If your idea of roughing it is a thread count under 1000, a hotel with only two on-duty concierges or flying business class, you already know your lavish from your opulent.
So if you’re searching for your next white-gloved butler, superyacht adventure or sumptuous Parisian hotel, Escape’s Luxury Travel Hot List will help you make 2019 a stellar year.
NEXT-LEVEL SOUTHEAST ASIA
Well-heeled travellers are turning to Southeast Asia, Vietnam in particular, with luxury resorts adding to the history, culture and amazing food. Vietnam is a gateway to Cambodia and Laos, best explored on a river cruise.
Seaside Banyan Tree Lang Co in central Vietnam offers 49 plush beachfront villas from about $625 a night. An hour from Da Nang, you are close enough to visit the Imperial Citadel of Hue, My Son Sanctuary, and heritage old town – and skilled tailors – in picturesque Hoi An.
New Anantara Quy Nhon Villas have butlers, jungle-shrouded day spa and lemongrass scent. Beachfront villas from about $630 a night.
East luxe meets west luxe at the new Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, just a walk to upmarket Gaysorn Village mall. Expect large suites, marble bathtubs, champagne bar, cocktail bar and signature Front Room restaurant.
OCEANIC OPULENCE
Nothing screams extravagance like a superyacht and APT has added new itineraries to its Luxury Small Ships program, including Adriatic cruises on the new 18-cabin MV Queen Eleganza. A nine-day Croatian Island Discovery cruise from Zagreb to Dubrovnik is from $6995 a person.
The Palace is a “ship-within-a-ship” concept on the upper decks of Dream Cruises’ Singapore-based Genting Dream and Hong Kong-based World Dream.
Palace Villa and Palace Suite guests have a private pool, sundeck, restaurant, spa and priority access to everything.
The two 224sq m villas sleep up to six guests and come with a grand piano.
A five-night cruise in a Palace Villa can run to $8065 a person twin share but is often discounted.
PARIS PINK
Synonymous with French luxury and cuisine, the five-star, pink-themed Fauchon L’Hotel, which opened in September in the glam 8th arrondissement, highlights its offerings for mesdames thusly: “Our philosophy is that all women … feel at ease, pampered and privileged through a multitude of details. All of this welcoming finesse is delivered without ever excluding men.”
Think cocktails in the custom pink armoire-styled Gourmet Bar, a spin on the Seine in a mahogany boat, behind-the-scenes access at Paris shows, vintage wine tastings and even a designer fashion show in your suite.
Prestige Suites from around $2350 a night.
THINK MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is so hot right now – luxury for the soul. Bhutan calls itself the land of Gross National Happiness and you can contemplate your navel for about $2000 a night in high season at one of Six Senses Bhutan’s five lodges in the eastern Himalayas.
Hang with endangered black-necked cranes between spa treatments at Gangtey, altitude 3000m, and drive through terraced farmland and deep river valleys to the pine grove digs at Bumthang, where you can visit the nearby Palace Wangdichholing.
Memoire Palace Resort & Spa in Siem Reap, Cambodia, is 10 minutes from the fabled Angkor temples and includes vegetarian menus, cooking classes, OTT spa treatments and airport transfers. Head to the Gin Bar by the pool at day’s end.
Grand Pool Suites from about $680 a night.
WELCOME BACK
Datai Langkawi, Malaysia, reopens in December, after a $US60 million, 12-month renovation. Its Signature Chef Series will complement luxe rooms, famed service, rainforest, tranquil bay and nearby Ernie Els-designed championship golf course.
Peak season Rainforest Villas from about $1700 a night.
Capella Lodge on World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island has had a $4 million facelift to its spa and luxury suites, including significant additions to the Makambo Loft ($1250pp a night) and Catalina Suite ($1100pp a night).
Iconic Raffles Singapore hotel will reopen in August after a massive reno. The Long Bar, home of the Singapore Sling cocktail, is already taking orders.
ECO-LUXE
Social justice travel is on the march. Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort on the Baa Atoll built its villas and overwater bungalows with sustainability in mind and has a plastic-free policy.
The new Jumeirah at Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi also has a zero plastic policy to protect the nearby turtle breeding ground.
If you’ve got a beef with methane-emissions, pig out at veg food hotspots from Venice to Rome on Intrepid Travel’s eight-day Italy Vegan Food Adventure for $2888 a person.
