was also an attraction to satisfying guests in that way”. The Head of Customer Services aims to please on a daily basis, therefore he’s constantly looking to learn and search in order to improve. As far as guests’ requests go, Roberto Venturinha states that “The boat rides in Algarve are the most requested experience, from the luxury yacht to the most modest boats, in order to explore the magnificent caves”. He also speaks about the importance of the contact guests must have with some incredible places such as “Monchique and Silves, which are out of the litoral area. Normally I advise them on the thermal places of Monchique, as well as restaurants in the area”.
