Hello and warm greetings from a chilly Chicago! As you can well imagine, my recent travels have been limited to exciting destinations such as my kitchen mixed with occasional long haul trips to the grocery store.
Sometime soon I’ll be back on the road and will be sending you iPhone shots and unvarnished opinions on destinations, hotels and venues for your groups.
Till then…. we do have some great new hotels for your consideration that I wanted to share with you.
It’s still a very tough time for everyone, but there is light at the end of this pandemic tunnel. Recent industry studies have all shown that there is incredible pent up demand for travel. The logic follows that when it’s possible, incentive travel will therefore be an even more effective means of helping companies achieve business objectives.
To put it visually, I’m confident that the entire travel industry is going to go from this……
To this….
…sooner than you think.
So, dear reader, don’t despair. Things will be picking up again soon and in advance of that, I wanted to share some new properties to keep in mind when they do.
LHW was founded in 1928 by a group of European luxury hoteliers wanting to explore the “emerging market” of North America. Fun fact: We are still owned by and under the direction of those member hotels.
With our European luxury pedigree, it’s natural that our hotel list in Europe be more extensive than our offerings in the US and Canada. Part of my role is to bring some balance to that equation….so if you come across and independent luxury hotels that would be a good fit for our brand, please let me know! For a unique, independent, luxury hotel we are the perfect partner.
A certain very dear client of ours suggested exactly such a hotel to me earlier this year and et voilá… I am very proud to share with you that The Washington School House Hotel in Park City Utah is now a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.
Easy to get to, lots to do any time of year and gorgeous.
While there are a few great hotels in this market including the Stein Erikson Lodge, St Regis et al….. none offer the upscale boutique experience of our new Washington School House Hotel.
Built in 1889 as a school for the children of miners it’s been completely reimagined as a 12 room luxury hotel located in the center of Park City. The owners of this hotel understand that the smallest details are what make a high level experience differentiating.
Perfect for buyouts and as a home base to explore this year round destination.
If you’re looking for something unique in Europe with the same exquisite style, fear not. The same owners of Washington School House also have a hotel in the Loire Valley of France that is now part of LHW too. (No, they are not open to adopting anyone. I already asked.)
If your not familiar, the Loire Valley is just outside of Paris and is one of the top wine regions in the world.
Far beyond just wine, there is plenty to see and do in the area for a high end group. Culinary experiences, historic tours, or just relaxing and soaking up the endlessly gorgeous scenery.
This property is considered a French national treasure and while the Loire Valley feels far away it’s a short 55-minute train ride from Paris.
Constructed between 1760 and 1764 by Baron Jacques Pineau de Viennay, this neoclassical icon was the vanguard of extravagance and luxury – built for noblemen and meant to host both royalty and the profound philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment. Hotel Château is a destination changing property for the Loire Valley, bringing Parisienne sophistication and an elevated level of design and luxury to the garden of France.
17 guest rooms (with more to come soon as they renovate some other buildings on site) .
This hotel has been getting endless positive press since it opened, including being featured on the cover of Travel and Leisure as one of the 2020 Best New Hotels in the World.
Château du Grand-Lucé would be perfect for a high level incentive group that is looking for exclusivity and a truly brag worthy destination and hotel.
I could so a deep dive on all of the rest of the new hotels I wanted to bring to your attention….but to be respectful of your time, I’ll limit myself to some high level talking points and few hotel porn images of the rest of our newer hotels.
All are in great destinations, offer unique luxury experiences you won’t find elsewhere and will create lifetime memories for your clients and attendees.
- Located in the famed Duero Valley region of Northern Spain. One of the best food and wine areas anywhere.
- Two hour transfer from Madrid Airport (yes…long transfer after an overnight flight, but easy to make that arrival experience fun and part of the journey ….and sooo worth it.)
- 12th Century Romanesque Abbey converted to a 30 key luxury hotel (Yes…buyouts in shoulder season)
- Michelin Star Restaurant, spa, and set on 500 acres of working farms and vineyards
- Spectacular area of Spain with a long list of things to do for an upscale group.
- First client to book this one for a group can name their thank you gift from me. I have been so impressed with the professionalism of the team here and am very excited to introduce this amazing property to the North American market!
Cap Vermell Grand Hotel on Mallorca
- 126 rooms and 16 suites
- 6 year old and purpose built as the Park Hyatt Mallorca (owners felt they were better off as a luxury independent)
- Great airlift into Mallorca from a number of major hubs and only a 45 minute flight from Barcelona (BCN)
- Mallorca is a large island known for it’s great weather, historic villages, food and natural beauty.
- Oversized guest rooms
- Four golf courses within a six-mile radius, including the adjacent Canyamel Golf
- Not on the beach, but it’s a quick ride down the valley and the hotel offers full services there.
- Full service destination resort experience.
New build on the East bank of the Chao Phraya River (a few blocks North of the Four Seasons)
I’ve not been….so am quoting a local travel writer here regarding the location “Capella Bangkok puts you at the heart of it all, with front-row views of the river, along with immediate access to the city’s most fashionable cafes, bars, and art galleries. Let your heart wander along the river-bends as you watch long-tailed boats glide by, or take a stroll through the cobbled streets of Bangkok’s old town”
Urban resort with top shelf restaurants, spa and pool area.
78 rooms, 16 suites and 7 villas
Anantara Villa Padierna, Costa del Sol Spain
Located between Marbella and Estepona. 45 minutes from Malaga International Airport (AGP)
65 Rooms, 58 Suites and 9 Villas
Three Golf courses, private beach club nearby, 2000 sq meter spa and a variety of bars and restaurants.
- Iconic travel destination.
- 93mi/130km from CDG
- Recently renovated luxury hotel.
- 44 rooms and 3 suites
- Epernay, Reims, and the lovely village of Champillon are just a short drive away.
- Centrally located in the town of Cagliari. This is a very unique property from an architectural perspecitive and has a number of unique features.
- Walking distance to the marina and Poetto Beach
- Recently built “urban sanctuary”
- 64 rooms and 7 suites
- Check out the one minute video (with it’s inordinately dramatic music), here
Castello di Velona Resort Thermal Spa and Winery
- Set on a hilltop in the southern tip of Montalcino in Tuscany. (What more do you need to know?)
- 24 rooms, 21 suites and 2 villas
- The castle offers spectacular 360-degree views of Brunello vineyards in Val d’Orcia and boasts its own thermal hot spring on site. Yes….that Brunello.
- Immersive spa offers adjoined indoor and outdoor natural thermal water pools, sauna, steam baths, ice falls (which sound terrible) and sensory showers
- Set on the Mediterranean coastline in La Croix Valmer, 20 minutes from Saint-Tropez (57 mi/92 km from NCE)
- Steps away from the sandy, five-kilometer Gigaro Beach
- 38 Guestrooms and 6 suites were designed by renowned architect Phillipe Starck
- 2,000-square-meter wellness center complete with seven cabins, two steam rooms, a snow-shower, sauna, health-focused restaurant with vegan and vegetarian options, and 25-meter swimming pool.
- My next personal vacation spot.
Nayara Tented Camp, Costa Rica
- 21 accommodations (1700sq ft luxury tents) and 8 villas
- Inspired by the luxury canvas lodges of Africa and Asia, is in the Arenal Volcano National Park
- Unobstructed views of the volcano
- Design blends contemporary barefoot-luxe touches and unique-to-location design feratures
- All the beans and rice you can eat.
- 76 Mi/122km from San Jose International Airport (SJO); 85mi/137km from Liberia International Airport (LIB)
As you can see we have a wide range of stellar new options for groups!
Please keep LHW in mind for your group travel needs and I am very happy to brainstorm with you on other options beyond these. With over 400 hotels in 80 countries we have lots to choose from !
PTS 