Poland Hotels Booking

For a new spin on a classic destination it’s never a bad idea to find out where your favorite spot’s residents take themselves on holiday. In the case of Rio, that destination is Búzios, a fishing village turned beachside getaway two hours’ drive to the east, a place where rather than towering five-star hotels you’ll find intimate little escapes like the Abracadabra Pousada.

Just sixteen rooms on a hill above the bay, it’s the perfect antidote to the city hotels. Half the rooms have views out to sea, as does the pool deck — and all are stylishly and simply outfitted. Out here it doesn’t take much to set a tone of luxurious calm, just a canopy bed and a draft of ocean air.

Of course this being Brazil, Búzios is a bit on the lively side; anyone looking for a desert-island experience would do better on, well, a desert island. Here the party’s never far off, and at Abracadabra the drinks are usually pouring poolside. And if that’s not enough, the pousada’s entry is right on the Rua das Pedras, the main Búzios strip — so the shopping, dining and nightlife begin just about right at your front door.

How to get there:

Abracadabra Pousada is a 2 1/2 hour drive from Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport in Rio de Janeiro. Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers.

If you’re of the mind that the precious little chalets of the French ski country could use a rougher edge, you’re not alone. No less a regional authority than the Sibuet family seems to agree, if their hotels are any indication. Just as their farmhouse hotels are a bit more rustic than most, their slopeside Megève hotels are more lodges than chalets — especially this one, Le Lodge Park, whose rough-hewn log-and-stone construction would look at home in the rugged Canadian Rockies. Here, amid the après-ski glamour of Megève, it’s a distinctive look indeed.

But one mustn’t make too much of the aesthetics. Once you’ve registered the singularly woodsy charm of the place, you’re likely to turn your attention to more tactile concerns: the high-end bedding, the indulgent modern bathrooms, and, in many cases, the fireplaces. There’s a small spa downstairs, with four treatment rooms, and the bar and restaurants are among the town’s hottest tickets. Don’t expect to see anyone dressed as a lumberjack over dinner — though the décor at Le Lodge Park may ironically signal otherwise, Megève is still every inch a high-end destination, and they didn’t call it the 21st Arrondissement for nothing.

It can be argued that New Zealand’s hospitality world is a victim of its own success in one important sense — thanks to the popularity of the rugged country lodges, the more cosmopolitan urban hotels end up neglected. Of course the urban hoteliers are working to put things right, and with hotels like the Ohtel, in the capital city of Wellington, they’re making great strides.

This is a high-design boutique hotel in the most sophisticated international style, right down to the meticulously curated collection of mid-century modernist furnishings and the racy (and yet quite luxurious) glass-walled bathrooms, complete with two-person soaking tubs. The style is modern but there’s an obvious emphasis on traditional craftsmanship and well-chosen materials. High-quality beds, baths and furnishings strive for honest old-fashioned comfort, while the latest technologies keep you connected, and aim for an infinitely customizable experience.

With just ten rooms the Ohtel comes at a very manageable size, and it’s owner-operated, which, combined with that natural New Zealand friendliness, means there’s none of the attitude that usually accompanies a hotel that’s so stylish. An excellent start for Wellington, and a reminder that there’s more to life than just the lodges.

If the hotel’s name sounds a little New Age, it’s no mistake: this sustainable resort on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast is dedicated to the green lifestyle, complete with yoga classes and vegetarian tapas. But the Harmony Hotel, despite its popularity with eco-friendly travelers and surfers, isn’t exactly a hippie compound. The elegant beachfront property just makes the most of its natural setting – lining its sandy paths with tropical gardens, crafting flavorful contemporary cuisine from locally grown plantains and mangoes, and using an open-air architectural style that allows ocean breezes to sweep through many of the hotel’s buildings.

Earthy hues and natural textures fill the hotel’s guest quarters, a series of 24 units occupying thatched-roof structures along a walkway that leads to the beach. High, vaulted ceilings, smooth wood, fresh white linens, king-sized beds, and wireless internet come standard; even the most basic ‘Cocos’ rooms, situated on either side of a central swimming pool, feature large private patios with outdoor showers and hammocks. A handful of bungalows, each constructed with an open, airy design, each boast big wooden decks — and one two-bedroom bungalow suite, large enough to accommodate six people, is surrounded by a wide wraparound porch perfect for lounging (or downward-facing dog, if you so desire.) The luxe Harmony House, an independent structure located on the hill behind the hotel, boasts a full kitchen and an infinity pool.

The swimming pool, surrounded by lush vegetation and beautifully illuminated at night, is, unsurprisingly, chlorine-free. Community yoga classes are great for beginners — but if somehow meditation at the hotel’s Healing Centre or raw food and vegetable elixirs at the Juice Bar aren’t for you, head to the beach and nearby Playa Guiones, a surf spot that’s popular year-round.

How to get there:

The Harmony Hotel is approximately a 6 hour drive from San Jose International Airport and 2-3 hours from the Liberia - Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport. Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers.

At one extreme Barcelona’s got bold avant-garde architecture and streaming Mediterranean sunshine. And at the other it’s got quiet, chic little hideaways like the Murmuri, a 53-room boutique hotel just off the Passeig de Gràcia, in Barcelona’s central Eixample district.

There’s a refreshing lack of grand-hotel pomp here; though it’s quite a bit bigger than a guest house, the Murmuri is more like a stylish pied à terre. Here in the center of town what you’re after is a refuge, a bit of calm, and the Murmuri certainly offers that.

The rooms are chic, more fashion-world than design-world — elegant rather than avant-garde. Earth tones predominate, and the comforts are legion: flat-screen televisions, iPod docks, double-glazed windows and well-equipped modern bathrooms with top-shelf toiletries.

There’s no shortage of excellent dining in Barcelona, but the Murmuri’s restaurant is worth a look for its mix of Thai influence and Catalonian tradition. And how does a hotel this small and intimate manage to offer a pool, a spa, and a fitness center? It doesn’t, technically — but Murmuri guests have access to the facilities at the Majestic, a more typical luxury hotel a short walk away. It’s an arrangement that, in this case, works better than you might expect.

The Pestana Convento do Carmo is the product of a familiar formula: a large hotel chain snaps up a small historic property, tears down the old wallpaper and knocks down a few walls, brings in the fine linens and installs a sophisticated lighting system, then reintroduces the place to the public as an upscale hôtel de charme. Luckily, the contemporary renovations haven’t at all diminished the original charms of this 16th-century Carmelite convent — the silver just shines a little brighter in the dining room and the once-murky courtyard fountain is replaced by a gorgeous swimming pool.

Centrally situated in Salvador’s old city, this former convent still bears strong traces of the Portuguese friars who built it. The architecture is European colonial, with dramatic stone archways and a pair of cloisters, while indoors, colorful tile and religious artwork abound. The decor is grand in the public spaces — antique furniture, high wood-beamed ceilings, gilded mirrors and chandeliers, rich hues of dark red and cobalt blue — while the 79 guest rooms subtly remind you that you’re still in a convent. Structural changes to the original building turned rows of single rooms into spacious suites with flat-screen TVs, L’Occitane products, oversized shower heads and wireless internet. But the rooms’ hardwood floors, shadowy corners, and old-fashioned writing desks keep the guest quarters firmly grounded in their humbler history.

The hotel’s acclaimed Restaurante Conventual, too, has stayed true to the convent’s past: there’s no generic “international” cuisine here, just traditional Portuguese delicacies like suckling pig, and a killer selection of fine olive oils. After an afternoon exploring the steep cobbled streets of Salvador’s old city, guests can seek a little R&R at the hotel’s spa, or in one of the inviting canopied chaises circling the pool.

The serious novelty-seekers have probably moved on from Koh Samui, if not from Thailand entirely, in search of the next great undeveloped tropical paradise. That’s their prerogative, of course, but to give up now is to miss out on places like the Sala Samui, which brings a bit of much-needed upscale peace and quiet to one of Southeast Asia’s most popular destinations.

Private pools go a long way towards alleviating any sense of commotion, and at Sala Samui no fewer than 53 of the villas fit that description — meanwhile the minority that don’t, the so-called Deluxe Balcony rooms, have what’s more aptly described as a veranda, and a spacious one at that. Space is at no shortage here, and the higher-end villas and suites truly sprawl, with pools that are big enough for swimming, not just plunging.

Sala comes complete with a gym, a spa, and a pair of beachfront swimming pools, plus a couple of restaurants, one outside by the beach, and a surprisingly extensive wine cellar. You’re located on the relatively untouched Choeng Mon beach, but it’s by no means remote — just a few minutes away from the bustling Chaweng Beach, if that’s more your speed.

How to get there:

Sala Samui Resort and Spa is a 5 minute drive from the Samui airport, 5 minutes from Bo Phut’s quaint Fisherman’s Village, and only 10 minutes from Chaweng Beach shopping and nightlife. Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers.

On the theory that there are enough rustic, woodsy old lodges in coastal British Columbia, the Black Rock Oceanfront Resort opted for a more contemporary approach; they hired a big-time modern design firm, the Vancouver/Seattle–based VIA Architecture. It’s a decision that would have to be judged a success; the result is a hotel that’s not just stylish and comfortable, but quite close to the cutting edge in terms of sustainability.

It stands, as you may imagine, on the oceanfront, atop a black rock promontory, and while from the outside it keeps a respectful low profile, from the inside it’s all soaring spaces and acres of glass, the better to take in the stunning view of the ocean off the coast of Vancouver Island. Rooms are crisp and modern, clean-lined in subtle colors, and again, the view is the thing: if not towards the ocean, then at least out into the rainforest, which isn’t hard on the eyes either.

Something about rugged and inhospitable country makes a guest crave comfort, and these rooms are nothing if not comfortable. Oversized California king beds, gas fireplaces, state-of-the-art electronics and kitchens or kitchenettes are standard, and the bigger suites come with pull-out couches and washer/dryers — they’re less like hotel rooms and more like apartments. To complete the package, there’s a full-service spa and a restaurant and lounge with views of the sea; all that’s left to do is get yourself to Ucluelet, which is 40 minutes’ drive from Tofino, and worth every second.

Our Tablet Spy program offers the chance to get early looks at the most promising new hotels. If you’re willing to take the risks associated with staying in a hotel that’s newly opened, then you’ll be rewarded with the chance to help decide whether the hotel will earn a place on Tablet Hotels.

Seven linked buildings comprise this spectacular property in Prague’s picturesque Malá Strana. The hotel’s oldest building, the Augustinian St. Thomas’s Monastery, dates to the thirteenth century. Several monks still live nearby, sharing the landscaped paths with guests. But these days things have gotten a bit more comfortable — the Augustine is now a Rocco Forte hotel.

The stylish design by Olga Polizzi retains some elements of the building’s past. Some rooms and suites boast original iron doors and windows, which open onto views of the grounds or cityscape, dotted as it is with spires and terra-cotta roofs. European classics, heavy on game and sauces, are served in the three-star Monastery Restaurant, a glassed-in courtyard along the former cloisters. Modernity arrives mostly in the form of pieces from Modernista, a local furniture dealer, the sharp lines of art deco chairs and cubist couches gently contrasting with the gothic arches and baroque swirls above.

The monks’ old pastime is still on tap in the aptly named Brewery Bar. Featuring “Bohemian tapas,” the bar also boasts creepy stalactites and stalagmites, testaments to centuries of use. The other bar is housed in the former refectory; its décor showcases fixed-up nineteenth century frescoes and barrel-vaulted ceilings. Beer appears on the spa menu as well, used in facials and massages.

In Buenos Aires, the bar has been set high in the boutique hotel category – and that fact makes the new Ultra Hotel all the more notable. Centrally situated in the fashionable neighborhood of Palermo Soho, the Ultra looks intimidatingly dark from the street: the shadowy lobby, illuminated only with candles and spotlights, is lined with minimalist furniture and shiny black lacquered tables. But take a closer look around and you’ll notice that the walls are exposed brick and that the footstools are plush and cozy. This place isn’t sacrificing any warmth in the name of style.

There’s a sunlit courtyard patio where ivy climbs the walls, for instance, and old-world details like vintage telephones and wine cabinets; even the hip, lowlit library is filled with familiar dark wood paneling and deep leather couches. Upstairs, the 20 guest rooms are similarly furnished, mixing light and dark, new and old. King-sized beds, LCD television screens, and wireless internet are standard features, and the executive and Ultra suites offer jacuzzis.

The rooftop terrace boasts a narrow, sky blue-tiled swimming pool that, while not exactly big enough for swimming laps, is inviting for a quick dip on hot summer days. Classic cocktails are served here and downstairs in the polished bar and bistro, a spot that, like the hotel itself, evokes the moody elegance of an old-fashioned gentleman’s club.