Werno

15/09/2022

Fifteen years ago, the tragic passing of Bernard Loiseau, one of France’s most iconic chefs, could have meant the end of his legacy. Instead, it led to a new chapter in his budding hospitality empire with his wife, Dominique, at the helm. Over time, she turned the Relais Bernard Loiseau, a five-star Relais & Châteaux hotel and double-Michelin-starred table in the sleepy town of Saulieu into a luxury retreat. But culinary stars are a dwindling draw these days and Madame Loiseau knew she needed something more than exquisite food to entice travelers to stopover for more than a night. Transforming the property’s formerly modest spa into a four-story fantasyland of wellness and organic dining was risky for such a small town but paid off. Villa Loiseau des Sens, the 16,000-square-foot balneotherapy spa is set within a modern, Morvan oak–paneled lodge with all the right amenities: indoor pools, massage alcoves, water bikes, ten treatment rooms, an area dedicated to skin exfoliation, and a laid-back neo-bistro. But it’s the 700-square-foot private spa suite outfitted with a steam room and sauna with panoramic views of the Auxois mountains that make it worth a full weekend escape.

15/09/2022

Slopeside bragging rights weren’t enough for Wes Edens, the billionaire hedge-fund titan and visionary behind Caldera House. His eight-suite dream hotel at Jackson Hole had to be tramside, with north-facing rooms actually looking out upon Big Red, the 100-passenger aerial shuttle going up and down the peaks. Edens and his three ski-addicted business partners spent six years and nearly $100 million building their ultimate adventure base, culminating in a collection of penthouse-like suites that feel like private chalets masquerading as a hotel. L.A.-based studio Commune and local architects Carney Logan Burke collaborated on the American Craftsman-meets-alpine-hideaway interiors, and perks include an on-site gear shop and the largest ski lockers in the country. Wanting to embrace the community, Edens opened an outpost of universally loved Italian restaurant Old Yellowstone Garage on the second floor and curated a team of regional legends, including Olympic skiers, to help create guest experiences.

15/09/2022

Surrounded by the most splendid gardens on the Amalfi Coast, this historic Ravello property can trace its origins back to the 11th century. The villa was largely rebuilt in the early 1900s by Lord Grimthorpe (an English co-designer of Big Ben), and it soon attracted the likes of Virginia Woolf, Greta Garbo, and E.M. Forster. The sumptuously decorated suites include vaulted ceilings, Majolica tile floors, and cheerful frescoes. Michelin-starred restaurant Il Flauto di Pan serves elegant twists on homestyle local dishes, such as white rabbit ragù and marinated Cetara anchovies. But the villa’s simplest delight is also its most spectacular: Gore Vidal once said that the view from the garden’s belvedere was the most beautiful place in the world.

06/09/2022

Housed in an 18th-century mansion surrounded by lavender and cypress trees, this Relais & Chateaux property is a draw for both its proximity to Aix-en-Provence (it's a 15-minute walk to Cours Mirabeau) and countryside seclusion. The 23 rooms and suites have either a private garden of views of the sprawling grounds, and each one is outfitted in toile, cream, and crimson Louis XV furnishings. The outdoor pool is, of course, a highlight, as is the on-site wine cellar and spa. Head to the restaurant for a seasonal menu that pairs Provençale, French, and Mediterranean dishes with Bordeaux, Burgundy, and local wines—all served on the terrace during the summer.

06/09/2022

To book a stay at this impeccably designed escape, guests must send an inquiry through the website—a sign of just how exclusive the hotel is. The reward is an extremely private getaway with a relaxing natural, neutral design. A 1950s-era beach motel was transformed into this serene escape, which opened in April 2017. The hotel is a study in high-design restraint—which is clear after setting one foot inside its almost hidden entrance. Guests enter into a courtyard that looks out onto the ocean, which leads to a beautiful garden. Follow the path to a deck made from ipe wood that overlooks Carbon Beach and Malibu Pier.

06/09/2022

Kongens Nytorv, Copenhagen’s largest public square, is home to the Royal Danish Theatre, Charlottenborg Palace, and Hotel d’Angleterre, the city’s most famous accommodations. This restaurant-turned-hotel, a 1755 neoclassical palace that was updated in the 1870s by Danish architect Jens Vilhelm Dahlerup—who also lent his savvy to the neighboring theater—remains an icon of evolving luxury. Dignitaries and celebrities have long flocked to Hotel D’Angleterre—and they show no sign of stopping. After all, this historic, palatial site has epitomized grandeur for more than 250 years.

06/09/2022

Powder hounds got a new reason to cheer when Gravity Haus, a 60-room ski-in/ski-out boutique hotel, opened in 2019 at the base of Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 9. The lobby has an Alpine-sleek aesthetic: hardwood herringbone floors, a roaring fire in a clean-lined hearth, lofted ceilings with pendant lights, and wood-paneled walls. Guest rooms have a modern lodge appeal, wood and plaid throws, a simple desk for the unavoidable work check-in, and an emphasis on eco-awareness, like WinkBed mattresses and natural bath products from EO Essential Oils. The hotel is part lodging, part social club, and 100 percent focused on catering to a certain type of hard-charging, outdoor enthusiast. There’s a fitness and sport-recovery center and lanes for duckpin bowling, plus a co-working space, coffee shop and restaurant, and even a Japanese-inspired onsen.

01/09/2022

What if you could actually visit the Garden of Eden? And what if it was surrounded by vineyards, historic Cape Dutch farm buildings, and a formal French-style potager garden, where you could pick your own strawberries and fragrant herbs? At Babylonstoren, in the Drakenstein Valley, 33 miles northeast of Cape Town, the mythical garden comes to life. Founded in 1690, the 590-acre compound is modeled on the farms that supplied the ships making their way around the Cape of Good Hope en route to India. The cottages and suites are minimalist but stylish. You won’t find a grand lobby or an obsequious concierge here, but the staff, most of whom are wearing T-shirts, aprons, or khakis, combine a genuine eagerness to help with a high level of knowledge about the farm and its long history. Stay long enough and eventually—after a visit to the on-site bakery, the winery, the cheesemaker, the butcher, and the farm-tank-style swimming pool—you may forget that you’re staying at a hotel.

01/09/2022

The pretty Georgian manor house, all honeyed Bath stone, sits at the end of an avenue of sky-high beech and lime trees, surrounded by gardens like a Jane Austen film set. On the grounds there’s a personable cottage for weekending families, a world-class equestrian center, and a serious cooking school. But you don’t have to whip up your own supper. Chef Hywel Jones plates up exquisite food in his eponymous restaurant. That in itself is a reason to stay. So are the roaring fires, the paneled libraries, the canopied four-poster beds, and the moody oil paintings. A purposeful drive in recent years to make the place feel less formal has resulted in a cheery bounce in the staff's step, a raising of chatter levels to almost a hum in the evenings, and a relaxed atmosphere where you can wear your robe down to the ESPA spa and back again without feeling like a terrible slob. Eagle-eyed guests will spot the curious Greek elements dotted around—the urns in the bathroom, the Acropolis paintings in the dining room, the Hellenic motif on the plates. This country retreat feels resonant and rooted, delightfully British to the core.

01/09/2022

01/09/2022