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dubai — Whether you’re looking for a quirky city bolthole, a stylish country retreat or a luxury desert island hideaway, these boutique hotels have the perfect place for you.
Secret Bay Hotel in Dominica is the world’s best boutique hotel while Asia’s best relaxation retreat is The Address Montgomerie in Dubai, according to the World Boutique Hotel Awards.
Many decades ago, luxury travellers preferred to stick to the safety that a global hotel chain provided. The decision is understandable since certain standards would be guaranteed: the standard of food, number of square feet in a suite or swimming pool — even the interior design. All would be repeated exactly, no matter where the location. Whilst this had its advantages, it left little room for imagination or flair.
The advent of the Internet has provided transparency in standards. This, together with the increasing discernment that luxury travellers have developed, has led many to seek hotels that offer integrity, individuality and character to their guests in addition to the standards of luxury they desire.
The awards are the world’s first and only accolades dedicated exclusively to luxury boutique properties, providing a global arena in which hotels can showcase their unique excellence, according to Edward Gabbai, director and founder of the World Boutique Hotel Awards.
And here are those adjudged as the best:
Secret Bay Hotel, Dominica
Owner Gregor Nassief and his wife initially bought the site to build their long-awaited dream home. When the house — now Zabuco honeymoon villa — was completed it became clear it was too small for a growing family with children, so instead the couple patiently acquired the surrounding land and a new baby, Secret Bay, was born. This luxury eco-lodge on the West Indies’ ‘nature island’ of Dominica is termed as “a labour of love on a secluded Caribbean peninsula with panoramic views”.
The Address Montgomerie, Dubai
The brainchild of renowned golf champion Colin Montgomerie with its 18-hole championship golf course is regarded as the premiere league destination in the Middle East. Nestled in the heart of Emirates Hills, this colonial golf glub hotel provides a tranquil haven from the sparkly and high-octane urban life of Dubai.
Hotel Heritage, Bruges, Belgium
Designed in 1869 by a renowned architect, the Hotel Heritage Relais & Chateaux immediately drops you into the Flemish spirit of the fairy tale city.
Hotel Kau Manor, Estonia
Award-winning filmmaker Mary Jordan fell in love with Estonia and Kau Manor, and, starting from the foundations and a few crumbling walls, has built the 13th-century manor house into a gem of boutique hotel. Rooms and suites in the main house are inspired by former owner, 19th-century Baltic German explorer Otto von Kotzebue’s travels around the world and blend traditional, classical architecture and furnishings with objects d’art from around the world. Rooms in the coach house have a more relaxed, contemporary style but both are permeated by the serenity that is uniquely Kau Manor.
— business@khaleejtimes.com