Good Hotels: Worth The Wait

When I write about travel I think about itineraries that make logistical sense. Well, that’s just not the way we’re living now. It’s hard to pull together a two-week trip this summer when we don’t even know the facts on the ground. Forget an elaborate three-country circuit; you have to take your escape when you can get it.

That might mean an intense, but indulgent trip. If you haven’t been able to travel for ages, manage to test negative for the Big C, then go for it. Or maybe you just want something to look forward to. So all is not lost. With that in mind here are some great hotels. Probably not places you check into for a week unless your crypto bets have paid off. If they have then don’t wade time—there’s something appealing about being in residence—what’s better than getting mail delivered to a hotel?

Let’s focus on the positive. Some grandeur. Some ambition. After all, you never know.

Chateau de Mercuès, Cahors. This grand 1399 chateau sits on a hill with views across the Lot river to the vineyards on the other side of the valley. This is Cahors, south of the Dordogne, a lovely but lightly visited part of France. Every room in the chateau is different—some ornate and covered with fabrics, others monastic and stone-walled with enormous fireplaces. The restaurant is serious but enjoyable business, a Michelin-one star setting with young, talented chef, Julien Poisot. We had an incredible 7-course tasting, just the right amount of indulgence. On the grounds is an immense pool, if you want to read a detective novel and consider a glass of rosé. The chateau closes for the winter season, but re-opens during February for the annual local truffle market. Those truffles find their way to the dining room, and a high French meal by the fire sounds very good right now.

The Danieli, Venice. I recently wrote about my love for the Gritti, but don’t overlook the Danieli! Where the Gritti has a discrete small entrance and is tucked away between the water and a quiet square, the Danieli has a theatrical five-story lobby, with plants cascading from above. You’re right on the Grand Canal, perfectly poised above the action. I would pass on the annex and stay in the original building (the Palazzo Ranadi). The rooms are downright historic—terrazzo floors, lovely green velvet furniture, ancient wood-paneled doors, with hand painted numbers. The restaurant is formal and shockingly good. Breakfast on the fifth floor terrace with panoramic views across the canal and you feel like a doge—and that’s a good thing! I would head to the lovely bar on the early side before the singer settles in. He gets going, complete with drum machine, for about a five-hour shift, and if you don’t want to hear him struggle with the lyrics to Piano Man consider yourself warned.

The dining room at Le Meurice Alain Ducasse

Le Meurice, Paris. When the French call a hotel a “Palace Hotel” that’s not a metaphor, but an actual classification. That should tell you how seriously they take these things. Just seeing Le Meurice in mosaics outside the hotel makes me excited. I generally stay in smaller hotels, but spent a night here and it was delightful. It’s easy to forget how seamless and elegant state of the art French service can be. Salvador Dali was famously in residence, Philipe Stark has re-worked the lobby—so you’re in for drama. When you head up to your room you are very much a part of Paris—with views over the Tuileries up to the Louvre, with the Eiffel Tower in the distance. If you get revved up you can eat a three-star meal. The breakfast is one of the best I’ve ever had in Paris, and when things are good in France, nothing’s better.

Turtle Inn, Placencia. There’s a fine art to maintaining a tasteful resort—you don’t want it to feel easygoing but not like cruise ship on land. The Turtle Inn, one of the Coppola properties, gets it exactly right. You’re directly on the beach and if you’re staying in one of the Indonesian-style thatched-roof villas then all feels right with the world. You have access to the seaside bar, which is a good thing. There are three different restaurants each with their own personality and smart approach. One just serves grilled local lobster, shrimp or fish of the day, and you don’t need anything more than that. The staff is warm, friendly and welcoming. There’s a pool, for people so inclined. But the ocean is right there so dive in. There’s terrific saltwater fly fishing, if you want to try to catch a permit (or fail, in my case). There’s a spa for those who are not fishing. So you have plenty to do, though doing very little may be the best option.