Travel+Style Editor awards the badge at the time of reviewing, and the hotels that are deemed the worthy ones might have been given the badge for different reasons.
But it’s not completely on a whim. The resort or a hotel must grab us by heart. The design, atmosphere and ambience fill with pure joy, but most of all, the experience must leave us wanting to come back—or never leave.
So check out the short list of the chosen ones: the Travel+Style Editor’s Pick Hotels.
Creation of a local designer Francesca Tsempelis, Dreams is a collection of Santorinian dwellings converted into just four apartments.
This offers incredible exclusivity, and its seclusion and romantic decor of simple, traditional furniture makes the hotel particularly popular with honeymooners.
Thanks to its location on one of the highest points of the island, Dreams enjoys views not only of the caldera, with its legendary sunsets, but also of the eastern part of the island.
We had a fantastic time at this resort and wrote that Six Senses Ninh Van Bay must be amongst the very best classic luxury beach resorts in Vietnam. We were too hesitant to extend this praise beyond Vietnam: today the resort is still one of our favourites in all the countries we visited in Asia.
We absolutely loved the villas, which offered exceptional comfort and class in the quintessentially ‘Six Senses’ style.
Aman means “peace” in Sanskrit, and the suffix “sara” refers to the Khmer mythology of Apsara dancers. This encompasses the experience of Amansara: a haven of tranquil sophistication in vicinity of the ancient ruins of Angkor.
Once an oasis for celebrities (including Jacqueline Kennedy, Charles de Gaulle, and Peter O’Toole), Amansara occupies a former guesthouse of King Sihanouk, who in the early 60s commissioned French architect Laurent Mondet to create a cool and contemporary residence for visiting dignitaries.
Amansara retains the heritage of the 1960s luxury, with its cool minimalist design of white stucco and dark timber in the villas—and tailored sightseeing that unlocks the secrets of Angkor… without the crowds.
Alila combines the romantic and the minimalist in one feat of architectural and design accomplishment.
The place is a stunner. Designed to the highest standards of contemporary aesthetic, it has high ceilings, huge mirrors and polished slabs of cement, bright walls sharply contrasted with elegant dark wood finishes, and elegant furniture set against vast expanses of space.
Of course the experience only starts there: we felt pampered from the beginning to the end of our stay. Champagne with strawberries for breakfast? Yes please.
Classically Thai design and a relaxed atmosphere of a small boutique hotel, the beautiful beach flanked by tall palms and spectacular views of the Gulf of Siam: there isn’t much more we could ever wish.
Add to this the beautiful villas and great service and you will begin to appreciate why for us Four Seasons remains a benchmark of class and carefree luxury.
The Top 50 plus dozens of mentions, and secret rumours!
We are compelled to preface this by saying that just because we have two properties from Aman Resorts on the Editor’s Pick list doesn’t mean there is something going on behind the scenes. Maybe we are just the Aman Junkies. And certainly it’s one addiction we don’t want to give up.
For our latest fix we went to Bodrum, to a hillside place of pine trees and olive groves, with thirty six private cottages spread on the edges of a small bay.
For more we kindly refer you to our Amanruya review, especially as it is actually the 100th Travel+Style review. Fittingly appropriate, since this round number gave us the impulse to write this short compilation.
Author: Travel+Style. Last updated: 27/02/2016
Greece • Santorini
Dreams: small and romantic, elegant and exclusive
