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GAL 100 JAN 2021-12pages_GAL June '09-NY 12pp 01/01/2021 16:45 Page 1 Founded in 1991 JANUARY 2021 AWARDS The Gallivanter’s Guide 100 CLUB HONEST ADVICE FOR THE WORLD’S TOP TRAVELLERS Best ever hotels and resorts as chosen by you. The second pool at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, on the edge of the Chao Phraya River; a unique hotel that has fostered excellence over many decades. his year, due to the unprecedent- Aman for Best Service and Amankila for Throughout the year, a large number ed disruption of life as we know Best Beach Resort. It was only in 1994 of you have continued to travel; most T it, our annual reader poll asked you that Four Seasons had any impact, when putting normalcy over the much touted to vote for your Best Ever hotel and resort its Milan property won Best European virtues of social distancing, disinfection, experiences. Hotel. Meanwhile, in that same year, masks and hand sanitizers. Judging by The results were, in some cases, predic- Amanpulo won Best Beach Resort World- your emails, you are avoiding the prison table; but in others quite shocking. Four wide, just as it has done in 2020, 26 years camp atmosphere currently fostered by Seasons, which has topped so many of later. many hotels and resorts and, instead, are these polls over the years, virtually disap- Perhaps we are witnessing the nostal- seeking out the sort of hideaways that at- peared in every category. gia that many of us feel for those great tempt to behave normally yet responsi- Studying the results, it felt to me as if I days of hotelkeeping, when hospitality, bly, allowing you to relax and encourag- were looking at a poll from the 1990s, service and cuisine were the criteria for ing your commitment to wellness in all when Mandarin Oriental Bangkok was excellence, and technocracy was a word its guises. Let us hope that the Toxic voted Best Hotel Worldwide in 1993, yet to be invented. Twenties are well behind us.... GAL 100 JAN 2021-12pages_GAL June '09-NY 12pp 01/01/2021 16:45 Page 2 Best ever City Hotel Worldwide. Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. The revitalised Lord Jim’s restaurant, at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok; an hotel that has never stood still. first stayed at Mandarin Oriental Bang- which, having suffered not merely from the it have impeccable and caring service, but Ikok when it was still called The Oriental, impact of the pandemic, but also from the also gloriously comfortable, elegant rooms back in the early 1980s. Unlike most hotels, trials and tribulations that Paris has suf- and suites, an astounding number of world- this has been nurtured over the years by a fered of late, failed to feature in any cate- class restaurants and an unbeatable loca- very small number of passionate General gory. It seems that you crave consistency tion on the edge of the Chao Phraya River; Managers. The legendary Kurt Wachtveitl in all its forms, and it is no wonder, there- its legendary Spa and Rim Nam Terrace just was GM for over 40 years, followed by Jan fore, that Mandarin Oriental Bangkok is a boat ride away from the main hotel. Long Goessing, who oversaw a sea change in your Best Ever experience. Not only does may it flourish. staff welfare. Then came the indomitable Amanda Hyndman, who had the courage to push ahead with a complete renovation of the Author’s and Garden Wings; em- bracing the true history and authenticity of this venerable Grande Dame. Greg Liddell followed Amanda and set about orchestrat- ing a massive renovation of the River Wing, including Lord Jim’s restaurant, the Lobby and the swimming pools. In 2020, Anthony Tyler took over the helm, having worked at the hotel as Assistant Food & Beverage Manager, back in 1998. All these people care passionately for this icon of hospitali- ty and this is why I, and it appears you, returned there year after year. An astonish- ing 25% of you voted for Mandarin Orient- al Bangkok, usurping many years of dom- inance by Four Seasons George V, Paris, The glorious terrace at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok; perfect for breakfast by the River of Kings. 2 GAL 100 JAN 2021-12pages_GAL June '09-NY 12pp 01/01/2021 16:46 Page 3 Best ever Resort Hotel Worldwide. Amanpulo, Philippines. Casita Villa, #32, at Amanpulo, just steps from one of the world’s most stunning white sand beaches. manpulo won Best Beach Hotel World- Adrian Zecha initially had no intention of group is no longer owned or operated by Awide back in 1994, just a year after it creating an hotel group, but merely a sanc- Zecha, its essence lives on and, although first opened its doors and persuaded us all tuary in Phuket for friends and family. The you complain somewhat at the loss of cer- to journey to the remote Pamalican Island rest, of course, is history, and although the tain iconic GMs, you cannot fault its style. in Palawan, Philippines, via a private plane from Manila. I remember that first year well; the magical, if noisy low-level flight over the Sulu Sea; an hour of gazing at the myr- Best ever Hotel Group iad islands of this unique archipelago, and finally, a surprisingly calm landing on the resort’s own airstrip, there to be immersed Worldwide. in the sort of resort experience that you never forget and can never replicate. That Aman. first Christmas and New Year, the then President of Peninsula Hotels was sitting at the beach bar along with a raft of interest- ing, like-minded guests who grinned like children on Christmas day, opening this ex- traordinary gift to hospitality. We all knew that this was something very special in- deed, and over the years Amanpulo did not disappoint, as it evolved with the decades, built an extraordinary hilltop Spa, enticed us with new restaurants and never forgot that its guests were its most important asset. Naturally socially isolated, Amanpulo may have been out of bounds for many of us in 2020, but few of us do not long to return. y first experience of Amanresorts was Min 1988, when Amanpuri opened in Phuket, Thailand. From then on, many of us ‘collected’ Amans along with our Aman- junkie tee-shirts and, unsurprisingly, bump- ed into numerous fellow junkies as each new resort opened. Never in the history of hotelkeeping has an hotel group been so Photography Photography for The Gallivanter’s Guide© by David Maslin and Philippe Servais, & courtesy of some hotel groups featured. influential, despite the fact that its founder, The Library at Amanzoe, Greece, typifies the group’s unique architectural style and intimacy. 3 GAL 100 JAN 2021-12pages_GAL June '09-NY 12pp 01/01/2021 16:46 Page 4 urope is awash with great hotels, but in Ethe mainstream media, we mainly hear of the Grandes Dames; many of which are famous for being famous. London certain- ly has its fair share of big names, but in terms of pure hospitality, The Beaumont, in Mayfair, is a force unto itself. Created by the renowned restauranteurs, Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, who had never operated an hotel before, The Beaumont opened its doors in September 2014 and I must admit to wondering whether a flair for Food & Beverage could translate into a great hotel. Indeed it could! Jeremy King asked himself what he, as a guest, would want from an Best ever European City Hotel. hotel, then set about implementing his ideas. When I first stayed there, I was impressed The Beaumont, London. with the extraordinarily guest-friendly room designs. Everything I wanted semeed to be on hand; the right lighting, the most com- The welcoming Lobby of The Beaumont, in London’s Mayfair. fortable of beds, bathrooms with plenty of mains, however, a template for excellence, signed to capture the best sunsets and to space for my toiletries and a quirky Art garnering 26% of your votes. coddle you in warm Greek hospitality. The Deco style that belied the modernity of the here are not as many great resort hotels private Aegean-set beach is a buggy ride property. The Beaumont became my Lon- Tin Europe as one would expect, but away, but oh so civilised once one arrives; don home, and after I first wrote about it, the Ed Tuttle designed Amanzoe stands ap- replete with cabanas, bar, restaurant and it became home to many of you, too. Gen- art as a masterpiece of resort design, open- swimming pools, which compensate for eral Manager, Jannes Soerensen, arrived via ed to great acclaim in the summer of 2012, the imported sandy beach. A serene Spa, Le Bristol in Paris and managed to add in the heart of mainland Greece’s Pelop- with a high, viewsome yoga studio, helps another layer of excellence. Then the hotel onnese. Indeed, one Member stayed there you relax, whilst the bars and restaurants was sold and currently, it is closed for a three times in 2020! Just 90 minute’s drive serve up lashings of simple Greek, Japan- major renovation and the addition of new from Athens, and even quicker via heli- ese and International fare. A truly perfect suites in a neighbouring building. It re- copter, this modern classic seems to be de- hideaway. Best ever European Resort Hotel. Amanzoe, Greece. Utter tranquillity pervades the classically designed Amanzoe; one of the late Ed Tuttle’s architectural masterpieces. 4 GAL 100 JAN 2021-12pages_GAL June '09-NY 12pp 01/01/2021 16:46 Page 5 uke Bailes’ Singita brand seems to un- Lderstand the high-end market better than anyone in the African safari business, yet it Best ever Hotel/Resort still manages to be of the place and seri- ously eco-conscious.

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