Thinking Small
HIGH ABOVE THE REST: EROSANTORINI
Greece
Erosantorini, a five-suite resort that first opened its doors in summer 2016, provides a rare amenity on the Greek island of Santorini: privacy. Nearly every hotel on the tightly packed island is up against another, but Erosantorini has no other visible structure in sight. Perched 1,000 feet above the sea on one of the highest cliffs of the crescent-shaped island, the walled two-acre property overlooks the full expanse of the caldera, the volcanic lagoon. This surreal view provides some of the most breathtaking sunsets on earth.
Designed by Italian designer Paola Navone, the retreat recalls local architecture—whitewashed walls and flat roofs—combined with whimsical touches, such as painted rugs on the concrete deck and floating fireplaces. The five suites’ large, windowed doors entice guests outside, where they can watch movies under the stars or swim in what may be the largest infinity pool on Santorini. Other amenities include a generous wine cellar, a chapel and a subterranean spa complete with a hammam.
Blurring the line between hotel and villa, Erosantorini employs a friendly live-in staff that includes a host, a superb chef and a concierge who plans all activities on or off the property. But when your host is also a sommelier who can lead an impromptu tasting of Greek wines, who needs to leave the property?
Starting rate: $1,435 per night, $6,500 exclusive villa use
Contact: Ileana von Hirsch, director of Five Star Greece, 44.208.422.4885, fivestargreece.com; erosantorini.com
CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE: DAR AHLAM
Morocco
Built in the style of a traditional Moroccan kasbah, this 14-room stucco property near Ouarzazate in the Atlas Mountains is a beautiful retreat with an edenic garden, pool and hammam. But much of the appeal of a trip to Dar Ahlam, part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection, are the experiences the 100-person staff provides beyond the five-acre estate.
Dar Ahlam is Arabic for “House of Dreams,” a title that alludes to the hotel’s mutable quality. Daily itineraries of unique dinners, snacks and excursions are scheduled so that guests from different parties interact as little as possible. While you are having a gourmet lunch by the olive grove, someone else is being served a lavish meal on the beach. And the cuisine, based on seasonal, organic fare, is excellent. Although there is no set menu, chefs choose from more than 450 recipes marrying French and Moroccan traditions.
In addition to the main estate, Dar Ahlam maintains five houses and camps throughout the region. You may be whisked away to Dar Ahlam’s Berber camp in the desert dunes for a full-service lunch, for example, and when you return to the house, it will be as if no one else was ever there.
Starting rate: $1,096 per night
Contact: Hicham Hraid-Rochette, general manager, resamaroc@darahlam.com, 212.0.524.85.22.39, darahlam.com; slh.com/darahlam
BACK TO BASICS: DUNTON HOT SPRINGS
Dunton, Co.
When hardscrabble ore miners settled in the remote San Juan Mountains in the 1880s, they probably didn’t expect their frontier camps would one day become a leisure resort. Located between Durango and Telluride in a secluded corner of Colorado, this former ghost town—the mines’ life span was less than 30 years—feels like a trip back in time, but with all the modern comforts. The sprawling Relais & Châteaux property offers 12 original 19th-century cabins and one luxury tent surrounded by nothing but wilderness. Fly-fishing, hiking, horseback riding, snowshoeing and heli-skiing are just some of the activities. Think of it as a miniature dude ranch with personalized service—and no phones.
There’s a reason those miners chose this spot: Six mineral hot springs bubble up, which they used to heal tired muscles after a long day’s work. You can soak inside the original bathhouse, which has been restored and outfitted with both an indoor and outdoor spring. Four other mineral pools dot the property, including one inside a guest cabin.
The resort features a library, a dance hall and a saloon, which serve as the communal spaces. With a focus on world-class dining, Dunton Hot Springs maintains an organic farm that supplies the menus. And the resort partners with Sutcliffe Vineyards, about an hour’s drive south, to provide exquisite local wines.
Starting rate: $630 per night
Contact: reservations@duntonlife.com, 877.288.9922, duntonhotsprings.com
LIVING ART: PLAYA VIK JOSÉ IGNACIO
Uruguay
The sleepy fishing village of José Ignacio, about 40 miles from glitzy Punta del Este, swells to Hamptonite proportions between October and February, when affluent visitors transform this tiny peninsula into a jet-setter hot spot. True to its ethos of rural luxury—you’ll pay over $500 for a barefoot dinner for two—José Ignacio lacks high-end hotels, which is one of the reasons Playa Vik stands out from the surrounding whitewashed beach cottages in town.
But when a hotel’s main building is referred to as “the sculpture,” it’s hard not to stand out. Designed by Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, the titanium, glass and concrete structure sits on a sloping beachfront hill. Its inclined facade features a massive sliding-glass wall that opens to a majestic terrace. A cantilevered 75-foot pool made of black granite includes a fiber-optic-lit star map that makes moonlit swims feel otherworldly.
Playa Vik, which houses notable contemporary artwork including a light installation by James Turrell and paintings by Anselm Kiefer, feels like an inhabitable art collection. The four suites in the main house are appointed with works by South American artists. Surrounding the main building, six two- and three-bedroom casitas, equally full of paintings and sculpture, feature undulating grass “living roofs,” another form of art. But despite the property’s museum quality, it is far from static. The expected amenities—a beachside fire pit, wine cellar, gym, spa and the new, reservations-only restaurant, Cielomar—remind you Playa Vik is an experience, not an observation.
Starting rate: $600 per night
Contact: info@playavik.com, 598.93.704.866, playavik.com
TROPICAL ESCAPE: IMANTA RESORTS PUNTA DE MITA
Mexico
Punta Mita, a peninsula on the Riviera Nayarit, grew in the last decade as a popular alternative to neighboring Puerto Vallarta’s overdevelopment. Perhaps that’s why Imanta Resort bears its name—but is actually six miles north of the peninsula, in Higuera Blanca. The hotel, however, is unlikely to face the threat of development. Located within a jungle preserve bordering the Pacific Ocean, this Relais & Châteaux estate is impossible to view from the road, let alone access except via a single road.
With 250 acres around you and only 14 suites, Imanta feels like a step back in time. The main lodge, capped by the stellar Observatorio lounge, resembles a Mayan pyramid rising from the jungle. You can see the entire coastline and appreciate the dense jungle around you. A cluster of bungalows below contains the suites, the smallest of which is 1,900 square feet. Six casas, including a glorious treehouse and a 10,000-square-foot manse, provide even more space.
Imanta brands itself an eco resort—solar power provides electricity and heats the pools—but it doesn’t skimp on luxury. With a pristine beach, it’s easy to go surfing or diving from the resort, and the concierge can arrange golf outings at nearby properties. But you’ll want to stay on-site for dinner. The restaurant, Tukipa, is excellent, and the resort can prepare a romantic meal for two on a cliff as the sun sets over the ocean.
Starting rate: $790 per night
Contact: info@imantaresorts.com, 855.247.2599, imantaresorts.com
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: LA RÉSERVE PARIS
France
Tucked in a tree-lined street behind the Jardin des Champs-Élysées in the eighth arrondissement, La Réserve is easy to miss. Were it not for the crimson velvet drapes over its doorway, you would never know this stately mansion from the 1850s houses a 40-room hotel and a two-Michelin-starred restaurant.
Forty rooms, 26 of them suites, is about as small as a Parisian luxury hotel gets. Most of the city’s properties are either sprawling complexes or cramped boutiques; the former afford little privacy, and the latter deprive you of space. But La Réserve, which was once the residence of designer Pierre Cardin, retains the atmosphere of an elegant home. Spacious suites feature new silk-damask wallpaper and herringbone parquet floors that nod to the history of the property—and complement the restored 19th-century details in the common areas, such as marble fireplaces and gilded mirrors.
Unlike many Paris hotels, this is a property that reserves much of its space exclusively for guests: the spa with an indoor swimming pool, the cigar lounge with an outdoor terrace and the Duc de Morny Library. Named after the building’s original owner, the library is an extravagant celebration of literature containing more than 3,000 antique books, where you can share a drink, have tea, maybe even work on a novel. In the evening, it transforms into an intimate jazz lounge where you can continue to revel in old Parisian glamour.
Starting rate: $1,316 per night
Contact: Mathilde Rizza, VIP reservations, mrizza@lareserve-paris.com, lareserve-paris.com
HIGH ABOVE THE REST: EROSANTORINI
Greece
Erosantorini, a five-suite resort that first opened its doors in summer 2016, provides a rare amenity on the Greek island of Santorini: privacy. Nearly every hotel on the tightly packed island is up against another, but Erosantorini has no other visible structure in sight. Perched 1,000 feet above the sea on one of the highest cliffs of the crescent-shaped island, the walled two-acre property overlooks the full expanse of the caldera, the volcanic lagoon. This surreal view provides some of the most breathtaking sunsets on earth.
Designed by Italian designer Paola Navone, the retreat recalls local architecture—whitewashed walls and flat roofs—combined with whimsical touches, such as painted rugs on the concrete deck and floating fireplaces. The five suites’ large, windowed doors entice guests outside, where they can watch movies under the stars or swim in what may be the largest infinity pool on Santorini. Other amenities include a generous wine cellar, a chapel and a subterranean spa complete with a hammam.
Blurring the line between hotel and villa, Erosantorini employs a friendly live-in staff that includes a host, a superb chef and a concierge who plans all activities on or off the property. But when your host is also a sommelier who can lead an impromptu tasting of Greek wines, who needs to leave the property?
Starting rate: $1,435 per night, $6,500 exclusive villa use
Contact: Ileana von Hirsch, director of Five Star Greece, 44.208.422.4885, fivestargreece.com; erosantorini.com
CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE: DAR AHLAM
Morocco
Built in the style of a traditional Moroccan kasbah, this 14-room stucco property near Ouarzazate in the Atlas Mountains is a beautiful retreat with an edenic garden, pool and hammam. But much of the appeal of a trip to Dar Ahlam, part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection, are the experiences the 100-person staff provides beyond the five-acre estate.
Dar Ahlam is Arabic for “House of Dreams,” a title that alludes to the hotel’s mutable quality. Daily itineraries of unique dinners, snacks and excursions are scheduled so that guests from different parties interact as little as possible. While you are having a gourmet lunch by the olive grove, someone else is being served a lavish meal on the beach. And the cuisine, based on seasonal, organic fare, is excellent. Although there is no set menu, chefs choose from more than 450 recipes marrying French and Moroccan traditions.
In addition to the main estate, Dar Ahlam maintains five houses and camps throughout the region. You may be whisked away to Dar Ahlam’s Berber camp in the desert dunes for a full-service lunch, for example, and when you return to the house, it will be as if no one else was ever there.
Starting rate: $1,096 per night
Contact: Hicham Hraid-Rochette, general manager, resamaroc@darahlam.com, 212.0.524.85.22.39, darahlam.com; slh.com/darahlam
BACK TO BASICS: DUNTON HOT SPRINGS
Dunton, Co.
When hardscrabble ore miners settled in the remote San Juan Mountains in the 1880s, they probably didn’t expect their frontier camps would one day become a leisure resort. Located between Durango and Telluride in a secluded corner of Colorado, this former ghost town—the mines’ life span was less than 30 years—feels like a trip back in time, but with all the modern comforts. The sprawling Relais & Châteaux property offers 12 original 19th-century cabins and one luxury tent surrounded by nothing but wilderness. Fly-fishing, hiking, horseback riding, snowshoeing and heli-skiing are just some of the activities. Think of it as a miniature dude ranch with personalized service—and no phones.
There’s a reason those miners chose this spot: Six mineral hot springs bubble up, which they used to heal tired muscles after a long day’s work. You can soak inside the original bathhouse, which has been restored and outfitted with both an indoor and outdoor spring. Four other mineral pools dot the property, including one inside a guest cabin.
The resort features a library, a dance hall and a saloon, which serve as the communal spaces. With a focus on world-class dining, Dunton Hot Springs maintains an organic farm that supplies the menus. And the resort partners with Sutcliffe Vineyards, about an hour’s drive south, to provide exquisite local wines.
Starting rate: $630 per night
Contact: reservations@duntonlife.com, 877.288.9922, duntonhotsprings.com
LIVING ART: PLAYA VIK JOSÉ IGNACIO
Uruguay
The sleepy fishing village of José Ignacio, about 40 miles from glitzy Punta del Este, swells to Hamptonite proportions between October and February, when affluent visitors transform this tiny peninsula into a jet-setter hot spot. True to its ethos of rural luxury—you’ll pay over $500 for a barefoot dinner for two—José Ignacio lacks high-end hotels, which is one of the reasons Playa Vik stands out from the surrounding whitewashed beach cottages in town.
But when a hotel’s main building is referred to as “the sculpture,” it’s hard not to stand out. Designed by Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, the titanium, glass and concrete structure sits on a sloping beachfront hill. Its inclined facade features a massive sliding-glass wall that opens to a majestic terrace. A cantilevered 75-foot pool made of black granite includes a fiber-optic-lit star map that makes moonlit swims feel otherworldly.
Playa Vik, which houses notable contemporary artwork including a light installation by James Turrell and paintings by Anselm Kiefer, feels like an inhabitable art collection. The four suites in the main house are appointed with works by South American artists. Surrounding the main building, six two- and three-bedroom casitas, equally full of paintings and sculpture, feature undulating grass “living roofs,” another form of art. But despite the property’s museum quality, it is far from static. The expected amenities—a beachside fire pit, wine cellar, gym, spa and the new, reservations-only restaurant, Cielomar—remind you Playa Vik is an experience, not an observation.
Starting rate: $600 per night
Contact: info@playavik.com, 598.93.704.866, playavik.com
TROPICAL ESCAPE: IMANTA RESORTS PUNTA DE MITA
Mexico
Punta Mita, a peninsula on the Riviera Nayarit, grew in the last decade as a popular alternative to neighboring Puerto Vallarta’s overdevelopment. Perhaps that’s why Imanta Resort bears its name—but is actually six miles north of the peninsula, in Higuera Blanca. The hotel, however, is unlikely to face the threat of development. Located within a jungle preserve bordering the Pacific Ocean, this Relais & Châteaux estate is impossible to view from the road, let alone access except via a single road.
With 250 acres around you and only 14 suites, Imanta feels like a step back in time. The main lodge, capped by the stellar Observatorio lounge, resembles a Mayan pyramid rising from the jungle. You can see the entire coastline and appreciate the dense jungle around you. A cluster of bungalows below contains the suites, the smallest of which is 1,900 square feet. Six casas, including a glorious treehouse and a 10,000-square-foot manse, provide even more space.
Imanta brands itself an eco resort—solar power provides electricity and heats the pools—but it doesn’t skimp on luxury. With a pristine beach, it’s easy to go surfing or diving from the resort, and the concierge can arrange golf outings at nearby properties. But you’ll want to stay on-site for dinner. The restaurant, Tukipa, is excellent, and the resort can prepare a romantic meal for two on a cliff as the sun sets over the ocean.
Starting rate: $790 per night
Contact: info@imantaresorts.com, 855.247.2599, imantaresorts.com
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: LA RÉSERVE PARIS
France
Tucked in a tree-lined street behind the Jardin des Champs-Élysées in the eighth arrondissement, La Réserve is easy to miss. Were it not for the crimson velvet drapes over its doorway, you would never know this stately mansion from the 1850s houses a 40-room hotel and a two-Michelin-starred restaurant.
Forty rooms, 26 of them suites, is about as small as a Parisian luxury hotel gets. Most of the city’s properties are either sprawling complexes or cramped boutiques; the former afford little privacy, and the latter deprive you of space. But La Réserve, which was once the residence of designer Pierre Cardin, retains the atmosphere of an elegant home. Spacious suites feature new silk-damask wallpaper and herringbone parquet floors that nod to the history of the property—and complement the restored 19th-century details in the common areas, such as marble fireplaces and gilded mirrors.
Unlike many Paris hotels, this is a property that reserves much of its space exclusively for guests: the spa with an indoor swimming pool, the cigar lounge with an outdoor terrace and the Duc de Morny Library. Named after the building’s original owner, the library is an extravagant celebration of literature containing more than 3,000 antique books, where you can share a drink, have tea, maybe even work on a novel. In the evening, it transforms into an intimate jazz lounge where you can continue to revel in old Parisian glamour.
Starting rate: $1,316 per night
Contact: Mathilde Rizza, VIP reservations, mrizza@lareserve-paris.com, lareserve-paris.com
Sioux Falls: The Unlikely Hub for Biotech Innovation and Cloned Cows
ESG Principles Drive LEGO's Choice of Virginia for $1 Billion Plant
Mayor Smiley: Transforming Providence into a World-Class City
Phoenix: Leading the Way in Autonomous Vehicle Technology with Waymo