'Harper's Bazaar' editors reveal their favourite hotels around the globe
Where do Harper's Bazaar editors return to for the very best in luxury hospitality on their travels?
The answer is a sprawling Californian estate, a legendary Singaporean grand dame, a tropical Barbadian haven, and more…
Spanning Asia, America, Europe and the Caribbean, these are the Bazaar editor-approved hotels to know.
Passalacqua, Italy
While Passalacqua has undoubted grandeur and heritage – Vincenzo Bellini composed Norma from this 18th century villa – this hotel fulfils all your modern needs. There is something special about the community it fosters; staying here is like joining a low-key members’ club, in which guests gather poolside or on the terraces overlooking Lake Como with a friendly nonchalance. It’s an intergenerational haven, where you will see families, couples of all ages and friends alike – even when its 24 suites are at full capacity, it still feels bespoke and breezy. New to the establishment is the chef di casa Viviana Varese, whose own restaurant has a Michelin star, and the Seed to Skin spa that runs in the atmospheric secret tunnels and caves beneath the gardens. Little wonder it was awarded the top accolade at the World’s 50 Best Hotel awards last year. Helena Lee, acting deputy editor
Passalacqua, from about £1,304 a suite a night, B&B.
Deplar Farm, Iceland
When I think of the most exhilarating experiences I’ve ever had, I struggle to choose. Was it the time I went swimming in a geothermically heated pool, Martini in hand, while the northern lights shimmered over my head? Or when I emerged from a baking sauna buried deep in a hillside to leap into an ice-covered plunge pool? Or the time I skied almost blindly through a blizzard to a wooden hut, to find a roaring fire, thick blankets and hot chocolate awaiting me inside? Or when a sturdy Icelandic horse carried me for miles along a snow-covered seashore?… All of these were part of a memorable four-day trip to Deplar Farm, which proved life-changing in the best possible way.
When the experiences on offer are of the extreme variety – you can also go ice-fishing and heli-skiing here – it’s important to return to a base that’s both comfortable and cossetting. The Farm itself is exquisitely simple in design. A former sheep station with a turf-covered roof, it now has enormous windows offering panoramic views of the surrounding mountains; the bedrooms, by contrast, are cosy and colourful. Food is a highlight, featuring fresh-caught fish and local fruit and vegetables, and the bar staff are expert at whipping up inventive cocktails. Sip one as you read by the fire after an intensive day of your chosen activity, or, if you prefer, soothe your tired muscles with a yoga session, or reflect on your derring-do as you meditate in a flotation tank… Lydia Slater, editor-in-chief
Deplar Farm, from about £2,800 a room a night, based on two people sharing, including activities, meals and round-trip transfers to Akureyri airport.
Coral Reef Club, Barbados
Walking down the Coral Reef Club’s palm-lined driveway feels like all the very best parts of coming home. Perhaps because I had heard others talk warmly about this Barbados mainstay so often that I’d dreamt about ambling past its fringes of frangipani and bougainvillea long before I did. My days were spent swimming around the hotel’s thriving namesake coral reef, in between delicious nutmeg-spiced rum punch sipped under the shade of the casuarina-trees on the beach. In the heat of the afternoon, cooling bowls of sorbet were passed around; and on the rare occasion of tropical rain, I enjoyed a blissful hour or two unwinding at the serene spa and reading from the sheltered balcony of my elegant suite, interrupted only by resident green monkeys scampering around. Brooke Theis, commissioning editor
Coral Reef Club, from about £490 a room a night, B&B.
Post Ranch Inn, USA
A few summers ago, I took a road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway and a particularly memorable experience was stopping off at Post Ranch Inn. This 100-acre farm at the ocean’s edge is surrounded by towering redwoods, mountains and wild meadows. The sequoia-wood suites have curving decks, fireplaces and Pacific-facing baths – and the outdoor pools enjoy a similarly mesmerising vantage point. At the glass-walled Sierra Mar restaurant above the crashing waves, I enjoyed dinners of sunshine-infused produce. Nearby, I visited more of the free-spirited Big Sur coastline, but I didn’t want to be away from the ranch for long. California dreaming indeed… Caroline Lewis, chief sub-editor
Post Ranch Inn, from about £1,405 a room a night.
Madame Rêve, France
I have stayed twice at this elegant hotel in a former post office near the Louvre: once on holiday with my family, and the second time for a fleeting trip to interview the actress Lily Collins. On both occasions, I was equally impressed: the plate of Pierre Hermé macarons in every room is a nice touch (very Emily in Paris), while the views over Notre-Dame — to be admired from the comfort of your suite, or from the rooftop terrace — are beyond compare. A basket of freshly baked croissants in the courtyard is a pleasant way to start a working day, but at the weekend, I’d always choose to indulge in the lavish brunch, served in the magnificent surroundings of the brasserie, with its high ceilings and live piano music. Frances Hedges, deputy editor
Madame Rêve, from £440 a room a night.
Sani Resort, Greece
The best way to truly appreciate the scale of Sani resort is from the treetops. As my husband, son and I embarked on the hotel’s exhilarating adventure course through the forest canopy, we were rewarded with an astonishing view. A thousand acres of trees and wetlands curve around a sparkling turquoise stretch of the Aegean coastline, stretching from the Kassandra peninsula to the pine-topped hills of Northern Greece beyond.
Sani is a paradise for adults and children alike, comprising five individual hotels; our base for the trip was Sani Dunes, a sleek, modern development, set around a vast lagoon-style pool framed with fragrant rosemary bushes and olive-trees. There are seven beaches and numerous restaurants boasting Michelin stars. As part of the resort’s annual Gourmet festival, we experienced a truly memorable tasting-menu from the visiting chef Akira Back (whose first restaurant in London is opening at the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair), featuring smoked slow-cooked lobster and a melt-in-the mouth wagyu short-rib – a dish so good my husband actually dreamt about it. Connie Osborne, editorial business director
Sani Dunes, from about £254 a night, on a half-board basis.
Raffles, Singapore
Raffles is a shimmering Singaporean icon for sybarites who like the opulence dial cranked right up. Its unadulterated luxury includes a dedicated butler for every suite, making it feel more like a palace than a hotel. I visited shortly after it re-opened, following a two-year renovation designed to bring it into the 21st century and to a younger crowd, but the sentimental draw for me has always been its literary heritage, which continues today with a Writer’s Residency programme. The addition of world-class restaurants such as La Dame de Pic and Yi by Jereme Leung certainly broaden the hotel’s appeal, but thankfully despite the modernisation, the ghosts of Singapore’s most gilded bygone eras still loiter in the refracted light of its crystal chandeliers. Ravinder Bhogal, contributing editor
Raffles Singapore, from about £1,170 a room a night.
Macakizi, Turkey
Half an hour outside the mediaeval city of Bodrum, and almost entirely hidden from view by road, air or sea, the spectacularly stylish Macakizi resort sits high up on a dreamy peninsula, where the zing of pink bougainvillea and the seductive scent of rosemary and thyme welcome lucky guests. Since 1977, supermodels, rock stars and international royalty including Mick Jagger, Rudolf Nureyev and Kate Moss have chosen to make this secret haven their favourite retreat. Tumbling terraces, an open-air spa, a marble-lined hammam, a glass dining-room and outdoor local-art installations guide residents down to the shimmering water’s edge. Juliet Nicolson, contributing editor
Macakizi, from about £385 a room a night.
Rosewood Miramar Beach, USA
As soon as I set foot in Montecito, I could understand exactly why the Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose to make it their home: this charming slice of the ‘American Riviera’ has a quiet, small-town appeal with understated glamour that attracts big Hollywood names. Situated among the mansions of the rich and famous is the Rosewood Miramar Beach, an elegant property with immaculate lawns, luxurious bungalows and access to its own private stretch of beach. While relaxation is encouraged, there’s much to entertain, with six bars and restaurants, two pools and a variety of upscale boutiques – including one dedicated to Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand Goop (this is California, after all). The rejuvenating spa offers indulgent treatments and activities such as sunrise yoga and guided sunset walks along the water’s edge, and the resort even has its own ice-cream parlour to help you cool off in the Santa Barbara sunshine. Sarah Karmali, multiplatform director
Rosewood Miramar Beach.
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