Like that talented mate at high school—smart, attractive, a natural at sport, pop-culture reference expert and part-time DJ—some places on earth are just blessed.
Set on 200-acres of lush Dominican wilderness, 14 extraordinary suites overlook a mountainous ocean landscape to one side and the Sulfur Spring Valley to the other. Want to relax? Sulfuric mineral hot springs are just minutes away from your suite. Fancy an adventure? You can hike to either the Atlantic Ocean or the Caribbean Sea in just a day.
The design of this complex is at the intersection of epic and mindful. The whole resort is off-grid, using sun as power and rain as water, and is completely genuine in its eco-credentials.
In fact, Coulibri Ridge took its creators 20 years to build—20 years well spent, in our humble opinion.’
WunderLocke is a series of expansive suites with arty vibes done in a cool, German way. Not in a pretentious, Moe from The Simpsons way.
The suites are in Sendling, a borough of Munich blessed with the best of both worlds. AKA access to green spaces and the rivers of Bavaria (hello urban roof garden) and proximity to a U-Bahn, meaning hustle and bustle whenever you feel like it.
Inside the complex you can find restaurants, a fitness studio, a leafy chill-out area, and a pool. In most rooms there’s a freestanding bath that overlooks Munich’s alps—not a luxury you get in every European city. Wunderbar.
ONOMA Hotel has a manifesto posted on their website, pledging: “We are against any boring old type of hotels that include all their clients needs in one common package of services”.
Whether you’re sporty, a businessman, a gamer or just someone looking to sprinkle a little chilli into their love life—this is a hotel that will customise your stay to suit you.
ONOMA staff set your room up based on the kind of stay you’re after. A specialised gaming area? Done. A room that’s perfect for a dating app profile photoshoot? Sorted. There’s even a 50 Shades Of Grey themed room which, due to its spicy nature, we are unable to reveal the details of. Plus! A basketball-themed stay that includes a one-of-a-kind basketball court (big Jamie XX vibes) that’s good for shooting—hoops AND photos.
There is a heavy tech focus throughout, with ultrafast wi-fi internet, tablets in every room for smart management, wireless charging and self-check-in and check-out. It feels a lot like ONOMA is in 2050 while the rest of us are faffing around in 2023.
Bawah Reserve is the recently reopened paradise in the Anambas, an archipelago in northern Indonesia.
A series of six secluded private islands play host to 35 luxury suites, all boasting panoramic views of the ocean. Overwater bungalows and beach suites are the go here—the sort of barefoot luxury you dream about from your desk at 3pm every Thursday.
There’s access to an ‘Aura Spa and Wellness Centre’, plus hiking, snorkelling, stand-up paddle boarding, stargazing, a beach cinema and an unquantifiable number of places to swim. There’s even a chance to sail off into the sunset on an island cruise.
Ishigaki, Japan (set to be completed May 2023)
It’s not a hotel, only it is, but not yet.
Ishigaki is an island in the Yaeyama chain, at the very, very south of Japan (technically it’s closer to Taiwan than mainland Japan). Slated to open mid-2023, the design has certainly set tongues wagging—we’re to expect a circular building with an infinity pool, plus a rooftop lawn and pond, all of which blend seamlessly into the landscape.
Designed for one group (of up to ten people), the tranquility of both the island and the building itself will set it apart from other spaces. We can easily imagine a writer penning their debut novel here, or a bunch of mates using it as basecamp as they surf the more or less unheralded waves nearby.
Picture this: it’s a delightful 25 degrees outside, and you’re hiking through a pleasant forest in France’s east…
Fast forward an hour and you’re cooling off by jumping off your own private pontoon, into what feels like your own private lake.
A little while later you’re enjoying drinks in the minimalist, but full-equipped teardrop-shaped treehouse you’re calling home.
As night falls, you can drink a red wine from Burgundy either on your balcony or while soaking in your Nordic bath tub. This is life at Coucoo Cabanes des Grands Lacs, on the banks of Lake Bonnal. And life is good.
LyLo in Auckland is a new kind of stay that straddles the line between cost and radness.
At LyLo you’ll be sleeping in futuristic, private pods that are surprisingly spacious and offer a surprising amount of storage, plus everything you need to recharge—both physically and electronically.
There’s a bar on site so you can hang out with other travellers, plus work and chill areas as you need. It’s the perfect scene for those looking for a social travel experience, but are wanting something a little more upmarket than a hostel filled with teenagers on their first trip away.
It doesn’t compromise on position either; located right at the heart of Auckland, you’re near the city’s underrated nightlife and in a great place to begin your North Island road trip.
You may recall us telling you in digital issue five of get lost about Private Jet Villa, the plane which has been shifted onto a cliff in Uluwatu and made into a villa.
Well, it’s almost ready for take off. Private Jet Villa opens to the public in late-April however you might have to wait a while to stay there. According to the owner, there are unpaid requests to stay at the extraordinary $7,000 a night villa for the next 11 years.
Workers had to remove an estimated 50,000 bolts, and build an entire new road to get the thirty-tonne Boeing 737 aeroplane disassembled and reassembled in its position on the edge of a 150 metre cliff.
Its right wing serves as one of the most epic decks we’ve ever seen, and the newly released designs of the inside suggest a luxurious stay, with two bedrooms and stunning bathrooms, and wall to floor window views of the Indian Ocean.
The word unique gets thrown around a lot these days, but this really is it: there isn’t another place like this on earth. Pretty cool.
Built among rice field terraces, waterfalls and jungled mountainside, the brand-new, super-lux Avana Retreat in Mai Chau Vietnam is symbolic of iconic south-east Asian beauty.
Avana Retreat was inspired by the discovery of a local waterfall, just ten years ago.
That very waterfall is now privately accessible to guests of the retreat (of which there aren’t many – there’s only 36 rooms here) making it a truly ethereal breakaway – the kind you dream about from your desk every day at work.
There are more private surprises throughout: one villa perches on top of a terrace of rice fields; and three more boast private pools, including an 89-square-metre heated beauty that climbs in tiers, echoing the nearby rice terraces.
The Metung Hot Springs is a $12 million complex open now in Victoria’s far-east, comprising of natural thermal springs and luxurious safari-style glamping tents.
There are ten opulent lagoon-side tents, each with a king-size bed and private ensuite. These tents also contain private bathing barrels, meaning you’ll be able to soak in solitude around the clock.
Several of the tents back onto a lagoon, and will provide a view of the terraced amphitheatre that is set to sit near the front of the site and is slated to host live music, movies and other entertainment.
During the day, treat yourself at the geothermal pools (of varied depths) or bathing barrels, elevated massage tents, and for the brave, fire and ice therapy: an icy cold-plunge tub located right next to a steaming hot Scandinavian sauna.
There are also plans for a floating sauna on the lagoon, and while the complex is open, some of the build is yet to be completed.
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