Luxury Getaways

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By Mary Gostelow

Solage Calistoga

Calistoga, California

Location A 90-minute drive north of San Francisco, the resort is on the rural Silverado Trail. Thing to do Head to the hotel’s Napa-style barn/restaurant Solbar (designed by Pottery Barn’s Howard Backen); local wine names gather to socialize around the terrace firepits in the early evening. Spa Step up to the Mud Bar at Spa Solage, where you lie on a marble slab and paint yourself with nutrient-rich local volcanic mud. Insider tip The entire resort is wireless, including the cabana by the 40-metre pool. Rooms 89 single-floor villas. GM Richard Hill.

707-226-0800, solagecalistoga.com

Hilton Molino Stucky, Venice

Venice, Italy

Location The converted 19th-century Molino Stucky pasta mill is on the banks of Giudecca Island, looking across Canale della Giudecca to Piazza San Marco. Highlight Arrange to be picked up from the airport by the hotel’s private launch for a breathtaking tour of the Grand Canal. Insider tip Don’t miss the sunset as you sip a fresh Bellini in the rooftop Skyline Bar. (In summer, enjoy a swim beforehand in the seventh-floor outdoor pool.) Room to book Room 701 occupies 3,000 square feet on the top two floors of one of the original brick towers. Downstairs there are 44 windows and breathtaking Murano chandeliers, while the upstairs has its own gym and Jacuzzi and a private tower-top terrace. Rooms 380. GM Paolo Biscioni.

39-041-272-3311, hilton.com/Venice

Shangri-La Hotel, Guangzhou

Guangzhou, China

Location This urban oasis is on the banks of the Pearl River, next to what will be the world’s biggest convention and exhibition centre. Cuisine Wok Too Café, the ground-floor indoor-outdoor restaurant, offers superb buffets with international and local dishes cooked to order and three different chocolate fountains. Thing to do Join university students exercising along the riverbank, and take a city tour, including the Luhu Parkview golf complex and the futuristic Pearl River New City area, now ready for the 2010 Asian Games. Insider tip Some evenings, there are several local wedding banquets here. Try to catch a glimpse of the brides, who often wear three different outfits throughout the evening. Rooms 704. GM Reto Klauser.

86-20-8917-8888, shangri-la.com

Mary Gostelow is 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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