Author E.M. Forster knew the
value of a room with a view; he used the phrase to name one of his most
beloved novels. Here are some hotels with views so special that you’ll
have a hard time dragging yourself out the door.
St. Regis Bora Bora
People
tend to use the shorthand “Tahiti” when referring to French Polynesia, a
vast scattering of islands that covers a nearly a million square miles
of the South Pacific. Some of French Polynesia’s island chains barely
break the surface of the water, but the Society Islands are mountainous,
with stunning Bora Bora containing the famed double peaks of Mt.
Otemanu and Mt. Pahia. Mainland Bora Bora is ringed with islands, called
motu, and one of the most luxurious motu resorts—positioned for maximum
vistas of the lagoon and the pair of mountains—is the St. Regis Bora
Bora. Overwater villas, some with their own (decadently redundant)
overwater pools, boast enchanting Otemanu views.
Shangri-La, Paris
My
best Eiffel Tower-from-the-room experience occurred at the venerable
Hôtel Plaza Athénée, when I stayed in an art deco suite with a view of
Paris’ tallest landmark from the glass-tiled bathtub. But with the Plaza
closed for a major expansion until May 2014, view seekers should make
note of the Shangri-La. Although the Plaza was where Carrie ran into
“Mr. Big” during the final episode of “Sex and the City,” but the
Shangri-La is no slouch is the fame department: It was the former home
of Napoleon Bonaparte’s grandnephew, and its interiors are the vision of
Pierre-Yves Rochon, the king of luxury hotel design. You can enjoy
BVLGARI White Tea toiletries while taking in the Eiffel Tower view from
one of the Shangri-La’s soaking tubs.
When
I first came to New York, Columbus Circle was an oddity: The
household-name landmark rests fabulously on the southwest entrance of
Central Park, and yet it was plainly in disrepair. The buildings that
flanked it were roundly dismissed, even mocked. When plans for the Time
Warner Center were announced, and people contemplated a shopping
center—a mall!—in Manhattan, locals were dubious. But the glittering
edifice has glamorized the location, and the Mandarin Oriental, which
occupies the upper floors of the north tower, has been a big part of
that renewal. Its exclusive sky lobby, Asiate restaurant and richly
textured rooms seem to float above Central Park, offering some of the
city’s best views of the park’s trees and trails.
Hotel Palazzo Manfredi, Rome
One
of the most thrilling things about the Eternal City is how accessible
the ruins are. You walk down a street, and suddenly you come upon one of
the world’s most iconic sights. This is especially true of the nearly
2,000-year-old Colosseum, which rises from a low-slung neighborhood and
is encircled by a greenbelt. Just a few blocks away, the Palazzo
Manfredi, an elegant boutique hotel, offers great Colosseum views both
from its rooms and from Aroma, the hotel’s magical rooftop restaurant.
Between the hotel and the Colosseum on Via Labicana are the ruins of
gladiators’ barracks—and the city’s so-called Gay Street, lined with
bistros and bars.
I’ve
been to St. Lucia several times, and to me, there’s no point to going
unless you hole up in the area of the Pitons, the twin “volcanic plugs”
that attest to the island’s geologically violent beginnings. Several
resorts lay claim to fantastic locations that overlook either Gros Piton
or Petit Piton, but only Anse Chastanet and its more luxe sister
property, Jade Mountain, offer awe-inspiring views of both Pitons side
by side. The guest rooms of the two resorts have done away with one wall
to maximize the panoramas, and Jade Mountain’s rooms have enviable
private infinity pools that (when you stand in the right place) reflect
the peaks, doubling the double vision.
One
of the more surprising things about pulchritudinous Southern California
is how few resorts capture the area’s coastal majesty. But the
Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, which is actually located in Dana Point due
south of Laguna Beach
makes the most of its commanding view atop a 150-foot cliff. The
altitude allows for serpentine walkways, grand terraces and subtropical
gardens descending from the building to the beach, an especially popular
break for Orange County’s surfers. There are even terraced lawns ringed
with Adirondack chairs for quiet contemplation of the rolling Pacific
waves. New fireplace guest rooms boast sweeping views of the coves
below, and when I stayed on the top floor, I had an endless all-water
vista framed by palm trees.
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Gritti Palace, Venice
A
setting on the Grand Canal would be coveted by any Venice hotelier, but
the Gritti Palace, which reopened last May after a $55 million
renovation, bests all competitors. I was present during the early stages
of the renovation, and I got to watch craftsmen shape and paint the
guestrooms’ ornate new moldings so the hotel could once again live up to
its lineage as Doge Andrea Gritti’s 16th-century residence. Now the
interiors equal the hotel’s peerless view of the gorgeously domed
Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, in Dorsoduro across the Grand Canal.
Of course the Presidential Suite commands the front and center of the
palace, but note that the corner rooms overlook two canals—so it’s
gondolas galore.
Sounds awesome! I wonder how those hotels compare to the best hotels in NYC's view?
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