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Umaid Bhawan is part of one of the world’s largest private residences, and still the occasional home of Jodhpur’s former...
13/11/2022

Umaid Bhawan is part of one of the world’s largest private residences, and still the occasional home of Jodhpur’s former royal family, so few hotels are as vast and unashamedly regal. Finished in 1943, the palace is a glorious blend of aesthetics: Partly inspired by Angkor Wat, its Rajasthani style was injected with notes of Art Deco by Polish artist–turned–interior designer Stefan Norblin, a famed illustrator in his home country who painted the striking frescoes as interpretations of Hindu mythology. But for all that its huge, pillared central dome can seem intimidating, as can those portraits of former maharajas, you'll feel at home here. That’s largely down to the warm staff in bright turbans, who make you feel entirely deserving of the Champagne breakfasts, raw-milk baths, and folk performances in the marble-columned pavilion. It isn’t, in the end, a place in which to be overawed—but to be embraced, and very happily spoiled.

Peruvian chain Aranwa’s first hotel is a dreamy Andean wonderland spread over a canal- and lake-filled compound beside t...
13/11/2022

Peruvian chain Aranwa’s first hotel is a dreamy Andean wonderland spread over a canal- and lake-filled compound beside the Vilcanota River, far from the clusters of resorts in the Sacred Valley. One hundred fifteen spacious rooms are sprinkled about the property, in the carefully restored 18th-century hacienda, the resort’s centerpiece, and several more modern buildings with minimalist decor. When taking a day off from Machu Picchu or valley tours, you’ll find loads to do at the Aranwa: Stroll the orchid-filled glass pyramid, browse the art gallery or library, shop for alpaca scarves, soak in the infinity pool, watch a film in the private cinema, or take a treatment in the 25,000-square-foot spa. Personable staff are on hand to give lifts around the property in a fleet of eco-carts, or to entice an alpaca or peacock to pose for a photo op. Locally sourced ingredients are the norm here, and much of the fruit and herbs in the gourmet restaurant Pukawi are grown right in the resort’s hummingbird-filled gardens.

Built in 1962 as an outpost of the celebrated Drake Hotel on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, the Drake Oak Brook has always b...
06/11/2022

Built in 1962 as an outpost of the celebrated Drake Hotel on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, the Drake Oak Brook has always been such a trendsetter that it has attracted the likes of Frank Sinatra, Prince Charles, and Arnold Palmer deep into the Chicagoland ‘burbs over its six decades. There’s a masculine, mid-century edge to the newly renovated guest rooms, many of which feature herringbone oak-wood floors and well-stocked bar carts. The Colonial Room restaurant offers high tea in the afternoons and a menu of unmistakably retro dishes come dinnertime, from wedge salads to shrimp cocktail. And you could almost imagine Ol’ Blue Eyes himself slumping into one of the fireside leather chairs at the Polo Lounge and ordering a signature Drake Manhattan.

The plans for Four Seasons’ return to Bangkok (a prior location closed in 2015) predate the body blow that travel took d...
06/11/2022

The plans for Four Seasons’ return to Bangkok (a prior location closed in 2015) predate the body blow that travel took during the pandemic, but the Jean-Michel Gathy–designed reincarnation on the banks of the Chao Phraya feels tailored to Bangkok residents anyway. For visitors who have already ticked off the city’s sightseeing hits, it offers serious staying-put appeal: a multitiered swimming pool with thick-cushioned loungers for all-day lingering; vast suites and bedrooms with deep soaking bathtubs; and floor-to-ceiling windows that frame knockout river views. The four restaurants are set for lazy lunches, while the bossa nova–humming BKK Social Club is helmed by Philip Bischoff, formerly of the glitzy bar Manhattan at the Regent Singapore. The contemporary art collection has an urban edge: Towering works depicting the curves of the Chao Phraya or the folds of a monk’s robe hang from the lobby’s marble walls, while a rotating exhibition puts the spotlight on local talent. Over the years, indie galleries and artsy boutiques have turned this corner of Bangkok into the city’s de facto design district, a transformation that is complete now that the Four Seasons is back.

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