The results are in. This week has been the number one indicator.
After enough time at home, y’all are all ready for a night ( or seven) away in a hotel.
And a great hotel can make or break a vacation. (And in some cases, the hotel is the entire vacation, rightfully so) Virtuoso released the best of the best hotels and they are all on my Wanderlist and I hope you’ll add them too.
Here are just a few of the many reasons I am thrilled to get back out there and check in…
1. A sense of place
From hearing morning calls to prayer from a private riad at the Royal Mansour Marrakech to hand-cranking fresh pasta dough during a cooking class at Tuscany’s Borgo Pignano, I love when a hotel and the experiences it offers truly embody a destination.
2. Hotel stationery
There’s nothing quite like firing off a memo or a I -miss-you note on personalized hotel stationery. (It also makes a lovely souvenir collection.)
3. Smart tech
Blackout blinds! Ambient lighting controlled via tablet. Ultra-comfortable beds with thread counts so high I didn’t even know they existed – today’s hotels are tricked out in ways we never would have expected two decades ago.
Case in point: The rooms at the Equinox Hotel, New York City feature “proprietary sleep systems” that include temperature-regulating mattresses and soundproof walls. This beats the coin operated bed vibrator I use to fight over!
Rachael at the Ritz Carlton
4. The hotel bathrobe
Nothing says hotel guest as definitively as wrapping yourself in the luxury of a hotel bathrobe. It might be Turkish terry. Or waffle weave. Or kimono-style with an understated logo. In the 1950s and ’60s, even the humblest hotel room came stocked with an ice bucket (since the first thing you did after check-in was pour a cocktail). But now the first thing you do, at least if you’re anything like moi, is shed your clothes and try on that robe.
Robes have become so iconic that it’s universally acceptable to wear one riding up and down the elevators of a five-star hotel – whether you’re headed to the spa or not. Stripped of our street identities, we’re free to roam our rooms like slightly crazed characters who have just stepped out of a Wes Anderson film.
5. … and slippers.
So many of you have made your way through a few pairs of house shoes this last year. Luckily, some of the ones I love from my favorite hotels are available to purchase online, including these regal orange-velvet beauties from New York City’s The Mark. Go ahead and splurge.
A Ritz Paris institution.
6. The bartenders
Just as iconic as the legendary bars in the world’s best hotels are the people meticulously crafting the cocktails behind them. Oh the sights they’ve seen and the stories they can tell. I know the Delano, Miami ones remember me.
7. Minibars
We’ll always have fond memories of soothing nightcaps after harried flights, cans of Pringles after nights out in new cities, and those tall drinks of Fiji water! And who doesn’t love a bite of chocolate for a midnight snack.
8. Scoring a fountain-view room at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Absolutely Enough said
9. Champagne toasts
One constant at my favorite hotels: A great glass of bubbly, whether it’s a much-loved welcome amenity waiting for us in our suite or a prosecco toast in the lobby bar before a night out in a new city.
Some places take their Champagne game very seriously: At the Baccarat Hotel New York, guests can pick their preferred stemware – there are more than 15,000 pieces of crystal in use throughout the hotel. The Champagne Room at London’s Connaught is a tiny retreat behind a velvet curtain that specializes in rare pours in French crystal.
And at St. Regis Hotels & Resorts worldwide, the sunset Champagne sabering is a beloved happy hour ritual.
10. Exclusive access
After-hours tours, quiet breakfasts at the foot of Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue – I love a hotel that makes us feel as if the world is ours alone. One shining example: Beijing’s Aman Summer Palace. Not only can the hotel arrange privately guided hikes on a tourist-free section of the Great Wall, followed by a picnic lunch at a village farmhouse, but the property’s direct entrance to the Summer Palace grants you extremely easy access. Make sure to bring your cell phone while you’re out exploring:
Call the hotel when you’re back and they’ll open the secret door for you. But first, book with your favorite Virtuoso advisor.
11. People-watching
“Having lunch by The Peninsula Beverly Hills’ pool in perfect weather, whether in January or July, is one of the best people-watching experiences in the world and you must do it once.”
An Irish joyride.
12. Virtuoso amenities
Along with daily breakfast and preferred rates, Virtuoso advisors secure hotel perks that range from spa and dining credits to suite upgrades, limo transfers, and more. Here, a few complimentary experiences you’d miss out on by making reservations on your own. So book with ME!
- A wine and cheese tasting at Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires’ Vinoteca.
- A cooking class at Montalcino, Italy’s Castello di Velona Resort.
- A souvenir-worthy farm-to-table gift set at Vermont’s Twin Farms.
- Road-tripping through Ireland’s Kenmare area in Sheen Falls Lodge’s 1936 Buick Roadmaster convertible.
13. Pools that make a splash
Trust me when we say you need to add these dreamy swimming spots to your Wanderlist right now:
The rooftop pool overlooking Rio de Janeiro at the Hotel Fasano; the infinity-edge beauty at Fregate Island Private in the Seychelles; the one that’s tucked within gardens at the Mandarin Oriental, Taipei; the perfect sunset perch (with a margarita in hand) with my favorite tequila Casamigos at Antigua’s Jumby Bay Island; the unreal Pacific views from the main pool (or your room’s private pool) at Big Sur’s Post Ranch Inn; and the sprawling one overlooking Crete’s Spinalonga Island at Blue Palace, a Luxury Collection Resort.
14. Hotel pets – and perks for your pets
If you like that sort of thing. Dogs, cats, mini horses, parrots – so many love hotels’ animals-in-residence. It’s even more special when our favorite luxury hotels extend a warm welcome to our own pets, offering everything from plush dog beds and house-baked bones to concierge recommendations for nearby pet-friendly establishments and (oh yes) pet massages.
Interior design inspo at J.K. Place Capri.
15. The lobbies
My home away from home!
16. The incredible service
This goes with saying.
17. Big gesture for little guests
Many Virtuoso hotels take family vacations and turn them into unforgettable trips, whether it’s providing something as simple as babysitting services so parents can have a night out, or completely transforming guest rooms into the ultimate movie night retreats (complete with makeshift tents and s’mores). From naturalist-led field trips in Montana to ukulele and hula lessons in Hawaii, we love when kids get the royal treatment too.
18. Tea time
You don’t have to be British or raise your pinkies to enjoy a fine cuppa. Afternoon teas at hotels around the world range from uber-traditional to haute couture. The Berkeley’s afternoon Pret-a-Portea in London, for example, takes it inspiration from high-fashion designers. It’s on pause right now, but we know its imminent return will be stylish.
19. Room service – whenever you want it and who doesn’t want it.
“Some say room service has a time and a place. Yes. It is any time, in any place,” writes Virtuoso Life’s Amy Cassell in her ode to the in-room meal. “Is there anything more unabashedly ‘I’m on vacation, ya’ll!’ than eating breakfast in bed while wearing a fluffy robe?”
20. Bush walks with cheetahs.
It’s one of the wild activities organized by The Royal Livingstone Anantara in Zambia. (Your travel advisor can tell you about many other sustainable wildlife experiences in Africa.)
21. Rooftop bars
This is always so alluring. Even the drinks taste better with a view.
“I love Portrait Roma’s 360-degree views and comfy sofas,” says Virtuoso Life contributing photographer Luis García. “Day or night, it’s a highlight of a trip to Rome.”
Dinner and a view at Soneva Kiri.
23. Bamboo tree-pod dining
It’s as amazing as it sounds, and you’ll find it at Soneva Kiri in Thailand.
24. Two words: outdoor showers!!!!
Step out in your birthday suit. You’ll find suites with sun showers at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla, L’Auberge de Sedona, and California’s Carneros Resort and Spa, to name a few.
25. A perfect night’s sleep ( most of the time)
Depends on the vacation.
How Far Adventures is an independent affiliate of Gifted Travel Network a Virtuoso Member. Thank you to the illustrious editors of Virtuoso for the time, words, and love of travel.
