A striking bar
This isn’t the place for a practical stay. It’s a grand ballroom for the Instagram age, and a new center of gravity in the Square Mile. Doubles from $343. —Flora Stubbs Advertisement 32 of 56 Courtesy of Ventana Big Sur Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort Big Sur, California The Ventana Inn first opened in 1975, with a rambling 243-acre expanse, killer ocean views, and an unlikely Hollywood pedigree — its owner was a producer behind the counterculture classic Easy Rider, and Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw were among its first guests. Last year, after historic storms caused catastrophic damage to Big Sur and rendered the region almost entirely inaccessible, the Ventana’s current owners — Singapore-based luxury-resort group Alila — took it as an opportunity for a full rejuvenation. The result, Alila’s first U.S. offering, is a stunner that rivals the comparably luxe Post Ranch Inn, Ventana’s neighbor across Highway 1.
Alila spent $18 million dollars to update the property’s 59 rooms, suites, and villas, striking a balance between modern and rustic décor. They’ve also added new amenities throughout the grounds, like an infinity hot tub that overlooks a redwood canyon; an ocean-view terrace abutting the redone Sur House restaurant; and a Japanese-style bathhouse. And there’s now a network of luxury campsites along a creek beneath the redwood canopy, where each safari-style tent is tastefully tricked out with plush comforts to elevate the camping experience. (For added seclusion, you can request one of five tents that require a short hike to reach.) It all adds up to a perfect opportunity to discover Big Sur all over again. Doubles from $675, campsites from $325. —Jonah Weiner Advertisement 33 of 56 The moss-covered ruins of Bali’s centuries-old canals served as inspiration for this 30-villa resort from Japanese operator Hoshino Resorts, a longtime creator of ryokan-style hotels.
The shared Balinese and Japanese values of balance and harmony are realized in the Zen aesthetic: earth-hued structures with traditional thatched roofs that blend into the lush landscape. Uncluttered, television-free rooms decorated in miles of wood provide a comfortable yet minimalist feel but no shortage of amenities, from heated Toto toilets to sandals made with Indonesian fabric. Water — a sacred part of many Balinese Hindu rituals — is the centerpiece of the resort, with three long swimming pools modeled after the island’s ancient waterways connecting bi-level villas that offer salvation from the tropical sun. Executive chef Makoto Miyamaguchi orchestrates Balinese-Japanese fusion at the restaurant: dinner service combines a multicourse kaiseki-style meal with Indonesian flavors — think small dishes of steamed coconut chawanmushi, a Japanese egg custard, and beef rendang rice. Doubles from $670. —Kat Odell Advertisement 34 of 56 Before it was reborn as one of Singapore’s chicest boutiques, the Warehouse Hotel was the site of a notorious 1980’s disco; farther back still, its riverbank was known for opium dens and all manner of illicit trades. Today, Robertson Quay is far from a red-light district, but the Warehouse winks toward its salubrious origins. The lobby, with the original vaulted ceiling of the warehouse from which the takes its name, has a generosity of space that carries throughout the property — a rare quality in frenetic, hyper-urban Singapore.
A striking bar, recessed several steps into the floor, adds to the lobby’s appeal, with cocktails like the banana-whiskey “BB King”, inspired by the area’s mid-century bootlegging. Onsite restaurant Po, helmed by acclaimed mod-Sin chef Willin Low, celebrates Singaporean culinary tradition: rolled popiah is the main draw, along with updated versions of classics like the veal cheek rendang. Each of the Jar Preform Mould Factory boutique’s 37 rooms has a cheeky minibar of “Vices," including both “Gluttony” (salted egg yolk potato chips, bottled craft cocktails) and “Lust” (paddles, peacock feathers, and rather racier accessories for vices of a different persuasion). But nothing beats the rooftop infinity pool, its glass walls all but begging for underwater Instagram shots.
