Murano Oriental, Morocco

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Luxury is not about the price; it’s the experience. It’s not about sybaritic excess; it’s about living life to the full. In our coverage of the world’s hottest and latest hotel openings, we always try to look for a sense of personality, distinction, a relationship to the locale. Which more often than not means it’s the small, not the big, that defines a special experience. Herewith, a few of our favorite hotels with 99 rooms or under.

The Library
ASIA | THAILAND | KOH SAMUI
Thailand’s hot new boutique address is Moo 2. Yes, that’s the actual address for The Library, an ultra-minimalist beachfront complex that features ocean-view duplex cabins, a red swimming pool and, needless to say, a library. On an island that has morphed from backpacker getaway to international destination, The Library is Koh Samui’s last word in low-key luxury.

L’Avenida
EUROPE | SPAIN | MALLORCA
In addition to its scenic orange groves and 19th-century wooden train, Mallorca’s prettiest town, Soller, has just now welcomed the island’s most exclusive opening in years. With just eight rooms, this colonial mansion delivers retro-chic interiors (with original marble staircase and frescos), as well as spectacular views of the Tramuntana mountains.

Winvian
US & CANADA | US | CONNECTICUT
The new private country lodge in Litchfield, charges just shy of two grand per night, but that’s not what makes this New England’s ultimate retreat. Winvian’s 18 cottages — conceived by 15 architects and spread across 113 acres of the Connecticut countryside — are an ode to whimsy: one is a converted Sikorsky Sea King helicopter (the very same used in Top Gun); others include the fancifully named Treehouse, Camping Cottage, and Beaver Lodge.

Hotel Telegraaf
EUROPE | ESTONIA | TALLINN
Tallinn’s historic telephone exchange has been exquisitely restored, and transformed, into the city’s first luxury spa hotel. Located in the heart of the old town — just a few steps from the World Heritage site of the 13th-century Town Hall Square — the Telegraaf has fast become the urban retreat of choice in the Baltics since it opened in April 2007.

Murano OrientalAFRICA & MIDEAST | MOROCCO | MARRAKECH
The uber-cool Paris bolthole, Murano Urban Resort, has opened this sister property that’s been conceived with the same glitz yet with a Moroccan twist. Think traditional Moorish architecture set in a parkland oasis, with palms surrounding four outdoor pools. Top floor suites feature state-of-the-art interiors, black marble bathrooms and huge private terraces facing the Atlas mountains.

Jiva Hill Park Hotel
EUROPE | SWITZERLAND | GENEVA
Ten minutes from Switzerland’s second city, this private estate is surrounded by 70 acres of virgin countryside in the foothills of the Jura mountains. Each room has its own teakwood terrace facing Mont Blanc, and the hotel’s grounds are home to a heliport, a riding school and a private lake dedicated to water-skiing. Indoors, two-star Michelin chef, Philippe Chevrier, has created a special low-cal menu.

Likuliku Lagoon Resort
PACIFIC | FIJI
Fiji’s attempts to position itself as the new Tahiti edged closer with the opening of Likuliku, the country’s first over-the-water bungalow experience. Exclusively for couples, the resort’s calling card is its 46 deluxe bures — traditional South-Pacific thatched villas — 10 of which are suspended over a crystalline lagoon and command their own private plunge pool. Set on the fringes of a coral reef, Likuliku is accessible by seaplane from Nadi International.

J.K. PlaceEUROPE | ITALY | CAPRI
Capri has long been home to luxe lodgings, but this place is special. Travelers who’ve been seduced by the original J.K., in Florence, can now expect the same pedigree of style, attention to detail, and no-attitude service (a rare thing on Italy’s A-list island). And unlike most Capri hotels, this one sits right on the Med, replete with a terraced garden restaurant.

Wedmore PlaceUS & CANADA | US | VIRGINIA | WILLIAMSBURG
A European chateau in the heart of a Virginia vineyard, Wedmore is the new home for secluded southern elegance. Three miles from colonial Williamsburg, this Small Luxury Hotels member is its own world, an entirely modern structure built on a 300-acre farm originally settled in 1615. Each classically decorated room reflects a place and time in the old world, while the cobblestone courtyard features a fountain imported from Provence.