April 16, 2007

world

Hush-hush Hideaways

By Mark Jolly

The world's most exclusive hotels reveal their tricks for preserving the privacy of their ultra-VIPs.

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These days it’s not just the famous seeking to escape prying eyes. That’s the word from Portfolio, the new Masters of the Universe title launched today by Conde Nast for a reported $125 million — the most expensive magazine the publishers have created. So perhaps they know of where they speak when it comes to pointers on lavish living. When the remote over-the-water villas setting of the St. Regis (pictured), on Bora-Bora, proved not secluded enough for one special guest, the hotel’s owner arranged to make the property a no-fly zone. The ultra-discreet Lowell in Manhattan circumvents gawkers and lurkers by virtue of its miniscule lobby. At London’s Lanesborough, absolute secrecy is assured on the part of the butlers, while at the Hotel Bel-Air — where you’re prohibited from taking photos at the pool — an employee was dismissed for revealing the identity of a guest. To keep your stay totally on the QT, you can opt for hidden entrances, such as the helipad or the rear loading bay at the Peninsula in Hong Kong. Or better yet, book a room — and a private elevator key — at a restricted wing of the Waldorf Towers, where every US president has stayed since Hoover, and where a suite was specially built for Queen Elizabeth II.