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| Poolside at the Gansevoort Dominican Republic is a trending "must" experience. |
What are the top hotels for globe-trotters seeking a dash of chic and a dash of daring? We asked tastemakers who scour the globe regularly for their input.
Tiffany Dowd, founder and president of Luxe Social Media (a.k.a. @LuxeTiffany), says that The Brando, on Marlon Brando’s atoll Tetiaroa in Tahiti, is the hottest new eco-resort to open in French Polynesia. “It’s the ultimate A-list hideaway with only 35 one- to three-bedroom luxury villas, a beautiful Varua Polynesia spa and five-star cuisine by Michelin two-star Chef Guy Martin,” says Dowd. “It’s a total private island paradise for those lucky enough to experience this kind of idyllic, carefree luxury.”
Gansevoort Dominican Republic, Playa Imbert is another top pick for this social media expert. “It exudes sexy-chic in the Caribbean. While it’s perfect for families with its spacious suites and to-die-for ocean views, couples will love its uber-cool vibe,” says Dowd, who adds that the new resort offers some of the best food and wine in the Caribbean, “not to mention mouthwatering mojitos made with local Dominican rum.”
Stateside, it’s the new Baccarat Hotel & Residences in New York, where you can find Dowd mingling with VIPs. “The Baccarat is dripping in elegance and stunning in design,” says Dowd. “The countless pieces of jaw-dropping Baccarat crystal throughout take luxury to whole new level. The [Boissons] bar is a thriving hotspot, a throwback to a more glamorous era where you can sip bubbly under its dramatic red Baccarat chandeliers or on the terrace overlooking the Museum of Modern Art. It’s no surprise the 250-year-old Baccarat crystal company would create such a showpiece with this 114-room-and-suite hotel.”
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| The Brando’s Three-Bedroom Villa has a private pool for trendsetters seeking sun. |
World traveler Erina Pindar, who is the managing director of SmartFlyer in New York City, agrees that Baccarat has upped the ante for New York chic.
“Les Boissons, the 60-foot bar, is the place to be these days. It’s only a month old and it’s drop-dead sexy. I love the look of the bold black-and-white checkered floors combined with the red Baccarat chandelier, as well as the crimson velvets and dark leather. This is arguably the sexiest bar in New York right now.”
While in Asia, Pindar finds serenity at the spa at the Aman Tokyo. “It’s phenomenal,” she tells us. “It’s open late, so it’s actually pretty incredible to get a treatment when the sun is going down because you get to see the city light up. Taking a dip in the traditional Japanese onsen [bath] while looking over the city sparkling below is truly something else.” No time for a treatment? Then just hang out at the pool, Pindar advises. “That’s okay too, because the 30-meter long, temperature-controlled pool is beautiful and floats high above Tokyo.”
This trendsetting globe-trotter is eagerly awaiting the new Mandarin Oriental Milan in Italy. “It’s going to be brilliant,” she says. “The design was done by Antonio Citterio, the same designer as the Bulgari Milan, so I’m most excited about the overall look and feel of the hotel.”
In Amsterdam, the place for jetsetters is the Conservatorium hotel’s Tunes Bar, thanks to its classy servings of “goblets of customized gin and tonics and amazing sushi,” says Pindar. “Next door, it is nearly impossible to wrangle a reservation at the new Taiko, the Asian-inspired restaurant by Schilo van Coevorden." Pindar says the Conservatorium also has the sexiest suite in the city, the “I Love Amsterdam" triplex, with an entire floor dedicated to just the bathroom, and a spiral staircase straight up to the rooftop terrace that offers a 360-degree view of Amsterdam.
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| Be here or be square: Les Boissons at Baccarat Hotel & Residences in New York is "the" new place to be. |