The Astarte Suites Hotel

Sometimes it really does all come down to location. Trends in travel come and go, but Greece’s volcanic islands have been a hot destination for just about as long as humans have had the ability to move from place to place — there’s something about balmy climes, dramatic rocky vistas, and deep azure seas that never goes out of style.

It would take a peculiar sort of anti-talent for hospitality to manage to create a bad hotel in this sort of environment — which is not to say it hasn’t been done many times over. And conversely a well-done hotel, in these surroundings, results in an experience that’s pretty near spectacular.

Small is key, and Astarte is certainly that; nine suites is about the dividing line between small hotel and large guest house, where intimate hasn’t yet crossed over into solitary. Inside they’re impressive, all with views of the volcano and the caldera, and all with top shelf amenities like jacuzzis and Hermès toiletries.

Services and facilities, similarly, are minimal but well-executed: an infinity pool with a view that reminds you what the point of infinity pools is, a cafe and lounge (also with a view), and shuttle service to the airport or the coast. Just a comfortable room, and nothing to spoil the scenery; around here, there’s no need to ask for anything more.

Address:

Astarte Suites

Kaldera Akrotiri

Santorini, Greece

The Jake's Hotel

Jakes may as well be the only place to stay because there is no point at all in staying anywhere else. It's one of those places you read about in Conde Naste Traveller and put on your wish list: it has the air of being "undiscovered" (though the guest list is glittering) and is quirky, beautiful and unpretentious.

Jake's has evolved in the image of its creator Sally Henzell, who Art Directed her husband Perry's film The Harder They Come, over time, with love, and a charming almost innocent playfulness, but at the same time with a knowledgeable eye and attention to detail. It settles easily into the landscape and the surrounding community: nothing jars the natural beauty. This contributes to the ease with which guests settle here, and to the sense of being "at home". You never need to get dressed up, though beautiful things settle happily here (Liberty Ross, Kate Moss, Marianne Faithfull...Robbie).

What You Stay In:

Jakes is made up of a cluster of fairy tale dwellings, fallen as if by magic amongst the soft gardens and rocky coves. I stayed in most of them, though Sally has recently added a new sweep of little Moorish castles by the sea. Each home is different, but all have alluring details, alcoves, a cd player, Blue Mountain coffee and the atmosphere of being your own secret place.

The most romantic castaway cabin, 'Sea Puss One' clings to the rocks like the secret refuge of a beach hermit. Its woodland veranda juts out over breaking waves and is overhung with verdant branches that twinkle with emerald dragonflies. With indigo shutters and faded adirondack deck chairs, it is reminiscent of Maine, only the nights are balmier. If the sound of the sea breaking over rocks gives you nightmares, as it does me, you'd be better off in a garden house.

The outdoor shower is a story in itself: a grotto of rock and shells, screened by bamboo, with an enormous monsoon shower head and a surprising antique mirror. Curiously, I left my soap on a stone and it had mysteriously disappeared by morning. A young Jamaican girl suggested that a naughty Duppy took it in the night, or maybe a hermit crab.

A good room to stay in on your own is Marianne Faithfull's favourite Blue Room. It's a simple little room, conveniently situated behind the bar with a shaded terrace, and decorated with Sally's cigar box montages. It may be important to tell you that this is the room where I was least bitten by mosquitoes.

For romance, consider the new Octopussy bungalows which feature an outdoor tub, and a roof terrace fitted with pillows perfect for intimate breakfast and dinner.

I don't want to tell you this, and I haven't stayed in the new houses, but for comfort and peace, my favourite house is Sea Horses. Sea Horses Up (as it is up a wrought iron spiral staircase - Jamaican language is good like that, let's you know what you're getting) has a gorgeous verandah with outdoor french bed, hammock and view across the garden. The plethora of airy windows are curtained with muted warm tones that wake you up in a sweet glow. There's a good amount of storage space, and it it a well-considered space - little corner table and seating lit by a shell lamp, bedside tables, and a big bath. The bath may sound unnecessary in Jamaica, but it really came into its own after a fantastic boat trip in a storm. Then again, I'm someone who takes a hot water bottle on every trip. and I would take everything you think you might need with you to Jake's, because there ain't a lot of shopping going on down there.

Things You Can Do:

*Take a boat trip out to the Pelican Bar - a driftwood shack out at sea. You are most likely to be accompanied by dolphins - we were - if you go with Ted.
*Another boat trip is down to Black River, the crocodile infested bayou of the south coast. Eerie mangrove swamps, spicy soft shell crabs and a lively market, where you can buy fruit, nutmeg and hot pepper sauce. And Real, Big Crocodiles. My cynical, adrenalin-fuelled companion insisted that the crocodile basking on a wooden jetty was fake and made of plastic, until finally our tour guide suggested he get out and touch it. Instead, he threw his paper cup at it and the beast politely opened its huge smiling jawful of teeth up. I so wished the silly twit had jumped out and poked it instead.
*Have a massage from Shirley. A deep, voodooish adventure. You sit in a dark,curtained box, stirring boiling herbs with a wooden stick, until you sweat some deep serious shit, then are laid out and worked on by the elegant mystic herself.
*Sit and watch the sea from Douggie's bar. He'll stay up as long as you do.
*Challenge Sally to a Scrabble game.
*Drink cucumber juice for breakfast, eat pineapple and papaya, ackkee and saltfish, pancakes and lobster. Or walk down the road for some local take-out jerk chicken in a box.
* Get Jason, Sally's son, and Jamaica's 2003 hotelier of the year, to direct you to Little Ochee for lobster, spiny crab and johnny cakes on the beach.

Need to know more?

A 2-hour car journey from Montego Bay airport (the hotel will set you up for US$115 each way) is enough to keep most boring people away from Treasure Beach. On the rarely-visited south coast of Jamaica, there aren't even the hasslers of Negril with their simple cry of "Oran' Joos, Red Stripe...Aloe Massage" to keep you amused. There's only Stanley selling his carvings, and a couple of tiny craft shops. Hardly any restaurants outside the 2 managed by Jake's. No jet ski-ing, parasailing, windsurfing or pedalo-ing on the beach. There isn't a disco, unless you count the semi-clad gyrations of the dancers down at the scary snooker bar, and you can't go out on a glass-bottomed boat to watch the sunset".
Address:

Jake's

Calabash Bay, Treasure Beach

St Elizabeth, Jamaica

The Riyad Al Moussika Hotel

One could reasonably argue that the experience of staying at a historic hotel, an ancient castle, say, or a converted country mansion, can be improved by a bit of familiarity with the heritage of the place, a passing acquaintance with the story of whatever medieval friar or Victorian earl used to own the place. In the case of the Riyad al Moussika, however, the point is open for debate: if you wish, read up on its original owner, the infamously brutal Moroccan ruler (and genuine villain) El Glaoui, and tell us if you sleep any easier in his old palace for knowing the sort of things he was up to in there.

So never mind the old pasha, let’s discuss the riyad. The whole point of these things, the converted inside-out walled-courtyard mansions in the old quarter of Marrakech, is that they offer a little island of serene opulence amid the clamorous bustle of the medina. And if serene opulence is your thing, you’ll be delighted to find that you can’t possibly do much better than the Riyad al Moussika.

This entire palace (which happens to be roughly the size of an American roadside chain motel) is divided into just six lodgings: three suites, two double rooms, and, charmingly, a single. The idea is that you’ll feel like a royal guest, and the experience is designed around this effect, from the incredible detail of the architecture and décor to the friendly and solicitous service to the remarkable feeling of privacy — you might pass an entire stay at the Riyad without noticing that there are in fact other guests.

Custom-made mattresses, Egyptian cotton sheets, English lambswool blankets; the creature comforts are among the best you could ask for, and a damn sight better than the treatment El Glaoui’s guests got — you, for example, are free to come and go as you please. Not that you’ll necessarily need to get out — the Riyad serves stunning French, Italian and Moroccan food, and the endless patios, sitting rooms and courtyard corners would be hard to leave behind.

The Azur

The whole point of New Zealand, from an outsider’s perspective, is the outdoors — there’s city culture there, of course, but what’s worth going on and on about are the natural gifts of the place. So a hotel like Azur plays to all its location’s strengths; it’s urbane and sophisticated, just a few minutes from the center of Queenstown, but mostly it’s just immersed in natural splendor, with views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkable mountain range, and easy access to all the activities, from water sports to heli-skiing, that both entail.

It hardly gets more private than this: nine freestanding villas, practically self-contained residences, just the lack of a kitchen keeping them out of luxury-condo territory. Breakfast is served en-suite or in the lodge, and a variety of canapés and baked goods appear at various times of the day — tea time, cocktail hour, et cetera. Spa tubs sprawl under panoramic windows, and those fireplaces see a bit of use during ski season. It’s almost hard to imagine leaving — luckily Azur provides complimentary transfers to Queenstown’s restaurants.

Of course you’ll want to get out at some point. Holing up in your villa pales in comparison to what the South Island setting has to offer — it’s a destination for all seasons, offering literally any outdoor activity imaginable, depending on the time of year.

The Bora Bora Nui Resort Hotel

The notion of bungalows on pylons in shallow seawater is not a new one — it has been the modus operandi of French Polynesian hoteliers for decades. But there's a reason why this fad never died out, and if you have never experienced overwater bungalow living, it's definitely worth a try.

Bora Bora Nui takes this concept to its most theatrical extreme, with glass panels in the Indonesian hardwood floors of the overwater bungalows, to allow guests to watch the sea life from the privacy of the guest room. And this isn't one of those strict get-away-from-it-all resorts — your smartly decorated bungalow comes complete with a stereo system and two television sets, for those moments when the fish just aren't doing it for you.

There is a beach, naturally, and all the activities one expects from a seaside island resort and then some, from scuba diving and kayaking to shark feeding. The lobby is on stilts just like the bungalows, accessible by paddling in one's canoe or kayak, and yes, on foot as well, but what's the fun in that?

Then again if the thought of all this makes you seasick, there are 36 villas on dry land, scattered along the terraced hillside. Also on dry land is the Mandara spa and fitness center, high atop the hill with panoramic views of Otemanu peak and the surrounding islands. Treatments, including the signature two-hour Bora Bora Indulgence, are administered in one of four private bungalows — though the staff will come to you, if you can't bear to be away from your fish for that long. When in Tahiti reward yourself with a stay in this hotel

The Hotel Healdsburg

Northern California’s wine country has no shortage of lodgings—seemingly every third house is a bed and breakfast. Hotel Healdsburg, though, is something unique; this full service luxury hotel bucks the faux-rustic trend in favor of sleek modern design.

Guest rooms are spacious and smartly decorated, with wood floors and Tibetan rugs, and most open through French doors onto private balconies with views of the town square or the hotel gardens. Bathrooms are impeccably designed, modern, with six-foot soaking tubs of grey stone and separate walk-in showers. Comfort, obviously, is key, evident from the Frette bathrobes and goose down duvets. If you want to go all out, visit the Couples Suite in the spa, offering a double-size soaking tub and a pair of in-room massage tables.

For leisure, there’s a sixty-foot outdoor pool and a well-equipped fitness center, as well as a full-service spa, using all-natural custom-blended products. There are sixty wineries within ten minutes of Healdsburg, and an untold number of restaurants—but the hotel’s own restaurant, the Dry Creek Kitchen, happens to be one of the best. Celebrity chef Charlie Palmer, of New York’s Aureole, serves a simple cuisine emphasizing fresh Sonoma County produce in an unpretentious and relaxed setting. Needless to say, the wine list is rather impressive as well. You’ll be tempted to skip those tastings and vineyard tours, and just shut yourself in your room at the Hotel Healdsburg.

The Le Pavillon De La Reine Hotel

This chateau-styled boutique hotel is blessed with a remarkable location, on the Place des Vosges, in the Marais, in the heart of historic Paris. It is housed in an eighteenth-century mansion, and the décor is full-tilt historical - no stark modernism on display, and nothing that could reasonably be called "minimal." Instead one finds tapestries, oak beams, luxurious fabric wall coverings, striped period furniture, even reproduction oil paintings.

The Place des Vosges was originally called the Place Royale, and was constructed on the orders of Henry IV, who did not live to see its completion. It was intended as a royal residence, though this purpose was never realized. The Place was once a gathering place for figures of high society - the hotel cites Racine and Molière among its visitors. The Marais, the district of Paris that the Pavilion de la Reine calls home, has been restored to its former glory, and is now home to some phenomenal shopping and dining, and a short walk from a variety of tourist destinations.

The historic chateau atmosphere pervades every aspect of one's stay at the Pavillon. Breakfast is served in a vaulted cellar, decorated with tapestries. The reception is dominated by a stone fireplace, and carpets cover a flagstone floor. Modern conveniences are not absent, though; merely understated. All rooms are air-conditioned, with cable television - despite the period décor, the services are thankfully not eighteenth-century.

The JIA Hong Kong Hotel

Jia is Hong Kong’s first boutique hotel, and, surprisingly, the first hotel in Asia for celebrity designer Philippe Starck — whose contributions to the Asian skyline include Felix, the bar at the top of the Peninsula. And though it’s a boutique, it’s anything but fluff; when the competition consists of prim old colonial hotels and big chains flagships, an upstart, however flashy, must offer something of substance.

In fact to measure this hotel against other boutiques would be apples and oranges; - these are more than just hotel rooms as they feature fully equipped kitchens, complete with sexy (though unfortunately named) Smeg appliances, and the thoughtful convenience of dining-room tables. Of course the prevailing tone is white, but teak floors and golden yellow overtones make the decor more livable, long-term, than the average theatrical Starck hotel room.

Laundry service is available, but if you want to really feel like it’s your apartment, you can do it yourself, in what must be one of the world’s only outdoor terrace laundromats. You can also do-it-yourself with cooking in your kitchen, or you can order in-room dining. JIA has one restaurant: OPIA - popular with the city’s hip and fashionista crowd for a provocative dining and lounge experience – the menu here features award winning Melbourne Chef Teage Ezard’s Australian free style cuisine with influences from Asia.

Alternatively, the local area is filled with restaurants and cafes, and once out the door, dining won’t be an issue. The location is a bit of a departure for Hong Kong hotels; Causeway Bay is the shopping and entertainment district on Hong Kong Island, and though filled with shoppers and revelers, it’s got an authentic edge as well. Sure, the Bentley and Ferrari dealers are around the corner, but the neighborhood is densely populated, and you’re as likely to see locals hanging up laundry as tourists clutching shopping bags. There’s no in-house gym, but you’ll have a complimentary pass to the California Fitness Club a few blocks away, or you can get your exercise by shopping vigorously—and relax with a chilled drink on the sundeck when you return.

The Hotel Giraffe

It’s a strange animal in a slightly eccentric location — the Giraffe stands on Park Avenue South at 26th street, north of downtown and south of Midtown, well outside the bounds of the tourist traps and hipster neighborhoods. In this neighborhood you can safely forget about minimalism or Soho-style loft bedrooms — the Giraffe’s interiors are Modern in style, a sort of French-inflected post-Art Deco look, a perfect complement to the vaguely European turn-of-the-century architecture along Madison and Park avenues. The experience isn’t overwhelmingly retro, but the rooftop garden and the elegant lobby, filled with the gentle strains of piano music, can’t help but carry a tinge of a bygone era. And the rooms are spacious, especially by New York hotel standards, with ten-foot ceilings and, in the deluxe rooms, French doors opening onto balconies over Park Avenue South.

The location is a touch on the quiet side, but this shouldn’t put you off; it’s certainly not remote, and like anywhere in Manhattan it’s close by to a wealth of dining and entertainment options. There’s a continental breakfast included in the rate, and a restaurant downstairs, as well as easy access to dozens of others nearby, from fast food to fine dining to the one and only Shake Shack.

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