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Alex Greig and Akash Arora find three hotels with Middle Eastern opulence, New York City attitude and Singaporean efficiency.
THE WILLIAMSBURG HOTEL, NEW YORK
thewilliamsburghotel.com The best views of Manhattan are not from a hotel in Downtown or Midtown but from the neighbouring borough’s coolest quarter. Make a beeline for Brooklyn’s Williamsburg, home to this hot new property with 150 rooms, an on-site restaurant and, of course, gleaming views of the Big Apple. Guestrooms – many of which have private balconies – feature oak floors, custom-designed lighting and furniture, and bathrooms with shiny brass tapware. And there’s more where that came from – three watering holes are set to open early this year, followed soon after by a rooftop pool, bar and café.
CROWNE PLAZA CHANGI AIRPORT, SINGAPORE
ihg.com The Crowne Plaza is a welcome respite for passengers transiting through Singapore’s vast, city-like Changi Airport. Walk through Terminal 3 directly into the hotel foyer at any time – the Crowne Plaza offers early check-in and late check-out to accommodate travellers around the clock. A new wing has added 243 rooms to the existing 320. Aimed at business travellers, rooms in the 10-storey extension are fitted with accoutrement for executives: wi-fi, desks with Herman Miller chairs, soundproof windows from which to view planes silently taking off and the Handy smartphone for free international calls to selected countries and data tethering outside the hotel. Bathrooms have rain showers, bathtubs and Orla Kiely products, while a 24-hour gym, a spa for last-minute beauty rituals and a pool set amid tropical gardens add a hint of holiday. Azur restaurant offers an à la carte menu and buffet, Imperial Treasure is a Cantonese eatery and Bar’75 will serve you a Sling or a beer. You’ll never need to leave the airport precinct.
ANANTARA AL JABAL AL AKHDAR RESORT, OMAN
jabal-akhdar.anantara.com A two-hour four-wheel drive trip from Muscat, Al Jabal Al Akhdar (the Green Mountain) is one of the highest points in Oman and the site of the brand-new Anantara resort, 2000 metres above sea level. Check in to one of the 82 canyon-view rooms and marvel at the spectacle of soaring mountains and descending mist from your private balcony. Or relax in a villa featuring a private garden with temperature-controlled plunge pool. There are six restaurants to choose from, including fine-dining Arabian grill Al Qalaa and Moroccan-style-tapas joint Al Shourfa. Perhaps the most indulgent place to be is the Anantara Spa, where treatments range from rose rituals to pomegranate journeys.