Best of...

Indagare Adored 2015

Five years ago, we began compiling a master list of Indagare Adored properties — hotels and resorts treasured by our staff and members alike for consistently making guests’ stays truly spectacular, whether in the South African bush or Paris's eighth arrondissement. The list, now comprising seventy-nine names, is constantly being updated based on staff and member visits and feedback. This year we are thrilled to add fifteen properties located around the world. The entire list can be found here.

Amalfi Coast: Monastero Santa Rosa

Adored for:

the jaw-dropping views of the Amalfi Coast from every room. The vibe at the Monastero Santa Rosa is so overwhelmingly peaceful that you feel as if you have traveled back to the 17th century, when this special property used to be a convent. The original architect certainly had good taste in terms of location: The twenty-room hotel is perched on the hillside just above Amalfi town, and the views of the coastline below are breathtaking. Read more.

Bangkok: The Siam

Adored for:

offering a charming and intimate design haven on the outskirts of Bangkok.

What began as a family’s vision has evolved under the direction of famed designer Bill Bensley into a showcase for an eclectic mix of Art Deco and Thai Colonial style, with Chinese antiques adding intrigue and interest. The 39-room, atrium-style hotel is meant to be discovered slowly. Guests meander from the library to the billiards room to the reflecting lotus pond, exploring the collections of art, antiques and curios. Read more.

Botswana: Abu Camp

Adored for:

allowing guests to get up close and personal with the resident elephant herd.

Abu is among Africa's most renowned safari camps, offering special encounters with elephants as well as some of the most luxurious accommodations in the Okavango delta. It was founded in 1994 by Randall Moore, an elephant trainer who started the camp as a haven for elephants he had rescued from America; one of these was Abu, who starred in several feature films as well as inspired the camp's name. The property was bought in 2009 by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who was smitten with it during a visit. Read more.

Botswana: Zarafa

Adored for:

making guests feel at home in the bush. With just four tents, Zarafa is among the most exclusive camps in Botswana. The extraordinary attention paid to every detail is evident in the 1,000-square-foot tents, each of which has a private plunge pool and leather-bound minibar, as well as recycled hardwood chests and copper gas fireplaces. The decor, food and service by the warm staff are all of the highest order. Part of the Great Plains Conservation project run by National Geographic photographers Derek and Beverly Joubert, Zarafa is located in the 320,000-acre Selinda Reserve and offers incredible vistas of the Zibadianja Lagoon. Read more.

Dolomites: Rosa Alpina

Adored for:

its Alpine cozy meets Italian chic style.

Some hotels are defined by their location, while for other others, it’s the opposite: They define the destination where they reside. The Rosa Alpina, in San Cassiano, is one of the finest examples of the latter. The Pizzinini family, longtime residents of the region, purchased the hotel in 1940, and today it displays the marks of their ingenuity and love. Wood-paneled common areas exude comfortable charm, with lots of fireplaces, overstuffed sofas and armchairs and nooks for reading and reflecting. No two of the property’s fifty-two rooms are alike, but all have mountain views. Read more.

Hawaii: Four Seasons Hualalai

Adored for:

being the stand-out Hawaiian resort.

The ultimate luxury resort on the Big Island, the swanky Four Seasons complex is a destination in itself. Each of the 243 rooms and suites are whimsically decorated with beautiful textiles that reflect the colors of the sea. All accommodations also have roomy outdoor spaces, whether it’s a patio, a terrace or an outdoor shower hugged in lava rock. Read more.

Ireland: Ballyfin

Adored for:

being Ireland's most exquisite country house hotel.

Sitting on 610 lush acres about ninety minutes by car from central Dublin, Ballyfin has a decidedly Irish air and all the trappings you expect in a neoclassical country house: gilded ceilings, imperial columns, domed skylights, large staircases, silk-covered walls, dramatic artworks and fine upholstery. Despite its grandeur, however, Ballyfin, with a mere 15 guest rooms, is incredibly intimate. Read more.

Japan: Aman Tokyo

Adored for:

being a Zen-like retreat high above a bustling city. Aman Tokyo, which opened in 2014, is the brand’s first urban hotel and is already positioning itself at the top of the class. It exudes a light Zen quality that evokes both Aman and Japan. Occupying the top six floors —33 to 38 — of the Otemachi Tower, the Aman floats above the noise and crowds of the densely populated metropolis. With glass windows at every turn, the hotel merges the urban view with intimate, ryokan-inspired guest room interiors. Read more.

Japan: Ritz-Carlton Kyoto

Adored for:

its distinctly Japanese balance of calm and liveliness.

The Ritz-Carlton, located on the banks of the Kamogawa River in central Kyoto, in the shadow of the Higashiyama Mountains, is the hotel this city has long deserved. Designed to evoke a Japanese ryokan, but with modern accoutrements, the property contains 134 guest rooms that feel like spacious cocoons, with light wood and natural elements and views of the river, the mountains or old clapboard row homes. They provide perfect vantage points from which to watch the passing throng, including schoolchildren skipping along the Kamogawa’s banks and cyclists crossing a bridge. Read more.

Maldives: Cheval Blanc Randheli

Adored for:

bringing LVMH's meticulous style and glamour to the Maldives.

The fashion powerhouse LVMH acquired an island in the Noonu Atoll and brought its creative genius to bear on the forty-five deluxe “maisons,” which were designed to feel like lofts on the beach. The result: a showstopper of a resort that has redefined the indulgent beach vacation. In addition to private picnics and such standard water pursuits as diving, snorkeling, dolphin cruises and yacht trips, the resort offers pampering treatments at its Guerlain spa, including the exclusive Randheli Sun Ritual, which preps the skin for a golden tan. Read more.

Morocco: Dar Ahlam

Adored for:

offering a magical Kasbah experience in the desert.

Dar Ahlam (“House of Dreams” in Arabic) is an exquisite hideaway. The super-stylish, 14-room, restored Kasbah sits in the remote desert oasis of Skoura, a five-hour drive from Marrakech. Highlights of a stay range from lying by the pool and dining on some of the best food in Morocco, to visiting Berbers and Bedouin and exploring Morocco’s traditional culture. Read more.

New Zealand: Matakauri

Adored for:

striking a perfect balance between comfortable lodge and stylish showstopper.

Queenstown’s most renowned property, Matakauri is a lodge through and through – with comfortable, communal sitting areas, lots of wood-burning fireplaces and a staff happy to organize a host of outdoor activities. The tiny hotel has just sixteen rooms and suites, some of which are located in the main building, where breakfast and dinner are served, while the sumptuous Deluxe Suites are housed in free-standing houses spread across the beautifully planted nine-acre lakefront property; there’s also a four-bedroom Owner’s Cottage. Read more.

France: La Réserve, Paris

Adored for:

its Parisian elegance and chic, contemporary accents.

Located in the eighth arrondissement, the Jacques Garcia–designed La Réserve was an instant success when it opened early this year. Housed in a Haussmannian mansion, the newcomer exudes understated Belle Époque elegance.  Of the forty rooms, twenty-six are suites, each with a different layout but all are outfitted with silk-paneled walls, velvet headboards, antique furniture and contemporary accents. Read more.

Peru: Belmond Palacio Nazarenas

Adored for:

being Cuzco's most up-to-date luxury hotel.

The new sister of Cuzco’s grande dame Hotel Monasterio is a great boutique option for families who appreciate a fabulous historical setting but also want a swimming pool and a slightly less formal atmosphere. Housed in a former palace and convent that has undergone a long and meticulous renovation, Palacio Nazarenas features fifty-five guest rooms. The grand interiors incorporate such Peruvian touches as arched stone doorways, local textiles, wrought-iron chandeliers and carved wooden doors. Guests can request to have extra oxygen pumped into their suites to help them acclimate to the altitude. Read more.

Vermont: Twin Farms

Adored for:

offering a seriously comfortable New England escape. With its vaulted, beamed ceilings, walls of well-thumbed books, fascinating artwork and hand-picked antiques, Twin Farms was clearly once a beloved private home. Today, the 18th-century main house, where guests take their cocktails and meals, is still the heart of the 300-acre property, but the accommodations have expanded to encompass four rooms, six suites and ten cottages. Read more.

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