1. LIFE'S A BEACH
With picture-perfect sands and boundless panoramas, Asia’s iconic beaches and urban hotspots offer everything from barefoot luxury and golden-hour glamour to epic shopping and nightlife. You’ll find the former at Avani Quy Nhon in Vietnam, which offers oceanfront stays amidst both beach and mountain. Known as Vietnam’s seafood capital, you’re set for quite the foodie experience in Quy Nhon, with Tre restaurant serving fresh food from the sea and farm to table within its bamboo clad cliffside location. Its rooms are bright and airy, each with a balcony overlooking the ocean. Book the Instagrammable Beachcation offer for accommodation, daily breakfast and USD 50 resort credit per room per night to spend on dining, spa, transfers and in-house activities.
2. COASTAL ELEGANCE
The most recent opening from Conrad Hotels & Resorts marks the luxury brand’s first entry into Italy with Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia. An exclusive oasis between the picturesque golden sands of Monte Cogoni Beach and Dune di Campana Beach, the 107-room resort is all about rest and relaxation. Linger on the beach, destress at the spa or in one of its three outdoor massage pools, or venture out further to hike or bike the island. You can also surf, snorkel or scuba dive in the azure waters - whatever floats your metaphorical boat. There’s also a beautiful kids club with its own pool to ensure all ages are kept entertained. The rooms and suites are as contemporary and cosy as they come, with taupes and crisp creams contrasting against the verdant greens and azure blues beyond the terrace. Book the Sweeten Your Stay offer to enjoy on-property credit, as well as early check-in and late check-out.
3. THE ART OF TRAVEL
Lopud 1483, the medieval 15th-century monastery hotel on the island of Lopud, just seven miles from Dubrovnik, Croatia, has reopened for the summer season, in time for the island’s Ponta Lopud festival, from June 22-27. A huge supporter of the arts, the hotel is home to one of the world’s greatest private art collections, and guests staying during the festival will enjoy complimentary access to the Ponta Lopud programme, which offers masterclasses, professional networking sessions and lectures around film, arts and gastronomy. The 13 original monk cells at Lopud 1483 have been transformed into five exquisite suites, each with views of the shimmering blue sea or gardens beneath, and featuring a unique combination of both renaissance and contemporary furniture and, of course, a selection of incredible art.
4. WHEN NATURE CALLS
The Maldives offers much in the way of picture postcard beauty, with its pristine white sands, uninterrupted blue skies and iridescent seas. But it’s actually what happens under the water that really makes the Maldives most magical. The reefs, the rainbow-hued fish and the abundance of creatures all within a snorkel or scuba dive’s reach. This summer at The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort, in the Baa Atoll, guests can get up-close-and-personal with manta rays at the world’s largest natural manta feeding destination at Hanifaru Bay, just 18 kilometres from the resort, with the Rendezvous with Manta Rays package. You’ll enjoy a manta ray snorkel trip, turtle snorkel trip, a scuba dive in the house reef, as well as one in the open water, and hopefully make some marine friends along the way.
5. DISCOVER MALTA'S REGAL SIDE
It’s well-known that before her Coronation, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip spent some of their happiest years as newlyweds living on the sun-dappled island of Malta. To celebrate the island she loved so much, now you too can experience royal life and live like the Queen with a four-night Jubilee stay at The Phoenicia and The Xara Palace in Malta. Your regal vacation will start with two luxurious nights in a Superior Room at The Phoenicia, located in Valletta, where you can wander the city before returning to laze by the pool and enjoy a complimentary 45-minute spa treatment. Next, you’ll head to the historical, former capital of Malta, Mdina, for two more sumptuous nights in a Duplex Room at The Xara Palace Relais & Chateaux, a former 17th-century palazzo, that has been beautifully restored as a boutique hotel. One evening you can enjoy the delights of Malta’s vineyards with a complimentary special wine tasting experience, hosted by The Xara Palace’s sommelier, as well as daily breakfast at both hotels for stays between now and October 31, 2022.
6. AN URBAN ESCAPE BY THE SEA
Don’t want to stray too far from the city, yet are craving some kind of seaside escape? Check out Four Seasons Alexandria at San Stefano, one of Egypt’s most contemporary hotels. This summer, you can stay in one of its 22 newly-launched and ultra glamorous beach villas, to give you that city-by-the-sea vibe. There’s tonnes of space both indoors and out, as well as serene gardens and sun terraces for soaking up the Mediterranean rays. The villas have either one, two or three bedrooms, suited to couples, family and friends travelling together. They’re also set apart from the rest of the hotel helping to create a world of your own. Visit the fortified walls of Fort Qaitbay and the futuristic Bibliotheca Alexandrina, or spend a evening in a 19th-century palace, now the Royal Jewellery Museum, with a private tour. Book the Alexandria Getaway offer this summer for 15 per cent off your Room Rate, as well as daily breakfast and 15 per cent off beautiful treatments at the spa.
7. PARIS, JE T'AIME
Summer has come and Le Bristol Paris is in full bloom. The City of Light’s original palace hotel has reopened its beautiful Jardin Français, known as the beating heart of the hotel, with a redesign by world-renowned landscape designer, Lady Arabella Lennox-Boyd. The tranquil space offers the perfect al fresco escape to enjoy nature, as well as indulge in the restaurant’s new menu, with ever-so-light King Crab salad and the famous hand-chopped beef tartar, or even an afternoon tea courtesy of Head Pastry Chef Pascal Hainigue. The spa has also welcomed a fresh new ‘Sensorial Reset’ menu by the global leaders in clean skincare, Tata Harper, so you can surrender yourself to an afternoon of innovative and deeply replenishing treatments. To end your day, you can sample the special anniversary menu at 114 Faubourg, as the brasserie celebrates its 10th consecutive year of its Michelin Star. Summer never sounded so good!
8. TREAT YOURSELF THIS SUMMER
If you’re seeking a slice of wellness with your summer escape, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts has collaborated with award-winning beauty brand Augustinus Bader to launch a range of spa treatments. Treatments include The Augustinus Bader Targeted Body Treatment, The Augustinus Bader Full Body Ritual and The Augustinus Bader Exclusive Bulgari Facial. The latter is a bespoke 90-minute contouring and renewal treatment that combines Augustinus Bader’s science-backed skincare approach with the healing wisdom of the ancient Gua Sha technique. The wellness treatments and products are available at The Bulgari Spa in London, Dubai, Paris, Milan, Beijing and Shanghai, while the The Augustinus Bader Exclusive Bulgari Facial is available at The Bulgari Spa at Bulgari Hotel London.
9. A CULTURE VULTURE ESCAPE
Named ‘Peaceful Soul’ for the serenity of its setting in Central Java’s cultural heartland, Amanjiwo overlooks the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Borobudur and is perfectly placed for exploring the region’s historic and natural attractions. The suites are set in two graceful crescents, each opening out onto private terraces, most with private pools and views of Borobudur. The two-bedroom Dalem Jiwo Suite is the pinnacle of luxury, set amidst the rice paddies and with its own private entrance. The suite also has a large Javanese stone 15-metre swimming pool, two outdoor bales for lounging and a sunken outdoor bathtub, and is serviced by a personal butler. For a slice of history, board the regal Kereta Api Wisata train and embark on a seven-hour journey through spectacular scenery, joined by Amanjiwo’s resident anthropologist who will share insights into Javanese culture and the historical sites you whistle by.
10. THE BEAUTY OF BALI
An elegant haven inspired by a tranquil Javanese Hindu water palace, the newly-opened Jumeirah Bali is deep-rooted in spirituality, and has a beautiful spa and hammam to help you on your journey to soulful satisfaction. Book a Garden Villa with Private Pool to recline amongst historic Majapahit ruins. You’ll have exclusive beach access, garden and creek views, as well as your private pool and terrace, and the attentions of a personal butler and Master Yogi, should you wish. Or, if you’re travelling next month, you can book one of the resort’s new Sunset Villas with Private Pool, with their elevated clifftop views set up for sublime sunsets. Book the Jumeirah One offer to save 30 per cent on the flexible rate and you’ll receive IDR 500,000 credit to use in the resort. By day, you can snorkel some of Bali’s beautiful coral reef sites, island hop you’re way around to experience a few spectacular beaches, immerse yourself in the best of Balinese cooking or put your swing to the test at the nearby championship-standard New Kuta Golf course.
11. EXPERIENCE THE BLISS OF BODRUM
Once a cosy fishing village with just a few thousand people, Bodrum’s renaissance over the last half-century, has transformed this once-sleepy community into one of Turkey’s best-loved vacation spots. And Mett Bodrum is here for it! The property is located on one of Bodrum’s prettiest stretches of beach in Haremtan Cove, and oozes contemporary, coastal charm. It has 72 rooms and 31 suites, as well as villas with private pool and garden, and an outdoor pool, Turkish hammam, MOI Spa and two elegant restaurants serving modern Mediterranean food - everything you need to unwind and have fun. Laze by the pool, slip into the sauna or steam room at the spa or visit Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World just a 12-minute drive away. Book the Celebrate Summer & Life offer, and receive 10 per cent off best available rate, along with breakfast.