ultratravel

The Telegraph

SPECIAL ISSUE
50
OUR GUIDE TO THE

GREATEST hOTELS
IN THE wORLD

ultratravel 
 Where
dreams live
and emotions
are born
SOMMEtOutE - fusiodesign.com
 From dreams
& inspiration springs
the royal mansour

From the exquisite mosaics adorning

its palatial interiors to the mesmerising
murmur of the fountains in the courtyards,
the Royal Mansour refects the beauty, grace
and indeed, the very soul of Morocco.
A frst glimpse of this sensual luxury makes
the heart beat faster, awakening the senses.
But the true relaxation offered by this
paradise in the centre of bustling Marrakech
can only be experienced by a stay amidst the
elegant tranquillity and attention to detail
of the Royal Mansour. You and those you love
will leave refreshed in mind, body and spirit.

TEL.+212 (0) 529 80 80 80 www.royalmansour.com

 JAMAICA ANTIGUA SAINT LUCIA BAHAMAS GRENADA BARBADOS

VOTED THE WORLD’S LEADING

ALL-INCLUSIVE
RESORTS

The Caribbean’s Best Beaches Stunning Pools Up to 16 Gourmet Restaurants per Resort Unlimited Land & Water Sports Included
 2015

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Sunset Bluff Millionaire Butler Villa Suite w/Private Pool Sanctuary at Sandals Regency La Toc

A Sandals Luxury Included® Holiday caters to your every

desire at the most decadently romantic resorts in the world.
And best of all, it’s all included, all unlimited, all the time.
Endless land and water sports, including scuba diving* and
golf^. Gourmet Discovery Dining at up to 16 outstanding
restaurants per resort and premium drinks including Robert For more information Call 0800 742 742
Mondavi Twin Oaks wines served at up to 11 bars. At Sandals, Visit sandals.co.uk | See your local travel agent
love is all you need, because everything else is included! *Free for certifed divers. ^ Manadatory caddies at cost
a traveler review

SECLUDED
TROPICAL
OASIS
joeysal77, New York

St. Regis Bahía Beach Resort, Río Gra

Grande

Toro Verde Nature Adventure Park, Orocovis Old San Juan

P U E R T O R I C O AWA I T S !
With so many world class attractions to explore and enjoy, your days and nights will be filled with unforgettable experiences:

• Breathtaking beaches perfect for relaxing or enjoying your favorite water sport, including Flamenco in Culebra,
one of the most award-winning in the world
• Historic and unique Old San Juan, with structures that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• 3 of the world's 6 bioluminescent bays are in Puerto Rico
• El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the United States Forest System
• Toro Verde, nature adventure park with the tallest and longest ziplines in the world
• Over 20 golf courses with breathtaking views
• A vibrant and music-filled nightlife
• World famous local cuisine that will enchant your taste buds

Come to Puerto Rico and live your own five star vacation story.

SEEPUERTORICO.COM See Puerto Rico @PRTourismCo SeePuertoRico

 JA N UA RY 16 2016

The FAB

50
The George V, Carlyle, Cipriani, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Sandy Lane…
the fabulous properties that have not made our fnal cut reads like someone
else’s hot hotel list. But I maintain that absence makes the list grow stronger.
Starting with a clean slate, our team of editors, luxury travel writers, hotel
specialists and destination experts have scoured the globe to bring you only the
very best. We have not accepted the status quo, the grandes dames have not
enjoyed their usual seats at the top table and nor have we added new properties
simply for the sake of freshness. So what do these eclectic hotels have in common?
Firstly, they have each earned their place. Every hotel has been tried, tested,
rated and cross-compared – and that was just to make the long-list.
Secondly, they offer something extraordinary – be it location, service, style,
soul, design, seclusion, facilities, romance. But above all, these are properties
that will affect the way you feel. Life should be better when you check in.
Welcome to the Ultratravel guide to the greatest hotels on Earth.

Editor

Our HOTEL ExpErTs

COVER IMAGES: ADAM PARKER; THE SARTORIAlIST; MARTIN KREuzER

Doug Rogers
From his Virginia home, the
author and journalist makes
regular forays to New York –
and the Crosby Street Hotel.
“I enjoy it not only for their
decadent afternoon tea, but
also because you never know
who you might see there. On my
first visit, it was General Colin
Powell at the bar with outré
comedian Sandra Bernhard.”
Fiona Duncan
The Telegraph’s expert has been
writing about hotels for 30 years,
so selecting just a few favourites
for this issue was no easy task.
A hotel she keeps returning to,
though, is Lime Wood. “It’s
a sanctuary: a combination
of glamorous and homely,
welcoming and tranquil, in the
middle of the New Forest.”
Lee Cobaj
After two years in Thailand, this traveller
has just moved back to her childhood
home of Hong Kong, from where she
writes about Asia. A hotel she particularly
likes, she says, is in Bali. “I could quite
happily hole up at the Alila Uluwatu for
months at a time, flitting between early
morning yoga classes, sublime seafood
lunches and long spa sessions.”
Francesca Syz ultratravel
The London-based traveller Editor Charles Starmer-Smith
writes a weekly hotel column Creative director Johnny Morris
for The Telegraph Magazine Deputy editor Lisa Grainger
and is a great fan of Ett Hem Photography editor Joe Plimmer
Hotels editor Caroline Shearing
hotel in Stockholm. “I love
Sub editors Vicki Reeve
their attention to detail.
Tim Jepson
The chefs treat guests like Executive publisher for
old friends, rustling up Ultratravel Limited Nick Perry
off-plan treats at breakfast
based on things they’ve
Nigel Tisdall Publisher Toby Moore
Advertising inquiries
subtly gleaned you like.”
Our Caribbean specialist was 07768 106322 (Nick Perry)
particularly impressed with 020 7931 3239 (Chelsea Bradbury)
Belle Mont Farm on St Kitts Ultratravel, 111 Buckingham Palace
“because of the way this Road, London SW1W 0DT
pioneering hotel is reawakening Twitter @TheHotelegraph
us to the joys of island produce.
Luscious organic avocados,
tangy Nevisian honey, fresh guava
juice and tuna straight off the
boat – get ready for the next big
foodie destination.”

PLUS

Ariela Bard, Rosemary Behan, Annie Bennett, Adrian Bridge, Michelle Jana Chan, Gill Charlton, Sally Davies, Pippa de Bruyn, Kiki Deere, Danielle Demetriou,
Tim Ecott, Lisa Grainger, Doug Gray, Gabriella Le Breton, Lee Marshall, Fred Mawer, Fionnuala McHugh, Johnny Morris, Chris Moss, John O’Ceallaigh, Natalie Paris,
Debbie Pappyn, Anthony Peregrine, Nigel Richardson, Caroline Shearing, Charles Starmer-Smith, Nick Trend, Celia Walden and Claire Wrathall

ultratravel 
COOL IT The Moroccan chill-out
lounge at Finca Cortesín in Casares

10 ultratravel
 europe
Our experts
Annie Bennett, Adrian Bridge, Michelle Jana Chan,
Sally Davies, Kiki Deere, Fiona Duncan, Lisa Grainger,
Gabriella Le Breton, Lee Marshall, John O’Ceallaigh,
Anthony Peregrine, Caroline Shearing, Francesca Syz,
Nigel Tisdall, Nick Trend

FINCA CORTESIN
Costa de l S o l - SPAIN

It Is all about cool calmness at Finca Cortesín, an

andalusian idyll where jasmine and roses scent the air. In
the foothills of the sierra Bermeja, between Marbella and
sotogrande, this is the Costa del sol without the glitz but
with a lot of understated glamour. set in a vast estate with
one of the best golf courses in spain and a superb spa, it
is actually less than a decade old but looks like a traditional
country house, thanks to the renowned interior designer
Duarte Pinto Coelho, who sourced antiques from spain,
Portugal, Morocco and beyond. there are 67 suites and villas
with four bedrooms, all with plenty of space and peace.
From the moment guests arrive, they sense that everything
will be taken care of as they sink into a chair in the shade
of an ancient olive tree or dive into one of the pools – there
are four, including one down at the Beach Club. the Kabuki
Raw restaurant has just gained a Michelin star and the
Mediterranean cuisine at El Jardín de lutz deserves one too. AB
Doubles from £280; fincacortesin.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/fincacortesin

ultratravel 11
 LES FERMES dE MARIE
Megève - FRANCE
As JeAn-Louis and Jocelyne sibuet strolled in the
mountains above stylish Megève, they were captivated
by the rustic charm of the ancient timber chalets
peppering the Alpine pastures. several years later, in 1989,
the duo launched their first Megève hotel, Les Fermes de
Marie, made of materials from those very chalets,
transported a short walk from the heart of Megève and
painstakingly restored. Reminiscent of a rural hamlet,
linked by meandering footpaths and burbling streams,
the nine chalets contain 70 cosy rooms and suites,
three restaurants, a ski shop and the original cowshed-
chic spa. in the outdoor hot tub, guests soak ski-tired
legs, contemplating the blanket of snow settled over wide
timber eaves, the fragrant pine swags and neatly stacked
logs cut for the countless open fires that warm the hotel’s
restaurants, inviting snugs and free-standing chalets.
The smallest of the chalets, Mont Blanc, is surely one
of the world’s finest suites: picture-perfect, with its own
garden, a homely sitting room with a vast open fire
and a romantic double room. GLB
Doubles from £298; fermesdemarie.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/fermesdemarie
HotEL du CAP-EdEN-RoC
Ant ibe s - FRAN CE
A ThRowBAck to the F scott Fitzgerald era, this grand
19th-century mansion on cap d’Antibes has 117 rooms and
two villas with sumptuous Louis XV and XVi furnishings,
gilded mirrors and chandeliers. The gastronomic eden-
Roc Restaurant has just been renovated and serves
classics such as roasted sea bass and lobster with
tarragon; the Grill offers Provençal-style gambas at the
seafront pavilion. set among nine hectares of landscaped
gardens, there are five clay tennis courts, a sisley spa
and a seawater pool cut into the natural rock. A seafront
diving board and overwater trapeze launch bathers into
the Mediterranean and there is a jetty for guests arriving
by boat. Best of all are the 33 beach cabins where the
illustrious and notorious come to hide: Marc chagall used
to paint on these clifftops, Roger Moore waterskied
here and Johnny weissmuller used to do his signature
Tarzan yell as he dived into the sea. MJC
Doubles from £400; hotel-du-cap-eden-roc.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/hotelducapedenroc
12 ultratravel
GRESHAM PALACE
B u d ape st - H U N GARY
If servIce is a hallmark of a great
hotel, then Gresham Palace can
be said to deliver. A guest wanting
to propose to his girlfriend in style
asked for her to be given a wake-up
call by a bell boy dressed as a
Hungarian Hussar. (she said yes.)
If style is another criterion, this
magnificent building, originally the
creation of the London-based
Gresham Life Assurance society
and a meeting place for Budapest’s
affluent and arty, has it in abundance.
A €100m renovation in 2004 brought
the building back to its fin-de-siècle
prime, complete with art-nouveau
flourishes, zsolnay tiles and wrought-
iron Peacock Gates, and added some
extra four seasons pizzazz. When it
comes to location, Gresham Palace’s
position on the Danube, directly
overlooking the twinkling lights of
the chain Bridge, also earns it 10
out of 10. The wow factor begins
the moment guests set foot in the
hotel’s spectacular lobby, extends to
the Kollázs Brasserie & Bar and
continues right through to the
wake-up call the following morn. ABr
‘Four Seasons has the
Doubles from £240; fourseasons.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/
greshampalace
Ett HEM
Stoc k ho lm - SWE D E N
iT’s noT eAsy to offer immaculate service and be disarmingly
down to earth at the same time, but staff at the 12-room ett
hem in stockholm’s leafy embassy district manage the trick
with aplomb. The name means “home” – in this case, a stylish
temple to nordic cosiness. housed in a mansion built in 1910,
the hotel’s design shows how it might have looked in its
day, with candlelit, parquet-floored drawing rooms furnished
with contemporary and vintage scandinavian furniture – one
with a grand piano for all to play – that lead into a book-lined
dining room. There are plenty of places to curl up, dine or
both. The food is exceptional: the chefs – several escapees
from Michelin-starred restaurants – rustle up local, seasonal
meals on request (beef tartare kimchi was a favourite)
in front of guests at the kitchen table. There’s also a pretty
conservatory, terraced garden and swedish sauna. each
bedroom is decadent and unique, with an antique porcelain-
tiled wood burner here, a vast free-standing tub there. FS
Doubles from £300; etthem.se
Full review telegraph.co.uk/etthem
 AbAdiA RetueRtA LedOMAiNe
V a l l adol i d - SPAI N

Lying in the bath, gazing across vineyards to

the mountains beyond while sipping a glass
of velvety Abadía Retuerta wine, is a pretty
good way to sink into the LeDomaine experience.
A Romanesque abbey in the Ribera del Duero
region is the spectacular setting for one of Spain’s
most sumptuous hotels. Although it dates back
to the 12th century, this is very much a 21st-century
place, with a Michelin-starred restaurant in the
former refectory and a spa where treatments
are based on a guest’s taste in wine. Although the
building and the surrounding estate are vast, there
are only 30 rooms and suites, mostly created
from the former monks’ cells, with newer options
in the stables. Members of staff outnumber guests
but are invariably unobtrusive. Personal butlers
are on call whenever anything is needed. The
former cloister garden is now a soothing spot
for languid breakfasts, while the chapter house

level of consistency you strive for as a hotelier’

has been turned into a bar for after-dinner drinks.
The church is an intimate venue for a wedding –
and no one would want to go anywhere else
sir rocco forte
for a honeymoon. AB
Doubles from £310; ledomaine.es
Full review telegraph.co.uk/abadiaretuertaledomaine

LiMe wOOd
Hampsh ire - U N Ite d KIN g do m

iT’S ALL about attention to detail at this ravishing,

deeply luxurious new Forest lair. Oak doors are thick;
paint finishes rich; floor lights come on as you walk
into the bathroom from your quietly opulent bedroom;
stylised sitting rooms, one with billiard table, melt one
into another, pale lemon into lilac into sage green,
each with an open fire. in the sybaritic Herb House spa,
guests can take in the forest views from the massive
sauna and eat inspired raw food in the Raw & Cured café.
Lime Wood is also home to Hartnett Holder & Co,
a heaven-sent partnership between that most grounded
of celebrity chefs, Angela Hartnett, and Lime Wood’s
own Luke Holder. Their italian-influenced forest dishes
and sharing plates are served in a richly coloured
velvety dining room that’s as glam as it’s laid-back. it’s
how we want to live today, and Lime Wood has captured
the mood. its setting at the heart of 145 square miles
of ancient heath and woodland only enhances its
standing as the epitome of chic rural luxury. FD
Doubles from £315; limewoodhotel.co.uk
Full review telegraph.co.uk/limewood

ultratravel 13
9:47PM
Te moment you defned
“personal best time.”

The perfect vacation leaves you with a

new perspective, connecting you to those
experiences you wouldn’t encounter
anywhere else. It doesn’t have to take
place at a 32-acre, luxury oceanfront resort
along Hawaii’s beautiful Kohala Coast.
It doesn’t have to feature a private beach
club and a culinary destination like Marcus’
in Hamilton, Bermuda. It doesn’t have to
energize you at one of the world’s Leading
Spas in a palace in Montreux, Switzerland.
But it could. Welcome to Fairmont.

Gateway to your moment in over 20 countries.

fairmont.com
 GRAND hOtEL A VILLA
FELtRINELLI
l a ke Ga rd a - italy

LAke CoMo is perhaps the best known of the

italian lakes, but it’s Garda that is home to the
region’s finest hotel. formerly the retreat of
lumber magnate faustino feltrinelli’s sons,
Villa feltrinelli was home to Mussolini from 1943
to 1945 during the republic of salò. the turreted
wedding-cake pink villa is immersed in eight
acres of gardens shaded by olive, oak and
magnolia trees on the lake’s western shore.
with only 21 rooms, decorated with antiques
and historic prints, overnighting here is like
staying at a friend’s country home. on a
summer’s afternoon there’s nothing like a game
of croquet on the green, unwinding by the pool
or strolling in the lemon garden. with a staff
ratio of three to one, service is second to none.
And with two Michelin stars, stefano Baiocco
makes creative dishes that blend prized
ingredients with food from italy’s cucina povera.
there’s no need to dash to breakfast as it’s
served all day, and can be enjoyed anywhere,
just as it would be at a friend’s house. kD
Doubles from £798; villafeltrinelli.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/villafeltrinelli
FOUR SEASONS MOSCOW
M o s cow - R USS ia

A MiXtUre of stalin-era design, cinematic views and contemporary western styling have transformed this 21st-century
reimagining of the former Hotel Moskva (1935-2004) into a world-class wonder. four seasons took over the landmark
building in 2014 after a multimillion-pound reconstruction, thereby securing one of the most exclusive addresses – between
the kremlin and state duma – in the city. this proximity to power adds to the illusion of living like a moneyed local, a notion
fuelled by shimmering chandeliers, spa treatments that feature flakes of 24-carat gold, and marble-clad corridors that echo
to the click of killer heels en route to the low-lit cocktail bar. the sense of hedonism reaches a climax in the kremlin-facing
suites, where the views of red square and st Basil’s Cathedral make these the ultimate post-clubbing party pads. CS
Doubles from £213; fourseasons.com Full review telegraph.co.uk/fourseasonsmoscow

CLARIDGE’S
lon don - Uni te d K in Gd o M

if tHere’s one hotel that would make a perfect,

spoiling gift, it’s Claridge’s. once the staid and
stately base for royalty and dowager duchesses,
it is today at a pinnacle in its 160-year history.
slip past the celebrity-spotters outside, through
the revolving door and into the glacial marble-
floored front Hall, once a turning circle for
horse-drawn carriages. take the wrought-iron
lift, with sofa and attendant, to your room or
suite, perhaps designed by david Linley or
diane von fürstenberg. in the wonderful COttON hOUSE hOtEL
chrome and marble art-deco bathroom, B arcel on a - S Pa i n
luxuriate in the sunken tub, which fills in
seconds. see and be seen at breakfast or tea in renowned designer
the ravishing foyer or for champagne in the Lázaro rosa-Violán has
showy Claridge’s Bar, or slip into simon rogan’s worked his theatrical,
sylvan restaurant, fera, or the shadowy fumoir baroque magic on this
for cocktails. Underpinned by continuity and neoclassical, 19th-
depth of service, Claridge’s is a ribbon-tied gift century building, once
box of a gorgeous, glamorous hotel. FD home to the cotton-
Doubles from £420; claridges.co.uk makers’ guild. Artfully
Full review telegraph.co.uk/claridges desilvered floor-to-
ceiling mirrors reflect
vast sprays of cotton
bolls and white sofas,
and a majestic 1950s
suspended spiral
staircase rises from
the vestibule. in a year,
the Cotton House has
set a new benchmark for
hotel design and
immaculate service. in
L’Atelier, a salon lined
with bolts of cotton,
guests can choose from
swatches of super-soft
fabric and ask that
a tailor measure them
up for a shirt. next door,
in the coffered, frescoed
library, they can pull up
a turquoise armchair
by the fire and request
a cocktail from a discreet
navy-clad waitress. the
Batuar restaurant does
not disappoint, either,
with Catalan-inspired
dishes given creative
pizzazz and served, in
summer, on a colonial-
styled terrace shaded by
date palms and parasols.
Upstairs, a plunge pool
and daybeds offer an
oasis from which to
admire the spires of the
sagrada família. SD
Doubles from £175;
hotelcottonhouse.com
Full review telegraph.
co.uk/cottonhouse
BELMOND hOtEL SPLENDIDO
Po r tof i n o - italy
Portofino is a theatrically pretty fishing village on the Ligurian riviera, where
traditional wooden boats and venerable churches sit beside mighty superyachts
and shiny outposts of Pucci and Gucci. Lording over this tripperish scene is
the indisputably splendid Belmond Hotel splendido, set high on a hillside, with
a glorious wisteria-cloaked façade, terraced gardens with infinity pool, and an
abiding sense that this really is one of the great hotels of italy. rex Harrison
started it all when he bought a villa nearby in the 1950s, and although this former
Benedictine monastery is now filled with photographs of its many glamorous
guests, there’s little stuffiness. Life here is all about a lazy lunch on the panoramic
terrace, with its lemon trees and views over Portofino Bay, as genial, long-serving
staff in café-crème jackets deliver dreamy dishes such as ravioli with walnut sauce
and baked sea bream. the 67 charming rooms and suites are spread over
five floors. Most have a balcony and sea view – perfect for throwing open the
shutters on a sunny morning and feeling in love with life. NTi
Doubles from £407; belmond.com Full review telegraph.co.uk/belmondsplendido

ultratravel 15
 CasTeLLO di CasOLe
Tus ca ny - ITA LY
La ReseRve
Luchino Visconti knew a spectacular set when he saw Pa ris - FRA NCE
one, and in the 1960s, at the height of his film-making
fame, he choose this 10th-century hilltop tuscan estate this JAcquEs Garcia-designed bathrooms lined in white
as his country retreat. in a land of sublime views, the hotel feels more like the palatial carrara marble. the views, from
360-degree prospect over the countryside between home of a Parisian millionaire wrought-iron balconies, are as
san Gimignano and siena is unparalleled. Four years ago, (such as its former owner, romantic as the finest in Paris:
the castle and the cluster of buildings around it were Pierre cardin) than a hotel. over the copper Pantheon
converted into a hotel, while the old farmhouses Located in the eighth domes towards the Eiffel tower.
scattered around the surrounding vineyards, olive groves arrondissement, in a row of should any guest consider
and flower meadows have been restored as luxury villas. grand haussmann-era houses, leaving their suite, there’s
the owners – timbers Resorts – have done a superb job: it oozes bourgeois decadence, a candelit spa downstairs,
the 50-odd bedrooms retain their original beamed its antique-filled living spaces slick, elegantly attired staff
ceilings, terracotta floors and exposed stonework, while walled in ruby silk, its gilded to arrange excursions, and
antique furniture is combined with sumptuous italian library adorned with leather- fine-dining menus by hot chef
fabrics and topnotch facilities. Ristorante tosca – which bound tomes, its floors Jérôme Banctel to sample. it’s
spills into the central courtyard – hits the right note with scattered with Persian rugs. the discreet place for the pretty
outstanding regionally inspired dishes, homemade pastas, the rooms, though, are light and powerful to meet, so
local meats and estate-produced olive oils and wine. and considered. Walls and nothing’s a bargain. But it’s so
An Essere spa and a lavish pool top the list of facilities doors are solid and deliciously French that the only
in this idyllic, immaculately run hotel. nt soundproofed. Lights can be response is a Gallic shrug. LG
Doubles from £382; castellodicasole.com turned off with one simple Doubles from £547; lareserve-
Full review telegraph.co.uk/castellodicasole switch. Beds are swathed in paris.com Full review
crisp quagliotti linen and telegraph.co.uk/lareserve

ultratravel 17

BAStiDe De GOrDeS
Proven ce - FrA nCe
PROVenCe’S tOUGH past has long provided the
setting for the well heeled and tasteful: hill-topping
villages, castles, ramparts. Rip out the ruffians and
they’re ripe for luxury. thus, the Bastide de Gordes,
clamped to the cliffside of france’s most fashionable
perched village. Here, among tight streets and steep
stairways, are french media stars, the more discreet
billionaires and visitors who like to be cushioned by
a five-star experience. the Bastide is their place.
Last year’s £18-million refit transformed a fine hotel
into a world beater. Its old façades unfold down the
drop where once the ramparts stood, in a series
of stone terraces bearing grey-green vegetation,
swimming pools and sunlit hideaways. Views to the
Luberon hills mesmerise. within, the 40 rooms and
suites recall the sumptuous side of the 18th century.
Corridors and stairs, rich with treasures, rarely arrive
at the same place twice. Manorial salons impose
elegance. Young staff, dressed as if for a fête circa
1912, have the bounce and smiles of a US musical
comedy. and down below there is the Sisley spa.
fine dining is in the hands of Michelin-man Pierre
Gagnaire; there’s a cheaper brasserie along the same
terrace. as you finish the rosé, replete, Provence is at
your feet. It’s been there a long time. It will wait. AP
Doubles from £141; bastide-de-gordes.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/bastidedegordes
Magnus Marding; Misseverywhere.coM; getty
the Gritti PALACe
Ven ice - I TA LY
“If we want everything to stay as it is,
everything needs to change.” So says tancredi
in the great twilight-of-the-aristocracy novel
Il Gattopardo. It could be the motto of historic
Venetian grande dame the Gritti Palace, whose
recent £36.5m top-to-toe restoration was
designed to make everything look the same –
just even more opulently stylish. One example:
every sparkling teardrop pendant of every
vintage chandelier was detached, repaired or
replaced and polished by Murano artisans. the
upgrade is most keenly felt in the 82 rooms,
their antique décor and fine Rubelli silk fabrics
freshened up by designer Chuck Chewning,
without forfeiting any romance. Personable GM
Paolo Lorenzoni is one of the best in the country
– courteous, ever-present, quick to respond to
problems – and the staff, in their impeccable
vintage liveries, are role models in a city
that doesn’t always get service right.
a waterside breakfast on the terrace overlooking
the shimmering Grand Canal has to be one
of the great Venetian experiences – it knocks
a Bellini in Harry’s Bar into a cocked hat. LM
Doubles from £310; thegrittipalace.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/grittipalace
D-hOteL MAriS
Mar mar i s - TU rKeY
SURROUnDeD by dramatic volcanic rocks and hillsides lush with almond trees,
D-Hotel Maris stands in an unblemished nature reserve and looks towards the aegean
and Mediterranean. Repeat guests know to request a harbour-facing room for the best
views and to make a point of sailing those turquoise-tinted waters aboard the resort’s
100ft yacht Pasa. Kayaking, diving and more can also be arranged at the watersports
centre, five beaches provide variety and a spa offers refuge on rare rainy days. On summer
evenings, dinner can be taken at an alfresco outpost of London’s Japanese restaurant
Zuma or one of five other dining options. wherever guests end up, service is sincere,
the crowd sophisticated and the atmosphere carefree. an additional bonus is that it’s
just a two-hour drive, or 25-minute helicopter transfer, from Dalaman airport. JO’C
Doubles from £220; dhotel.com.tr Full review telegraph.co.uk/dhotel
BALLYFiN
Co unty L aoi s - Ire LAnd
One Of Ireland’s most lavish neoclassical
houses, Ballyfin stands in its own 614-acre
demesne, full of delights, including lake (with
glorious new water feature), water cascade,
Victorian fernery, edwardian rockery and
walled garden, not to mention the tower,
which has panoramic views of the Slieve
Bloom mountains from the top. a Downton-
esque knot of neatly uniformed staff awaits
each arriving guest, setting the tone for
service that is old school, yet full of Irish
warmth. the reception rooms are filled
with superb antiques and paintings and
there is a classically styled indoor pool and
two treatment rooms. every bedroom is
gorgeous, in classic Irish country-house style.
Perhaps the loveliest is Lady Caroline Coote,
with its graceful empire-style ceiling, but
it’s hard to choose. five more have recently
been added, making 20, from the lake-view
Lady Kildare, with its delicate chinoiserie,
to the subtle Indian accents of Lady
Mornington. as for the food, it lives up to the
surroundings. Standards are sky-high; this
is the sort of place where one jarring note
would spoil the show – but it never does. fd
Doubles from £407; ballyfin.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/ballyfin
ultratravel 19
 CAYMAN BRAC
LITTLE CAYMAN

GRAND CAYMAN

3 of life’s
little luxuries

ca ymanislands.co.uk

There’s more than one type of

seahorse in the Cayman Islands.
 ASIA & AUSTRALASIA
Our expertS Gill Charlton, Lee Cobaj, Danielle Demetriou, Fiona Duncan, Lisa Grainger, Gabriella Le Breton, Fionnuala McHugh, Johnny Morris, Natalie Paris, Charles Starmer-Smith

NIHIWAtu
Su mba - I N DO NE S I A

An hour’s flight east of Bali is sumba: an island

of ancestral villages, tribal traditions and, on
a forested fringe of long golden beach, nihiwatu.
originally a surf resort, it reopened in 2014
under James McBride, formerly of The Carlyle
in new York, and soon became known for its
simple luxuries and eco approach. Its villas –
the largest of which has its own pavilions,
kitchen and library – have pointed thatched
roofs that are typically sumbanese, private
infinity pools and bales set in gardens of banana
and frangipani trees. Butlers who attend to
the villas are happy to reveal their animist
culture to guests, whether that’s the symbols
woven into local ikat cloth or the importance of
the island’s spear-throwing festival. Experiences
include riding ponies into the surf, nudging
a paddleboard down-river, diving, and surfing
one of the world’s most famous left-hand breaks.
It’s a place in which, somewhere between
the sea spray and lost-world traditions, it’s
possible to lose yourself completely. NP
Doubles from £435; nihiwatu.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/nihiwatu
Tânia araújo

ultratravel 21
 QUALIA
Whi tsu ndays - AU STRALIA
When architect chris Beckingham designed
Qualia, the 60-pavilion resort perched on the
northernmost point of hamilton island, his brief
was to “draw the outside in”. When “outside” is the
tip of the World heritage-listed Great Barrier reef,
home to the world’s largest coral-reef ecosystem,
this meant capturing the glorious natural profusion
of the island. handcrafted from wood and stone,
the buildings blend into the natural terrain as
effortlessly as a koala curled in a gumtree.
all the exquisitely appointed pavilions face the
water, with uninterrupted views over the coral Sea,
and some have their own private plunge pools.
this is a self-contained haven with relaxation at its
heart, so guests are provided with their own golf
ALILA ULUWATU buggies to move around the manicured grounds
B uk i t Pe n i n su l a - BALI between two restaurants serving fine australian
cuisine, a cocktail bar, two pools and a private
neW arriVaLS here find it nigh on impossible not to whip out their smartphones and beach, library and spa with a wide range of
immediately try to capture the hotel’s phenomenal modernist architecture and indian Ocean treatments. Slow mornings might be spent
views. Perched atop cliffs on Bali’s peaceful Bukit Peninsula, alila uluwatu is all straight strolling on the beach by a glittering sea or just
lines, vivid whites, shimmering blues and black lava rocks. Villas are stylish and soothing, lying in on soft, downy beds. ABa
with private pools and butlers who, depending on requests for private, discreet or indulgent Doubles from £500; qualia.com.au
service, either lavish attention or flit around like genies, leaving treats on the table or Full review telegraph.co.uk/qualia
geranium face masks by the bathtub. Morning yoga sessions are invigorating, as are
laps of the 164ft cliff-hanging infinity pool. at the spa, warm coconut-oil massages leave
guests suspended somewhere between nodding off and nirvana. an added feel-good factor
comes from knowing that this is the first hotel in Bali to receive the highest level of
certification for environmentally sustainable design. LC
Doubles from £615; alilahotels.com Full review telegraph.co.uk/alilauluwatu

The UPPeR hOUSe

H ong Kon g - CH I N A

the cLue’S in the name. this is about

ascending into a realm that’s more supremely
stylish abode than hotel. the city’s babble
ceases at the Stone curtain, an entrance wall
designed by thomas heatherwick. Beyond,
two flickering lanterns (good feng shui) light
‘I’m sure heaven
guests’ path up, up, up… via escalator and lift,
past scattered artworks of sinuous curve
and tempting texture. rooms – wonderfully
spacious, filled with sky – begin on the 38th
floor. at this height, hong Kong’s harbour is
a glittering distant necklace and, depending
on the room, the reach-out-and-touch TAJ mAhAL PALAce mUmBAI
mountains a vision of tranquillity. Forget the Mumbai - IN d IA
usual trimmings: there’s no check-in desk,
no pool or spa and the gym’s tiny; there isn’t When indian industrialist Jamsetji hover in the hope of a tip. the concierges
even paper – guest information arrives via an tata built this glorious indian Gothic have all of Mumbai at their fingertips,
iPod touch. elsewhere, though, the amenity confection in 1903, he wanted it to be from the best guided tours (my tip:
bags burst with ren skincare products, there’s the finest hotel in india, a place of Mumbai by dawn) to seats at the art
a hidden lawn, a library with flickering glamour and faultless service that was deco regal for the latest Bollywood
fireplace, and an enveloping sense of urban open to all. and it was – and it is. it may blockbuster. and when the city and its
respite. and, on the 49th floor, is a single, host a stream of a-list celebrities but traffic become too much, there’s no
perfect restaurant called café Gray deluxe, everyone experiences the same genuine better retreat than the Sea Lounge for
a gem set in the clouds. Fm warmth and courtesy from its devoted Mumbai street-food (in particular,
Doubles from £400; upperhouse.com staff. rooms with a sea view in the bhelpuri), cucumber sandwiches for tea,
Full review telegraph.co.uk/theupperhouse original Palace Wing are the finest, or a cold glass of indian wine as the sun
reached via a magnificent cantilevered sets over the arabian Sea. GC
staircase that climbs five floors to the Doubles from £160; tajhotels.com
dome. Butlers arrive in a trice and never Full review telegraph.co.uk/tajmumbai

22 ultratravel
 INIALA BEACH HOUSE
Ph u ket - THA ILA ND

Two years after its opening on the sands of
Natai Beach, just north of Phuket, this refined
designer property has established itself as one
of the most sought-after hotels in asia. and
not just because of its fantastical design –
there are beds which drop from the ceiling and
appear to hover above the floor, turquoise
starfish-shaped sofas and swarovski crystal-
encrusted pool tables – or its exquisite dining,
which is masterminded by eneko atxa, the
youngest spanish chef to be awarded three
Michelin stars. No, it’s because Iniala delivers
the kind of privacy that saudi princesses,
russian oligarchs, Californian tech giants and
Hollywood royalty require. with just three
three-bedroom villas, a penthouse suite and
associated children’s hotel, fronted by plenty
of private sand, it’s ideal for an exclusive
buy-out. Not that the four-villa mini hotel is
a gilded cage. activities include everything
from Muay Thai boxing classes with world-
class coaches and otherworldly spa treatments
in mother-of-pearl-clad cocoons to yachting
around the ancient sea-stacks that scatter the
waters of the glass-green andaman sea. LC
Doubles from £1,765; iniala.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/iniala

won’t look that dissimilar to Alila Villas Uluwatu. I cried when I had to leave’
naomie harris

AmAnsArA
Sie m Rea p - CA MBOD IA

AmAnsArA wAs originally a 1960s French modernist villa commissioned by

King sihanouk as a summer retreat for his VIP guests. The Aman group restored
the building in 2002 and later brought its signature minimalist style to bear
on a spa, a lap pool and 12 new suites furnished with terrazzo floors, hardwood
fittings, sandstone reliefs and private courtyard plunge pools. This refreshed
architectural gem is now run with sparkling efficiency by sally Baughen and her
staff and provides a perfect sanctuary from the booming streets of downtown
siem reap. more importantly, the hotel lies on the threshold of the Unesco
world Heritage site, home to Angkor wat and the jungle-clad ruins of
the Khmer Empire. Guests are provided with their own tuk-tuk and driver to
explore the rich heritage on their minimalistic doorstep. After a day of temple-
trotting, visitors are welcomed back by the cheery hotel staff with afternoon tea
served to the sounds of traditional Khmer music in the swish sixties dining
room. mid-century architecture meets 10th-century culture
– a heavenly combination. JM
Doubles from £609; aman.com Full review telegraph.co.uk/amansara

ultratravel 23
 THE PENINSUlA
lAUCAlA Sh an g ha i - CH IN A
FI JI
The Peninsula experience
This 3,500-acre private island has starts at the airport, where a
been owned by two multi-millionaires customised BMW whisks guests
(Malcolm Forbes and red Bull’s Dietrich downtown to this handsome
Mateschitz) who have turned a natural modern take on art-deco design.
paradise into a holiday heaven. amid attention to detail is evident
flower-strewn forests, there’s a David everywhere, from the beautiful
McLay Kidd golf course, a thatched spa mosaic floor of the 82ft indoor
in the cool jungly forest, stables of pool to the free international
thoroughbred horses, a panoply of calls at the press of a button.
pools, and a dive centre with 14 boats The usual chocolate-on-the-
and a submarine. Five restaurants serve pillow is here a multi-drawered
delicious dishes from teppanyaki wagyu lacquered box filled with
beef to exquisite morsels created using different treats. an intuitive
ingredients from the island’s farm. iPad controls lights, curtains
With only 25 villas – the most romantic and much else. The River Rooms
perched above crashing waves and the biggest set atop the island’s peak are sensational: a wall of glass
– each guest feels as if they have the island to themselves. every inch is provides views across the busy
looked after by 350 Fijian staff who, when they aren’t smiling or proffering huangpu River to sleek towers
fresh fruit juice or a martini, are delivering warm banana cake or just- designed by the world’s leading
cleaned shoes before vanishing to leave you watching distant waves architects. On balmy nights,
phosphoresce in the moonlight. LG there is nowhere better in the
Doubles from £4,000; laucala.com Full review telegraph.co.uk/laucala city for cocktails than sir elly’s
bar on the rooftop terrace,
watching the evening light show
play across buildings old and
new. unless, that is, it’s time
MANDARIN ORIENTAl TOkyO for a spin on the river aboard the
To kyo - JA PAN hotel’s own motor yacht. GC
WhiLe The Mandarin Oriental offers sleek design mixed Doubles from £247; shanghai.
with cutting-edge technology and an astonishing level peninsula.com
of intelligent service, it is the feeling of being in an aerial Full review telegraph.co.uk/
cocoon of calm that distinguishes this hotel. it occupies peninsulashanghai
the top floors of the Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower in Tokyo’s
business and shopping district, with astounding views
from floor-to-ceiling windows in all 179 rooms and
suites. among a dozen bars and restaurants, the classy
Mandarin Bar is a favourite, while gourmands struggle
to choose between cantonese cuisine at sense and the
Tapas Molecular Bar, where cutlery is swapped for pipettes and syringes. in the
meditative 37th-floor spa and its pool, nothing but glass comes between swimmer
and the sight of snow-capped Mount Fuji bathed in the red glow of sunset. FD
Doubles from £317; mandarinoriental.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/mandarinorientaltokyo

ASABA
I z u Pe n i n su l a - JAPA N

BaMBOO FOresTs, lakes, blossoming trees, hot-spring baths, dancing fireflies,

the scent of tatami… if there is one place where the unpoetic might feel inspired
to write a haiku, it’s asaba. The 15th-century family-run ryokan, on the edge of the
hot-spring town shuzenji, is just two hours south of Tokyo by train. The entrance
is marked by a split cotton noren curtain hanging above a monochrome pebble
entrance, behind which elegant kimono-clad staff usher guests to one of 17
minimal guestrooms. each is designed in signature ryokan style, with tatami mat
floors, sliding screens, deep cypress baths, futons, paper lanterns and asymmetric
Andrew rowAt; jenny zArins

flower arrangements, as well as windows with views of pretty lakes and gardens.
Guests can soak in the restorative outdoor hot-spring baths before indulging in
a private in-room kaiseki dinner: a banquet of a dozen dishes fit for an emperor.
The harry Bertoia chairs in the lounge best sum up the asaba experience – it may
be rooted in heritage, but the atmosphere is fresh and modern. DD
Doubles from £660; relaischateaux.com Full review telegraph.co.uk/asaba

24 ultratravel
 UMA by COMO
Pu n a kh a - BH U TAN

PeelING BAcK the layers of this hotel is much like discovering

Bhutan itself. Uma’s ochre walls, broken by grand double doors,
are reminiscent of the country’s dzongs, or fortresses, albeit
softened by bougainvillea, poinsettias and camellias. Pass
through doors and courtyards, past smiling staff in traditional
Bhutanese dress, and views of densely forested hills unfold, with
terraced rice paddies cascading to the meandering Mo chu river
below. Throughout the eight-bedroom, two-villa property,
floor-to-ceiling windows and low-slung cream furnishings retain
the focus on the views. Traditional Bhutanese art, hand-knotted
rugs from Nepal and Indian cotton bed linens complete the
simple, authentic aesthetic. While the menu at the intimate
restaurant is global, spanning local specialities, gnocchi,
cassoulet and wagyu beef burgers, dishes are crafted from
local organic produce. Best of all, the property is also available
on an exclusive-use basis. GlB
Doubles from £440; comohotels.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/uma

SOUTHERN OCEAN LODGE

Ka nga roo Is land - AU STRALIA

PeRcHed ABOve Hanson Bay, this Kangaroo Island retreat offers a ringside seat to witness the South
Ocean in all its elemental glory. With no land mass between here and Antarctica to dampen the swell, waves
pound its sugar-white sands – a fact that did not escape the designers of this low-rise, sensitively crafted
luxe resort. The limestone-clad lobby has a wraparound screen of floor-to-ceiling glass, while views from the
21 contemporary suites, named after shipwrecks, are equally impressive. cantilevered, with glass-walled
bathrooms and sunken lounges, the design directs you to the wild exterior. The lavish 1,290sq ft Osprey
Pavilion is the pick, with a hand-crafted free-standing bath offering a panorama that takes some beating.
Add to this the fauna of Australia’s answer to the Galápagos, fresh native produce (foraged samphire, free-
range lamb), friendly service and a fine wine list and there can be few better places to be shipwrecked. CSS
Doubles from £1,050; southernoceanlodge.com.au Full review telegraph.co.uk/southernoceanlodge

OBEROI VANYAVILAS
Ra ntham bore - IN d IA

THe OBeROI’S bush outpost lies just outside

Ranthambhore National Park, where tigers sunbathe
on old Raj ruins beneath a towering 1,000-year-old
fort. Although the bedrooms are made from canvas,
this is no jungle camp. Rather, it’s the grandest spot
in India from which to watch wildlife while being
looked after by some of the country’s most gracious
hoteliers. Beturbaned staff, in jewel-coloured kurtas,
are on hand when needed (invisible when not) to serve
Indian feasts in candlelit courtyards, proffer orange-
flower-scented face-towels after a safari or serve
rosewater iced tea by the fringed colonial-style pool
umbrellas. Naturalists offer lectures and take private
safaris through the park’s loveliest areas to see spotted
chital deer, rich birdlife and – with luck – tigers. And
the rooms are so sumptuous that it’s criminal not to
take time to recline on the carved four-posters, soak
amid rose-petals in lion-claw baths or take tea on
a silver tray while watching kingfishers diving into
waterlily-strewn ponds. LG
Doubles from £645; oberoihotels.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/oberoivanyavilas

ultratravel 25
 The MIDDLE EAST,
AFRICA & INDIAN OCEAN
Our experts Rosemary Behan, Pippa de Bruyn, Tim Ecott, Lisa Grainger, Johnny Morris
Martin Kreuzer
Royal MansouR
Ma rra ke ch - M O RO CCO
noRTH IslanD
PEOPLE DON’T cOmE to this hotel for a buzz or to be
part of a scene. It was built at the behest of morocco’s
king, mohammed VI, as a garden oasis and a showcase
for moroccan craftsmanship, and is a palace of calm.
What sings out loud, though, is the beauty of the
buildings: intricately carved domed ceilings, walls
adorned with zellij tiles, elaborate stucco detail and
charming, homely mud-walled riads with fireplaces,
characterful bedrooms and roof terraces for
sundowners. For those who do want to see other
people, there’s a glam cigar lounge and a cocktail bar,
the best hotel boutique in marrakech, and a cathedral-
sized white spa and hammam in which to steam.
Or there is exquisite food to savour: French and
moroccan morsels by the Parisian michelin-starred
chef Yannick Alléno, and a perfect breakfast served
outdoors beside lemon trees, from thick orange juice
and crisp French pastries to sweet moroccan figs and
honey. If you ever wanted to know how kings lived,
this is where you find out. LG
Doubles from £550; royalmansour.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/royalmansour
SEYCH EL LES
IT’s NO coincidence that Hollywood chose North as
the real incarnation of Thunderbirds’ Tracy Island for
the film. Guests, a mixture of potentates, oligarchs,
celebrities and royals, arrive by helicopter from
mahé to stay in just 11 totally private villas. They’re
so spacious that 10 are labelled Presidential and
the biggest simply called Villa North Island. North
redefines beach chic, with sumptuous natural fabrics
and acres of polished driftwood furniture and doors.
Guests set their own dress code, and order whatever
they like from the chef. This isn’t simply a smart
hotel and spa beside a beach covered in fine sand
the colour of spun sugar. It has some of seychelles’
best diving and fishing, kite-surfing and hiking.
Nesting turtles regularly come ashore, and on the
long west beach there are flying foxes, fairy terns,
whimbrels and crab plovers: evidence of the owners’
pledge to make it a Noah’s Ark. TE
Doubles from £4,435; north-island.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/northisland
ultratravel 27
 FOUR SEASONS LANDAA GIRAAVARU
Baa Ato l l - M A L DI V ES

ThE firsT ThinG you notice is the scale, as this

Maldivian island resort in the remote Baa atoll is
unusual in offering nearly two million square foot of
exotic tranquillity. Plenty of room for the wide palm-lined
boulevard leading to the heart of the hotel and beyond
to extensive cycle paths cocooned by mature gardenia
and lantern trees. Plenty of scope for privacy in the
coral-fronted villas complete with traditional open-air
rooms, a 39ft pool and a secluded walkway to the
sugar-soft beach. Then there is the award-winning
three-acre spa – a serious health centre with an
ayurvedic retreat providing up to three-week holistic
programmes. Best of all are the resort’s sustainable
initiatives, including a well-established turtle
conservation scheme, a coral-reef regeneration
programme (4,500 coral frames to date) and
a pioneering manta-ray research project –
all managed by a team of marine scientists. add
to this an exemplary service style led by the Zen-like
calm of general manager armando kraenzlin and
you have perfect hospitality in one of the world’s
most alluring environments. JM
Doubles from £756; fourseasons.com
kerry de bruyne

Full review telegraph.co.uk/fourseasonsmaldiveslg

BURJ AL ARAB
Dubai - UAE

EvEr wanTEd to live like an oligarch? There’s

nothing subtle about the Burj al arab, from its
name (meaning “tower of the arabs”) to its bold
1,053ft-high sail-shaped structure (still, at 15
years old, this is the third tallest hotel in the
world) built on its own small artificial island.
inside, all 202 rooms are duplex suites; the
smallest is 1,819sq ft. The 590ft-high atrium is a
showstopper. it’s a combination of the luxurious
rooms (with thick, heavy doors, marble floors,
winding staircase, personal office with an iMac,
Burj al arab-branded wine, massive bathrooms
with Jacuzzi baths, unique and panoramic views
of dubai) and the service that makes this an
QASR AL SARAB DESERT RESORT exceptional place to stay. There’s a staff-to-
Ab u D h a b i - UAE suite ratio of eight to one and every floor is
equipped with a desk of two butlers, staffed
Thanks in no small part to its location on the edge of the Empty Quarter, a 250,000sq mile expanse 24 hours a day. They’ll address you by name
of dramatic desert, this ambitious property (imagine building a five-star hotel’s foundations in sand, and escort you through the gold-plated lifts and
and the logistics of water and electricity) leaves visitors with a real sense of the romance of arabia. corridors. There are nine bars and restaurants;
This is also achieved by the architecture and attention to detail shown both in the hotel’s main breakfast is a choice of three enormous but
building (beautifully lit at night) and in the fine individual villas, which command soul-enhancing very different buffets. and all the time you
views. The fortress-style structure appears like a mirage, from which one can take in the stillness feel wonderfully and exhilaratingly insulated
and silence, momentous sunsets and black, starry nights. There are five excellent restaurants, a full- from reality. RB
service anantara spa and plenty of activities to choose from. Guests can also arrive by helicopter. RB Doubles from £1,076; jumeirah.com
Doubles from £233; qasralsarab.anantara.com Full review telegraph.co.uk/qasralsarab Full review telegraph.co.uk/burjalarab

28 ultratravel
 MNEMBA ISLAND
Zan z iba r - TAN ZAN IA

IT Takes JUsT 15 minutes to circumnavigate this tiny
island, a mile off the northeast coast of Unguja, known
to most as zanzibar. after the first lap – a blissful stroll
on powder-soft sands encircling a casuarina forest
that sticks up like a tuft of unruly hair – one starts to
feel proprietary: a bizarre emotion but one, so staff
assure, that is normal. each of the 10 large bandas –
castaway shacks hidden in the dappled forest shade,
with a sandy walkway to the beach and striated blue
horizon – is open to the breeze and ocean sounds.
Comprising an enormous raised bedroom with steps
down into a coir-carpeted lounge-cum-dining room
with plush sofas, the luxury in this context feels
decadent, as does the privacy – the only visitors are
the delicately boned suni antelopes and, at sundown,
a barefoot butler who brings cocktails and lanterns to
light the walkway. delicious meals are served while
you dig your toes into the sand, and snorkelling amid
gem-like fish is a few strokes from the shore. Mnemba
is punted as a perfect honeymoon spot – I think it’s
even better for couples seeking to reignite smouldering
embers. This island is one powerful aphrodisiac. PDB
Doubles from £1,052; andbeyond.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/mnemba

SINGITA SASAKWA LODGE

Gr umeti Res e r ve s - TAN ZANIA

There are dozens of safari camps as romantic as

this, and sited in places as rich in wildlife. But sasakwa
isn’t a camp. It’s the most elegant boutique bush hotel
on the african continent: a glamorous colonial-style,
no-expense-spared Tanzanian outpost for those who
want to see wildlife without giving up an ounce of
comfort. rooms are little villas, with plunge pools and
sumptuous modern interiors by south african style
gurus Cécile & Boyd. Food is as delicate and fresh as any
fine-dining establishment (orange-yolked eggs benedict,
norwegian smoked salmon, mango crème brûlée), but
served under trees, on lamplit verandas or in silver-strewn
dining rooms. When guests don’t fancy going on safari

‘Mnemba was like a Robinson Crusoe island: with expert guides, there are spa rooms, tennis courts,
infinity pools and, for proficient riders, fine horses on

so simple and so beautiful. We showered which to gallop alongside giraffe or mingle with tens
of thousands of wildebeest as they snort and chomp.

outside and woke up to doves cooing’ or there are planters’ chairs, festooned with feather
cushions, from which to soak up the spectacular views
a ma n da wa ke ley
of the serengeti, and the privilege of being one of only
98 guests within 350,000 hectares of private reserve. LG
Doubles from £1,895; singita.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/singitasasakwa

ELLERMAN HOUSE
Ca pe Tow n - S O uTH A FRI CA

PerChed hIgh above the atlantic, in a 1.5-acre

terraced garden carved out of the Bantry Bay cliffs,
ellerman house enjoys perhaps the most spectacular
location in Cape Town, a city not short on views. With
just 13 rooms and suites sharing the sprawling grounds,
and outsiders welcome by prior arrangement or guest
invitation only, ellerman house is also the most private
hotel in the city, a secluded retreat with the kind of
hushed atmosphere that suits the many regular
visitors who treat it as their Cape Town home. Urbane
owner Paul harris is also one of the foremost
collectors of south african art: every wall here is
testament to his great eye and deep pockets. even
harris’s enormous wine collection, displayed in an
innovative “wine gallery” and described by many
as a work of art in its own right, is – along with the
24-hour guest pantry (chock-full with delectable
home-baked savoury and sweet treats), sumptuous
rooms, Cape riviera views and intuitive service – part
of the sum that sets this house apart. PDB
Doubles from £310; ellerman.co.za
Full review telegraph.co.uk/ellermanhouse

ultratravel 29
 The AMERICAS
& CARIBBEAN

Our experts
Debbie Pappyn, Doug Gray, Fred Mawer, Chris Moss, Nigel richardson,
Douglas rogers, Nigel Tisdall, Celia Walden, Claire Wrathall

AMANGIRI
Ut a h - USA

A stone’s throw from the famous Lake Powell and the invisible border
between Arizona and Utah, the almost secret location of Amangiri at Canyon
Point is not easy to find in this extreme desert landscape. the clever design
is inspired by the rugged nature of the Utah landscape and the distinctive
entrada sandstone. Guests come here to relax around the swimming pool that
curves around a rock formation or to recharge in the 25,000sq ft Aman spa with
sweeping desert views and unique navajo-inspired treatments. executive chef
Jacob Anaya translates the regional new American cuisine into an agreeable mix
of light but hearty dishes, such as fish tacos, served on a private terrace with
a glass of chilled Californian white. All 34 rooms and suites extend from the
main building like an eagle’s wing, with views over the untamed landscape from
the bath or bed. the large folding windows can be completely opened on to the
private terrace, with low chairs and fireplace – the perfect spot from which to
marvel at the starry skies in the intensely black nights of southern Utah. DP
Doubles from £1,000; amanresorts.com Full review telegraph.co.uk/amangiri

32 ultratravel
‘Amangiri looks like a futuristic
hotel that’s been built
on the surface of the Moon’
moby

SHUTTERS ON THE BEACH

Lo s Ange le s - USA

THIS IS the hotel where every celebratory
event could be spent, with the same cocktail
in hand (a dirty martini; hold the vermouth).
From the moment guests pull into the
famous Santa Monica hotel driveway
there’s an old-school attention to service
that, unlike so many Californian hotels, never
borders on overfamiliarity. A preposterously
handsome, preppy young valet helps guests
out of their cars and carries their bags past
the collection of Hockney, Lichtenstein and
Jasper Johns art works lining the walls of the
living room and up to one of the 186 guest
rooms. Unless they book one of the hotel’s 12
ocean-view suites, some visitors may find the
view disappointing. But interior decorator
Michael S Smith (who also decorated
the White House) has made up for this by
turning even the smallest room into
a miniature beach house, complete with oak
floors and hand-stitched Indian throws.
In any case, the best view is accessible to
all, from the bar balcony, where brunch,
lunch or tea can be ordered from the hotel
restaurant, 1 Pico (the homemade corned
beef with biscuits and gravy is out of
this world) and watch the sun go down
over Santa Monica Pier. CW
Doubles from £382; shuttersonthebeach.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/shutters

FASANO
R io de Janei ro - B RAZ IL

WHEN YOUR hotel occupies the most fashionable corner of Rio, where the sugary
sands of Ipanema and Arpoador meet, there is some pressure to do justice to its
location. Fortunately, it was to São Paulo’s master of luxury hospitality, Rogério
Fasano, that the opportunity fell to inject some much needed pizzazz into a tired
Rio hotel scene. Today, the Fasano is the hotel to which everyone flocks, to witness
invigorating sunrises and sunsets, to take front-row seats to the most outrageous
carnival blocos and to witness action on the world’s most beautiful urban beach.
Inside, the sophisticated gloom of Philippe Starck’s corridors is punctuated by
Gaetano Pesce’s voluptuous, spotlit La Mamma chairs, while designer touches in
the rooms are rendered almost obsolete by the flawless views. The hotel is crowned
by a rooftop bar so in demand that Paulistanos book rooms for whole weekends
to sip the moreish caipirinhas and, downstairs, enjoy the best restaurant in town,
Fasano al Mare, helmed by award-winning chef Paolo Lavezzini. DG
Doubles from £480; fasano.com.br Full review telegraph.co.uk/fasano
Joe Fletcher

ultratravel 33
 INKATERRA LA CASONA
Cuzco - PER U

CUZCo, imperial capital of the inca, was adopted by

BELLE MONT FARM
St K itt s - CA R I BB E AN
set A thoUsAnd foot up in the
rainforested hills of northern st kitts,
Belle mont Farm opened just over
a year ago and strives to be a game-
changer in the world of sustainable
luxury. Created by the charismatic
trinidadian entrepreneur val
kempadoo, and built and staffed by
islanders, it sits on a 400-acre
organic farm, with uplifting views
across to the neighbouring island of
st eustatius. the 84 wooden
guesthouses designed by star
architect Bill Bensley come in a grand,
Caribbean-colonial style with
a majestic four-poster bed, private
plunge pool and outdoor bath.
Activities include mountain hikes and
golf (on a pioneering organic course),
but the most compelling reason to
visit is the groundbreaking cuisine
served in the kitchen restaurant.
here, French chef Christophe Letard
is not only rethinking ways to use
local ingredients such as sorrel,
christophene and guava, he’s also
teaching kittitians how to follow
his innovative style. the result is
a banquet of farm-to-table treats,
including a delightful tropical
breakfast served in the nursery
gardens and a sunday brunch served
with free-flowing Bollinger. NT
Doubles from £731; bellemontfarm.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/
bellemontfarm
the conquering spanish as the ideal location for their
grandest palaces, churches and mansions. La Casona,
on a beautiful plaza in the san Blas district, is thought
to be the oldest colonial building in the city and was
briefly the home of liberator simón Bolívar. Carefully
restored before opening in 2008 – it became Peru’s first
relais & Châteaux hotel a year later – it still feels like
a conquistador’s private residence. the old World dark-
wood furniture, faded frescoes and antiques harmonise
well with the earthy hues of Andean throws and exposed
stonework. eleven sumptuous and spacious suites
overlook the plaza or inner courtyards, and all have
private dining spaces as well as stone fireplaces, heated
wooden floors and marble bathrooms. Plaza suite two,
the largest, was occupied by conquistador diego
de Almagro. the in-house restaurant serves quinoa
pancakes and coca tea for breakfast and Peruvian fusion
food (guinea pig confit, Andean trout in Brazil-nut
tempura) for lunch and dinner. the small Yacu spa has
an ecclesiastical calm. staff are low-key, courteous to
a fault, and speak impeccable english. on the doorstep
is the museum of Pre-Columbian Art and most major
sights as well as many of Cuzco’s best restaurants. CM
Doubles from £280; inkaterra.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/inkaterralacasona

MASHPI LODGE
Ch o có - ECUADO R

When this modern, minimalist, glass-

walled jungle lodge opened in 2012,
it changed the accommodation game
in south America. Architect Alfredo
ribadeneira’s “protective cocoon” would
impress in a modern city; in the depths
of the Andean cloudforest, it is wild,
audacious and beautiful. though only
70 miles from Quito, mashpi Lodge sits in
splendid isolation, perched on a cliff at the
end of an unsealed road. sensitively tucked
into the canopy, you don’t see it till you
arrive. inside, grey tiled floors, natural hues
and exposed tubing mean nothing detracts
THE RANCH AT ROCK CREEK from what guests are here to experience:
the greenery that wraps around the hotel’s
M o nt an a - USA
huge walls of clear tempered glass. the
investment BAnker James manley saw 500 ranches before he found one 22 rooms maintain the clean design lines,
that matched his wishlist. A valley to ensure privacy: check. A mountain he could featuring bamboo-and-glass décor, soft
ski on: check. “A cool Western town” nearby: check. he didn’t want grizzlies, rugs and plush armchairs. three Yaku
rattlesnakes or cougars (though there are elk, moose, deer, less dangerous bears suites are more spacious, and come with
and wolves). the altitude needed to be not so elevated as to cause mountain Philippe starck baths. days kick off with
sickness. And he wanted a river teeming with trout. eventually he settled pre-breakfast birdwatching, before heading
on 6,800 acres of the Anaconda-Pintler wilderness, restored its 19th-century to the butterfly sanctuary, observation
buildings and added a granite lodge, some long cabins (the loveliest are Bluebird tower, aerial canopy ride and jungle trails.
and eagle’s Perch) and a row of riverfront tents. the real appeal, however, is Biodiversity is breathtaking in the Chocó-
the activities: all the riding, shooting, fishing, archery, mountain biking and, darien region, and the olinguito – the first
in winter, skiing, skating, snowmobiling, sledding and sleigh rides you have the carnivorous mammal discovered in 35
energy for are included, as are three meals a day and drinks, even in its silver years – can be observed here. Adventures
dollar saloon, where you sit on swivelling saddles at a bar encrusted with real completed and species ticked, a Jacuzzi,
silver dollars. there’s nowhere better to connect with your inner Jesse James. CWr cocktail and Peruvian fusion food await. CM
Doubles from £1,290; theranchatrockcreek.com Doubles from £864; mashpilodge.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/ranchatrockcreek Full review telegraph.co.uk/mashpilodge

34 ultratravel
 FOGO ISLAND INN
N ewfo un dl a nd - CA NA DA

Dusk, when the windows glow through the sub-

Arctic gloom, is when it looks most extraordinary
– like a visitation from Planet hip. Perched on
a rocky island foreshore off newfoundland, on
Canada’s Atlantic seaboard, the Fogo Island Inn
draws inspiration from the remote fishing
community that surrounds it. Its oblong exterior
may look like a boho slice of London or new York,
but is modelled on Fogo Island’s clapboard
houses, while the minimalist décor is handcrafted
on the island to the designs of top north
American and european designers who were in
turn inspired by local traditions. In the kitchen,
chef Murray McDonald puts newfoundland on
a plate by using foraged berries and greens and
“wild things from the north Atlantic”, and every
one of the 29 suites has an ocean view and
a woodburning stove. It may stand on stilts but
the inn is far from aloof. In a unique example
of social entrepreneurship, pioneered by local
woman-made-good Zita Cobb, all profits are
ploughed back into the local community. NR
Doubles from £468; fogoislandinn.ca
Full review telegraph.co.uk/fogoisland
SUGAR BEACH
St Luci a - CAr ibb e AN
sugAr BeACh’s location is arguably the most
memorable of any hotel in the Caribbean. The
former sugar plantation sits in the cleavage of
st Lucia’s landmark Pitons, a pair of verdant
volcanic spires that soar steeply out of the deep
blue ocean. A crescent of dazzlingly white
(imported) sand completes the multicoloured
picture. The Viceroy hotel group has invested
around £65 million in a complete, tasteful revamp
of the property that used to be called The Jalousie
Plantation, and the results are impressive.
supremely elegant bedrooms have a neo-colonial
look, with furnishings and shutters in white, as
if not to distract from the surroundings. Much of
the accommodation takes the form of clapboard
villas set up the hillside of the 100-acre estate,
with astonishing views from their terraces and
plunge pools. Other highlights include a spa set
in treehouses above the forest floor, stylish
restaurants and bars, fantastic snorkelling and
diving just offshore, plus butler service (you’re
provided with a mobile phone to stay in touch). FM
Doubles from £342; viceroyhotelsandresorts.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/sugarbeach

CROSBY STREET HOTEL

New Yo rk - USA

In The heArT of fabulously fashionable soho, but on a discreet

cobblestone street, this red-brick façade and blue-lit exterior
promises a flashy boutique hotel. Inside, though, it’s all sumptuous
elegance: soaring ceilings, dark-wood furniture, subtle grey, mauve,
red and white tones, and contemporary art on the walls. The
english influence in the only American hotel of the uk’s
Firmdale group is evident in the popular afternoon teas – steak
and stilton Cornish pasties, spiced gingerbread english trifle – and
in the floral-patterned wallpaper and decorative sofas of designer
kit kemp’s fresh, light-filled interiors. The 86 rooms all have floor-
to-ceiling warehouse windows (the upper floors with stunning
Lower Manhattan views); the second-floor Meadow suite also has
a private terrace garden. Downstairs, the spacious Crosby Bar
goes from serving english breakfasts and those teas to cocktails
and dinner, some ingredients coming from chef Anthony Paris’s
12th-floor rooftop garden and urban chicken coop. Another
highlight is the swanky state-of-the-art 99-seat cinema used
for film-festival screenings and a sunday-night film club. DR
Doubles from £400; firmdalehotels.com
Full review telegraph.co.uk/crosbystreet

ultratravel 35
 ‘Setting up camp
in caves – with
damp sleeping bags,
baked-bean air, sand
everywhere – cured me
of any desire to travel

S rough again’
ince starring in the 1987 cult film
Withnail and I, the Swazi-born actor
has appeared in more than 80 films,
and directed one, Wah-Wah, about
growing up in post-colonial Africa.
In 2012 he became a modern hotel inspector
in Hotel Secrets, in which he explored the
hospitality world, from Soho to Shanghai.

How many holidays do you take a year?

Since buying a small farmhouse in Provence when
my daughter was born, we have spent six weeks
there every summer for the past 26 years. I adore
that summery dose of sunshine, garlic, olive
oil, brocantes and badminton. To avoid the drizzly
post-Christmas doldrums, we’ve been flying
to the Caribbean for as long as I’ve been able to
afford it: at first to the Coral Reef Club (coralreef
barbados.com) in Barbados, then to Mustique.
What do you need for a perfect holiday?
My family. Luckily, our daughter still wants to
share holidays, so no matter where we go, we are
guaranteed to have a good time.
PAL HANSEN/CONTOuR BY GETTY IMAGES

Your best holiday ever?

Friends flew us in their jet to Cape Town for a few
days, then to Swaziland for New Year’s Eve, where
we danced under the stars at the House on Fire
open-air theatre (house-on-fire.com), then on to
Mauritius where we played tennis and snorkelled
on coral reefs, then to Singita Lebombo (singita.
com) in the Kruger National Park, where we slept

Travelling life Richard E Grant

The actor on his childhood in Swaziland, jaw-dropping weekends in Rome, glorious stays at Ballyfin and summers in Provence

in glass-fronted lodges above a waterhole A favourite stop-off is Da Felice (feliceatestaccio. Manhattan, which cost an eye-watering £30,000 1960s. The variety of game, including endangered
populated by crocs and hippos. It was luxury on it), for the finest plateful of cacio e pepe, which is a night, with a grand piano and a bath that filled rhino and elephant, makes for an unforgettable
a scale we’ve never experienced before or since. usually followed by a sorbet on the Piazza Navona. in 60 seconds! My first choice, though, would experience. The stone cottages, open-air baths,
Earliest memory of travelling? Favourite restaurant abroad? be Ballyfin (ballyfin.com) in Ireland. The level of mosquito-netted beds and campfire food create
In 1964 I flew on my own from Swaziland on La Petite Maison (lapetitemaison-nice.com) in comfort is unsurpassed. It’s as if you’ve stepped a wonderfully intimate feel, and the smell of
a BOAC plane to meet my parents in London: an Nice, presided over by Nicole, who, depending on back into the very best of the 19th century with paraffin lanterns and sounds of wildlife as I drift
incredible adventure. Mbabane, where I grew up, her volcanic mood, is apt to greet you like a long- 21st-century amenities, like the grand country off to sleep make me feel like I’m five again.
got its first traffic light that year, so London left lost friend or ignore you. The food is consistently house of good friends who have just popped out. Travel essential you won’t do without?
an indelible impression. I went on a rollercoaster good, from truffles in various incarnations The most remote place you’ve travelled to? All things Apple: the miniature miracle containing
in Battersea Park, saw Peter Pan’s statue in to a divine mango and apricot concoction. While filming Hildegarde in Australia, I drove into books, camera, movies, music, diary, contacts.
Kensington, then tried ice-skating at Queensway. Favourite place for a drink? the Outback and kept expecting to see Crocodile Plus headphones and Jack, my signature scent.
Your most nostalgic destination? A basket hung beneath a balloon soaring over the Dundee. Instead, the vast and empty red-soiled The best airline in the world?
Pigg’s Peak in northern Swaziland. The landscape, Masai Mara in Kenya. You get a bird’s-eye view landscape reminded me how insignificant I was. British Airways (ba.com). Its level of service, food
light, smells and great friends time-warp me back of the wildlife below, and a sense of what life was What’s the roughest you’ve ever travelled? that’s not mucked about with, comfortable flat
to the best aspects of my childhood. like before man “tamed” the wilderness. My father had an aversion to camping, which beds, variety of entertainment and staff’s sense of
Do you travel light or heavily? The most romantic hotel you’ve ever been? made me want to sleep in a tent all the more. humour are a winning combination. You feel you
Hand luggage only – since “losing” my luggage on One in the Seychelles, on honeymoon 29 years A school trip to Lesotho in 1975 finally answered are almost home the moment you step on board.
a couple of flights some years ago. ago, that no longer exists. We spent the days this call. As thrilling as it was to see dinosaur The best places to stay in the UK?
Your favourite city for a weekend away? learning to scuba dive and gawping at fish and footprints, the experience of setting up camp in The Savoy (fairmont.com), overlooking the
Rome. I check into Hotel d’Inghilterra (niquesa. the nights between the sheets. We were the only caves – with damp sleeping bags, smelly socks, National Theatre and Southbank, has exceptional
com) near the Spanish Steps, then walk until my Brits among all the German guests, so felt even baked-bean air and sand everywhere – cured service, and the fish and chips elevate that gastro
feet seize up and my jaw stops dropping. There’s more cubbyholed away in this tropical nirvana. me of any desire to travel rough again. partnership to a new level. And there’s the bonus
always something to savour, be it the citizens The most glamorous room you have stayed? Favourite spots in southern Africa? of being able to stroll into the Savoy Theatre.
promenading, the plethora of delicious restaurants The most expensive room was the penthouse The Mkhaya Game Reserve (mkhaya.com) in With Nails (Picador), Grant’s film diaries, is out now.
or the gasp-inducing perfection of the Pantheon. suite at the Four Seasons (fourseasons.com) in southern Swaziland, founded by Ted Reilly in the Interview by Lisa Grainger

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2016. Published by TELEGRAPH MEDIA GROUP, 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT, and printed by Polestar UK Limited.
Colour reproduction by borngroup.com. Not to be sold separately from The Daily Telegraph. Ultratravel is a registered trademark licensed to The Daily Telegraph by PGP Media Limited

36 ultratravel
 Upgrade, on us.
Enjoy a complimentary stateroom upgrade when you book
a Mediterranean Cruise or Transatlantic Crossing. Or, travel
further afield on an Exotic Cruise or World Voyage to receive
complimentary on board spending money.*
Then sit back and look forward to the many pleasures of a
holiday with Cunard – lavish theatrical productions, renowned
guest speakers, exquisite dining and our famous afternoon tea –
all delivered with White Star Service.
To discover more visit cunard.co.uk, contact your travel agent or call 0843 373 4090.
*Offers applicable to new Cunard Fare bookings only. Upgrade offer valid on selected 2016 departures on selected stateroom grades and varies by ship. Make your choice of stateroom and pay the fare of a stateroom at least one type lower - e.g. book a
Balcony and pay for an Inside or Oceanview. On board spending money offer is valid on selected 2017 Full World Cruises and Exotic Cruises departing January – May 2017. Amounts vary by stateroom type and cruise duration and are applicable to the
first two passengers sharing a stateroom. Both offers expire 29 February 2016.
 Dream destinations
Clockwise from main
picture, New York at
night; Queen Mary 2 in
Geiranger fjord;
Queen Mary 2 in Sydney
Harbour; Queen Elizabeth
in Santorini
you have always wanted to explore South America,
take in a large slice of the Far East, or cruise around
Australia and New Zealand.
You could join Queen Mary 2 in 2017 for a 49-night
voyage from Southampton to Sydney, via the
spectacular Panama Canal. Or why not fy out to
Australia to visit friends and family, then come home
over 56 nights on Queen Victoria via New Zealand,
Hawaii and the Caribbean?
Still too long? There are plenty of exotic shorter
voyages. On Queen Mary 2’s 28-night itinerary from
Sydney to Hong Kong, you will also visit Japan,
South Korea and China. And Queen Elizabeth takes a
leisurely 23 nights to sail from Dubai to Southampton,
passing through the Suez Canal.
F o o d , m u s i c A n d FA s h i o n
This year Cunard is presenting a collection of special-
event cruises. On 23 June, Queen Elizabeth will sail out
of Southampton to circumnavigate Great Britain,
exploring its food heritage. The 12-night British Isles
Culinary Discovery voyage includes several calls in
Scotland as well as Belfast, Liverpool and Guernsey.
There will be all sorts of on-board and on-shore
activities with a food theme, including visits to famous
distilleries. The voyage will be joined by wine guru
Jilly Goolden and Charles Sichel of winemaker and
merchant Maison Sichel.
Grand balls are a Cunard hallmark and three voyages
in November deserve special mention. On each,
a Big Band Ball will be the highlight, with a gala
performance coinciding with founder Sir Samuel

4CORNERs
Cunard’s birthday. Featuring music from the big band
and swing eras, the events will echo the glittering
ground. Here, Queen Elizabeth will call at the key cities nights of the Twenties.
SPECIAL OFFERS such as Stockholm, surrounded by green islands, Look out, too, for leading lights of music performing
picture-perfect medieval Tallinn and the treasure-flled on board this year, including legendary bandleader and
Cunard has very special to the Mediterranean, city of St Petersburg. composer Herbie Hancock, celebrated jazz man
ofers for those who book a Baltic or Norwegian fjords Should you wish to venture south to the balmy Gregory Porter and former Ultravox star Midge Ure.
voyage before 29 February, as well as Transatlantic Canary Islands, there are several sailings from Transatlantic Fashion Week takes place on
2016. First there’s the Crossings to or from Southampton. And if you have never cruised and want Queen Mary 2 in early September. This voyage to
valuable Ultimate Upgrade New York on board to try, both Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 New York will be a joy for followers of haute couture.
ofer: Queen Mary 2. undertake short breaks to Germany and Belgium. British design luminary Zandra Rhodes will be among
 Book a Balcony stateroom The other ofer is extra During the summer and autumn, Queen Victoria will the guest speakers, as will New York Fashion Week
and you will pay the price of complimentary on-board be based in the Mediterranean. There’s an intriguing founder Fern Mallis and fashion commentator
an Inside stateroom. spending money for those mix of combinations and routes available as she will Colin McDowell.
 Book an exclusive booking a 2017 World efectively has four “home” ports – Barcelona, Athens, Guests can also look forward to hosted dinners and
Princess Grills suite and Voyage or exotic cruise – Venice and Civitavecchia, near Rome, with itineraries catwalk shows featuring emerging faces from Storm
pay for a Club Balcony double the usual Cunard from one to three weeks. model agency showcasing collections by graduates of
stateroom. fare allowance. Depending on itinerary, on each voyage you will not the Royal College of Art.
 Book an ultimate Queens You could use this gift in the miss out on the major cities but may also be treated to
Grills suite for the cost of ships’ speciality restaurants, less-discovered destinations such as the eastern Italian
a Princess Grills suite. on fne wine or champagne, city of Trieste, the lively Greek island of Mykonos and
These upgrades apply to in the on-board boutiques the spectacular landscapes of Corsica.
selected voyages from or towards luxurious
May to December 2016 treatments in the spa. e xoTic j ou rn e ys For more information
A full World Voyage is the epitome of cruising, an visit cunard.co.uk
Terms and conditions: Ofers applicable to new Cunard fare bookings only.
Upgrade of er valid on selected 2016 departures on selected stateroom
unmatched achievement in travel. Crossing between
grades and varies by ship. Make your choice of stateroom and pay the fare of a continents unveils an ever-changing tapestry of cities,
stateroom at least one type lower - eg book a Balcony and pay for an Inside or
Oceanview. On board spending money of er is valid on selected 2017 Full landscapes, islands, climates and cultures.
World Cruises and Exoctic Cruises departing January–May 2017. Amounts vary If the several months required for such a journey are
by stateroom type and cruise duration and are applicable to the frst two
passengers sharing a stateroom. Both of ers expire 29 February 2016. not possible for you, there is a host of exotic cruises
from which to choose, of varying durations. Perhaps
BROUGHT TO YOU BY CUNARD
A refned
way to see
the world
With Cunard sailing all over the globe,
you can explore exciting new places,
revisit favourites and enjoy special-
event cruises, says Arthur Forrest
T h e w o r l d AwA i T s
With so much to enjoy on board a Cunard ship, it is
easy to forget the other tremendous advantage of a
holiday at sea – the wonderful array of destinations
visited. Having sailed the world’s oceans for more
than 175 years, Cunard has an unrivalled depth of
experience to call upon.
This year and next, the majestic Three Queens have
diferent but equally compelling roles in introducing
guests to exciting new places and taking them back to
cherished favourites.
And at each port into which your Cunard ship
proudly sails, the on-board team will present a wide
selection of shore excursions and activities, so there is
always something to appeal.
Perhaps you’d enjoy a walk around a city with a
guide who can tell you the stories behind what you see,
a tour to see the surrounding countryside, or
something more individual such as wine tasting or an
authentic cookery demonstration. Or, for the most
energetic, there are often the likes of kayaking,
helicopter fights and jungle treks.
The clAssic journey
Cunard’s most famous voyage has just one destination –
New York. Sail from Southampton on Queen Mary 2
and you will be following in the wake of famous names
whose photographs adorn the walls of this magnifcent
ship. Imagine the thrill as Queen Mary 2 sails into
New York harbour, with the Manhattan skyline in its
full cinematic glory.
Cunard can arrange hotel accommodation in the Big
Apple for as long as you like before fying home, and
you can do the journey in reverse to bring home all that
shopping with no luggage restrictions.
Yet your Cunard adventure need not end in New
York. There are opportunities this year to stay on board
to sail up the eastern seaboard into Canada, completing
the journey at Quebec, or come back to Manhattan
after visiting characterful Boston and wild Nova Scotia.
If you’re yearning for sunshine, Queen Mary 2 has a
spectacular 26-night itinerary in late November that
crosses to New York then tours the Caribbean, calling
at tropical gems such as Dominica and Tortola.
europeAn mArvels
Cruise from the UK or fy straight to the region that
most appeals – Cunard ofers plenty of opportunities
for both. In general, Queen Elizabeth embarks on
round trips from Southampton with superb itineraries
to the Mediterranean, taking in historic gems such as
Venice and less-visited jewels such as the Croatian
island of Korcula.
Queen Elizabeth is also the perfect platform from
which to view the Norwegian fords and even continue
on to Iceland, where the breathtaking setting of remote
Isafordur is an inspiring reward.
The Baltic Sea is another marvellous cruising

Cunard has a fascinating history of transporting
animals – including a hippo on one voyage – and the
remastering of Queen Mary 2 will double the number
of kennels available for dogs or cats.
U n PA r A L L e L e d L U X U r Y
More than a century in the making, today’s Grills
experience aboard Cunard ships is the ultimate way to
travel by sea.
Earlier Cunard vessels, starting with Aquitania and
especially including the original Queen Mary and
Queen Elizabeth, needed to satisfy the exacting
requirements of a clientele that included royalty,
statesmen, global business leaders and Hollywood stars.
The same level of privilege can be enjoyed on all three
Cunard Queens today.
An exclusive domain on each ship, the Grills ofer
guests luxurious suite accommodation, separate dining
rooms, a private concierge and even an exclusive
outdoor deck.
There are two distinctive choices: Queens Grill and
Princess Grill, the former benefting from the most
spacious suites – including magnifcent duplex
apartments – and butler service.
Arrive at your departure point and, as a Grill
guest, you will be escorted through priority boarding.
In your suite, chocolates and a bottle of bubbly
will be waiting – perhaps for you to enjoy while your
butler unpacks your luggage if you have chosen
Queens Grill.
Look around your suite and you’ll notice the
generous walk-in wardrobe, marble bathroom
with bathtub, soft seating area, private verandah,
DVD player, fridge and comforting touches such as a
pillow menu.
In the exquisite Grills restaurant, your reserved
table awaits, immaculately set with Italian linen,
Wedgwood china and Waterford crystal. Cunard’s
most talented chefs will tempt you with delectable
dishes, from the classic to the contemporary. If you
can’t see exactly what you would like, something will
be created especially for you.
A concierge is on hand to book your appointments
in the spa, reserve the best seats in the theatre or
Timeless luxury
Clockwise from left:
Queen Mary 2 arrives in Sydney
Harbour; exquisite dining is one
of the hallmarks of a Cunard
voyage; artists’ impressions of
the remastered Queens Grill and
the new Carinthia Lounge
arrange a tailor-made shore excursion, such as private
wine-tasting session or a chaufeured drive around
a destination’s highlights.
Of course, Grill guests have free access to all the
ship’s facilities – the many swimming pools, designer
boutiques, extensive library, wonderful ballroom,
speciality restaurants, diverse entertainment and
unrivalled enrichment opportunities.
If you are travelling on Queen Mary 2, the Grill
experience is about to become even more indulgent as
part of her refurbishment. All the suites are being
given a new look and reconfgured to cleverly
maximise space. Fresh carpets and furnishings will
refect the rich heritage of Cunard and its famous ships
of yesteryear. Particular attention will be paid to
textures and highlights, such as artworks that
illustrate the striking designs of Cunard buildings
around the world.
In the Grill restaurants, a greater sense of space will
be provided. The decor throughout will be richly
updated and the menus enhanced with more options.
In short, the best will be even better.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY CUNARD
Redefning elegance
for today’s travellers
The superb Queen Mary 2 is about to
undergo a luxurious refurbishment.
Arthur Forrest fnds out what Cunard
guests can look forward to enjoying
ueen Mary 2 is not only the most
magnifcent ocean liner ever built,
she is the only true ocean liner sailing
the ocean today. That doesn’t mean
Cunard’s fagship can rest on her laurels.
She has a cherished status in the world that needs
to be maintained, which means she’s about to become
Qeven more glamorous.
For some years Queen Mary 2 has ofered the only
luxury scheduled passenger service between Europe
and the US, continuing an unbroken tradition since
1840. Her hull is unique, designed specifcally to slice
smoothly through Atlantic waves. She also takes guests
on the most illustrious world voyage each year and on
several specially devised sailings.
Although Queen Mary 2 is relatively young,
Cunard will ensure she retains the accolade of the
grandest ship on the seas with a series of
enhancements this year.
Her inherent design is a superb blueprint.
She already ofers an unrivalled amount of space
per passenger and her levels of luxury and service
are unmatched by any other passenger vessel of
this size.
Early this spring, Queen Mary 2 will enter
dry-dock for a “remastering”. This major
refurbishment will create a new look and exciting
innovations in many areas, not least in the ultimate
cruise experience, the Cunard Grills.
After what’s going to be much more than a
simple spruce-up, she will relaunch with considerably
enhanced accommodation, a fresh take on casual
dining and a wonderful new lounge that’s sure
to become a favourite spot for guests old and new.
The hallmarks of the ship will remain intact:
the glorious theatre, exquisite Canyon Ranch Spa,
3D cinema, memorable dining, the priceless artworks,
the only planetarium at sea and the renowned
White Star Service.
A considered conversion
The biggest infuence on the remastering of
Queen Mary 2 is her “mother”, the original and
legendary RMS Queen Mary, launched in 1936.
In May, craftsmen will board Queen Mary 2 for
almost a month to bring her thoroughly up to date
while echoing the best of the past. Furnishings,
decorations and details from the frst ship will be
carefully intertwined with the state-of-the-art luxury
of today’s liner. Expect delightful art deco touches and
highlights, with features picked out in the traditional
Cunard colours of red and blue.
The premium Grills Suites will receive a fresh new
look, reconfgured to maximise space and reftted with
even more opulent furnishings (see below).
Britannia staterooms, already some of the plushest
of any ship, will be reftted under a programme that
starts this year and concludes late next year to minimise
impact on the ship’s operations. Again, they will have
designs inspired by Cunard’s history, such as geometric
carpet patterns refecting those of the original
Queen Mary and highlights in imperial blue and
antique gold.
A total of 30 new Britannia Club balcony staterooms
will be added to meet
demand for those preferring
More than personal outdoor space.
New single cabins will ofer
a century in space and privacy to those
the making, travelling alone.
it’s the ultimate A revised layout is planned
for the popular Kings Court
way to travel casual restaurant. Warm
by sea timber fooring, chandeliers,
dramatic artworks and mirrors
that accentuate the sea views will create an enticing
mood, and cooking demonstrations are planned in
viewable kitchen areas.
There is a completely new venue – the Carinthia
Lounge – that has been remastered from the former
Winter Garden in response to a request from
passengers for a refned space for light daytime dining
and sophisticated evenings.
The elegant, airy Carinthia Lounge will serve healthy
breakfasts and lunches, along with speciality teas and
cofees, a dedicated patisserie counter and a
champagne afternoon tea as an alternative to that
served in the Queens Room. Later in the day, the
lounge transforms into a welcoming venue to enjoy
premium wines with platters of food and relaxed
entertainment.
Close to the promenade and Canyon Ranch Spa,
this lounge will provide the perfect setting to catch
up with friends or read a book. It will also beneft
from an impressive wine wall, walnut dance foor
and a suitably muted decor of powder blue, cream
and pale gold.
 SPECIAL OFFERS
The unique story of Cunard
continues to evolve, and this
year the line is riding the
crest of a wave with some
exciting improvements and
ofers. In early summer,
fagship Queen Mary 2 will
undergo a remastering that
will enhance her already
considerable appeal, with
refurbished accommodation,
a fresh take on casual dining
and a divine new lounge.
See pages 4-5 for details.
Several exciting themed
cruises are taking place
this year, so book early if
your passion is for fashion,
food or music.
There are also special
ofers for early bookers
including stateroom
upgrades and extra
complimentary on-board
spending money. Turn to
pages 6-7 to fnd out more.
An elegant adventure
Clockwise from top: Queen
Elizabeth sails into Venice;
world-class dining on board
with an eminent guest speaker on a subject that has
always captured your imagination.
The foundation upon which Cunard’s reputation
is built is also a precious luxury – the renowned White
Star Service. Cunard’s crew is specially trained not just
to satisfy but to anticipate your desires. Respectful yet
amiable, personal yet discreet, the level of service
is a major infuence on the creation of those lifelong
memories with which every passenger leaves.
tHree MAJestiC sHiPs
Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth
are distinctive and full of character. Grand in scale yet
stylish down to the last detail, each is a self-contained
world that invites you to discover, relax, indulge, learn,
enjoy – and smile. Each ship ofers a kaleidoscope of
activities, entertainment and dining options that entice
and enlighten. No two days on board need be the same.
Authenticity is the keyword, whether you’re sipping
a glass of bubbly in the chic Veuve Cliquot Champagne
Bar or supping a pint of beer in the classic British pub.
Stroll through the decks of a Cunard ship and you’ll
fnd surprises around every corner. A swimmer bobs
gently in an inviting blue pool on a teak deck. Friends
huddle over an atlas in the library. The door of the
theatre swings open and you hear thunderous applause.
There are several traditions that have long been
cherished. Prestigious evenings, on which so many
guests love to dress up in their fnest for cocktails,
dining and dancing, are always a huge pleasure.
Ballroom dancing is another hallmark. You can take
to the largest dancefoors at sea to the sounds of a live
big band or swing ensemble. And if your moves aren’t
quite up to Strictly standards, a few lessons will soon
have you doing the quickstep.
The Queens Room, in which the dancing takes place,
is also the refned setting for afternoon tea. A choice of
fne blends and dainty treats are served by white-gloved
waiters, often accompanied by a string quartet.
HiGH-CAliBre sPeAKers
Another way in which Cunard makes a statement
is in the calibre of the guest speakers on its Insights
programme. Over the years, historians, scientists,
authors, entertainers, naturalists and broadcasters
have inspired audiences. Previous years’ presentations
were given by, to name just a few, travel writer Bill
Bryson, motor-racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart and
former Bank of England governor Lord King.
Dining is a cornerstone of a Cunard holiday. Each ship
has a diverse collection of restaurants, with the grandly
appointed Britannia Restaurant and – exclusively for
Grills suite guests – the exquisite Queens and Princess
Grills restaurants being the main focus. Here Grill
guests can enjoy the pinnacle of Cunard dining
augmented by one of the most extensive cellars at sea.
Otherwise, your mood dictates where you eat.
A full English breakfast, a healthy light lunch, an
imaginative French afair, the spices of Asia and India,
a succulent steak… these are just a few of the options.
A voyage with Cunard is rewarding, enriching and
exhilarating – a luxurious adventure. And at its very
centre is you.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY CUNARD
See the world in
grace and style
Cunard has been redefning luxury for more than 175 years
with its magnifcent ships and peerless White Star Service.
Arthur Forrest discovers its passion for the extraordinary
sense of occasion all day, every day.
That’s what Cunard guests have come AN ILLUSTRIOUS
to expect. And this year there is even H E R I TA G E
more to anticipate, indulge in and love.
When a passenger ship sails into No other passenger line
a Norwegian ford, past Venice’s St Mark’s Square has such a distinguished
or into New York Harbour, many watching from the history as Cunard. Last year

A
shore will quickly identify the distinctive black-and- the company celebrated
red funnel and acknowledge, with a subliminal sense 175 years since founder
of respect, it’s a Cunard liner. For those on board, the Samuel Cunard set out
feeling of pride is even higher, for they are the across the Atlantic aboard
benefciaries of more than 175 years of rich history the ship Britannia on the frst
and a mode of travel that’s without compromise. scheduled service between
Cunard can take you, in grace and style, to an Britain and America –
array of the world’s most fascinating and exciting a service that, remarkably,
destinations. Wherever your Queen docks – from continues to this day on the
Iceland to India, from Stockholm to Sydney, from unsurpassed Queen Mary 2.
Barcelona to Brazil – you will feel part of an ever- Since those early days,
evolving story, one that continues to demonstrate Cunard ships have been
the heritage of the world’s most famous ships. called upon to rescue
A voyage with Cunard is special. On board, guests survivors of the Titanic,
are indulged and pampered. The atmosphere is transport large numbers of
civilised and glamorous, yet laughter is the most troops in times of war and
common sound. You can be the centre of attention set ocean speed records.
or left to relax in peace – how you engage with your They have hosted royalty
holiday is always entirely up to you. and many household and
Much of this ambience is to do with the Britishness historical names, from
of Cunard. This infuences everything from the stately Charles Dickens to Clark
elegance of the ship’s architecture to the nurturing of Gable and Nelson Mandela
timeless traditions. In an age where many cruise ships to Rod Stewart.
try to incorporate a bewildering assortment of attractions, Cunard’s current ships are
Cunard has no need for gimmicks. Everything on the a result of this remarkable
three magnifcent Queens is designed and operated with breeding, infused with
you in mind, whether that’s opportunities for learning, a tradition of excellence. The
the chance to relax deeply, a supreme level of fne dining adventures may be diferent
or entertainment that will keep you in your seat. today, but the company’s
passion for the extraordinary
DeFinitions oF luxury remains the same.
Cunard is a luxury line, yet its luxury comes in many
forms. Sumptuous staterooms, an exquisite spa,
beautiful decor and grand public spaces can be taken
for granted. The attention to detail is phenomenal,
from the way in which your favourite cocktail is mixed
to the stitching on the elegant soft furnishings.
Luxury also means appreciating those less tangible
qualities. The way in which a waiter remembers the
way you like your steak cooked. The chance to chat
 CUNARD’S
MAJESTIC
yo u r g u i d e to h e av e n o n e a r t h - S P r i n g 2 0 1 5
VOYAGES
16 JAN uAry 2016
T E L EG R A P H .CO. U K /C U n A R d
t h r e e M AG N I F I C e N t q u e e N s
the GrIlls experIeNCe
queeN MAry 2 reMAstered
d I v I N e d e s t I N At I o N s b r o u G h t to yo u by