Uravok

17/09/2022

Last autumn—desperate for a sanctuary from living in locked-down Brooklyn with a newborn—I found an Edenic combination of escapism and reconnection here. Unlike at some resorts, visitors here don’t block out the destination once they check in. The 300-acre estate is in Chiusdino, on the more rugged side of Tuscany, and feels like a microcosm of the region itself. The ricotta at dinner comes from the sheep you’ve spied on long walks through farms and forests; the fields of lavender and marigold provide ingredients for the face oils at the spa. None of this is to say that Borgo Santo Pietro isn’t sharp. Everything is done with a very Italian elegance: the manicured gardens and landscaped pool; the staff who appear with a Spritz and silver tray of truffled chips simply because they thought you needed it (and I did); the Trattoria sull’Albero, with its thick oak tree rising in the middle. During the harvest season, guests can pluck and stomp grapes at Borgo’s tumble of vineyards. There’s a six-foot-deep swimming hole in the middle of a rushing stream. It’s on the property but open to use by the 30 or so locals from a nearby village. Closer to the guest villas is a tall canopied wall beside the vegetable gardens, along which pilgrims in the Middle Ages trekked to the nearby Abbey of San Galgano. My stay was an opportunity to explore a pocket of wild southern Tuscany, thrillingly alone and free, without ever needing to backtrack through the great wide entrance gates. Doubles from $760. —Erin Florio

17/09/2022

Located in the Latin Quarter, this 118-room property comprises three townhouses. A playground for creative types who have a penchant for relaxed luxury, Hotel SP34 offers so much social stimulation that you never have to leave to find a good time. Guest rooms range from cozy solo accommodations and spacious doubles to skylit penthouse suites, all done with Nordic flair. There are regular Port tastings in the lobby bar, as well as a rooftop terrace, a private cinema, and free concerts and DJs on Friday nights.

17/09/2022

The Gwen is named for Gwen Lux, a Chicago-born, pioneering female sculptor of the 20th century and a fitting icon for the Chicago installment of Marriott’s Luxury Collection, which aims to make each hotel reflect the character of its place. The hotel, located on the city’s famed Magnificent Mile and in the landmark McGraw-Hill building—with its 1928 facade wholly preserved—does just that. Art Deco interiors with taupe- and gold-hued rooms emanate old-fashioned glamour and chic modernity all at once. The rooftop bar and restaurant, Upstairs at the Gwen, is buzzy as can be when the weather is nice, and your best shot for mingling with a crowd beyond the hotel’s typical guests on business travel.

07/09/2022

The first hotel in Denver’s hip Lower Highlands neighborhood sits quietly on a residential street. It’s easy to mistake the nondescript façade for just another apartment building, but the cement exterior—a nod to the industrialists who built the city—is part of the carefully crafted narrative that’s become a signature of the Life House brand. Inside, the lobby feels like a prospector’s Victorian home, with Louis XVI Bergère chairs, velvet drapes, and cowhide throws; the 16 rooms upstairs range from king suites to bunk rooms. Its restaurant, Wildflower, keeps the story going with a menu honoring the neighborhood’s original Italian and Mexican settlers. At the low-lit bar, a young crowd sips old-fashioneds, bringing the story full circle from frontier outpost to modern urban epicenter of cool.

07/09/2022

After a three-year renovation, the former Austrian Hungarian Monarchy Bank headquarters located in Vienna’s Goldenes Quartier was transformed into the first Hyatt hotel in Austria. The 143 rooms are some of the largest in Vienna, and the location—within walking distance of St. Stephen’s Cathedral and surrounded by some of Vienna’s best shopping—makes this a luxury hotel that guests can certainly bank on.

07/09/2022

Between historic quarter The Rocks and the ferry-flocked Circular Quay, towering five-star Four Seasons Hotel Sydney has grand public areas and commands some of the best views in town. (Gazing over Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge never gets dull!) Decor in the 531 contemporary rooms and suites radiates quality, with generous windows that let the Instagram-friendly views do the talking. Sydney’s largest heated outdoor hotel pool and on-site Endota Spa will leave you feeling refreshed, with Australian-inspired, all-natural treatments, a sauna, steam room, whirlpool bath, and gym.

07/09/2022

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.

03/09/2022

The Waldorf Astoria Beijing is a 2014 arrival in a gold-box building in the Wangfujing neighborhood. When you pull up to the entrance, you're greeted by an exterior resembling one of Beijing's temple palaces—but the interior is pure, intimate hospitality. Instead of a flashy, bustling lobby, the concierge desk sits in a space surrounded by high, gray walls painted with flowers, while bolder art pieces surprise you as you turn the hallways to your room. The 171 rooms delight with soft teal and tangerine accents and views across heritage rooftops.

03/09/2022

Located inside the high-end Landmark Mall, the Mandarin Oriental’s little sister is easy to miss. The serene reception area and library-like lounge lie up a flight of steps; all-day dining and drinks happen at the MO Bar, at street level below the lobby. Wellness travelers, style mavens and creative types, will love the hotel’s spa-like vibe (not to mention its actual, 25,000-square-foot spa, complete with a spacious gym and indoor heated pool), contemporary design, and attention to detail. The central location—with shops and corporate offices at your doorstep—is just icing on the cake.

03/09/2022

03/09/2022