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Luxury Getaways
Haymarket Hotel London, United Kingdom Location This conversion of the American Express building links Piccadilly Circus with Trafalgar Square. Highlight Enjoy the copious breakfast buffet as you watch London’s red buses and black taxis from the Brumus brasserie. Thing to do Theatre lovers have the Haymarket next door and many other venues within walking distance. Even the National Gallery is just a five-minute walk away. Insider tip Bring your swim togs; the basement has a 60-foot swimming pool with adjacent lounge area. Rooms 50 (plus a self-contained townhouse). GM Marianne Clavé. 44-20-7470-4000, haymarkethotel.com
Pousada de Arraiolos – Nossa Sehnora da Assunção Arraiolos, Portugal Location The hilltop village of Arraiolos – a cluster of whitewashed buildings highlighted in cornflower-blue paint – is a 90-minute drive from Lisbon. Highlight Near the front door of this former monastery, you’ll find the church, built in 1547 and still lined with its original blue-painted tiles. Thing to do Have breakfast in the glass-walled restaurant overlooking the outdoor pool, then set off for a day of sightseeing, including the nearby city of Évora with its Roman temple. Room to book Suite 103 has a 690-square-foot terrace with stone benches, where in medieval times the abbot would have looked out onto surrounding pastures, silent but for the clanging of cowbells. Rooms 32. GM Paulo Silva. 351-258-82-1751, pousadasofportugal.com
Musha Cay at Copperfield Bay Great Exuma, Bahamas Location Fly into Great Exuma in the Bahamas, where the resort’s eight-seat airplane will pick you up for a 10-minute flight to this private island. Cuisine Dine where you like – in your villa or on the beach – at this hideaway resort, developed by Blockbuster co-founder John Melk and now owned by illusionist David Copperfield. Thing to do Energetic nature lovers are in heaven here, with 500 acres to explore (jogging maps help navigate), 25 private white-sand beaches and a multitude of activities, from water skiing to fishing. Room to book Each villa offers privacy, but the 2,150-square-foot Beach House, with its own beach and pool, is ultra-romantic. Rooms five villas (with 12 bedrooms in total). GMs Mark and Joanne Netherwood (formerly at Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand). 877-889-1100, mushacay.com Editors’ Choice What made enRoute’s stay.
1 Taking time to smell – and even better, eat – the roses at Sooke Harbour House on Vancouver Island, where the menu was inspired by the on-site edible garden. 800-889-9688, sookeharbourhouse.com 2 A gourmet picnic in Central Park – including a mini-cheesecake with minted mixed berries – packed by Jumeirah Essex House, just across the street. 212-247-0300, jumeirahessexhouse.com 3 The sweet and spicy mole poblano enchiladas at La Tentación, the El Sueño Hotel & Spa’s Mediterranean restaurant-bar in Puebla, Mexico. 52-222-232-64-89, elsueno-hotel.com 4 Navigating the huge breakfast buffet at the Ritz-Carlton, Santiago in Chile and discovering what may be the world’s freshest, tastiest sliced avocado. 56-2-4708500, ritzcarlton.com 5 The iTaste program at the Grand Hyatt DFW at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, in which a video podcast guided us through our cheese platter. 972-973-1234, granddfw.hyatt.com
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Mary Gostelow is the editor-in-chief of WOW.travel, the online magazine of