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INSIDE: MAGICAL DISCOVERIES IN THE TIMELESS COUNTRYSIDE OF + NEW BOUTIQUE HOTELS IN CHICAGO

FEBRUARY 2019 SINCE 1979

Traveling the world in search of truly enchanting places

Bran Castle near Braşov, popularly known as “Dracula’s Castle”

EXPLORING UNSPOILED TRANSYLVANIA Charming guesthouses, exquisite landscapes, distinctive wine and cuisine

oday the remarkable scenic beauty scapes in Europe, as well as to discover 1998. Having been “totally overwhelmed by Tof Transylvania, a vast province Romanian culture, history, food and its unique beauty and its extraordinarily in the heart of , remains as crafts. There are few areas like it left, rich heritage,” he has since become deeply miraculously unblemished as when I first which is doubtless why it has won over involved in initiatives to preserve the glimpsed it nearly 30 years ago. What has such discerning travelers as Britain’s region’s traditional way of life, one based changed, however, is that this undiscov- Prince Charles, who loves the region so on small-scale agriculture. ered corner of Europe now has a number much he now owns several properties I first laid eyes on Transylvania of atmospheric guesthouses, along with there, including one you can rent. through the windows of the Orient Express, some very good restaurants, which make The prince, who claims distant kinship aboard one of the first trains to run from it a pleasant and comfortable region in with Vlad the Impaler, the 15th-century Istanbul to Venice after the fall of the which to travel. Wallachian ruler on whom the Irish Iron Curtain. On that journey, we spent a

ALEXANDRU DUMBRAVEANU / SHUTTERSTOCK / ALEXANDRU DUMBRAVEANU Transylvania is a place to spend time novelist Bram Stoker based his 1897 novel, night at a hotel in Bucharest. Reboarding amid some of the last preindustrial land- “Dracula,” first visited Transylvania in the following morning, we headed north.

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]. Braşov historical center, and , a UNESCO World Heritage site

Looking up from my book and glancing three-room Vila Katharina, an intimate drivers of several horse-drawn wagons of out the window half an hour later, I was property in a restored 18th-century house freshly mowed hay. astonished by the beauty of the country- in the center of town. Eventually, I arrived at C ou nt side. Shadowy forests gave way to neatly There, the multilingual staff were Kálnoky’s Transylvanian Guesthouses, tilled fields, meadows dotted with grazing welcoming and helpful. My sunny Onyx an inn with 10 accommodations distrib- cows, orchards bright with red apples and Room, with its parquet floors and art uted among several whitewashed houses wildflower pastures that reminded me of deco-inspired wallpaper, was spacious, and farm buildings. I was greeted in an OV: MLADENSKYOV: / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES BIERTAN: ANDREA RICORDI / MOMENT RF / GETTY IMAGES the intricate prettiness of medieval embroi- comfortable and furnished with an antique antiques-furnishedUKRAINE salon by the manager Ş dery. Perched on hilltops were villages wooden bed, a chestHUNGARY of drawers and a and offered hazelnut cookies and a shot BRA of pastel-painted houses and fortified small sofa. The bath came with a deep M O L D O V A white-walled churches. I knew little about tub and a white-marble washstand with 0 30 MI Romania in those days, but having read brass fittings. In the morning, an excellent 0 30 KM CARPATHIAN recent newspaper accounts of the blood- breakfast was served on heirloom porce- MTNS soaked demise of the dictator Nicolae lain in a small, elegant dining room. The Ceaușescu, I hadn’t been expecting such Vila Katharina is an atmospheric little TRANSYLVANIA beguiling panoramas, landscapes every place that is more than adequate for an bit as enchanting as those of Tuscany or overnight stay. COPȘA MARE SIGHIŞOARA Provence. Studying a map, I discovered Brașov is also a good base from which BIERTAN MICLOȘOARA that we were traveling through Transyl- to visit the dramatic 14th-century Bran MĂLÂNCRAV VISCRI vania and immediately vowed to return. Castle, 18 miles to the southwest, which BRAȘOV SIBIU is popularly but inaccurately billed as t is an 11-hour flight from New York to Dracula’s Castle. (Most historians agree BRAN CASTLE UKRAINE IBucharest, via London or Frankfurt. On that Vlad the Impaler never set foot there, my recent return visit, I headed straight and there is no evidence that Stoker knew UKRAINE HUNGARY to Brașov, the gateway to Transylvania, anything about it.) M O L D O V A a city located a three-and-a-half-hour BUCHAREST drive north of Romania’s capital. Despite aving driven for 45 minutes to the ROMANIA commercial and industrial zones on its north of Brașov, I arrived on the H TRANSYLVANIACOPȘA MARE SIGHIŞOARA

MEDIAŞ MICLOȘOARA outskirts, Brașov has a beautiful medieval outskirts of Micloșoara just as the cows BIERTAN VISCRI BLACK BRAȘOV SERBIA SIBIU BRAȘOV center. Wanting to be within walking were coming home for the night, creating a DANUBEBRAN R. UKRAINE SEA distance of the principal sites — the Piața bovine traffic jam that was announced by Sfatului, or Council Square, which has the metallic clang of their bells. Wearing BUCHAREST BULGARIA been the heart of the city for more than 500 straw hats and vests, the farmers leading SERBIA BLACK years, and the huge 14th-century Biserica the cattle shrugged and grinned to excuse DANUBE R. SEA Neagră (Black Church) — I stayed at the the wait they were imposing on me and the BULGARIA

2 HIDEAWAY REPORT FEBRUARY 2019 of locally distilled kümmel (caraway seed In contrast, the horse-and-cart excursion nect from the rest of the world to become eau de vie). He explained that the room delivers a slow-motion experience of the deeply engaged with Transylvania. On a price included a hearty country breakfast Transylvanian countryside, led by an cool day, the tiled woodburning furnace and a table d’hôte dinner with wine in English-speaking naturalist, who explains in the room was hot to the touch and was the evening, plus an optional excursion the flora and fauna (including brown bears fed constantly by staff with access to an each day. and wolves) of the region. outside door. A spacious tiled bath came We found the two most worthwhile The guesthouses are the project of with a combination tub and shower and excursions to be “The Land of the Szeklers” Count Tibor Kálnoky, who grew up in organic local bath products. tour and the “Horse and Cart Ride.” A bit exile from his native land. The Ceaușescu Dinner that night was rather like a of Transylvanian history explains the regime was particularly hostile to the party. The other guests included a friendly particular interest of these outings. For Romanian aristocracy, so it was a risky English couple, a charming Irish woman centuries, much of the region was governed trip that Kálnoky and his father made to and her two daughters, and a witty Amer- by the Hungarian crown. In 1143, King Micloșoara in 1987 in order to visit their ican trio from Philadelphia. Conversation Géza II invited German settlers, now family seat. It was also an awakening for flowed freely, as did the excellent local locally known as Saxons, to relocate to the the young count. After the fall of Commu- wine, while we consumed a traditional lands along Transylvania’s western border nism in 1989, he immediately set about ciorbă (soup) made from vegetables grown as a way of repopulating them after years buying back his family’s former proper- in the guesthouse gardens, a goulash-like of war and preventing encroachment by ties, his goal being to create a new type beef stew with fried potatoes, and an the Ottoman Empire. Here the Germans of rural tourism that would offer work apple cobbler with thick cream, dishes all joined existing populations of Romanians, to the locals, preserve Transylvania’s prepared by women of the village. gypsies and Szeklers, a Hungarian- natural and historical heritage, and offer As in Tuscany or Provence, many speaking people who had lived in the an authentic and intimate experience of days in Transylvania are spent exploring region for centuries. The Szeklers tour the region to visitors. the region’s picturesque villages. Among includes visits to a working water-driven My large room in a village house was the most attractive and interesting are flour mill built in 1835, as well as to tradi- furnished with a pair of antique wooden Biertan, with its fortified church (with OV: MLADENSKYOV: / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES BIERTAN: ANDREA RICORDI / MOMENT RF / GETTY IMAGES

Ş tional craft workshops, including those of beds topped by extremely comfortable an amazing wooden lock), Copşa Mare,

BRA a woodcarver, a weaver and a blacksmith. wool mattresses specially made for the Criț, Mălâncrav, Meșendorf, Saschiz inn, painted wooden wardrobes and and 13th-century Viscri, which lies a marriage chests, a writing desk and local 45-minute drive from Micloșoara. Viscri woven rugs on wooden floors. However, became better known after Prince Charles the room lacked a telephone, a television bought a house there in 1996 and it was and Wi-Fi, a personal decision by the subsequently awarded UNESCO status count, who hopes his guests will discon- as a World Heritage site. A pretty hamlet

Village houses, and a comfortable room, Count Kálnoky’s Transylvanian Guesthouses, Micloșoara

FEBRUARY 2019 HIDEAWAY REPORT 3 Clockwise from top left: Council Tower of Sibiu; a range in the Carpathian Mountains near Bran; colorful houses lining cobblestone streets in Sighişoara

rom Viscri, it’s another 45-minute Mălâncrav, which has the largest remain- Fdrive to the old town of Sighișoara, ing population of Saxons in Transyl- formerly known as Schässburg in German, vania. Despite being isolated, this quiet and one of the Siebenbürgen, or seven and tidy commune of well-maintained ROOM AND PHOTOS BATH BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR fortified towns founded by the Saxons. pastel-painted houses has a prosperous Built on a hilltop, this is one of the best- air. This is mostly due to the resto- preserved medieval towns in Europe. ration efforts of the Mihai Eminescu Recently, it has become one of the most Trust, which has renovated many houses, popular tourist destinations in Transyl- replanted the local apple orchards and vania, so the ideal time to arrive is late opened a fruit-processing plant, which afternoon just as the crowds are leaving. produces high-quality organic apple juice. The first time I stayed in Sighișoara, Of particular note in Mălâncrav are the of pastel-painted houses with fish-scale I enjoyed Casa Wagner, but the hotel 14th-century Gothic mural paintings in terra-cotta tile roofs, Viscri was originally has become overpriced and a bit worn, the church, which are considered the inhabited by Saxons, but most of them so on this occasion I spent a night at finest in Romania. chose to move back to Germany in 1990, the nine-room Fronius Residence, a having been offered citizenship by the 17th-century house that is located at the rom Mălâncrav, it was a pleasant country’s then foreign minister, Hans- foot of the Scholars’ Stairs, a covered F35-minute drive along meandering Dietrich Genscher. 175-step stairway that leads up to the backcountry roads to Biertan, which has Many of the properties they left behind landmark Church on the Hill. become the most visited Saxon village were occupied by gypsies or fell into ruin. Every room at this well-run and very after its 16th-century fortified church Today more than 180 have been restored comfortable guesthouse is furnished was enrolled as a UNESCO World Heri- by the nonprofit Mihai Eminescu Trust differently, but the one I recommend tage site in 1993. The church is reached using traditional brick, tile, lumber and is Antonia, which is bright, quiet and via a covered stairway, and its interior is ironwork. In addition, the village’s forti- appointed with blond-wood antique notable for a magnificent folding altar with fied 12th-century church is now open to furniture. Though the Fronius is not a carved crucifixion scene surrounded by the public and affords wonderful views a conventional luxury hotel, it offers painted panels. over the village and surrounding coun- excellent-quality beds, room service, A lane leads from Biertan to the pretty tryside from its tower. A unique feature air-conditioning, cable TV and Wi-Fi. village of Copșa Mare, a few miles to the of the church is the Lard Tower, where Charming and perfectly located, it’s a southeast. It was the charm of this hidden- every village family once stored a side of good choice for a night. away place that seduced Italians Paolo SIBIU AND SIGHIŞOARA PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR COUNTRYSIDE: DANIEL BALAKOV / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES bacon branded with its house number in The following day, I left the main and Giovanna Bassetti when they visited preparation for a siege. road from Sighișoara to Mediaș to visit from their home in Bucharest during a

4 HIDEAWAY REPORT FEBRUARY 2019 corporate posting there. Enchanted, they y last stop was Sibiu, 50 miles to built-in wall unit filled with books, plus bought a house to restore as a vacation Mthe southwest, which was known a bedroom with a sloping ceiling and a home, but then decided to convert it to an as Hermannstadt when it was populated well-lit bath with a shower and a single inn. Today the Copsamare Guesthouses by Saxons. Most of them left long ago for sink. The staff were charming, and the has 10 rooms distributed among three Germany, Austria and the United States, breakfast was excellent. For a single night, houses, each within an easy walk of the but the Germanic imprint on this charming the property was entirely adequate. main one, the Yellow House. and well-groomed city is obvious. The Sibiu does not warrant a two-night On arrival, I was greeted by Simona, profile of Sibiu was raised by the elec- stay. Aside from its churches, squares the friendly, English-speaking receptionist tion of Klaus Iohannis, a man of Saxon and medieval half-timbered houses, the and cook, who offered tea with freshly descent and its former mayor, as president highlight of my visit was the Brukenthal baked cookies and then directed me to of Romania in 2014. Previously, Iohannis National Museum, housed in the baroque my room. The Yellow Main Suite had a had been instrumental in making Sibiu palace of an aristocratic family. Baron wood-framed sofa, armchairs and a tiled a European Capital of Culture in 2007. Samuel von Brukenthal, the Habsburg woodburning furnace, while the bedroom It’s possible to visit Sibiu as a day trip governor of the Grand Principality of came with a second furnace, a locally made from Copșa Mare, but since the city would Transylvania between 1774 and 1787, wood-framed double bed, a writing desk be my last stop before a four-hour drive to acquired a small but remarkable art and colorful hand-loomed carpets on the Bucharest and my flight home, I decided collection, which includes Jan van Eyck’s oak floors. The bath was equipped with a to spend the night. As is true of many stunningly beautiful “Man in a Blue stall shower and a single sink in a wooden Romanian cities, the hotel options vary Turban.” In addition, the Emil Sigerus counter. Here, too, there was no television between modern properties catering to Museum of Ethnography and Saxon Folk or telephone, but the suite did have Wi-Fi. business travelers and small, often quirky Art offers some fascinating insights into The next two days I spent hiking in the boutique hotels in the historic center. Saxon culture, while a few miles outside countryside and visiting nearby villages, Taking a tip from friends in Bucharest, I Sibiu, the Astra Museum of Traditional ROOM AND PHOTOS BATH BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR returning each evening to enjoy more booked at the eight-room Maison Elysée, Folk Civilization is also worthwhile. of Simona’s delicious cooking. Dinner which occupies a Belle Epoque mansion Culturally rich, peaceful and hospi- always began with a soup, followed by on the edge of the Upper Town within a table, Transylvania deserves to join the dishes such as stuffed cabbage with five-minute walk of Sibiu’s Great Square. ranks of major European destinations. mămăligă, the Romanian version of My suite on the second floor had a And for now, it is unspoiled and with its polenta, and hen braised in cabbage pistachio-green color scheme and a rather traditional character blessedly intact. H with roasted new potatoes. Tired after operatic décor, but it was spacious, quiet the day’s exercise, I found myself going and comfortable, with a large sitting room to bed as early as the local farmers. appointed with a sofa, armchairs and a

Our room and bath, and happy-hour seating overlooking the town, Copsamare Guesthouses, Copşa Mare SIBIU AND SIGHIŞOARA PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR COUNTRYSIDE: DANIEL BALAKOV / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES

FEBRUARY 2019 HIDEAWAY REPORT 5 BUCHAREST: THE CITY’S STIRRING REVIVAL Belle Epoque splendor, a lively restaurant scene, absorbing small museums

with summer truffles, a starter; roasted Mangalitsa pork with apples; and apple pie with vanilla caramel and plum chutney are representative. Beca’s Kitchen is a great address for a light lunch during a sightseeing day in the city, as it’s both welcoming and well- located; its menu runs to soups, sand- wiches, quiches and excellent desserts. If Casa Doina is the concierge’s address for anyone who wants to discover a refined version of Romanian cooking, Locanta Jaristea has even better food and is a lot more fun, as it is housed in

Outdoor dining at Caru’ cu bere in the Lipscani district an old villa and features live entertain- ment that might include a violinist and a city of nearly 2 million, Bucharest today is the 45-room Hotel Epoque, chanteuse or two. A is one of the rare European capitals which is a well-run boutique property Bucharest has a variety of fascinating that has not yet been affected by mass with excellent service, tucked away on a museums. The National Museum of Art of tourism. As the Romanian economy has quiet cul-de-sac within walking distance Romania has some beautiful icons from prospered, it has also become an appeal- of most of the major sights. Rooms are Moldavian churches and monasteries, and ingly lively place. That said, the historic spacious and quiet and come with parquet fine canvases by little-known Romanian fabric of the city was badly damaged by artists. The perfect preparation for a floors and art photography. The hotel has madcap, megalomaniacal projects during trip to Transylvania or other rural parts an excellent spa with a pool. Though the the Nicolae Ceauşescu regime (from 1965 of Romania, however, are visits to the Hotel Epoque is our preferred address, its to 1989). Now, though, renovations of some National Romanian Peasant Museum and restaurant is mediocre. of Bucharest’s surviving Belle Epoque the National Village Museum. The former Happily, Bucharest is becoming a good architecture and other historic buildings exhibits handicrafts, tools, textiles and city for food lovers, with a variety of excel- are making it sufficiently attractive to other objects from all over Romania, while lend credibility to its pre-World War II lent restaurants, the best of which is The the latter is an open-air architectural sobriquet, the “Little Paris of the East.” Artist, a charming place run by Dutch museum of farmhouses, windmills and Today the most high-spirited neigh- chef Paul Oppenkamp within a turn-of- other agrarian buildings that were moved borhood is the Lipscani district, which the-century house. The menu here follows to the capital. Together, they provide deep

is also called Old Town. It bustles with the seasons, but dishes like barley risotto insight into Romanian rural life. H FOOD PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR

cafés, bars and restaurants, including Barley risotto with summer truffles at The Artist, and our room at Hotel Epoque one of the most atmospheric addresses in the city, Caru’ cu bere, a popular 1898

neo-Gothic tavern that serves some great THE ARTIST AND HOTEL EPOQUE PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR CARU’ CU BERE: SONATALI / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES Romanian brews, including unpasteurized Timișoreana, a real beer-lover’s beer, and hearty food like grilled sausages, and the house specialty, slow-roasted pork knuckle with sauerkraut and mămăligă, the Romanian version of polenta. Most of the major international hotel chains are now present in Bucharest, including Hilton, which owns the famous 272-room Athénée Palace, once the city’s most glamorous address. A better choice

6 HIDEAWAY REPORT FEBRUARY 2019 Romania Notebook HOTELS AT A GLANCE

VILA KATHARINA 87 LIKE Obliging staff; beautiful antiques; excellent breakfast; convenient location. DISLIKE Baths lack separate tubs and showers. GOOD TO KNOW Ask the hotel for detailed information on parking before you arrive. EDITOR’S CHOICE: ONYX ROOM, $140. STRADA POARTA SCHEI NO. 20, BRAȘOV. TEL. (40) 368-001-484. COUNT KÁLNOKY’S A TRANSYLVANIAN GUESTHOUSES 90 LIKE Warm hospitality; tranquil setting; delicious food and wine; fascinating excursions. DISLIKE The lack of a bar in the main manor-house. GOOD TO KNOW Count Kálnoky also offers Stuffed cabbage and sour mushroom soup at La Ceaun, Braşov riding holidays using his own horses, including Shagya-Arabian, Lipizzaner and Gidran breeds. EDITOR’S CHOICE: MICLOȘOARA ROMANIAN FOOD AND WINE ROOM, $270 (ALL MEALS, HOUSE WINES, SCHEDULED ACTIVITIES AND GROUND TRANSFERS INCLUDED). STRADA PRINCIPALA 186, COVASNA, n some ways, Romanian food is as regionally distinctive as that found in France MICLOȘOARA. TEL. (40) 742-202-586. Ior Italy, with kitchens in different parts of the country reflecting the tastes of FRONIUS RESIDENCE 87 the various ethnic populations. Though Romania is a Latin country in the heart of LIKE Immaculate and well-furnished rooms; the atmospheric Europe — it was part of the Roman Empire and Romanian is a Latin language — the bar. DISLIKE The lack of a restaurant. GOOD TO KNOW Contact Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires both had major impacts on its cuisine. the hotel in advance for instructions about accessing the property. EDITOR’S CHOICE: CAMERA ANTONIA, $140. STRADA SCOLII NO. 13, In Transylvania, Saxon cooking makes frequent use of dairy products and bacon, SIGHIȘOARA. TEL. (40) 265-779-173. sausage and charcuterie. The Ottoman imprint is found in the local love of ciorbă, A or soup (the Turkish word for soup is “çorba”), as well as a taste for pickles and COPSAMARE GUESTHOUSES 90 LIKE The homey comfort of my suite; delicious home cooking. sweet desserts. Paprika was brought by the Hungarians, and spices like cinnamon DISLIKE The lack of a tub in the bath. GOOD TO KNOW There are said to have arrived with the gypsies. is nowhere else to eat in the village, so meals should be booked Wine has been made in Romania since the time of the Romans. Truly excellent when you make your reservation. LOWEST RATE: WHITE LOFT, $120; examples include the Crama Cepari 2016 private collection white and the outstand- EDITOR’S CHOICE: YELLOW MAIN SUITE, $145. STRADA PRINCIPALA 146, COPŞA MARE. TEL. (40) 746-046-200. ing Davino Flamboyant Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlotc-Feteasca Neagra. MAISON ELYSÉE 85 TAVERNA SARBULUI — This Serbian CASA GEORGIUS KRAUSS — A LIKE Solid comfort; convenient location; excellent breakfast. DISLIKE The lack of an elevator. GOOD TO KNOW The hotel is grill perched on a hillside overlooking the variety of salads and vegetarian dishes located on a narrow street, so you will need to ask for directions resort town of Sinaia, site of the famous leads off the menu at this very good to local parking garages from reception. LOWEST RATE: SUPERIOR Peleș Castle, is a good choice for lunch restaurant that also offers a number ROOM, $200; EDITOR’S CHOICE: SUPERIOR SUITE, $260. STRADA when traveling between Bucharest and of sturdy specialties, such as Transyl- BĂRBIERILOR NO. 1, SIBIU. TEL. (40) 751-707-958. Transylvania. Look for delicious salads vanian stew (pork neck seasoned with HOTEL EPOQUE 89 and grilled Serbian sausage patties cumin and tarragon and baked in pastry LIKE Quiet and convenient location in the heart of the city; comfortable rooms with a strong sense of place. DISLIKE The wrapped in caul fat. CALEA CODRULUI 39C, with onions and tomato paste), pork vaunted restaurant with a French chef was a major disappoint- SINAIA. TEL. (40) 726-353-353. tenderloin wrapped in prosciutto and ment. GOOD TO KNOW Many cab drivers don’t know this prop-

FOOD PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR served with beetroot purée and horse- erty, so take an address card from the front desk when you UNGLERUS RESTAURANT — Located radish sauce, and mutton pastrami with go out. Overall, Uber is the easiest way to get around, since it next to the staircase that leads to polenta. All the dishes are appetizing and assures an honest fare and precludes any language problems. There’s a parking garage on the premises, which is a big help Biertan’s famous fortified church, this generously served. STRADA BASTIONULUI NO. in central Bucharest. LOWEST RATE: JUNIOR SUITE, $315; EDITOR’S restaurant is perfect for lunch. The menu 11, SIGHIȘOARA. TEL. (40) 365-730-840. THE ARTIST AND HOTEL EPOQUE PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR CARU’ CU BERE: SONATALI / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES CHOICE: LUXURY SUITE, $400. INTRAREA AURORA 17C, BUCHAREST. runs to hearty Saxon-style sausages TEL. (40) 213-123-232. and grilled meats. STRADA DECEMBRIE NO. HERMANIA — With a dining room Loft bedroom at Copsamare Guesthouses, Copşa Mare 1, SIBIU. TEL. (40) 742-024-065. reminiscent of a Bavarian beer hall, this popular restaurant serves a variety of LA CEAUN — Both addresses of Saxon dishes, including spätzle in cheese this popular restaurant serve superb sauce, and hearty platters of pork with homestyle Romanian dishes, includ- cabbage slaw and potatoes. For anyone ing an excellent sour mushroom soup, weary of meat-heavy Transylvanian fare, Hungarian beef stew, and stuffed cab- the menu also offers brook trout. The bage. Finish up with the apple strudel, house wines are excellent, and there’s or plum dumplings. PIATA SFATULUI NO. 11-12 a great selection of beers.STRADA FILAR-

AND STRADA MICHAEL WEISS NO. 27, BRAȘOV. MONICII NO. 2, SIBIU. TEL. (40) 755-055-999.

FEBRUARY 2019 HIDEAWAY REPORT 7 CHICAGO’S NEW HIDEAWAY HOTELS A partially successful search for distinctive smaller properties ROOM PHOTO BY HIDEAWAY REPO R T EDITOR PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR

View from the Dorchester Suite, Sophy Hyde Park VIEW: ALAN SHORTALL hicago may be a large and important Hyde Park takes its name from the Greek an eclectic selection of dishes. I particu- Ccity, but it has long lacked a luxurious word for wisdom, “sophia,” in a nod to the larly liked the long-roasted tri-color beets hideaway hotel. All the properties we nearby university. Its colorful, contempo- with horseradish cream, and my main of currently recommend have more than 200 rary décor includes hundreds of cheerful, Faroe Island salmon with a maple-miso rooms. The 40-room Soho House looked high-quality reproduction paintings. A glaze and Brussels sprouts was flawless. promising when it opened a few years ago, lengthy double-sided gas-jet fireplace Along with nearby Virtue, Mesler ranks but amateurish service prevented us from separates the lobby-lounge from a café among Hyde Park’s best restaurants. recommending it. Since then, a number of space and a stylish cocktail bar beyond. Our seventh-floor accommodations other boutique properties with aspirations The hotel’s fine restaurant, Mesler, serves were just as colorfully chic as the Sophy’s have opened in the city. Hopes high, we booked our tickets to return. Our bed and bath (opposite page) of the Dorchester Suite, Sophy Hyde Park Hyde Park used to be known chiefly as the location of The University of Chicago, with a beautiful neo-Gothic campus on the north side of the Midway Plaisance, a broad swath of green that hosted part of the famous World’s Columbian Expo- sition in 1893. Now Hyde Park is in the spotlight once again, as the future home of the Obama Presidential Center. The area is changing rapidly. Several notable restaurants have recently opened. And a new luxury hotel has opened in the heart of the neighborhood. In a building reminiscent of an old brick warehouse, the 98-room Sophy

8 HIDEAWAY REPORT FEBRUARY 2019 public spaces. The relatively reason- able rates encouraged me to reserve a Dorchester Suite, the hotel’s second- largest room category. It came with walls of windows on the north and east sides, a combined living-dining room, a queen- bedded bedroom, a dressing room with two closets and an expansive white-marble bath with a large walk-in shower and sepa- rate egg-shaped tub. We appreciated local touches such as a coffee-table book devoted

to architectural preservationist Richard Our Deluxe Suite, The Hotel at Midtown Nickel. Brass accents added warmth, but I didn’t much care for the sectional sofa’s Nevertheless, our stay at the Sophy were checking into the hotel, he simply upholstery, designed for durability more was a success, which is more than I can replied, “Last name?” We also received no than anything else. say about our sojourn at The Hotel at assistance with the luggage and no offer to Our service experiences at the Sophy Midtown on the North Side. One major accompany us to our suite or give us a tour. were mostly positive. The housekeeping travel magazine called it “the most exciting Our Deluxe Suite had an attractive staff were conscientious, and the front new hotel in Chicago” after it opened in contemporary décor and a fine view of desk always greeted us cheerfully. Only in late 2017, which gave me hope that it would the distant Chicago skyline, but consid- the bar and at breakfast did service falter. be a good option for Hideaway Report ering its size, it had too little storage for On one bill, I noticed that my cocktail was members interested in easy access to the two guests, and the bath, clad in faux more expensive than listed on the menu. restaurants and bars of the Logan Square marble, was small and lacked a tub. The PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR The waiter apologized, explained that neighborhood, or those for whom fitness windows had fingerprint smudges from the menu was out-of-date and indicated facilities are of great importance. The previous guests. that he had no intention of honoring the 55-room hotel stands atop one of Chicago’s Our room’s keycard operated the posted price. And at breakfast, I received largest gyms, the Midtown Athletic Club. locks in the immense locker rooms, but VIEW: ALAN SHORTALL ROOM PHOTO BY HIDEAWAY REPROT EDITOR a vegetable hash composed mostly of Comprehensive though the fitness the system proved cumbersome, as it undercooked carrot chunks instead of and spa facilities were, overall The Hotel was necessary to take the card every- the promised sweet potatoes. I ate little of at Midtown was a disaster. Things began where, including into the steam room it and complained to the waiter that the badly. When we reached the loud, chaotic and showers. And because the restaurant, dish was neither successful nor prepared lobby, we stood before two adjacent desks, Chromium, had little separation from the as described on the menu. He thanked me both of which seemed to serve Athletic gym, it lacked any sense of formality. At for my feedback and promised to share it Club members as well as hotel guests. breakfast, for example, we watched a club with the chef, failing to replace the dish Eventually, an unsmiling man asked if member place his foot on top of one of or remove it from my bill. he could help us. When I said that we the restaurant’s banquettes, in order to stretch out his hamstrings. It was not an appetizing sight. Caption goes here. In short, the experience of the hotel guest is treated as secondary to that of the Athletic Club member. The Hotel at Midtown is an unwieldy appendix to the gym below, and it should be radically rethought or simply removed. In sharp contrast to the Midtown, the service at the brand-new Tower at St. Jane downtown proved overwhelmingly friendly. The club level of the much larger 333-room St. Jane hotel, The Tower at St. Jane comprises 32 additional accommo- dations on the top floors of the historic Carbide and Carbon Building. The 1929 skyscraper, ideally located on the edge

FEBRUARY 2019 HIDEAWAY REPORT 9 Bedroom, and the outlook from our Tower City View Suite, The Tower at St. Jane

of the Loop, just south of the Magnificent website’s description of our suite prom- Even so, I would have felt tempted to Mile, has gorgeous art deco architecture. ised a “vast master bedroom” and “double recommend The Tower at St. Jane because Before we arrived, I chatted on the vanity sinks” in the bath, but the bedroom of the excellent location, the superlative phone with our “curator,” in order to was compact and the bath had one sink. views and the friendly welcome. But the customize our stay. She didn’t offer us a Storage was limited to a built-in wardrobe, staff omitted to tell us that The Nobel, the choice of artwork, as one might expect which meant that one of our suitcases lounge reserved for the exclusive use of from someone with her job title, but she ended up on a rack in the living room. Tower guests, had not yet opened. I even did arrange for the pillows of our choice. The St. Jane’s new restaurant, Free chatted with our curator over the phone, I also alerted her that it was my spouse’s Rein, “will soon have a Michelin star,” talking about how I planned on doing a

birthday, and the staff, to their credit, one hotel staffer assured us. I wouldn’t little work in the lounge after I arrived. PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR celebrated the event to the full. At check- count on that. Dishes such as a colorful Neither she nor anyone else told us that in, we received a warm welcome, complete beet salad and crispy-skinned striped the lounge was unavailable. with complimentary flutes of Prosecco. bass with chorizo, clams and kimchi broth Those who wish to stay in downtown Later, a manager hosted a “Bubble Hour,” tasted delicious, but the service stumbled. Chicago should therefore opt for one during which he poured us two more flutes Our amuse-bouche plates weren’t removed of our current hotel recommendations each, and at dinner, yet more compli- from the table until we were finished with — the Four Seasons, The Peninsula, The mentary Prosecco arrived. Back in our appetizers, for example, and the crostini Langham, the Waldorf Astoria and the suite, the pastry chef provided a small our server recommended to go with a Chicago Athletic Association Hotel — large complimentary cake. torchon of foie gras never appeared. though they may be. H I never tired of the views from our corner Tower City View Suite. From our A SOPHY HYDE PARK 90 living room, we could either look west LIKE Our suite’s large windows and huge bath; the generally friendly service; the fine restaurant; the location PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR along the Chicago River, flanked by the convenient to South Side museums and other attractions. DISLIKE The restaurant staff’s nonresponse to Beaux Arts-style Jewelers Building and complaints on two separate occasions. GOOD TO KNOW The hotel has a complimentary shuttle that takes guests to the Museum of Science and Industry and other nearby sights. LOWEST RATE: DELUXE QUEEN ROOM, $380; EDITOR’S the massive art deco Merchandise Mart, or CHOICE: DORCHESTER SUITE, $600 (MINIMUM STAY MAY APPLY). 1411 EAST 53RD STREET. TEL. (773) 289-1003. north up Michigan Avenue, where some of the city’s most splendid historic buildings THE HOTEL AT MIDTOWN 84 stand. We had direct views of the terra- LIKE The access to one of Chicago’s largest and best health clubs; the attractive contemporary décor of our suite; the view of the Chicago skyline. DISLIKE The perfunctory service at check-in, checkout and all points in between; cotta-clad Wrigley Building, with a tower the lack of clearly separate check-in desks for club members and hotel guests; the sloppy housekeeping. GOOD based on Seville’s Giralda, and the stone TO KNOW The hotel charges a resort fee in addition to the room rate. LOWEST RATE: DELUXE KING ROOM, $450; Tribune Tower, a neo-Gothic wonder with EDITOR’S CHOICE: DELUXE SUITE, $560. 2444 NORTH ELSTON AVENUE. TEL. (773) 687-7600. a crown of flying buttresses. The suite’s THE TOWER AT ST. JANE 89 entirely black paint job emphasized the LIKE The ideal location between the Loop and the Magnificent Mile; the impressive art deco architecture; the views, but a black room clearly won’t sensational views from our suite; the highly attentive service. DISLIKE No one alerted us that the club lounge was appeal to everyone. still under construction. GOOD TO KNOW Tower-level guests also receive complimentary packing or unpacking service; we texted our “curator” to request unpacking while we were out sightseeing and returned to find our Stylish though our accommodation garments neatly hung up in the wardrobe. LOWEST RATE: TOWER KING, $440; EDITOR’S CHOICE: TOWER CITY VIEW was, it had some problems. The hotel SUITE, $950. 230 NORTH MICHIGAN AVENUE. TEL. (312) 345-1000.

10 HIDEAWAY REPORT FEBRUARY 2019 Chicago Notebook Yume and Omakase Takeya are sional and friendly. The manager both about $100 less expensive came by to check on us, and when than Kyōten, and Omakase Yume I mentioned that our main courses THE CITY’S FIVE BEST NEW RESTAURANTS has the added advantage of being arrived before we were finished with BYOB. With a bottle of sparkling our appetizers, he apologized and hicago’s restaurant scene has recently suffered some setbacks. wine in hand, we sat down at the gave us a complimentary dessert Three have closed — Sixteen, 42 Grams and Grace — taking with C counter, which holds just eight of a buttery pecan tart. Although them a total of seven Michelin stars. Fortunately, the vacuum left by diners (seatings are at 5:30 and Virtue has been open only a short these closures is rapidly being filled. Some of the restaurants below will time, it’s already heading for the doubtless claim Michelin stars in the year to come. In 2019, dining in 7:30 p.m.; don’t be late). Each of top of the Hyde Park restaurant Chicago promises to be as delightful as ever. the 15 or so sushi courses was deceptively simple and wonder- scene. 1462 EAST 53RD STREET. TEL. BAR SÓTANO — Celebrity chef belonging to the Michelin two-star fully delicious. I especially liked (773) 947-8831. Rick Bayless opened this cellar 42 Grams. Considering the quality the rich otoro (fatty tuna) topped bar and restaurant beneath his of the food and service, the $125 with charcoal salt; the cloudlike YŪGEN flagship venues, Frontera Grill and price tag for the nine-course menu kinmedai (golden eye snapper), This high-end Japanese restau- Topolobampo. It can get a little seems like an excellent value. which practically evaporated in rant has a tough act to follow; it loud — because of conversations A couple of dishes didn’t work, the mouth; the brilliant kanpachi recently opened in Grace’s former more than music — but the vibe notably the flavorless rice and (amberjack) with savory sesame digs, which earned three Michelin is festive, and the service is both beans with pork streusel, and a oil-spiked seaweed salad; and stars. The clean-lined space looks friendly and efficient. Bayless’ disjointed course centered on a the sweetly smoky flame-seared similar — the same comfortable daughter, Lanie, who showed us duck confit croquette. But the rest hotategai (scallop) topped with white leather chairs remain, to our table, was largely respon- were absolutely delicious. I relished a purée of plum and jellyfish. 651 for example — but the menu is sible for the vast selection of the savory “Ham and Eggs” course WEST WASHINGTON BOULEVARD. TEL. quite different, presenting highly mezcal offered at the bar. Each with country ham, ham broth and (312) 265-1610. contemporary interpretations of of the mezcal-based cocktails we a quail egg; the pumpkin panna classic Japanese dishes, such as tried was superb. The food also cotta topped with a pumpkin chip VIRTUE chawanmushi, shabu-shabu and PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR impressed. We tried a fresh and and Osetra caviar; and halibut A short walk from the Sophy Hyde miso soup. Although we visited well-balanced yellowtail aguachile, confited in duck fat with yuzu and Park, this fashionable restaurant less than a month after the restau- roasted vegetables in rich almond a gelée of foraged spruce. Wines serves delicious upscale soul food. rant’s opening, service was already mole, and delicious “Mexican by the glass, such as a graceful I loved both of our appetizers: a polished and precise. I couldn’t find paella” with shrimp, avocado, Jura Chardonnay and an elegant, plate of crunchy green tomatoes fault with any of the nine courses poblano peppers, chicken thighs powerful Nielluccio from Corsica, topped with a rich remoulade and on the expensive tasting menu, and chicharrones (crispy chicken rose to the occasion. 4662 NORTH slightly spicy shrimp, and a pile of and several were nothing short skin). And we couldn’t resist a BROADWAY. TEL. (773) 564-9680. finely shaved country ham with of stupendous. A dish of Alaskan dessert of plantains “Foster” in pickled okra, grainy mustard, king crab with puffed rice, trout tequila-infused custard. 443 NORTH OMAKASE YUME paper-thin crackers and pepper roe, a tamari-cured egg yolk and CLARK STREET. TEL. (312) 319-5857. Last year saw something of an jelly. I also relished my giant, juicy uni butter elicited sighs of plea- omakase explosion in Chicago, pork chop accompanied by a yam- sure, as did a bowl of delectable BRASS HEART with the openings of Kyōten, filled apple, but my spouse’s beef Kurobuta tonkatsu (deep-fried, PHOTOS BY HIDEAWAY REPORT EDITOR This pocket-size restaurant in Omakase Takeya and Omakase short rib was a bit underseasoned. breaded pork) with apple and red the gentrifying Uptown neighbor- Yume. Choosing among them Every person on the staff whom we cabbage. 652 WEST RANDOLPH STREET.

hood occupies the space formerly was surprisingly simple; Omakase encountered was highly profes- TEL. (312) 265-1008.

“Ham and Eggs” (country ham and a quail egg) at Brass Heart, Aburi-style hotategai (scallop) at Omakase Yume, and “Milk and Cookies” with Hōjicha (green tea) meringue at Yūgen

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Kachi Lodge, Bolivia

WAY OUT THERE pre-Columbian city of Alcaya dren or friends). A rooftop Bolivia has long been the and explore 1,200-year-old terrace affords a 360-degree odd one out among Andean mummy tombs in the village panorama of coral reef and countries. Unlike neighboring of Coquesa. And if they have aquamarine sea. The island’s Peru, it receives few foreign energy to spare, they can managing couple, who live visitors, despite having spend their nights scanning with the rest of the staff on 20,000-foot mountains and the cosmos with a telescope. an adjacent islet in order to a colorful and relatively intact preserve their guests’ privacy, indigenous culture. Indeed, PRIVATE PARADISE previously worked as captain until recently, Bolivia had Located on the pristine and chef on superyachts in the few hotels of note, even in the Belize Barrier Reef, 20 miles BVI and the Mediterranean. If capital city, La Paz. Things from the mainland and a you tire of perfect indolence, HIDEAWAY REPORT are beginning to change, 30-minute helicopter transfer then you can head to nearby HOTEL RATINGS however. Kachi Lodge, a from Belize City, the newly Gladden Spit and the Silk A99-100 — A truly great hotel, among opened Gladden Private Cayes Marine Reserve, which new property of six futur- the finest of its kind in the world Island is intended to be the boast some of the best scuba istic bedroom domes with A96-98 — An exceptional hotel of great private baths, is set on the ultimate personal refuge. diving in the world. (From individuality and distinction Its 3,000-square-foot villa April through June, 30-foot GLADDEN ISLAND: PRIVATE BENEDICT KIM KACHI LODGE: AMAZING ESCAPES spectacular Uyuni Salt Flats A93-95 — An outstanding hotel of at nearly 12,000 feet on was designed for a single whale sharks congregate in genuine sophistication

the Altiplano. Designed by couple (although there is a the protected area.) Alas, a A90-92 — A fine hotel with consider- Amazing Escapes, a Swiss second bedroom, should you personal tropical paradise is able charm about which we have minor reservations company that specializes in wish to bring along chil- not inexpensive. 89 & Below — A hotel that did not meet the bespoke, far-flung camping Gladden Private Island, Belize required standard trips, Kachi Lodge will bring Find all of our recommended hotels a previously unknown degree at HideawayReport.com. of luxury to the wilderness,

including cuisine master- Hideaway Report (ISSN 0884-7622) is published minded by chefs from the monthly by Andrew Harper, LLC at 4214 Medical Parkway, Suite 200, Austin, Texas 78756. Periodicals acclaimed Gustu restaurant Postage is paid at Austin, TX, and additional mail- ing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes in La Paz. More-adventurous to: Hideaway Report, P.O. Box 684368, Austin, TX 78768. Tel. (866) 831-4314 or (512) 904-7342. Fax travelers will be able to hike (512) 904-7350. MEMBER: If the Post Office alerts us that your periodical publication is undeliverable, to the lip of Tunupa volcano, we have no further obligation unless we receive a visit local salt-gathering corrected address within one year. Copyright 2019. Andrew Harper, LLC. CST #2110806-40; IST #1096; communities, explore the WST #603248672. All rights reserved. Quotation, reproduction or transmission by any means is pro- archaeological remains of the hibited without written permission from the publisher.

FULL-SERVICE TRAVEL PLANNING IS AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS AT (800) 375-4685 OR [email protected].