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Friday, March 29, 2024

Small Luxury Hotels of the World introduces Hotels in New Destinations

Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) is kicking off the New Year by introducing five new exciting additions, including two properties in new destinations for the brand – Montenegro and The Hamptons. From an intimate adults-only bolthole in Barcelona to a sustainable Sicilian farmhouse and an eco-friendly hideaway in Cambodia, the latest SLH member hotels offer an ideal snapshot of the brand’s independently-minded portfolio.

Angkor Village Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia

42 rooms from USD160 per night including breakfast

Located in the heart of Siem Reap just minutes from Angkor Wat, the Angkor Village Hotel is a collection of Khmer houses, set amongst lush tropical gardens, and made with carefully selected local materials, arts and crafts sourced from the local community. The hotel’s eco-conscious ethos prevails from reducing energy consumption by using energy efficient devices and movement sensors to reducing single plastic use of in room amenities by adopting refillable containers. Guests can eat dinner by torchlight in L’Auberge des Temples – a ‘floating’ pavilion beside lotus-dotted pools of water – serving delicious Khmer recipes using only locally sourced ingredients. Nearby is the onsite Apsara theatre where guests can experience traditional Cambodian dances and Khmer culture.

SLH Insider Tip: Hotel guests should visit Angkor’s night market for a true insight in this extraordinary city, housing over 200 bamboo huts selling a wide range of clothing and traditional Khmer handicrafts made by local communities and using recycled materials.

The Wittmore, Barcelona, Spain

22 rooms from USD470 including breakfast

Bringing a hint of New York sophistication to Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, The Wittmore has a speakeasy vibe with its plush, red velvet interiors, Bakelite telephones and adults-only, no-photography policy. The property exudes intimacy throughout from a baronial dining room decked with tartan motifs and a crackling fireplace where Sinatra and Dean Martin play on constant loop to a rooftop sun deck with yellow-and-white striped loungers, a plunge pool and panoramic views of the city. Perfectly in keeping with the members’ club vibe, The Witty restaurant feels as if it’s straight out of a Wes Anderson film thanks to its bird-print wallpaper, dog-shaped salt and pepper shakers and an old-master-style oil painting of a fictional Lord Wittmore.

SLH Insider Tip: Every Thursday night, The Witty restaurant hosts musicians playing everything from jazz music to Spanish pop. Guests can listen to the delightful tunes whilst tucking into the restaurant’s sublime roast beef with mustard sauce.

Villa Geba, Sveti Stafan, Montenegro

Eight rooms from USD1,091 including breakfast

A secret hideaway overlooking the Adriatic Sea, Villa Geba offers privileged views of the Sveti Stefan peninsula, a former fishing village which has recently been named Montenegro’s most photographed site. Each of the hotel’s eight suites comes with its own private butler and is named after a different Greek goddess encapsulating her beauty in its interior design, from the Moorish-themed Salma and blue monochrome Appolonia to the black-and-gold Elena. Guests are invited to indulge their senses at the hotel’s Muse Restaurant & Bar which serves French cuisine prepared by Chef Olivia Méli who trained under Joël Robuchon, with specialties including seabass in salt crust or lemon meringue pie with notes of lavender. When it’s time to unwind, they can also take a reinvigorating dip in the infinity pool suspended above the Montenegrin coastline, surrounded by ancient ruins.

SLH Insider Tip: The hotel can organise a host of bespoke activities for guests including tea ceremonies with Montenegrin monks in a local monastery, dinner in a winery or gourmet lake-side picnics.

Susafa, Sicily, Italy

18 rooms from USD190 per night including breakfast

A part of Northern Sicily’s bucolic landscape, Susafa is a family-run estate owned by the Saeli-Rizzuto family which aims to introduce a new generation of guests to centuries-old rural life from cherry harvesting and Sicilian wine tasting to ravioli and tortellini making. Committed to working in tune with their natural environment, Susafa produces most of its own energy through solar panels and all their water is sourced from on-site wells. Guests are encouraged to join walking tours of the bountiful gardens growing native fruits, vegetables and herbs which are served daily at the hotel’s restaurants. The hotel also has olive groves from which they produce their own organic extra virgin olive oil and wheat fields from which delicious Focaccia bread and pizzas are baked daily on site.

SLH Insider Tip: Guests should not miss the chance to take part in the hotel’s Sicilian cooking class teaching them how to make traditional Sicilian tomato sauce “caponata” with fresh seasonal ingredients from the garden. This is followed by a lesson in ricotta cheese and cannoli making, the traditional Sicilian dessert.

Topping Rose House, The Hamptons, United States

22 rooms from USD661 per night including breakfast

Approximately 100 miles from New York City on the East End of Long Island, Topping Rose House is The Hamptons’ full-service luxury hotel ideally situated within walking distance of Bridgehampton’s boutiques, art galleries and cafés. The hotel’s 75-seat restaurant is truly farm-to-table, featuring produce grown on the property’s one acre Topping Rose Farm and honouring the best ingredients from other local farmers and fishermen.  When it’s time to unwind, guests can enjoy a host of herbal treatments at the Naturopathica Spa  including a Herbal Hydration Complex mask or an anti-inflammatory massage using Arnica Remedy Oil. The knowledgeable concierge staff can organise a range of bespoke activities for guests including a private yoga session in the Studio or Barn; a cooking, wine or spirits demonstration led by their expert staff; guided hikes and bike rides; a chartered fishing excursion; or a vineyard visit and wine tasting.

SLH Insider Tip:  Guests should watch out for the hotel’s art collection featuring both local and international artists, including art pieces from Seattle artist Christopher Boffoli who plays with scale and food photography or Scott Patt’s “Rabbit with Foot” featuring a ceramic rabbit sculpture with a gold-dipped foot.

News From Existing SLH Members…

Villa Eyrie Resort debuts fly fishing experiences

Located close to Vancouver Island, Villa Eyrie Resort now offers half-day or full-day fly fishing experiences for guests to experience on the island’s world-class rivers that are teeming with various types of trout from late autumn through to early spring. During their adventures, guests will be able to navigate the Cowichan River on a drift boat, a true gem for anglers, and will be treated to many great sightseeing opportunities for elk, eagles, hawks, bears, otters and ospreys.

Crans Ambassador offers a new dog sled experience

Located in the heart of the mountains of Valais in Switzerland, Crans Ambassador has launched a new dog sledge experience aimed at children and grown-ups. Pulled by a team of huskies, guests can glide over the snow-covered plateau of the Plaine-Morte glacier and see the fascinating mountain landscape from a completely new perspective. The hotel has also launched a new 60-minute sports massage in its spa designed to soothe muscle pain and boost blood circulation and oxygen supply to the muscles.

A one-night Collaboration between Chefs Jon Parry & Nigel Mendham at DUKES LONDON

DUKES LONDON is delighted to announce that its much-loved restaurant, GBR (Great British Restaurant), will host a one-night-only dinner on 25th February 2020, 18:30, a unique collaboration between GBR’s Chef Nigel Mendham and Chef Jon Parry of The Mash Inn. The Chefs will showcase their combined passion for respecting the best possible ingredients, and wasting nothing.  Together, they have designed a one off six-course menu using ingredients as locally-sourced as possible and with careful consideration for minimising waste – from breadcrumbs to scallop roes and celeriac leaves. Tickets cost £95 per person, which includes a welcome drink and a wine pairing selection. For those not able to make it to the main event, a selection of dishes from the menu will be available at both GBR and The Mash Inn for 3 months after. A portion of all profits will go to the charity Hospitality Action, which offers vital assistance to those who have worked within hospitality in the UK and who find themselves in a crisis.

Casa Angelina unveils a new restaurant and bar

Cut into the Amalfi coastline in charming Praiano, Casa Angelina will be introducing a new cocktail bar in the lobby lounge from spring 2020 as well as a new open plan Molteni kitchen which will be taking centre stage at the hotel’s new Seascape all-day dining restaurant located on the cliff-edge terrace. Guests will be able to enjoy live cooking throughout the day whilst soaking up the sun. The hotel has also created two larger accommodations, merging two sets of entry-level rooms. The new Deluxe Corner Sea View Rooms will both be ready by spring 2020 and will feature a living room with front sea view balcony and an adjoining bedroom with front sea view window, walk-in closet, large bathroom with a bathtub and separate shower.

Grand Powers launches new restaurant menu

Located in the heart of Paris’s Golden Triangle, Grand Powers’ restaurant le Café 52 has introduced a new healthy and organic menu focused on seasonal products which have been sustainably grown and carefully sourced from local producers. The restaurant is now serving different Poke Bowls including a vegan version with red split lentils, falafels and tahini or a healthy one with quinoa, satay chicken, cashew nuts, pineapple and edamame. Guests will be able to select different organic breads including gluten-free and lactose-free options as well as a choice of natural wines, organic infusions and a sustainably certified Champagne. Once per month, le Café 52 will host an aperitif-style event for guests to enjoy light and healthy tapas, ambient music as well as vegetal cocktails.

The Franklin launches new afternoon tea

Located in London’s leafy Knightsbridge neighbourhood, The Franklin has introduced a new whimsical afternoon tea, celebrating the V&A’s latest exhibition, ’Wonderful Things’, the fantastical works of British fashion photographer Tim Walker. Designed in partnership with luxury event planners, La Fête, guests can experience a delicate culinary feast with afternoon tea treats presented in delicately tiered bird cages taking inspiration from fairy-tale themes and notions of ‘wonder’. Complimented by glass domes of gravity-defying meringue, and chocolate and pistachio upside-down cones with faux ice cream, tiers of sweet wonder will impress and satiate the most discerning afternoon tea fans.  A signature cocktail from The Franklin Bar has also been crafted by its new mixology duo – Filippo Tacchi and Luca Milesi – a tantalising sloe gin-based, lavender-infused libation.

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