Condé Nast Traveler's picks for best new hotels 2014
From luxurious, destination hotels set in some of the most remote far-flung corners of the world to hotels designed with the food lover in mind, editors at Condé Nast Traveler have curated a list of the best new hotels for 2014 -- a list they call their most selective ever.
For the 18th edition of the awards, the US publication looked at a pool of 510 new hotels in 400 cities across 93 countries before whittling their final list down to 33 properties.
The list is divided into seven categories, designed to respond to the needs of the modern traveler: beach, design, food, family, bargain, over-the-top and way-out-there hotels.
To make the final cut, properties had to give a sense of place, defined as “a place that celebrates where it is in the world,” and a sense of personality.
Instead of cookie cutter décor, for example, editors favored hotels designed with character and individual style.
Likewise, hotels that anticipated guests' needs were also heavily weighted in the category of “sense of intuition.”
A few standouts include a trio of properties in the category of ‘way-out-there’ hotels that span the north easternmost reaches of the Canadian Maritimes (Fogo Island Inn, Newfoundland); the Kenyan wilderness (Segera Retreat, Kenya); and a national park on the east coast of Vietnam (Amanoi, Vietnam) -- all of which promise seclusion and isolation.
In the category of ‘over-the-top,’ it comes as no surprise that the latest hotel from the luxury group LVMH, the Cheval Blanc Randheli in the tropical Maldives, should make the cut.
Set amidst coconut palms, the collection of 45 villas come with private infinity pools, hammocks, Guerlain spa services, five restaurants, three bars, and a diving and water sports center.
Prices start at $1,950 a night.
Carnivores may also be interested in the Vines Resort & Spa at Uco Valley in Argentina which made the editors' food category, where chef Francis Mallmann uses traditional open-flame cooking to highlight the flavors of locally raised beef in dishes like asado steak, served with mascarpone, yam chips, tomato and avocado. Food and wine lovers can even purchase a plot of vineyard on the property estate.
The May Hot List issue of Condé Nast Traveler hits newsstands April 29 in the US.
