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SPECIAL ISSUE: THE BEST OF ANOTHER UNFORGETTABLE YEAR OF TRAVEL MORE AT HIDEAWAYREPORT.COM

® JANUARY 2019 SINCE 1979

Traveling the world in search of truly enchanting places

View from our plunge pool at Nihi Sumba, Sumba Island, Indonesia, our 2019 Hideaway of the Year

EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019

n 2018, Hideaway Report editors flew more than 190,000 must be relatively small in size, possess strong personalities and I miles, visited 27 countries and stayed in 112 hotels, of which demonstrate a consistent devotion to personal service. Once, 58 were recommended. The highlights of the year are reflected sophisticated hideaways existed chiefly in North America and in this special Editors’ Choice issue. Western Europe. But today superior levels of comfort, stylish Each January, we have the pleasure of recalling our travel design, polished service and refined cuisine can be found on experiences over the previous 12 months and drawing attention every continent. In 2019, we will continue our enviable task to a number of particularly memorable hotels and resorts. To of circling the globe in order to seek out the very best that the be considered for our annual Editors’ Choice Awards, properties world of travel has to offer. PHOTO BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR

Hideaway Report editors travel anonymously and pay full rate for all lodging, meals and related expenses. Since the launch of the Hideaway Report in 1979, featured hotels and restaurants have been selected on a completely independent basis. For comments and inquiries, please email [email protected]. HIDEAWAY OF THE YEAR NIHI SUMBA Sumba Island, Indonesia ROOM: READ MCKENDREE AERIAL: TÂNIA ARAÚJO IGUAZÚ FALLS: ALB / MOMENT / GETTY IMAGES

THE ISLAND OF SUMBA lies 250 miles east of Bali and for a traditional gateway that opened into a private garden with centuries it was practically unknown. In the late 1980s, surf a jade-green plunge pool. A teak deck led into a glass-sided BEACH AND POOL: PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR enthusiast Claude Graves discovered a wave on its southwestern lounge. Upstairs, we found an air-conditioned bedroom that coast, a 300-yard-long curl of turquoise water that is now opened onto a wide balcony with a freestanding brass tub and regarded by the cognoscenti as one of the best left-hand breaks an astounding view along a mile and a half of tide-swept sand, in the world. Graves built a shack, which turned into a bohemian edged by aquamarine sea and backed by forested hills. surfing resort. This subsequently found favor with wealthy Although there are few places that are more perfectly suited people drawn to a refuge close to the end of the world. One such to complete indolence, Nihi Sumba provides an exhaustive list guest was the New York-based investor J. Christopher Burch. of activities, a significant proportion of which involve horses In 2012, he purchased the 550-acre property. Since then, Burch or surfboards. Other diversions include yoga and meditation, has invested a reported $30 million to build 27 villas with 38 paddleboarding, jungle hikes to waterfalls and lagoons, and rooms, all with private pools. Other innovations have included deep-sea sportfishing. The place will not appeal to everyone. a spa complex and an equestrian center. It is hard to get to. And in general, it is best suited to people Nihi Sumba is connected by a network of paths and steps, who are fit and active. But there is nowhere else quite like it. laid out beneath a canopy of spreading trees with buttress roots If ever a $2,000-a-night resort could be accurately described and dangling creepers. Our duplex villa was accessible through as “cool,” then this is it.

2 HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019 ALILA VILLAS ULUWATU Bali, Indonesia

ALL ALONG THE SOUTHERN COAST of Bali, the land falls a walled garden, with a surprisingly large pool and a relaxation

ROOM: READ MCKENDREE abruptly into the sea. On arrival at Alila Villas Uluwatu, we sala on a raised platform. Overall, the villas provide tranquil gazed across the magnificent 165-foot horizon pool, which, at the private worlds, from which there is little incentive to leave. edge of a 300-plus-foot cliff, appeared to merge seamlessly with Those who do manage to tear themselves away can luxuriate the Indian Ocean. The resort’s public areas comprise a series in the spa or hike down to the resort’s beach at the base of the of graceful modern pavilions set around reflection pools. Its 65 cliff. Restaurant options include The Warung for exceptional stylish villas are arrayed across a steep hillside, and all have a . Alila Villas Uluwatu is a fine base camp

AERIAL: TÂNIA ARAÚJO generous open-plan layout. In ours, a huge daybed overlooked from which to venture into the Indonesian archipelago. IGUAZÚ FALLS: ALB / MOMENT / GETTY IMAGES BEACH AND POOL: PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR

AWASI IGUAZÚ Puerto Iguazú, Argentina

SURROUNDED BY RAINFOREST, Awasi Iguazú occupies a the surrounding province of Misiones. Guests are allocated a private 25-acre plot close to the spectacular Iguazú Falls. The dedicated guide and vehicle, so all excursions are personalized. resort comprises just 14 villas, with 75 employees catering to a Aside from exploring the falls, to which the resort has negotiated maximum of 28 guests. Our villa turned out to be a masterpiece privileged early-morning access, we went for an exhilarating of understated design, with an unusually spacious bath and a speedboat cruise. Afterward, we hiked for about two hours private plunge pool. Meals can be taken on an expansive deck through the riverine forest to a viewpoint where and cheese facing the forest, as well as in the main dining room, with menus had been set out beneath a rustic canopy. A true hideaway, Awasi featuring seasonal dishes inspired by local ingredients from Iguazú has transformed the experience of a famous destination.

HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019 3 BISATE LODGE Ruhengeri, Rwanda

LOCATED AT THE EDGE of Volcanoes National Park, home to are served by friendly and professional staff. The wine list is around 400 mountain gorillas, Bisate Lodge comprises six “villas,” extensive, and private tastings can be arranged in the spacious cocoonlike structures made of shaggy thatch, stacked up a steep cellar. A program of excursions includes escorted village walks hillside. Their extraordinary interior design is a tour de force and hikes of various degrees of difficulty (including challenging of fluid lines, soaring ribbed ceilings and sinuous balconies. full-day trips to the Karisoke Research Center established by BISATE LODGE: CROOKESANDJACKSON Expanses of woven rattan, massive blocks of local wood, leather Dian Fossey), but the primary activity is, of course, trekking to sofas, fur throws and lava-block fireplaces all help to create a see the mountain gorillas. This remarkable new property is at unique and powerful sense of place. Varied and imaginative meals the summit of the modern safari experience. HACIENDA ALTAGRACIA: PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR DAR AHLAM ROOM AND GORILLA: PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR

DAR AHLAM Skoura, Morocco

AN ANCIENT CARAVAN STOP in the Atlas Mountains, Skoura dinner took place in a private lounge warmed by bronze tripod has a small, modern center surrounded by innumerable mud- braziers filled with glowing coals. There we dined on chicken- walled kasbahs. One of these has been converted into a 14-suite filled warqa (a phyllo-like dough) pockets, lamb , and hotel. On arrival at Dar Ahlam, the dark, twisting main entrance a salad of orange and carrot topped with cardamom ice cream. hallway was fragrant, candlelit and wonderfully mysterious. Our Two musicians accompanied our meal, playing the violin and accommodations had smooth rammed-earth walls, weathered the oud. One sensational guided excursion included visits to log beams, a woodburning fireplace and a Berber rug. A library the ruins of several kasbahs in Skoura, caves used by nomadic divided the bedroom from the immense bath. Our favorite herders in a rocky Martian desert and a sublime river gorge picnic.

4 HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019 GRAN HOTEL INGLÉS Madrid, Spain

LOCATED IN THE CHARMING Barrio de las Letras neighbor- pork cheeks cooked in . Our thoughtfully designed Premium hood, the 48-room Gran Hotel Inglés opened as a hotel in 1886. Room came with oak parquet floors, velvet-upholstered chairs at It has been completely renovated and now has stunning art a white-marble pedestal table and a contemporary chandelier. deco-inspired interiors by New York’s Rockwell Group. The public Those willing to throw financial caution to the wind may opt BISATE LODGE: CROOKESANDJACKSON spaces feel like those of a private club and include a library with for the top-floor suite, with its private terrace and Jacuzzi. A a woodburning fireplace and a restaurant, LOBO 8, where chef first-rate spa uses French Anne Semonin products. The Gran Willy Moya serves delicious contemporary Spanish dishes such Hotel Inglés is an excellent choice for travelers who like small as chilled almond ajo-blanco with prickly pear sorbet, and properties with a unique personality and a strong sense of place. HACIENDA ALTAGRACIA: PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR DAR AHLAM ROOM AND GORILLA: PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR

HACIENDA ALTAGRACIA Santa Teresa de Cajón de Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica

ALTHOUGH IT IS MANAGED by Auberge Resorts, Hacienda and house-made tortellini, served in the chic main restaurant, AltaGracia belongs to Alberto J. Esquivel, a horse enthusiast, who Ambar. Auberge is known for its spas, and Hacienda AltaGracia’s originally envisioned the 865-acre estate as a personal retreat. is true to the brand. The property isn’t an especially convenient It is now a 50-room hotel, but hidden on a remote mountainside, base for sightseeing, but on-site we enjoyed a jungle hike, a scenic it still feels private and exclusive. Our Deluxe King Suite was hillside horseback ride and an exhilarating trip in an ultralight spacious, with a mission-style bed, sisal area rugs and a wooden airplane. On our last morning, as we sat on Ambar’s terrace, ceiling. During our stay, we ate extremely well. I particularly clouds clustered in the valleys below, and for a while the resort enjoyed perfectly cooked lamb loin with butter-braised leeks seemed to be floating above the verdant countryside.

HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019 5 HOSHINOYA TOKYO Tokyo, Japan

BILLED AS THE ONLY TRUE onsen ryokan (hot-spring inn) was just soft enough and the glass walls of the bath could frost in central Tokyo, Hoshinoya Tokyo occupies a high-rise in the over at the flick of a switch. Dressed in a yukata, the Japanese financial district. To maintain a feeling of intimacy in such a bathrobe traditionally worn at an onsen, I headed upstairs to large building, the 84 rooms are split into groups of six on 14 the 17th floor. Past the locker room, I found a small rectangular floors, with each floor being effectively a self-contained ryokan. pool flanked by showers and bathing stools. Sinking into the As in a traditional ryokan, we were asked to remove our shoes warm water, I swam through a passage until I came to a larger before entering. Our room was not particularly large, but shoji chamber, where dark walls towered two stories overhead and paper screens enhanced the space, the low Western-style king bed opened to a square of sky. As I sat soaking, cold rain began to fall. HOSHINOYA TOKYO ROOM: NACASA & PARTNERS INC.

HOTEL SANDERS Copenhagen, Denmark

COPENHAGEN HAS LONG LACKED a distinguished boutique was the quality of the materials that had been employed in the hotel, but this changed with the opening of the 54-room Hotel heavy oak doors, the splendid wide-plank floors and the rattan- Sanders. Set within a row of townhouses on a quiet side street, fronted cabinets. All gave the impression that deep comfort it is within easy walking distance of Kongens Nytorv, the city’s had been the designer’s priority and that no expense had been largest square. On arrival, we passed through theatrical velvet spared. There is no spa, gym or pool, but the property does have drapes into the hotel’s stylish living room, where people sit tapping an excellent casual restaurant, which extends into a serene at their laptops or reading in front of the log fire for hours at a garden courtyard. It is also possible to eat on the roof terrace. time. In our Master Bedroom, the first thing that impressed us This is a peaceful and distinctive hideaway in an ideal location.

6 HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019 HOTEL TWENTYSEVEN Amsterdam, Netherlands

THE HOTEL TWENTYSEVEN occupies an art nouveau structure butler explained that almost everything — lowering the blinds, that originally housed the Royal Industrial Club, a meeting adjusting the temperature and selecting the lighting mood — could place for Dutch manufacturers and entrepreneurs. After check- be controlled from a wall-mounted tablet. Amenities included a in we were shown the Restaurant Bougainville and the hotel’s small wine fridge and an elaborate Italian coffee machine. The bar, the latter a striking space with an onyx-faced counter and hotel offers an array of bespoke services, including private tour fine views over Dam Square. Our opulent, high-ceilinged suite guides, personal trainers, nannies and personal shoppers. But came with a velvet-upholstered sofa, textured wallpaper, oak ultimately what we most liked about this property was its intimate parquet floors and a contemporary starburst chandelier. The character, despite a location in the very heart of Amsterdam. HOSHINOYA TOKYO ROOM: NACASA & PARTNERS INC.

L’OSCAR London, England

THE VOLUPTUOUS NEW L’oscar hotel is situated in Holborn, the former belfry of the church. There was no tub, but I loved an easy walk from the British Museum and Covent Garden. The the large red-marble shower, which doubled as a steam room. property is housed within the former headquarters of the Baptist The main gourmet restaurant, The Baptist Grill, is located in church in London, and the early-20th-century clergymen who a circular gallery beneath the cupola of the former chapel. We gathered there would surely be startled by designer Jacques tried the more casual Café L’oscar, an all-day bar and restaurant, Garcia’s theatrical transformation of the space. The front desk where we enjoyed a fine dinner of -filled , and flaky clerk, who also proved to be an exceptionally knowledgeable Cornish sea bass. L’oscar won’t appeal to traditionalists, but I concierge, took us up to our Junior Suite, whose bath occupied enjoyed its sensuous décor, attentive service and dramatic flair.

HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019 7 MISINCU Cagnano, , France

THE 29-ROOM MISINCU HOTEL, previously known as the Hôtel to be a cottage with a beamed ceiling, a plunge pool and a terrace le Caribou, was a favorite address for film stars Alain Delon shaded by a plane tree. Both of the hotel’s restaurants are excel- and Brigitte Bardot in the 1970s. The property reopened in the lent. I had a barefoot lunch of vitello tonnato, and sautéed baby summer of 2017 after a top-to-bottom transformation. Nowadays, squid with red peppers at A Spartera, the beach restaurant, and

the public areas are cool and sleek, from the reception with its a fine dinner at Tra di Noi, the hotel’s gastronomic restaurant, MANSOURROYAL SPA: PHOTO BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR floor of white Sardinian marble to the rattan lampshades, raw- from which there are striking views to the island of Elba. The wood furniture and vanilla-colored canvas upholstery found Misincu is an ideal property from which to explore northern throughout the property. Our Maquis Mascaracce Suite proved Corsica, or a place to just put your feet up and do nothing at all. THE SERRAS BATH: DANI ROVIRA NEKUPE: PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR

NEKUPE THE SERRAS TERRACE: MARCO PASTORI FOTOGRAFA Nandaime, Nicaragua

NEKUPE MEANS “HEAVEN” in an indigenous language, which views of Mombacho Volcano. We rode well-behaved horses up sets expectations rather high, as does the stratospheric cost. I to a panoramic viewpoint and blasted along trails in our ATV. wondered how a resort in middle-of-nowhere Nicaragua could Our whirlwind of activity was punctuated by meals at the club- possibly justify its price tag. It did not take long to discover the house. I especially liked the giant shrimp atop spicy quinoa, answer. On its 1,580 acres, Nekupe has created an extraordinarily and traditional Nicaraguan-style buñuelos, fried quenelles of luxurious summer camp. Each accommodation comes with a yuca and cheese topped with a cinnamon-sugar syrup. We had a private ATV and a “ranger,” who functions as a butler, guide and terrific time, and I can only imagine that it would be even more driver. Our villa was a stylishly appointed retreat with sublime fun to gather a group and take over the entire eight-room resort.

8 HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019 ROYAL MANSOUR Marrakech, Morocco

THE KING OF MOROCCO used an almost unlimited budget to with hand-painted wainscoting and embroidered silk. Upstairs, create Royal Mansour, taking full advantage of the country’s a wall of carved plaster backed the king-size bed. Up one more rich tradition of craftsmanship. Reception was a room of semi- flight of stairs we found the roof terrace with a plunge pool, where precious stone tile, carved plaster, intricately wrought screens we had mint tea while reclining on a shaded daybed. At dinner

ROYAL MANSOURROYAL SPA: PHOTO BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR and Murano-style glass, capped by a cupola. Before taking us in the lavish Moroccan restaurant La Grande Table Marocaine to our riad — one of 53 — a staff member gave us a tour of the (overseen by three-star chef Yannick Alléno), we relished every grounds, which are laced with little canals. The living room of gorgeously presented dish of the eight-course tasting menu. our Premier Riad had a woodburning fireplace and walls covered After breakfast, the dismal reality of checkout was upon us. THE SERRAS BATH: DANI ROVIRA NEKUPE: PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR

THE SERRAS THE SERRAS TERRACE: MARCO PASTORI FOTOGRAFA Barcelona, Spain

IN THE PAST, many of Barcelona’s best hotels were found along lined bath. That night, we dined at Informal, the house restau- La Rambla and the Passeig de Gràcias. Now there are distinc- rant, where chef Marc Gascons serves mostly modern Catalan tive small properties scattered across the city. These include the cuisine. We tried a carpaccio of scallops with tomato, avocado 28-room The Serras, which occupies a renovated stone building and seaweed, followed by grilled shrimp from Palamós (a port on a street overlooking Port Vell (Old Harbor). Our Junior Suite northeast of Barcelona), which are a prized local . The came with a pleasingly subdued décor and featured an oversize wine list was excellent, with three white Priorats from different headboard covered by fabric inspired by the city’s Modernisme- local producers. And after dinner, we enjoyed a brandy in Le style tile work, a blond parquet floor and a well-lit limestone- Nine, which is open 24 hours a day and draws a colorful crowd.

HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019 9 THE SILO Cape Town, South Africa

LOCATED ON THE CITY’S thriving V&A Waterfront, The Silo Island. Its exuberant décor featured contemporary paintings is housed within a 187-foot former grain silo, a structure it next to colonial pieces and art deco furniture in close proximity shares with the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa. In to Persian carpets and Egyptian chandeliers. On the roof we the sixth-floor lobby, high latticed windows flood the space with discovered a long lap pool, plus a tempura and oyster bar. Else- light, while the preserved industrial structure is complemented where, The Granary Café offers a menu that showcases seasonal, by vibrantly colored modern furniture. Our Deluxe Superior local ingredients, while the adjoining Willaston Bar has become

Suite provided a 180-degree panorama that stretched from the a focal point of the city’s social scene. The Silo is a brilliantly THE SILO POOL: MARK WILLIAMS lower slopes of Table Mountain to the distant smudge of Robben imaginative mixture of the traditional and the contemporary. A: CAMILLE MOIRENC Ï VILLA MA ELK: SEAN FITZGERALD PHOTOGRAPHY, INC.

VERMEJO PARK RANCH Raton, New Mexico, United States

SITUATED NEAR THE COLORADO border, Vermejo Park Ranch marble columns and domed ceiling. Although our suite was less encompasses nearly 920 square miles. Casa Grande, a stone- opulent, it was supremely comfortable, with Victorian furnish- faced mansion with seven bedrooms, was built between 1907 ings brightened by abundant natural light. In the main lodge, and 1909 and is resplendent after a four-year renovation. It is the restaurant offers menus that highlight ingredients from the surrounded by a main lodge with a reception area and restaurant, estate such as trout and bison . Historically, the ranch the 12-bedroom Casa Minor and five guesthouses. The interior has been a fishing and hunting destination, but the recreational of Casa Grande is extremely imposing, from the entry with its activities now cater to a broader audience. The property feels Italian mosaic floor to the living room with its massive fireplace, strangely like a national park without visitors.

10 HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019 VILLA DUBROVNIK Dubrovnik, Croatia

FACING THE FORESTED ISLAND of Lokrum and the walled Old Pjerin serves excellent Italian-inflected , City, the 56-room Villa Dubrovnik was once a private retreat for and I loved my appetizer of šporki makaruli (dirty macaroni), as the Yugoslav government but underwent major renovations from well as my moist and flaky wild sea bass with fried leeks, 2006 to 2010. Our Standard Suite came with a hot tub, a private lemon mayonnaise and chardlike mangold leaves. The property garden and a balcony with sublime views of a rocky cove and is a 25-minute walk from the city center, but in the high season, the old center of Dubrovnik beyond. During the day we would a shuttle boat ferries passengers to the old harbor, making it

THE SILO POOL: MARK WILLIAMS lounge on the terrace outside the indoor pool, while evenings possible to relax during the day before exploring Dubrovnik in brought us to the outdoor armchairs of the bar. The Restaurant the late afternoon, when the cruise ship hordes have departed. A: CAMILLE MOIRENC Ï VILLA MA ELK: SEAN FITZGERALD PHOTOGRAPHY, INC.

VILLA MAÏA Lyon, France

THE NEW 37-ROOM Villa Maïa is situated on the steep slope of double room came with a spectacular view over the city, as well Fourvière hill overlooking the Saône valley. Externally, the hotel as thoughtful details like Murano-glass drinking goblets and is an unassuming modern building, but the sleek interior is the chocolate bars from Lyon’s famous Bernachon chocolate store. work of noted designer Jacques Grange and renowned architect The most spectacular facility is the spa, with its 65-foot-long Jean-Michel Wilmotte. The lounge is appointed with burgundy heated indoor pool. Villa Maïa has no on-site restaurant, but velvet sofas and hand-blown glass lighting fixtures, while the the well-known Michelin one-star Têtedoie is located just across sunny bar is decorated with green and chartreuse furniture and the street. Overall, this is a serene and exceedingly comfortable striking oil-and-wood paintings. Upstairs, our well-designed address that has redefined Lyon as a destination.

HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019 11 UXUA CASA HOTEL Trancoso, Brazil POOL: ROMAIN FOUCQUE

A COMPLEX OF 11 TRADITIONAL HOUSES, some up to 500 of aventurine quartz. The main restaurant is housed within an years old, UXUA Casa Hotel is set amid flamboyant tropical old fisherman’s cottage, where menus feature the local cuisine gardens that open onto the Quadrado, an elongated rectangle of Bahia, with dishes such as frutos do mar with black rice, and of green space at the center of the languorous town of Trancoso. baiana, a fish of African origin. Alternatively, you Our casa proved to be a 990-square-foot “utopian artist studio,” can head to UXUA’s bar and casual restaurant on the beach, a with a four-poster bed, a beamed ceiling, wide-plank hardwood 10-minute walk downhill. There guests perch on stools and sip floors and a private dining patio. Nearby, the resort’s spec- caipirinhas or lounge on white sofas set on the sand. UXUA is a tacular swimming pool is lined with thousands of green stones blissful refuge from the world and its cares.

In addition to our hotel winners, we have singled out outstanding staff members and the best hotel amenities, as well CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS: HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR as the most interesting restaurants and unforgettable travel experiences. Here are some highlights. PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR NEW MEXICO: JACOBH / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES

WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR

Today there are thought to be approximately 100,000 orangutans platform had been erected. No orangutans could be seen, but a left in Borneo, of which around 6,000 live in the 1,200-square- pile of plantains awaited their arrival. The apes’ approach was mile Tanjung Puting National Park. To see them, I traveled for first revealed by the violent swaying of distant treetops, and five hours aboard a klotok, a rudimentary 40-foot-long wooden within five minutes an alpha male and seven females, two with riverboat. My destination was Camp Leakey, the research center young offspring, had arrived. Inevitably, watching orangutans at of Biruté Galdikas, the world’s leading authority on orangutans. a feeding station was a somewhat zoolike experience. However, Alighting from the boat, my guide and I headed into the forest. seeing them swing effortlessly through the trees, or climb vertical A 20-minute walk brought us to a clearing, where a wooden tree trunks with ease, was both thrilling and unforgettable.

12 HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019 BEST ITINERARY BEST POOL

The most unexpectedly pleasurable itinerary of 2018 was a journey Located near Bonifacio in southern Corsica, U Capu Biancu is a through the country of Georgia. This began in the fascinating low-slung stone resort with an appealingly rustic look created capital of Tbilisi, before heading to rolling wine country dotted by terra-cotta tile floors, beamed ceilings, wicker lighting with ancient monasteries, and the sensationally scenic Caucasus fixtures and driftwood-finished accessories and furniture. The POOL: ROMAIN FOUCQUE Mountains. These landscapes are all within easy reach to one hotel’s public rooms, including the restaurant and bar, spill another by car. In a world that is increasingly homogeneous, onto large terraces with superb views of the sea. One of the best Georgia has not yet been polished smooth, a quality I found features of the property is its large and stunningly beautiful refreshing and grew to love. Instinctive and generous hospitality heated infinity pool. To make it blend in with the surrounding is the norm. I won’t soon forget the magnificent lunchtime feast landscape, the pool is surrounded by huge stone boulders and set out for us by a tiny family winery, after our guide gave them flowering vegetation, which means it is peaceful even when all 15 minutes’ notice of our arrival. The country is only just now of the loungers on the terrace are occupied. It’s the perfect place appearing on the luxury map, making it an ideal destination to spend a lazy afternoon reading, swimming and soaking in for experienced travelers who revel in a little unpredictability. the spectacular views of the bay below. CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS: HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR

BEST DRIVING TOUR MOST GLAMOROUS BATH

A leisurely drive through the mesmerizing landscapes of the The remote safari lodge, Azura Selous, is set beside rapids on the NEW MEXICO: JACOBH / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES high desert is the best way to appreciate New Mexico’s history, Great Ruaha River in Tanzania’s huge Selous Game Reserve. On as well as its culinary and artistic traditions. Having enjoyed arrival, I was shown around my semi-tented villa by my “safari Santa Fe’s museums, restaurants and one-of-a-kind boutiques, butler.” To one side of the entry was a bright and surprisingly we began our tour by journeying north to Vermejo Park Ranch, spacious bath, which came with two sinks, a generous expanse close to the Colorado border. From there, we headed to Taos, of counter space and a sizable walk-in shower, plus an outdoor visiting the Taos Pueblo, as well as museums dedicated to some shower that delivered a gratifying deluge of water. While washing of the luminaries who once made the town their home. Along or shaving, I was able to gaze past the mirror through a screened our route, we also visited a number of other fascinating pueblos, window to the river, where members of a resident pod of hippo including the Puye Cliff Dwellings in the Santa Clara Canyon. were usually in noisy disagreement. Occasionally, an antelope Later, we headed to the small town of Chimayó, a place known would wander past, pause and stare in at me. And one morning, for traditional woven rugs and peerless chile peppers. Eventu- heading to the outdoor shower, I discovered the fresh tracks of a ally, 12 days after setting out, we found our way back to Santa Fe. pack of wild dogs that had passed by just a few minutes earlier.

HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019 13 RESTAURANTS OF THE YEAR

Clockwise from left: Cashew ice cream and poached peach at Ikoyi; butter-poached carrots at Restaurant 360; yellowfin tiradito at Arroyo Vino; and our server with the cookbook that inspired Barbarestan

IKOYI RESTAURANT 360 ARROYO VINO BARBARESTAN London, England Dubrovnik, Croatia Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S. Tbilisi, Georgia On an improbably quiet pedes- Dubrovnik’s most stylish A 15-minute drive from down- Inspiration for this cozy trianized street just behind restaurant earned a Michelin town Santa Fe brings you to restaurant on the opposite London’s Piccadilly Circus, star shortly before I dined this establishment hidden riverbank from Tbilisi’s Old year-old Ikoyi presented me there. Alas, its unique terrace away in the rolling hills west of Town struck when the owners with the first gourmet West on the ramparts above the the city. The restaurant sources discovered an old cookbook by African tasting menu I’ve ever old port had not yet opened. ingredients from local farmers Barbare Jorjadze. She traveled tried. It was a spicy, invigorat- Fortunately, the interior space wherever possible, and most around Georgia in the 19th ing delight from start to fin- was very attractive, and the of the produce comes from its century, collecting recipes ish. Standouts included stone made me forget about the own two-acre, on-site garden, mostly from wealthy house-

bass in peanuty banga bisque lack of a view. I opted for the which encompasses a green- holds and adapting them for PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR (palm fruit soup) with cray- Retrospective tasting menu, house and seven honey bee the home cook. Each item on the fish oil and greens, trombetta featuring modern takes on hives. The seasonally changing regularly rotating menu has a squash slicked with turmeric Croatian classics (an even menu serves Italian-influenced number, corresponding to its butter atop thick tahini-like more contemporary tasting contemporary dishes. Our recipe in the cookbook (which LA BANDIERA AND CHAMBRE SÉPARÉE: PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR egusi (ground seeds) sauce, menu was also available). A starters included yellowfin our waiter proudly brought and 60-day aged with efo buttery carrot course proved tuna enhanced by a whiskey to our table for us to glance (spinach) sauce, cauliflower- surprisingly delightful, as barrel-aged shoyu sauce, at). Eating at Barbarestan is anise purée and eggplant, did a dish of tender sous- candied jalapeño and pickled a taste of Georgian history, accompanied by a bowl of vide octopus tentacles with kumquat; a rich parsnip but the plating feels contem- divine crab rice. Each dish sweet glazed fennel, a deep risotto; and a tasty potato porary. I started with some had deep flavor, keeping fish reduction and delicate stocked with juicy crunchy crayfish croquettes me engaged through to the ravioli filled with lime cream. scallops and bacon. My main in a tart kumquat sauce with finish of cashew ice cream I also appreciated chef Marijo course of braised beef short leek and mint purée, followed with baobab fruit crumb Curić’s creative interpretation ribs, with crushed Yukons, by tender bone-in quail glazed and hibiscus-poached peach. of Dalmatia’s classic dish of charred-onion broth, spring with honey and pomegranate, You’ll be hard-pressed to sea bass with boiled potatoes vegetables and horseradish with a salad of watercress and find more beautifully pre- and Swiss chard. Add in highly crust, was outstanding. Arroyo cilantro and a large helping of sented West African cuisine, professional service and a Vino also has an excellent ghomi (a cornmeal dish much in Africa or anywhere else in huge selection of by the wine shop that offers tasting like polenta) flavored with the world. glass, and it’s easy to see why workshops most Saturdays. pungent sulguni cheese. The 360 has earned praise from meal was both unique and a all quarters. great pleasure.

14 HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019 Clockwise from left: Lamb at La Bandiera; buah keluak ice cream at Candlenut; and flamed mackerel at Chambre Séparée

CHEF OF THE YEAR: OLLIE DABBOUS o restaurant opening in NLondon was more hotly anticipated this year than Hide, the new three-level venture by celebrity chef Ollie Dabbous. I wondered LA BANDIERA CANDLENUT CHAMBRE SÉPARÉE how his acclaimed cooking , Italy Singapore Ghent, Belgium would translate from his Dempsey Hill is an area of The charming Flemish cathe- On a beautiful summer day in industrial-chic former res- south-central Singapore that dral town of Ghent has recently the Abruzzan countryside, at taurant to luxe-chic Hide, with was once the site of a nutmeg emerged as one of the most their family-owned restaurant its stunning swirl of a wooden plantation and later an army interesting food cities in on a hillside outside of Civitella staircase and floor-to-ceiling barracks. These days, however, Europe. The table not to miss Casanova, chefs Marcello and windows overlooking Green Dempsey Hill is best known as is chef Kobe Desramaults’ laid- Mattia Spadone served us one Park. I discovered cuisine a dining and shopping destina- back lounge-like restaurant, of the best meals we’ve ever that exuded confidence and tion. I have eaten numerous where he serves a tasting menu eaten in Italy. The father- creativity. Dabbous nailed the times at Candlenut — which from an open kitchen behind and-son team cook with the details in every element of our

PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR has a single Michelin star a U-shaped bar at which finest seasonal produce from lunch in the “Above” section — and the two meals I took diners are seated. The idea surrounding farms, as well as of the restaurant. An osten- there in 2018 only confirmed of a 20-plus-course tasting that from their own gardens sibly simple crudités plate my high regard. Chef Malcolm menu may sound daunting, but and orchards, to create dishes came carefully composed that are fresh, flavorful and Lee puts out a stunning array it’s a fun experience, because LA BANDIERA AND CHAMBRE SÉPARÉE: PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR and beautiful to behold, and of Peranakan food, which is a the meal is so well-timed, as respectful of local culinary even the little bowl of butter fusion cuisine created by early the portions are perfectly traditions as they are intel- accompanying the gorgeous Chinese migrants to the Malay sized and the gastronomic ligently inventive. Standouts looked positively sen- Peninsula and archipelago. My segue from one dish to the included a tartare of Adriatic sual. More-complex courses blue swimmer crab-turmeric next is consistently delicious shrimp with pine nuts and were delicate but thoroughly lemak with sweet-potato leaf and fascinating. Surpris- green apple, with celeriac satisfying. Most exciting was was one of the best things I ate ingly, given the customary purée and a vermouth reduc- my main course of veal ril- all year. A close second was a conservatism of the Michelin tion, and incredibly succulent lettes, in which the shaved wagyu beef rib that guides, Desramaults has just arrosticini (skewered charcoal- king oyster mushrooms on top was perfectly seasoned and won his first star. The menu grilled lamb). The service was turned into something like al deftly cooked. The wine list changes regularly but runs charming, and the outstanding dente when mixed with is varied, with a strong lineup to dishes like North Sea wine list included an excel- the truffle cream. I eat a lot of of the fruity and floral whites shrimp tartare, potato purée lent selection of wines by fancy food over the course of that pair perfectly with this with caviar, wild duck with the glass. a year, but Dabbous’ remark- type of food. shiitake mushrooms and able restaurant stands out. radicchio, and hazelnut tart I hope to have an excuse to with lavender. return very soon.

HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019 15 INDELIBLE MEMORIES OF 2018

The Devil’s Throat, Iguaçu Falls, Brazil

GAZING INTO THE DEVIL’S THROAT beside some small rapids. There an attendant provided soap The Devil’s Throat is the largest of the 275 cascades that comprise and water from a ewer to wash our hands, before we settled the Iguaçu Falls, which form a border between Argentina and into some embroidered cushions beside the table. The picnic Brazil. Here, around half of the Iguaçu River’s entire flow was sublime. In the cool shade of the tent, we sipped our choice collapses off a basalt edge before being transformed, nearly of wines while two waiters served a multicourse lunch from an 300 feet below, into a maelstrom of water and spray. Shortly improbably well-stocked kitchen hidden behind the boulders. We after dawn, we walked up the forested riverside path on the feasted on artichoke barigoule with fennel and coriander seed, Brazilian side of the falls, eventually reaching a metal walkway medium-rare beef brochettes, mixed vegetables in a saffron broth, that zigzagged across the river to an elevated viewing deck. and orange-spiked crème caramel. As we ate, the only sound we We had come equipped with waterproof ponchos, but before could hear was the gentle splashing of the river on the rocks. long we were drenched. Leaning on the rail, trying to resist the LUNCHING AT LE GARET onset of vertigo, we peered down into the abyss. The stupendous More than all the fancy places with Michelin stars, I yearn panorama of the Devil’s Throat was unimpeded, and for close to to return to Le Garet, a little bouchon (bistro) on a quiet side an hour, we stood transfixed by the epic grandeur of the scene. street in Lyon. A small bric-a-brac-filled restaurant, it is hugely CRUISING THE ADRIATIC AT SUNSET popular with locals, and meals here are an infallible pleasure. Our last evening on the island of Korčula, Croatia, we splurged This year I enjoyed a lunch of salade Lyonnaise (curly endive on a private sunset cruise in the gorgeous wooden sailboat with croutons, chunks of bacon and a coddled egg), followed belonging to Lešić Dimitri Palace. The gentle Adriatic breeze by quenelles de brochet (fluffy pike perch dumplings in a pale was just enough to push us along the scenic Pelješac channel. pink crayfish sauce), andcervelle de canut (a fresh creamy PHOTO BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR Our skipper, Damir, served glasses of Grgić Pošip (a local white) cheese seasoned with shallots, garlic, herbs and oil), and finally a scoop of black-currant sorbet fortified by a generous and snacks of local cheese and . Just in time for the shot of Marc de Bourgogne. Be advised, however, that eating at sunset, we circled the perimeter of the old town, where people Le Garet is as much about conviviality as it is the food, which on the restaurant terraces raised their glasses as we glided past. means much laughter and noise, the great Gallic soundtrack of It was difficult to imagine wanting to be anywhere else. French people thoroughly enjoying their food. PICNICKING IN THE MOROCCAN DESERT After visiting the ruins of several mud-walled kasbahs in Skoura, Visit HideawayReport.com throughout the month our guide from Dar Ahlam took us into a rocky Martian desert, as we reveal more awards, including Best Spa, Best Bars, home to shallow caves used in season by nomadic herders. We Most Romantic Hotel and Best Hotel Restaurants, as well continued down a nameless track, until suddenly a river gorge as Disappointments of the Year and Where to Go in 2019. appeared. A short distance away stood an open tent, pitched

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