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THE AGENDA

FIRST LOOK Global hot spots to NEW YEAR, explore now NEW CHEER From beachside boltholes to urban throwbacks, hotels round the world are upping the ante BY CLAUDIA ROELKE DESIGNHOTELS.COM, ROBERTO BONARDI ROBERTO DESIGNHOTELS.COM, WILD COAST TENTED LODGE, © TENTED LODGE, WILD COAST Clockwise from top left: with a view at The Silo in Cape Town; the spectacular setting of Wild he year’s bounty of new and new- opulent from now decked out © THE SILO, Coast Tented Lodge in look hostelries won’t disappoint with Bang & Olufsen TVs and Bluetooth Sri Lanka; the columned even the most demanding of sound systems. A new spa, hidden library at Quito’s Carlota hotel; the palatial travellers. Perhaps the season’s bar and top- brasserie further sweeten Hotel Eden in Rome T most hotly awaited unveiling, Rome’s the deal. In London, members-only club venerated Hotel Eden ( dorchestercollection. and hotel The Ned (thened.com), housed in com), returns from over a year’s hiatus with the erstwhile quarters of the Midland

98 redesigned guestrooms, each classically Bank, makes a dashing first impression » © LEFT: TOP FROM CLOCKWISE

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Scaling the dramatic peaks near Iceland’s new Deplar Farm boutique hotel

Iceland´s Deplar Farm has seen the transformation of a SHEEP FARM INTO AN INDULGENT RETREAT replete with hot tubs, saltwater pool and steam

with 252 1920s-inspired rooms, a rooftop Tel Aviv’s Poli . Across the Gulf, entrance on its namesake island’s pool and nine international eateries. Downtown Dubai’s commodious The northern tip with 175 suites and Equally debonair is the 86-key Whitby Address Boulevard (theaddress.com), enters standalone pool villas, authentic Thai Hotel (firmdalehotels.com), in NYC, where a the emirate’s star-studded hospitality cuisine and tranquil Spa Village. It’s a destination bar, an on-site and scene as a major contender with 196 guest similarly idyllic setting at Satoyama Jujo 130-seat cinema form a unique oasis rooms, 533 serviced apartments alongside (satoyama-jujo.com), in Japan’s mountainous amid Midtown’s hustle and bustle. The stellar leisure facilities, including a Niigata region. Here, a 150-year-old Carlota (carlota.ec), in Quito’s historic signature spa. It joins newcomer Dukes wood structure, and a modern extension, centre, is yet another inner-city hideaway, Dubai (dukesdubai.com), the noted British house 12 rustic , a farm-to- featuring 12 boho-chic rooms with hotelier’s first international outpost, table restaurant and a hot- spa. Up exposed brick and wood panelling which includes a Martin Cahill-helmed in the wintry wilds of Iceland, meanwhile, as as a trendy rooftop lounge British-inflected brasserie, a tony martini Eleven Experience’s latest revelation, specialising in ceviche and gin cocktails. bar and a health club with marina views Deplar Farm (elevenexperience.com), has seen Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront gains a – just a few highlights in a comprehensively the transformation of a sheep farm into swish showstopper in The Silo indulgent package that’s rounded out by an indulgent retreat replete with hot (theroyalportfolio.com), set in a repurposed 279 equally well-appointed rooms. tubs, saltwater pool and steam rooms – grain , six above soon-to- Those looking to flee the city – the perfect way to unwind after a day open Zeitz Museum of Contemporary whether for a little R&R or adventure – spent heli-skiing or fly-fishing in the Art Africa. Its 28 colourful rooms, cafe can also delight in a handful of new surrounding mountainscape. It’s a more and rooftop pool enjoy stunning views of offerings, including the Wild Coast Tented sybaritic experience down under at the cityscape and Table Mountain. Lodge (resplendentceylon.com), where guests Willow Creek Vineyard, on the Meanwhile, the Brown Jerusalem overnight in 28 air-conditioned Mornington Peninsula near Melbourne, (brownhotels.com), a 23-key boutique “Cocoon” tents (some with their own from which winery’s 46-key Jackalope bolthole set in a 19th-centry villa a stone’s plunge pools) on a deserted beach in hotel (jackalopehotels.com) lures guests with throw away from the Old City, marks the southeastern Sri Lanka. Another a gourmet eatery, 30m infinity pool and Israel-based Brown Hotel group’s fourth Southeast Asian gem, The Ritz-Carlton superlative Aussie vintages. It’s an

property following the recent launch of Koh Samui (ritzcarlton.com), makes a graceful intoxicating scene indeed. ♦ ALEX FENLON

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