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SEPTEMBER 2014
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CONTENTS
SEPTEMBER 2014
Features
70 British houses
We unlock
the doors of the newest and very best
cottages, cabins and castles to rent
82
100
108
90
CONTENTS
September 2014
36
54
121
41
In this issue
12 Editors letter
14 Contributors
19 Word of mouth The places and
people creating a buzz around the
world, from Mayfair to Mozambique
19
36 Neighbourhood on the up
Whats new in Habana Vieja, the old
quarter of the Cuban capital
56
PHOTOGRAPHS: ANA LUI PHOTOGRAPHY; MARK READ; TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK[NEW PIC GOING IN??]
30 Short break Foodies are ocking 121 The experts Health Our essential
30
EDITORS LETTER
grew up on the river test. It was my rst love. Building dams, oating along its
arteries, swimming in its shady offshoots, shing at a pinky dusk, the ies bobbing
about its surface as if they were broken parts of a weird clock. Every dream I have
ever had features the River Test.
It is a chalky river, so you can see right through to its bare bones. When we were
little we would watch the fat trout gawp at the hanging locks of weeping willows that
touched its surface, and dangle our feet for hours from the banks, catching weeds between
our toes. At night, tucked up in bed, I would listen to it darkly plotting outside my window.
No one could stay immune to the charms of the Test. My parents, who always
had weird and wonderful people to stay, once invited Peter Sellers and his then
girlfriend Britt Ekland. They didnt leave their bedroom for the whole weekend,
until very late on Sunday when Peter emerged to do an elaborate striptease behind
a chinoiserie screen in the middle of an otherwise empty lawn, and then drive a
motorbike, at full pelt, straight into the river.
When my sister got married, she and her husband left the wedding on an elaborate, owerstrewn pontoon. But the best man got over-excited, threw himself in, and started pushing the newlyweds along with a remarkable number of small bridesmaids towards a weir. Others, wearing black
tie, were forced to jump in to stop him. Later, as dawn approached, the best man was found alone on
the stage, in disgrace but unabashed, wearing a pink sunhat and singing Little Richard songs.
It was along the banks of the Test that I spent most of the night of my 21st birthday party, an
excitable event, to which I had foolishly invited an errant ex-boyfriend. He arrived, said something
errant and, overcome with distress, I set off in an ill-tting Bruce Oldeld dress with my friend Doobie.
We walked the length of the Test until it reached the Bourne, arm in arm, marvelling at trout and the
Tests protean shine. Later, we went and hid in the cavernous interior of a favourite holly bush until
Doobie suggested both of us might do well to have a slice of cake.
Sometimes I nd myself near the house where I grew up. The house is no longer there, though.
After it was sold, the new owners razed it to the ground and built an almost exact copy of the original,
except in stone instead of brick. Whats even harder to cope with is that they have broken the banks of
the Test itself and turned it into a (perfectly honourable) wildlife sanctuary. But it doesnt look like my
Test. And I hardly dare seek sh in its depths in case they, too, have gone.
Friends of mine who now live near the river say they have found a perfect, untouched spot further
north where their children love to splash about in the shallows and skim stones and lie in the long
grass. That we should organise a picnic on a sunny day and go.
I feel drawn and yet reluctant.
Perhaps my children and I should simply nd a new river.
Its just that in my heart of hearts I know the Test is the most beautiful river of all, and I cant bear
to pretend to fall for anything less.
This is the new issue of Cond Nast Traveller. To rst loves and all the gorgeous and heartbreaking
splashing about that they entail.
Melinda Stevens
Editor
@MelindaStevens3
MelindaLP
Zebra Pegasus
silk twill scarf
For all enquiries:
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CONTRIBUTORS
Inspired by this months UK houses
feature, we asked our contributors to
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WORD OF MOUTH
Whats hot in Mozambique Athens Peru Italy South Korea China Ecuador
EDITED BY FIONA KERR
SEA CHANGE
Theres something in the water off Africas east coast: a raft of new and spruced-up hotels
Mozambiques bewitching Bazaruto Archipelago, a protected park with superb diving and brilliant-white beaches, is in
the spotlight now that the Johannesburg-based safari outt &Beyond has taken over Benguerra Lodge. This little hideaway
opened 23 years ago on the island of the same name, pictured, with 12 two-bed huts and developed into one of the sweetest
low-key retreats in the Indian Ocean. The lodge closes in October for a total upgrade, including a ret of the old Flamingo
a much-loved traditional sailing dhow and will reopen in April 2015. Over on neighbouring Bazaruto Island, the
former Indigo Bay hotel, the most sophisticated property in the area when it opened back in 2001, is being smartened
up and relaunched as Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort & Spa. And now news reaches us that the Vilanculos Coastal Wildlife
Sanctuary just south of the archipelago has caught the eye of Singitas Luke Bailes, whos been on the lookout for a beach
retreat to add to his portfolio of super-slick safari lodges in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. Although still a work in
progress, he says it will deliver a marine and wildlife experience in one, with a strong focus on restoration and conservation.
Given Singitas past hits, we expect great things. PETER BROWNE
September 2014 Cond Nast Traveller 19
WORD OF MOUTH
ART OF DARKNESS
contain public art. I never envisaged the scale of his ambition. It was
important that the work wasnt gratuitous. After a week he came up with
the perfect solution. Nothing could be more intrinsic to the hotel.
Joiners spent six months tting the special wooden panels to the inside
of the man. Each piece has teeth that slot into the next, like a huge cubist
puzzle. The rest of the suite is more conventional: a
smart living room lined with Gormleys sketches, an
all-white bathroom from which a marble staircase
leads through a blackout curtain to the bedroom.
Other rooms in the hotel have an Art Deco
feel, and King has a warehouse full of antiques
furniture and paintings that could have been
amassed by a hotelier in the 1920s to dot about
the place. On the ground oor is The Colony Grill
Room, a classic Corbin & King restaurant though
with a more American slant than their Europeanstyle grand cafs. And, yes, it does room service.
Brown Hart Gardens, London W1 (+44 20 7499
1001; www.thebeaumont.com). Doubles from 415;
ROOM from 2,270. ROOM will be open to the
public during Open House London, 2021 September
Whats it like to sleep in a sculpture? Fiona Kerr lies back and thinks of cubism with a rst look
inside Antony Gormleys inhabitable ROOM creation at The Beaumont hotel, opening this month
WORD OF MOUTH
them to the
ts been a bumpy few years for Athens. Grinding austerity has sparked riots, strikes
and political turbulence, bringing tourism in the city to a shuddering halt. But as
Greece makes tentative steps towards recovery, Athenians are championing the
capitals revival with creative start-ups that focus on the affordable and authentic.
While most of the souvenirs in Plka Athenss old town are imported from China,
FORGET ME NOT stocks witty updates on Greek classics including evil-eye
coasters and tote bags made from recycled feta tins. At B38, Mirella Manta and Ioli
Michalopoulou sell accessories from local designers alongside own-label womenswear.
And while many high-end boutiques have closed, MOHNBLUMCHEN has evolved;
reborn as a pizza restaurant, its packed with the fashionable crowd once more.
Off gritty Omonia Square, ROMANTSO is named after the pulp magazine once
printed there. The top oors have cheap studios for creatives, while hipsters hang out
in the bar and performance spaces
downstairs. Less self-consciously cool
is cosy neighbourhood bar KYRIOS
HOU, the latest hotspot in Ano
Petralona, a residential area that has
morphed into a late-night street party.
Dont confuse it with KYRIOS,
another newcomer, where a stuffed
gorilla guards the DJ booth, and
the staff in their leather aprons are
as good-looking as the clientele.
Once overpriced and
underwhelming, the Athens hotel
scene is being freshened up by
DIY hoteliers. A group of friends are
behind LIVE IN ATHENS (www.
liveinathens.net; from about 40),
gET
greek
Clockwise from
opposite, top left:
City Circus mural
and bar; Free
Thinking Zone;
a balcony at City
Circus; Forget
Me Not gift shop;
Mohnblmchen;
art outside and
inside Romantso;
B38 boutique
WORD OF MOUTH
Coco Chanels talisman, the winged golden lion, was
modelled on the one atop St Marks Basilica in Venice. Its
still used by Karl Lagereld on buttons and handbag
clasps and recently starred in a 58-piece jewellery
collection. Now, thanks to Chanel Joaillerie, the original
beast will be treated in a special lab to restore its roar.
GRAND Designs
Fashions big-hitters are stepping in to save
some of Europes most iconic landmarks
FENDI
BULGARI
CHANEL
COLOSSEUM,
ROME
DIOR
TODS
TREVI FOUNTAIN,
ROME
VIEW FINDER
Get a fresh angle on classic sights by shaking off the crowds and forging a different path
MACHU PICCHU,
PERU
VENICE,
ITALY
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS,
ECUADOR
PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY; FREZZA LAFATA/REX; MOST WANTED/REX; PHOTOSHOT/TTL; JAVIER PIERINI/OFFSET; SHUTTERSTOCK
ICONIC
E XC ELLEN C E
A UNIQUE COLLECTION OF EXTRAORDINARY
INDIVIDUAL HOTELS. ENRICHED WITH THE CHARACTER
OF LOCAL CULTURE. INSPIRED BY THE LIFESTYLE
OF THE MODERN LUXURY TRAVELLER.
WORD OF MOUTH
Sitting comfortably?
Explore curious corners of the globe with these offbeat travel blogs
Junglesinparis.com
WHO Darrell Hartman, a New York travel writer,
and his lm-maker brother Oliver create short
pieces on off-the-radar culture, people and
wildlife from around the world. We dig deep
to nd special, timeless stories, says Hartman.
FAVOURITE FINDS Swimming horses in
Jamaicas Montego Bay; voodoo cleansing
ceremonies in Haiti; the daredevil moto-taxi
drivers of Yemen; little-known Nigerian kings.
Messynessychic.com
WHO Paris-based English writer Vanessa Grall
takes us on a trawl of fascinating places and
people, past and present. I try to make the site
reect the aesthetic of explorers and collectors;
digging up enchanting and forgotten things like
a cabinet of curiosities, she says.
FAVOURITE FINDS An abandoned cinema in
the Sinai desert (pictured left); photos of 1950s
London girl gang Bombsite Boudiccas; inside
F Scott Fitzgeralds Art Deco villa in France.
Atlasobscura.com
WHO Adventurer Dylan Thuras and science
journalist Joshua Foer present a compendium
of weird and wonderful locations. Id taken
some strange road-trips while growing up in the
Midwest, says Thuras. Most interesting travel
guides were out-of-print, so we created our own.
FAVOURITE FINDS A reputedly haunted, dollcovered island in Mexico; a Namibian casino
lled with sand; the darkly humorous gravestones
at Romanias Merry Cemetery. BRITT COLLINS
HOLOGRAMS
SCREEN FEASTS
SPECIAL K
WORD OF MOUTH
Tel Aviv
Party: The Block is very cool, not
commercial at all. It doesnt close
until daybreak, usually 8am.
Eat: Go to Julies in the Carmel
Market. She asks, Rice or
couscous? Spicy or no? then
makes whatever she wants.
spinning plates
DJ Seth Troxler has combined his two loves
meat and music by launching pop-up
BBQ Smokey Tails in East London. Here, he
shares his top spots to party and pig out
the trends
taking off
and those
running out
of fuel
Brazil
Party: Warung Beach Club in Itaja
plays the best electronic music in Brazil.
You have to walk though a jungle to get
there, then it just appears on the beach
5,000 beautiful people dancing.
Eat: The bistro at Felissimo Exclusive
Hotel is surrounded by trees, so its
like eating in a forest! The food is
modern Brazilian, or you can get
sliders with your Caipirinha.
New York
Party: Output in Brooklyn has the best sound
in the city. The main room is always packed, but
you can chill on the rooftop or my favourite
dance beneath chandeliers in the Panther Room.
Eat: If Im up early enough, I go for pancakes
at Clinton Street Baking Company. You can
queue for hours if you go later.
Amsterdam
Party: Trouw is a big, booming club
with a restaurant and art space inside in
an old newspaper-printing warehouse.
Eat: Its perfect for a pre-clubbing
dinner as the food isnt heavy mostly
vegetarian sharing plates, such as beet
salad with rhubarb and fava beans.
SCARLETT RUSSELL
DRONES
Getting everywhere. Delivering
Champagne to clubbers in
Vegas, lming travel videos (see
TravelByDrone.com) and soon
hovering over concert crowds,
complete with speakers. Catch
John Cale and his drone orchestra
at the Barbican this month.
AIRPORT HOTELS
Once a forgettable night in a
Holiday Inn, now a design-led
but still affordable stay at
Gatwicks Bloc, Citizen M
at Paris Charles de Gaulle,
and Moxy at Milan Malpensa.
TOKYO
With the new Aman opening in
the Otemachi Tower (between
the Imperial Palace and Tokyo
station) this autumn, hot
on the heels of Andazs slick
debut in June, youll want
to get here long before the
2020 Olympics arrive.
PIMPED-UP
WATERSPORTS
CO
BOUND
AT
K E F LY. C
SP
BO
SP
SKIS
A
BO TS
BIKES
LISTER.C
Flyboarding (hovering
overwater), Subwing (gliding
underwater) who do you
think you are, James Bond?
REGGAE
Its all about Afrobeat right now,
thanks to the release of Finding
Fela, a docu-drama about
Nigerian musical legend Fela
Kuti. Download killer track
Zombie and get your funk on.
PERUVIAN FOOD
Move over ceviche: all eyes are
on Brazil as Michelin compiles
a guide to the restaurants of Rio
de Janiero and So Paulo
its rst-ever in South America
out next March. Expect top
marks for Helena Rizzos Man
and Alex Atalas D.O.M.
PHOTOGRAPHS: SHUTTERSTOCK
SHIFTING GEAR
DialAFlight
INSTEAD OF MANICURED,
VINE-COVERED
TERRACES, THERE ARE
HILLS CLOAKED IN
FORESTS WITH WILD,
TURQUOISE WATERS
acacia-lined lane winding away from
the industrial madness and up into a
farming idyll.
There are acres of crops, woodland
and vegetable gardens, as well as
fruit and nut trees, cows, ducks, poultry
and farm dogs, who are the rst to
greet a stranger passing out of the shade
of the trees into the airy, peaceful
prairie that is Cascina degli Ulivi. And,
of course, there are the vines: local
varieties, including Cortese, Barbera
and Dolcetto, alongside international
Opposite, spaghetti cooked in red wine with
bacon at Cascina degli Ulivi, Piedmont
THIS IS A WORLD OF
EXTRAORDINARILY
INSPIRING FARMERS, A
PARALLEL EXISTENCE
OF CLEAN PRODUCE
AND PROPER COOKING
Speziali, for wholesale, but jars of
it are available through Bellotti. For
those particularly interested in
beekeeping, visits can sometimes be
arranged. Panello has an apartment on
his farm which he rents out through
Airbnb, Casa Speziali nelle Colline del
Gavi (from about 80 per night).
EXTRA HELPINGS
More hotspots to fill up on the organic flavours of Piedmont
La Morella (www.lamorella-biologica.it) is
owned by Enio Ferretti, one of the founders
of Valli Unite who left the collective to set
up his own farm, just over the hill, in the
1990s. He grows 35 hectares of ancient
cereals and ve hectares of vines producing
lovely natural wine that is extremely good
value. Drop by with empty bottles and ll
them up yourself, or buy in bulk. Although
theres a B&B on site, Id recommend staying
in the charming village house thats available
to rent (doubles from about 30, with organic
breakfast from about 5 per person).
La Locanda dei Musici (www.locandadei
musici.com; doubles from about 65), an
hour north-west of Cascina degli Ulivi, is a
renovated old Piedmontese home with
sweeping views across the surrounding
countryside and ancient cellars that are
denitely worth a peek. Theres also a small
selection of local wines for guests to try.
The owners brother, Mauro Vergano, is
a wonderful natural-vermouth producer
based in Asti, who uses Cascina degli
Ulivis wines and those of Cascina Tavijn,
another winemaker, to craft his artisan
brews. These are among some of the best
I have ever tasted and form part of the
vermouth renaissance thats sweeping cool
NEIGHBOURHOOD ON THE UP
Vintage American gas-guzzlers and crumbling colonial architecture are still on show but theres
WORDS LYDIA BELL PHOTOGRAPHS MARK LUSCOMBE-WHYTE
Clockwise from top left: Jacqueline Fumero Caf & Boutique; SwedishCuban restaurant Casa Miglis; the interior of Suite Havana; a spot of salsa
in Old Havana; a round of Cuban Mojitos; a classic Chevrolet outside the
crumbling Hotel New York; a courtyard in Casa Habana
Two-bedroom apartment
Suite Havana is a pioneer.
Firstly because privatehire rentals have only
just been legalised, and
secondly because of its
bold and contemporary
design. Leandis Diaz and
her French husband
installed a grey polished
concrete kitchen, graphic
black-and-white oor
tiling, a modern bathroom
and a pair of rather stark
bedrooms. Prints by underthe-radar photographers
and museum-worthy
artists, including Choco
and Wifredo Lam, enliven
the walls. Calle Lamparilla
62 (+535 829 6524;
www.suitehavana.com).
From about 80, including
breakfast; sleeps four
On a run-down
backstreet, the whimsical,
10-bedroom Casa
Habana occupies two
1920s-era ats one
on the ground oor, the
other on the second
oor of the building next
door reputed to have
once been a brothel.
Its the aesthetic that
unies: restored colonial
glamour with high ceilings,
decadent chandeliers,
nudes on the walls and
repaired gilded furniture.
At about 18 per room,
including breakfast, you
could ll the whole place
with friends and family.
Calle Habana 209
(+537 861 0253)
Owned by tastemaker
and bon viveur Osmani
Hernndez, the
meticulously renovated
guesthouse Casa Vitrales
heralds a new generation
of pared-down boutique
boltholes, with louvred
shutters, decoratively
tiled oors, high ceilings
and a rooftop terrace.
The Vitrales of its name
is the exquisite, original
coloured window glass
which refracts the
Caribbean light. Calle
Habana 106 (+537 7866
2607; www.cvitrales.com).
Doubles from about 18,
including breakfast
EAT
An 18th-century
colonial building houses
Ivan Chef Justo and its
ragtag interiors. Vintage
movie-star photos line
the walls and Creole dishes
y out of the tiny open
kitchen. Its eclectic menus
reect the irregularities
of food supply, but the
produce is market-fresh
and you might encounter
tuna tartare, hand-rolled
pasta, baby-eel salad
or suckling pig. Calle
Aguacate 9 (+537 863
9697). Lunch from about
30 for two
SNACK
Dont
miss
DRINK
At 304 OReilly a
former toy warehouse
converted into a gin bar/
restaurant thirtysomething
hipster-entrepreneur
Jos Carlos Imperatori
is carving out the new
Habana Vieja. Head
downstairs for carousing
and cocktails; upstairs is
the restaurant with its
blue-green reclaimed
tiles and Imperatoris
art collection, including
a cerise Amy Winehouse
fashioned from tiny rubber
balls. Calle OReilly 304
(+535 264 4725)
A mere sliver of a bar,
El Chanchullero is so
popular with locals its
hard to get a table, and
not only because of its
giant portions of 2 tapas.
With its Spanish vibe
and relaxed sensibility
(everyone has scrawled
graffiti on the tables and
walls), this drinking den
is reminiscent of the
youth-lled bars in the
alleyways of San Sebastin
nothing special for Spain,
but pioneering in 21stcentury Cuba. The music
is also more European
than Cuban, so no blasting
reggaeton, salsa or bolero.
Calle Teniente Rey 457
(+537 872 8227)
Back when Havana
was the Pearl of the
Caribbean, American
good-timers made the
steamy Cuban capital their
playground and Sloppy
Joes was the iconic bar
where Jos Garca served
liquor and iced seafood.
In 1959, post-revolution,
SHOP
Just off Plaza de la
Catedral is Piscolabis
Bazar-Caf, which sells
artisanal products made
in Cuba. The owners
mission is to revive a design
industry that collapsed
after the revolution. In
a modern, light-lled
space that contrasts with
the peeling faade, youll
nd vintage furniture
jostling with upcycled
pieces, from medicine
bottles fashioned into
candlesticks to lamps and
cushions, mirrors, papiermch trinkets, candles
and handmade costume
jewellery. Coffee and
snacks are served to
lingerers. Calle San Ignacio
75 (+535 284 0355)
A place to pick up
handcrafted pieces by
the Cuban designer of the
same name, Jacqueline
Fumero Caf & Boutique
is also a tranquil stop-off
that spills out onto a
quiet square opposite the
Santo Angel Custodio
church. Fumeros designs
range from amencostyle evening wear to
frocks in colourful taffeta.
Her Habaneras collection
has upmarket versions of
the white cotton dresses
seen all over the island.
Calle Compostela 1 (+537
862 6562)
At El Reloj Cuervo
y Sobrinos, exquisitely
expensive belle poque
and Art Nouveau-inspired
timepieces hark back
to the days when owning
a fancy watch marked
you out as a fedorawearing big-timer who
ew rst-class to Cuba
My Habana Vieja
Jos Carlos Imperatori
Wis h y ou we re h e re
WHERE TO STAY
WHERE TO STAY
the Hoofts and the Backers,
the Geelvincks, Huygenses
and Brentanos. They all left
their mark.
I have lived in Amsterdam
for nearly 20 years and, after
all this time, still never tire of
strolling the canals, taking in
these tidemarks of past glory.
Spotting an exuberantly
decorative gable, perhaps, or
glancing up through a window
(people dont draw their curtains
at night) to glimpse a gilded
ceiling, rippling in the light of a
crystal chandelier.
The problem is that after the
Golden Age binge came a long
economic hangover. That, and
eras such as the 1960s with a
mania for the new, all too often
meant wanton architectural
carnage behind those impressive
faades. Interiors crumbled
through lack of care, or were
gutted or covered over with
modernising zeal as houses
were turned into ofces. Such
wholesale slaughter is less likely
to happen these days. But I am
cautiously intrigued when I hear that the
Waldorf (part of the Hilton group) has
come to town, transforming the patrician
mansions into a hotel. What might the
renovators have uncovered? And more
importantly, what have they done with it?
The rst thing that strikes me on
arrival, as my luggage is magicked away,
is that no ugly front desk blocks the way.
Instead, the reception and concierge occupy
WALDORF ASTORIA
AMSTERDAM, HERENGRACHT
542556, AMSTERDAM (+31
20 718 4600; WWW.WALDORF
ASTORIA.COM/AMSTERDAM).
DOUBLES FROM ABOUT 365
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EXPERIENCE SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY
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WHERE TO STAY
YOUNG AT HEART
CASA GRACIA
In a vast modernist mansion in the swankiest part
of town, Casa Grcia is the vivacious brainchild of
ve hipster backpackers who set out to create the
sort of place they always longed to nd. Young
travellers check in and out every two minutes, as
do families and groovy baby-boomers on roundthe-world trips. The reception is on the rst oor
of a six-storey building (the ground oor is home
to chef Paco Prezs popular LEggs restaurant),
with original oak parquet, pretty corniced ceilings
and arched hallways. All of which serves as a
backdrop for designer Pelusa Ruizs recent overhaul.
The big sitting room is lled with battered leather
sofas, oppy beanbags and chessboards; an
open-plan kitchen produces excellent breakfasts
of homemade jam, cakes and pastries, with
Spanish classics such as paella and chicken al
ajillo for supper. At night, the dining room hosts
amenco shows, poetry recitals and lm screenings;
by day, guests spill onto a terrace shaded by olive
and lemon trees planted in vintage re buckets
and lit by strings of multicoloured carnival bulbs.
Bedrooms range from dorms to deluxe suites
with hot tubs; all have new, if tiny, bathrooms.
Passeig de Grcia 116 (+34 931 874497; www.
casagraciabcn.com). Doubles from about 55
BARCELONA
Style on a budget is still possible to find in the cool Catalan capital. By Tara Stevens
CHIC&BASIC RAMBLAS
This funky reinterpretation of 1960s Barcelona opened last year in an
unassuming period apartment block just off Las Ramblas. Local design
rm Lagranja has worked wonders with the interiors: the big lobby is
dominated by a genuine Seat 600 bubble car, and theres a reception desk
constructed from retro luggage; just as arresting is the white-on-white
colour scheme of the billiards room and library. The hotels buzziest space
is its bright dining room, which has oor-to-ceiling windows on three
sides and a surprisingly peaceful pavement terrace. Breakfast is a traditional
Catalan affair of charcuterie and cheeses, fresh fruit and yogurt; later in
the day, neighbourhood regulars stop by for the good-value menu of chilled
soups, grilled sh or Peneds duck, tapas and goldsh-bowl-sized G&Ts.
The doors of all 97 bedrooms are decorated with images from the 1960s,
including local icons such as amboyant drag queen Jos Prez Ocaa,
cult designer Miguel Mil and the citys celebrated football team Bara (a
free, two-hour walking tour of the neighbourhood helps to put these
characters and events in context). The bedroom interiors pop in jellybean
colours apple, lemon and watermelon but are otherwise fairly simple.
The best have private terraces big enough for an afternoon snooze in the sun;
others have small kitchens, should you fancy trawling La Boqueria food
market for your supper. Passatje Gutenberg 7 (+34 933 027111; www.
chicandbasicramblashotel.com). Doubles from about 60
FLORAL FIND
PRAKTIK GARDEN
OFF-RADAR RESTORATION
RETROME BARCELONA
Israeli entrepreneur Moti Erdeapel founded the Retrome group of small hotels and
apartments in 2005, when with a limited budget, but good friends in the worlds of
art, architecture and design he created the Colosseum Garden, a retro-inspired
B&B in Rome. This Barcelona outpost is in a lesser-known part of the Eixample, close
to the spectacular La Concepci market and excellent, off-radar restaurants such as
the Mantequera Ravell, a secret dining room above a delicatessen on Carrer Arag.
The fabric of this lavish Art Nouveau apartment building has been meticulously restored,
with the original bigas (bowed beams), azulejos (painted wall tiles) and coloured
hydraulic-cement tiling typical of the Modernisme style. Scandinavian furniture (a
voluptuous green-felt sofa; an old snooker-table lamp hung over a 1970s ash dining
table) adds retro cool. The bedrooms are decorated in geometric wallpaper and there
are unique touches such as an enormous cast-iron safe converted into a wardrobe.
The best have balconies overlooking the peaceful gardens of a convent. A traditional
Catalan breakfast of pan con tomate (toasted bread rubbed with ripe tomatoes and
drizzled in olive oil) is served in the popular little bar across the street. Carrer de Girona
85 (+34 931 744037; www.retrome.net/barcelona). Doubles from about 60
WHERE TO STAY
BED-HOPPING
WITH TONI COLLETTE
The star of hot TV show Hostages tells Francesca Babb the hotels where shed be happy to stay captive
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL
FLORENCE
This is heaven on earth. Part of the
hotel is an old convent, and the rooms
are beauteous. The grounds are endless
with huge trees, interesting sculptures
and grassy knolls; you feel like a kid in
The Secret Garden. There are so many
pockets to laze in, plus a gorgeous pool.
I love the bar, too I discovered my
favourite wine there. www.fourseasons.
com/orence. Doubles from about 260
THE ROOMS AT
QUALIA ARE MADE
MOSTLY OF TIMBER
AND THEY SMELL
SO GOOD!
II PELLICANO, TUSCANY
Kids under 10 arent welcome at Il Pellicano, so
its been a while since I was last there, and itll be
a while before I return, but everything about it is
gorgeous. It embraces simple, classic Italian style
and the view straight out to the bluest sea is
ridiculous. There are medieval villages left and
right, too. Its pretty special to be able to stay
on the coast yet still explore inland. www.
pellicanohotel.com. Doubles from about 340
Toni Collette stars in Hector and the Search for Happiness, in cinemas from 15 August
46 Cond Nast Traveller September 2014
NO THANKS!
Blancaneaux Lodge in Belize is amazing
rustic rooms, massages, the pia coladas!
but when your tiny plane is ung around
like a ping-pong ball, then tries to land on a
skinny runway, theres cause for concern.
PHOTOGRAPH: CAMERAPRESS
LHOSTELLERIE DE LABBAYE
DE LA CELLE, PROVENCE
Admittedly the rooms are pretty average, but
this is an Alain Ducasse hotel, so its a godsend
for foodies. Both the food and the wine are
to die for, and being able to pick and devour
wild strawberries from the garden with my
daughter was amazing. www.abbaye-celle.com.
Doubles from about 200
ABTA No.V1464
*Calls are charged at your mobile or other providers local or national rate. Price is per person and
is based on 2 adults sharing staying 1nt Calgary, 7nts Western Explorer travelling in RedLeaf Service and
1nt Vancouver, departing London Heathrow 04 May 15. Offer is correct at time of going to print and is
subject to availability and change. ATOL protected 1275.
exploring with
WHERE TO STAY
WHERE TO STAY
EAT With their kitchen gardens, in-house
foragers and 25-mile-sourced menus, food
is at the heart of all the Pigs. Regulars
will recognise the piggy-bits bar snacks,
joined here by shy bits, too: hake
brandade; whiting ngers with homemade
ketchup. The seafood focus continues with
crab sandwiches for outdoorsy lunches
and crispy oysters, charred Poole Bay
mackerel with samphire and Studland
lobster and chips in the restaurant.
WHO GOES THERE? Millionaires
dressed in David Cameron Casual,
white-jeaned wives in tow, from the glass
mansions lining nearby Sandbanks; the
coasts retiree crowd come for lunch.
Fans of the other Pigs had booked out
weekends well into 2015 before it even
opened, so get in now for next summer.
WE LIKE The ice-cream cart in the
garden in the afternoon; enjoying a
pre-dinner Dorset 75 cocktail (Nyetimber,
lemon-thyme-infused Chase gin, sugar)
sitting in an Adirondack chair on the lawn.
WE DONT LIKE It is not actually on the
beach; its above it, and a short walk on
the road to Middle Beach or South Beach
on either side of the hotels headland.
PHOTOGRAPH: ALAMY
THE WEEKENDER
BALI . BILOXI . CANCUN . CHICAGO . HOLLYWOOD, FL . IBIZA . LAS VEGAS . MACAU . NORTHFIELD PARK . ORLANDO . PALM SPRINGS
PANAMA MEGAPOLIS . PATTAYA . PENANG . PUNTA CANA . RIVIERA MAYA . SAN DIEGO . SINGAPORE . TAMPA . VALLARTA
HARDROCKHOTELS.COM
#THISISHARDROCK
A LETTER FROM
Despite dodgy builders and banks in crisis, Italys most image-conscious city wont make a
show of itself, says Man Booker Prize nominee Tim Parks. Illustration by Michele Tranquillini
ilan is gearing up to
host the 2015 Expo.
A fantastic moment
you would have thought. Yet the
city is not itself these days.
I moved here ve years ago after
30 years in Verona. People say,
How sad, but just for work, of
course. Anyone living in Milan
but not native to the town more
than half the population is
assumed to be here just for work.
The rst question is: how often do
they get home to Naples or Bari or
Trieste? Then, what food do they
miss most: the bread from Puglia?
The arancini from Palermo?
Home is not Milan. People
warm to the subject; its pleasant
to present yourself as a victim,
especially when you have a good
job. I miss Mamma terribly, but
there was no work in Cagliari. Its
the same for the immigrants who
have been pouring in over the last
decade. They love to complain
about the citys greyness, its humid
heat and human coldness. I have
a ticket home for Dhaka in
December, the man weighing my
tomatoes tells me. For Nanjing,
the young girl putting the froth
on my cappuccino says.
This is Milans special position
in the dazzling constellation of
Italys city-states. Where the others
are picturesque, Milan is humdrum;
where they are full of family
warmth and regional delights,
Milan is hard grind and quick
snacks. The upside is dynamism.
Things happen in Milan. Youre
not suffocated by mother love and
building restrictions. And you get
served in seconds. Thats a fantastic
cappuccino you make, I tell the
Chinese barista. I go cappuccino
school, she smiles. In Milan.
52 Cond Nast Traveller September 2014
SNAPSHOT
apothecaries
PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF MARINA SENABRE ROCA/STUDIO LA BUHARDI
STYLE FILE
BY FIONA LINTOTT
PLUS Jewellery Beauty Mens & On the scene
CHANEL
ISABEL MARANT
CELINE
STYLE FILE
IN A DIFFERENT LEAGUE
Ring in yellow
gold, black
rhodium and
diamonds, 4,900,
Venyx (www.
venyxworld.com)
iamonds, it seems, are not forever. As gemstones become increasingly rare (experts believe the
worlds diamond mines will dry up in around 20 years time), some jewellers are looking elsewhere
for sources of beauty. German house Hemmerle is an expert in this, using everything from
cameos to buttons in its pieces, up-cycling materials with precious gems set in precious metal which
means scouring the earth, and now the oceans, for potential nds. Stefan Hemmerle did just this after
visiting a marine-archaeology company in Portugal, which specialises in sending divers to
historical wrecks. Thinking he might return with the usual bounty of coins, he was delighted to
nd a small collection of antique coral beads, recovered from Hartwell, a ship wrecked off the
Cape Verde Islands in the late 1780s on its way to China from England. Their surface had been
corroded by centuries in briny water, which made Hemmerle love them even more. The dull
patination is the perfect foil for some sapphire pav and two show-stopping tourmalines. British
jewellers Boodles and Theo Fennell have also both just released aquatic-inspired collections.
Boodles built on the theme after purchasing an extraordinary suite of Paraiba tourmalines (its
impossible to think of anything other than Caribbean waters when confronted with their
vividness), and Theo Fennell has strung together a marine menagerie of angelsh, seahorses
and dolphins on a diamond link chain, nished with watery briolette drops of blue topaz. And
now more sea creatures, this time from new-on-the-scene jeweller Eugenie Niarchos
of Venyx, who has produced a collection based on a fantastical world inhabited by
reptiles. The reason? She nds reptilian skin the perfect textural mix of ancient and
graphic when rendered in metal. Were particularly taken with the Madagascan
turtle ring, a curve of gnarled and knobbly gold across the nger.
Tourmaline, coral,
and white-gold
earrings, POR,
Hemmerle (www.
hemmerle.com)
SUITE DREAMS
Indulge in some of Londons largest contemporary luxury suites at
Hotel Caf Royal, positioned in the beating heart of the vibrant capital.
HOTELCAFEROYAL.COM
STYLE FILE
How do you get your skin
and body beach-ready?
I like sugar exfoliators to get
the circulation going. Neals
Yard Seaweed Salt Scrub is
also brilliant.
The British designer known for her playful, statement-making pieces shares her secrets
Do you sunbathe?
Although my father was
very anti sunbathing, I do
love a bit of sun, ideally in
England. My favourite
suncare by miles is Sisley.
I never use over SPF 30:
higher than that is too
laden with chemicals.
Who do you
go to for a
great haircut?
Luke Hersheson,
who is a top-notch
hairdresser.
STYLE FILE
EDITED BY
DAVID ANNAND
MAN ON A MISSION
David Annand drives like a dervish out of Marrakech, blazing through the treacherous
foothills of the Atlas Mountains with only sheer drops and donkeys to stop him
SHORT SLEEVES
In the 1990s, short-sleeved
shirts were all the rage, the
smart-casual uniform of the new lad.
Shortly afterwards, though, they were
sent into exile as men looked back
shamefacedly at their glottal-stopped
stabs at aufenticity. Now, short sleeves
are back, with even kings of cool
Alexander McQueen getting in on the
act. Rehabilitation complete. Cottonblend shirt, 165, www.mrporter.com
From left: Bow tie, 80, Lanvin (www.matchesfashion.com); wool tuxedo jacket (part of suit), 2,600, Dior Homme (www.dior.com); engraved mother-ofpearl cufflinks, 85, Paul Smith (www.mrporter.com); white bib-front cotton tuxedo shirt, 425, Saint Laurent (www.mrporter.com)
STYLE FILE
EDITED BY THEA DARRICOTTE
Grand Gesture
trousers, 245,
Sass & Bide
at www.salt
resortwear.com
condenastjohansens.com
Hotel San Pedro de Majagua, Colombia
TRENDWATCH
70
PLAYING
AT HOME
NUMBER ONE
DARTMOUTH, DEVON
This is a riverside retreat with a distinctly
slick, urban vibe. Instead of cottagey
cuteness or coastal bucket-and-spade
styling, it looks as if Kelly Hoppen has been
through here with her bronze-and-taupe
moodboard, a van-load of silk-covered
cushions and vases of orchids. The sitting
room, with its high ceilings and pale
parquet oors, is full of whizzy boys toys:
a remote-controlled gas re, electric
blinds and a sound system with in-ceiling
speakers. But for all the gadgetry, theres no
forgetting the seaside location. When the
windows are open, the cries of seagulls and
the morning marina chorus ood in. Its
right on the River Dart: look out to the
swirling waters from the bathtub or watch
boats sailing up the estuary from a rattan
chair on the terrace. The house is run by the
Dart Marina Hotel, so tap into the spa
(excellent massages and an indoor pool) and
restaurant (mackerel and crab straight
from the sea). The daily maid service means
beds are made, laundry is whisked away
and Elemis bath products are topped up in
the blink of an eye.
SLEEPS Four
BOOK IT Two-night weekend from
1,000; www.dartmarina.com
CRAILING HOUSE
73
SHEEPSCOMBE HOUSE
SHEEPSCOMBE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
MILLBROOK COTTAGE
PHOTOGRAPHS: ALEXANDER RAMSAY; NICHOLAS YARSLEY. REVIEWS: JESSICA DIAMOND; DEBBIE JEFFREY; TABITHA JOYCE
stone and cob barn, previously a 200-yearold milking parlour, was brilliantly reimagined
by architects Feilden Fowles. The original
building has been extended and transformed,
cattle troughs replaced by polished-concrete
worktops, straw and mud on the ground
upgraded with underoor heating. Flashes of
vivid colour have been introduced throughout
the bright-white-painted, light-ooded
rooms, with funky Eames chairs, lime-green
76
BLAKENEY, NORFOLK
MONNINGTON, HEREFORDSHIRE
Glowing golden in the evening sun and used in many of Cambridges older
colleges, the stone of Rutland is as magnicent as that of the Cotswolds,
but the area is largely unknown to visitors. This cottage once formed
the stables of the elegant Georgian rectory next door and was renovated
by heritage builders Dovetail & Capstone. Its a Farrow & Ball Tardis,
opening onto a lavender-scented terrace which looks over lawns and
mature chestnut trees a sheltered spot to stretch out on wicker loungers,
read a book or sit with a glass of prosecco watching swallows loop the
loop. The sitting room is lled with books, throws and antiques from
local expert Hester Cresswell. Oak stairs curve up to the one gorgeous
bedroom with its soft-grey-painted rafters. Under the wool-and-alpacalled duvet theres a Westin Heavenly mattress, imported from the
USA because the well-travelled owners believe that a good nights
sleep is half the holiday. In the morning, nip out to nearby Stamford
to pick up croissants from British Baker of the Year Julian Carter at the
Hambleton Bakery or go to Otters Smokehouse and Deli in Oakham for
home-smoked salmon. Afterwards, stroll it off on the Four Counties Walk.
SLEEPS Two
BOOK IT Three-night weekend from 600; www.uniquehomestays.com
MOORLAND VIEW
ASTLEY CASTLE
NUNEATON, WARWICKSHIRE
Its not often that a weekend rental comes with arrow-slit
windows, battlements and a moat. A sorry wreck for 30 years,
Astley Castle has been stunningly restored by the Landmark
Trust. The effect is bewitching. Its mellow ruined walls now
shelter a beautiful dwelling which won last years Stirling Prize,
the Oscar of British architecture. Medieval England lies through
the arch in the curtain wall, in the rooess banqueting hall
where res are lit at night. The bedrooms retain the feel of a
fortress, with 800-year-old masonry, huge doors and a
windowless bathroom like a small keep. Theres a modern take on
a baronial hall, with light streaming in from three sides. Its a place
to cook, sprawl and nose through the visitors book, a feature of
Landmark houses and often beautifully illustrated. The castle is
booked well into 2015, so get snappy for a stay next summer.
SLEEPS Eight
BOOK IT Three-night weekend from 903; www.
landmarktrust.org.uk
BARNSLEY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
HEX COTTAGE
PHOTOGRAPH: JAKE EASTHAM. REVIEWS: PAULA ELLIS; DAISY FINER; MARTIN WAINWRIGHT
Clockwise from top left: city street Njardargata; Stofan Kaffihs; baguettes at Berggson Maths;
Reykjavik Roasters; a fence in Laugavegur; Geysir; lamb with onions and asparagus at Kolabrautin
84
Left, from top: Northern Lights bar at Ion Hotel; Greek yogurt, muesli and rhubarb jam
at Bergsson Maths; retro styling at Nora Magasin. Opposite, Hamborgarablla Tmasar
86
WHERE TO EAT
Gunnar Karl Gslason, chef at Dill, credits
Icelands foodie revolution to the economic crash
in 2008. Overnight, everything became too
expensive to import and we had to make the
most of what was available at home, he says.
Named after Gslasons favourite ingredient, the
restaurant changes its menu weekly, depending
on what has been foraged. Dishes include
bacalao tartar, dill mayonnaise and dulse powder,
and sheep-dung-smoked lamb. Gslasons book
North: the New Nordic Cuisine of Iceland
(Ten Speed Press, 30) is out on 9 September.
Sturlugata 5; +354 552 1522; dillrestaurant@
dillrestaurant.is. Dinner about 92 for two
Close to the national parliament building, the
sleek, immaculately run Fish Market showcases
top-class Icelandic ingredients. Some are given
an Asiatic twist (the sushi makes excellent use of
freshly caught sh; duck is roasted in Szechuan
spices), while smoked puffin breast is paired with
polenta, salt cod with a salad of celery cashew
nuts and dried cranberries. Chef Hrefna Rsa
Stran also owns the meat-focused Grill Market.
Interiors are inspired by local scenery, with live
moss, basalt columns, and sh skins on the
walls. Adalstrti 12; +354 578 8877; www.
skmarkadurinn.is. Dinner about 105 for two
WHERE TO SHOP
A kind of Icelandic take on Oliver Spencer,
fashion brand Farmers Market has traditional
clothing with a modern slant, including jumpers
and cardigans made of merino wool softer and
lighter than the local variety. Nice hats, too.
Farmers & Friends (www.farmersandfriends.is)
is the online store. Hlmasl 2; +354 552
1960; www.farmersmarket.is
Geysir has everything for the authentic,
outdoorsy urban hipster, including knee-high
socks made from Icelandic wool as thick as
loft insulation, cardigans as heavy as a naval
dufflecoat, and balaclavas with beards and
moustaches. An interior of salvaged wood
and old photos adds to the shop's rustic
feel. Sklavrdustg 16; +354 519 6000;
www.geysir.com
THE INGREDIENTS
Bacalao Spanish for salted cod, traditionally
left to dry for as long as a year
Crowberries Tart member of the juniper family,
and one of the few berries to grow here
Dulse Deep red seaweed, typically dried, eaten
as a snack or used to avour soups and breads
Fermented shark An acquired taste even
many Icelanders avoid it this rotten meat
(known locally as hkarl) is usually saved
for the midwinter festival Thorrablot
Puffin Tastes like a richer, slightly shier chicken
Skyr Technically a cheese, but more like a rich,
thick (and surprisingly low-fat) Greek yogurt
WHERE TO STAY
An hours drive from central Reykjavik,
Ion Hotel has a spectacular setting close to
Thingvellir Lake. This stylish, eco-friendly hotel
epitomises the best of Iceland, from the
materials used to create its ultra-modern
interiors to the music on the sound system in the
bar. The latter has a glass roof and is the ideal
place to sample beer from a local craft brewery
while watching the Northern Lights. The
restaurant is excellent, too. Nesjavellir, 801
Selfoss; +354 482 3415; www.ioniceland.is.
Doubles from about 175
Owned by Roshildur Jonsdttir and Snaebjrn
Thr Stefnsson, local product designers who
also provided the smart, functional interiors, the
six serviced ats at Grettisborg Apartment
Hotel are comfortable, quiet, well-equipped and
just 50 metres from Reykjaviks main street,
Laugavegur. Grettisgata 53b; +354 694 7020;
www.grettisborg.is. From about 70 a night
HARRY PEARSON & TABITHA JOYCE
90
ON THE
QUIET
The lobby at the Hotel Casadelmar. Opposite, the sitting room at Pietra Nova, a villa near Calvi
orsica is a little
mongrel: a French island basking in the
Italian sun, as Balzac wrote. Here, in the
birthplace of Napoleon (a French domain
only since 1769, before which it belonged
to the Genoese), Italian pop plays on the
radio and Sardinia is within kissing distance.
Primarily, however, Corsica is Corsican,
with its own language, culture and specic
personality. Balzacs The Vendetta painted
the islanders as stubborn and courageous
mountain people, of a constitution not
dissimilar to the islands granite cliffs; and
that stereotype still exists today. The novels
title suggests something of the volatile
machismo that occasionally erupts here;
the maa is an enduring presence not
that youd know it. Corsicans are very
proud and protective. But the benet
of such wariness developers can nd
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94
We walk through oak and pine woods past ruined shepherds huts, with
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Southern belles
Northern Corsica is the off-radar
place to be, but two of the islands
loveliest hotels are in the south
La Plage Casadelmar
When it opened a decade ago, the Hotel
Casadelmar brought sleek designer style to
Porto-Vecchio. This, its two-year-old
beachside sibling, is on the narrow Benedettu
peninsula just over the water. An oak-clad,
low-rise and restrainedly chic reception area
and restaurant (grey banquettes, copper
pendant lights, mid-century-modern club
chairs in Kelly green) overlook the beach. The
15 bedrooms bright, white and comfortable,
with zippy orange bathrooms are housed
in stone, tile-roofed villas. Each has a private
terrace of sun-bleached oak. Though yachties
ock here for a delicious lunch of tuna nioise
under the sail-shades of the beach grill, the
hotel is buzzy without being pretentious, and
distinctly French without the haughtiness.
A Corsican gem. +33 4 95 71 02 30; www.
laplagecasadelmar.fr. Doubles from about 400
Domaine de Murtoli
drop by Clos Culombu, a smart, architectdesigned winery and art gallery, for
a much-needed sundowner. This place
is evidence of the quiet changes afoot
here in northern Corsica, the slow, subtle
chic-ication at work.
In a week, I feel like we have only
scratched the surface. There are hiking
routes in the nearby Bonifatu forest,
where according to Nathalie Bourgogne
you can walk for days and days, not
to mention the trail-skiing in winter, or
the wild beaches of LOstriconi.
I went to school here as a child, says
Bourgogne. When I returned 20 years
later, nothing had changed. Thats what
makes it magic. In a world in which
change is the only constant, it seems a
charmed place indeed.
U Palazzu Serenu (+33 4 95 38 39 39; www.
upalazzuserenu.com). Doubles from about
135. Pietra Nova (www.boutique-homes.
com). Sleeps six, from about 1,600 per week
Getting here
EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) ies direct to
Bastia from Gatwick and Manchester, and
to Ajaccio from Gatwick.
99
Photographed on location in
Nambia. Gracie leather and
shearling coat, 3,300,
Mulberry (www.mulberry.
com). Leather laser-cut dress,
1,890, Dolce & Gabbana
(www.dolcegabbana.com)
102
107
108
A
LI
T
TLE
LIGHT RELIEF
UZES IS THE SOUTH OF FRANCE WITHOUT THE BEACH OR BLING, A HIDDEN TOWN
PRESERVED IN WHITE STONE. JONATHAN BASTABLE FINDS A REFRESHINGLY
LAID-BACK SPOT WITH ARTY PLACES TO STAY. PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES BEDFORD
is made of the same pale and porous limestone. With its rough
cuttlesh walls and creamy smooth pavements, it reminded me
of Dubrovnik. And here, as in that white city, the whole of the
old town is effectively a car-free zone. You walk everywhere
because you have to, but it also happens to be so easy, and so
enjoyable. And wherever you go in this pedestrian space,
wherever you sit down for a coffee or a glass of ros, you hear
the lilting hom-di-hom of French conversation.
Uzs is in the middle of Le Gard, which is the south of
France, but not the familiar Midi. People think of this part of
the country as being all about sun and sea, one Uztien said to
me. Here, inland and on the unfashionable side of the Rhne,
theres something more authentic than youll nd on the coast.
Uzs is a town where people live and work, where the market
is for locals not just for summer tourists. Yet 50 years ago,
the town was dying. All the old buildings were dilapidated and
deserted, and no one wanted to live in them. Then the French
government designated Uzs a historic town and a ville dart,
and invested money in its restoration. Once that process took
hold, wealthy Americans and Australians began to buy homes
here. Decent restaurants and hotels eventually followed, and
This page, clockwise from top left: a street in Uzs; retro pieces at Axis; Le Bec Vin courtyard; Les Affaires Etrangres shop; a berry charlotte at Ma Cantine
110
Clockwise from above: sea bream with pea pure at LArtemise; Place aux Herbes; monksh with black rice at Le Bec Vin; Uzs caf culture; a saucisson stall
on market day the square is a tight maze of stalls. one was selling rounds
neatly inscribed with the date and the composition of the
hunt, adorn the walls of the dining room in Le Duch. De
Mortemart was still in the saddle three weeks before her death
at age 85 in 1933. She seems ripe for a biopic, starring Audrey
Tautou maybe, or Sophie Marceau
Le Gards most impressive attraction is a 15-minute drive
from Uzs. The Pont du Gard is a short section of Roman
aqueduct spanning the River Gardon. When it was whole,
the aqueduct fed the fountains and bathhouses of Nmes, 31
miles from its head. It must have been awe-inspiring then, but
even this surviving scrap is a dramatic sight: three courses of
arches, each smaller than the one below, and all of them
galumphing rhythmically across the gorge. At the top of the
edice is the covered culvert itself, in effect an aerial pipeline.
It seems the watercourse used to fur up like a kettle and teams
of slaves were required to walk its length, in pitch blackness,
scraping the limescale off the walls as they went. As sometimes
This page, clockwise from above: Pont du Gard; the medieval garden in Uzs; La Maison dUzs; a shop sign; tuna tartare with cured beef at LArtemise
114
of goats cheese in a range of sizes, looking like the elements of a tiny drum kit
English word was a corruption of the French, or that it
contained the idea of remembrance in its name.
Make sure that you are in Uzs on a market day. On
Wednesdays and Saturdays the Place aux Herbes is a tight
maze of stalls selling all manner of bread, sausage, sh, hunting
knives, olives, owers and leather purses. I saw bewildering
variations on single food themes: one stall was selling rounds
of goats cheese in a range of sizes, looking like the elements of
some tiny drum kit. Most of the cheeses were plain, chalky white;
others were adorned with lavender petals or spiky herbs or
red peppercorns. One chvre, labelled lintrouvable, was black
and wizened with age, and as pungent as all the others put
together. There was lots of street food to be had: roast chickens
turning on closed spits as potatoes fried in the fat that dripped
to the bottom; paella piled in pans as wide as helicopter pads; vans
selling nems (spring rolls) and accras (fritters made of shrimp or
beans). The aromas were incredibly appetising. They amounted
Clockwise from top left: the steam room at Le Clos du Lth; a view from the Duch; a bedroom at LAlbiousse; La Maison dUzs; a cheese stall
WHERE TO STAY
WHERE
TO EAT
AND
DRINK
LA TABLE
DUZES
Top-ight ne dining at La
Maison dUzs. The chef,
Oscar Garcia, is just 25 but
he is rapidly turning this into
a real destination restaurant.
Starters include hake served
in a ring of tomato salsa with
a scarlet lagoon of gazpacho. The cheese board actually a trolley is a
thing of beauty. The waiter gives a brief history of each of the dozen cheeses,
serves up three or four, then wheels it away, trailing pungent aromas in his
wake. +39 4 66 20 07 00; www.lamaisonduzes.fr. About 120 for two
WHAT
TO DO
A TRAVELLERS TALES
JUDE LAW
Work has taken him everywhere from Ischia (The Talented Mr Ripley) to Toronto (Repo
Men) and Grlitz (The Grand Budapest Hotel), but the actor is a home boy at heart
Where in the world have you
felt happiest?
Im happiest wherever my family is,
so that can be anywhere. Im happy
at my home in London and at my
family home in France with my parents.
Anywhere my children are, really.
ALWAYS PACK
A BOTTLE OF
TABASCO. IT CAN
MAKE ANY FOOD
TASTE RELATIVELY
INTERESTING
out. Over the years, travellers far
more seasoned than myself have given
me advice on two really cool key items
to pack. One is a bottle of Tabasco,
because you can add it to any food and
make it taste relatively interesting. The
other is a large piece of material you
can use it as a shawl, or wrap it around
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Four-star boutique hotel, The Black Swan, an historic coaching inn located in the heart of pretty Hemsley, is offering
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arrival, in-room Molton Brown gift and full English breakfast as well as 15% off dining in their 3 AA rosette restaurant.
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THE EXPERTS
THE FOCUS
IBIZAN RETREATS
LEFT-FIELD FASTING
BUDDHA HOUSE
HILARIOUSLY POPULAR
ARE THE LADIES
STYLING CLASSES
LESSONS IN THE ART
OF BEING A WOMAN
worry about getting hungry: an all-day,
help-yourself snack table provides nuts,
seeds, homemade dips and spreads.
+44 7557 529500; www.santhoshretreats.
com. Four nights from 1,750, full board,
including activities, one massage and
airport transfers. Private programmes
can be organised
HARDCORE FITNESS
NO 1 BOOT CAMP
BESPOKE TURNAROUND
IBIZA RETREATS
SUN SALUTATIONS
NUTRITIONAL BOOST
VITAL ENERGY RETREAT
HEAVENLY SLUMBER
DEEP SLEEP RETREATS
BY 38 NORTH
GO YOGIC
IBIZASANA
VIRTUOUS VILLAS
ART THERAPY
CAN AMONITA
In the beginning, cavemen would leave their sheltered homes and bed down
under a tree. Thus, camping was born. The Geek can now camp in considerable
comfort, with an embarrassment of accessories to minimise the strain.
COLEMAN CAMPING
COOKBOOK APP
A campsite meal-planner from
Coleman, the stove maker. Get
it, eat well. www.itunes.com; free
PICNIC TIME
FUSION CHAIR
Every now and then, an item arrives
that ticks all the boxes. This is a
chair, a desk, it keeps drinks cool
and it folds down into a backpack,
leaving your hands free to carry the
tent. www.amazon.com; about 65
KLAX AXE
As useful as an axe is, no one likes
lugging one around. Enter the Klax.
A Kickstarter success story, this
multitool also opens bottles and
acts as a wrench or hammer. www.
kleckerknives.com; from about 70
Anniversary Wedding
Lifetime achievement
Private collection
COND NAST
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Vanity Fair and Cond Nast Traveller.
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story in the iconic Cond Nast style.
A new bespoke service for discerning individuals.
Fo r fur t h e r i nfo r m ation con tact N atalia Ku z n e ts ova-Rice at
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AUBERGINES
GREECE
Culture
Cornucopia
When it comes to culture, Greece is streets (and temples,
buildings and multiple other edifices) ahead
S
IMAGES: COURTESY OF GNTO, ACVB AND REGION OF PELOPONNESE
athenian riviera
Greeces capital isnt all about culture of the classical
kind, however. Head 10 miles south and the Athenian
Riviera proffers a seaside escape reminiscent of the
Cote dAzur. Think glorious marinas, waterfront cafs,
chic shopping and fabulous seaside dining. Beyond
Vouliagmni, bustling Vrkiza sits among a seascape
of hidden coves, azure waters and picturesque tavernas,
cultural getaway
Talking of Poseidon, one of eastern Peloponneses
most beautiful towns is Nafplio, founded by
Poseidons son all ancient walls, medieval castles,
statues, fountains and neoclassical buildings (dont miss
Palamidi Castle, with its 999 steps carved into rock
promising glorious Argolic Gulf views). Here, Gods
are said to have gathered on Mount Olympus to watch
lesser mortals below; works by Sophocles, Euripides
and Aristophanes were performed in Epidaurus.
TOURIST
INFORMATION
FOR
WHAT TO DO A low-key
alternative to the summers bigger
festivals, the Wood offers a variety
of outdoor workshops including
philosophy (Eeyore), building traps
for Heffalumps (Piglet) and
pronouncing long words (Owl), as
well as occasional performances
by singer-songwriter Winnie the
Pooh. The popular sport of Pooh
Sticks may be too complicated for
the casual visitor to pick up.
WHAT TO PACK 1 Balloon
(for use as disguise or a gift for a
donkey). 2 Something savoury to
eat. 3 Your most cherished soft toy
ILLUSTRATIONS HEATHER GATLEY; COURTESY OF CURTIS BROWN GROUP LTD, LONDON THE SHEPHERD TRUST 1926 PHOTOGRAPH: DAVID ROSE/THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
David Eimers The Emperor Far Away: Travels at the Edge of China
(Bloomsbury, 20) is the best of a number of recent synoptic books about
the country. Its focus is on the territorial limits, those vast spaces dominated
by non-Han ethnic groups and sometimes in conict with the Communist
Party, areas that gave rise to the old proverb behind the books title: The
mountains are high and the emperor far away. In Xinjiang and Yunnan, as
well as provinces next to Russia or hard by North and South Korea, the author
nds a distinct narrative where politics and religion, lawlessness and legitimate
cross-border traffic produce a different China to that conveyed elsewhere.
Eimer deftly mixes journalistic analysis with personal experiences. These include some salty tales,
as the frontier towns he visits are lively places. Some are already holiday destinations for people
from neighbouring countries. This book opened my eyes to a whole economy of tourism that is
more or less invisible in the West; but it wont be long before some of the places described,
such as Jinghong on the banks of the Mekong, appear on European travel itineraries.
In some ways, we have been here before, with the various 1960s travel books that showed
India and the Far East to hippies, who inuenced backpackers and then mainstream tourists in
subsequent decades. Here the literary focus is much more on the personal travel experience
rather than any kind of analysis. One important gure in this respect is the Swiss writer, Nicolas
Bouvier, whose 1963 book about travelling by car from Europe to the Khyber Pass, The Way of
the World, helped established the European hippy trail, though he himself
was sometimes a fairly austere gure. In 1955, Bouvier had spent nine
months in Galle in Sri Lanka, then still Ceylon, having trekked across Iran,
Afghanistan and India. He didnt mean to stay, but his journeying had caught
up with him, along with news by letter that his lover had abandoned him.
Almost 30 years later, this experience produced a classic travel narrative.
Recently reissued, The Scorpion Fish (Eland, 12.99) is full of writing that is
at once precise and dream-like, as in this section when Bouvier gets the rst
inkling his wandering will be halted: Yesterday I had left behind the unfolded
geography of India, that great lung of Asia. Tonight I was on an island. Islands pose and resolve
problems in their own ways, and I had no experience of them. What you bring to an island may
be transformed... ever since Ulysses we have known that time passes differently there from
elsewhere. I had to guard against staying on, jammed like a cartridge in a rusty gun.
See our new Style & Fashion section at our relaunched website
CNTraveller.com
+ THE DESTINATIONS
THAT INSPIRE THE
WORLDS COOLEST
DESIGNERS +
+KARL LAGERFELDS
HOTEL HOTSPOTS +
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A
Q
A
Q
A
OLYMPIA LONDON
THE HOME
OF CHRISTMAS
SHOPPING
A hand-picked collection of
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find on the high street
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City sanctuaries
High-flyers will love these cutting-edge spas
in some of the world's most glamorous cities
treatment from their extensive
Power menu. We recommend
the massage, which will help
you to feel more energetic and
ready to take on the NYC pace
of life. There's also a cuttingedge gym available 24 hours a
day; after all, this is the city that
never sleeps. Stay for four nights
including flights from 1,080
per person, booking through
your travel agent.
Or visit loewshotels.com
he Standard, Miami
Known as a city of
parties, commerce
and vibrancy, Miami
is now making a new name for
itself on the wellness scene, and
nowhere illustrates this more
than this hippie-meets-hipster
hotel. Think guided fasts, vitamin
injections, waterfront yoga, a
playground of hydrotherapy
pools, crystal massages,
bootcamp training, paddle
boarding, even relationship
workshops and hypno-coaching.
Spa treatments are all named
after something that nods to
the naughty side of the brand;
why not indulge in a Standard
Spanking (cellulite massage),
the Fetish Pedicure or even a
Quickie (45 minute massage)?
But there is more to this hotel
than just its unavoidably cool
vibe - it is as holistic as it is hip.
The food at the restaurant caters
for vegans, rawists and smoothie
lovers alike and the workshops
are some of the best we have
soul sisters
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, and the launch of the new sparkling
coconut water from Jax Coco, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts has picked
three unique escapes to rejuvenate the mind, body and soul
ioneers of the tropical garden spa concept,
Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts opened in
Phuket in 1994. Two decades and 36 spa resorts
later, it remains one of our go-to brands for
pampering. Each resort is individual but all have that
signature blend of rejuvenation and the romance of
travel. The locations are jaw dropping and all the spas
continue to innovate and inspire. We love Banyan
Trees ever-evolving portfolio: the following trio are
just a tantalising taster.
Escape to Mexico
Just 40 minutes from Cancun on Mexicos idyllic
Riviera Maya, Banyan Tree Mayakoba has been
discreetly built into a conserved landscape where
four ecosystems ourish: mangroves, dunes, low
forests and coral reefs. Feed the soul with trips to
the nearby archaeological wonders of Chichen
Itza, Tulum and the Coba jungle temples; dive the
Great Mayan Barrier Reef (the second largest in
the world); take a boat trip through the mangroves,
enjoy daily yoga or just bliss-out at the totally
tropical spa and succumb to the Melipona Honey
Bliss treatment, where the ancient Mayan tradition
of keeping bees has been incorporated into this
unique detoxifying treatment that scrubs, bathes
and massages: 90 minutes of pure pampering.
Come away with your heart and soul totally
nourished. From 366 per villa per night based
on two sharing*
Escape to Thailand
Some places are simply good for the soul: Banyan
Tree Samui is one of those. The views from this
hillside hideout on Koh Samui overlooking Lamai
Bay almost single-handedly free the mind. Add in
a beach, romantic dining at Sands, melt-in themouth Thai food at Saffron and a stress-busting
spa, recharging the batteries comes easy. In
addition to a vast amount of tension-relieving
treatments, the spa here features The Rainforest,
Banyan Trees unique hydrothermal therapy
circuit. The journey includes a rain walk, aroma
steam room, bucket drench shower, herbal sauna,
ice igloo and vitality pool: a one-off rejuvenating
bliss-out for mind, body and soul. From 300 per
villa per night based on two sharing*
B+S
capsule
2014
2.
1.
BO DY
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2.
3.
4.
7.
6.
5.
5.
CLOCKWISE FROM
ABOVE: THE TALISE
OTTOMAN SPA IN DUBAI;
THE POOL AT AKASHA
AT LONDON'S CAF
ROYAL; THE SPA AT
THE ARMANI HOTEL
IN MILAN
SPA
player
Clinique La Prairie continues to
innovate health and wellbeing with
its incredible new-look spa: a Swiss
medical masterpiece
results driven
First and foremost, Clinique La Prairie is a resultsdriven medical spa and its new menu is one of the
most comprehensive in the world. Using the latest
technology, it covers the A to Z of dermatology,
anti-ageing, beauty and wellness, with more than 50
new treatments. Each one is different, carefully
tailored to each individual to ensure optimum
results. The spa itself is a slick, soothing work of
interior art, an ambient bubble where reality is
suspended. Above and beyond the superchilled
treatment rooms, there is a new consultation lounge,
a brand new caf, and a tness area. The Beauty
Programme also comes with rave reviews: a six-night
full board head-to-toe overhaul with personal advice,
personal training, group tness classes. You can
further personalise your programme by choosing
one of the different themes: brightening, purifying,
rming, smoothing and toning.
Clockwise from
top left: the spa
building with
breathtaking
views over the
Alps and Lake
Geneva; the new
Caf Spa; a
treatment room
ha Wellness, Spain
It can be tricky finding
detox holidays that
aren't full of restrictions,
rules and abstinence. Detox
retreats should cater for mind,
body and soul. They should be
in a beautiful location, offer an
array of healing therapies and,
in order to really enjoy them
(this is still a holiday after all),
should have a level of luxury
about them. Enter SHA Wellness
Clinic. Beautifully situated next
to the Sierra Helada Natural Park,
near Alicante, and overlooking
the Mediterranean Sea you'd
be forgiven for just coming here
for the views. What is perhaps
most special about the resort
though is that everything you
experience is geared towards
building healthy habits and
finding the root causes of your
bad ones. This July, the hotel
underwent a huge expansion,
which saw the creation of its SHA
Academy a new initiative that
will equip guests with the tools
and knowledge to maintain the
healthy way of living at home.
For a complete lifestyle overhaul
we recommend the Detox
Program, which does just this,
with the expert guidance of
Body bootcamps
They're not hell on earth, no one barks orders at
you... but you will be 'encouraged' to perform
nutritionists, natural medicine
therapists and personal trainers.
Enjoy the seven-day Detox
Programme from 3,035 per
person including flights and
transfers with Healing Holidays.
Visit healingholidays.co.uk
eotown, Devon
Offering a completely
different take on the
traditional militant
bootcamp is Yeotown in the
BO DY
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2014
B+S
CLOCKWISE FROM
LEFT: DECOR AT
LIMEWOOD HOTEL IN
THE NEW FOREST; TAKE
AN OUTDOOR SPINNING
CLASS AT LIMEWOOD;
ROOM AT THE
BODYHOLIDAY IN
ST LUCIA; THE LOBBY
AT THE BODYHOLIDAY;
THE PAVITRA AYURVEDIC
CENTRE AT THE
BODYHOLIDAY
capsule
2.
1.
3.
6.
5.
4.
BO DY
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2014
nanda in the
Himalayas, India
Set in the foothills of
the Himalayas, the
Ananda has a zen-like ambience
that attracts everyone from
Hollywood royalty (Oprah recently
B+S
capsule
2.
1.
5.
3.
4.
BO DY
SO UL
2014
Cruise Control
The Spa at Seabourn (on any
of the Seabourn cruises) offers
a fantastic array of spa and
fitness facilities. Experienced
therapists are trained so
that they can custom each
treatment to your needs.
Adrenaline junkies, however,
can spend some time burning
off some steam in the Fitness
Centre that also offers kinesis
training, which involves using
a series of pulleys to increase
strength and improve balance
and tone. Visit seabourn.com
B+S
1.
capsule
2.
Mulia, Bali
5.
Adventure with
a touch of lux
The experts from the boutique
Chelsea-based gym, SP&Co
have teamed up with luxury
hotel set LUX to create the
LUX Me Adventure Wellness
program in Mauritius. Over
five days you'll be able to
discover the beauty of your
surroundings whilst honing and
toning your body at the same
time. Activities include trail
walking, mountain climbing,
kayaking, yoga, fitness sessions
and even cooking classes.
Although the program is
certainly not impossible, you're
4.
3.
Post-Holiday Beauty
Often found on Best Beauty
lists, Dr Prager certainly knows
what he is doing when it comes
to treating post-holiday skin. His
philosophy is always to treat the
whole face rather than just parts
of it, and can offer solutions to
problems such as pigmentation.
Visit drpragerclinic.com
naturaltonic
COMPETITION
COMPETITION PRIZE
WIN
A HOLIDAY IN CHINA
Theres never been a better time to visit
China, whether for a city break, a rural
escape or a spa holiday. And Small Luxury
Hotels of the World has an amazing range
of hand-picked places to stay in the country.
Among them are the chilled-out Hangzhou
Rose Garden, pictured, with views over lawns
and woodland to the Wuyun Mountain; the
sleek Lanson Place Hotel close to the action
in Hong Kongs Causeway Bay; and the
extraordinarily energising Tengchong Hot
Spring Spa Resort. Want cutting-edge style?
Head for the Hotel clat, an art-lled glass
pyramid in central Beijing. Something more
traditional? Try the picture-book Wuzhen
Clubhouse, occupying three ancient woodand-stone buildings in Tongxiang City.
Enter this months Where Are You?
competition and you could win a ve-night
stay for two at any SLH property in China,
including ights with Cathay Pacic Airways
from either Heathrow or Manchester
(starting on 8 December) and transfers
to Hong Kong if required. The prize must
be taken by 31 August 2015, and certain
dates are excluded. For further details, visit
www.slh.com and www.cathaypacic.co.uk
COMPETITION RULES
1. Entries for the Where Are You?
competition can be sent on a postcard,
by email or online (stating your full
name, address and telephone number),
and must correctly identify the place
described according to the instructions
given. 2. Entries must arrive no later
than the last day of the month on this
issues cover. 3. The Where Are You?
competition is open to readers of Cond
Nast Traveller who are 18 or older on the
date of entry, except for employees of
JUNES WINNER
The winner of Junes competition is Sarah Forrester of
Southampton, who correctly identied the picture below
as a view from Trump SoHo New York. She wins a weeks
holiday for two at the Grand Hotel Parkers in Naples.
HOW TO ENTER
READER OFFER
ADVENTURE IN
ABU DHABI
Save 46 per cent on a far-ung escape to an
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Dream Destinations
Dream Destinations
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LA SABLONNERIE HOTEL. A convivial
corner of a beautiful island. Gorgeous
gardens, peace and tranquillity, birds,
butteries, owers, horses and carriages
no cars how could one not enjoy this
amazing paradise? You will nd this hotel
to have a great joie de vivre as well as
terric food. La Sablonnerie has recently
received the highly coveted award from
Cond Nast Johansen - Small Hotel of
the Year. Visit www.sablonneriesark.com
or call 01481 832 061.
Dream Destinations
EUROPE
NORTH AMERICA
ZURICH
HOTEL RESTAURANT HELVETIA
The boutique hotel Helvetia with its 16
individually furnished rooms is a real jewel
among the citys hotels. The family-run
and individual hotel and restaurant offer a
home from home to business travellers,
city explorers and Zurich lovers alike.
Phone: 0041 (0)44 297 99 98
Web: www.hotel-helvetia.ch
Dream Destinations
HOT
LIST
THE 60 BEST
NEW HOTELS
IN THE WORLD
Hotel Botnico
Member of The Leading Hotels of The
World and featuring the award-winning
Oriental Spa Garden, Hotel Botnico 5*
GL offers an elegant and tranquil
atmosphere surrounded by 25.000 sqm of
magnificent landscaped gardens. Located
close to spectacular volcanic beaches
and a picturesque Canarian town centre
with excellent dining facilities in four
speciality restaurants. All rooms and
suites offer extraordinary views of the
Atlantic Ocean or Mount Teide.
Visit www.hotelbotanico.com
tel: +34 922 381 400.
Dream Destinations
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On The Move...
To a Villa Retreat
VILLA
MAGGONA
SRI LANKA
a serendipitous secret, hidden from the public eye, revealed to the discerning traveller
Spain
10 minutes from the sea. Accommodates up to 28
Ideal for big families, groups of friends, corporate retreats, weddings and events
www.villamaggona.com
villamaggona2@gmail.com
+94 777 486 866
TUSCANY
MONTE ARGENTARIO
Luxury Villa Rentals
Property Sales
SORRENTO
tel. + 39 081 877 7111
info@exvitt.it www.excelsiorvittoria.com
On The Move...
To Portugal
To advertise within On The Move... please call 020 7499 9080 ext 3705
HERDADE DE CHAMIN
www.herdadedachamine.com
sintra
www.casa-das-campainhas.com
B&W
THE HOLIDAYS
HOTEL RURAL
OF YOUR LIFETIME
AT THE VILLA
OF YOUR DREAMS
www.bwhotelrural.pt/
+351 235 200 000 geral@bwhotelrural.pt
Lisbon Region
www.cookinghotel.com
www.vilamarques.com
Chiado16
Boutique Hotel
Chiado16 - Boutique Hotel is a charming hotel that offers luxury accommodation with
panoramic city views, in the heart of Lisbon's historic centre - Chiado. Perched on a hill,
this beautiful 17th century building lies in a tranquil square, just a block from Chiado's
main shopping and restaurant quarter, quiet yet still in the middle of the hub bub of this
lovely picturesque ancient city.
+35 121 384 1616
info@chiado16.com
www.chiado16.com
On The Move...
To A Wellbeing Retreat
Azul Yoga &
Pilates Retreat
Welcome to a
wellbeing experience
that will last a
lifetime.
Eat well, move
mindfully, open your
heart.
Relax and
rejuvenate with
other like minded
souls.
Don't just come for
a retreat... come for
a change.
Suffering from burn-out, chronic fatigue, stress and more? Restorative retreats at hip
village chateau in the South of France: nourish your soul and
revive your body wih yoga, meditation and gourmet raw food.
www.yobabalounge.com t 07834 96 3000
Be inspired by our
warm, passionate
expert teachers and
wellbeing specialists.
www.azulfit.com
info@azulfit.com
+34 693 026 839
facebook.com/azulfit
www.hellenichealthyholidays.com
T: +44 (0) 7970 008 727
7 night all inclusive weight loss, fitness and
detox holidays starting from 1795.
Sign up to the next retreat on Kefalonia Island,
Greece, from September 27th October 4th
www.stmawesretreats.co.uk
0800 088 66 22
This unique retreat offers you the space and time to reflect on your work,
something modern life doesn't allow. Discover your true vocation in life which
will lead to lasting fulfilment and satisfaction.
www.hotelranga.is
Be inspired on this amazing life-changing Retreat; rejuvenate your mind, body and
soul. Transform yourself in all aspects of your life, learn how to bring fulfilment to
your desires with spiritual life-coaching, yoga, meditation and healthy eating. Or just
soak up the stunning Italian terrain with its breath-taking views across the Tyrrhenian
seas, relax and feel the calm and tranquillity. Take that first step to discover real inner
peace and happiness and embrace the new you.
For more info visit www.aphroditeholisticretreats.co.uk or call 0039 3420576480
Hotel Rang 851 Hella Tel. +354 487 5700 Fax +354 487 5701 hotelranga@hotelranga.is
On The Move...
To Africa and the Indian Ocean
Discover tranquility, luxury and exquisite cuisine at the majestic...
PONGWE
BEACH HOTEL
Zanzibar
WWW.PONGWE.COM
Honeymoon
in Paradise
Kenya Family Adventure and
Walking Safaris
To advertise within On The Move... please call 020 7499 9080 ext 3705
In
Info@PureSafari.com
fo@PureSafari.com
Ag
Agent@PureSafari.com
ent@PureSafari.com
www.victoriafallshotel.com
[ T ] +263 13-44751/62
reservations@victoriafallshotel.com
1 Mallet Drive, P.O. Box 10, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
www.PureSafari.com
On The Move...
Handpicked Properties
with Private Pools
A selection of beautiful individual
villas & houses with pools in
tranquil settings & areas of
traditional local culture.
*5((&(63$,1
/$1=$527(
%$/($5,&63
2578*$/)5$1&(
,7$/<&52$7,$
01954 261431
2787
V5643
CREEKSIDE COTTAGES
The Foreshore, Nr Falmouth,
Cornwall. Sleeping 8.
For complete peace and
tranquillity this large house is set
in an idyllic waters-edge setting.
A beautifully landscaped, gently
sloping enclosed garden down to
the edge of Mylor Creek.
Dogs Welcome.
Just come and Relax.
01326 375972
www.creeksidecottages.co.uk
www.ekies.gr
your
mediterranean
hideaway
Halkidiki-Greece
info@cortedigabriela.com
+39 041 5235077
On The
Move...
To advertise within On The Move... please call 020 7499 9080 ext 3705
YOU
said
YES!
o lets plan
S
.
.
.
n
o
o
m
y
e
a htroavenl specialists,
Luxury
e and
expert advic piration
ins
destination
La Maison DAix was once an elegant and private mansion belonging to priestess of love and well
known antiques dealer Henriette Reboul. After 3 years of complete restoration and renovation, the
architect Laura Juhen has turned the mansion into an atmospheric and refined little boutique hotel
in the heart of Aix-en-Provence. Nothing at this chic retreat has been left to chance and the result is
a stunning masterpiece. The 4 rooms at La Maison d'Aix are exquisite and have been decorated
with a real eye for detail. The Corset, Henriette's Bedroom, the Secret Garden and the Love Suite,
each of the rooms and suite is entirely devoted to comforting the body and mind whilst fitted with
the latest technology.
www.lamaisondaix.com
T: +33 4 42 53 78 95
BOOK NOW AT
BRIDESTHESHOW.CO.UK
In partnership with:
*OFFER VALID ON ADVANCE BOOKED STANDARD TICKETS ONLY. NOT VALID ON GOLD
TICKETS. BOOKING AND TRANSACTION FEES APPLY. PHOTOGRAPH: DAVID THOMPSON
COND NAST
FA
TH M
E H ILY
AM GU
PTO IDE
NS :
+FOOD IN FRANCE +
+CORNWALL'S HOTSPOTS +
ON HOLIDAY
WITH
KATE UPTON
ETHAN HAWKE
JAKE BUGG
ISLAND ESCAPE
windows, others pausing for seles. But few will be aware of this reworked stunner from the Ferragamo family, overlooking the bridge
from the north bank of the Arno. For Portrait Firenze is nothing if not discreet. Architect and designer Michele Bnans classiccontemporary interiors will be recognisable to those familiar with his work at the Ferragamos other hotels four in Florence, a couple in
the Tuscan countryside and one in Rome and of course the sensational JK Place properties. For Portrait Firenze, Bnan was inspired
by the 1950s, when Florence was the haute couture capital of Italy. The only place you might see other guests is in lovely Caff dellOro,
where the all-day menu kicks off with a splendid breakfast and can continue through to supper (theres a wonderfully zingy spaghetti
with smoked mullet roe, cherry tomatoes and lemon zest). The design will appeal to style hounds, but the large suites are also likely to be
a draw for families, and the magnicent Penthouse Floor (sleeps 10) is private-apartment living in the city at its best. NICKY SWALLOW
Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli 4, Florence (+39 055 2726 4000; www.portraitrenze.com). Doubles from about 400
Escape from
the ordinary
Experience a different view. We understand your nancial
needs can be complex and will change over time. Supported by
in-depth research and an experienced team, we offer a diverse
range of nancial products and services that includes corporate
and institutional banking, investment banking, asset management,
wealth & investment, private banking and property investment.
Please note that returns are not guaranteed and some of our
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AQUARACER DIAMONDS
Maria Sharapova never stops challenging herself. Like TAG Heuer, she keeps
pushing her limits and never cracks under pressure.
USA
SPECIAL
+ WHERE TO EAT IN NEW YORK +
+ OUR FAVOURITE HOTELS +
+THE SMARTEST SPAS +
+A ROCKIES ROAD TRIP +
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
USA SPECIAl
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64
The singer of Let It Go from Frozen and judge for The X Factor USA shares her American all-stars
ON THE COVER:
DEMI LOVATO
PHOTOGRAPHED BY
JASON KIBBLER/
TRUNK ARCHIVE
Whats your favourite city? I travel a lot but theres nothing better than going home to Dallas, Texas
where I grew up its where I go to get away from it all.
Tell us about a great little place you know Every time Im back in Texas I go to Mi Cocina. It has
the best Tex-Mex chile con queso dip in the world.
Whats your most memorable hotel? I stayed on The Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina
when I was lming The X-Factor. The main house there is haunted!
Can you recommend a cinema? When Im in Chicago, I love to go to dine-in movies at Hollywood
Blvd Cinema. Instead of rows of seats there are tables with swivel chairs and dishes named after
well-known lms, such as Lord of the Onion Rings.
Wheres the best beach? It has to be on Kiawah Island off the coast of South Carolina the sand
stretches the whole 10 miles of the islands length.
Where do you go to listen to live music? The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles is legendary and an
amazing spot for outdoor concerts.
Demi Lovatos World Tour starts in Baltimore on 6 September; she plays four dates in the UK in November
Copyright The Cond Nast Publications Ltd, Vogue House, 1 Hanover Square, London W1S 1JU. Printed in the UK by The Artisan Press Ltd. Colour
origination by CLX Europe Media Solution Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. The title
Cond Nast Traveller is registered at US Patent Office and in Great Britain as a trademark. All prices correct at time of going to press but subject to
change. The Mail Order Protection Scheme does not cover items featured editorially. Not to be sold separately from Cond Nast Traveller
HOTEL PRICES ARE LOW-SEASON RATES. INFORMATION IS CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS. FACILITIES AND SERVICES DESCRIBED, AND PRICES QUOTED, MAY HAVE CHANGED
BY THE TIME OF PUBLICATION. PRICE DISCLAIMER: UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED ALL TOUR OPERATOR PACKAGE PRICES ARE PER PERSON, BASED ON TWO PEOPLE SHARING
1 Alabama
Huntsville, we have a
problem. Experiencing
the zero-gravity simulator
at the US Space &
Rocket Centers Space
Academy. At this point,
I was worried that
my breakfast might
attempt re-entry.
4 Arkansas
Entering by road in stormy conditions.
I stopped in pretty Blytheville and
warmed up in a rocking chair by the
hot stove in the famous old Bookstore.
2 Alaska
50
STATES
WERE IN
3 Arizona
The Hoover Dam, as
seen from a helicopter
on the approach to
the Grand Canyon. Its
a clich that getting
there is half the fun,
but that 45-minute trip
is truly stunning.
7
6
5 California
Venice Beach is like Londons Soho in the
sun: the streets are packed with boutiquestyle bars and restaurants. In the evening,
the area comes alive with skateboarders,
musicians, artists and young couples
enjoying the Californian twilight.
6 Colorado
The Four Corners Monument is the only
place in the USA where four states touch.
Here, my right leg is in Colorado, while
my other limbs are in (clockwise) New
Mexico, Arizona and Utah.
7 Connecticut
This gentleman has worked
in The Owl Shop, New Haven
a cigar lounge on the edge
of Yale University campus
for decades. Across the street
is Louis Lunch, the tiny
luncheonette that invented the
hamburger in 1900. Still delicious.
8 Delaware
I visited the oldest state in the Union
on my rst Friday evening. Delaware
has a vibrant live blues scene: this was
taken during a gig at Wilmingtons Blue
Parrot Bar & Grille.
8
10
9 Florida
An airboat tour of the Everglades with
alligator whisperer Johnny Tigertail of
the Miccosukee tribe. The conversation
sounded somewhere between a good
seal impression and bad hiccups.
10 Georgia
A grocery store on the
outskirts of Atlanta. The
peach is the official state
fruit of Georgia, and theyre
mad for them here.
11 Hawaii
The pretty town of Haleiwa
on Oahus famous North
Shore. This is surngs mecca:
the waves hammer the coast
here like heavy artillery.
11
12 Idaho
They call Montana Big Sky Country, but it
was this stretch of road just outside Victor,
Idaho that gave me my truest sense of
Americas vastness. An inspiring panorama.
13 Illinois
14 Indiana
Nicknamed The Crossroads
of America, Indiana is
dissected by a mind-boggling
12,000 miles of highway.
Its industrial hinterland has
a stark, angular beauty.
13
14
USA Special 2014 Cond Nast Traveller 5
16
15 Iowa
The endless farms, elds and silos of Iowa
mean the distances between towns are
huge. This tyre statue at a gas station
seemed a tting tribute to a state where
a car is a day-to-day necessity.
16 Kansas
Riverside High School
in Elwood. I stopped
to ask directions and
ended up being invited
to a homecoming pageant.
An unexpected slice of
pure Americana.
18
17 Kentucky
The Kentucky Derby, the
US equivalent of the Grand
National, takes place each
May. I booked horse-riding
lessons at Murray State
Universitys renowned
Equine Center. OK, and
I ate fried chicken, too.
17
18 Louisiana
A whirling medley of different
styles, cultures and music,
New Orleans is a city with a
real whiff of old magic. This
shot was taken during a big
night out in the Big Easy.
Im surprised its in focus...
20
19 Maine
Maine is the spiritual home of the earmuff.
This is a frozen salmon river near Bethel.
The weather didnt stop the local shermen,
who were out with meaty two-handed ice
augers and earmuffs, naturally.
22 Michigan
20 Maryland
I met musician and
professional Sting
impersonator Wayne
Werner at Prices crab
shack in Havre De Grace.
He taught me how to eat
crabs and, for afters, how
to play the harmonica.
21
21 Massachusetts
The Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum,
where the events of 16 December 1773
are recreated on a daily basis by a company
of actors, both human and hologram.
22
24
23 Minnesota
The Wayside Chapel on the outskirts of
Luverne is one of the tiniest churches in
the world. Drivers come here to Pause,
Rest, Worship. But only six at a time,
because thats the maximum number
that can squeeze inside.
24 Mississippi
This roadside graffiti reads
Keep Out, Will Be Shot.
Funny, considering the people
I encountered in Mississippi
were among the friendliest
I met on the entire trip.
25 Missouri
Behind the curtain in Kansas
City are some of the worlds
nest jazz wizards. Confusingly,
the town has done a Dorothy
and isnt in Kansas any more.
Most of it, including the Jazz
District, is now in Missouri.
26 Montana
25
26
27 Nebraska
In the best possible taste, they love
a car wreck here. This was en route
to the town of Alliance, home to
Carhenge: a Stonehenge replica
constructed entirely from old cars.
29
28 Nevada
The Neon Museum in Las Vegas is where old
signs come to retire. Its home to 150 colossal,
shining examples of this offbeat art form.
30
31
29 New Hampshire
Arriving in the chocolate-box town of
North Conway, I noticed this Mustang,
which appeared to have been frozen into
an enormous novelty ice cube.
32 New York
Grand Central Station celebrated its
centenary last year, and its still every
bit as grand as it ever was. The Oyster
Bar oozes Prohibition cool.
30 New Jersey
Red Bank, NJ: Jon Bon Jovis home
town. I visited his new community
project, the Soul Kitchen, for
a delicious lunch. Sadly, my
request to interview JBJ himself
went down in a Blaze of Glory.
31 New Mexico
I stopped for lunch at this roadside
caf in north-western New Mexico,
which is Navajo Indian country. The
pancakes served with black beans
and hot sauce were delicious.
38 Pennsylvania
Overnight at an Amish guesthouse in
Lancaster County. In this sheltered corner
of Pennsylvania, some 35,000 members of
agricultural religious communities (who
are collectively known as the Pennsylvania
Dutch) live the Plain Life.
33
33 North
Carolina
This is me in the kitchen
of The Pit, a world-famous
barbecue restaurant in
Raleigh. The birthplace of
barbecue is a controversial
title squabbled over by
various Deep South states,
but I think its North
Carolina by a prairie mile.
34 North
Dakota
39 Rhode Island
34
35 Ohio
By this late stage in the trip,
Id entered the 51st state:
broke. This is the carpet of
Toledo airport. I had a
criminally short amount of
time to spend in the home
of the Three Cs: Cleveland,
Columbus and Cincinatti.
35
40 South Carolina
The pretty town of Greenville was
infamous for manufacturing and shipping
moonshine during Prohibition in the USA
in the 1920s. Now its home to Dark
Corner, the states rst legal distillery.
41
36
36 Oklahoma
No plains, butthe wind
came whistling down
the Tulsa Riverwalk as
I cycled along it, past the
huge animal sculptures.
You could lose an entire
summer weekend here.
37
37 Oregon
Keep Portland Weird shouts a
massive piece of graffiti opposite
the Voodoo Doughnut caf. The
owners have taken that sentiment
to heart: here, Im sampling bacon
and maple avour.
41 South
Dakota
South Dakota is
celebrated for Mount
Rushmore, but to sum
up an entire state with
just a mention of four
famous heads would
be an injustice akin
to judging Liverpool
solely on The Beatles.
Sioux Falls, where this
was taken, is a major
Midwestern art hub.
44
43 Texas
This was taken inside a bar:
Billy Bobs in Fort Worth.
The biggest honky tonk
in the world, it covers an
enormous three acres of
oor space, including this
live bull-riding arena.
42 Tennessee
People ock to the National
Ornamental Metal Museum, where
they pay to join the professional
blacksmiths, creating everything
from jewellery to furniture.
44 Utah
Utahs famous Hole N The
Rock applies an entirely new
lter to weird. A cluster of
bizarre boutiques, statues,
art installations and a zoo
forming a ragtag trading post
around a fully decorated cave,
its road-trip gold.
45
45 Vermont
Ben & Jerrys headquarters,
Waterbury. So important is
the company to the local
town that they use pints of ice
cream as unofficial currency,
exchangeable for everything
from beer and pizza to
haircuts and massages.
43
46 Virginia
47 Washington
48
49
50
50 Wyoming
48 West Virginia
49 Wisconsin
SCENE
STEALERS
Nominated by Cond Nast Travellers writers, this is our pick of the best,
most beloved, all-time-favourite hotels in America
famE MAGNET
CHATEAU MARMONT
LOS ANGELES
What do you want from an LA hotel? Something celebrated,
glamorous and star-studded, of course. And nowhere ts
the bill quite like the Chateau as its clientele refer to it
a West Hollywood landmark where the star-to-civilian ratio
is approximately 1:1. It is probably best known for being the
setting for almost every celebrity magazine interview ever
printed; the inspiration for books and movies by F Scott
Fitzgerald (The Last Tycoon) and Soa Coppola (Somewhere);
or as the infamous crash pad of the hard-partying Lindsay
Lohan, who until recently owed the hotel more than $45,000
in unpaid bills. So its difficult to sip a glass of ros in the
courtyard without craning to see the maybe-VIP at the next
table, or eat a posh cheeseburger in the mahogany-panelled
Bar Marmont without looking for an A-lister gone wild (Rob
Pattinson drank one too many here for his 27th birthday).
The 1920s faade is modelled on a royal residence in the Loire,
while the interiors resemble lm sets from various eras: the
lobby is faux-medieval, with arched wooden doors and beamed
ceilings; the nine cottages and four bungalows look t for Ava
Gardner and Howard Hughes; and the 63 rooms are a reminder
of the 1970s, with shiny wooden banquettes and peach-tiled
bathrooms. The Chateaus sweet-but-spicy signature scent is
available to buy as a candle at the front desk. +1 323 656 1010;
www.chateaumarmont.com. Doubles from about 300
USA Special 2014 Cond Nast Traveller 11
jet-set homestead
SAN YSIDRO RANCH
SANTA BARBARA
This is an old-money place with intensely private guest
cottages and suites, roaring res and gardens bursting with
head-sized hydrangeas. A living, breathing slice of Californian
folklore, the 500-acre ranch has remained seemingly
unchanged since Vivien Leigh married Laurence Olivier outside
the hacienda in 1940, or when John and Jackie Kennedy
checked in during their honeymoon 13 years later. But if
the hotels green-striped awnings, thick Oriental rugs and
chintzy furnishings recall the 1950s, its heritage is actually
far older. Originally a cattle ranch in the 19th century, then
a citrus farm, San Ysidro has long welcomed guests (the
ranchs appeal to celebrities was given a boost in 1935 when
it was bought by suave English lm star Ronald Colman and
businessman Alvin Weingand). In the farms former packing
house is the Stonehouse restaurant, where skilfully cooked,
old-school comfort food (steak Diane, baked Alaska) is served
beneath a high, wooden-beamed ceiling or under twinkly
lights on the terrace. There are 14 acres of wildly fragrant
gardens lled with lavender bushes, lily ponds and eucalyptus
trees, and 17 miles of wooded hiking trails to explore. Bikes
are provided for rides to the beach. Later, youll sleep soundly,
surrounded by silence, in the protective embrace of the Santa
Ynez Mountains. +1 805 565 1700; www.sanysidroranch.com.
Doubles from about 400
Hipster hangout
WYTHE HOTEL
NEW YORK
Manhattan? Like, so over. Food, fashion,
music, art its all happening over the East
River in Brooklyn. Of the clutch of hotels
that have followed the wave, the 70-room
Wythe, which opened in 2012, is the clear
winner. This converted barrel factory is
in Williamsburg, a ve-minute subway
ride from the island, and a hotbed of bars,
restaurants and shops (Pies n Thighs for
Southern grub, Catbird for quirky jewellery).
Owners Jed Walentas scion of the New
York real-estate family Australian hotelier
Peter Lawrence and Andrew Tarlow, who
runs Brooklyn restaurants Diner and
Marlow & Sons, have kept things industrial
inside, with exposed brick, mosaic and
tiled oors, and beamed ceilings. Bedrooms
are particularly minimalist, with polished
concrete oors, king-size beds and
Manhattan views from oor-to-ceiling
windows in west-facing rooms. Theres
even a thwack of skyline from the little
window in the walk-in shower. The hotels
rooftop bar, The Ides, does great cocktails
and is a raucous spot in summer, but its
the ground-oor restaurant, Reynard, that
is a must for its super-fresh, veg-laden
dishes including uke crudo with fennel and
caraway, and grass-fed steak with beets,
goats cheese and watercress. The hotel
has no gym of its own, but guests are given
a pass to Chalk down the road, a haunt
for bench-pressing local hipsters. +1 718
460 8000; www.wythehotel.com. Doubles
from about 115
Hollywood headliner
PHOTOGRAPHS: EDMUND BARR; JOE SCHMEIZER
Colorado is the place for big skies, crystal-clear rivers and valleys peppered with
ranches. And Dunton Hot Springs is the states original retreat offering super-smart
rooms in a rustic setting, the one we rst fell in love with. About 90 minutes drive
from Durango, in the San Juan National Forest, this former ghost town and natural
hot spring sets the bar for glamping. From the outside, the 12 guest cabins look like
19th-century homesteads crafted from planks and corrugated iron; inside, there are
bison-skin rugs, cowhide throws and surprising ethnic touches such as a Rajasthani
wedding bed or African mask. More Wild West-themed rooms display homespun
cowboy-print curtains, ticking stripe and gingham. Owners Christoph and Katrin
Henkel have spared little expense in creating this magical, 200-acre getaway. Chef
Carrie Eagle prepares meals using local ingredients, and the list of activities includes
snowshoeing, y-shing, river rafting and horse riding. Top that? The Henkels have
tried with Dunton River Camp, their new property just four miles downriver, where
eight super-luxe tents have views of elks grazing on bluebell-covered meadows.
+1 970 882 4800; www.duntonhotsprings.com. Doubles from about 355, full board
desert wonderland
AMANGIRI UTAH
Surrounded by the stark beauty of the southern Utah desert, this thrilling nexus
of design and location has yet to be outshone by any other hotel in the USA. From
a distance, it looks like a nuclear bunker; inside, its all austere grandeur, concrete
and glass, iron and wood, soaring space and dancing sunlight. In the main building,
oor-to-ceiling windows give CinemaScope views of the desert and very cool pool;
loungers are shaded by owering cherry trees, of all unexpected things. The open
kitchen with its wood-burning stove is here, and an indoor-outdoor restaurant
and library. Insane prices rather squelch the appeal of the splendid spa, but the 34
rooms could make anyone grin: softest Beltrami linen, spotlit art in the loo, a free
minibar (non-alcoholic drinks only, but addictive salted caramel popcorn) plus those
devastating desert views from the bed, bath, twin showers and terrace. Most amazing,
though, are the huge pool suites. The (mostly Mormon) staff will make up a daybed
on the sky terrace for guests to sleep out beneath the stars. Excellent guides include
geologists, archaeologists and an ex-Marine naturalist, and there are two daily hikes
for spotting coyote, cougar, jackrabbits and deer mice. Food could be simpler and
arrive sooner, but the bison steaks are perfect. And from November to March, meals
are included in the room rate. +1 435 675 3999; www.amanresorts.com. Doubles from
about 880, full board, including airport transfers, guided hikes, yoga and stretching classes
CALIFORNIA
Big Sur is all about big views, and the Post Ranch Inn has become synonymous with
the wild, dramatic beauty that is the Pacic Coast along Californias Highway 1. The
regions natural charms are reected in the names of its 39 rooms including Cliff
House, Pacic Suite, Ocean House, Tree House, Mountain House and the Buttery
Rooms and the spectacularly constructed recycled-redwood lodgings are designed
to inspire awe. The Cliff Houses have glass-walled bedrooms and decks suspended
over a 1,200ft precipice, with private, stainless-steel outdoor hot tubs from which
to absorb that vast oceanic expanse. Surrounded by regal redwoods and oaks, the
triangular Tree Houses are raised on nine-foot stilts, with dreamy views through the
foliage to the Santa Lucia Mountains. Activities for energetic types include everything
from morning yoga, meditation and guided nature hikes to the use of two clifftop
spa tubs, an innity pool and a private telescope. For foodies, the inns Sierra Mar
restaurant serves gorgeous dishes bursting with seasonal avours, such as freshly
picked strawberries with wild-mint blossoms, goats cheese and pistachio pure.
But the essence of any stay here is just whiling away the hours with someone you
really like, letting time unspool in truly spectacular surroundings. +1 831 667 2200;
www.postranchinn.com. Doubles from about 440
Beach-party hotspot
RUSCHMEYERS
THE HAMPTONS
Dubbed Le nouveau St Tropez by Vogue Paris, Montauks rise
from shing village and low-key surf perch to Manhattans
most fashionable summer spot has been meteoric. For those
who lack that crucial friend with a beach house, Ruschmeyers
is the next best option. Styled as a summer camp for adults,
its part souped-up motel, part restaurant, part dance party.
The rooms are comfortable if basic, with wicker headboards,
hammocks and shower rooms. Which is just ne, because
theyll barely be used. Instead, hit the rollicking restaurant
which is overseen by the people behind SoHo locavore favourite
The Smile; make new chums over ping-pong in the Magic
Garden; and get down at the Electric Eel club, which has DJs
at weekends and a raucous bingo night on Thursdays. Breakfast
is DIY and included in the price (love the smashed avocado
on rye). Alternatively, borrow a bike and cycle 10 minutes to
Ditch Plains Beach for quesadillas from the Ditch Witch food
truck, or join the line of hipsters for burritos at Jonis in town.
And while in the East Coasts premier surf spot, it would be
churlish not to at least attempt to ride a wave: Ruschmeyers
will provide a board and lessons. +1 631 668 2877; www.
chelseahotels.com. Doubles from about 170
REPORTS FROM
BRITT COLLINS, MARION FOX, DAVID KAUFMAN,
EIMEAR LYNCH, KATE MAXWELL, ADRIAANE PIELOU,
CHARLES RUNNETTE, BONNIE TSUI, JEREMY WAYNE
premier-cru privacy
AUBERGE DU SOLEIL
CALIFORNIA
After three decades, this wine-country pioneer, balanced on
a hillside overlooking Napa Valley, remains a favourite. Even
for jaded souls who think theyve seen it all, the light-lled
rooms just 52 of them, mostly intimate, Mediterranean-style
stucco cottages are a delight. With French doors, private
terraces and replaces, theyre designed for comfort, privacy
and relaxation. An olive grove shades the grounds, and a large
sculpture garden makes for a pleasant walk to and from the
main house, pool and Michelin-starred restaurant. Dinner on
the patio is a must: choose from chef Robert Currys seasonal
menu the excellent roast pork belly, kampachi sashimi and
seared tuna with fava pure are standouts and say yes to
head sommelier Kris Margerums thoughtful wine pairing. The
massive spa has a central courtyard lined by hammam-style
sauna and steam rooms, outdoor showers and hot and cold
plunge pools. A leisurely afternoon here is a treat, not least
because of the sunshine-soaked views. +1 707 963 1211;
www.aubergedusoleil.com. Doubles from about 455
USA Special 2014 Cond Nast Traveller 21
For those based in Miami, theres no shortage of attractions with easy reach. Tour Homesteads quirky Coral
Castle, a testament to the unrequited love of a Latvian immigrant. Cruise to Coral Gables to take a dip in the
Venetian Pool, a former rock quarry converted to a municipal pool in 1924 and the only public pool listed on
the National Register of Historic Places. Explore South Beach by day to take in the Art Deco architecture and
linger past sunset to sample the lively nightlife.
Head west on the Tamiami Trail and venture into the Everglades, where you can get a taste of native culture
at Miccosukee Indian Village and take an airboat tour into the River of Grass. Just south of Homestead,
stop at the Ernest Coe Visitor Center outside Everglades National park for an introduction to the unique
ecosystem and colorful history of the Everglades, and go on to the Flamingo Visitor Center and marina,
where you can rent a bike or canoe, take a boat tour or join in an interpretative program.
Edmund White
16M_7ZTMIV[
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NWZPQ[[MUQI]\WJQWOraphical )*Wys Own Story, is
MV\ZIVKMLJy Louisianas most colourN]TKQ\a
Edmund Whites most recent book, Inside a Pearl: My Years in Paris, is published by Bloomsbury (18.99, eBook 8.75)
24 Cond Nast Traveller USA Special 2014
<
he formula for a beautiful town in the States is that it must have been rich when it was built, and then
it must have fallen into poverty during the ugly years of so-called modernisation (the 1950s and the
1960s), and nally it should have been rediscovered in the last 20 or 30 years by wealthy Americans and
foreigners searching for authenticity and a period look. That formula explains the preserved beauty of
Nantucket, Savannah, Charlestown and New Orleans, the most charming cities in America. They were
built by rich whalers (Nantucket), slave-owning cotton merchants (Charleston), silk and indigo (Savannah), slave
trade and Mississippi shipping (New Orleans), and once these industries declined the cities fell into benign neglect,
only to be revived by a recent careful generation of preservationists.
My favourite amongst them (and the one that doesnt t neatly into my formula) is New Orleans, which is still
one of the poorest cities in America and deeply damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane (and the ineptness
of federal and local agencies) revealed the endemic poverty of the place and also its heart and courage. This is
a semi-tropical city famous for its French Quarter of nearly non-stop carousing and hospitality and for its annual
Mardi Gras. The Garden District has splendid, noble antebellum mansions, including the one the Confederacy gave
its president, Jefferson Davis. The creole cuisine of the city is often sublime. I once was a restaurant critic for a week
there during the Tennessee Williams Festival, when many restaurants created recipes inspired by Williams plays
(including white-trash mayonnaise sandwiches, which could have been favoured by Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar
Named Desire). The number and variety of good places to eat is astonishing.
The quintessential New Orleans experience is to stroll
down a cobblestone street in the French Quarter, past a
wonderful traditional French restaurant like Galatoires,
and to smell a heady mixture of garlic, butter and
parsley; to enter the sunstruck square in front of the
cathedral and sit down for a beignet (a sugary deep-fried
donut) or some sweet potato pie and a cup of caf au
lait (heavy on the chicory); then to start rambling past
a second-hand bookstore, where you spot a very
expensive rst edition of Faulkners Wild Palms and
then you swoop down to retrieve some cheap beads left over from Mardi Gras (men hurl them at women shouting,
Show us your tits!).
You wont be alone long. People are loud and friendly in New Orleans and usually drunk by noon. It has one- or
two-storey houses in the French Quarter decorated with Spanish-style ironwork around the windows. There are many
balconies right out of a painting by Degas (who visited in 1872). Behind some houses are the old slave quarters (now
chic studios) or garonnires, where rich families wisely housed their teenage sons. This is a city of exotic trees, the
smell of vomit now and then, of the very rich and the very poor, of occasional French creole speakers, of jazz and jazz
funerals, of jambalayas and cocktails, of a stunning literary heritage and of corrupt city politics and crime. Its an
edgy city, like Naples or Medelln or Tangier and just as hypnotic.
Tuna at The Four Seasons. Opposite: a table at The Beatrice Inn; feta, grilled broccoli and anchovy toast
?0-:-<7-)< 16
6-?A7:3
RESTAURANT CRITIC JEREMY WAYNE, WHO HAS CHOWED DOWN ALL OVER THE CITY
FOR YEARS, PICKS HIS CURRENT CLASSICS. PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANNIE SCHLECHTER
SIRIO
At the opening party for Sirio, Le
Cirque founder Sirio Maccionis
restaurant on the site of the former
Caf Pierre (briey the New York
outpost of Londons Le Caprice),
1,300 of his nearest and dearest
showed up to support him. Talk about
standing room only! Talk about survival
of the ttest! But seriously, it was
clear from the get-go that Maccione
had a whopping success on his hands.
And while it may not be your thing,
Sirios is denitely a New York scene,
chock-a-block with Park Avenue
princesses, their hand-wringing mothers
and silver-haired CEO dads (and
stepdads). The barman does a
wonderful White Negroni (Old Raj gin,
Lillet, Suze), and the food, nominally
Tuscan, is in fact retro-central, served
without a hint of irony. Scaloppine
al limone might follow spaghetti alle
vongole; the veal cutlet is so vast it
falls off the plate, and if youve had
better roast potatoes outside of Italy,
tell us where. Sirios is the home of
28 Cond Nast Traveller USA Special 2014
BROOKLYN FARMACY
Along the road from Cobble Hill Park,
the old literary centre of Brooklyn where
Tom Wolfe once lived and wrote,
stands the Brooklyn Farmacy. A lovingly
restored 1920s pharmacy, reopened
four years ago as a soda fountain, the
Farm has become a kind of obsession
for locals and a centre of pilgrimage for
Brooklynites and other New Yorkers.
It is known for its ice-cream oats
and sundaes, but the real must-try
treat here is the vanilla egg cream.
Its a weird, slightly medicinal-tasting
concoction which oddly contains
no cream and not much vanilla; but
once youve acquired the taste, youre
totally hooked. Its always busy, and
weekends mean baby-buggy traffic
jams. In addition to its sugary treats,
LAFAYETTE
Occupying what seems like the sunniest
corner site in New York, where NoHo
nudges the Bowery, Lafayette is a
new French bistro OK, a mega-bistro,
though not quite a brasserie from
MOMOFUKU
NOODLE BAR
A classically trained American-Korean
chef who turned faine dayning on
its head, David Chang now oversees
MAIALINO
PRUNE
This is the restaurant you want to have
on your doorstep, whether you live
in London, Paris, New York, Chipping
Norton or the Yorkshire Dales. But there
is only one Prune, so here you must
come, to food writer/chef Gabrielle
Hamiltons gem of a restaurant, where
devotees tuck into prawns with anchovy
butter, rabbit in vinegar sauce, roast
duck with dandelion, monksh livers on
buttered toast, and sauted veal hearts
the girl, you see, is mad for offal.
(Never fear: if youre feeling more tame
than wild, theres a cracking off-menu
hamburger.) But while Prune is a great
address for lunch or dinner any day, its
EGG
Meet George Weld, blond eco-warrior,
farmer and restaurateur, the guy who
exemplies laid-back Brooklyn hip. His
Central Florida is also a perfect launching pad for those who want to venture further into the heart of the
Sunshine State. Both the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts are a little over an hours drive from Orlando.
Head east to experience the past, present and future of space exploration at Kennedy Space Center, where
visitors can get an up-close look at the new Shuttle Atlantis exhibit and go on a wacky interactive adventure
at the Angry Birds Space Encounter. Nature reigns supreme at nearby Canaveral National Seashore, a
24-mile-long band of undeveloped coastline rich in wildlife (birders ock here), archaeological sites and
pristine beaches.
On the west coast, take a stroll through the surreal at the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg and get
your kicks on the coasters at Tampas Busch Gardens theme park. Bring your appetite, too. The Tampa
Bay area is a hotbed of delicious dining, with eateries serving food truck classics, farm-to-table fare and
innovative nouvelle cuisine.
,I^QL;MLIZQ[
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David Sedariss most recent book, Lets Explore Diabetes with Owls, is published by Abacus (12.99, eBook 5.99)
USA Special 2014 Cond Nast Traveller 37
FEEL THE
Kicking up their heels on an epic road trip from Washington to Wyoming, Melinda Stevens and family
RUSH
encounter palominos, grizzlies and buffalo and ll their boots with wide skies and campre feasts
SEATTLE
Washington
RIVERSIDE
STATE PARK
Washington
GREENOUGH
Montana
BLACKFOOT
RIVER
Montana
MAN
WITH A
PLAN
Why dont more smart tour operators
work in the USA? Its baffling. If you are
looking for a seriously bespoke trip, with
an astonishing amount of personal attention,
added adventures and exceptional
contacts thrown in, then Brown + Hudson
is unsurpassable. On this trip, for example,
the company organised: the t-out of the
RV; all stays in the best lodges; a birthday
party on the move; meeting a lauded local
chef who came and taught the children
how to whip up pancakes with the
huckleberries they had collected in the
woods; a kayaking adventure; a quick-x
diversion to the states best water park; for
raptor experts to bring falcons and owls
and hawks to a chosen spot; and specialist
guides all along the way to show the girls
how to wrangle cattle, make re and spot
eagles. The team was on personal call at
every part of the journey if we wanted
anything arranged or rearranged, and
provided the most beautiful hand-bound
diaries and cameras for everyone. Headed
up by Philippe Brown, the team at B+H are
perfectionists with proper pedigree in the
travel business who create high-end
itineraries all over the world. Brown +
Hudson (www.brownandhudson.com)
creates three-week experiences for
families from 15,000 per person.
GARNET
GHOST
TOWN
Montana
ROCK CREEK
Montana
YELLOWSTONE
Wyoming
JACKSON
HOLE
GRAND TETON
Wyoming
PAWS UP
TOP
STOP-OFFS
THE RANCH AT
ROCK CREEK
A prettier spot would be hard to nd than
this one in Montana. Its like a little riverside
settlement built by funky pioneers. The
houses are proper dwellings where you
could easily live till your beard caught on
re, with heavenly beds and full-throttle
kitchens. They are full of books and red
AMANGANI
In winter, this is one of my favourite
hotels in the world. In summer, it loses
something of its secret-lair-style cosiness
and staff seem more like college kids with
holiday jobs rather than slick operators.
That said, the food is a revelation after
youve eaten more mac and cheese than
Wallace and Gromit could take. As are
the incredible therapists in the spa: book
in for as many hours as possible of the
weird, wondrous body-twisting fandangos
they do so well here. Beds are seemingly
made for bears seeking hibernation; the
mattresses swallow you up in a way that
magically equals the best sleep youve
ever had. And the hotel looms gloriously
over Jackson Hole, one of the USAs most
fun towns, with serious cowboy-kit
shopping, supreme restaurants and a
frontier groove that is difficult to nd
elsewhere. www.amanresorts.com
Wyoming
USA Special 2014 Cond Nast Traveller 43
Austin is a city where every sight has its own sound. From our
small stages to our renowned festivals, the Live Music Capital
of the World is a place that you have to hear to believe.
Make Austin your next US holiday. Now y non-stop
from London Heathrow on British Airways.
Plan your trip at DiscoverAmerica.com/Austin
)VVQM8ZW]T`
15MLQKQVM*W_
The tough-talking author of The Shipping NM_s and
BrokMJIKk Mountain wI`M[TaZQKITIJW]\?aomings peak[
<
he Medicine Bow range in Wyoming is an alpine gem, a beautiful place of stunning scenery. The heart
of the range lies between the tiny town of Centennial on the east slope and the shing resort town of
Saratoga on the west slope. Local people prize time in these mountains. The central glacier-gouged peak
Medicine Bow rises to more than 12,000 feet. The entire granite range is called Medicine Bow because
in centuries past the Indians who lived here prized the ash trees that grew in these mountains for making
exceptional good medicine bows. The quartzite Snowy Range, which holds gleaming snow through a cool summer, sits
atop. The great triangular face of Medicine Bow Peak no longer shows the scorch marks of a United Airlines DC-4
crash that in 1955 killed all 66 people aboard. Scouring wind and snow have erased the tragic blot.
The range has more than 100 lakes, many of them with trout, and that feeling of remote antiquity that comes
in forests and mountains. Mirror Lake reects the steep perpendicular face of Medicine Bow; a hiking trail loops
around the back to the top. There are picnic sites around several of the lakes where I often take visitors for a
high-altitude feast in knock-your-socks-off scenery. September is a favourite time, chill and even frosty in the
shadows, hot as Spain in the sun.
This mountain range seems made for day trips; scores of hiking and horse trails lace through the peaks, with
stunning vistas of Rocky Mountain National Park a hundred miles south and the ragged Sierra Madre to the west.
The higher trails cross tiny streamlets lined with diamond-leaf willow and wind through an alpine tundra ecosystem
with wind-blasted krummholz leaning toward the east. The range is a mad tumble of wildowers in their season,
pasque owers, a profusion of cushion plants, wild columbine, snowball saxifrage, mountain avens, many others rare
and unusual, attracting photographers and botanists. The forest is lodgepole pine, which grows straight and tall,
gathered by Indians to use as poles for their teepees or lodges. There are moose, several thousand elk, mountain
lions and black bear here, fat marmots in the rocks, little pikas. Golden eagles, prairie falcons, ospreys and several
species of hawks nest in the crags.
Sheep herders, cattlemen and prospectors began to trickle into the Medicine Bows after the Indian wars. The
scattered remains of old mines are common. Big-game hunters came here as well, chief among them Henry SetonKarr. In 1876 the wealthy young man, fresh from Eton, was walking down the Strand when I saw a ne pair of
wapiti horns in the windows of a gunmakers shop. He discovered the elk antlers came from the Medicine Bow range
in Wyoming and was soon on his way to this hunters paradise with a friend. Seton-Karr became the owner of the
fabled Pick Ranch west of the range, for years entertaining British friends with elaborate hunting parties. One of the
forays was interrupted when a troublemaker back at the ranch shot and killed Curly, the foreman, and Seton-Karr
and his guests had to work the roundup.
But there is more to the landscape for the interested visitor to see climate change in action. Only a decade
ago the jagged mountains kept their snow year-round, but now warming temperatures have reduced glaciers and
snowelds. The lodgepole forest has suffered an infestation of mountain pine beetles and many of the old trees
have died. The young new trees show an exuberant green, but no one knows if the forest will come back again in
pure lodgepole stands. It is a chance for us to see a transitional forest phase and think about the complex causes
of environmental change.
Annie Proulxs most recent story collection Fine Just the Way It Is is published by Fourth Estate (7.99, eBook 3.85)
USA Special 2014 Cond Nast Traveller 45
DISTINCTIVE AMERICAN
SHOPPING & DINING.
S
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
For UK travellers flying in and out of Los Angeles International Airport, Westfield
at Los Angeles International Airport features an unparalleled collection of
luxury retail and sophisticated dining that raises the bar on the retail airport
experience in the U.S. Cutting edge architecture showcases some of the worlds
best known designer brands with a distinctly Los Angeles flavour.
Among the many benefits to travellers at Westfield Travel Collection centres are
the Passport to Savings program with special offers and services, and Customer
Service Ambassadors who assist with merchandise selection, currency
exchange, dinner reservations, and more. For further information and to print
a voucher for a Passport to Savings book, visit WestfieldTravelCollection.com.
MAKERS MARK
PHOTOGRAPH: ELLSWORTH KELLY. PHOTO BY JOSHUA WHITE, COURTESY OF MATTHEW MARKS GALLERY, LOS ANGELES
CRANE ARTS
A large-scale renovation in 2005 turned this former plumbing
warehouse and seafood processing plant in South Kensington
into a home for a number of arts-related businesses. Many
original xtures, such as the working elevators, are still there.
The Icebox (once used to store frozen sh) hosts site-specic
installations that are always worth seeing: one artist created
a series of colourful inatables (left) that made the enormous
space seem crowded. 1400 North American Street (+1 215 232
3203; www.cranearts.com). Open WednesdaySaturday,
noon-6pm. Free
PERFORMANCE GARAGE
Dance fans have plenty to choose from in Philadelphia, but
this is a reliable venue for dynamic shows from an international
line-up of companies. The studio was formerly a stable, then
an automobile garage a heritage referenced in a recent
performance when dancers drove a car into the space. Expect
to see anything from ball gowns to hula-hoops on stage.
WHATS ON In September the Garage is hosting a number of
acts during the citys Fringe Festival
1515 Brandywine Street (+1 215 569 4060; www.performance
garage.org)
UNDERGROUND ARTS
This cavernous warehouse basement has an edgy feel,
cut-price drinks and a range of musical shows from the eclectic
(venerable surf-rock group Man or Astro-man?) to the
conventional (indie-rock darlings Bosnian Rainbows). Gaps in
52 Cond Nast Traveller USA Special 2014
the calendar are lled with comedy, spoken word and open-mic
nights. Dont expect comfortable seats or subtle lighting this
is where you come to dance, clap, sing along or heckle.
WHATS ON Upcoming shows include Norwegian singer
Sondre Lerche on 25 September, and actor/comedian John
Hodgman (often seen on The Daily Show) on 17 October
1200 Callowhill Street (no phone; www.undergroundarts.org)
VOX POPULI
4QWVMT;PZQ^MZ
I Raleigh
The provocative novelist, whose
award-winning We Need to Talk
)JW]\3M^QV_I[UILMQV\WITU
goes back to her North Carolina roots
Redene extraordinary in
Antelope Canyon, Arizona.
WORK
IT OUT
Arizona has the coolest New Age hideaway;
California is the boot-camp capital. When it
comes to the latest health kicks, this countrys
spas are ahead of the curve. Edited by Daisy Finer
THE MAYFLOWER GRACE,
WASHINGTON, CONNECTICUT
MANDARIN ORIENTAL,
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
BEST FOR SHOPPING AND SUNSHINE
Not everyone goes to Vegas to gamble. Shopping, seeing a
show or one of the big boxing bouts that take place every few
months, or, increasingly, spending time in the citys humongous
spas are pastimes that have become almost as big a draw as
the casinos. And not everyone wants to stay in one of the megaresorts that have proliferated since the 3,000-room Mirage
opened on the Strip in 1989. The Mandarin Oriental extends
a hand to those whod rather avoid somewhere with 6,000 to
8,000 roulette-playing punters lumbering through a lobby the
size of several football pitches and packed with slot machines. In
GOLDEN DOOR,
ESCONDIDO, CALIFORNIA
BEST FOR OLD-SCHOOL NETWORKING
The cost of a weeks stay at Golden Door might be outrageously
high, but it includes everything from a daily massage, beauty
treatment and private-trainer session to all the regular tness
classes and even a supply of sportswear. Plus the use of the
comfortable if rather unattering
cotton yukata, which everyone is
encouraged to wear at dinner.
Probably the best-known spa in
America, it was set up in 1958 as a
recreation of a Japanese ryokan,
surrounded by landscaped gardens in
the foothills of the Peninsula Range
outside San Diego. Founder Deborah
Szekely is still going strong, and is now
a sharp-as-a-blade 94-year-old with
a touch of Joan Rivers acerbity. But
its not just her ethos eat ethically,
keep moving, live consciously, but
lighten up and have fun that draws
people. The networking possibilities
here are curiously full throttle (one
woman told her tragic life-story to a
fellow guest who turned out to be the
CEO of a publishing company and
not only signed her up to have her
story ghost-written, but subsequently
relayed the tale to another guest, a
AQUA MALIBU,
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
WRITERS: BRITT COLLINS; DAISY FINER; ADRIAANE PIELOU. PHOTOGRAPH: LUCA TROVATO
CALAVIE, SAN
DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
WRITERS: BRITT COLLINS; ALICE VON SIMSON. PHOTOGRAPHS: TODD COLE; PEDEN+MUNK/TRUNK ARCHIVE
AMERICAN
BEAUTY
NEW YORK
DALLAS
The LA-LA-land
tness craze
continues apace. Angelenos love heartthumping hybrid workouts designed to
LOS ANGELES
This is the land of the blowout and celebrity personal trainers, birthplace of
the mani-pedi and the Atkins diet. No nation is more dedicated to looking the part,
so head across the pond to track the most sought-after new trends. By Olivia Falcon
THE MAVERICK
MYSTERY TOUR