Anglo Large Clawed Otter

Only a handful of Luxury bookings for 2019

May:
L'Auberge Carmel, Carmel-by-the-Sea
Rosewood Beijing
The Fullerton Bay Hotel, Singapore

December:
Virunga Lodge, Rwanda

Majority of bookings this year have been destination focused, in a mix of Airbnb and nice hotels/lodges, but not what I would consider traditional luxury. Recently stayed in the Prior's Residence Suite at Casa Santo Domingo in Antigua, Guatemala. Gorgeous 1,000+ sq. ft. room with tropical hardwood finishes and large private terraces with volcano views, an outdoor dining area, and an outdoor sunken jacuzzi tub. Have an Airbnb rented on the grounds of a Pisco winery in the Elqui Valley of Chile for the total solar eclipse in July, and a birding lodge (individual thatched-roof Rondel-style huts with hardwood floors and panoramic views) 8,000 ft. up. in Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta at the tail end of that trip. A coffee plantation stay in rural Antioquia (about 2hrs from Medellin), followed by a mountain hot springs resort near Pereira in November. And in December, a stay at Simien Lodge in Ethiopia (gorgeous scenery at 10,000ft along the Simien Escarpment, but definitely not luxury), before heading down to Rwanda for gorillas. A lot of the areas we have been interested in visiting lately have been sparse on the luxury accommodations, but the locations more than make up for it.

SanDiego1K

I'm drooling over your travel. I want you to plan travel for me.

We stayed at LimaLimo in the Simien Mountains last April. We loved it and would happily return. Our agent tried to do a naughty and after booking LimaLimo, alleged our booking was cancelled to make way for government folks to stay. We were then booked into the Simien Lodge. I got in touch with one of the owners at LimaLimo and found they had space for us. As best we can figure out, Simien Lodge was offering a higher commission to the agent. It might be a perfectly fine place to stay and is actually within the park. But my impression is that LimaLimo is a superior property. It has a stunning panoramic view from the patio overlooking the mountains. Wherever you stay, this is a special place to visit.

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

Maurice_Levy

KI-NRT

MAY
- Pico Bonito National Park, Honduras: The Lodge & Spa at Pico Bonito

JUNE
- Arches & Canyonlands National Park: Sorrel River Ranch

JULY
- Foz do Iguaçu / Iguazú Falls: Belmond Hotel das Cataracas (Master Cataratas Suite)
- Northern Pantanal: Pousada Piuval, Hotel Pantanal Norte - Porto Jofre
- Southern Pantanal: Fazenda Barranco Alto (Barranco Alto Eco-Lodge), Refúgio Ecológico Caiman (Caiman Ecological Refuge) - Cordilheira Lodge

SEPTEMBER
- Noto Peninsula, Japan: Yoshigaura Onsen Lamp no Yado
- Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Japan: Honjin Hiranoya Kachoan
- Kyoto: Four Seasons Kyoto

NOVEMBER
- Lima: Belmond Miraflores Park Hotel
- Aqua Expeditions M/V Aria (4-night Amazon cruise for a second time)

DECEMBER
- Nicaragua: Jicaro Island Lodge

JANUARY 2020
- Windhoek, Namibia: N/a'an ku sę Lodge and Sanctuary
- NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia: Wolwedans Dunes Lodge (Mountain View Suite)
- Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia: &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge
- Kaokoveld, Namibia: Wilderness Safaris' Hoanib Skeleton Coast
- Hartmann Valley, Kaokaland West, Namibia: Wilderness Safaris' Serra Cafema
- Windhoek, Namibia: The Olive Exclusive

Preliminary 2020 plans include Alaska (Ultima Thule Lodge and Winterlake Lodge), Oaxaca (Casa Oaxaca), Yakushima, Japan (Sankara Hotel Yakushima), Naboisho Conservancy, Kenya (Mara Nyika), Samburu, Kenya (Sarara Camp), Tswalu Kalahari Reserve (Tswalu Motse), Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana (Jack's Camp), Tetiaroa (The Brando) and potentially Zakouma National Park, Chad (Camp Nomade.)

HKTraveler

KI-NRT

We thought about Wanosato, but it's just too far away from Takayama itself. That was the logic behind Mrs. KI-NRT's choice, anyway (I was fine with either ryokan.) We'll probably stay at Wanosato in a future trip to the area, though (we go on one onsen ryokan trip a year with Mrs. KI-NRT and her mother.)

4S is my personal go-to hotel due to its proximity to her family and friends; your mileage may vary. Also, Wakon Sushi (at the 4S) is our favorite sushi place in all of Kyoto so that's a bonus, too.

1readyset2go

Nothing else this year after all my health issues. I did get to enjoy the St Regis Bahia Beach in Jan. I will have to wait a bit while I heal up so my next trip is not until Feb 2020.
HKG 5 nights at the IC then off the Amanpulo.

HKTraveler

Thank you for the tip! Will try Wakon when I am in Kyoto next month

jiaotze

We also stayed at LimaLimo. The hard product and design were very much to our liking. Simien Lodge, however, is on the edge of the national park, so if the objective is to maximize time in the park, it's not a bad place to be. Food-wise, LimaLimo was better than most other places we stayed in Ethiopia, but that isn't saying much.

To be sure, the Simiens are lovely.

I'm not surprised about the issues with the agent switching the booking to get a higher commission. We were wore down after about 10 days having always to be on the lookout for the next scam or hustle, despite having arranged for a very high-end tour with private guides and cars throughout.

Also in the general area is Gheralta Lodge, which offers great views. For Ethiopia, the accommodations and food weren't bad. Climbing in the mountains to some of the rock-hewn churches will certainly put hair on your chest.

eamus

We just bought a house so there is only one luxury trip this year: Fogo Island Inn, in June. I am really looking forward to it!

Mr. Strong

Just checked in at MO Tokyo - looking forward to going to Ashikaga to see the wisteria blooms.
In a few weeks...MO Milan.

sophialite

GetSetJetSet

I "suggest" you adjust your expectations downwards haha. I don't think there are ANY good hotels in Israel. Don't expect much from the King David if you stay there in Jerusalem.

bhrubin