From an intimate adults-only bolthole in Barcelona to a sustainable Sicilian farmhouse and an eco-friendly hideaway in Cambodia, Small Luxury Hotels adds more hot properties to its ranks
Small Luxury Hotels of the World has added another round of luxurious properties to its growing portfolio. Hand-picking luxury hotels and boutique properties from across the globe, the company’s current collection includes everything from a boutique resort nestled on the edges of Erhai Lake in China, to an elegant hotel on eight acres near where Pablo Picasso once called home. And now, they’ve announced a further five additions, including two properties in new destinations for the brand – Montenegro and the Hamptons.
Angkor Village Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Located in the heart of Siem Reap just minutes from historic Angkor Wat, the Angkor Village Hotel is a collection of Khmer houses set amongst lush tropical gardens, made with carefully selected local materials sourced from the community. The hotel’s eco-conscious ethos comes from reducing energy consumption with efficient devices and movement sensors, all the way to reducing single use plastics throughout their room amenities.
Guests can eat dinner by torchlight in L’Auberge des Temples – a ‘floating’ pavilion surrounded by lotus-laden pools – which serves delicious Khmer recipes made with locally sourced ingredients. Nearby, the onsite Apsara Theatre allows guests insight into traditional Cambodian dances and Khmer culture.
The 42 rooms start from $233 AUD per night, including breakfast.
The Wittmore, Barcelona, Spain
Bringing a hint of New York sophistication to Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, The Wittmore has a speakeasy vibe with its plush, red velvet interiors, Bakelite telephones and adults-only, no-photography policy. The property exudes intimacy throughout from its baronial dining room decked with tartan motifs and a crackling fireplace and Sinatra and Dean Martin playing on repeat, all the way up to a rooftop sun deck with yellow-and-white striped loungers, a plunge pool and panoramic views of the city.
In keeping with the members’ club vibe, The Witty restaurant feels as if it’s straight out of a Wes Anderson film thanks to it’s bird-print wallpaper, dog-shaped salt and pepper shakers and an old-master-style oil painting of a fictional Lord Wittmore. You never quite know what you’ll find, particularly on a Thursday night when the restaurant is host to a range of musicians playing everything from jazz to Spanish pop.
The 22 rooms start from $685 AUD per night, including breakfast.
Villa Geba, Sveti Stafan, Montenegro
A secret hideaway overlooking the Adriatic Sea, Villa Geba offers privileged views of the Sveti Stefan peninsula, a former fishing village that has recently been named Montenegro’s most photographed site. Each of the hotel’s eight suites comes with its own private butler and is named after a different Greek goddess who was the inspiration behind its design. From the Moorish-themed Salma, to the blue monochrome Appolonia and the black-and-gold Elena, each is individual and tells a story.
Guests are invited to indulge their senses at the hotel’s Muse Restaurant & Bar, serving French cuisine prepared by Chef Olivia Méli, who trained under Joël Robuchon. Specialties include a seabass in salt crust and a lemon meringue pie with notes of lavender. Alternatively, the hotel can also organise a host of bespoke activities for guests including tea ceremonies with Montenegrin monks in a local monastery, dinner in a winery, or a gourmet lakeside picnic.
When it’s time to unwind, the infinity pool, suspended above the Montenegrin coastline and surrounded by ancient ruins is just the place.
The eight rooms start at $1,600 AUD, including breakfast.
Susafa, Sicily, Italy
A part of Northern Sicily’s bucolic landscape, Susafa is a family-run estate owned by the Saeli-Rizzuto family, which aims to introduce a new generation of guests to centuries-old rural life from cherry harvesting and Sicilian wine tasting, to ravioli and tortellini making.
Committed to working in tune with their natural environment, Susafa produces most of its own energy through solar panels and all their water is sourced from on-site wells.
Guests are encouraged to join walking tours of the bountiful gardens that grow the native fruits, vegetables and herbs used daily in the hotel’s restaurant. Using these ingredients, guests are also invited to take part in a Sicilian cooking class and learn how to make tomato sauce, or ‘caponata’, as well as ricotta cheese and cannoli.
The hotel is also home to olive groves they use to produce their own organic extra virgin olive oil, and wheat fields that go into their delicious focaccia bread and pizzas that are served daily, on site.
The 18 rooms start from $277 AUD per night, including breakfast.
Topping Rose House, The Hamptons, United States
Approximately 160 kilometers from New York City on the East End of Long Island, Topping Rose House is The Hamptons’ full-service, luxury hotel. It also happens to be conveniently within walking distance of Bridgehampton’s boutiques, art galleries and cafes, and for guests with an eye for art, the hotel’s personal collection includes pieces from Seattle artist Christopher Boffoli, and Scott Patt’s “Rabbit with Foot” ceramic sculpture.
The 75-seat restaurant is truly farm-to-table, featuring produce that has been grown on the property’s one-acre Topping Rose Farm and also honours the best ingredients from other local farmers and fishermen.
The Naturopathica Spa gives guests the chance to unwind with a host of herbal treatments such as Herbal Hydration Complex masks and anti-inflammatory massages. The staff are also on hand to organise bespoke activities for guests including private yoga sessions, cooking, wine or spirit demonstrations, guided hikes and bike rides, chartered fishing excursions and vineyard visit with wine tasting. Just say the word.
The 22 rooms start from $967 AUD per night, including breakfast.