Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has a few big announcements, including the launch of SLH Emporium, new hotels in Asia, several refurbishments, foodie news and holiday packages. Here’s what you need to know.
SLH Emporium
Just in time for the holiday season, SLH has introduced its online marketplace, SLH Emporium. It will offer e-gift cards available in any denomination of euro, pound sterling, U.S. dollar, or Australian dollar. The gift cards can be used for payments towards a guest stay at any SLH hotel.
New Hotels
Anya Resort Tagaytay, Tagaytay, Philippines
At Anya Resort Tagaytay has 64 rooms and the design of the buildings flows with the slopes of Tagaytay’s ridges. Guests are encouraged to explore the seven hectares of gardens overlooking pineapple fields, refresh in a tranquil pool, relax with a book from the “borderless library” or jog along the canopy-lined nature trail. Each guest is assigned their own Lifestyle Assistant for the duration of their stay who will personally prepare their suite and customize every detail, whether is sourcing a favourite soap or serving a bespoke meal on their private terrace. Led by Chef Emmanuel Stroobant the restaurant highlights the freshest local produce and promises a truly healthy yet indulgent dining experience.
SLH Insider Tip: Enjoy a milk and rose bath at the hotel’s Niyama spa.
Zhenze Waterside House Boutique Hotel, Suzhou, China
On the outskirts of Shanghai, the Jiang Nan river runs through the town of Zhenze, a peaceful setting with stone bridges, old pagodas, blossoming gardens and traditional timber-framed houses. Here, travellers will find the nine-room Zhenze Waterside House. The Garden Restaurant, located in the middle of the inner lake, comes complete with a Pingtan performance (if requested), a form of singing poetry dating back hundreds of years. The hotel has a teahouse where guests can taste Biluochun tea, a local speciality, in a traditional ceremony; or, a personal butler can escort guests to shop and customize a traditional Qipao dress.
SLH Insider Tip: The town is famous for being the birthplace of silk in China – if you visit the Silk Museum at the right time you can see a room full of silk worms, eating mulberry leaves and spinning cocoons.
Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Located in the hip neighbourhood of Meguro, the Hotel Gajoen Tokyo has been open since 1928 as the ‘Palace of the Dragon God.’ It’s a great balance between past and present: The polished entrance hall contains the original Invitation Gate of Meguro Gajoen, antique features include carved wooden panels and Japanese lacquer work, and the Hyakudan Kaidan gallery is filled with Japanese pre-war art. There are three restaurants: Shunyuki, a Tokyo take on Chinese medicinal cuisine; Tofutei, serving classic Japanese dishes; and Canoviano, set up by Takamasa Uektake, a pioneer of Italian cuisine in Japan.
SLH Insider Tip: Get a true Japanese experience by opting for traditional tatami suite complete with hinoki cypress bathtub.
Refurbishment News
Baros Maldives, Maldives
The Deluxe Villas at the Baros Maldives have recently been upgraded. The 950 square feet of living space has been transformed with bright décor. A unique feature of these upgraded Villas is the partly open-air bathroom with waterfall shower in a sandstone-walled flower garden and stand-alone oval bathtub. Each Deluxe Villa has private access to the beach.
Theoxenia Palace Hotel, Athens, Greece
Theoxenia Palace Hotel has just opened a brand-new spa on property. At the Theoxenia Palace Spa, purifying and restoring techniques are used to trigger the mind, body and spirit. Hotel guests can enjoy a healthy Sauna or hammam session, or they can opt for one of the various facial, body treatments and massage techniques offered by the Spa. Available by appointment, the hotel’s beautician will offer a variety of enlightening and beneficial treatments that will rejuvenate and stimulate the senses.
Foodie News
Nimb Hotel, Copenhagen, Denmark
Nimb Hotel has recently announced the appointment of its food concierge, Rasmus Palsgård. The food concierge is available to consult with guests and drive around town with guests in the hotel’s Bentley or by bike, so they not only experience Copenhagen but taste Copenhagen and make the most out of their time in the beautiful city.
Bella Luce Hotel & Spa, Guernsey, UK
The only hotel with a commercial gin distillery in the British Isles is Guernsey’s Bella Luce, the home of Wheadon’s Gin. The house gin served at the bar of Guernsey’s Bella Luce Hotel is distilled in the hotel’s cellar lounge by the hotel’s proprietor Luke Wheadon. What began in 2015 as a side project for the chef-turned-hotelier, quickly developed to become the toast of the Channel Islands and further afield by winning spirits awards in London and beyond. Guests and visitors can enjoy a range of gin experiences at the hotel from “ginformative” tasting sessions through to a bespoke “distil whilst you dine” evening, at the end of which participants are able to round out their dinner with a glass of gin (and a small bottle to take away) of their own design.
DasPosthotel, Tyrol, Austria
As a new addition to the award-winning HeLeni restaurant, guests staying at DasPosthotel now have a new dining option in a historic Tyrolean farmhouse and barn overlooking the Zillertal Valley. Guests can make reservations at Martinerhof for a traditional farmer breakfast, snack-time (Jause), or three-course evening meal cooked and served by Martinerhof’s host and hostess. Guests are transported by DasPostHotel’s VIP shuttle. For more than 100 years, generations of alpine farmers have lived and worked in the Martinerhof, and now it has been rebirthed as a multipurpose space for enjoying and sampling Zillertal fare.
New Activities
La Sultana, Marrakech, Morocco
La Sultana has unveiled its new “Style Package” to celebrate the opening of the Yves Saint Laurent Museum. The museum will house thousands of Yves Saint Laurent’s articles of clothing, designs and video clips as chosen by his late partner Pierre Bergé. With the “Style Package,” guests receive a day pass to the museum and Majorelle Gardens, the new signature Yves Saint Laurent cocktail, a Moroccan breakfast and an exclusive private discovery of the Villa L’Oasis.
Rockliffe Hall, Darlington, United Kingdom
Just in time for Christmas 2017, Rockliffe Hall will launch Mischmasch, a one-and-a-half-acre multi-functional park for guests. This £750,000 development, inspired by Lewis Caroll, will have a wide range of activities for younger visitors such as an Alice in Wonderland Nature Trail and Sculptures and an Eco Adventure Playground, including climbing frames and interactive water fountains. A main feature will be six Arctic Pods, nestled in the woodland with different indoor experiences, including interactive and electronic games and the start of a journey to “Find the Cheshire Cat.”
137 Pillars Hotels & Resorts – Chiang Mai and Bangkok, Thailand
137 Pillars Hotels & Resorts has created Sleep by Design Therapy for guests at their Bangkok and Chiang Mai properties. Under the guidance of the group’s Spa Consultant, Roger Moore, a four-part Sleep Therapy treatment has been created that calibrates and touches all the senses in a relaxing 90-minute ritual to prepare the mind and body for a deep restorative sleep. The Sleep by Design Therapy program is a deeply restorative, soothing and relaxing treatment that improves quality of sleep and recovery through a combination of traditional holistic elements, combined with the latest technology.
Hotel Belles Rives, Cap d’Antibes, France
In partnership with the renowned Meilland brand, The Belles Rives Rose has recently launched. Each rose has 35 cherry pink petals which spread a rich fragrance of ancient rose and Syracuse lemon. The roses can be found throughout the property, as a welcome to guests and used at various events. It will also be sold by Meilland international distributors and florists around the world to reproduce the unique atmosphere of Belles Rives at home.
Holiday Offerings
The Ampersand Hotel, London, United Kingdom
This Christmas, guest of The Ampersand Hotel can bring their dogs to stay with. For Christmas, The Ampersand Hotel has become a Corporate Friend of Dogs Trust, so when you stay with your dog over the festive period, your pooch will receive a chew toy and, to give back, you will have the opportunity to donate to help those pups less fortunate.
Les Sources de Caudalie, Bordeaux, France
Les Sources de Caudalie offers a large suite package where a Christmas tree will await families; Christmas decorations will be available for guests to decorate the tree. After a gourmet breakfast, the whole family can wrap themselves into warm clothes and discover the Land’Art collection or the Christmas lights of Bordeaux city. On Christmas night, families can sit down in front of the fireplace of the country inn La Table du Lavoir or take in views of the starry night sky at the 2-Michelin star restaurant La Grand’Vigne.
For a luxury New Year holiday, enjoy a three-night stay with a tasting in the wine bar and Rouge, a New Year’s Eve dinner in the 2-Michelin star restaurant La Grand’Vigne, and a New Year’s Day brunch with a glass of champagne at La Table du Lavoir.
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