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A Mediterranean hangout for international celebrities, a Persian Gulf resort where you can commune with nature and more…

By Mary Gostelow

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Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

A 45-minute drive from the city brings you to this peaceful resort set in a rolling sandy landscape shared only by oryx (antelope) and other friendly wildlife. All 40 tented suites, with views of the Hajar Mountains, come with their own pools and decks where many guests dine while communing with nature. The spa specializes in restoring balance, while VP/GM Tony Williams arranges a wide range of activities, from horseback riding to archery.

971-4-303-4222
www.al-maha.com

The Oriental, Singapore
Singapore

GM Rajesh Jhingon runs an extremely comfortable business hotel and leisure base. Stylishly refurbished, it boasts a 21-storey open atrium and two-floor glass and slate Modernist club lounge. Other memorable features of the 523-room hotel include the spa with its 670-square-foot treatment room for couples and the outdoor pool, where, if you go for a swim, a safari-suited attendant will offer you a glass of fresh mango juice as you emerge from the water.

65-6338-0066
www.mandarinoriental.com/singapore

Hôtel 3,14
Cannes, France

Owner-designer Karine Ellena-Partouche oversees this hotel, situated one block from the Mediterranean. Each of the five floors is named for a continent and suitably decorated. Asia room 515 has an exotic bed with turquoise and emerald fabrics, while suite 314, on the Americas floor, has a striking golden headboard. Highlights include the lobby waterfall and the rooftop pool. GM Marc Haenni looks after celebrities who hang out in the Mahatma bar-restaurant.

33-4-92-99-72-00
www.3-14hotel.com

Shangri-La Golden Flower
Xian, China

This 416-room hotel is the knowing traveller’s base, right in the centre of town. (The ninth-floor Horizon Club lounge offers an outstanding breakfast buffet.) Nearly every guest heads for Emperor Qin’s terracotta warriors, less than an hour away. (Ask hotel GM Jane Peng if her excellent guide Penny Wang is available.) If time permits, request a bicycle tour around the 13.7-kilometre-long, 12-metre-high city walls, built in the 14th century.

86-29-8323-2981
www.shangri-la.com

Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore
Santa Barbara, California

A quiet road separates this luxury hotel from the sandy Pacific shore. Built in 1927, this 219-room Spanish colonial treasure is run by English GM Karen Earp. Owner Ty Warner loves the place so much he person-ally redid the Spanish tiles around the outdoor pool five times before he was satisfied. Relax at the hotel (the Odell House is the best suite), and enjoy the tasting menu at the Bella Vista restaurant.

805-969-2261
www.fourseasons.com

Write to us: letters@enroutemag.net

Mary Gostelow is one of the world’s top authorities on luxury hotels and the editor-in-chief of Wow Travel, the online magazine of www.kiwicollection.com. E-mail her at mgostelow@enroutemag.net.

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