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CONTENTS
FEBRUARY 2017

ON THE COVER
30 THE BUSINESS OF TRAVEL
Eighteen inspiring travellers tell
us why you should book a trip
now, more than ever

50 BACK TO ITS ROOTS

After years of molecular
gastronomy, Madrids food scene
makes a U-turn to become the
new capital of homestyle Spanish
cooking, nds Stephen Orr

88 GOLD LIST
There are good hotels and there
are great hotels. And then there
are the hotels we cant help going
back to time and time again. We
name the global properties we
always recommend

100 NATURAL SELECTION

With the opening of a new resort
and the revamping of some island
stalwarts, Peter Browne returns to
the Seychelles to determine if the
most beautiful archipelago in the
Indian Ocean can get any smarter

110 COUNTER CULTURE

In Tokyo, serious food lovers
wouldnt be caught dead sitting
88
Le Sirenuse on the
at a table. Peter Jon Lindberg Amal Coast is one
pulls up a stool at the bar of the properties
to make this years
Gold List

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 11

CONTENTS
FEBRUARY 2017 118
Pack right for
this months
destinations

47
Explore Antarctica
with new cruise
routes and a
revamped hotel

15 EDITORS LETTER 56 WHERE TO STAY

16 CONTRIBUTORS
18 MASTHEAD
22 AGENDA
As Canada celebrates
the 150th anniversary of
its confederation, Mike
MacEacheran discovers that
the epicentre of this year-long
bash is its newly made-over
capital, Ottawa; the Travel
Connoisseur on blurring the
lines between business and
leisure; what in the world is
happening this month; classic
American designer Tommy
Hilger on New York hotspots,
his travel uniform and why he
loves Indian textiles
34 THE FUTURE OF
GETTING THERE
Hotels that innovate, from
virtual golf courses to
holograms in meeting rooms;
exclusive rst looks at Sri
Lankan boutique bolthole KK
Beach and Dubais new kid on
the block Nikki Beach Resort
Dubai; bed-hopping with
72
Apartment shops
international fashion illustrator where you can
also stay the night
Megan Hess; stylish places
to stay in Australias artsy
hub, Melbourne
70 THE DEBATE
Would you take a cruise?
Ahmed M. Soliman and
Michelle Kuehn state
their case 85
Beauty essentials
for the desert
72 TRAVEL IN STYLE
Shop and stay: we untangle
the new trend of apartment
28
Around the
shops; keep it brief with sleek world with
leather document holders; Tommy Hilger

MAKE-UP: SHARON DRUGAN; HAIR: ANGEL MONTAGUE SAYERS;

Everything you know about elegant his n hers watches;

VIDEOGRAPHER: DOVYDAS VILIMAS; PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

exploring the world is about
to change. We teamed up
with our future-obsessed
colleagues at Wired to
forecast where the travel
industry is headed
40 WORD OF MOUTH
Global travel news including
Lake Como rebooted,
Indonesias newest island
hideaways and photographer
Rich McCor, aka Paperboyo,
on viewing cities through his
unique lens. Plus, Paris-based
fashion designer Isabel Marant
shares her north Ibiza hit list
designer Dima Ayad on stylish
essentials for a trip to Chicago;
ties that walk the line between
work and play; the ultimate
beauty survival kit for the
desert; Mad Men and X-Men
actress January Jones on her
in-ight skincare regime and
how she stays in shape
118 GET THE LOOK
How to pack for this months
destinations, from Ottawa to
the Seychelles
120 WHERE ARE YOU?
Enter our contest to
win a four-night stay
for two at Milaidhoo
Island, Maldives
124 EXPERTS
Which destination is
ideal for combining
business and leisure? ON THE COVER
Photographed by Pankaj
127 STOCKISTS Anand at Burj Al Arab
Where to shop Jumeirah
Model Natalia at MMG Models
On Natalia Lace jumpsuit
130 ROOM WITH A VIEW by Lana Mueller. Straw hat
The William Vale, by Iris & Ink
Brooklyn, New York

12 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

 EDITORS
This is our
LETTER
promise to the
reader to be
an essential
source of
honest opinion
I
and must-have
information. You
can trust Cond
ve loved hotels for as long as I can remember.
Nast Traveller Checking in, to any hotel anywhere in the
to give you the world, has always felt to me like checking out
unbiased inside
track, with of regular life. I mean, the breakfast buffet?
integrity and That is not an everyday scenario (nor, if you
authority.
value your waistline, should it be).
But perhaps what cemented the idea of hotels
as special in my head early on was that staying in
one as a kid usually meant my father was in town.
My parents lived in different countries much
of my life, and while I spent time in my dads
home, Id look forward to the extra weekends
when hed y down to see me. A car would
pick my weekend bag and me up and deposit
us outside a marbled lobby, muzak piping from
unseen speakers. Preternaturally happy staff
ushered me along carpeted hallways to our room,
where I would immediately order sh ngers
and tartar sauce and devour them as I opened
the inevitable gifts he came bearing. Id swim
EDITOR'S PHOTO: LOU FAY; ADDITIONAL PHOTOS: RHEA SARAN
in the pool, eat dinner with my father and take
bubble baths for as long as I wanted. Sometimes,
say if he had a business dinner, Id invite a friend
to stay one night, and wed watch cable TV and
make ourselves sick from drinking colas and
eating room service snacks we werent allowed
at home. In the morning, wed sneak out early to
have breakfast in the dining room by ourselves,
pretending to be very sophisticated and very old
(25 at least), ordering eggs over easy with bacon
and sausages and home fries and ooh also wafes
and maybe an order of pancakes and charge it
to the room, would you, my dear?
These days Im a tad more circumspect when
it comes to ordering breakfast, and I rate places
Follow us: @cntravellerme Cond Nast Traveller Middle East
on just a little more than the
quality of their room service
tartar sauce, but my love for
hotels remains. Which is why
its always fun to work on our
annual Gold List, an index of
the best hotels in the world (p
88) according to our discerning
staff and many expert global
contributors, intrepid travellers
all. Naturally we cant talk
about every fantastic hotel or we
wouldnt have space for anything else in this issue
so consider these some of the highlights.
But what makes for a best hotel? For me,
its a combination of things: a near obsessive
attention to detail, warm yet unobtrusive service,
thoughtful design and superlative culinary
offerings, a denitive sense of place and unique
touches, consistency in delivery and a way of
staying relevant. This last point is what sold me
on putting Dubais Burj Al Arab Jumeirah on
the cover of this months Gold List issue. In its
16th year, the hotel continued to innovate with
the opening of the Terrace, a deck featuring
a restaurant and bar as well as a beach club
complete with an innity pool and luxe cabanas. From top left: Lifeguard
for the day at the Burj
And thats not even the innovative part: the deck
Al Arab Terrace; the
was constructed in its entirety in Finland and then arabesque corridor leading
shipped to Dubai. Talk about staying relevant. to the hotels Talise Spa,
our shoot prep area;
Also freshening things up is the Seychelles Belmond Villa San Michele
(p 100), and Tokyos food trends are nothing in Florence, where I stayed
last year, makes this
if not ahead of their time (p 110). Speaking of months Gold List; the
looking ahead, ip to our Business of Travel Burj Al Arab as viewed
section to nd out where the future of travel is from the Terrace on a
Dubai winter morning
headed spoiler alert, it includes robots (p 34).
And we talk to business leaders and personalities
from around the globe who tell us why its
important now more than ever to continue
exploring the world (p 30).
Refresh your perspective.
RHEA SARAN Editor in Chief
@CNT_MiddleEast
FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 15
CONTRIBUTORS
Pamela Wilkes
Freelance writer and former
barrister Wilkes life-long love
of travel, sparked during her
expat childhood, has evolved
into a passion for family
travel, involving regular global
adventures with her children.
WROTE CNT exclusive:
Nikki Beach Resort & Spa
Dubai, p 62
BASED IN Dubai
WHAT DID YOU ENJOY MOST
ABOUT THE NEW RESORT?
The coastal location of the
hotel is incredible. I loved
watching the surfers and the
wild beauty of the stormy
seas from the hotel. Nikki
Beach has the happiest staff
Ive ever met and the whole
atmosphere was so chilled,
ensuring total relaxation. The
food was a highlight.
HOW WOULD YOU DESIGN
YOUR DREAM HOTEL?
It would denitely be by
the sea and somewhere warm
preferably on an island,
away from it all, but with
places nearby to explore. I like
small, boutique hotels offering
that personal touch, with a
quirky personality of their own
and a sense of place. There
would need to be a family
room for us to stay in many
hotels dont cater adequately
for the family market and
fantastic food.
16 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
Julien Capmeil
Born in Australia, Capmeil
grew up surng and skating
but soon left to pursue
photography in Paris. His
images have appeared in
GQ, Cond Nast Traveller,
Vogue, Porter, Tatler and other
international publications.
PHOTOGRAPHED Natural
selection, p 100
BASED IN New York
YOUR FAVOURITE PART
OF SHOOTING IN THE
SEYCHELLES WAS...
It was an amazingly luxurious
experience private islands
to ourselves, incredible food,
wonderful service, helicopters
between locations. The
people were warm, genuine
and welcoming. It was such
an idyllic location, perfect for
shooting with beautiful light
and pristine beaches.
HOW WOULD YOU DESIGN
YOUR DREAM HOTEL?
It would be a small open-plan
hotel made from reclaimed
and renewable resources,
with clean lines and locally
crafted furnishings, nestled
above a private surf break,
either on the Pacic coast
of Mexico or in Brazil. The
emphasis would be on cuisine
healthy, organic meals to
nourish you after hours on
the waves, incorporating
local avours and culinary
techniques. Somewhere you
feel so at home that you want
to return every year.
Pankaj Anand
Hopping around the world
for over 250 days a year,
Anand specialises in shooting
hotels, portraits, food and
interiors for the likes of
Cond Nast Traveller in India
and the UK, W Hotels and
Reliance Industries.
PHOTOGRAPHED Cover
BASED IN Mumbai and Dubai
WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT
OF SHOOTING AT THE
BURJ AL ARAB?
An incredible combination
of like-minded people from
across the globe working
together made for a great
shoot. It was a different
perspective to shoot a cover
at the Burj Al Arab without
showing its iconic sail shape,
but the seamless view of
the Arabian Gulf from the
pool of The Terrace is
absolutely stunning.
HOW WOULD YOU DESIGN
YOUR DREAM HOTEL?
My dream hotel would be
completely solar-powered
and eco-friendly. Id also
love to have it built like an
aeroplane, with all the facilities
youd expect from a ve-star
property but with the ability
to y guests anywhere they
want to go.
Sharon Drugan
Specialising in fashion
editorials, make-up artist
Drugans work has appeared
in Grazia Luxury Middle East,
Harpers Bazaar Serbia and
Mindfood Style Australia. She
has also worked with clients
such as Emirates, Palazzo
Versace and Bulgari.
MAKE-UP FOR Cover
BASED IN Dubai
DOING THE MAKE-UP FOR
THE COVER SHOOT WAS
FUN BECAUSE...
Doing the cover shoot was an
absolute delight everything,
from the fabulous team to the
mesmerising location at the
Burj Al Arab, was perfect. The
make-up look was effortless
and minimalistic and perfectly
complemented the location.
The energy on set amongst
the team was so cohesive, and
when that happens you create
magic together.
HOW WOULD YOU DESIGN
YOUR DREAM HOTEL?
As a former cabin crew
member, Ive had the
opportunity to stay in some
of the best hotels around
the world. My own hotel
would be back home in
Ireland a low-rise boutique
spot with a Scandinavian
feel. Minimalism, clean lines,
awless craftsmanship and
understated elegance with
earthy muted tones would
complete the dcor.
DESIGNED FOR THOSE WHO SET THE TREND
Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai, a lifestyle destination now open on Pearl Jumeira. The resort introduces 132 keys
comprising 117 rooms and suites, 15 villas with private pools as well as 63 private residences boasting top-line facilities.
Relaxation and wellness are key elements of the resort where you can enjoy the choice of pools, sundecks or a more
upbeat atmosphere at Tone Gym.

Reserve now and avail 10% discount on best available room rates and a complimentary Personal Training session.

For reservations or more information please contact reservations.dubai@nikkibeachhotels.com

Pearl Jumeira, PO Box 8286, Dubai, United Arab Emirates T: +971 4 376 6000 F: +971 4 376 6333
NIKKIBEACHHOTELDUBAI NBRSDUBAI | NIKKIBEACHHOTELS.COM
 Which hotel service is
most essential when
travelling on business?

APP MEDIA GROUP Chairman Emeritus: S.I. Newhouse, Jr.

PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Chairman: Charles H. Townsend
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Smile
all
the
stay.

All our hotels are in dreamlike settings, but if we can go the extra step, rest assured that
we have what it takes to surprise you, over and over again, so youll keep wondering whats next?

MAURITIUS RUNION MALDIVES CHINA TURKEY VIETNAM U.A.E

YASISLAND.AE
SLUG

AGENDA
THE TRAVEL CONNOISSEUR  CALENDAR  TOMMY HILFIGER

DARK
HORSE
As Canada celebrates the 150th anniversary of
its confederation, the epicentre of this year-long
bash is its newly made-over capital
Ottawa, nds MIKE MACEACHERAN

22 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

 Take a boat trip on
the Rideau Canal
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES, ALAMY

FEBRUARY
JANUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 23
O
ttawa has long been a city living in the
shadows. Vancouver, with its windswept
islands, white-etched peaks and glacial
fjords, is perpetually spotlighted;
Toronto, the super-charged mini
Manhattan, claims the lions share of
star-studded events and festivals. But
Ottawa? Considered by some a humdrum government
centre run by boardroom negotiations Justin Trudeaus
liberal entourage and proud Ontarians argue different, of
course this years birthday celebrations are poised to
prove the doubters wrong.
Begin a morning stroll around Parliament Hill, on the
banks of the Ottawa River, for an overview of the citys sky-
tickling Gothic-revival architecture and its copper-topped
downtown. From here, youll spy the enchanting Fairmont
Chteau Laurier (doubles from AED 550; 001-613-241 1414,
fairmont.com/laurier-ottawa), a wrinkly Hogwarts castle rst
opened as a railway hotel in 1912. Get an eyeful of the
distinctive Tiffany stained-glass windows and marble staircase
inside, then head over the water, across the cantilever
Alexandra Bridge, to the Canadian Museum of History
(entry, AED 40; 001-800-555 5621, historymuseum.ca). In the
midst of a major spruce-up, which will include a landmark
Canadian History Hall this summer, its a treasure trove of
First Nations artefacts. Standouts are Pacic Coast totem
poles, dug-out canoes and Klondike-era gold-rush goodies.
Theres a slew of other, equally worthy facelifts in progress
around the city. The 50-year-old Canada Science and
Technology Museum (001-613-991 3044, cstmuseum.techno-
science.ca/en) will reopen in November following an AED 222
million upgrade, and the rebooted Canadian Museum of
Nature (entry, AED 37; 001-613-566 4700, nature.ca ) will be
ready in time for the biggest party of the year, Canada Day
on July 1, when itll snip the bow on a permanent new gallery
celebrating the Inuit norths Arctic biodiversity.
In the winter, the canal freezes over
to form the worlds longest skating rink; in
summer, boats and kayaks tootle along
24 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
You may think this opportunistic makeover would
leave the city feeling incomplete, turning it into a gigantic
blueprint of cranes and skeletal halls hung in blowy
tarpaulins, but its quite the opposite. If theres anything the
city has learnt to be good at, its getting the day job done.
For proof of that take a trip on the Rideau Canal, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site of locks and waterways that
weaves through downtown. In winter, it freezes over to
form the worlds longest skating rink; in summer, boats and
kayaks tootle along, sometimes all the way to glimmering
Lake Ontario, some 200km to the south at the base of
Niagara, that crashing cataclysmic lady.
Before you get that far, of course, Ottawa has plenty more
to distract you in particular, its thriving foodie scene. There
are few better places to sniff out whats happening than at
ByWard Market (001-613-562 3325, byward-market.com), a
shape-shifting mix of cafs, food retailers, farmers stalls and
microbrew pubs. This end of town has long had a history
of trade, with the market rst providing supplies to lumber
camps out in the woods. Those no-frills meatpackers and
grocers have since been replaced by French patisseries, design
boutiques and ne-food emporiums, none more Canadian than
the House of Cheese (cheese party trays from AED 70; 001-613-
241 4853, thehouseofcheese.ca), where locals stock up on cheese
curd for homemade poutine. Nearby, what little tourist scrum
there is can be found wolng down leaf-shaped bon bons lled
with maple caramel at Stubbe Chocolates (gift boxes from AED
50; 001-613-241 1040, stubbechocolatesottawa.com), the citys
oldest family-run chocolatier.
On the markets eastern edge, towering above Dalhousie
Street like an impossible Jenga block is the new Andaz
Ottawa ByWard Market (doubles from AED 660; 001-613-
321 1234, ottawa.andaz.hyatt.com). Its a luxe yet unfussy
introduction to Canada for the Hyatt offshoot, topped-out by
Copper Spirits & Sights (cocktails from AED 47), a dimly lit
16th-oor cocktail bar and rooftop lounge. Here, sundowners
come with edible owers and sugar maple candy, and are
served in birch-smoked glasses.
As night falls, Ottawas restaurants ll with reinvigorated
civil servants and salarymen, as is customary in all
government nerve centres. On Elgin Street, near the Lord
Elgin heritage hotel (doubles from AED 550; 001-613-235
3333, lordelginhotel.ca), youll nd the best-dressed kicking
back with a prime reservation at Beckta Dining & Wine
(three-course set menu from AED 190; 001-613-238 7063,
beckta.com). The restaurant specialises in new Canadian
cuisine, with shy ingredients like sockeye salmon and
Fogo Island cod rarely found elsewhere. If you cant get a
table here, try the equally plush Metropolitain Brasserie
Restaurant (seafood platter from AED 100; 001-613-562 1160,
metropolitainbrasserie.com), which specialises in 15 shuckable
varieties of east and west coast Canadian oysters.
Now, if thats not enough to convince the doubters,
then, really, what is?
For more information on events throughout 2017 in Ottawa,
visit ottawatourism.ca
GETTING THERE
Emirates (emirates.com) ies direct to Boston, Qatar Airways
(qatarairways.com) ies direct to Montreal and Etihad Airways
(etihad.com) ies direct to Toronto, from where you can
connect on Air Canada (aircanada.com) to Ottawa
 OTTAWA

Clockwise from top left: Sockeye salmon at

Beckta Dining & Wine; public art; ByWard
Market; Stubbe Chocolates; Metropolitain
Brasserie Restaurant; Canada Museum of
History; Fairmont Chteau Laurier; shoppers
at ByWard Market; Andaz Ottowa ByWard
Market. Opposite: Fun on the Ottawa River

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 25

OPINION

The Travel
Connoisseur
On blurring the lines between
business and leisure

T
he ringtone sounded sharper than
usual as the Travel Connoisseur
rummaged around in the dark trying
to locate the mobile phone lost deep
between his pillows. Its annoyingly bright
screen displayed an unfamiliar number.
Silently cursing the caller, the number and
the early hour, TTC answered to nd it was
a wake-up call from the airline chauffeur
waiting downstairs, who was beginning to
panic that the morning ight to London was
now leaving in less than two hours.
TTC jumped out of bed, wondering if
he was breaking records by getting ready
for a week-long business trip in under
30 minutes. Perhaps his procrastination
stemmed from the fact that travelling for
work, and especially to London, is not his
cup of tea. Business trips, in his view, are a
necessity rather than an indulgence which
might come as a surprise to his CFO who
Things went from bad to worse when a
assumes that TTC does nothing but luxuriate meeting had to be cancelled last-minute because
in the spoils of corporate success.
Going against the tide of popular opinion,
his business partner got walked out from
TTC could never get on with London, for a luxury hotel for wearing designer sneakers
its interminable trafc, complicated airport
terminals and some occasional snobbery.
rather than polished Oxfords
On his last visit, things had gone from bad to
worse when a meeting had to be cancelled the high-octane neighbourhood with its Being friends with the concierge, he nds,
last-minute because his business partner got impressive concentration of art, shopping is always a wise investment, even though
walked out from a luxury hotel for wearing and dining, including his favourite French it can sometimes be an expensive affair. In
designer sneakers rather than polished gourmet store. many international capitals, concierge tips

ILLUSTRATION: GRANT COWAN/EYECANDYILLUSTRATION.COM

Oxfords. Similar to conferencing in Davos,
TTC knew this next trip to the British capital
would be work, work and nothing but work.
So three days later, it was a weary but relieved
traveller who settled in his seat at the front
of the plane, awaiting lift-off for Hong Kong
which, in contrast, remained one of his rm
favourites both for business and pleasure.
Twelve hours later, he checked in at a
landmark hotel right on the edge of Victoria
Harbour, with a picture-perfect vista of
Hong Kongs spectacular waterfront. Sitting
by the window, TTC admired gleaming
ocean liners passing by, wishing he was on
board one of them sipping bubbles rather
than juggling meetings, lunches, dinners and
occasional nightcaps. Still, TTC made sure
that his own shore programme included an
hour or two between meetings to discover
Shunning the offer of yet another business
lunch too many carbs for his slim-cut
silhouette one day, TTC slunk off to
explore the Canton Road shops. Here, he
was in his element. An hour later, his wallet
signicantly lighter, as if it had shifted its heft
to his carry bags, he approached the main
entrance of the hotel. Before he could enter,
the concierge hurried toward him, expertly
relieving him of the bags and arranging for
them to be delivered to his suite in the
most discreet manner.
How thoughtful! TTC exclaimed
Your colleagues are all in the lobby the
concierge whispered, with a knowing smile.
Catch me if you can, TTC laughed
to himself as he emerged in the grand
foyer ready to rejoin the meetings, with
no evidence of the afternoons tangent.
are high and if you see the coveted Clef
dOr pin shining on the lapel of the suit, add
another 200 per cent on top of that.
When the time came to leave Hong Kong,
there was a sense of dj vu. Once again
TTC was in danger of missing his ight as
he struggled to t the latest acquisitions into
the unapologetic wooden frame of his trunk.
Fortunately his investments had been wise,
as the same concierge came to his rescue,
arranging a sports car rather than a limo, with
a rather more adventurous driver. Added
to that, the good man reached out to his
personal contacts at the airport to whisk
TTC through the formalities and keep the
jet bridge open a few extra minutes.
As pleasant as his Hong Kong sojourn turned
out to be, the best part of any work-related
travel, in TTCs universe, is the return leg.

26 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

 Visit the Great Temple
of Ramses II at the CALEN DAR
Abu Simbel Sun
Festival in Egypt

Until Feb 12
WHERE Quebec, Canada
WHAT Chill out at the Quebec Winter
Carnival (carnaval.qc.ca), where giant
foosball, axe throwing and ice canoe races
meet sleigh rides, night parades and snow
sculptures in a esta of fun for all ages.
HOW The Bonhomme Efgy, a miniature
gurine of the Carnivals mascot worn on
your coat, funds the carnival and gives
access to all 17 days of events. This
quirky ticket is available online and
from hotels and shops in Quebec.
Bonhomme efgy from AED 40;
thepointofsale.com

15-19
WHERE Napier, New Zealand
WHAT Acrobatic ying displays, a Gatsby
picnic, free outdoor concerts, vintage
car parades and a Prohibition Party
are among the 250 events making
up the Tremains Art Deco Festival
(artdeconapier.com), held in the Art
Deco capital Napier, which was rebuilt
in the iconic style following the 1931
Hawkes Bay earthquake.
HOW Add the nearby Rotorua Bike Festival
(rotoruabikefestival.com), from February
10-19, to the agenda. With some of the
worlds nest bike trails, the programme
includes family rides, a meditative biking
experience, mountain bike events that

FEBRUARY
test nerves and skill and even lm nights.

19
WHERE Terni, Italy
WHAT Run a full or half marathon in the
name of love at the Maratona di San
Valentino (registration online from
AED 160; maratonadisanvalentino.it), What in the world is happening this month
starting in the Umbrian city where St.
Valentine was born. The picturesque
route includes the famous Marmore Falls.
HOW Fuel up before or treat yourself Airways (etihad.com) and Qatar Airways from AED 12,240; envisionfestival.com).
for your efforts afterwards at Osteria (qatarairways.com) y direct to Cairo, HOW Refresh post-festival in a Balinese-
Anteatro, which serves beautifully from where EgyptAir (egyptair.com) style glass-walled villa at Oxygen
plated Umbrian specialities, overlooking connects to Awsan and then to Abu Jungle Villas in Uvita. In the midst
one of the citys piazzas. Simbel. Abu Simbel is around a three- of a protected rainforest, home to
WORDS: PAMELA WILKES; PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Tasting menu from AED 135,
0039-0744-43 2521,
osteriaanteatroterni.it
22
WHERE Abu Simbel, Egypt
WHAT The Sun Festival marks one of
only two days a year that sunlight
illuminates the internal chamber of the
temple built by pharaoh Ramses II. The
statues of Ramses, Ra and Amun are
bathed in light, leaving Ptah, god of
darkness, in the shade (egypt.travel).
HOW Emirates (emirates.com), Etihad
hour drive from Aswan.
23-26
WHERE Rancho La Merced, Costa Rica
WHAT Rainforest meets beach at
the eco-friendly, multi-cultural
Envision Festival in Costa Ricas
Southern Zone. Highlights include
music across four stages, a yoga
festival, performance art and spoken
workshops. Check in to one of four
VIP treehouse suites for added
comfort (general admission from
AED 1,225; VIP Treehouse tickets
toucans and sloths and overlooking
the Pacic Ocean, activities include
hiking trails and waterfalls, whale-
watching trips, spa treatments
and candlelit dinners.
Doubles from AED 915; 00506-8322
4773, oxygenjunglevillas.com.
BOOK NOW FOR...
MARCH 10-19
SXSW, Austin, Texas
sxsw.com

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 27

Q&A
Ive visited India many
times and am always
inspired by the energetic
culture and diverse heritage
AROUND THE WORLD WITH...
TOMMY
HILFIGER
The classic American designer on New York
hotspots, his travel uniform and why he
loves Indian textiles and food
If you could escape
anywhere right now, where
would you go?
I would go to Mustique with
my family, where we have a
home. We always go to Basils
Bar its an island institution
and the perfect way to spend
an evening with family.
Whats your top
shopping destination?
My wife Dee and I love to
shop together when we travel.
28 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
We have pieces that weve
collected from around the
world, which create an eclectic
sense to our style and home
dcor. Im particularly inspired
by traditional Indian patterns
and tailoring. I love visiting
the busy marketplaces in India
the colours, textures and
fabrics are incredible.
Where is your favourite
hotel in the world?
The Leela Palace in New
Delhi is wonderful
wonderful. Ive visited
the country many times and
am always inspired by the
energetic culture and diverse
heritage. I also love the food.
What do you look for in
luxury hotels?
Fashion isnt always about
clothing it also applies to
interiors and dcor. Going to a
luxury hotel is a great way of
seeing new design trends.
How does travel inuence
your collections?
I love to bring my travel
experiences to life through
fashion: the energy and culture
of new cities and the diversity
of fashion scenes across the
world. I often travel to big
capitals like Paris, London,
Istanbul, Beijing and Seoul.
Theres always so much going
on in these places, and I enjoy
seeing how people dress in our
signature classic American
cool style with their own twist
that reects local culture.
Where did you pick up your
favourite souvenir?
When I was in Beijing in 2015,
I bought a great coffee table
book about Chinese artists.
It was such an amazing trip,
Basils Bar in
Mustique is
Hilgers favourite.
Left: Colourful
Indian market nds
a
and Im reminded of it
whenever I look through
w
tthe book.
Whats your usual
W
ttravel uniform?
I always wear lightweight,
versatile pieces such
as cotton oxford shirts,
chinos and a navy blue blazer
chino
for easy layering. Comfort is
key, and you have to be able to
step off a plane and go straight
to meetings or events.
What grooming products
do you carry?
I always bring Kiehls
moisturiser, Carmex lip balm,
Molton Brown soap and La Mer
SPF 50 UV Protecting Fluid
with me when I travel. These
products are great for when
INTERVIEW: JENNY JOHNSON; PHOTOS: ANNIE LEIBOVITZ, ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES
youre on the go.
Which city do you
never tire of?
Ive loved the buzz and energy
of New York since I rst
visited as a kid. Theres always
something new to explore. I
enjoy going to Central Park
with my son Sebastian, or
going vintage shopping with
my daughters. Katzs Deli is
great for lunch, and Dee and I
like Peasant in SoHo for dinner.
Whats on your bucket
list for 2017?
Ive always wanted to visit
Australia and hopefully we can
cross it off the bucket list soon.
I love being out on the water
and Australia has some of the
best coastlines in the world.
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 Why
h I travel a THE BUSIN
E S S O F TR

Yes, we live in uncertain times. But staying home and hand-wringing wont do any good.
AVEL

Experiencing the world rst-hand will transform you and maybe even transform the world in turn.
Need convincing? Listen to what 18 committed travellers, from all walks of life and areas
of business, have to say about why you should go now, more than ever

GERALD LAWLESS
Young monks in
CHAIRMAN, WORLD TRAVEL Bhutan, a spiritual
& TOURISM COUNCIL AND HEAD destination for
OF TOURISM & HOSPITALITY, designer Philip Lim
DUBAI HOLDING

Travel and tourism is a force for good.

We see globally how much people benet
from visiting different countries where
they get to know and understand various
cultures. Travel cuts across prejudices
and helps people relate to each other. A great example is the Sheikh
Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding in Dubai, which
facilitates visits to a mosque for non-Muslim tourists. There, they
receive a lecture from an imam about the similarities between religions
and how Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. Travel and tourism
enriches humanity and, in my opinion, should be encouraged as one
of the great drivers of peace worldwide.

PHILIP LIM
CO-FOUNDER, 3.1 PHILIP LIM

One of the most special moments of my 2015 trip to Bhutan was

playing badminton at a monastery with a young monk who was
completely full of joy and peace. The countrys spiritual approach
to life was a gift of enlightenment and strength.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR
CHIEF INTERNATIONAL
CORRESPONDENT, CNN

Travel is vital, especially in the worst

of times. I would say that, though,
wouldnt I, as a journalist who runs
toward danger, not away from it? But
in both good and difcult times alike,
travelling and meeting people with
different and opposing ideas is as YOKO ONO ACTIVIST, ARTIST
important as nding the most inviting
beaches, visiting the best restaurants
and seeing the sights.
IT CIRCULATES
YOUR BRAIN
30 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
 BUSINESS OF TRAVEL

DEEPAK CHOPRA
CO-AUTHOR, SUPER GENES

Travelling the world brings you

the profound insight that as different
as appearances, tastes, dresses,
music and cultures may be across
the globe, people are the same.

DONNA KARAN
FOUNDER, URBAN
ZEN FOUNDATION

In the past, when design students

asked me for advice about getting
into fashion, I would tell them to
get a job in retail. Now I tell them
to see the world. We must reach
COMPILED BY: DAVID WALTERS, RHEA SARAN, RASHMI SHANKAR, SAMIRA SOOD, SMITHA MENON, PRASAD RAMAMURTHY; PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

beyond both our borders and

our comfort zones to confront
todays greatest challenges and
JOELLE MARDINIAN to experience the refreshing joy
BEAUTY EXPERT, TV HOST AND FOUNDER, MAISON DE JOELLE that you can recognise yourself
in others, regardless of where
Amidst all the negative vibes that surround us these days, we need to nd more positivity. Its so on the planet you may live.
important to keep hopes up and travel lets you do that. Travel spreads love and brings us closer
as a family as well. My daughter and son get to meet people of different backgrounds and habits,
teaching them tolerance and acceptance in the most natural possible way. Travel also helps me
bond with my kids, I get alone time with them. We travel to Switzerland every year, and while we
are reliving our rst time there four years ago, each time we are also faced with new challenges,
rediscovering things about each other. We sleep in one room and take care of each other. I see how
my kids are developing and, for me, this is really the biggest highlight of travel.

AERIN LAUDER FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, AERIN

TO UNDERSTAND WHATS GOING

ON IN THE WORLD, YOU HAVE
TO SEE THE WORLD

BOBBI BROWN
FOUNDER, CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN
BOBBI BROWN COSMETICS FASHION DESIGNER

Travelling is so important to It always surprises me that

my creativity. During my trips,
Ive gained a lot of inspiration
for my seasonal collections.
Its important for me to translate
my inspirations which I usually
get from travelling and meeting
women all over the world
into innovative and
functional products.
your expectations of a place you
want to visit are never the same
in reality. Its generally better.
You have to live in some places
to understand and experience them,
which is something photography
cannot always capture. Travelling also
makes you understand that you are
not the centre of the world.

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 31

 Pulau Ubin off Singapore,
where TV host Padma
Lakshmi spent her
layovers growing up

RICHARD BRANSON
FOUNDER,
VIRGIN GROUP

We cannot let fear dictate

how we live our lives. Soon
after the November 2015
Paris attacks, I didnt think
twice about my plans to
visit for the COP21 climate
change discussions. More
than ever before, the world
needed to come together.
Beyond the contribution
travel provides to
economies, it plays a vital
role in our understanding
of diverse cultures, in
bringing people together
and in nding solutions
to some of the worlds
biggest challenges. Its not
enough to read about the
world; the most important
education comes from
rst-hand experience.

MELINDA GATES CO-CHAIR AND TRUSTEE, BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION

IVE LEARNT THAT THE MOST

MEANINGFUL KIND OF TRAVEL DOESNT
ONLY CLOSE GEOGRAPHIC DISTANCES
BETWEEN PEOPLE, IT BRINGS THEM
CLOSER IN OTHER WAYS, TOO

SONU SHIVDASANI
FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN & CEO, SONEVA

Over the last century, humans have moved from the countryside to cities. For
thousands of years, we lived and evolved in a rural setting; being in an urban conne is
new to homo sapiens. I believe this is the culprit for the rise in chronic diseases such as
cancer, heart attacks and other ailments. In order to survive in this environment, one
needs to carry out rituals such as yoga and meditation; a bit of sport is always good and
one should really consider what one eats and drinks as that can change our physical
being and mental view on life. Of course, to develop the soul fully one should be
immersed in nature. Thus travel is important, to get out of this urban environment.
If you are connected more to nature, you are able to refresh your view on life.

32 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

 BUSINESS OF TRAVEL

PADMA LAKSHMI
TV HOST AND AUTHOR, LOVE, LOSS,
AND WHAT WE ATE: A MEMOIR

My mother and I moved to California when I was a

teenager and it meant that my yearly trips to visit my
grandma in Chennai (or Madras as it was then called) grew
even longer. I would y, alone, from LAX to Tokyo, then
to Singapore, where Id spend a whole day and night, and
nally continue to India. I hated how long it took. Id hitch a
ride with one of several guys touting their hotels at arrivals,
nd myself an inexpensive room and hope that nothing
would happen to me. This would, I realise, never happen
today. But I came to love the layovers, discovering not just
a new city but a new me, self-reliant and adventurous. I
met a French writer who lived on the Singaporean island
of Pulau Ubin, having moved there after her sister had run
off with her husband in Paris; I met a couple, university
professors from Boston. I shopped the malls and I ate off
the street carts, setting my own schedule and course. It
was on these trips solo vacations which gave me a taste
of adulthood and independence that I rst realised I love
ADAM D. TIHANY to travel for travels sake.
HOSPITALITY DESIGNER

In a world that is turning more and more inwards, its extremely

important to travel, see our fellow mankind face to face, hear their
stories, appreciate their habits and culture and shake their hand; letting
them know that we care about each other. The internet connects us in
a two-dimensional fashion. We cannot feel the world around us by
looking at a screen we must seek the third human dimension in
travel and interaction every day of our lives.

ANTHONY SATTIN
MARCUS SAMUELSSON
JOURNALIST
CHEF/OWNER, RED
AND AUTHOR
ROOSTER HARLEM AND
STREETBIRD ROTISSERIE
Curiosity is what drives my
travels. Without it, I would stay
at home. In my 20s, curiosity
led me to books and I roamed
TRAVEL
the world through accounts of UNLOCKS
earlier travellers. I still read a
lot, but curiosity now drives me A WORLD
out into the world. It also helps
me talk to people, breaking the
OF
ice and asking questions. And it FLAVOUR
leads me to write books, too.

DAO-YI CHOW AND MAXWELL OSBORNE

FOUNDERS, PUBLIC SCHOOL

Its not just learning about different cultures, people and places.
Travelling today is also about bringing those experiences back to
share with your family and friends.
 a THE BUSIN

The
FUTURE
E S S O F TR
AVEL

of
GETTING THERE
Everything you know about exploring the world is about to change. Whether youre navigating a foreign
airport with the help of an anthropomorphic robot that speaks 19 languages or ying the preposterously
comfortable Airbus A350 XWB to Helsinki and suffering zero jet lag, travel is getting undeniably better.
Which is probably why, in 2015, we saw more than a billion people taking off for business, pleasure
or both. As we enter this second-wave golden age, we teamed up with our future-obsessed colleagues
at Wired to forecast where the travel industry is headed as erce competition (Airbnb, we see you), smart
design (200sqft hotel rooms that dont feel like 200sqft) and even marketing gambits like Icelandairs
genius layover programme continue to transform the way we see the world
Illustrated by PETER OUMANSKI

34 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

 BUSINESS OF TRAVEL

New JETS will the in-ight experience more comfortable, passengers Of course
make FLYING will go just about anywhere. Routes that were the FUTURE
considered long-haul in the past? Theyre not that long
involves
FUNagain. any more, says Marisa Lucas-Ugena, head of A350 XWB
marketing at Airbus. Were going to see the emerging ROBOTS.
{Imagine!} markets particularly in the southern hemisphere
connected. Oakland to Santiago, Johannesburg to
These

Two new wide-body planes, the Airbus A350 XWB and

the Boeing 787, have bigger windows that let in more
natural light, bathrooms that dont feel claustrophobic
and mood lighting that can limit jet lag (no, seriously).
They even pump those babies with better cabin air
thats more humid and less dehydrating. But the
biggest improvement may be what theyve taken
away. The number one feedback we get is about the
lack of noise, says Juha Jrvinen, chief commercial
officer of Finnair, which currently has six A350s,
each of which seats 297 passengers.
Long-haul carriers like Cathay Pacic, Etihad Airways,
Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines have ordered a
combined 215 A350s, recognising that, if they can make
Sydney. The A350 was built with that in mind.
Its also made with weight-saving composites and
is equipped with fuel-sipping engines that make ultra-
long-hauls economically viable for carriers. Singapore
5
are actually
Airlines, for example, ended its reportedly unprotable HELPFUL
non-stop between New York and Singapore in 2013,
but the route will return in 2018 thanks to the A350,
1
shaving at least four hours off the current one-stop EMIEW3, at
Tokyos Haneda
travel time. United has ordered 35 of the planes, which Airport
it plans to use for long ights to Asia; Delta will get An English-
its rst of 25 A350s this year, with destinations to be speaking
two-wheeler
determined. Airbus forecasts global demand for new thatll make sure
wide-bodies will top 8,000 over the next 20 years, youre not lost in
meaning thousands more A350s and 787s in the air translation during
a layover.
and far fewer complaints upon touchdown. - PAUL BRADY

NEXT-GEN GEAR will make all the DIFFERENCE in

the AIR and on the GROUND

Aerix Vidius HD Mophie Powerstation XL

This drone, about the size of a deck Sennheiser Momentum Wireless Charge both your iPad and phone
of cards, shoots hi- video. Theyre noise-cancelling but cool. with this pocketable battery.

Away Carry-On Botta Design Duo Knomo Knomad Air Organizer 2

Pack this ultralight polycarbonate
case for quick trips.
360y 4K Camera
A tennis-ball-small camera to capture
360-degree panoramas.
Its a dual-time-zone watch with a Police your charging cables Spencer, at
single sleek face. with this portfolio. Amsterdam Schiphol
This still-
experimental,
smiling 6ft 2in
robot guides
passengers
to gates.
Olloclip
Betabrand Knockout Travel Hoodie Amp up phone pics with these add-
Faux-fur lining makes naps cosier. on macro and wide-angle lenses.

Your next VACATION may be on your COUCH

Call us biased, but were betting that virtual reality will never replace actually getting away.
Still, these VR experiences are just a hint of whats going to be possible in the next ve years
Tour hotels with the Best Western and Visitors Authoritys Vegas VR app Needles or tightrope-walk in
Virtual Reality Experience Drop Preview Hamilton Island or dive the Moab with Home Turf, from the
in on the Pyramids with Thomas Great Barrier Reef with the Qantas VR company Jaunt Vacation
3
Cooks Try Before You Fly Cruise VR app for iPhone, Android, Samsung on the next planet over with Mirai the velociraptor, at
the Henn-na Hotel
the Las Vegas Strip (without the 38C Gear VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive Hello Mars, on Googles new Check in by dino-bot?
temps) with the Las Vegas Convention devices Rock-climb Californias Daydream platform Only in Japan.

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 35


PRIVATE JETS will
still be outrageously AWESOME
Two hours into my Austin-
Costa Rica ight aboard the
Four Seasons Private Jet, I was
on my third ute of bubbles,
cosied under a cashmere blanket
in my lie-at seat, trying to
gure out how I could always y
this way. The plane, a Boeing
757 tricked out with just 52
Business Class-style seats, was
beginning its 25-day trip to
nine destinations, including
Langkawi and Tanzania, and
would nearly circumnavigate
the globe in just 25 days,
minus the security line waits.
Today, companies like
Ive seen the luxury
hotel room of the
future, and its made
of cardboard. At the
new Research and
Discovery Studio
Abercrombie & Kent, Crystal at Four Seasons
AirCruises and TCS World headquarters in
Travel which operates the Toronto, theyve
Four Seasons trips have mocked up a full-scale
waiting lists for adventures corrugated guest room
like this AED 496,000-per- to determine if the
person extravaganza. They vanity area is too wide
promise not only seamless (it is) and if a built-in
travel but the chance to, in a AIRBNB will make desk is preferable
single trip, devour smoked short HOTEL SUITES feel to a freestanding
ribs in Austin, ride mile-long round table (it isnt).
zip-lines in Guanacaste, Costa more like HOME Down the hall, theyre
Rica and traverse Lanai on a picking out which
jeep safari. Other outtters, Bernardaud porcelain and Riedel crystal are right for the forthcoming Four
like &Beyond and Privel, Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square. In a wet zone, designers
have recently launched similar are testing rainfall showerheads. Its all part of the brands effort to deliver
journeys through Africa and the a distinctive yet consistent experience. While rental-home sites like
American West, respectively. Airbnb or HomeAway are good at the former, they cant always promise
They all meet a surging demand the latter. Big hotel operators caught at-footed by the emergence of
for trips that jam dozens of these sharing-economy insurgents are now racing to add idiosyncrasies.
over-the-top experiences into

1.19
Starwood has invested AED 44 million in a 46,000sqft idea lab in
a waste-no-time itinerary, Manhattan. Marriotts newly opened M Beta hotel in Charlotte is a real-
says Javier Loureiro, the Four world room-design proving ground. The Hyatt Regency OHare is where
Seasons concierge who planned the company tested new paraben-free BeeKind bath products. And Four
my outings. Seasons is considering swapping standard coffee mugs for hand-thrown
billion Sure, the private stock pottery the sort youd expect to nd in a home, not a hotel: As CEO
Number of international of bubbles was nice but J Allen Smith says, No detail is too small. - ANDREW SESSA
tourist arrivals worldwide never having to wait with
in 2015 a record.
The UN forecasts 1.81 billion the hoi polloi at the gate was
travellers by 2030. even better. - ZACH EVERSON
Your GRANDKIDS will be SPRING
BREAKING by BLIMP
These still-in-development game changers will put
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE us a few steps closer to sci- teleporters
will be PLANNING your
next VACATION
If youve ever spent hours sifting through hundreds of hotels on Kayak,
blame co-founder Paul English. His innovative one-stop-shopping approach
revolutionised the way we search for travel on the web when it launched Elon Musks idea for a pneumatic-
in 2004. Now his new venture Lola, founded after he left Kayak in 2013, is tube Hyperloop could cut travel times
between LA and SF to 35 minutes by The Concorde-like Quiet
another solution to the tyranny of online choice. We dont want to show you 2035, but will likely debut in the UAE, Supersonic Technology X-Plane could
300 hotels in New York, English says. We want to show you three. To do cutting travel time between Dubai and be ying 1,487kph to London, with
that, hes assembled an articial-intelligence-enhanced travel agency thats Abu Dhabi down to 12 minutes. no sonic booms, by 2027.
already attracted 10,000 users. Rather than phone in their trip-planning
requests, most travellers communicate with agents via text message,
whether theyre looking for the best vintage shops in LA or a last-minute
hotel room in Chicago. Lolas AI does a preliminary annotation of incoming
messages, then passes them along to a team of 20 human travel agents who
reply to users in real time with actionable intel. Its like having an executive
assistant, says English. You type one line and everything is booked for
you. Lola is betting that texts will continue to replace clicks and calls as the
easiest way to plan a trip. So are competitors including Hello Hipmunk, Mezi,
If test ights succeed, the NASAs four-person Orion
SnapTravel and Tradeshift Go. Its a little retro, English says of his effort to
helium-lled, cargo-hauling Airlander will ferry crews beyond Earths orbit as
reinvent the travel-agency model, but people already spend more time in 10 will be passenger-ready early as 2023, but moon landings for
messaging apps than in all other apps combined. - ELAINE GLUSAC by the 2020s. tourists are still TBD.

36 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017


Hotels everywhere are embracing what the
Japanese have done for decades crunching
rooms down to smaller-than-200sqft pods. Ten
years ago, Midtown Manhattans Pod Hotel
ushered in the era of the microhotel with
the mainstream American debut of minimalist
rooms: luggage was stored under the beds,
bathrooms were tub-less. In 2015, Marriott
launched Moxy in Milan, with tiny but
gorgeous guest rooms in dark wood and cream
leather. Two Roads, which owns Destination,
Joie de Vivre and Thompson hotels, will
open the lifestyle microhotel brand tommie
in Hollywood in 2018. Smaller rooms are
cheaper, of course, and faster to build. The
developers of a 249-key Pod Hotel slated for
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, say theyve saved six
months by using modular construction without
compromising design. At two new AvroKO-
designed Arlo properties in New York, rooms
average just 150sqft, and they actually look
good with ip-up desks, open closets and
huge windows that make the most of the tight
quarters. Not that youll feel cramped: The
Arlo Hudson Square has two bars, a Southern
restaurant from Daniel Boulud protg Harold
Moore and coffee by Joe, a local favourite. And
when youre in NYC, how much time do you
spend in your room anyway? - ANDREW SESSA
582,271
BUSINESS OF TR
Hotel rooms will
SHRINK, but
SMART DESIGN
will be HUGE
NUMBER OF HOTEL ROOMS BEING PLANNED OR BUILT
IN ASIA. THATS SIX PER CENT MORE THAN IN THE US
AND 10 TIMES THE NUMBER COMING TO AFRICA
Youll WANT to book a LAYOVER
rather than DESPERATELY
try to AVOID one
If it seems like everybodys
still talking about Iceland,
youre right. In 2015, more
than 1.2 million tourists
made the trip, many of
them on a free stopover
courtesy of Icelandair,
which invented the idea of
layover-as-vacation back
in the Sixties as a way to
boost tourism. It only took
other airlines 50-plus years
to jump on the bandwagon.
Air Canada added Toronto
stopovers in 2015, and
TAP and Copa started
programmes for Lisbon and
Panama City, respectively,
last year. Qatar Airways
T
TRAVEL
RAV
AVEL
4
Mario, at the
Ghent Marriott Hotel
The not quite 2ft-tall
dynamo translates 19
languages and hands out
room key cards.
5
Botlr, at Aloft hotels
This R2-D2-shaped robotic
bellhop can fetch you
toothpaste or extra towels.
will give you a free guided
tour of Doha, including the
IM Pei-designed Museum
of Islamic Art, if your
connection is longer than
eight hours. And if you book
a Helsinki stopover with
Finnair, you can tack on a
city tour and a hotel room
for the night for AED 520.
Layover-friendly carriers also
serve Abu Dhabi, Dubai and
Taipei. The one thing all of
these destinations have in
common is healthy tourist
infrastructure: quality hotels,
buzzy restaurants, solid
public transportation options
(or Uber). - LILIT MARCUS
FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 37

Enjoy your next family holiday on a private island retreat at One&Only Reethi Rah
O
n one of the largest private
islands in the North Mal
Atoll, One&Only Reethi
Rah is the ideal stop
for families seeking luxury and fun.
The 122 private villas, each attended
by a concierge and villa valet, are
discreetly placed along the pristine
shore with the 90 Beach Villas
secluded by lush tropical greenery
and 32 Water Villas set over the
lagoon. Home to 12 beaches and 6km
of coastline, the property ensures
ultimate privacy, as well as an expansive
TRAVELLER PROMOTION
FAMILY
PARADISE
roster of activities guaranteed to
satisfy those of every age.
The resorts Dive Centre has
professional PADI Instructors who
teach a variety of courses that cater
to individual needs, and the property
also offers dolphin cruises and guided
snorkelling trips in the crystal-clear
waters. Private diving trips and
excursions are offered for those who
want time alone with their family,
including trips to secluded sandbanks
and sunset catamaran cruises.
Land activities include two oodlit
For more information, call 00960-664 8800 or visit oneandonlyresorts.com
tennis court and a climbing wall with
ve routes. The artist studio provides
classes with professional resident artist
Christopher Hogan. For families with
young children, the KidsOnly Club and
One Tribe ensure that the little ones
are kept entertained, with hands-on
activities like chocolate-making classes
and coconut hunts.
Of course, an island escape isnt
complete without a rejuvenating spa.
End your day at the One&Only Spa, a
tranquil retreat with vitality pools,
crystal steam rooms and stimulating
ice fountains. The resort also offers family
spa journeys, where you can
share your passion for a healthy lifestyle
with your children. Sign up for the private
yoga session specically designed for
mother and daughter or share a father-
and-son moment with a round of boxing
followed by reviving massages.
The latest addition to the resorts
dining concepts is Botanica, a restaurant
set around a banyan tree and wild
orchids, where guests can indulge
in organic food and grape. Sweet
Paradise is another new opening,
located in the shade of the palm trees.
With different chocolates and playful
toppings, the shop offers the chance
to satisfy your sweet tooth.
With exquisite accommodation and
endless activities, One&Only Reethi Rah
is a true paradise guaranteed to satisfy
every member of the family.
Clockwise: Unwind at the spa
yoga pavillion; kids will love
the ice cream bar; the view
from a Beach Villa; making
a splash in the kids pool.
Opposite: A Grand Beach
Villa with private pool
WORD
OF MOUTH
ETHIOPIA TOKYO ISABEL MARANT MORE TRAVEL NEWS

W
hen Romantic poet Percy
Bysshe Shelley rst visited
Lombardy some 200 years
ago, he was struck by how dazzling its
lakes were. Lake Como, he decided, was
enchanted, describing the three-ngered
body of water as exceeding anything he had
ever beheld in beauty. Looking out across
its steep-sided inlets from the snub-nosed
prow of a Riva boat eyeballs ping-ponging
between moss-green waters and super-luxe
villas its easy to see what he meant.
Today, paradise remains, as do the
lakefronts dusty grand hotels but new
faades are beginning to freshen up the
look. Long before you reach the overrun
village of Bellagio at the lakes nexus, youll
nd new boutique property Il Sereno

COMO
(doubles from AED 2,920; 0039-031-547
7800, ilsereno.com), sister to Le Sereno,
the A-lister hideaway in St Barts. Located
in Torno, its a travellers Xanadu, with the

REBOOTED
kind of service that ensures you never lift a
nger and interiors that are magazine cover-
worthy. But the real star is Ristorante Berton
Al Lago nearby resident George Clooney
has been known to stop in for the pasta.
Farther north, 16th-century palazzo Check in to Italys lake district with half the crowds
Villa Pliniana (doubles from AED 1,345;
0039-031-419 772, villapliniana.com) has
and twice the glamour
been rebooted since the poets visit and is
open for exclusive use with 19 rooms, a spa
and a glimmering innity pool. While some
balustraded villas cling precariously to the
shoreline for a view, Villa Pliniana stretches
out over 18 acres, in a setting no less
dazzling now than two centuries ago.

40 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

WORDS: MIKE MACEACHERAN

A pool with a view

at new boutique
property Il Sereno
 Clockwise from
top: PUBLIC in
New York;
soon-to-open
Sotel Darling
Harbour; Abraj
Kudai in Mecca

2 MINUTES WITH
Rich McCor
The photographer and Instagram
sensation known as Paperboyo on
viewing cities through his unique lens
What prompted you to start using paper
cutouts to transform iconic locations in
your images?
It started in London where I decided to pick
up my on-again-off-again photography
hobby. As I was walking past Big Ben I had
the idea of turning it into a wristwatch, so I
went home, made a paper cutout and then
returned with my camera. When I loaded
that photo on to Instagram it went down
well, and so I started wondering what other
buildings I could transform.
TREND ALERT
What most excited you about visiting and

SUPERSIZE ME photographing Dubai?

I knew Dubai would be the perfect
Jumbo hotels are all the rage this year playground for what I do its full of iconic

WORDS: JENNY JOHNSON; INTERVIEW: RHEA SARAN; PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM.COM/PAPERBOYO

and whacky architecture. I had so much

W
hile boutique hotels with personalised experiences have led the way in fun playing around with my cutouts in the
recent times, 2017 seems poised to turn the trend on its head with mega city. The amazing scenery let me tap into
properties popping up around the globe. Those looking for a carefree both my sense of humour and my love
holiday want wide-ranging facilities and exciting experiences under one roof, says of whimsical scenes. Im especially happy
Joost Vermuelen, regional manager, Middle East & Africa at Booking.com of this with the Emirates Towers photo, and
trend, so its no wonder accommodations across the world are upgrading their the Jumeirah Group seemed to approve
offerings to match this growing demand. Adds Wouter Geerts, travel analyst at because the hotel reposted it.
Euromonitor International: Being part of a community is increasingly important
in an individualistic world where we spend so much time online, and hotels are The most challenging image youve
responding with communal spaces for shared experiences. worked on?
Hotelier Ian Schragers PUBLIC (publichotels.com), set to launch in New York The biggest challenge is a strong breeze,
this spring, is a mini village with at least nine restaurants and entertainment venues and also nding the right vantage point.
including a food market by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Across the pond, sprawling The most recent challenging image was on
resort The Ned (thened.com) on Londons South Bank is taking over the old Midland my trip to Paris, where I transformed the
Bank, once the largest bank in the world, with the reception area in the vast banking Eiffel Tower into a buttery. Id tried the
hall, a spa, a rooftop pool overlooking St Pauls Cathedral and nine dining venues night before when it was windy and rainy
(dont miss the bar in the basement vault that featured in the James Bond lm and it didnt work at all, so I returned the
Goldnger). Down Under, Sotel Darling Harbour (soteldarlingharbour.com.au) next evening and was treated to a beautiful
is Sydneys rst major new-build ve-star hotel in 15 years, and will be one of the sunset and managed to capture a much
countrys largest when it launches later this year with more than 600 rooms and a stronger image.
mammoth convention and exhibition centre. And never to be outdone in the
supersized stakes, the Gulf region is represented by Saudi Arabias Abraj Kudai Where would you like to go next?
(dar.dargroup.com), currently under construction in Mecca. The plan is to have a ring Tokyo. For the same reasons as Dubai its
of 12 towers, ranging from 30 to 48 stories, housing 10,000 rooms, 70 restaurants and a city full of amazing architecture, and also
ve rooftop helipads, making it, quite naturally, the largest hotel in the world. its a culture totally different to my own and
Id love to experience that.

42 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017


INDONESIA
Here come the hut steppers
Bypass Bali and spend your shore leave at Indonesias other unplugged hideaways
Theres a sparring match going on between two
private-island openings in Indonesia this year the
rst, from banker-turned-hotelier Andrew Dixon, is
Cempedak (doubles from AED 1,650; 0065-3158
2119, cempedak.com). He was the man behind
hit escape Nikoi in the South China Sea, which
began life as a retreat for friends before evolving
into a collection of 15 boho beach houses cooled
by sea breezes rather than air-con. Cempedak,
south of Nikoi in the Riau Archipelago, will riff on a
similar Robinson Crusoe vibe, but for adults only.
Its 20 bamboo villas, each with a plunge pool, are
surrounded by trees for maximum seclusion. Dont
come expecting lengthy pillow menus or OTT
service; its about chilling out and staying low-key.
The second launch is Bawah (bawahisland.com), a
cluster of six islands set around three crystal-clear
lagoons in the Anambas archipelago, just a boat,
seaplane and splash from Singapore. The focus here
City pretty
Make-up suited to your destination is the idea behind Bobbi
Browns limited-edition trio of palettes celebrating the
WORDS: JENNY JOHNSON
cosmetics gurus favourite cities New York, London
and Paris in honour of the brands 25th anniversary. With
illustrations by artist Richard Haines, the fashionable London
Palette includes metallic and rich navy eyeshadows, while the
Paris version features chic greys and elegant pinks, and New
York is all about subtle nude tones inspired by the off-duty
style of the cool girls Brown observed outside her SoHo ofce.
WORD OF MOUTH
is on letting guests get back to nature scampering
around the jungle and spending hours snorkelling
through mini tornados of neon sh yet still offering
great service, and slick Maldivian-style beach and
over-water villas. Meanwhile, Sumbawa, an island
east of Bali, may be generally bypassed in favour of
tented retreat Amanwana (doubles from AED 2,755;
0062-371-22 233, aman.com/resorts/amanwana) on
the nearby isle of Moyo. But by 2018, green-juice-
drinking hippy-hipsters will have a reason to stay:
Sumbawa Point Resort (pegasuslodges.com). Its
oceanfront lodge, chic villas and wellness centre
are laid out along feng shui principles and a river
running through the site creates a natural yin and
yang divide, which supposedly makes it a powerful
spot to practise qigong. Indonesia is huge yet the
focus has always been on Bali, one of its smallest
islands. Now the rest of the archipelago is nally
shimmying into the spotlight.
Over-water villas
at Bawah in the
Anambas archipelago
Bobbi Brown City
Collection palettes,
AED 388 each
FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 43
 WHAT I PACK
Isabel Marant
On staying close to home,
but going often

I
did those crazy backpacking
trips you do when youre
young, says Paris-based
fashion designer Isabel Marant,
rattling off destinations like
Sri Lanka and Thailand.
These days, however, as the
creative force behind six annual
collections, she has no time
for long-haul ights (in the
coming months, Marant will
also open her 24th boutique, in
Miami). Most weekends, she
and her husband, accessories
designer Jrme Dreyfuss,
and their 13-year-old son, Tal,
escape to their rustic cottage
in Fontainebleau, 56km south-
east of Paris. Come summer,
the family decamps to Ibiza
for several weeks (its just a
two-hour ight from CDG).
The house they rent is on the
quiet side, local-speak for
the northern part, which is a
world away from the clubs on
the southern side. Her itinerary
is simple: She paddleboards
with her son most days and
has friends over in the evening
for grilled sh and rounds of
Uno. When not in the water
(Cala Xuclar Beach is great
for snorkelling, Sa Caleta for Products from top:

WORDS: KARI MOLVAR, JENNY JOHNSON; PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES, ALAMY

secluded swims), shes shopping
local markets (try Las Dalias,
the best one for straw bags and
hats). Her one suitcase, a nylon
Eastpak duffel, is lled with
bikinis, chiffon silk dresses that
never wrinkle and one pair of
espadrilles, which Marant dubs
basically the sneaker of Ibiza.
Knock Knock necklace,
AED 935, Isabel Marant;
straw and double leather
cross body bucket, AED
1,055, Sensi Studio;
toile Starla bikini top,
AED 420, Sukie bikini
bottom, AED 210;
both Isabel Marant;
Dr. Hauschka Rose
Nurturing Body Oil, AED
90. Right: North Ibiza

On the case iPhone case

and card holder,
The multi-purpose MUJJO iPhone case and card AED 155, MUJJO
holder is the perfect pocket-sized companion, at Virgin
Megastore
snugly encasing the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus for extra
protection while also securely storing your credit
card, ID and travel card.

44 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

 WORD OF MOUTH

STYLE FILE
The Japanese do it better
To nd the best Italian tailoring head to Tokyo

N
o one doubles down on
a style phenomenon
like the Japanese.
They seek out genuine
examples of iconic pieces
think of the overheated market
a few years back around
original Levis and Red Wing
boots, says David Coggins,
who gathered sage advice
from some of Tokyos fashion
inuencers for his new book
Men And Style. The countrys
latest sartorial obsession?
Italian tailoring. With its
love of craftsmanship, Japan
has moved past anonymous
salaryman suits to embrace
Italian tailor expressive tailoring and even
Liverano & standing out, says Coggins.
Liverano at The
Sovereign House Here, he tells us where to
nd the best cuts.
Beams F The rst thing youll
notice is how remarkably well
turned out the staff are. They
have a daring sensibility and a
clear point of view, as does the
store it channels mid-century
Italian tailoring with gusto.
Look for ties from Ulturale,
textured clothing from Stile
Latino and suits from Dalcuore.
The Beams F private label,
particularly the line of sport
coats in Italian fabrics, is
more earthbound.
Isetan Shinjuku Its probably
the worlds greatest department
store. The buying team has
tracked down rareed brands
like the shirt-maker Finamore,
and the store features
renowned Naples tailors
Rubinacci and Sartoria Ciardi
as well as classic Neapolitan
labels like Kiton and Cesare
Attolini. For a smaller
investment, get one of Isetans
private-label knit ties. Dont
leave without checking out
the incredible shoe selection
in the basement.
The Sovereign House This
United Arrows offshoot in
Chuo-ku shows the brands
more rened side. Sartorio sport
coats and Massimo Alba knits
are all part of the super-tight
edit, and its the only location
outside Florence that carries
the wonderful tailor Liverano &
Liverano. If theres one store
I feel like I could shop at for
the rest of my life, its this one.

Elskling
Slip it on Leather Mule in
Very Red,
Step out in style in handcrafted leather slippers by Norwegian footwear designer AED 515,
WORDS: CHANTEL TATTOLI, RICK JORDAN, JENNY JOHNSON; PHOTO: VIRGINIE GARNER/CORALIE FERREIRA

A.Andreassen
A.Andreassen. Reminiscent of woven baskets made by Scandinavian children,
they are made from soft Italian leather, with a padded footbed for added comfort.

TASTE BUZZ

SANSHO PEPPER
A twist on the Japanese peppercorn
THE CRAZE
This sparky peppercorn is traditionally ground
and sprinkled on grilled eel in its native
Japanese islands, although its wriggled free
of being typecast and is now making guest
appearances on everything from cocktails to
ice cream. Whats the appeal? Well, rather
than simply ring up the palate, it creates
tingling citrusy pops on the tongue a little
like cool lemon balm but far more intriguing.
TRY IT
In London, on plump slices of mallard breast
at Sohos Koya Bar (entres from AED 30;
koyabar.co.uk) or on scallops and the rim of
a Yuzu Martini at Dalstons Jidori (drinks
from AED 20; 0044-20-7686 5634, jidori.
co.uk). At Pen Yen (entres from AED 25;
0044-16-0869 1000, sohofarmhouse.com), the
Japanese restaurant at Soho Farmhouse in the
Cotswolds, its whisked with butter to drizzle
on asparagus. Over in New York, David Chang
adds it to fried prawns at Momofuku Nishi
(entres from AED 50; 0016-4-6518 1919, nishi.
momofuku.com), and Chikarashi (bowls from
AED 40; 0016-46-649 5965, chikarashi.com)
makes bowls of Hawaiian pok with sansho
salmon. For a few skewers of original chicken
sanshoyaki, though, head to Tokyos Bird Land
Ginza (skewers from AED 15; 0081-3-5250
1081, ginza-birdland.sakura.ne.jp). As for the
strawberry sorbet, thats called the Tunnel of
Love and its the marvellous creation of Parisian
food truck Glaces Glazed (ice cream from AED
10; 0033-8-162 4706, glaces-glazed.com). Eel
ice cream, anyone?

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 45

SUPERFLY
How a Bond art director can be
your secret holiday weapon
One of the pleasures of travel is reliving
happy memories. In the past, nostalgia
was delivered with the whirr and click
of a rickety slides projector, by leang
through blurry prints or watching
clunky camcorder footage. Then next-
level lenses and the advent of the
digital camera made us all professional
photographers, and that was before
anyone had a smartphone and a sele
stick. The holiday memento, however,
is about to get a whole lot slicker
with the launch of Drone the World
adventures from tour operator Black
Tomato. The service sees professional
droneographers such as Tim Browning
join guests for part of their trip to
capture aerial photographs and video
footage, which will then be edited
into a featurette lm. Browning has
more than 20 years experience in the
movie industry, working on Spectre
and Skyfall, and as a drone expert on
BBC documentaries and the upcoming
Star Wars: Episode VIII. He hopes
to help create lms with a high-end
cinematic feel, telling holiday stories in
an unusual and original way. Examples
of the picturesque destinations on
offer include the rugged Lofoten
archipelago, Icelands ethereal
Jkulsrln glacial lagoon and the
hills of Sri Lankas tea country.
From AED 17,930 per person
including ights and accommodation
(blacktomato.com/drone-the-world)

PHOTO: GABRIEL SCANU

View your trip from a

different perspective with
aerial images and videos
 Skateboarding is
the latest trend for WORD OF MOUTH
kids in Ethiopia

Dress, AED 1,285,

Mira Hayek at
lebelik.com

In the fold
Inspired by origami and
Japanese paper dolls, Lebanese
designer Mira Hayeks KamiDoll
collection features playful
separates sleeveless blazers,
ared trousers and voluminous
dresses in sharp geometrics
cuts and 3D pleats.

Polar explorers
Forget the beach: adventurers are now
embarking on polar expeditions to experience
these icy regions before climate change alters
WORDS: RICK JORDAN, JENNY JOHNSON; PHOTOS: DANIEL REITER, ALAMY

them forever. As the planet warms and summer

ice reaches record lows, more ships are setting ADDIS ABABA
course to these remote wildernesses. Last
autumn Crystal Serenity (cruise from AED
80,270; 001-866-446 6625, crystalcruises.
JUMPING JACK FLASHES
com) became the rst large-scale cruise liner
Contain yourselves: Ethiopias street-smart kids
to traverse the Northwest Passage from Alaska are getting their skates on
to the Atlantic Ocean. Next year will see the

debut of the liners new polar class mega-
yacht Endeavor, which will cruise the Arctic
following the route of whales migrating south
in winter. Meanwhile, visitors to Antarctica
can enjoy the newly revamped White Desert
Camp Whichaway (7 nights from AED 265,720;
white-desert.com), with six heated sleeping
pods featuring bamboo headboards, fur throws
and en-suite facilities stocked with sustainable
Lost Explorer brand toiletries, and a dining pod
serving three-course menus accompanied by
grape own in from Cape Town.
B
ack in the Seventies, maverick Californian skateboarders used empty swimming pools
to break new jumps. Pools are in short supply in Addis Ababa, but its young crews have
the hit-and-run rawness and purity of those Converse-scufng pioneers. A few years
ago, a handful of plucky teens inspired by visiting boarders and YouTube videos began
riding on the citys old monuments and in a disused car park, sharing just ve boards between
them. They were spotted by LA-born Sean Stromsoe, who then co-founded Ethiopia Skate
(ethiopiaskate.org) and raised funds to build the countrys rst skate park, which opened last
year. Berlin-based photographer Daniel Reiter (danielreiter.de), a fan of the sport, has been
documenting the growing scene with a series of exhibitions around Europe. Theres one
kid called Henok whos the craziest and most talented, he says. If he sees an old shipping
container, hell want to jump off it straight away. Ethiopia Skate can also arrange local hook-
ups for visiting skateboarders and informal tours of Addis Ababa for anyone interested in
seeing the ipside of the city.

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 47


ROYAL
TREATMENT
Escape to The Leela Palace New Delhi, a majestic base
for a shopping trip to Indias capital
C
ombining traditional North
Indian palace architecture
with the elegance of
Lutyens Delhi, The Leela
Palace New Delhi evokes the romance
and style of days gone by. Located
in the prestigious Diplomatic Enclave
area of the city, the property is home
to exquisite art and artefacts, glittering
Murano chandeliers, hand-woven
Turkish carpets, Rajasthani miniature
paintings and bidri work from Uttar
Pradesh, balanced with state-of-the-art
technology in all guest rooms and suites.
The environmentally responsible hotel
incorporates sustainable development
initiatives and has been awarded Gold
LEED certication.
With ve restaurants and lounges
serving international and Indian cuisine,
including a royal Indian dining experience
TRAVELLER PROMOTION
at Jamavar, every guest can dine like a
king. Then kick back at the 6,500sqft
spa by ESPA with indulgent signature
treatments inspired by the traditions of
Ayurveda, or rejuvenate in the heated
rooftop innity pool. Also on offer: tailor-
made experiences and personalised Clockwise from top left: The open-air
pool; the Royal Club Lounge; lavish
services, including the bespoke Kamal Indian jewellery and accessories can
package for single female travellers. be picked up on a bespoke shopping
For those looking for retail therapy, excursion from the hotel
Delhi is the ultimate destination and,
whether you choose to bargain in the
bazaar, go souvenir sourcing or discover
new designers, the bespoke excursions
created by the Leela Palace combine
exhilarating shopping tours with
insights into the citys heritage. With
customised itineraries and the expertise
of personal shoppers, the hotel will
turn your shopping experience into
a memorable adventure.
For more information, visit theleela.com
 BACK
TO
ITS
ROOTS
After years of molecular
gastronomy, with
its avoured foams
and vapours, Madrids
food scene makes a
U-turn to become the
new capital of homestyle
Spanish cooking, nds
STEPHEN ORR

Photographed by
AIALA HERNANDO

S
pain may be in the economic
doldrums, but judging from
its capitals packed markets,
restaurants and tapas bars, its
buzzing. Every night, people
ll the streets of Madrids Chueca and
Salamanca districts, going from tapas bar
to tapas bar in a hedonistic parade that
stretches into the small hours. This is
famously a late-night town (hence the
almost government-mandated siesta). On
most menus, including in the citys best
restaurants, chefs are recovering from their
love affair with the molecular gastronomy potato; and seafood. Its no accident that as of inexpensive but delicious Rueda or
that so dened Spanish food in the Nineties economic indicators decline, comfort food Tempranillo. The Mercado de San
and Noughties. These days, youll nd makes a surge, providing solace during Miguel (mercadodesanmiguel.es), near the
market-oriented menus increasingly turbulent nancial times. Plaza Mayor, is Madrids most famous
dedicated to homestyle yet still-elevated The best way to get a sense of Madrids (and heavily touristed). This market is
versions of dishes that a Madrilea mother diverse culinary pleasures is to take a also the citys most beautiful built in
would serve to a lovesick son: hearty meat tour of its historic markets: each has its 1916, it has soaring cast-iron columns and
stews (cocidos); heirloom Navarran leeks, own personality and culinary specialities a glass faade that gives it the feeling of a
tomatoes and peppers lightly dressed with and enough people-watching for Victorian greenhouse which means youll
olive oil; crispy fried croquetas of ham or hours of enjoyment over several glasses nd yourself vying for space with visitors

50 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

 FOOD

Sushi (sushi from AED 7; washoku.es), local

produce at La Huerta del Sol (lahuertadelsol.
es) and leather goods painstakingly hand-
sewn by artisans at Maniobras Reciclantes
(mercadodesanfernando.es/more-maniobras-
reciclantes). On the third Sunday of the
month, the slightly tatty central courtyard
is taken over by Chanclach, a lively salsa
dance party thats open to the public,
as well as other dance events. Sit at one
of the market bars for hops, grape and
tapas between dance sets, or take in the
scene over oysters and a crisp white grape
from the Ribera del Duero region at the
restaurant Bond 40 (tapas from AED 7;
mercadodesanfernando.es/bond-40).
snapping seles and propping From left: A ripe tapas such as chanquetes (tiny Located near the Plaza de Coln,
shots for Instagram. Try the Navarran tomato fried whitebait) and Padrn Platea Madrid (plateamadrid.com) is pure
with basil is served
garlic shrimp on avocado toast, as simply as a peppers from the chalkboard theatre of an almost Vegas sort. A former
grilled asparagus and a chilled rare steak at the menu at La Imperial (chanquetes cinema, this high-concept market kept its
tumbler of gazpacho at El Seor tapas bar Sala from AED 46; tabernalaimperial. red-curtained stage for music, cabaret and
de Despiece; the
Martn (stalls 29 and 44), the social scene at La
com). Or take your purchases dance performances. The glamorously lit
markets seafood specialist. Contrasea, with its from the markets shmongers ve-level space comes alive at night as
The Mercado San Antn sunny glass-roofed and butchers to the rooftop chatting, well-dressed Madrileos bustle
courtyard; Sala de
(spainattractions.es/mercado- Despiece owner
restaurant, where the chef will between venues: La Hora del Vermut
de-san-anton) is more of a and head chef turn them into dinner. (spirits from AED 6; 0034-681-00 7700,
locals affair, hidden away on Javier Bonet The Mercado de San lahoradelvermut.wordpress.com) for vermouth
a side street in the Chueca Fernando (mercadodesan (one of Madrids favourite spirits), Kinua
district. From the outside, it fernando.es) in Lavapis, one of for Peruvian ceviche (ceviche from AED 54;
looks like an ordinary multi- Madrids gentrifying districts, 0034-687-45 1994, plateamadrid.com/en/
level concrete mall, but the is still a little rough and the que-hay/kinua-peru-food) and Beso de Sal
atrium-style interiors have been designed locals like it that way. Here, the inuence for tacos (tacos from AED 38; 0034-687-45
to feel like a Whole Foods, for better or of the citys African and South American 1994, plateamadrid.com/en/que-hay/beso-de-
worse. What the place lacks in historic immigrant populations mingles with sal). Theres even Huerto y Cucharn (soups
authenticity, however, it makes up for in international hipster culture. The stalls of from AED 17; plateamadrid.com/en/que-hay/
modern convenience and the absence of the covered market showcase the traditional huerto-y-cucharon), selling Spanish soups and
tourists. Have a glass of Verdejo and order and the trendy, with sushi at Washoku stews for those craving something homey. All

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 51

 The light-lled interior
at La Contrasea,
which has become
FOOD a favourite in the
Chamber district

WITH 23 RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS,

IT BLURS THE BOUNDARIES
BETWEEN FOOD COURT AND
PERFORMANCE SPACE

in all, Platea barely ts in the food market dishes that celebrate

category, but with 23 restaurants and shops,
it blurs the boundaries between food court
and performance space in a way that if
the crowds are any indication other cities
around the world would do well to imitate.
Another favourite Madrid restaurant
isnt new at all. Nothing about La
Manduca de Azagra (0034-915-91 0112,
lamanducadeazagra.com), tucked into a
nondescript street in the citys centrally
located Chamber district, calls too much
attention to itself. The interiors are sparely
modern, with the type of soft-focus lighting
that makes the loyal clientele of politicians,
media people and artists feel comfortable.
The wait staff are silent and efcient and the
menu is an exemplar of careful restraint. No
one here wants much of a scene. What does
stand out is the food traditional Spanish
vegetables (a novelty in
Spanish restaurants)
and the warm hospitality
of owners Juan Miguel
Sola and his wife,
Anabel, who were doing
farm-to-table before
it had a name. The
star of the menu is the
produce brought down
daily from Azagra, the
Solas hometown, just south of Pamplona. bulls tail arrives deboned and moulded
His favourite cristal peppers, so much into a terrine shape studded with porcini.
better than the ordinary piquillos carry Its a Spanish version of the best pot roast
a avour of earthy minerals. Artichokes, youll ever have. The meal ends with torrija
cardoons and borage stems are blanched and a Navarran version of French toast with a
delicately laced with fruity olive oil. Pochas crme brle top that is traditionally served
(tender beans) are simply stewed with meat to children and a warm goodbye embrace
and vegetables. But this isnt a place just for from Anabel. Not even the most hard-core
vegetarians: a main course of slow-braised trend-chaser could leave wanting more.

CALLE PONZANO
Homestyle tapas like fried croquettes and straightforward meat and seafood dishes have made
a comeback in a big way. Youll nd a crop of the best new old-fashioned tapas bars on Calle Ponzano,
in the revived Chamber district, just north of the city centre
EL DOBLE hangout for its excellent food and youre looking for something SALA DE DESPIECE
With the renewed interest in strong mixed drinks, as well as its more substantial, main dishes The long, sleek counter and
traditional food, this 50-year-old, beautifully designed wood-and-tile include fried chicken with honey the walls made from pastel-
standing-only tapas bar is always interior and glass-roofed patio. and mustard or the scorpionsh coloured Styrofoam blocks
packed. The blue-and-white-tiled Favourite dishes include steak and prawn burger. are undoubtedly modern. The
walls are classic Spanish, as is the tartare topped with a quail egg, Tapas from AED 11; 0034-915-13 tapas plates, however, are
seafood-centric, simply prepared white asparagus doused in peppery 8059, barlambuzo.com classics. The handwritten menus
cuisine: the camarones (small, sweet olive oil and a speciality from list each dish, the method of
red shrimp) are lightly boiled, the Crdoba deep-fried eggplant LOS ARCOS DE PONZANO preparation and the origins:
mussels from Galicia are prepared with honey and salmorejo, a This 65-year-old neighbourhood razor clams from Pontevedra,
en escabeche (pickled in vinegar pure of tomatoes, bread, garlic, staple serving cuisine from the for example, are grilled la
and olive oil) and the salad of whole olive oil and vinegar. northern province of Segovia got plancha and topped with sea
prawns, diced peppers and onions Tapas from AED 32; 0034-911-72 a recent reboot with new wood salt. Other musts include the
and sherry vinegar may just be the 6378, restaurantelacontrasena.com oors, red-and-white tablecloths oversized fried pimiento peppers;
most elaborate dish on offer. and a revamped menu. Highlights the whole peeled tomato
WORDS: SHIVANI VORA

Tapas from AED 14; LAMBUZO
0034-914-48 2033 Plates from the south-west city of
Cdiz are the focus, including tapas
LA CONTRASEA such as deep-fried anchovies with
This tapas bar and restaurant has lemon, potato salad with tuna and
fast become a neighbourhood several varieties of croquettes. If
include octopus Galician-style,
morcilla (black pudding) from
Burgos, lamb chops, roast lamb
Segovia-style and seafood paella.
Entres from AED 15; 0034-914-42
5884, losarcosdeponzano.es
marinated overnight in tomato
juice, sugar and salt; and, to
nish, silky an.
Tapas from AED 15; 0034-
917-52 6106, academiadeldespiece.
com/sala-de-despiece

52 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

 Infinity Pool

Sulu Terrace Bedroom Amphitheater Meditation

Start a new journey this year

Few hotels make a fresh start as enticing as The Farm at San Benito. An ultra-luxe wellness
retreat in a pristine natural setting, its world-class spa facilities, award-winning food and exqui-
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this Philippine hideaway, which is precisely why its a member of Luxury Hotels Group.

Check in with us:

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Call: +44 (0) 203 540 0379
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@LuxHotelsGroup Luxury-Hotels-Group

CONTEMPORARY
STAY
Business meets pleasure for new-generation
travellers at the modern and stylish
Roseate House New Delhi
N
estled amid the corporate
hubs and entertainment
centres of Delhi and Gurgaon,
Roseate House New Delhi
is designed to meet the evolving needs
of new-generation travellers. Spread
across an area of 1.6 acres, the upscale
property features 216 spacious, plush
rooms including the Presidential suite
and an opulent 500sqm Villa each with
state-of-the-art amenities, a exible
workstation, high-speed internet and
luxe toiletries.
Dining at Roseate House New Delhi
is a culinary delight, with ve restaurants
and lounges drawing on both local and
international avours. Enjoy an al fresco
experience at world cuisine bistro DEL,
TRAVELLER PROMOTION
or grab a classic cocktail at modern
bar Chidya Ghar. Fine-dining Indian
restaurant Kheer offers a combination
of traditional Northern Frontier cooking From top: Roasted by
and Delhi street food, and the patisserie Roseate features teas
Roasted by Roseate is the place for from across the globe;
indulge and unwind in
pastries and teas from across the globe. one of Aheli Spas indoor
The relaxing Aheli Spa is another treatment suites; relax by
the rooftop innity pool
highlight, offering four therapy rooms
and indulgent treatments that blend
age-old and modern techniques. Other
recreational facilities include a 24-hour
gym, an outdoor innity pool and a
modern cinema hall.
With its exceptional service and
new-age perspective on hospitality,
Roseate House New Delhi is ideal for
contemporary travellers.
For more information, call 0091-11-7155 8800 or visit roseatehotels.com
WHERE
TO STAY
HOTEL EXCLUSIVES  MEGAN HESS  MELBOURNE
 a
ROOMS
THE BUSIN

SMART
E S S O F TR

From virtual golf courses to

AVEL

holograms in meeting rooms,

the innovative services at these
hotels will appeal to business
travellers and the tech-savvy

W DOHA HOTEL &

RESIDENCES
1 One of the rst hotels in the
Middle East to incorporate
cutting-edge tech into its guest experience,
the W Doha Hotel & Residences
continues to develop new ideas,
particularly in mobile technology. Before
you arrive, the hotel welcomes bookings
through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram,
and in 2014 it launched the SPG Keyless
system, turning guests smartphones
always on hand into room keys. Other
techy features include high-speed Wi-Fi
throughout, as well as IP phones and
NEOS interactive TVs in guest rooms.
Guests can communicate for services via
WhatsApp rather than dialling a number, or
use the W Hotels iPhone app, which allows
easy access to social media and provides
detailed information about both the hotel
and the local area. The app can also be
used to order from the in-room dining
WORDS: PAMELA WILKES

menu, charging to the room, or simply click

on the I Need tab to request additional
towels and other such services.
Doubles from AED 970; 00974-4453 5000,
whoteldoha.com

W Doha's
futuristic salon FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 57
Electronically adjustable Swedish Hstens beds with a range of
HOTEL 1000, SEATTLE
Located in the heart of downtown Seattle
2 and overlooking the waterfront along
Elliott Bay, Hotel 1000 has some novel
innovations when it comes to technology. Business
travellers will naturally appreciate the complimentary
bre optic internet and the free domestic and
international calls from the dual-line VOIP phones
in every guest room. And then theres the next level.
From the minibar that automatically alerts the front
desk that it needs restocking to the smart climate
control and in-room sensors that detect body heat
so housekeeping wont disturb your beauty sleep
by knocking at inopportune moments, the hotels
use of tech is both quirky and practical. For those
used to hitting the green after a days work or
striking deals between holes the virtual golf
experience at the hotels golf club is just the 250 people can join a meeting or presentation remotely.
ticket. Over 50 of the worlds best courses can
be played, without battling the elements, and the
concierge can even arrange a tournament, complete
with refreshments at the 19th hole.
Doubles from AED 825; 001-877-315 1088,
hotel1000seattle.com
58 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
NH COLLECTION
EUROBUILDING, MADRID
3 Its not only the key location at the
heart of the nancial district, on the same
street as the Santiago Bernabu stadium that draws
business travellers to this hotel but its futuristic meeting
facilities, which are almost out of this world. The
hotels commitment to the latest tech is evident from
the moment you arrive: the vaulted ceiling in the
lobby is, at 300sqm, Europes largest multimedia vault
screen projecting 3D images, photographs and videos.
But its in the 35 naturally lit function rooms with 3D
audiovisual technology where the magic really happens.
Using state-of-the-art 3D holographic projection, users
can participate and interact virtually from multiple
locations, anywhere in the world, in real time. And with
the Lync online remote videoconferencing system, up to
The hotel is also home to the Living Lab, the NH Hotel
Groups tech testing-ground, where the latest hotel
industry innovations are trialled in the communal areas
and in four Living Lab bedrooms.
Doubles from AED 615; 0034-91-398 4661, nh-collection.
com/hotel/nh-collection-madrid-eurobuilding

massage settings are the antidote to a full day in the boardroom
THE PENINSULA TOKYO
A full range of in-room services is, literally,
4 at your ngertips at The Peninsula
Tokyo. The interactive digital bedside
control panel, pre-set in 11 languages, controls every
room function, from the temperature and lights to the
alarm clock and curtains. If the outside temperature
and humidity displayed on the weather panel on the
dressing table next to the built-in nail dryer arent to
your liking, stay in and relax with mood lighting, black-
out window screens and the 42in plasma TV or one of
the 3,000 internet radio stations available. Mood lighting
also features in the marble bathroom, along with a 15in
at-screen TV and a hands-free telephone. Business
is easy to conduct with high-speed internet access,
dual-line telephones with voicemail system, speaker
function and complimentary international VOIP calls as
well as an in-room fax machine with a private number.
And for some post-work entertainment, last year the
Pokmon Company designed a digitally interactive
experience exclusively for the hotel. Guests of all ages
can experience Pokmon Hotel Adventure: The Power
of Ten, a hotel-wide quest for Pokmon characters, and
for those playing Pokmon Go!, The Peninsula Tokyo is
the location of two PokeStops.
Doubles from AED 1,790; 0081-3-6270 2888,
tokyo.peninsula.com
TECH HOTELS
ECCLESTON SQUARE
5 HOTEL, LONDON
Few things are more traditional than the
19th-century Grade II listed faade of
this boutique bolthole, set on a quintessential garden
square on the border of Belgravia and Westminster. But
appearances can deceive: behind the wrought iron and
leaded glass door youll nd one of the most high-tech
hotels in the capital. The Italian linens, LOccitane
products and complimentary 24-hour tea service in guest
rooms set the tone, but comfort levels are enhanced by
electronically adjustable Swedish Hstens beds with a
range of massage settings the antidote to a full day in
the boardroom and smart-glass shower walls that
switch from clear to frosted at the touch of a button.
From left: Virtual Theres a 46in HD 3D Neo Plasma Panasonic TV,
golf at Hotel 1000; plus at-screens concealed in the bathroom mirrors
a 3D holographic and a complimentary 3D DVD library. The in-room
projection on the
lobby ceiling of iPad 2 is a digital concierge, from which to order room
NH Collection service or browse the internet using the high-speed bre
Eurobuilding; high- optic Wi-Fi. Best of all, the hotel provides each guest
tech rooms at
The Peninsula
with a HANDY smartphone that offers free local and
Tokyo overlook international calls to select countries, unlimited mobile
the city skyline; internet and a city guide so youll never get lost en
shower walls can
be frosted in an
route to a meeting again.
instant at Eccleston Doubles from AED 730; 0044-20-3503 0692,
Square Hotel ecclestonsquarehotel.com
DECEMBER
FEBRUARY 2016
2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 59
 EXCLUSIVE
F I R ST R E V I E W
KK BEACH
JENNY JOHNSON checks in to a contemporary new
beach retreat on Sri Lankas south coast
A
YUBOWAN.
THIS IS THE FRIENDLY GREETING IM
met with on arrival at boutique property KK
Beach, the latest stylish offering by award-
winning interior designer George Cooper
whose much-loved jungle property Kahanda
Kanda (known to regulars simply as KK)
recently celebrated 10 years.
I found that many guests at KK wanted
to go to the beach for the day rather than
staying inland for the whole trip, so I decided that rather than
sending them to other properties we would build our own and
we did, from scratch, in just nine months, says Cooper. With
KK Beach I wanted something fresh, younger and more informal
because its by the sea. Its about personality, individuality,
character and personalised service, where the staff know you by
name and not just a room number.
This is made easier, perhaps, by the fact that there are just two
deluxe rooms, two suites and two penthouses (with four more due
to be built starting on May 1). Each comes with Mediterranean-
inspired dcor, a well-appointed bathroom with a rain shower,
60 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
full-length sliding glass panels and a private outdoor terrace
overlooking the pool, the beach and the Indian Ocean beyond.
Theres a feel of being in a private retreat, with an al fresco open-
plan ground oor featuring the laid-back Living Room and Bar,
and the Beach Club restaurant where guests can enjoy seafood
barbecues, classic Sri Lankan curries and creative three-course
menus utilising fresh local ingredients.
The sense of place is further cemented by the rotating display
of paintings commissioned from Sri Lankan artists and available for
purchase, and by the beach chic homeware, from seashell cushions to
pineapple ornaments, curated by Cooper for the hotel as well as for
his cult Galle Fort boutiques, KK The Collection and the new KK
by George. Perched on tranquil Habaraduwa beach 12km along
the coast from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Galle Fort
KK Beach is just steps from the golden sand yet the 20m black slate
pool and comfy sun loungers are separated by a manicured garden
and wooden fence for that sense of seclusion and exclusivity. While
the petite property doesnt have a dedicated spa, massages can be
booked in the privacy of your suite, and yoga classes are held three
times a week at 8am to help you relax and rejuvenate.
 CNT EXCLUSIVE

Clockwise from
right: Curated
design objects;
the 20m pool;
Habaraduwa
beach; modern
dcor in Penthouse
II. Opposite: The
Living Room and
Bar overlooks the
pool and ocean

Its about personality,

individuality, character
and personalised service,
where the staff know you
by name and not just
a room number

Should you choose to venture out, the hotel can arrange

tours in the area such as tea trail experiences, where you can
pluck your own leaves and see them being processed at the local
factory; an excursion off the coast to spot blue whales and
spinner dolphins; and a Koggala Lake boat trip with stops at
a temple island, a sh spa, a bird sanctuary and a small island
where you learn how cinnamon is harvested.
A free shuttle is offered between KK Beach and sister
property Kahanda Kanda, just a 12-minute drive away on
a working tea plantation overlooking Koggala Lake, allowing
guests to take advantage of the facilities at both properties. I
signed up for a traditional Sri Lankan cooking class at the original
KK, where we learnt to make sh and aubergine curries and dal,
all using spices grown on the island, before tasting the fruits of my
labour in the natural surrounds of the restaurant.
With the addition of KK Beach, the brand now offers the
ultimate beach-meets-jungle experience for those who want to
explore more than one side of this tropical island nation.
Scott Dunn (800-035-70 3722; scottdunn.com) offers a seven-night stay
at KK Beach on a bed and breakfast basis, including ights from the GCC
and private transfers, from AED 7,350

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 61

 EXCLUSIVE
F I R ST R E V I E W
N I K K I BE ACH
RESORT & SPA DUBAI
PAMELA WILKES explores Dubais new coastal-cool kid on the block
I
TS HARD TO DRAW MY GAZE AWAY FROM THE TURQUOISE WATERS
and white-crested waves of the Arabian Gulf. This is the vista
from most of the rooms and communal spaces at Dubais newly
opened Nikki Beach Resort & Spa: the ocean stretching away
to the horizon until it meets the vast, impossibly blue sky.
I feel instantly relaxed, and its clear from the warm
demeanour of the friendly staff that the sea works its
soothing magic on them, too.
Situated on the edge of The Pearl, Jumeira, a reclaimed
island off Dubais coast, this is the fourth Nikki Beach Resort to
open globally and the groups rst hotel in the Middle East, adding
to the popular Nikki Beach Dubai beach club which opened last
year. Reecting its waterfront location, the hotel is all about open
spaces, pale woods and shades of soft blue, aquamarine, white
and sandy neutrals. And glass so much glass. Imagine combining
a generous helping of The Hamptons beach chic with a dash of
Hawaii surf cool and a contemporary urban twist that is pure
Dubai, and you get the idea.
In the 117 bright and spacious rooms and suites and 15 beach
villas, oor-to-ceiling windows open on to private balconies and
soothing coastal dcor brings the outside in. Azure and white
62 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
scatter cushions and soft throws make it feel like home. Bathrooms
are kitted out with slate tiles, frosted glass and oversized facilities,
from the cavernous walk-in shower to the free-standing bath you
could get lost in. Control the adjustable mood lighting from
a handy panel by the bed, and every room has an interactive
television for information about the hotel as well as the latest
movies on demand, Apple TV for streaming from your personal
device and international radio and TV channels. Though, to be
honest, the lure of unplugging and curling up on my balcony
sofa was too hard to resist. I gave in and settled down with a pot
of tea several loose-leaf varieties are provided in cute tins
to watch surfers dance across the waves.
PHOTOS: AASIYAH JAGADEESH
Guests at the resort can enjoy the facilities at the stylish
beach club, a short stroll along the sand from the main hotel,
but the resort also has its own heated pools and sun deck,
reserved for guests and offering a more tranquil alternative.
Maximise the chilled-out vibe with a massage at Nikki Spa,
or just relax in a beachfront cabana, listening to the music that
gently hums from hidden speakers and the murmur of the waves
lapping the shore. For more active types, the long expanse of
sand is arguably the best surng beach in Dubai and a water-

From top: Chef
Brendan McGowan
in action; all rooms
and suites come with
Arabian Gulf views.
Opposite: The coast
is ideal for surng
Imagine combining The Hamptons
beach chic with a dash of Hawaii
surf cool and a contemporary
urban twist that is pure Dubai,
and you get the idea
sports programme is in development, to complement the state-of-
the-art facilities in the resorts Tone Gym.
Caf Nikki is an airy and bright all-day urban bistro. An inviting
space, where you can while away the hours amidst the soft greys
and monochrome murals, with an open kitchen at one end and
those compelling views again at the other. Led by chef Brendan
McGowan, director of culinary creations, the focus is on fresh, local
and sustainably sourced food, working closely with suppliers such
as Greenheart Organic Farms UAE. Signature dishes include
seafood laksa, its spices and coconut cream perfectly balanced
and each bowl bursting with fresh prawns, mussels, king crab
and scallops; lobster and artichoke linguine; and succulent corn-
fed chicken la plancha with aromatic tarragon jus. The globally
inspired cuisine includes regional ingredients such as dates,
rosewater and pistachios used creatively to give a sense of
place, and I can attest to the moreish nature of the BBQ camel
atbread with its UAE sumac honey glaze.
Breakfast is another tour de force, from the delicate brioche with
a hint of rosewater and sumptuous treats crafted by the French
pastry chef think almond croissants with layers of light, aky,
buttery pastry, yet satisfyingly weighty thanks to the generous
CNT EXCLUSIVE
Clockwise from top
right: Relax by the
pool; the elegant
lobby; a mural at
Caf Nikki
gooey lling to dainty discs of French toast and Kilner jars of
creamy scrambled eggs topped with warm salmon and avocado.
If youre worried about overindulging, just blame all that sea air.
The Soul Lounge, at the heart of the hotel, is hipster cool
and the ideal spot to watch the world go by over a creative
cocktail or mocktail, with chill-out tunes and beachfront views
during the day and upbeat DJ mixes and the ickering glow
of ery terrace heaters once the sun goes down. For a livelier
scene, the beach club menus feature global dishes, the tastes
and spices representing countries where Nikki Beach outposts
are located, and hit Nikki Priv lounge to party the night away.
Floridian-, Caribbean- and Latin-inspired restaurant Key West
is due to open soon and is poised to become the go-to for
sundowners followed by fresh sh and signature spice-rubbed
grills made in a Josper oven.
This spot on The Pearl, Jumeira is only minutes from the heart
of the city. But facing the sea, the resort transports you to a place
far, far away, where troubles simply melt away.
The Nikki Beach tag line exhorts guests to tell only your best
friends; cant we just keep it between us instead?
Doubles from AED 1,560; 00971-4-376 6000, nikkibeachhotels.com
FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 63
 WHERE TO STAY
CAP DA NTIBES
HTEL DU CAP-EDEN-ROC
K
During the Cannes Film Festival,
youre likely to bump into movie
stars in the lift down to the lobby,
whether its George Clooney
or Robert De Niro or another
famous face. I love illustrating
interesting people and this hotel
is great for people-watching.
They also have a lounge offering
drinks with fabulous views.
Doubles from AED 2,160; 0033-4-
9361 3901, hotel-du-cap-eden-roc.
com (reopening April 14)
NEW YORK
THE PLAZA
K
I grew up reading the Eloise
storybooks set in The Plaza,
so its a very special location.
Its a bit of an institution and
being right on Central Park
and Fifth Avenue, you could
walk out on any day and
see a horse-drawn carriage,
which offers that romantic
New York feel.
Doubles from AED
2,480; 001-212-759 3000,
theplazany.com
64 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
BED-HOPPING WITH...
Megan Hess
The international fashion illustrator shares
her favourite iconic hotels in stylish cities
PARIS
JLE BRISTOL
This hotel is quintessentially French, and incredible
during Fashion Week with a wonderful Fashion
High Tea. Its full of Parisian charm, from the red
poppies in the hedges along the faade of the
building to the beautiful bellhops inside here,
I really feel like Ive arrived in Paris.
Doubles from AED 3,600;
0033-1-5343 4300, lebristolparis.com
I love LO N D O N
illustrating THE LANESBOROUGH

I love staying here. Theres
interesting a lot of heritage and
people and history at this hotel. Its
also very fancy; every
this hotel room comes with its own
is great for butler. Theres great cuisine
in the restaurants, which
people-
MOROCCO are beautiful with a very
watching English design and edge.
Doubles from AED 2,075;
0044-20-7259 5599,
lanesborough.com
INTERVIEW: RHEA SARAN; PHOTO: ETHAN MANN
DUBAI
IFAIRMONT THE PALM
Its where Ive always stayed when in this city. The service is
warm and inviting, with dates, beautiful owers and coffee on
arrival. And the beaches, pools and resort surroundings make
my heart rate relax from the minute I check in.
Doubles from AED 1,450; 00971-4-457 3388,
fairmont.com/palm-dubai
 JW MARRIOT T MARQUIS DUBAI

Elegance Without Pretence

at the world's tallest hotel.
The stunning JW Penthouse Suite and Marquis Penthouse Suite
present two levels of impeccably designed spaces. The suites are
contemporary with a touch of traditional Arabic design.
PENTHOUSE SUITE FEATURES

  
 

1 master bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe, 1 twin bedroom,
1 living room, 1 kitchenette, 1 study, 1 dining room, 1 majlis foyer area,
1 private spa room where in-room spa treatments are available upon
request and 3 bathrooms with an integrated steam sauna.

GUEST SERVICES
Complimentary return airport transfer in a private limousine
Private check-in within the Suite
24 hour butler service upon request
Access to 24 hour Executive Lounge and 24 hour Concierge services

For reservations or inquiries, please visit

jwmarriottmarquisdubai.com or call +971 4 414 0000

Sheikh Zayed Road, Business Bay, PO Box 121000, Dubai, UAE | T +971 4 414 0000, F +971 4 414 0001 | jwmarriottmarquisdubai.com
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai I @JWDubaiMarquis I jwmarriottmarquisdubai
MELBOURNE Five stylish places to stay in

UP IN
THE AIR

When it opens,
PRIVATE HISTORIC
the Ritz-Carlton
INTERCONTINENTAL
will anchor West THE LYALL HOTEL AND SPA MELBOURNE THE RIALTO
Side Place and Location In the central South Yarra District, In the central business district, surrounded
close to top restaurants, galleries
ries by resta
restaurants and nancial rms. The
become the and boutiques as well as the Yarra
Yarr River and Flinders Street
tallest hotel in Australian Open courts Station
St are both walking distance

Australia. Its Dcor Set in a remodelled town Composed

C of two n de sicle
house, modern interiors Gothic buildings, linked by
263 suites will mix Eastern style with the a central glass atrium. The
atmosphere of a private original
o red brickwork
occupy the top members club, complete with is complemented by
17 oors of a replace, art gallery and library
ry contemporary
con artworks

an impressive Clientele Fashionistas, families, long-term residents Those prone to nostalgia, foodies,
and celebrities seeking sanctuary from business people
81-storey tower. the public eye

Guests will Rooms 40 suites equipped with Australian-made Theres a fusion of contemporary and
enter the hotel furniture, private balconies and gourmet traditional styles in the 253 rooms. Suites
minibars. Bathrooms have heated oors are themed around the Great Ocean
via the porte- and anti-fog mirrors. Platinum suites Road, Melbourne and the Yarra Valley
come with replaces
cochre and
Food & The elegant yet relaxed Bistro Lyall Many of Alluvials ingredientss
take an elevator Drink makes use of seasonal ingredients in its come from the hotels roof
straight to the contemporary cuisine. Taste different garden. The Market Lane
French labels at the bubbly bar alongside Bar is good for afternoon
sky check-in on custom cocktails tea, coffee and malts

level 79, offering Strengths Guests can borrow bicycles free Service and dining are
of charge, and enjoy discounts at exceptional; the glass-
panoramic neighbouring stores. Sodashi products roofed swimming pool
views across are used at the three-oor spa is dreamlike
Weaknesses Service at breakfast can be Soundproong in the rooms is
Melbournes slow; mattresses in the double average and most are inward facing,
CBD and rooms are too narrow with a lack of views and privacy

beyond. Wi-Fi Free Free

Price Doubles from AED 685 Doubles from AED 775
ritzcarlton.com
Contact 16 Murphy Street; 0061-3-9868 8222, 495 Collins Street; 0061-3-8627 1400,
thelyall.com melbourne.intercontinental.com

66 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017


Australias artsy hub
BUSINESS
SOFITEL MELBOURNE
ON COLLINS
At the Paris End of Collins Street,
lined with luxury stores, boutiques,
restaurants, galleries and gardens
Perched atop a tall tower in Collins
Square, the hotels interior is replete in
American oak, mirrors, hand-made Italian
chandeliers and French element lamps
Well-attired business people,e,
couples and ladies of leisure
enjoying afternoon tea
The 363 rooms are all
above the 36th oor,
with excellent views of
the Royal Botanic Garden
and Port Phillip Bay
Enjoy innovative cuisine with a view
at No 35, on the 35th oor. Stop
WORDS: VINCENT WANG; PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES, ALAMY
for cocktails at the Atrium Bar and
afternoon tea at Sos Lounge
Ideal location and scenic views; good
meeting and events facilities. The
architectural space designed by I.M. Pei
is magnicent
No swimming pool. Wi-Fi is not included
and is pricey
AED 105 for 24 hours
Doubles from AED 925
25 Collins Street; 0061-3-9653 0000,
sotel.com
SUMPTUOUS
CROWN TOWERS
MELBOURNE
Situated on the south bank of the Yarra
River, surrounded by dense greenery.
Markets, Melbournes art district and the
National Gallery of Victoria are nearby
The theatre-like entrance
is lined with black marble,
birdcage-style chandeliers
and a lobby done up with
lemon-yellow carpets
Celebrities
Cele like Roger
Federer and
Fe
Novak Djokovic
N
Rooms look out toward
t
the city skyline and the bay.
Villa-style suites take inspiration
V Signature bedding, a
from
fro private residences and
come with butlers
There are 14 food and drink options.
Nobu serves cutting-edge Japanese
cuisine, Silks specialises in Chinese food
and the steak at Rockpool and the
porchetta at Rosetta are unmissable
Impeccable service at the Crystal Club;
a fully equipped spa centre; helicopter
tours are provided
Room service is quite pricey. The free
internet can only be used on two devices
Free
Doubles from AED 1,065
8 Whiteman Street; 0061-3-9292 8888,
crownhotels.com.au
ROOM SERVICE
CREATIVE
ART SERIES -
THE LARWILL STUDIO
In the suburb of Parkville, a hop
away from the CBD, the zoo,
Queen Victoria Market and
Melbourne University
A modern glass wing with industrial,
playful interiors inspired by Australian
artist David Larwill
The trendy young clientele includes
designers, architects and other creatives
Each room is kitted out in
artworks, Art Series
quote-inspired pillow
and EVO bath amenities
Smith+Singleton
features an international
menu that draws on
inuences from Europe,
Asia and the Middle East
Eco-friendly Smart Cars and Lekker
bikes rental. Staff are friendly
and helpful
No free bottled water
Free
Doubles from AED 530
48 Flemington Road; 0061-3-9032 9111,
artserieshotels.com.au/larwill
FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 67

WALK
THIS WAY
Check in to the stylish new La Ville Hotel & Suites
in Dubais urban living destination, CITY WALK
T
he sense of space and
tranquillity at La Ville Hotel
& Suites belies its enviable
location in the heart of
one of Dubais coolest hoods, with Burj
Khalifa views and all the retail, dining
and entertainment facilities of Dubais
CITY WALK on its doorstep. The rst
hotel to open in this area, its the second
property to be added to Marriots
portfolio of independent Autograph
Collection hotels in Dubai.
The 88 light and spacious guest
rooms and suites epitomise city
chic crisp linens in neutral tones,
contemporary monochrome wall art
and Illy coffee machines are standard.
Many enjoy uninterrupted views of the
Burj Khalifa; in some, the view can be
TRAVELLER PROMOTION
taken in from the large freestanding bath
in the marble bathroom. The 180sqm
Penthouse Suite, with a private dining
area, features a terrace and oor-to-
ceiling windows to maximise its city
skyline and coastal views.
A strong focus on food makes
the hotels restaurants and bars a
destination for dining. The outlets,
headed by chef Pedro Joaqun Arceyut
Araya, are based around a leafy central
courtyard, accessible from CITY WALK
and ideal for al fresco dining. The
24-hour Lobby Caf features soothing
natural-hued dcor and, at one end,
three enormous bookcases swing open
to reveal a hidden caf. Bright and
airy Chival offers all-day dining, with a
seamless blend between outdoor and
For more information call 00971-4-403 3111 or visit livelaville.com
PHOTOS: AASIYA JAGADEESH
indoor spaces and a focus on healthy
and thoughtfully sourced produce, some
of which is grown in the restaurant.
Gastro-grill Graze features prime cuts
and seafood, cooked to guests liking
in a Josper oven and enjoyed on its
large outdoor terrace.
At sociable Grapeskin, the stand-
alone two-level grape bar and kitchen
with industrial dcor and a dedicated
entrance, guests can share platters,
order hops from the whatever tap and
choose grape by the glass to suit their
mood, assisted by the knowledgeable
sommelier. Or relax on the rooftop by
the innity pool at LookUp bar, with From top: The hotels central
creative cocktails, live DJ acts and courtyard, perfect for al fresco
dining; a contemporary and chic
panoramic views of the Burj Khalifa, guest room; beetroot salad at
Dubai skyline and Arabian Sea. Chival. Opposite: The Lobby Caf
OPINION
The debate
Would you take a cruise?
YES
AHMED M. SOLIMAN
Managing director, TCApr
Having travelled on the worlds biggest cruise liner, I can say
it was not just enormous in size but in pleasure, variety and
convenience as well. If waking up in a new port every day isnt
enough for the intrepid explorer, theres the added bonus of
getting to bypass the tedious tasks of unpacking, repacking
and toting luggage around that multi-destination travel usually
entails. Once youre on land, there are often special excursions
that take you into the core of the city or help you make the
most of the culture on offer. And for those who believe that
travel is all about the journey, cruising could hardly be more
ideal. Cruise ships are more than just a vessel with cabins to
lay your head; theyre veritable oating cities, with everything
from Broadway shows and Duty Free shopping to activities for
thrill seekers and ne-dining restaurants by well-known chefs.
And for travelling families, they can be the solution to keeping
a multi-generational group happy, from your tots to Grandma.
Various kids clubs cater to different ages, giving the adults
much-appreciated time to spend together, whether thats at
a romantic dinner, the spa or simply lounging poolside.
70 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
NO
MICHELLE KUEHN
Managing partner & co-founder, The Media Network
As an avid traveller Im always up for trying new things, so
when someone suggested a cruise as an easy way to get around
the Caribbean, it seemed worth a shot. What I discovered is that
you only get a glimpse of each stop, after being crammed into
little boats and met by overpriced tour guides at the port and
hounded to buy stuff or you book a pre-arranged excursion
with the cruise line, which costs 10 times the actual price. On
average, we had no more than six hours at each stop, which
limits your ability to do much as youre too worried about
missing boarding time and being left stranded while your
luggage sails on without you. Most of our time on board was
spent queuing at the buffet, which lacked variety and freshness,
ILLUSTRATION: LOU FAY
attending subpar shows, failing to nd an available sunbed on
the deck or playing bingo with the over-60s crowd which,
when I won, was the highlight of my trip. I already nd the
concept of being trapped in a plane surrounded by strangers
and served pre-packaged meals an odd human experiment, but
put even more people on a giant, rocking ship in the middle of
the ocean and its enough to send me overboard.
 Taiwan will fill your stomach
and your heart... Shaved ice with
mangoes, divine dimsums and
delicious soups

Luxuriant
Natural
Undiscovered
Taiwan!

Taiwan is an astounding country of beauty, culture, beaches, coastal scenery, historic shrines where you can
explore buzzing urban city life, shop till you drop, eat amazing food or relax in natural hot springs
 #$#
%

EASTBOUND TOURISM LLC

Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Representative Office in UAE:
Near Burj Khalifa, P.O. Box 114551, Dubai, UAE
Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Singapore Office:

   
 !""

s.zaidi@ttbrep.ae www.taiwan.net.tw
TRAVEL
IN STYLE
STYLE GUIDE HOW TO PACK JANUARY JONES

PHOTOS: THEAPARTMENT.DK

Chez Marie-Sixtine in Paris

Opposite: Copenhagens
The Apartment boutique
will soon add a at
 APARTMENT SHOPS
Not everything here is quite as it seems. The apartment pictured on the left is really
part of a shop, but you can sleep in it overnight and buy everything on show. Elsewhere
in the world, shops are being unveiled that look exactly like apartments but no one
can actually stay in. Sounds confusing? We untangle the new fangled

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 73

 The apartments
WHO THINK THEYRE SHOPS
Anyone whos ever had a shop closed for
private peeking will know the thrill of
out-of-hours browsing. It was traditionally
the privilege of mega-bucks stores and
their customers, but now a new breed of
independent shop-turned-innkeeper is
putting a fresh spin on the idea of a lifestyle
brand, enhancing smart design boutiques
with matching accommodation. At Chez
Marie-Sixtine (doubles from AED 1,630;
marie-sixtine.com), a pretty pale-grey-and-
pastel Parisian bolthole styled by the
eponymous French womenswear label, there
are textured chunky rugs and throws over the
bed as well as pop-up knitting workshops and
yoga sessions. In Amsterdam, fashion stylist
Ulrika Lundgren has topped her gallery/ Clockwise from top
interiors store in a canal-side townhouse with left: The kitchen area at
a two-bedroom guesthouse, Maison Rika Venice Beachs Shelter
(doubles from AED 1,180; 0031-6-4610 9036, Half; design store Caro
in Somerset; French-
rikastudios.com) designed using her trademark designed furniture
black-and-cream colour scheme. Theres a for sale at The Red
similar vibe at The Apartment (0045-31- Apartment in Paris
62 0402, theapartment.dk) in Copenhagen,
where the by-appointment shop will soon be
accompanied by a 180sqm at, multi-tasking
as an additional showspace for the Danish
furnishings and contemporary artwork. In
Somerset, Natalie Jones recently opened
Caro (doubles from AED 540; 0044-1749-81
3931, carosomerset.com), a design store and
B&B in an 18th-century cottage, where
enticing concrete planters, neon matchboxes
and notebooks set the tone for a lovely, lo-
guest bedroom channelling Jones Scandi-
meets-English-country aesthetic. Over in
America, craft lover Erin Austen Abbott
has kitted out an apartment (from AED
750; airbnb.com/rooms/10537024) with the

74 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

 SHOPPING

Clockwise from handicrafts and decorative art she sells from

left: Quirky dcor at Amelia (001-901-355 0311, ameliapresents.com)
Amsterdams Maison
Rika; The Apartments in Oxford, Mississippi, and in Venice Beach,
Danish furnishings; California, the earthy, sustainable style of
textured art at Chez Shelter Half (from AED 8,200 for two nights
Marie-Sixtine in Paris
minimum stay; shelterhalf.com), a marketplace
for artisans, has been reinvented as a wood-
clad rental. It sleeps four and comes with
hammocks, vintage surfboards and Abbot
Kinney views. - EMILY MATHIESON

The shops
WHO THINK THEYRE APARTMENTS
On the ip side of this trend are a clutch
of stylishly done-out places that are
actually carefully curated concept stores,
with crockery collections on the kitchen
A NEW BREED shelves and clothes (tags on, of course)
hanging in the wardrobe. Originally an
OF SHOP-TURNED- online-only lifestyle boutique, The Line
INKEEPER IS translated its tightly edited aesthetic into
ENHANCING The Apartment by The Line (bucket bags
SMART BOUTIQUES from AED 3,490; 001-917-460 7196, theline.
WITH MATCHING com), rst as a one-bedder on New Yorks
Greene Street, followed by a light-lled
ACCOMMODATION home on Los Angeles Melrose Place.
These one-stop showroom-stores are laid
out like the home of The Lines imagined
best customer: a bucket bag from PB 0110
hanging by the door, linen sheets by its
own brand Tenfold on the bed, artworks
from the Feldschuh Gallery on walls, even
Couto toothpaste by the sink all for sale.
In downtown Toronto, The Apt by 800
Sq Ft (Turkish cotton towels from AED 185;
001-647-951 8110, 800sqft.com) works a
similar concept, changing its dcor and
stock seasonally. Texas has Friends &
Neighbors (beauty products from AED 52;
friendsaustin.com), a shoppable bungalow
in hipster East Austin. In the bathroom,
there are natural beauty products from
Wildcare and Fat and the Moon, with pop-
ups from indie designers in the bedrooms
and a kitchen that serves as a caf. The
Those cold-press-juice-bar-xie-bike-shop-thrift-store-vinyl-factory Red Apartment (sofas from AED 6,780;
hybrids are neat, but isnt it refreshing when dudes just do one thing? 0033-1-43-37 0287, rededition.com) in the
Marais is home to the Parisian furniture
Adam Smith fretted about the division of labour in 1776. Things have got steadily worse studio Red Editions own Mid-Century-
ever since, as jobs have been broken down into more specialised tasks performed by more inspired sofas and tables, as well as vintage
specialised workers. This is not without its upside. Just ask Katy Perrys music-video dress ea-market nds and other design pieces
adjuster, or the expert on chocolate-avoured craft hops, or any one of Queen Elizabeths all to browse over fresh coffee. At Samuji
crack squad of corgi wranglers. As consumers, too, we benet from specialisation in all sorts House (vases from AED 1,210; 00358-50-
of ways. There is something magical about Luvaria Ulisses (gloves from AED 240; 00351-21- 308 2868, samuji.com) in Helsinki, the
342 0295, luvariaulisses.com), for example, a boutique in Lisbon that sells nothing but gloves. Finnish fashion label displays womenswear
Gammarelli (socks from AED 80; 0039-06-6880 1314, gammarelli.com), near the Vatican, alongside its new Koti homewares range,
must hold a similar appeal it has supplied knee-high red socks to successive popes since which includes blown-glass vases and
His Holiness only knows when. Next stop: Tadafusa (knives from AED 265; 0081-256-32 2184, wooden cutting boards, from a two-storey
tadafusa.com) in Sanjo, Japan, for the perfect knife for preparing sushi. - STEVE KING apartment in a courtyard building in the
heart of the city. - FIONA KERR

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 75

 1

KEEP
3

IT
BRIEF Sleek leather business cases
guard your documents
when youre on the go

1 Luca business bag, AED 2,950, Aigner 2 EMio Venezia scritto leather briefcase, AED 12,800, Berluti 3 Meisterstck Selection Sfumato document case, AED 6,800,
Montblanc 4 Belgrave document holder in oxblood, AED 4,770, Mulberry 5 Document holder, AED 2,130, Longchamp 6 Sawyer brief, AED 4,000, Tumi

76 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

STYLE: CHLOE BOSHER; PHOTO: EFRAIM EVIDOR

5
4

6
LUGGAGE
 Beauty
and...
With delicate diamond-
studded creations on your wrist,
every second is a pleasure

STYLE: ANDRS ACOSTA; PHOTO: MARCELA CABAL; PROP STYLIST: OLGA MORENO; ALL PRICES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
4

1 Chronographe
Flyback Grande Date
with a rose gold
case encircled by
5 diamonds, Blancpain
2 Cl de Cartier
watch in white gold
with diamonds and
an alligator-skin
strap, Cartier
3 Diamond Ribbon,
Patek Philippe
4 Datejust 36 in steel
and white gold with
a diamond bezel
and mother of pearl
and diamond dial,
Rolex 5 Historiador
Lady in diamonds
and mother of pearl,
Cuervo y Sobrinos

78 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

 WATCHES

...the
Beast
Timepieces that are strong and
sturdy yet classic and elegant

1 Classic Fusion
Black Magic 44mm
watch, Hublot
5 2 Carrera Calibre
Heuer 01 Automatic
Chronograph
45mm, Tag Heuer
3 Pelagos 42mm
watch with a titanium
case and strap,
Tudor 4 Diagono
Magnesium, Bulgari
5 Seamaster Ploprof
1200m Co-Axial
Master Chronometer,
Omega

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 79

 TRAVELLER PROMOTION
TAKE
A BREAK
Experience world-class meeting facilities then relax
in style at the iconic St. Regis Doha
I
n the heart of Dohas West Bay,
part of the Al Gassar Resort and
From top: The adjacent to the Pearl Island,
property is home to
an Olympic-size pool; lies the elegant St. Regis Doha,
extensive conference ideally located for access to the citys
and meeting facilities;
rooms come with diplomatic area, business district
Arabian Gulf views and commercial zone.
Middle Eastern-inspired archways
and other design features celebrate
Qatari heritage and provide a true sense
of place, while the signature features of
the hotel group are evident throughout,
including the St. Regis Butler Service.
The 336 elegant guest rooms and
suites, including two 600sqm Presidential
READER OFFER Suites, overlook the Arabian Gulf and
blend timeless style with regional
Guests booking two events at the St. Regis Doha
by April 30, to be held before July 31, will receive inuences. Each provides a well-
100 Starpoints for every $1,000 (QAR 3,640) appointed space and amenities to help
spent, a ve per cent discount on function you work and unwind. The property has
spend, one complimentary menu upgrade and 12 award-winning dining venues including
a seafood night for two at Vine. Gordon Ramsay Mediterranean and Opal
For more information, email events.doha@stregis.com, call 00974-4-446 0366 or visit stregisdoha.com
by Gordon Ramsay as well as New York
steakhouse Astor Grill and the newly
opened Raw Bar.
Those looking to host a meeting,
exhibition, conference or social gathering
are well-catered for with over 6,000sqm
of event space, including the largest
ballroom with natural daylight in Doha
and a terrace with views over the Arabian
Gulf. Conveniently connected to the Al
Gassar Centre, the property has two
large ballrooms and 20 breakout rooms
enabling meetings of any size and
accommodating up to 1,800 people.
Post-work, the hotels 16,000sqm
of leisure and recreation facilities offer
total relaxation and rejuvenation and
include Remde Spa, with 22 treatment
rooms and spa facilities, an Olympic-size
swimming pool, a modern tness centre
and a private beach with nine cabanas
equipped with Jacuzzis.
 HOW TO PACK

ALL THAT JAZZ

Designer and founder of eponymous Dubai-based fashion label DIMA AYAD
on stylish essentials for a trip to Chicago

W
hen the
designers
childhood friend
relocated to
the Windy City, it was only
a matter of time before she
booked a trip. The plan is
to pack light and indulge in
retail therapy given Chicagos
shopping credentials, from the
Magnicent Mile to emerging
labels in neighbourhood HOT TIP
When packing,
boutiques. Ayads sightseeing walk through your usual
uniform includes a timeless routine, picking up the
white shirt with jeans and essentials as you go, from
socks to toiletries, to
trainers, accessorised with avoid forgetting
chunky earrings and a spritz anything.
of perfume. After a quick 3
WORDS: PAMELA WILKES; STYLE: CHLOE BOSHER; PHOTO: EFRAIM EVIDOR

breakfast of churros and

chocolate at Xoco, she looks 4
forward to checking out Anish
Kapoors liquid-mercury-
inspired installation Cloud
Gate and iconic works by 5

Seurat, Hopper and the citys

own Frank Lloyd Wright at
the Art Institute of Chicago. 6
Lunch is a legendary pan pizza 7
at Peqouds Pizza, before
heading further aeld to the
lakeside Adler Planetarium. As
the sun sets, Ayads fringed
jacket and a sequinned 8

bag set the tone for a dose

of Chicagos jazz scene at
The Green Mill, the oldest
continuously run jazz club in
America, followed by dinner at
three-Michelin-starred Alinea.
1 Boat-neck cotton zip shirt, AED 2,150, Isa Arfen at bysymphony.com 2 Fringed jacket, AED 2,200, Dima Ayad at
Harvey Nichols 3 Signature Court Classic sneakers, AED 1,900, Saint Laurent 4 Long beaded earrings, AED 320,
Jessie Western at boutique1.com 5 Bose QuietComfort headphones, AED 1,450 6 Sequin drawstring bag, AED 4,900,
Prada 7 Rockabilly cropped jeans, AED 2,160, Balenciaga at bysymphony.com 8 Chanel No. 5 LEau, AED 686

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 81

 TRAVELLER PROMOTION

EXECUTIVE
ESCAPE
Work hard and play hard at
The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain, ideal for bleisure

L
ocated on the countrys
north coast, the Ritz-Carlton,
Bahrain is 11km from the airport
and just across the road from
the Bahrain International Exhibition
Center making it the perfect base for a
business trip but with all the facilities
to combine the trip with some leisure
time. The propertys 600m secluded
white sandy beach is ideal for relaxing
after a busy day of meetings, while its
lush gardens make it the perfect venue
for social occasions. The 245 rooms
and suites offer exclusive services and
amenities, from spacious work areas to
sumptuous bathrooms.
One of the premier business hotels
in Bahrain, the property has some of
the nest conference facilities in the
region. Fully equipped with the latest
technology, the propertys 3,500sqm of
conference space includes a beautiful
940sqm ballroom and a 1,428sqm
Grand Foyer, with sound-proofed walls
and comfortable conference seating.
The state-of-the-art facilities are
complemented by a team of certied
conference services professionals.
Work out any stresses at the
extensive tness centre, indoor and
outdoor pools, indoor squash court or one
of four tennis courts, or revive at the spa
with a hammam treatment or dip in the
Thalassotherapy pool .
When hunger strikes there is a
smorgasbord of restaurants and lounges
to choose from including La Med for a
lavish buffet or The Ritz Gourmet Lounge, From top: The sprawling
specialising in old-world classics. property is set on a lagoon;
a comfortable meeting room;
With impeccable service and a variety the lavish spa
of activities, the hotel is made for those
wanting to mix business and leisure.

For more information, call 00973-1758 0000 or visit ritzcarlton.com

 TR AVEL ESSENTIAL

CNT
CLASSIC

Magichien silk twill

tie in ocean blue,
grey and azure,
AED 780, Herms

WHY
SO SERIOUS?
Ties that walk the line between
work and play

T
here was a time when
business travel meant
working through the hours
in the air then spending on-
ground time within four walls, with
conference catering representing
the local food scene. These days,
those travelling for work have
become smarter about how they
manage their schedule. Enter the
rise of bleisure an ugly word
but a wonderful concept that
WORDS: RHEA SARAN; STYLE: CHLOE BOSHER; PHOTO: EFRAIM EVIDOR

involves adding days of me-time

to business travel, making the
most of the destination beyond
the boardroom. Capture the spirit
of the trend with one of Herms
playful printed ties, which act as
a harbinger of fun times to come.
This magichien print is a witty
riff on the French word for dog
and features two canines nose-to-
nose, one a balloon dog recalling
magicians tricks at parties. Its the
perfect bridge between business
and leisure wear.

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 83

 TRAVELLER PROMOTION

SPANISH
STAY
Whether travelling for business or leisure,
experience a dose of Mediterranean charm
at Meli Hotels International in Dubai and Doha

E
njoy Meli Hotels
Internationals signature
Mediterranean hospitality
in the Middle East at Meli
Dubai and Meli Doha: contemporary
urban oases in the heart of these key
business destinations.
Located in the cultural heart of the
city, Meli Dubai is only 10km from the
airport, close to the World Trade Centre
and with easy access to Downtown
Dubai. Yet its proximity to the Gold and
Spice Souks and Dubai Creek gives
guests a true sense of place. The elegant
colour palette, with rich dark wooden
accents and warm lighting, lends an air
of understated urban glamour to the 164
well-appointed rooms and suites, which
feature cosy seating and work areas and
spacious, modern bathrooms. Meeting
spaces include two fully equipped
ballrooms and a spacious ballroom,
which seats 80 guests. With state-of-
the-art technology, excellent acoustics
and ergonomically engineered seating,
business becomes a pleasure. After a
day of meetings, relax with a treatment
at the award-winning Yhi spa, featuring
the largest indoor Jacuzzi in town, then
refuel with award-winning contemporary
Indian cuisine at Signature by Sanjeev
Kapoor, international avours at all-day
dining restaurant Azalya or stop in at Clockwise from top
Alfonso X, the sushi and sashimi bar. left: The bright lobby at
Meli Doha; the hotels
Come nightfall, groove to the beats of Signature by Sanjeev
the resident DJ or enjoy your drinks and Kapoor restaurant; Meli
Dubais rooftop lounge
shisha with amazing night time views of Estrellas; an elegant guest
the Dubai skyline from rooftop Estrellas. room at the property
The stylish Meli Doha is similarly
well-located. Situated in the citys West
Bay, its close to nancial, shopping
and diplomatic areas, with easy
access to the cultural attractions and
entertainment on offer in the vibrant
Qatari capital, including the Museum of
Islamic Art and Souq Waqif. The elevated
position of the propertys 317 spacious,
well-lit rooms and suites ensures Kapoor and Turkish cuisine at the
memorable views of the Doha skyline new Nisantasi Baskose. The property
and all rooms feature contemporary offers all of the comfort, connectivity,
Spanish design and modern amenities. catering and technology that you
Dining options include hot drinks and need in its three function rooms with
light bites at coffee shop Riqqa, Indian space for up to 60 guests and a
fusion food at Signature by Sanjeev ballroom for up to 300 guests.

For more information, call Meli Dubai on 00971-4-386 8111, Meli Doha on 00974-4-019 9999 or visit meli.com
 BEAUTY

FOR HAIR
The brutal combination of
UV rays, humidity and air
conditioning can cause havoc
where your locks are concerned,
leaving you with matted, straw-
like strands that are more
Halloween than haute. Enter
the antidote to truly parched
tresses: the natural Rahua Elixir.
A daily dose of this superhero
oil massaged into the scalp and
slicked through your lengths
is akin to a spa day for your
strands. The concoction of Rahua
Ungurahua and Palo Santo
oils, sourced from the Amazon
jungle, work overtime to give
your crowning glory back its
mirror-like shine and swish. For
foolproof protection on long,
sun-soaked days, treat your
tresses and then twist them up
into a turban.
Rahua Elixir Daily Hair Drops,
AED 385
WORDS: ELIZABETH WHISTON-DEW; PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
FOR LIPS
Protect your lips from the
shrivelled-prune pout syndrome
that dry weather causes with
a daily serving of the Dior
Addict Lip Sugar Scrub. Buffed
over your mouth using a brisk
circular motion, the micro sugar
exfoliants slough away the dead
skin cells that can leave your
lips looking like lizard skin. The
grains melt away like magic,
leaving behind a plumped-up
and gleaming pout. Keep this
miracle worker close at hand to
banish weather-worn chapped
lips for good and ensure your
smile remains your best asset.
Dior Addict Lip Sugar Scrub,
AED 120
IF YOU ONLY
PACK 4 THINGS...
for the desert
FOR SKIN
The ultimate survival kit for Whether youre off exploring the
extreme climates dunes on camelback or doing a
spot of poolside posing, a slick
of superpower SPF is the most
important secret weapon in
your anti-ageing arsenal. French

pharmacy favourite Institut

Esthederm offers the highest
protection from UVA and UVB
rays for even the most sensitive
skin. Harnessing the power of
their Global Cellular Protection
technology, this clever formula
FOR FACE safeguards against photo-ageing
For those who prefer barefaced chic, the Guerlain Terracotta Joli Teint ought to take and dark spots, not to mention
pride of place in your beauty travel kit. This skincare plus foundation hybrid make- it smells good enough to eat. A
up is designed to perk up a dull complexion in a matter of seconds while masking healthy helping applied to your
any imperfections in its wake. Smooth on the sweet-scented formula for airbrushed visage before sun exposure will
features bathed in an envy-inducing glow. This tinted skin treat not only conceals ensure you keep damaged and
in one sweep the redness, hyperpigmentation and unsightly blemishes that a harsh dehydrated skin at bay.
setting can exacerbate, it also protects the skin from sun damage with the addition Institut Esthederm Adaptasun
of an SPF 20. A brilliant one-stop beauty product with the desert rose in mind. Sensitive Skin Face Cream Strong
Guerlain Terracotta Joli Teint SPF 20, AED 200 Sun, AED 180 at cultbeauty.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 85

 TRAVELLER PROMOTION
EXOTIC
ESCAPE
On an island rich in history and natural
beauty, Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa
is a tropical sanctuary
L
ocated along a 2.5km stretch
of powder-soft white sand
beach on secluded Silhouette
Island a 20-minute helicopter
ride from Mah Hilton Seychelles Labriz
Resort & Spa combines ve-star service
and amenities with the indigenous spirit
of the Seychelles. The granitic island is
home to just one settlement and over 92
per cent of the island has been designated
a protected area, making it the ideal
private retreat. Designed in colonial style,
the spacious, contemporary and private
villas feature outdoor showers and wooden
verandas with panoramic Indian Ocean
and mountain views. The Deluxe Villas, set
on the hillside, beach or in the gardens, and
the secluded Silhouette Estate guarantee
relaxation and splendour, with private pools
and thatched outdoor dining rooms.
From top: A Deluxe
Hillside Pool Villa; a The award-winning Eforea Spa at Labriz
Deluxe Beachfront is designed to bring guests closer to nature,
Pool Villa;
the secluded
with its organic treatments and techniques
Silhouette Estate from around the world like the champagne
For more information, call 00248-4-293 949 or visit hiltonseychelleslabriz.com
massage and the coco pearl hydrating
facial. The spacious couples therapy suites
offer unrivalled views of the slopes of Mount
Dauban or the ocean, allowing guests to
relax and destress amid nature.
Adventurers can explore Silhouette
Island in search of remnants of its famous
inhabitants, including the Dauban family,
who purchased the entire island in 1867
or enjoy a guided mountain walk through
the jungle with the resident naturalist.
The 19th-century Grann Kaz plantation
house currently serves as a museum
and authentic Creole restaurant, where
you can sample the exotic avours of
Seychelles. Other gastronomic experiences
include Italian Portobello Restaurant, with
an expansive grape cellar, and beachside
Sakura serving sushi and East Asian
cuisine with a modern edge.
With exquisite accommodation,
vibrant culture and exceptional service,
Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa
is a slice of paradise.
 TASTEMAKER

MAD
ABOUT
BEAUTY
Mad Men and X-Men actress
JANUARY JONES on her in-ight
skincare regime and how she stays in shape

Do you do anything extra to get in shape before a trip?

When I take time off its spontaneous, so I never have
enough of a heads-up to get myself looking especially hot.

Wheres the best place youve travelled to for work?

Ive shot a few movies in London, including Love
Actually and X-Men, and always nd the pub atmosphere
so fun. My mums family are English, so I feel at
On a long-haul ight I leave
home there. Last time I stayed at the Covent on the cream mask for the
Garden Hotel, which is charming. whole journey it often ends
What make-up is in your hand luggage?
up on my travel pillow
Chanel mascara is the best: it doesnt leave clumps.
Cl de Peau Beaut makes a great concealer. I also keep
a Charlotte Tilbury pressed powder in my purse and
I like the By Terry tinted lip balm.

Whats your routine on a long-haul ight?

I leave on the Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask for
the whole journey, although it often ends up on my
travel pillow. Elizabeth Ardens Eight Hour Cream
is also unbeatable. getting sick. And I do love those spicy juices with ginger
INTERVIEW: TABITHA JOYCE; PHOTO: FOX VIA GETTY IMAGES

and cayenne. I think theyre good for your digestion.

Are you a spa junkie?
I adore massages; I try to get one every two weeks for
two hours. I go to a place in LA, but its a womans ofce
its not like a spa spa. I recently went to the Montage
Beverly Hills. Its beautiful.
Other than that, Im not really strict about my diet.
How do you protect your hair on a ight?
Krastase Nutritive Masquintense is an amazing
treatment after a ight when hair has dried out.

How do you stay t? What fragrance do you pack?

I hike a lot as I live in the mountains. I actually like to be
a little round a tiny bit fat. Although I just discovered
cardio barre: its good for toning.
Do you watch what you eat?
I like food a lot but I dont have a huge sweet tooth, which
probably helps me stay in shape. Im careful in the sense
that I take lots of vitamins and eat loads of vegetables,
but thats because I have a four-year-old so Im constantly Mask, AED 580
I dont wear perfume a lot unless Im going out. If I do,
its either Chanels Sycomore or Comme des Garons.
Do you like to sunbathe?
From top: Living in LA I have to be careful because its so sunny. I
Krastase Nutritive enjoy going to the beach, but Im very fair so I use a Sisley
Masquintense, sunscreen that I order from Europe its SPF 50+.
AED 225; Sisley
Black Rose Cream
January Jones is the face of Krastase Nutritive.

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 87

G
O
THE

PHOTO: PANKAJ ANAND; MODEL: NATALIA AT MMG MODELS; MAKE-UP: SHARON DRUGAN; HAIR: ANGEL MONTAGUE SAYERS; VIDEOGRAPHER: DOVYDAS VILIMAS
LD There are good hotels
and there are great hotels.
And then there are the
hotels around the world
that we cant help going
back to time and time
again. With the help of our
LIST

2017
global network of experts
and intrepid travellers,
weve highlighted some of
the properties we
always recommend

88 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

 Taking a dip in the
innity pool on the
Burj Al Arab Terrace

Bikini top, bikini

bottoms; both
by Versace
 Our
favourite
hotels in
ve of the
worlds
greatest
g
cities

LONDON
The Beaumont Mayfair
Its got so much heart and
soul and its only been open
since 2014. The interiors are
just masculine enough, and the
marble and chrome bathrooms
are super elegant. If youre
jetlagged, go straight to the
Colony Grill Room and order
the full English breakfast.
MATT HRANEK

thebeaumont.com

Claridges Mayfair
There are few things more
satisfying than getting a tray of
warm scones delivered to your
room here. ANDREA WHITTLE
claridges.co.uk

The Connaught Mayfair

All-out Mayfair charm. The
high tea is the best in town.
And dont miss the Champagne
Room, with its 40 rare vintages
served in bespoke Baccarat
glasses. VICTOR DE VITA
the-connaught.co.uk
Rosewood London Holborn
It was hard for me not to fall
for this place especially when
I saw the tiny foie gras terrine
kind of the point. LAUREN DECARLO
dorchestercollection.com
Sunset Tower Hotel West Hollywood
Once youre there, theres
really no need to go elsewhere.
The staff are amazing, the
rooms are super comfortable and
Bemelmans Bar anyway. That
alone is reason to stay. That
and the monogrammed
pillowcases. L.D.
rosewoodhotels.com
Crosby Street Hotel SoHo
Kit Kemps punchy interiors,
PARIS
Four Seasons Hotel George V
8th arrondissement
Jeff Leathams kaleidoscopic
oral installations ll the hotel
year round. Ive never seen the
same arrangement twice.
CYNTHIA ROSENFELD

with toast points that appeared
next to my Etro-blanketed bed
at turndown. ANDREW SESSA
rosewoodhotels.com
The Savoy Northbank
Walking past the Rolls-Royces
at the entrance always feels so
grand. Drinks at the American
Bar is a must, even if youre not
spending the night. ERIN FLORIO
fairmont.com/savoy-london
LOS ANGELES
Hotel Bel-Air
The bungalows are engulfed in
the most peaceful gardens. Its
a bit out of the way, but thats
it brilliantly captures that Old
Hollywood vibe. YOLANDA EDWARDS
sunsettowerhotel.com
NEW YORK
Baccarat Hotel New York Midtown
Its a great combo of traditional
European craftsmanship and
New York glamour. It also has
the only La Mer spa in the
country and a bubbly button
on the room phone. M.H.
baccarathotels.com
The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel
Upper East Side
If youre in town on vacation,
youre likely to end up at
secret garden and comfy lounge
have turned this little downtown
gem into a cult favourite among
the fashion set. E.F.
rmdalehotels.com
Four Seasons Hotel New York
Midtown
I.M. Peis 1993 design (all
clean lines and cool French
limestone) has never felt
dated. An AED 440 million
renovation in 2016 wisely
didnt mess with that and
the Manhattan skyline and
Central Park views are still
insane. PETER JON LINDBERG
fourseasons.com/newyork
fourseasons.com/paris
Htel Plaza Athne
8th arrondissement
They have the most attentive
staff, and youll wake up to
breakfast in the most beautiful
dining room not to mention a
pastry basket with over 15 types
of Viennoiserie. Y.E.
dorchestercollection.com
La Rserve Paris Hotel and Spa
8th arrondissement
The rooms are big by Parisian
standards. It did, after all,
previously belong to Pierre
Cardin. And the Jacques Garcia

90 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017


interiors are totally inspiring. M.H.
lareserve-paris.com
Le Meurice 1st arrondissement
This is as centre-of-the-city
as it gets. From here, you can
walk pretty much everywhere.
Book a room overlooking the
Tuileries, and plan on drinks in
the seriously romantic bar just
off the lobby. L.D.
dorchestercollection.com
The Peninsula Paris
16th arrondissement
The intimate and sexy Bar
Klber is exactly what you want
ILLUSTRATION: ARMANDO VEVE
in a hotel bar, and LiLi is one
of the best Chinese restaurants
Ive ever eaten at. Y.E.
paris.peninsula.com
TOKYO
Aman Tokyo Otemachi
Many rooms have Japanese
soaking tubs with views of the
Imperial Palace grounds, and
the pool is equal parts elegant
and Zen. It may be in the
middle of the city, but it feels
like youve entered a ryokan in
the middle of rural Japan. Y.E.
aman.com
Mandarin Oriental Tokyo
Nihonbashi
Not just for its smooth,
everything-works-here polish,
but for its 12 (count em, 12)
restaurants and bars, nearly
all of them worth staying in
for. Thats saying something
in this city. P.J.L.
mandarinoriental.com/tokyo
Above: Opulent interiors Park Hyatt Tokyo Shinjuku
at Baccarat Hotel
New York. Opposite,
The dcor could use an update
clockwise from top left: (unless Nineties Revival is your
Tea at Aman Tokyo; style), but for stellar service and
Hotel Bel-Airs pool; a Fuji views, nobody doesnt love
sunny terrace at The
Connaught; afternoon this Shinjuku icon. P.J.L.
tea at La Rserve Paris tokyo.park.hyatt.com
THE
GOLD LIST
2017
THE SKI
LODGES
THAT
ALWAYS
DELIVER
These properties do spa, aprs
and the high-end ski aesthetic
so damn well, you may
just bag hitting those drifty
precipices altogether
HOTEL JEROME ASPEN
The gist 93-room Auberge resort
originally built in 1889 at the height
of the silver boom.
Why we love it Huge rooms, and they
nailed the renovation think silver
barons Wild West estate in 2012.
Mountains to ski Its closest to
Aspen Mountain and a short drive
to Buttermilk, Aspen Highlands
and Snowmass.
hoteljerome.aubergeresorts.com
BADRUTTS PALACE HOTEL
ST. MORITZ
The gist A castle and luxury
benchmark that opened in 1896 and
is still owned by the Badrutt family.
Why we love it The lake view and
the emphasis on wellness (they
tuck hot water bottles into your
sheets at night).
Mountains to ski The local mountain
Corviglia. The glacier-run Diavolezza
and Piz Corvatsch are also options.
badruttspalace.com
GSTAAD PALACE SWITZERLAND
The gist An eight-storey icon with
tasselled keys and a dinner dress code.
Why we love it Its 20,000sqft spa
and pools, and the surrounding
Bernese Alps.
Mountains to ski Several independent
resorts are interconnected by lifts
meaning 219km of terrain.
palace.ch
FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 91
 THE
SAFARI
INDEX
Our special correspondent
SOPHY ROBERTS has been
on 20 safaris in 13 African
countries. Here, her picks for
the ultimate properties that
reect the pulse of Africa,
where the wild things roam
right outside your door
&Beyond Phinda Vlei Lodge
If South Africa is the sure hit
destination for the safari virgin,
then this lodge in a private game
reserve easily overlooked for the
more touristic Sabi Sands is the
one to satisfy the most nicky of
travellers. Within this glass-and-
thatch private world, you dont have
Moroccan style at to move from your king-size bed
Royal Mansour
or tub to take in the cheetahs and
rhinos crossing the vleis in front.
andbeyond.com/phinda-vlei-lodge
Even more so
An ode to than the Jardin
hotels in Majorelle, with its
iconic electric-blue
Marrakech villa and canary-
yellow planters, or
the carnivalesque
Jemaa el Fna Square, hotels here have the power to Camp Nomade
transport. Sitting in the grand marble lobby of Es Saadi Brightly painted steel trunks,
(essaadi.com), a hint of orange blossoms and cigarettes in the camel bells and scores of lanterns
air, you can almost convince yourself that its 1968 and make this sometimes mobile
Keith and Mick are about to walk by. At the Royal Mansour tented camp in Chad completely
(royalmansour.com), youll play out a modern One Thousand of its place in north-central
And One Nights fantasy in a private riad with your own Africa. The wildlife highlight
rooftop terrace and hammam. La Mamounia (mamounia.com), is Zakouma National Parks
on the other hand, is one big fabulous spectacle. Theres thriving elephant herd.
nothing subtle about it, from the doormen dressed in african-parks.org
billowing white pants, fez and red velvet cape to the
exquisite peacock feather-hued zellige tiles. For Moroccan Greystoke Mahale
minimalism white tile, neutral textiles and cream Beni One of the most beautifully
Ourain rugs stay at the Mandarin Oriental (mandarinoriental. built lodges in Africa, it was
com/marrakech) just outside the city. REBECCA MISNER redesigned by the so-called
Brunelleschi of the Bush,
Kenya-based Ben Jackson.
You come to track
habituated chimps, but
this Tanzanian lodge
This former palace is so detoxes your soul.
nomad-tanzania.com
exquisitely designed that Id
rethink my entire trip to Tangier Mwiba Lodge
Extreme luxury done with class
if it were fully booked you can feel the care of the
ERIN FLORIO ON THE HOTEL NORD-PINUS IN TANGIER American owners here. Rooms
92 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
catch the Tanzanian dawn, the
leopard coming in to drink, the
weaver bird nests that quiver like
baubles in the acacia trees.
classic-portfolio.com
Segera Retreat
Kenyas Segera works for second-
time visitors to Africa, or for a
large hit of luxury at the end of
a dusty tour. Hole up in the spa,
beside the pool, and savour
every bite of that seriously
thoughtful organic food.
segera.com
Singita Sabora Tented Camp
Made up of Twenties-style tents
on Tanzanias
Sabora Plain,
Sabora makes
you feel like
youre the
mistress in
White Mischief,
surrounded by
campaign furniture, Persian
rugs, gramophones, a hundred
candles and zebras snorting under
a star-pricked sky.
singita.com
Sirikoi
This Kenyan lodge has the
inimitable texture of long-time
owners who care (hence the high
repeat rate), with replaces
ILLUSTRATIONS: ARMANDO VEVE
adorned with family photos
of the odd HRH. Lewa Wildlife
Conservancys healthy rhino
herds graze like happy
sheep all around. Food is
a generous al fresco
feast every day, from
beef salads to Anglo-
Indian curries.
sirikoi.com

THE
WEEKENDER
Sometimes you want an
escape without the hassle
of planes, trains and
automobiles. Here, our
picks of local gems that
keep drawing us back
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah Dubai
The hotel that put Dubai on
the global hospitality map
continues to impress with its
duplex suites, on-point service
and full-size Herms bath
amenities. And if that wasnt
enough, last year saw the
opening of the Terrace with a
beach and pool club, kitted-out
cabanas and a new restaurant
an extension, stretching 100m
into the Arabian Gulf, that was
fabricated entirely in Finland
and then shipped to Dubai.
The hotel also recently added
two-Michelin-starred Nathan
Outlaw to its roster, reinventing
the menu at seafood-focused
Al Mahara.
jumeirah.com
One & Only The Palm Dubai
Guests who come to dinner
at multi-starred chef Yannick
Allenos signature dining room
STAY will be tempted to do
just that. The contemporary
French restaurant is just one
highlight of this tranquil resort
on The Palm: arabesque
design details, modern rooms,
subtle service and a Guerlain
Spa add to the charm.
oneandonlyresorts.com
Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort
by Anantara Abu Dhabi
The red sand dunes of the
RubAl Khali stretch out
seemingly into innity at
this desert resort that makes
the most of its location with
desert walks, sand sledding,
4x4 drives, yoga on the
dunes and camel trekking
expeditions. The secluded
THE
GOLD LIST
2017
Clockwise from left: Lavish
dcor at the Burj Al Arab
Jumeirah; rooms overlook
the dunes at Qasr Al Sarab;
relax on the terrace at
One&Only The Palm; tranquil
Six Senses Zighy Bay
Royal Pavilion Villas have
their own reception area
and facilities.
qasralsarab.anantara.com
Six Senses Zighy Bay Oman
Cobblestoned walls guard your
privacy in the villas of this
beachfront sanctuary nestled
on the Musandam Peninsula.
Its just the place to disconnect,
remote and beautiful, and you
never have to leave your private
pool. The Arabian Facial at
the spa uses local ingredients like
gs and honey, and multi-day
yoga programmes go beyond just
relaxation for lasting effects.
sixsenses.com
RHEA SARAN
FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 93
 PHOTO: PAOLA + MURRAY

Monuments Beach
at The Cape, a
Thompson Hotel.
Opposite: Goldeneye
is set on a lagoon

The
beaches
we return
to again
and again
The Cape, A Thompson Hotel
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
One of the sexiest grown-
ups weekend spots Ive
ever been to. R.M.
thompsonhotels.com
Cheval Blanc Randheli Maldives
An overwater villa is a
dream come true, but the
slightly more spacious on-
the-sand option here is the
ultimate fantasy beach
house. C.R.
randheli.chevalblanc.com
COMO Parrot Cay
Turks and Caicos
Just a quick nonstop ight
from New York, yet it feels
thousands of miles away.
The rst time I came here,
Keith Richards was holding
court in the tiny bar. The
next morning, Christie
Brinkley waved hello as she
jogged past my chaise longue.
The 13-year-old me would
have freaked out. P.J.L.
comohotels.com/parrotcay
The Datai Langkawi Malaysia
So much to love here, like
the jungle-meets-the-sea
THE
GOLD LIST
2017
setting and rainforest walks
with charming resident
naturalist Irshad Mubarak. P.J.L.
thedatai.com/langkawi
Eden Rock-St Barths
Its the unicorn of hotels
glamorous without feeling
snooty, stylish but still
playful, a throwback but not
at all dated and just so damn
chic. The people-watching
at that hotel is as epic as the
beach. R.M.
edenrockhotel.com
El Nido Resorts Pangulasian
Island Philippines
This barefoot-luxe resort on a
private island faces an absurdly
photogenic beach. Kayak those
clear waters to uninhabited
nearby islands. P.J.L.
elnidoresorts.com/
pangulasian-island
Laucala Island Fiji
GoldenEye Jamaica Yes, its crazy-expensive. But
Pure elegance and a stunning youll get access to an entire
location. They also added private island including Fijian
26 new beach huts just last The horses to explore it, acres of
year. P.J.L. landscape tropical orchards, a staff-to-
goldeneye.com guest ratio of six-to-one and
feels like rides on an AED 6.8 million
Hermitage Bay Antigua Scotland, but Super Falcon submarine. P.J.L.
I like how it feels very raw laucala.com
in the landscape, not too youre less
manicured or precious. The than an hour Nihiwatu Sumba Island, Indonesia
restaurant places a huge Believe the hype. It has
emphasis on local everything. from San gorgeous eco-savvy design, superb
They dont have an extensive Francisco surng and deep-sea shing, a
menu just what is fresh that remarkable philanthropic arm
YOLANDA EDWARDS
day from the farmer or the ON THE RITZ-CARLTON, in the Sumba Foundation and
HALF MOON BAY
sherman. Y.E. soul to spare. P.J.L.
hermitagebay.com nihiwatu.com

ITALIANS belmond.com/villa-san-
michele-orence
curved pool carved out of the
rock, the terraced restaurant
DO IT that hangs over the sea and
BETTER Grand Hotel Tremezzo
Como, Lombardy
the dock reached by a hundred
stone steps leading down the
A dead ringer for the Grand cliff. ONDINE COHANE
ILLUSTRATION: ARMANDO VEVE

Belmond Villa San Michele Budapest Hotel, only on Lake pellicanohotels.com

Florence, Tuscany
Pre-dinner drinks in the Italian
gardens, with the scent of lemon
and live piano music, set the mood
at this boutique spot in the hills. The
views over Florence are stunning.
Michelangelo was credited with
designing the faade. R.S.
Como. The service is great, its
kid-friendly and oh boy, that
view. I love it. ODDUR THORISSON
grandhoteltremezzo.com
Hotel Il Pellicano
Porto Ercole, Tuscany
Its all just so good: that
Le Sirenuse Positano, Salerno
In the centre of Positano, Le
Sirenuse balances centrality
with a pristine design sensibility
and honeymooners pool
eyrie. PILAR GUZMN
sirenuse.it

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 95

TO THE
MANOR
BORN
New Yorkers have the
Hamptons, Londoners have
the English countryside. Below,
our favourite estates all three
hours or less from the British
capital where we play out
our Jane Austen fantasies,
but in beds from this century

Babington House
Owned by Soho House, this 18-acre
Georgian estate in Somerset has an
18th-century Georgian church, a walled
garden and indoor and outdoor pools
that alone are worth the trip.
babingtonhouse.co.uk

Barnsley House
Its less grand than the regal manors
typical of the Cotswolds, but noted
Brit gardener Rosemary Verey
used to live here, and her perfectly
landscaped gardens remain. The
spa is top-notch, too.
barnsleyhouse.com

Gravetye Manor
This Sussex estate has charm in
spades oak-wood salons, four-
poster beds, roaring replaces
and a thousand rambling acres
of apple orchards and swan ponds.
gravetyemanor.co.uk
ILLUSTRATION: ARMANDO VEVE

Lime Wood
Hampshires New Forest is a
camping favourite for London
families. But those wanting to toast
themselves post-hike with a stiff
drink in a glass-atrium courtyard
should stay at this manor house with
interiors by designer David Collins.
limewoodhotel.co.uk
ERIN FLORIO

96 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

 THE
GOLD LIST
2017

THEYRE SORT
OF OUT OF THE
WAY BUT WORTH
THE TRIP
These hotels may require a longer drive
or a connecting ight (or two), but that
are we there yet feeling will be replaced
with Im never leaving as soon as
you walk through the door at these
otherworldly properties

Amangiri Canyon Point, Utah

Paradise on Mars. And I dream of the
perfectly chilled sage lemonade they put
in your hiking backpack. A.W.
aman.com

Babylonstoren South Africa

Just 45 minutes outside Cape Town, this
17th-century Cape Dutch farm and grape
estate has a fabulous bamboo-clad spa and
hammam, an onsite bakery and two great
restaurants sourcing almost everything from
the surrounding elds and orchards. P.J.L.
babylonstoren.com

Dromoland Castle Hotel & Country Estate

County Clare, Ireland
Its a comfortable castle if you can imagine
such a thing. Its really more of an estate, set
on one of the best golf courses in Burren,
which is not super lush but raw and beautiful.
MAEVE NICHOLSON

dromoland.ie

Explora Rapa Nui Easter Island, Chile

Do the megalithic statues, go to the summit
of Maunga Terevaka and hike through lava
tubes overlooking the Pacic, then cap it
all off with a night swim in the hotels pool
under a blanket of stars. PAUL BRADY
explora.come

Shakti Ladakh The Himalayas

The knowledgeable guides will have you
hiking, mountain biking and visiting with
local monks and oracles. DAVID PRIOR
shaktihimalaya.com

Wickaninnish Inn Tono, British

Columbia, Canada
Explore tide pools, hike the surrounding
coastal rainforest and kayak to nearby
Meares Island. Thats where I paddled
Amangiri is tucked
into a canyon with
past forests of 1,000-year-old cedar and
sweeping valley views followed a pod of grey whales. R.M.
wickinn.com

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 97


OUR
GLOBAL
HOTELS
ONE SHEET
In some destinations, theres
a dearth of great places to
stay; in others, there are so
many options that you need
a trusted recommendation
to avoid ending up
somewhere mediocre (and
still expensive). These are
the hotels we dont have
to think twice about
98 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
Amsterdam Conservatorium
Hotel (conservatoriumhotel.
com); Waldorf Astoria
(waldorfastoria3.hilton.com)
Athens Hotel Grande
Bretagne (grandebretagne.gr)
Austin Hotel Saint Cecilia
(hotelsaintcecilia.com)
Bangkok COMO
Metropolitan (comohotels.com/
metropolitanbangkok); The
Siam (thesiamhotel.com)
Barcelona Hotel Arts
(hotelartsbarcelona.com);
Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona
(mandarinoriental.com/
barcelona)
Beijing Opposite House
(theoppositehouse.com);
Rosewood Beijing (rosewood
hotels.com/beijing)
Berlin Das Stue (das-stue.
com); Hotel Adlon Kempinski
(kempinski.com/berlin/
hotel-adlon)
Boston Ames Boston Hotel
(ameshotel.com); XV Beacon
(xvbeacon.com)
Buenos Aires Alvear Palace
Hotel (alvearpalacehotel.com);
Palacio Duhau - Park Hyatt
(buenosaires.park.hyatt.com)
Cape Town Belmond Mount
Nelson Hotel (belmond.com/
mount-nelson-hotel-cape-town);
One&Only Cape Town
(oneandonlyresorts.com/one-
and-only-cape-town-south-africa)
Capri J.K. Place Capri
(jkcapri.com), Zero George
Street (zerogeorge.com);
Wentworth Mansion
(wentworthmansion.com)
Chengdu JW Marriott Hotel
Chengdu (marriott.com)
Chicago The Langham
(langhamhotels.com); The
Peninsula (chicago.peninsula.com)
Copenhagen Hotel
dAngleterre (dangleterre.com)
Galle Amangalla (aman.com)
Hanoi Sotel Legend Metropole
(sotel.com)
Hong Kong The Peninsula Hong
Kong (hongkong.peninsula.com);
Upper House (upperhouse.com)
Istanbul Four Seasons Hotel
Istanbul at Sultanahmet
(fourseasons.com/instanbul);
Soho House Istanbul
(sohohouseistanbul.com)
Kyoto Hoshinoya
(hoshinoyakyoto.jp)
Las Vegas Cosmopolitan of
Las Vegas (cosmopolitanlasvegas.
com); Wynn Las Vegas
(wynnlasvegas.com)
Lisbon Palcio Belmonte
(palaciobelmonte.com)
Mexico City Condesa DF
(condesadf.com); Las Alcobas
(lasalcobas.com)
Miami The Betsy (thebetsyhotel.
com); Faena Hotel Miami
Beach (faena.com/miami-
beach); Soho Beach House
(sohobeachhouse.com)
Milan Mandarin Oriental Milan
(mandarinoriental.com/milan)
Napa Valley Auberge du Soleil
(aubergedusoleil.aubergeresorts.
com); Calistoga Ranch
(calistogaranch.aubergeresorts.com)
Oslo The Thief (thethief.com)
Rio de Janeiro Belmond
Copacabana Palace (belmond.
com/copacabana-palace-rio-de-
janeiro); Santa Teresa Hotel
(santateresahotelrio.com)
Rome Portrait Roma
(lungarnocollection.com/portrait-
roma); Villa Spalletti Trivelli
(villaspalletti.it)
Saigon Park Hyatt Saigon
(saigon.park.hyatt.com)
Shanghai Fairmont Peace
Hotel (fairmont.com/peace-
hotel-shanghai); The
Peninsula Shanghai
(shanghai.peninsula.com)
Singapore Rafes Singapore
(rafes.com/singapore); St. Regis
Singapore (stregissingapore.com)
Stockholm Ett Hem (etthem.se);
Grand Htel (grandhotel.se)
Vancouver Shangri-La Hotel
Vancouver (shangri-la.com/
vancouver/shangrila)
Venice Aman Venice (aman.com/
resorts/aman-venice); Belmond
Hotel Cipriani (belmond.com/
hotel-cipriani-venice); Gritti
Palace (thegrittipalace.com)
Washington, D.C. The Hay-
Adams (hayadams.com); The
Jefferson (jeffersondc.com);
Park Hyatt Washington
ILLUSTRATION: ARMANDO VEVE
(washingtondc.park.hyatt.com)
Zurich Baur au Lac (bauraulac.
ch); The Dolder Grand
(thedoldergrand.com)
Left: Elegant interiors
at Ett Hem. Opposite:
Sujn Rajmahal Palaces
Colonnade restaurant
 THE
GOLD LIST
2017
WHERE
TO GET
HEALTHY-
ISH
The medi-spa trend is
exploding, and more hotels are
killing it with state-of the-art
wellness programmes. But
Nothing in this year were all about the
the world places that let you live it up
a bit outside the treatment
is more room and the gym
relaxing than
watching Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt Austria
water buffalo Like something out of The Sound Of
Music, this Tyrolean family-run lodge
graze in with 10 saunas and baths fed by
brilliant- Alpine springs is the rare spa thats
also kid-friendly. JENNIFER MILLER
green, stanglwirt.com
breeze-
COMO Shambhala Estate Ubud, Bali
rippled rice Yes, it has three pools, a private
paddies from waterfall and nine treatment rooms,
but the real treat of staying here is
your Thai- the food. Many places make good,
style daybed even excellent, low-cal all-organic
macrobiotic fare, but no one does it
PETER JON LINDBERG
ON THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT
CHIANG MAI IN THAILAND
with as much style and subtlety of
avour as this retreat. H.Y.
comohotels.com/comoshambhalaestate

Kamalaya Koh Samui, Thailand

The monastic-chic vibe of cabins
with plunge pools built into a
jungle-y hillside gives this Thai
stalwart the feel of a Buddhist
sanctuary, not a boot camp. D.P.
kamalaya.com

If choosing the right hotel can feel akin to climbing a summit, Les Sources de Caudalie
An ode then travellers to India start at a higher base camp than most:
Stay at any luxury hotel here and youre more or less guaranteed
Bordeaux France

to hotels Soak in the hot spring pool, get a

PHOTO: ROLAND BELLO; ILLUSTRATION: ARMANDO VEVE

good food and attentive service. But the most memorable hotels vinotherapy massage, then roll over for
in India offer something else their own interpretations of Indian history. a grape tasting from the spas vineyard,
Think of the coolly elegant Imperial New Delhi (theimperialindia. Chteau Smith Haut Latte. Y.E.
com), its hallways hung with Raj-era photographs, or the grand, sources-caudalie.com
marble-oored Taj Mahal Palace (tajhotels.com) in Mumbai, both of which pay homage to the countrys
colonial era; or of Jaipurs ecstatically colourful and patterned Sujn Rajmahal Palace (sujanluxury.com/
raj-mahal), a former royal guest house that nds its inspiration in the glory and excess of the Mughals.
And its not only the aesthetics that make Indian hotels singular; its how creatively, and boldly, they
incorporate the countrys most iconic landscapes and sites. One has only to stay at the Oberoi Amarvilas
(oberoihotels.com) in Agra, where every room has a view of the Taj Mahal accessible via a golf cart ride
provided by the hotel or Amanbagh (aman.com), outside Jaipur, drawn along the lines of a former
princes hunting grounds, where the air is fragrant with wood smoke from the nearby villages and loud
with the chatter of monkeys, to know this. But what unites them all is a dedication to splendour: Youre
on vacation, they remind us isnt this the time to be dazzled? HANYA YANAGIHARA

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 99

 NATUR AL
S ELECTION
WHEN THE SEYCHELLES ESCAPE OF
NORTH ISLAND OPENED OVER A DECADE
AGO, PETER BROWNE WAS THE FIRST
WRITER TO STAY. NORTH BECAME THE
PIN-UP EVERYONE RAVED ABOUT
PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE MIDDLETON
EVEN HONEYMOONED THERE. NOW IT
HAS BEEN REVAMPED AND ITS ARCH
RIVAL FRGATE HAS ALSO UPPED ITS
GAME. AND THERES A SPLASHY NEW
ARRIVAL FROM BIG-HITTER SIX SENSES,
TOO. COULD THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
ARCHIPELAGO IN THE INDIAN OCEAN
GET ANY SMARTER?
Photographed by JULIEN CAPMEIL
 The library on North
Island in an original coral-
block plantation building.
Opposite: Anse Victorin
on Frgate Island

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 101

 T HE GHOST OF A HEADLESS WOMAN
haunts a sea cave near the
ruins of an ancient pirates
fort. It is said she and her
husband lived happily on the
beautiful island until the day
her brother-in-law came to
visit. One evening, returning
from a hard days work on the plantation,
the husband found no one at home and so
went in search of his wife and brother.
He walked deep into the forest and
stopped to rest in a place overshadowed
by tall coconut palms and giant takamaka
trees. There he heard the sound of his
brothers jaunty whistle and saw his wife
emerging from the undergrowth. Blind with
fury in the certain knowledge that they had
been caught together, the husband spun his
scythe and cut off his wifes head. At that
moment a nearby magpie-robin repeated its
perfect imitation of his brothers distinctive
whistle, and took ight. From that day on,
the ghost of his wronged wife has haunted
102 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
the island, and she is still blamed for anything that might go wrong.
Apocryphal tales such as this abound in the Seychelles, frayed
remnants of stories told for centuries, dating back to a time when
French plantation owners cultivated many of these far-ung Indian
Ocean isles with slave labour from Africa and India. Here you will
nd ancient graves and ruins built with coral rock thought to be
the work of 17th-century pirates, and giant white crosses used to
indicate which of the 115 islands are inhabited while also marking
the safest spot for boats to land.
The main island of Mah just 26km long and its neighbours
in the Inner Islands are stupendously forested and encircled with
preternaturally beautiful beaches; some of those further aeld are no
more than windswept specks of coral, scattered like shotgun pellets
over vast distances, or huddled together in tiny atolls as if taking
comfort in each others company in the face of such terrible isolation.
A great number of the islands have never been sullied by human
habitation and remain splendid reminders of how things were
a million years ago, like miniature versions of the Galpagos or
Madagascar, worlds suspended in time. Some are protected nature
reserves, and the Seychelles has two UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Others are in private hands and undergoing the lengthy process of
rehabilitation, the scars and scabs formed by decades of degradation
slowly fading with the eradication of invasive plants and critters,
and their replacement with more kindly native species.
 With a total population of less than
100,000, there is plenty of elbow-room in the
Seychelles. Most of the current descendants
of French and British settlers, Chinese
merchants and African and Indian plantation
workers live on Mah. Next in size and
population is Praslin, famously home to coco
de mer palms, found only in the Seychelles.
Smaller and a little further east is La Digue,
recognisable to those with long memories as
the backdrop for Christie Brinkleys Sports
Illustrated shoots in the Seventies and Bacardi
adverts in the Nineties. Even today theres
an air of chocolate-box perfection to these
islands, although there have certainly been
some troublesome moments in paradise.
A former British crown colony albeit a
neglected and overwhelmingly French one
the Seychelles gained independence in 1976
with a coalition government formed by the
pro-British James Mancham and the socialist-
France Albert Ren. The following year
Ren staged a coup, forcing Mancham into
exile. Then in 1981, a group of mercenaries
led by Mad Mike Hoare, a British-Irish veteran of shady Congo
shenanigans, were exposed at the airport. During a shoot-out, the
men aborted their attempted coup and hijacked an Air India aircraft
to take them home. Ren, who would survive a second coup in 1986,
continued to govern the Seychelles until 2004. He stood down that
year in favour of his long-serving vice-president, James Michel, who
recently handed the reins to his deputy.
The otherworldly beauty of the Seychelles has long attracted
curious travellers and fanned its reputation for both exoticism and
elitism. Thanks to the islands remoteness 1,600km off the east
coast of Africa they have never been cheap to visit, or, for that
matter, on any cruise-ship itineraries. Unassuming guest houses and
small, locally owned hotels remained the order of the day until the
Nineties, when the government adopted a more pragmatic approach
to foreign investment. Which is when international hotel brands
started to open on the main islands.
At that time, there were just a couple of simple lodges on small
private islands owned by prominent Seychellois families the Savys
on Bird Island and the Masons on neighbouring Denis but soon the
way was clear for something altogether grander, if not in scale, then From opposite, left:
most certainly in ambition. A seating nook at Six
I rst visited the Seychelles 16 years ago, before there were any Senses; an islander on
La Digue; signs on the
big-name hotels on Mah and the earliest of the new batch of private- island; the restaurant
island lodges had just opened. Handsome Frgate Island (doubles from on Frgate Island
FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 103
SET BACK IN A FOREST
AND FRONTED BY
WHITE-CORAL SAND,
THE STRUCTURES
FEEL THRILLINGLY
ELEMENTAL

The beachfront
Piazza on North
Island, which includes
a grape cellar and
dining area

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 105


THE ISLANDS ARE
RIVALS FOR THE
WORLDS HAPPIEST
HONEYMOONERS
AND PRINCES,
ECO WARRIORS
AND OLIGARCHS
AED 18,000; 00497-22-1900 9922, fregate.com) owned by the German
industrialist Otto Happel since the Seventies, was rst off the block
in 1998, closely followed by tiny Cousine Island (doubles from AED
5,400 per person; 0027-11-706 2415, cousineisland.com), owned by the
South African granite billionaire Malcolm Keely. Both men declared
that the restoration and conservation of the fragile eco-systems were
paramount, and would be nanced by prots from the lodges, a
position they maintain to this day.
Three years after that trip, I ew out to report on the opening of
what has become the Seychelles most famous private island, North
Island (villas from AED 22,400, sleeps 10; 0024-8-429 3150, north-island.
com), a serious player in the conservation rmament, and peerless
celebrity hangout (including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge).
There have been a handful of hotel arrivals in the intervening
years. The Four Seasons Seychelles (doubles from AED 3,770; 0024-
8-439 3000, fourseasons.com) on Mah, which opened in 2009, is still
at the top of its game, with 67 villas secreted among 69 hectares of
wonderfully landscaped grounds. But, at least up until now, there
has been no single private island to match either North or Frgate,
joint favourites for exclusivity and rivals for the worlds happiest
honeymooners and princes, the wealthiest eco-warriors and oligarchs.
IN OCTOBER, THE NEW SIX SENSES ZIL PASYON WAS UNVEILED ON
Flicit, a dramatic 264-hectare island off La Digue (doubles
from AED 6,180; 0024-8-467 1000, sixsenses.com). Its been a long time
coming. Nine years ago, way before the Bangkok-based Six Senses
hotel and spa group signed on, it was announced that Zil Pasyon
(Creole for island of passion) would open in 2008 and then 2010. It
was a couple more years before a new owner was brought on board with
deep enough pockets to bring this mammoth development to fruition.
During this period of uncertainty,
Steve Hill, the environmental consultant
responsible for the restoration of Frgate
back in the Nineties, was quietly at work
on the island, identifying and removing
invasive species, and replacing them with
indigenous and native plants from his vast
supply of seedlings and saplings.
By the time I arrived on Flicit last
year, just a few weeks before the ofcial
Opposite, clockwise
opening, Hill had disposed of vast tracts of from top left:
coco plum trees, introduced during what North Islands pool;
he describes as mans occupation of the breakfast at Six
island (Flicit had once been a coconut Senses; a seating area
at Norths Piazza; a
plantation, and then briey a small private detail in the library
retreat). So far his team has planted 40,000 at Villa North Island
106 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
replacement trees and shrubs to help recreate habitats for rare birds
such as the Seychelles white eye and Seychelles paradise ycatcher.
Flicit is a real beauty, dominated by massive, grey-black
granite outcrops weathered into deep pleats by centuries of rainfall
and pounding surf. Most of it remains completely inaccessible, at
least until walking trails can be hacked out of the jungle. Yet with
so much still to do, Hill is fantastically optimistic. Given time, he
says, what we did on Frgate will be totally eclipsed by our work on
Flicit, which is on a much bigger scale. It will be incredible.
For the last couple of years, the focus has been on getting the
hotel up and running. The French general manager, Edouard
Grosmangin, built an impressive launch team, all beaming with the
kind of infectious enthusiasm born out of shared experiences
and adventures. They have come to the island from around the
globe Kenyan landscapers, and builders from Mumbai, Balinese
spa therapists and British chefs. There will eventually be 180
members of staff running the island and its restaurants and taking
care of guests in the 30 villas, immense and beautiful spaces with
private pools, hardwood oors, vaulted ceilings and deep bathtubs
set in front of picture windows.
The spa promises to be the most dramatic in the Seychelles. Set
on a rocky promontory with superb sunrise and sunset views from the
yoga and meditation pavilion, it will have ve double treatment rooms
balanced on those massive boulders high above the crashing sea.
Chef Richard Lee, originally from Birmingham, is a brilliant
leader as well as a talented cook. Over three days I watch his Island
Caf restaurant transform from a dust-blanketed building site into
a relaxed, free-form dining space serving mango and avocado salads
and Creole-spiced crab curry. The open-air Ocean Kitchen will serve
dishes that tie in with the various wellness programmes for which Six
Senses is so well-known.
With La Digue a 15-minute boat ride away, and Praslin just half
an hour, its incredibly easy, and even encouraged, to connect with
Seychellois life from the hotel. La Digue still maintains the salty aura
of a long-lost Caribbean outpost, with Rasta stallholders, beach shack
restaurants and old colonial houses with wide verandas. A Six Senses
speedboat will also get you over to magnicent Anse Lazio beach on
Praslin for a prawn-curry lunch at Bonbon Plume restaurant and a
drink at the ramshackle, help-yourself honesty bar.
A FULL 55KM FROM MAH, FRGATE ISLAND IS A WORLD UNTO ITSELF,
with a hydroponic farm and orchards that produce 80 per cent
of the hotels fruit and vegetables, and even supply markets on
Mah. It is also a conservation success story of global repute. But it
looks and at rst feels nothing like the Frgate I remember.
Back then, just a couple of years after Otto Happel opened
his private island to paying guests, the roads were surfaced with
crushed coconuts and primordial forest virtually encased the guest
villas, which were slathered in dark-treacle varnish. Since then,
the vegetation around the 17 villas has been cleared and replaced
with landscaped gardens scented with frangipani and coloured
with bougainvillaea. After a recent refurbishment, the villas are
altogether more cheerful affairs and have the best private pools in the
Seychelles. Yet the old primeval heart of the island beats on.
Frgate was home to the last dozen magpie-robins left in the
world until Birdlife International started a recovery programme
in 1990. There are now 137 of the feisty black-and-white birds on
Frgate, and they have even been translocated to other islands in the
Seychelles, bringing their number up to about 450. Because there
are no predators on Frgate (rats were eradicated in the early days),
all the birdlife is remarkably prolic and curious: sleek, white fairy
terns utter within touching distance; red-billed moorhens scuttle on
the ground noisily defending their territory; rotund Seychelles blue
pigeons squat on the low branches of fruit trees surveying the bucolic
 this trip, the lodge on North had yet to open and the rehabilitation of
the island was just getting underway.
North Island was bought in 1997 for about AED 18 million by a
group of investors, including Wilderness Safaris, the Johannesburg-
based conservation outt. A former copra plantation, it had been
abandoned in the Seventies and was riddled with rats and wild
cats; there were also a few skinny cattle wandering around and
one slightly crazy caretaker and his dog.
Wilderness asked the brilliant architects Silvio Rech and Lesley
Carstens to build the beach lodge of their dreams and the couple
camped out on the island with their young children for two years to
get a feel for the place. Rech and Carstens ended up working on the
project for ve years. In fact, they were just nishing off the last of
their extraordinary, handcrafted villas when I visited all those years
ago. Set back in a forest and fronted by a long, wide stretch of white-
coral sand, everything about those structures still feels thrillingly
elemental: the shaggy thatch roofs, the enormous twisted trunks and
branches of takamaka trees, the hand-peeled gum poles, weathered
rosewood and sand-blasted pine. There are very few doors, and even
they fold back to create open spaces at one with the environment.
Although North Island has since been sold to the Russian
billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov reportedly for about AED 129 million
A bathroom its still managed by Bruce Simpson, who recently left Wilderness
at Zil Pasyon.
Opposite: Villa Safaris to work for Prokhorov, and by all accounts remains committed
North Island to keeping it true to its conservation-led roots. The lodge was
recently completely refurbished for the rst time since it opened,
and there are plans to build another two villas on the undeveloped
west side of the island.
scene, untroubled by thousands of Aldabra giant tortoises lumbering Theres no doubt that the new interiors by designer Maira
beneath them. At night, millions of giant millipedes come out to feed Koutsoudakis who also developed the original look have notched
on decaying vegetation and leaf litter, cleaning up the forest oor. up the glamour quotient by introducing super-smart elements such
Frgates many riches extend to its reputation as the site of buried as soft silk rugs and hand-beaten brass headboards; the sunken,
treasure, hidden by 17th-century pirates, and its enduring stories polished-concrete baths I remember have been replaced with
and myths, such as the one about the ghost of the headless woman, elegant, white ceramic versions and there are shiny new brass
of which there are many variations. It is criss-crossed with walking xtures and ttings. But the whole place has weathered beautifully
trails, the only real way to explore the island as roads are limited to and now sits happily in its setting; the laid-back spirit is still very
the developed north. Hawksbill turtles nest on Grand Anse beach much the same as it ever was.
in the south, where there used to be a big pig farm, long gone amid In the past 13 years about a quarter of the island has been
concerns about the lack of an abattoir, but its still possible to see the successfully rehabilitated. Like Frgate, North Island employs
outline of the old pens in the undergrowth. full-time environmentalists and landscapers and takes on
Simon Love, the islands South African agricultural manager, volunteers to improve the luxurious forests. All their backbreaking
recently returned to Frgate after 12 years. He remembers herding work has paid dividends with the return of the Seychelles blue
the pigs on to boats in preparation for the rat pigeons and shearwaters. Its hoped that before long it will be
exterminators, who dropped poison bait from possible to introduce the magpie-robin, the holy grail of the
helicopters. Now hes back to refurbish the Seychelles endangered wildlife.
old girl, as he calls the hydroponic plant he Norths new executive chef, Jeremy Hunt, has recently been
helped build in 1999, and bring the farming planting up the kitchen garden with leafy greens, dill, broccoli and
side of things up to scratch. heritage tomatoes. He also forages in the forests for ingredients
Earlier, I had noticed a low perimeter small wild mangoes or the golden apples much loved by the
fence around Loves orchards. Oh, GETTING islands giant tortoises and goes shing for fresh tuna, snapper
those are supposed to keep the giant THERE and grouper. I can land 12 species in one trip, he says, clearly
tortoises out, he says, but to be honest, Emirates
in awe of the plentitude of the surrounding seas, where he surfs
theyre a bit like elephants; they just (emirates.com)
in the evening after a day in the kitchen producing dishes such
keep coming back to the same spot Etihad Airways
as creamy gorgonzola, rhubarb and walnut gnocchi.
and batter away until the fence falls (etihad.com),
Right from the start there has been a North Island policy of
down. Still, youve got to admire their Qatar Airways
employing interesting people with a positive attitude rather than
determination. Ive grown very fond (qatarairways.
polished products of corporate institutions. Not that the staff dont
of them. Everyone on the island com) and Air
know what they are doing; quite the contrary, they have worked
gets along ne. Seychelles
at some of the worlds top hotels and lodges. But theres also a real
(airseychelles.
sense that everyone is here to enjoy the experience. One of the
THERES ALWAYS A DANGER IN GOING BACK com) y direct
young bartenders, a former child actor from Canada, likes to play the
somewhere you have fallen for, as I did from the GCC
saxophone in the forest; his Balinese neighbours in the staff village
when I visited North Island in 2003. At to Mah
strum the guitar and sing ballads from their homeland. Its a pretty
that time, like Six Senses Zil Pasyon on cool place to be, he says. Which just about sums it up perfectly.

108 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

The bar at Azura
Benguerra Island
 Chef Takao Ishiyama
displays tuna llets at
SushiYa. Opposite, from
top: Tokyos Kabukicho
district; preparing kara-
shibi miso ramen at Kikanbo

110 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

 COUNTER CULTURE
IN TOKYO, SERIOUS FOOD LOVERS WOULDNT BE CAUGHT DEAD SITTING
AT A TABLE. PETER JON LINDBERG PULLS UP A STOOL AT THE BAR

Photographed by BRIAN FINKE

Noodles and pork buns
at Biang! in Flushing

Clockwise from left:

The grill at Toritama;
Emi Hasegawa,
the wife of chef
Zaiyu Hasegawa,
at Jimbocho Den;
a salad of over 20
seasonal veggies
(and smiling carrots)
at the restaurant
I
F YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT A FIFTH-GENERATION
tempura master can do with a pot of
bubbling safower oil, book a seat at
Ippoh, a Tokyo landmark since 1960. Ive
been coming here for a decade, but tonight
Ive brought two friends whove never seen
the show. From across the counter we watch,
rapt, as Masaru Seki transforms everyday
ingredients shishitos, prawns, an egg yolk
into deep-fried nuggets of gold.
You can learn a lot from a bar seat,
like how the chef scores the squid with a
crosshatch to tenderise it, or how attuned
he is to the oils pop as he swirls his silver
chopsticks in the batter and oil. And though
Masaru-san seldom speaks, theres a silent
conversation under way. While we watch him, hes watching
us: gauging our hunger level, how quickly we devour the
lotus root, how our eyes light up at the crunch of the maitake.
Forty-ve minutes in comes the unlikely nale. Into the
pot goes a grilled cheese sandwich on uffy white bread. Out
comes a crackling wedge of umami, sweet and impossibly
weightless. Its so good we laugh out loud.
It was only after 10 days of eating my way through Tokyo
that I realised I hadnt once sat at a proper table. Instead,
I balanced on a bar seat, being served something delicious
across a countertop. The settings varied whether I was in
a rowdy yakitori joint or a hushed Michelin three-star but
the set-up was always the same.
The Japanese may no longer own counter dining, but
they embraced it long before the rest of us, and theyve
inarguably perfected the form. The counter/open-kitchen
arrangement often known as kappo-style dining emerged
in 19th-century Osaka, mainly at casual everyday spots. By
the end of the 20th century, the trend had spread across
Japan and into more rened restaurants (not least sushi
bars, which helped globalise the format).
Today, kappo is above all pragmatic: here in the land
of capsule hotels and minivan-size apartments, few
restaurants have the square footage for tables and chairs
and a separate kitchen. But the format endures by choice
as well as necessity. Even restaurateurs who can afford a
Western-style oor plan typically choose to put the cooks
up front and in view, behind a bar. Counter dining is
simply the preferred mode of eating here, and its
popularity underscores some key distinctions.
First, dining solo carries none of the stigma that it does
in many other parts of the world; walk into any Tokyo
restaurant and half the clientele will likely be eating alone.
Counter seating is ideal for parties of one or two though
(perhaps thankfully) not so much for groups.
Second, in Japan cooking is about the process as much
as the product. For the chef, it becomes a performance
deserving a proper stage, with all eyes on him. (Even today
its almost always men behind the counter.) For the customer,
watching a chef work is central to enjoying the meal and
even high-end places have little in the way of dcor to
distract from the main event.
The experience is not purely visual, either. There
are meals that are meant to be listened to, not just seen,
smelled and tasted, says Yukari Sakamoto, a Tokyo-
based chef and author. The rhythmic beat of a knife
julienning cabbage at a tonkatsu restaurant. The telltale
sizzle of oil at a tempura shop. At a counter, those sounds
heighten your experience.
Think of how removed you are from this in a restaurant
with a traditional layout, where the menu and the servers
all words and abstractions are your only conduits to the
invisible kitchen. Counter dining ips that premise inside
out, so your interaction is mainly with the cooks, straight
from their welcoming shout of Irasshaimase!
In Japan, this interaction really is a dialogue, even
if neither of you speaks the same language. You may
notice a sushi chef glancing your way as he prepares
your nigiri, sizing up your mouth and shaping the rice into
a perfect bite. Omotenashi hospitality characterised by
attention to the smallest details is something youll nd
at all levels of dining out in Japan, says Sakamoto. A
chef is constantly observing his guests across the counter,
adjusting every element of the meal to them.
For Zaiyu Hasegawa, the chef-owner of Jimbocho Den
whose eight-seat counter is my absolute favourite spot to
eat in Tokyo cooking directly for guests is a way to stay
engaged and inspired. I used to work in a restaurant where
the kitchen was closed off, he recalls. I felt trapped.
Id ask servers: Did the customers smile? Did they say
anything? What did they eat rst? Frustrated, he began
peeking through a curtain to spy on his guests. How else
would I know if they liked it?
At a counter, the relationship between chef and diner
is a far more revealing exchange. Dining as theatre? This
is dining as backstage pass. You see close up the blowtorch
caramelising your foie gras; the planter overowing
with shiso; a giant octopus, splayed on a butcher block,
sliced inches from your plate; and, not least, the unguarded
moments that transpire when a chef is deep in his craft. In
a culture known for its polish and perfectionism, where the
real thing often seems hidden behind a scrim, theres a
refreshing, almost disarming intimacy to all of this, which
feels out of character yet somehow quintessentially Japanese.
Raise the bar
Below, our favourite pull-up-a-stool spots, sorted here by speciality
whether its the spiciest ramen, the iciest coffee or (were calling it)
Tokyos next great sushi restaurant
course omakase menu takes
SUSHI about an hour.
SushiYa Sushi set menu from AED 270;
The scene: Hidden in an alley off 0081-3-3571 7900
another alley in Ginza, SushiYa
(literally Sushi Shop) looks like R AMEN
your typical sushi den a boxy room Kikanbo
with an L-shaped counter at the The scene: Youll know Ren
centre. But its run by Takao Ishiyama, Redzepis go-to spicy ramen joint
a 6ft-tall, 32-year-old genius who just north of Kanda Station by the
has joined the ranks of Tokyo sushi line out front, a dozen hipsters
artisans in just four years. And the deep. Inside, the kitchen is obscured
sh! Otoro tuna as fatty and luscious by steam rising from a cauldron
as a slab of pancetta. Bonito smoked of scalding broth and tumbling
over straw. Hokkaido ikura, perked over the counter, where 15 lucky
up with yuzu zest. Right now, this souls sit dabbing their brows and
is the best in town. slurping oni (demon) ramen: a
The strategy: Plan ahead the ery miso broth spiked with chillies
eight seats book up a month and Sichuan peppercorns, best
in advance. Takao-sans multi- knocked back with cold Asahi hops.
FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 113
114 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
 You may notice
a chef glancing
your way as he
prepares your
nigiri, sizing up
your mouth and
shaping the
rice into a
perfect bite

House-made Campari at
Bar BenFiddich. Opposite:
A sugitama, the traditional
cedar ball typically hung
outside sake breweries,
in front of Jimbocho
Den restaurant

The strategy: Come mid-afternoon,
between peak times, to minimise
the wait. The line can take 30 to
40 minutes, the meal lasts maybe
10. (You place your order using a
vending-machine-like contraption
that spits out a ramen ticket.)
Ramen from AED 25; 0081-3-6206 0239
TEMPUR A
Ippoh
The scene: Masaru Seki comes
from an esteemed line of master
tempura chefs; this elegant
restaurant in Ginza (a quiet, multi-
room space above a Barneys New
York) is a branch of the 166-year-
old Osaka original where his father
and grandfather worked. You never
dreamt tempura could be this
light, or this tasty.
The strategy: Book an early seat,
before 7pm on a weeknight, and
you have a shot at being the only
guest at Masaru-sans counter. He
speaks enough English to walk
you through the ingredients.
Tempura from AED 112; 0081-3-
3289 5011, ippoh.com
YAKITORI
Toritama
The scene: Hidden under a grape
bar, this rowdy yakitori house
makes the most of every part of
the chicken: over 30 preparations
in all, from miso-marinated thighs
to creamy thymus glands (really,
theyre amazing). Its a circus at
all hours, and you and 21 others
can watch it from the L-shaped
counter as the resident re-jugglers
toss skewers across the grill,
unfazed by the ames.
The strategy: The expat-heavy
116 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
surrounding Kagurazaka district is
called Little Paris. Shop its boutiques
in the afternoon, then hit Toritama in
the early evening to nab a seat.
Skewers from AED 8; 0081-3-6457
5131, toritama.net
MODER N JAPANESE
Jimbocho Den
The scene: Tokyos most joyful
high-end restaurant is overseen by
38-year-old Zaiyu Hasegawa (whom
Brazilian star chef Alex Atala hails as
Japans greatest young talent). What
sets Zaiyu-san apart is his devotion to
laughter a rarity in Michelin-starred
kitchens. To sit at Dens eight-seat
counter is to dive headlong into an
eight- to 10-course improv comedy
show, as the chef and his crew trot
out surprise after kooky surprise.
Theres the grinning bobblehead of
Zaiyu-san on the counter, the carrots
carved into smiley faces hiding in
the salad greens and the goofy
homage to KFC (delivered in a box
marked Den-tucky Fried Chicken):
Inside, what looks like a normal fried
chicken wing is stuffed with a mix of
sticky rice, potatoes or beans, and
with seasonal ingredients such as
mushrooms and ume plum. Amusing,
yes, and also seriously delicious.
The strategy: Make a night of
it dinner unfolds over several
hours. Keep in mind that at the
end of 2016, Den moved from
fringe-y Jimbocho to upscale
Gaienmae. The new digs retain
the chefs counter setup and the
private dining rooms. As ever, youll
need to call up to two months in
advance to reserve.
Set menu from AED 470; 0081-3-
3222 3978, jimbochoden.com
IZAK AYA
Kotaro
The scene: Chances are youll be
the only non-local here. Tokyos
top chefs and the beau monde of
Shibuya come to Kotaro Hayashis
10-seat counter for rened seasonal
renditions of hearty Japanese pub
food, like tofu topped with sauted
leeks and fried baby sardines.
Kotaro-san is passionate about
sake; working with just nine small-
scale jizake breweries, hes able to
score rare seasonal allocations.
The strategy: Put yourself in Kotaro-
sans hands. He and his staff speak
minimal English, but hell happily
guide you through the meal. (A
translation app helps.)
Average meal from AED 190;
0081-3-54 5705
GRILL
Jomon Roppongi
The scene: The Roppongi outpost of
this popular yakitori and grill house
is packed with young Japanese
couples and groups who are there
to drink hard. The upside? The food
is sensational and the party crowd
mostly adjourns to tables in the back.
Better to sit at the bar opposite the
grill, from which come treats like
molten beef short ribs and ame-
kissed persimmons wrapped in meat.
The strategy: Like many spots in
Roppongi, Jomon is open late. Its
ideal for a jet-lagged midnight meal,
pre- or post-bar crawl. Warning: Your
clothes will end up smelling smoky.
Skewers from AED 5; 0081-3-3405
2585, teyandei.com
COCKTAILS
Bar BenFiddich
The scene: There are thousands
no exaggeration of obsessively
curated cocktail bars here, but none
quite like this tiny bote high above
glitzy Shinjuku. Once your eyes
adjust to the candlelight, youll see
that this is no pretentious speakeasy
but a convivial bar which happens
to serve phenomenal cocktails.
Proprietor Hiroyasu Kayama, in an
ivory dinner jacket, can suggest a
rare Japanese spirit (try anything by
Ichiro), but you should also order a
Negroni just to watch him craft his
own Campari using a mortar and
pestle, mysterious tinctures and a
dozen botanicals.
The strategy: Like most of Tokyos
top cocktail dens, this one is tricky to
nd, hidden on the ninth oor of an
ofce tower (thank god for Google
Maps). You dont need to reserve,
but have your hotel call ahead.
Cocktails from AED 55;
0081-3-6279 4223
MUSIC
Bar Martha
The scene: Now multiplying across
Tokyo, the record bar is one of
Japans great 21st-century trends,
albeit a very last-century concept.
Like the basement rec room of
your party-loving music-nerd
friend, record bars are all about
vintage vinyl, strong drinks and the
appreciation thereof. Youre here
to shut up, listen and drink. This
elegant bar in Ebisu is among the
more polished options, with superb
cocktails and a huge collection of
soul, funk and jazz, played through
a tube amp and tweed-covered
speakers, each the size of a fridge.
The strategy: Theyre dead serious
about forbidding loud conversation,
and theres a strict no-photos policy;
youll have to be sneaky about
Instagramming that handblown
coupe. (Or head to Kaminarimon
and buy one at Sokichi, every Tokyo
bartenders go-to shop.)
Hops from AED 25; 0081-3-3441
5055, martha-records.com/martha
COFFEE
Caf de lAmbre
The scene: Any number of upstarts
lay claim to Tokyos artisanal-coffee
throne, but this smoke-stained,
sepia-toned relic in Ginza, founded
in 1948, trumps them all. Owner
Ichiro Sekiguchi, who turned 102 this
year, was pour-over before it was
cool, and each cup is meticulously
prepared. LAmbre even offers aged
beans a 1954 Colombian, a 95
Guatemalan. But the real draw is
the iced coffee, chilled in a cocktail
shaker and served in a coupe.
The strategy: There are a few wobbly
tables, but youll want to sit at the
counter to watch your barista at work.
Coffee from AED 25;
0081-3-3571 1551
GETTING THERE
Emirates (emirates.com), Etihad
Airways (etihad.com) and Qatar
Airways (qatarairways.com)
y direct to Tokyo
At Toritama, the yakitori
skewers are made up
of all parts of a chicken.
Opposite: Baby gizzard
shad, medium fatty tuna
and lean tuna at SushiYa
 Striped buttonless
Get the look Pack right for this months destinations
RALPH
LAUREN
PURPLE LABEL
A/W 16

shirt, AED 1,539,

Sandy Liang
at LE66

Sneakers, AED 3,110,

Giuseppe Zanotti

Sneakers,
AED 1,299,
Diesel
COACH
A/W 16

Merino sweater,
AED 1,480,
Tods

Peace satchel,
OTTAWA
Youll need to wrap up while exploring this Leather gloves,
AED 365,
AED 2,300, Canadian citys new museums and restaurant Ted Baker
Tory Burch
scene accessorise with beanies, gloves
Chronospace Evo
and comfy shoes Night Mission,
AED 16,800,

WORDS: RHEA SARAN; STYLE: CHLOE BOSHER; PHOTOS: ALAMY

Breitling

White trousers,
Ladossi beanie, AED 616,
AED 99, Aldo Eden Park
at namshi.com

Kale Fix
Protecting
Shot, AED 169,
Taffeta skirt with Fur-trimmed Nip + Fab at
belt, AED 2,445, parka, AED 3,170, beautysolutions-
Peter Pilotto at Letter pendant, Canada Goose at me.com
boutique1.com AED 1,650, matchesfashion.com
La Marquise
Wool-blend felt
peacoat, AED 2,945,
Tomas Maier at
net-a-porter.com
 Shirt, AED 660,
Sandro

STELLA
McCARTNEY
CRUISE 17
Sunglasses,
AED 1,130,
Giorgio Armani
at Sunglass Hut

Shorts,
AED 260,
Deus Ex Machina
at West LA

Sprinkles Fest Sandals,

AED 2,295, Tabitha Simmons
at modaoperandi.com

HERMS
S/S 17

SEYCHELLES
Shades of green and blue perfectly mirror the setting of
this Indian Ocean island. Be sure to get a pedicure
to make the most of open-toed footwear
Hat, AED 297,
Bikini, AED 505, Hackett London
Vilebrequin

Sunglasses,
AED 770,
Michael Kors

Backpack,
price on
request,
Dress, AED 3,550, Philipp Plein
Elisabetta Franchi
Bag,
AED 1,030,
Maje Silver bomber,
AED 227, Asos
Hat, AED 150,
Ecua-Andino
at Hamac

Sandals, AED 520,

The Pretty Lacoste
Eyeshadow Palette,
AED 155, Ciat at
Bloomingdales FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 119
SLUG
 CONTEST

Where
are
you?
P
erched on a plateau in a
country that shares borders
with Belgium, France and
Germany, this nancial
institution is an architectural gem.
Celebrated Pritzker-winning architect
Professor Gottfried Bohm was
commissioned to create this space in
1989 and two years later the nance
WORDS: SHIREEN KHANDELWAL; PHOTO: GALLERYSTOCK

giant moved into this iconic landmark

made of steel, glass and concrete. The
building also houses an impressive
collection of art, including paintings,
sculptures and photography, and
hosts exhibitions and concerts as
well. Where are you?

PRIZE
Email your answer identifying the
structure, city and country where
the photograph was taken to
contest@appgulf.com and you
could win a four-night stay for two
at Milaidhoo Island, Maldives.

FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 121

CONTEST

O WIN A FOUR-NIGHT
n an island in the heart of the Baa Atoll
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the newly
opened Milaidhoo Island resort is custom-
made for comfort. With its ethos of barefoot
informality and deeming guests storywriters instead
of holidaymakers, the resort offers an authentic
STAY FOR TWO
experience, embracing Maldivian culture.
A 35-minute seaplane ride from Male, the
secluded island retreat is intimate and natural without
AT MILAIDHOO
compromising on style or luxury. The 30 thatched-
roof over-water villas and 20 private beach villas,
designed by local architect Mohamed Shafeeq,
ISLAND, MALDIVES
make use of materials and ttings that capture
An over-water villa
contemporary Maldivian style. Sun-lled interiors with a private pool.
feature pale woods and natural fabrics with splashes Below: Villas open
of vibrant tropical colour. All villas have private up 180 degrees
freshwater swimming pools with spacious sundecks,
and maximise the potential for outdoor living by
opening up 180 degrees to allow the picturesque
surroundings to become part of the room.
Ringed by a rich coral reef, snorkelling and diving
here are highlights, and the resort offers guests access
to the nearby protected marine area Hanifaru Bay,
the site of the largest seasonal groupings of manta
rays in the world and one of the best whale shark
spotting locations in the Maldives. Dolphin cruises and
excursions to local villages can also be arranged.
Milaidhoos signature over-water restaurant, Batheli,
shaped like three traditional Maldivian sailing boats,
features seafood and elevated cuisine inspired by the
Maldivian Spice Route. Guests can dine on the deck
of the restaurant under the stars, or indoors watching
the marine life through glass oors. The Shoreline Grill
and Ocean restaurants round out the culinary WINNER:
offerings, alongside two bars. DECEMBER 2016
The spa offers a comprehensive range of
The winner of Decembers
treatments combining the power of botanicals with
Where are you? competition is
healing traditions from Africa in four over-water
Walid Elsherif from Dubai who
treatment suites with expansive views of the sky and
correctly identied the location as
ocean, as well as organic and natural spa therapies
The Center for Asian Art at
by Elemis, TheraNaka and Coola. Guests can enjoy
The Ringling, Florida, USA.
complimentary daily yoga or meditation sessions in the
He won a three-night stay
over-water open-air pavilion, where a range of other
for two at Baros Maldives.
private and group classes are also available.
To win a four-night stay for two at Milaidhoo
Island, Maldives on a half-board basis, including
seaplane transfers and a 90-minute spa treatment
for two, correctly identify this issues Where are you?
competition by February 28, 2017.
Reservations are subject to availability. The prize
is valid until February 28, 2018, is non-transferrable,
cannot be redeemed for cash and does not include
public holidays. Flights, minibar and all other expenses
not stated in this prize are subject to payment either on
consumption or departure. For more information, call
00960-665 4441 or visit milaidhoo.com

COMPETITION RULES 1. Entries for Cond Nast Travellers Where are you? competition should be sent via email to: contest@appgulf.com 2. Winners will be judged at the discretion of Cond Nast Traveller. The decision
of the judges will be nal and binding. No correspondence will be entertained. Only one correct answer will be registered per entrant per issue. 3. Each entry must arrive no later than February 28, 2017. Winners will be
contacted by email or telephone whenever possible. 4. The entries must be in English and complete in all respects. 5. Cond Nast Traveller is not responsible for late entries. Illegible or mechanically produced entries are not
eligible. Entries by text message are not eligible. 6. Prizes will not be transferred or exchanged for cash or any other item. No refunds or credits for changes or cancellations are allowed. All other expenses and costs, which
are not specied as being included in the prize, are the sole responsibility of the winner. 7. All prizes must be redeemed prior to the expiry date. 8. Taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the winner. 9. The Where are you?
competition is open to readers of Cond Nast Traveller aged 18 and over on the date of entry and who are ordinarily residents of the GCC. 10. Employees of Cond Nast Traveller (Arab Publishing Partners), ITP, participating
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Nast Traveller and will not be acknowledged nor returned. 12. Entries become the property of Cond Nast Traveller and may be used for such purpose and in such media as the company deems t, without requiring the
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122 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

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SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
H.E. Sayyid Badr bin Solange Azagury Caterina Occhio Deena Aljuhani Manish Arora
Hamad bin Hamoud Partridge Founder and CEO, SeeMe Abdulaziz Designer
Al Busaidi Jewellery Designer Editor in Chief, Vogue Arabia
Secretary General of the Raaello Napoleone Alessandro Sartori
Ministry of Foreign Aairs Lapo Elkann CEO, Pitti Immagine; Bandana Tewari Artistic Director,
of the Sultanate of Oman Chairman and Founder, Chairman, YOOX Fashion Features Director, Ermenegildo Zegna
Italia Independent Group NET-A-PORTER GROUP Vogue India
Elie Saab and Garage Italia Customs Paul Andrew
Designer Jos Neves Sybilla Creative Director,
Amal Al Raisi Founder and CEO, Designer Womens Footwear,
Alber Elbaz Founder and Creative Farfetch Salvatore Ferragamo
Designer Director, Dar Al Aseel Rhea Saran
Frdric Malle Editor in Chief, Edgardo Osorio
Guram Gvasalia David Crickmore Perfume Publisher, Cond Nast Traveller Founder, Aquazzura
Chief Executive Ocer, CEO, Amouage Editions de Parfums Middle East
Vtements Frdric Malle Rania Masri
Pascal Mouawad Sophie Hackford General Manager,
Roberto Vedovotto Co-Guardian, Yasmin Sewell Future Thinker Level Shoes
President and CEO, Retail Division, Mouawad Fashion Director,
Kering Eyewear Style.com Matthew Rubinger Goga Ashkenazi
Noor Fares SVP, International Director, Chairwoman and Creative
Pierre Denis Founder, Noor Fares Philippa Malmgren Handbags & Accessories, Director, Vionnet
CEO, Jimmy Choo Fine Jewellery Author of Signals EMERI & Asia Christies
Cem Boyner
Stefan Siegel Dalia Daou James Lima Giambattista Valli Chief Executive Ocer,
Founder, Not Just a Label Designer, Daou Jewellery Hollywood Film Director Designer Boyner Holding

FIND OUT MORE AT CNILUXURY.COM

WWW.CNILUXURY.COM // +44 20 7152 3472 // @CNILUXURY

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ADVICE
The experts Travel wisdom from those in the know
Explore Gaudis Park
Gell between meetings
in Barcelona
Which destination is ideal for combining business and leisure?
ALEXIA ALIA
Managing director,
Quintessentially UAE, Dubai
While Bali is synonymous with serene,
blissful holidays, the island of the gods is
also the perfect destination for business.
With a relaxed environment, excellent
meeting facilities, reliable internet service
and outstanding hospitality, Balis Nusa Dua
is a preferred destination for corporations
and digital nomads for meetings,
conferences and team-building exercises.
Plus, theres no better place to unwind if
you want to stay a few extra days once
youve wrapped up business. Recognised
as a mecca for fun in the sun and spiritual
retreats, you can go from linen suit to
beachwear and yoga pants in no time. While
away the hours wandering around Seminyak
with its cool restaurants, shops and beaches,
or head to Ubud where you can escape any
work stress and get your Zen on at its many
retreats and yoga studios. A job well done.
124 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017
TIM WOOD
Editor-in-chief,
travelpulse.com, New Jersey
San Francisco has evolved rapidly from
trolleys and a famous bridge into the
epicentre of technology start-ups and some
of Americas best universities. But around
that ever-present Silicon Valley vibe is a
cultural scene that makes this city a must
for bleisure. The food scene throughout
the citys boroughs is sprinkled with James
Beard-level chefs and restaurants. Sports fans
have baseball at AT&T Park, Pac-12 football at
nearby Stanford, and the NBAs Warriors and
NFLs Raiders are a short BART ride away in
Oakland. Beyond the tech giants like Apple
and Uber, the area is an incubator for cultural
trends. Want to do business on the links?
Pebble Beach on the Monterey Peninsula and
the Olympic Club offer world-class settings.
Plus, the picture-perfect location along the
Northern California coast offers a quick trip to
Napa Valley for some post business-trip fun.
SARAH PICKFORD
Personal travel consultant,
Travel Counsellors, Dubai
Barcelona is a fabulous place to combine
business and leisure, with an array of luxury
hotels offering modern business and
conference facilities in close proximity to the
tourist hotspots. In the spring and summer
months, spend your downtime relaxing by
the Marina or at one of the many beaches. Or
take your laptop along as Wi-Fi connectivity
is widely available for those who cant avoid
work. Short on time? Join one of the many
self-walking tours between meetings to get
a real avour of what the city has to offer. Its
easy to navigate using the metro and tram
system, and theres so much to see and do
with stunning historical landmarks, including
PHOTO: ALAMY
Gaudis Sagrada Familia. Barcelona also has
easy connections to other European cities
by high-speed rail and the international
airport is only 12km away, meaning you
can make the most of every minute.
THE LAST WORD IN TRAVEL

For more travel news

and inspiration:
cntravellerme.com
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for the next
issue?

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MARCH 2015 COND NAST TRAVELLER 13
WHERE TO BUY
STOCKISTS
FASHION
A.Andreasson aandreassen.com
Aigner Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-681 5152;
Dubai, 00971-4-434 1333
Aldo at Namshi: namshi.com
Asos asos.com
Balenciaga at Bysymphony:
bysymphony.com
Berluti Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-643
2068; Dubai, 00971-4-501 6965;
Doha, 00974-4-416 1860
Canada Goose at Matches Fashion:
matchesfashion.com
Deus Ex Machina at West LA: Dubai,
00971-4-394 4248
Diesel Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-674
9125; Dubai, 00971-4-339 8615;
Kuwait City, 00965-2-530 9523;
Jeddah, 00966-12-612 2735;
Riyadh, 00966-11-461 4293
Dima Ayad at Harvey Nichols: Dubai,
00971-4-409 8888; Kuwait City,
00965-2-228 3008; Riyadh,
00966-11-273 4444
Ecua-Andino at Hamac: Dubai,
00971-4-339 8592
Eden Park Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-565
0901; Dubai, 00971-4-434 1537;
Kuwait City, 00965- 2-259 7862
Elisabetta Franchi Abu Dhabi,
00971-2-491 6690; Dubai,
00971-4-343 0959
Giorgio Armani at Sunglass Hut:
Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-644 1818; Dubai,
00971-4-399 5824; Doha, 00974-
4486 6494; Kuwait City, 00965-2-
220 1919; Jeddah, 00966-12-215 0635
Giuseppe Zanotti Dubai, 00971-4-
341 3117; Riyadh, 00966-1-211 2222
Hackett London Dubai, 00971-4-
325 3237; Doha, 00974-4-029 0224;
Kuwait City, 00965-2-259 7909;
Jeddah, 00966-12-660 7906;
Riyadh, 00966-11-466 4703
Herms Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-575
9556; Dubai, 00971-4-330 8385;
Doha, 00974-6-601 1882; Kuwait
City, 00965-2-227 0215
Isa Arfen Dubai, 00971-4-395 1200;
Doha, 00974-4436 1111; Jeddah,
00966-1-2661 2099
Isabel Marant Dubai, 00971-
4-395 1300
Jessie Western at Boutique 1:
boutique1.com
Lacoste Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-681
7761; Dubai, 00971-4-341 0575;
Doha, 00974-4-450 7191; Kuwait
City, 00965-2220 0578; Jeddah,
00966-12-283 3178
Le Coq Sportif at Galeries Lafayette:
Dubai, 00971-4-339 9933
Longchamp Dubai, 00971-4-354
9539; Kuwait City, 00965-2-259
7810; Riyadh, 00966-11-281 5470
Maje Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-565 0760;
Dubai, 00971-4-434 0610
Michael Kors at Bloomingdales:
Dubai, 00971-4-350 5333
Mira Hayek at Lebelik: lebelik.com
Montblanc Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-645
4765; Dubai, 00971-4-341 4451;
Doha, 00974-4-467 4920; Kuwait
City, 00965-2-259 7633; Jeddah,
00966-54-315 5559; Riyadh,
00966-11-211 1080
Mulberry Dubai, 00971-4-325 3882;
Doha, 00974-6-674 1852; Kuwait City,
00965-2-259 7790
Peter Pilotto at Boutique 1:
boutique1.com
Philipp Plein Dubai, 00971-4-339
8262; Doha, 00974-444-11 1245
Prada Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-491 9287;
Dubai, 00971-4-501 6990; Doha,
00974-4-464 4908
Saint Laurent Dubai, 00971-4-341
0113; Kuwait City, 00965-2530 9777
Sandro Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-565
0633; Dubai, 00971-4-395 1281
Sandy Liang at LE66: Dubai,
00971-4-554 3540
Sensi Studio at Net-a-Porter:
net-a-porter.com
Stella McCartney Dubai,
00971-4-339 9179
Vilebrequin Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-
644 5696; Dubai, 00971-4-392 7456;
Kuwait City, 00965-2-220 0548
Tabitha Simmons at Moda Operandi:
modaoperandi.com
Ted Baker Abu Dhabi, 00971-
2-681 4711; Dubai, 00971-4-434
0623; Doha, 00974-44-13
4937; Kuwait City, 00965-
2-530 9979
Tods Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-681
6562; Dubai, 00971-4-501 6985;
Kuwait City, 00965-2220 0661;
Jeddah, 00966-2-284 2862;
Riyadh, 00966-11-293 9440
Tomas Maier at Net-a-Porter:
net-a-porter.com
Tory Burch Dubai, 00971-4-325
3649; Jeddah, 00966-12-641 0455
Tumi Dubai, 00971-4-236 3408;
Kuwait City, 00965-2-220 0596;
Jeddah, 00966-12-658 8016
BEAUTY
Bobbi Brown Dubai, 00971-
4-330 8151
Chanel at Harvey Nichols:
Dubai, 00971-4-409 8888;
Kuwait City, 00965-2-228
3008; Riyadh, 00966-11-273 4444
Ciat at Bloomingdales: Dubai,
00971-4-350 5333
Dior at Harvey Nichols: Dubai,
00971-4-409 8888; Kuwait City,
00965-2-228 3008; Riyadh,
00966-11-273 4444
Dr. Hauschka at BasharaCare:
basharacare.com
Guerlain at Harvey Nichols: Dubai,
00971-4-409 8888; Kuwait City,
00965-2-228 3008; Riyadh,
00966-11-273 4444
Institut Esthederm at Cult Beauty:
culbeauty.co.uk
Krastase at Franck Provost: Dubai,
00971-4-341 3245
Nip + Fab at Beauty Solutions ME:
beautysolutions-me.com
Rahua at Harvey Nichols: Dubai,
00971-4-409 8888; Kuwait City,
00965-2-228 3008; Riyadh,
00966-11-273 4444
Sisley sisley-paris.com
JEWELLERY & WATCHES
Blancpain Abu Dhabi, 00971-
2-658 0019; Dubai, 00971-
4-339 8304
Breitling Dubai, 00971-4-388
2281; Doha, 00974-4-407 7148;
Kuwait City, 00965-2-227 0290
Bulgari Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-
681 8828; Dubai, 00971-4-330
8834; Doha, 00974-4-413 4568;
Kuwait City, 00965-2-299 6498;
Pretty homeware
at The Apartment
in Copenhagen
Jeddah, 00966-12-669 7229;
Riyadh, 00966-11-460 2800
Cartier Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-491 9716;
Dubai, 00971-4-434 0434; Doha,
00974-4-450 7798; Jeddah,
00966-12-660 0720
Cuervo y Sobrinos at Al Muftah
Jewellery: Doha, 00974-4-483 3000
Hublot Abu Dhabi, 00971-2-681 1822;
Dubai, 00971-4-325 3334; Kuwait
City, 00965-2-220 0685
La Marquise Dubai, 00971-4-434 3111;
Doha, 00974-4431 1587
Omega Dubai, 00971-4-339 8307;
Doha, 00974-4-479 0107;
Kuwait City, 00965-2-530 9629;
Jeddah, 00966-12-263 4730
Patek Philippe at Ahmed Seddiqi &
Sons: Dubai, 00971-4-355 9090
Rolex at Momentum: Dubai,
00971-4-327 4320
TAG Heuer Abu Dhabi, 00971-
2-644 6448; Dubai, 00971-4-
339 8555; Doha, 00974-4-411
5969; Kuwait City, 00965-
2-259 7606
Tudor at Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons:
Dubai, 00971-4-355 9090
MISCELLANEOUS
Bose Abu Dhabi, 00971-5-6414 0722;
Dubai, 00971-4-330 8900; Doha,
00974-4-433 5511; Riyadh,
00966-11-461 6960
MUJJO at Virgin Megastore: Abu
Dhabi, 00971-2-644 7882; Dubai,
00971-4-325 3330
FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 127
 TROPICAL PARADISE
Just a quick hop from the GCC, explore the sunny side of life in the
Maldives with its beautiful coral reefs, pristine white sand beaches and
abundance of activities on land and sea. From diving at Banana Reef to
catching a wave, shopping at local markets to savouring the Maldivian
cuisine, rich with avours of the sea, theres plenty to keep all ages
entertained. Home to luxurious hotels and resorts, the Maldives is the
ideal destination to relax and reconnect with nature.
visitmaldives.com

Most
wanted
A look at what caught our eye this month, from
Valentines treats to exotic escapes

FLAVOURS OF THE EAST

Get a taste of the vibrant culinary
culture of Thailand at Mekong, the
award-winning Asian restaurant at
Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort, which
is introducing Khan Tok, a new dining
concept from northern Thailand. The
dining style features an arrangement
of dishes served on a raised tray, ideal
for sharing, with authentic delicacies
like spicy prawn salad and beef curry
with bamboo shoots, along with a
basket of sticky rice and a sumptuous
Thai dessert. Guests can dine in Asian-
inspired rickshaw-style seating on the
outdoor terrace or in a private dining
room for more intimate celebrations.
dubai-palm.anantara.com/mekong
POWER MEETS STYLE
Get road trip ready with the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coup.
The rst mid-size sport utility coup from the brand, it
combines athletic agility with modern design and comfort.
Dynamic and compact in appearance, the exterior features
wide, muscular shoulders, harmoniously modelled wheel
arches and a diamond radiator grille with one louvre. The
car is among the fastest of the brands sports vehicles,
allowing both standard-t sports suspension and direct
sports steering as well as emphatic acceleration.
mercedes-benz.com

128 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017


AUTHENTIC TRAVEL
Travel like an insider in the most exotic countries with Abercrombie & Kents travel packages
focusing on immersing yourself in the culture. Go local in Tokyo by learning how to make
soba noodles with renowned chef Akila Inouye, try your hand at manga drawing or
experience an energetic ninja class. In Shanghai get a taste of local life by learning to play
folk drums in the nearby water town of Zhujiajiao and come back with a new skill.
abercrombiekent.com
BAGS OF STYLE
Travel in style with Tumis
Alpha Bravo collection,
a range of versatile and
contemporary business
and day bags, available
in the brands iconic
ballistic material
and distressed, yet
rened, leather.
tumi.com
MOST WANTED
SWEETS FOR YOUR SWEET
Say Je taime with indulgent limited-edition
heart-shaped artisan chocolates from
zChocolats 2017 Valentines Day Collection,
handcrafted in Aix-en-Provence.
zchocolat.com
MODERN CLASSICS
Accessorise your holiday wardrobe with the
new Tateossian collection, featuring cufinks
and bracelets with a playful twist.
tateossian.com
CITY BREAK
Travelling to Azerbaijan has never been easier. Beginning
this year, travellers of 81 nationalities can apply for
an Azerbaijan visa in the comfort of their homes
using online visa application technology. Coming at a
time when tourism to Azerbaijan is booming, the new
platform opens up travellers to exciting events such
as the sporty Islamic Solidarity Games in May or the
European Grand Prix in Baku in June.
azerbaijan-visa.com
FEBRUARY 2017 COND NAST TRAVELLER 129
 Beds are covered in Frette
linens and there are LOccitane
en Provence amenities in
the bathroom

Room with a view

NEW YORK THE WILLIAM VALE, BROOKLYN

ROOM 1222

N
ew York is a city where change happens so fast you have to make the most of every eeting moment before its gone. Some
visitors do this by riding the 102 oors up to the top of the Empire State Building to take it all in, while others prefer the
silhouetted view of the famous skyscraper from the opposite bank of the East River. This is where youll nd the newly
WORDS: MARTA SAHELICES;

launched William Vale, sumptuous and achingly current, with an extraordinary panorama of Manhattan from Room 1222. The
boutique bolthole is located at the edge of tony Williamsburg, next door to Greenpoint and McCarren Park but who needs
PHOTO: JODY KIVORT

that when you have Vale Park, the hotels own 15,000sqft elevated public park, complete with shady green spaces and
postcard views. Comprising 183 rooms, 25 of them suites, the towering, futuristic property has changed the skyline of Billyburg,
as the neighbourhood is affectionately called. The hotels restaurants are led by award-winning head chef Andrew Carmellini, and
include southern Italian-style Leuca for wood-red coastal cuisine; custom cocktails, soul food and small plates with 360-degree
views at rooftop bar Westlight; and drinks and snacks at Vale Pool, right by what is now the citys longest hotel pool at 60ft.
Doubles from AED 1,100; 001-718-631 8400, thewilliamvale.com

130 COND NAST TRAVELLER FEBRUARY 2017

 Pont des Amoureux
Poetic Complications watch
white gold, diamonds, contre-jour enamel,
mechanical movement
with retrograde hours and minutes.

Haute Joaillerie, place Vendme since 1906

DUBAI: The Dubai Mall - Mall of the Emirates ABU DHABI: The Galleria Al Maryah Island 800-VAN-CLEEF (800-826-25333)
ABU DHABI: Etihad Towers +971 2 681 1919
www.vancleefarpels.com