Our Editors' Favorite Hideaway Hotels Worldwide
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TOP 100 HIDEAWAYS Our editors’ favorite hideaway hotels worldwide The Brando 1 Tetiaroa Private Island French Polynesia hideaway (hīd-ə-wā)— A small quiet hotel or resort of 50 rooms or fewer that provides a secluded place in which to relax, reflect and recuperate. All year long, Andrew Harper’s small team of editors travels far and wide, uncovering the most distinctive hotels in the world. While our 1,000 recommended properties vary in size, style and locale, it’s hideaways — those tranquil hotels of 50 rooms or fewer — that are at the heart of what we do. Our favorite hideaways possess exceptional character and a commitment to classic hospitality, and they are sanctuaries offering a profound sense of place. Andrew Harper editors have been traveling the world for decades, and their evaluations go beyond simple checklists. Their ultimate aim is to separate the truly enchanting from the merely excellent. So if it’s a place of refuge you seek, a place where you can leave the world behind and experience something genuinely special, then let our editors point the way. We begin in detail with their 20 favorite hideaways, followed by the full list of the top 100. Top 20 ......................................................... p. 2-22 United States ............................................. p. 23 Canada ...................................................... p. 24 Mexico ........................................................ p. 24 Caribbean ................................................... p. 24 Central & South America .......................... p. 24 Great Britain & Ireland ............................. p. 25 Northern Europe ........................................ p. 25 Central & Eastern Europe ......................... p. 25 France ........................................................ p. 26 Italy ............................................................ p. 26 Spain .......................................................... p. 27 Portugal ..................................................... p. 27 Mediterranean ............................................ p. 27 Africa ......................................................... p. 28 Asia ............................................................ p. 28 Australia & New Zealand .......................... p. 29 South Pacific .............................................. p. 29 1 1 POST RANCH INN Big Sur, California © KODIAK GREENWOOD KODIAK © This exclusive coastal resort occupies a dramatic bluff directly above the Pacific in Big Sur, 45 minutes south of Carmel. The 39 lodgings include the extraordinary circular Pacific Suites, which feature outdoor hot tubs, woodburning fireplaces and private entrances. An outstanding gourmet restaurant is backed by a superlative wine cellar. A wholly exceptional romantic getaway and spa retreat, Post Ranch Inn is a long- standing favorite of Andrew Harper members — a place where the views are mind- boggling and total seclusion is guaranteed. SUPERIOR SERVICE: With about 150 employees, the resort has one of the largest staff-to-guest ratios in the world. A DESIGN TOUR DE FORCE: Constructed with recycled redwood and huge panes of glass, its accommodations are architectural triumphs. THE OUTSIDE COMES IN: The spa uses its own products, which are made from wildflowers found on the estate. 2 2 AMAN VENICE Venice, Italy COURTESY OF AMAN Offering refined comfort amid surroundings of scarcely believable grandeur, the Aman Venice is an opulent 24-room hotel in the spectacular renovated 16th-century Palazzo Papadopoli on the Grand Canal. Magnificent common areas include a dazzling second-floor dining room with gilded mirrors, lavish moldings, glittering chandeliers and glorious frescoes. Some rooms and suites feature works by great Italian artists, including Sansovino and Tiepolo. OVERWHELMINGLY GRAND: Built in 1560, the Palazzo Papadopoli is one of only eight palazzi monumentali in Venice. HOME TO THE BEST SUITE IN THE WORLD: The Alcova Tiepolo Suite might just be the world’s most beautiful hotel room. WHERE HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY TIE THE KNOT: This is where George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin — and let’s face it, they could have gone anywhere. 3 3 BALLYFIN County Laois, Ireland Located 60 miles southwest of Dublin and surrounded by a 614-acre estate, Ballyfin Demesne is perhaps the greatest Regency house in Ireland. In the magnificent public rooms, sumptuous fabrics and rugs are complemented by mahogany furniture, Chippendale mirrors and a collection of Irish paintings from the 18th century to the present. Each of the 20 rooms is individually decorated with authentic furniture, resplendent fabrics and original artwork. Despite the grandeur, the atmosphere is relaxed and the staff are as friendly as only the Irish know how. TRAVEL BACK IN TIME: Ballyfin is like living in the 18th century — but with electricity. BEST SUITE: The Wellesley-Pole Suite, with its view of the water cascade, is truly palatial. INSIDER INFO: An 80-foot library runs the length of the mansion’s south façade, from which the conservatory can be accessed via a secret door hidden in a bookshelf. 4 4 TWIN FARMS Barnard, Vermont At this intimate and exclusive country retreat, amid 300 acres of meadows and wood- lands in the unspoiled Champlain Valley, guests choose from 20 distinctive lodgings that feature feather beds and sitting areas that open onto private screened porches. The restaurant at Twin Farms is exceptional, as are all other on-site facilities, including a spa, a gym, Japanese-style soaking tubs and a raftered library housed in the original barn. CULTURAL CONNECTIONS: The historic home of author Sinclair Lewis, Twin Farms has been completely reimagined, and its stunning interior is now decorated with paintings by David Hockney, Frank Stella, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein and others. BEST BATH: The Aviary suite comes with a sunken hot tub directly in front of a log fireplace. UNIQUE EXPERIENCES: The property has six private downhill ski slopes, accessible by high-speed snowmobile. The romantically inclined may wish to dine in 5 the wine cellar, which can be reserved for private dinners for two. 5 SAN YSIDRO RANCH Santa Barbara, California The 500-acre San Ysidro Ranch resort is set in the leafy foothills of Montecito, just outside Santa Barbara. Landscaped grounds contain 41 cottages with peaked roofs, fireplaces or stoves, private patios and generous sitting areas. Dining venues include the award-winning Stonehouse restaurant and Plow & Angel bistro. Luxury accommodations, a full-service spa and extensive hiking trails make this wonderful retreat feel far removed from the troubles of the world. LITTLE-KNOWN FACT: San Ysidro Ranch was originally cultivated by Franciscan monks who received the land in a grant from King Charles III of Spain in 1769. CELEBRITY CONNECTION: Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh were married at the Ranch, and John and Jackie Kennedy honeymooned here. John Huston wrote much of the script for “The African Queen” during a three-month stay. OVER-THE-TOP INDULGENCE: In-room pet massages are available for $75 for 30 minutes. 6 6 THE BRANDO Tetiaroa Private Island, French Polynesia A private island once owned by Marlon Brando, Tetiaroa is a 20-minute flight from Tahiti by private light aircraft. The lavish one- to three-bedroom beachfront villas (there are 35) feature outdoor tubs, high-tech media rooms and decks with plunge pools. Amenities include a glamorous wellness facility, complete with a waterfall and bird’s nest-like couples suite, and a French restaurant overseen by Michelin-starred chef Guy Martin. WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT: Arguably, this is the ultimate castaway island escape. For centuries, it was a retreat reserved for Tahitian royalty. BIG-SCREEN CONNECTION: Brando fell in love with Tetiaroa while filming “Mutiny on the Bounty.” He conceived it as his personal paradise and said that it was “beautiful beyond my capacity to describe.” ONE-OF-A-KIND ACTIVITIES: Polynesian dance lessons; music lessons with ukulele, pahu or toere; and pareu dyeing and tying. 7 7 LES PRÉS D’EUGÉNIE Eugénie-les-Bains, Bordeaux, France The renowned 47-room Les Prés d’Eugénie hotel and spa was created by legendary chef Michel Guérard and his wife, Christine. The gracious French country-chic enclave comprises the main hotel, three other self-contained smaller “hotels,” a Michelin three- star restaurant and a rustic bistro. This gourmet hideaway has an exceptional cooking school with half-day, full-day or five-day courses and is also a sublime wellness retreat with comprehensive spa facilities and two swimming pools. WHAT MAKES IT UNFORGETTABLE: This is perhaps the world’s foremost temple to refined hedonism. CLAIM TO FAME: Chef Guérard earned his first Michelin stars in 1967. His legendary cuisine minceur allows you to eat stupendously well and lose weight at the same time. GOOD TO KNOW: The hotel’s Ferme Thermale, housed within a former 18th-century farmland, is famous for its citrus milk baths in front of an open fire. 8 8 GIDLEIGH PARK Chagford, Devon, England © PAUL WILKINSON© PAUL PHOTOGRAPHY / ANDREW BROWNSWORD HOTELS Located amid dense woodland at the end of a narrow driveway lined by high stone walls, Gidleigh Park is a distinctive Tudor-style sanctuary set along the banks of a trout stream in England’s timeless West Country. The 24 individually designed rooms contain antiques and original paintings. The atmospheric public salons lead to a superlative Michelin two-star restaurant overseen by chef Michael Wignall. The property is located at the northern