2022’s Best Travel Destinations
From a converted Indian fortress to an upscale Mauritian party resort, bask in the brilliance of the year’s top luxury options.
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Beyond the antipodean bubble, here is a lofty list of the world’s most indulgent wellness havens that deliver head-turning style and holistic health in equal measure.
MAYBOURNE RIVIERA
The owner of London’s beloved Claridge’s and Connaught hotels, among others, has brought its inimitable brand of oh-soBritish personalised luxe hospitality—not to mention one of its top managers, Boris Messmer—to the limestone cliffs of the Côte d’Azur’s Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. An international coterie of aesthetic arbiters came together to design the 69 rooms and suites, light and bright and each with a terrace overlooking the Mediterranean Sea; that superstar team included Hong Kong’s André Fu, Irishman Bryan O’Sullivan and Paris-based Pierre Yovanovitch. The property is a refreshingly contemporary retreat on a quiet stretch of coast not far from Italy and Monaco, known for its heritage hotels. The town, once frequented by Coco Chanel and Eileen Gray, is as fashionable as ever, so pack for a day at the private waterfront club, which is just a short ride down the cliffs in a bespoke beach buggy. Rooms start from approx. $1,495;
SIX SENSES FORT BARWARA
Rajasthan is replete with royal residences turned ravishing resorts, but the latest luxe lair here is the most over-the-top yet. On a relatively remote hilltop between pink-hued Jaipur and tiger-filled Ranthambore National Park, wellness specialist Six Senses has opened a 48-suite retreat in a 700-year-old walled fortress, which features not one but two palaces, plus a pair of temples and even its own stepwell. Thanks to a decade-long restoration, the high-ceilinged halls of one palace have become the lobby, while a soaring lookout tower now holds private dining areas for one of the three restaurants, all of which rely on locally sourced ingredients. Six Senses combined the temples and the second palace to create a 2,780-squaremetre spa and fitness zone, offering modalities from Ayurveda and meditation to more Western traditions. Tear yourself away from the spa to savour the palm-planted courtyard gardens and the 25-metre pool, lined with handcrafted mosaic tiles, newly nestled amidst the greenery. Rooms from approx. $1,335;
STERREKOPJE
This 50-hectare farm in South Africa’s winelands is a passion project for Dutch entrepreneur Nicole Boekhoorn and her wife, Fleur Huijskens. The couple consider it more a sanctuary than a hotel, with regeneration the goal—not only in the practices employed at the on-site farm but also for guests, who’ll depart their stay restored and rebooted via a series of treatments, dubbed “journeys”, ranging from Reiki to intuitive massage. There’s nothing so prosaic as a focus on paperwork at check-in, either. Rather, arrivals involve a cleansing foot bath (there’s wine on ice, too). Some of the 11 rooms are housed in several low-slung cottages decorated in warm earth tones. Four-poster beds dominate most of them, and bathrooms feature an assortment of plunging tubs— particularly charming is one made from an old wine barrel. “It’s all a gentle invitation, and no one’s obliged to do anything,” she says. “This is a heart project.” Rooms from approx. $620 per night, plus approx. $1,520 per person for a three-night journey;
HOTEL DES HORLOGERS
“In the winter, you could ski from the roof on the top floor straight into the valley,” jokes André Cheminade, the GM of the newest addition to the Audemars Piguet campus in Switzerland: its own 50-room hotel. His claim nods to the soaring facade of the property, with zigzagging levels evoking mountain switchback roads, a typical flourish from Danish wunderkind Bjarke Ingels, the architect who designed both this property and the watch brand’s spiral-shaped museum nearby. Minimalist but quirky interiors are executed in conjunction with French architect Pierre Minassian—expect oystershell-like sculptures, ceiling decorations made from blanched driftwood and sloping corridors. The notoriously controlling watchmaker has allowed outsiders, albeit ones with blue-chip names, to helm the restaurants and spa: Emmanuel Renaut is the Michelin three-star chef at the hotel’s two dining spots, while the spa is operated by high-end local brand Alpeor. Rooms from approx. $655;
LUX* GRAND BAIE
It was the sailboats of his childhood that inspired Mauritian architect JeanFrancois Adam when he planned this 116-room resort, its swooping curves intended to echo a seaward vessel—in this case, one beached on superb white sands overlooking the namesake bay and its picture-perfect turquoise water, where he spent his teens fishing and sailing. It’s a welcome addition to Grand Baie, the village on the island’s northern tip that pioneered luxury tourism here in the 1990s. But its lack of infrastructure—the freeway connected the main airport to the area only a decade ago—dulled the Saint-Tropezinspired luster. This new hotel has helped restore its cachet, with beach clubs such as N’Joy opening nearby. It’s a refreshingly buzzy spot on an island where most high-end properties rely heavily on their appeal to golfers. Instead, this is an adult party place, with a nightclub, rooftop bar and a poolside DJ, plus a top-flight gym and rooftop running track. If you do come with kids, don’t worry—there are inventive distractions for young ones and teens, from ice-cream making to DJ lessons. Rooms from approx. $755;
FINNISS RIVER LODGE
This six-suite safari-style camp in Australia is the culmination of a three-year project by the Venturin family, who converted a piece of their large cattle station in the country’s rugged Top End into a luxe hideaway. The Venturins haven’t ditched their herds, and instead are embedding the resort within their working ranch. The approach allows visitors to do everything from on-property wild fishing to helping push a mob of cattle up through the flood plain. Staff can also arrange airboat tours by crocodile conservationist Matt Wright. The location close to Litchfield National Park affords easy access to indigenous rock-art sites. All-inclusive rates from $950 per person per night for a double room, minimum two-night stay;
MATILD PALACE
Twin palaces have sat as belle epoque sentries across the road from each other in Budapest for more than 120 years; they were built close to the Danube’s main bridge by an extravagant, architecturally minded archduchess. Her namesake, the Klotild Palace, is under renovation now, earmarked to reopen as a St. Regis hotel in a few years’ time. The other structure, the Matild Palace, has just emerged from a five-year gut renovation as a 130-room Marriottoperated hotel, the first challenge to the Four Seasons’ longtime stranglehold over luxury hospitality in the city. The Matild’s interiors are sumptuously maximalist—think blue-and-gold-tiled bathrooms—but the best rooms aren’t the largest suites. Instead, opt for a top-floor river-view loft, with huge sloping windows to enhance the perks of that perch. And yes, that’s a signature Spago smokedsalmon pizza on the menu at the in-house restaurant: Austrian-born Wolfgang Puck has been lured to helm the culinary offerings here, his first project in his homeland’s former empire. Rooms from approx. $700;
NAOSHIMA RYOKAN ROKA
It was a complaint from a local carpenter on Japan’s art-powered island Naoshima that gave ryokan operator Shintaro Sasaki the idea. Ever since collector Soichiro Fukutake installed his haul of high-grade art in the Chichu Art Museum there in 2004, visitors had flocked to see it; the only luxury overnight perch, though, was the billionaire’s own hotel, the sleekly modern Benesse House. That woodworker carped that no establishment offered foreigners the chance to immerse themselves in traditional Japanese hospitality, known as wa. Sasaki was determined to remedy that— and the result is his just-opened 11-room high-end ryokan, which serves as a lesson in understated Japanese luxury. Guest quarters have tatami mats and open-air soaking baths, while the entire property nods to its Naoshima location with an assortment of contemporary art arranged throughout. Though the works at Benesse are merely on exhibit, some pieces here will be offered for sale, with an emphasis on local, lesser-known Japanese artists whom Sasaki is keen to showcase to a broader audience. Full-board rates include kaiseki-style suppers, mostly relying on fish from the nearby Seto Inland Sea, and Sasaki hopes guests will gather at the outdoor hearth after the evening meal to share stories. Rooms from approx. $495;
BISHOP’S LODGE
This 100-room retreat is set on 128 forest-side hectares, land that once belonged to the bishop of Santa Fe; it’s well located close to downtown but with canyon tours and fly-fishing easily accessible, too. The lure of Bishop’s Lodge, though, isn’t its location per se but rather the property itself. It’s a thoughtfully operated, selfcontained destination that most guests won’t ever feel compelled to leave. Rooms and suites are decorated in a modern desert decor, and most have their own kiva fireplace. Creative programming here engages deeply with all things Santa Fe: options include private, hands-on sessions with local experts in art, Native American healing, botany and more, with an on-site gallery showcasing a roster of artists-inresidence and an equestrian centre that offers trail rides and lessons in “cowboy skills”. The “Chile Host” who’ll greet diners with a basket of peppers and spicy oils is a witty, locally minded touch, too. Rooms from approx. $1,160;
LUZ
The tiny fishing village of José Ignacio in Uruguay has earned a reputation as South America’s answer to the Hamptons, a glitzy getaway that’s heavily populated by moneyed vacationers from Buenos Aires. It’s both startling and refreshing to see the contrast just 10 minutes’ drive inland at Luz. With its discreet, laidbackluxury vibe and vineyard setting, the property feels more like the North Fork, the quieter corner of Long Island that stands in contrast to the Hamptons. The six-suite terracotta hotel is tucked away on 14 hectares of olive groves and merlot, tannat and tempranillo vines, and has the ambience of a private winery estate leased to a few folks at a time. Days are spent lounging by the heated infinity pool, sipping G&Ts at the gin bar on the deck or exploring the property’s trails on horseback or mountain bike. Meals are meant for sharing—don’t miss one of the 24-seat communal pop-up dinners regularly hosted by chef Martín Milesi of London’s hit restaurant Una. Rooms from approx. $435;
FOUR SEASONS NEW ORLEANS
This 341-room property brings a new level of luxury to a city whose reputation for hospitality strangely wasn’t synonymous with five-star service. Locally made and sourced art abounds, and the hotel pool is shaped like a crescent to mirror the Mississippi River. The in-house restaurants are helmed by two NOLA chefs: Donald Link, leaning into the Gulf Coast state’s seafood bounty, and Alon Shaya, offering regional classics. The hotel can arrange elevated experiences, such as private streetcar rides. Or just stroll the surrounding riverside neighbourhood, which has rebounded from a shabbier era thanks in part to the city’s efforts and the hotel’s arrival last August. Rooms from approx. $575;
JOALI BEING
The Blue Mind thesis posits that water is good for us, body and soul—and so it’s a wonder that the Maldives, a nation of roughly 1,200 islands, hasn’t had a resort that can truly claim to put wellness at its heart. At least, until now. Joali Being’s 68 beach and ocean villas—each assigned a jadugar, or butler—were built using biophilic design principles that bring the tranquility-inducing textures and colours of nature indoors. This is a resort that’s equal parts medi-spa and five-star hideaway: expect mindful movement classes, extreme sweat sessions in the Russian-style banya, energy-rebalancing treatments and plant- and sea-based meals. Novel experiences, such as a palm-shaded trail that leads to an outdoor sound-bathing space lined with gongs, chimes and bells, capitalise on the resort’s spectacular setting on the 11-hectare island of Bodufushi. Even better, Joali Being breaks the destination’s honeymoonersonly stereotype and caters to solo travellers in search of transformation with five- to 21-day retreats. Rooms from approx. $2,955, five-night minimum;
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At its peak, in the late 1890s, Balmain had 55 pubs. They were noisy watering holes that serviced thirsty hordes after a day’s labour at the suburb’s harbourside coal mine and shipyards. Today, Balmain is dotted with charming workers’ cottages set behind picket fences and stolid corner pubs, which have been converted into restaurants and homes.
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Locals can still bring their dogs into the front bar, or retreat to the lounge to sit next to a crackling log fire.
The renovation carried out by Studio Isgro and H&E Architects combines rustic touches—like the acid-etched sandstone exterior, exposed brickwork and beams —with elegant light fittings, an incredible sound system and tasteful art. “It has a transportive, escapist quality, where you could be anywhere, or right at home,” says interior designer Bianca Isgro of Studio Isgro, who spent two years on the overhaul. Her team designed a modern gastropub on the site after gutting and stripping the building, which had been neglected for years.
Founder and managing director James Ingram (ex-Solotel and Merivale) has assembled a warm, friendly service team that matches the pub’s character. He says his team has fought hard to preserve the pub’s long-standing connection to residents and to get the mix of old and new right.
“Balmain is home to so many devoted residents who are rightly proud of the suburb’s working-class roots,” says Ingram over a frothy beer in the warm-toned front bar.
“The Dry Dock has been designed to have that timeless feel that stands the test of time.”
The large open kitchen features an oyster bar and serves French-style fare, delicious sides, and hot desserts. The wine list is on point, with something in every price range and a friendly sommelier doing the rounds.
The kitchen is led by seasoned chef Ben Sitton, who previously rattled the pans at institutions including Felix, Uccello and Rockpool Bar & Grill. His kitchen faces a large dining room with unclothed tables, bentwood chairs, tumbled marble floors and exposed trusses that give it a contemporary feel. 
The back of the room overlooks a walled garden, with a giant ghost gum at its centre and views of neighbouring residential fences.
Chef Sitton says his team relishes the opportunity to cook from an expansive modern European repertoire with quality produce. The robust flavours and textures are centred around the smoky quality that comes from Josper charcoal grills, wood-fired ovens, and the rotisserie.
You can order steak frites with charred baby carrots, or baked market fish with a cheesy, potato gratin.
The Peninsula Hospitality Group, the team behind Dry Dock, is now looking to expand its foothold in Balmain by opening at least one other venue.
Visit for the food, stay for the vibe.
The Dry Dock, Public House & Dining Room, 22 Cameron Street, Balmain, NSW 2041. P: 02 9555 1306; drydock.com.au
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How To Drink Salon, Guilt-Free with Nick Hildebrandt
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Want to eat a succulent starter of pearl meat and smoked lime butter with a glass of 2013 Champagne Salon? Or sink your teeth into chef’s cut Tallow-age beef while sipping a silky glass of 2021 Bass Phillip Pinot Noir?
This month you can.
All through May, wine-loving patrons can order such rare drops by the glass at Michael Greenlaw’s Atria at The Ritz-Carlton in Melbourne, and Brent Savage’s The Bentley Restaurant + Bar in Sydney. Think glasses of Margaux for around $70 and Crozes-Hermitage for under $50.
These precious wines that never grace wine lists, let alone by-the-glass menus, are being offered at 50% below the expected by-the-glass price, courtesy of Coravin’s World Wine Tour.
Coravin is the life-preserving wine tech that allows oenophiles to pour vintage wines without removing the cork. The patented needle and gas system allows for the extraction of fine wine, without exposing the precious vintages to ruinous oxygen.
“This is a great initiative,” says owner and sommelier Nick Hildebrandt from his dimly-lit ground floor venue The Bentley Restaurant + Bar..
“This May we have the opportunity to pour by the glass some of the world’s most sought after wines. Especially Champagne Salon, which is extremely rare, and my favourite Champagne of all time,” he says beaming at the thought of serving the scarce blanc de blancs.
“We have a large following of loyal wine lovers who come to our restaurants and they are super excited to taste these wines at a reasonable price.”
The smiling sommelier continues, “Our guests will have the opportunity to taste a selection of famous and rare wines in pristine condition without spending hundreds or, in some instances, thousands on a bottle.”
Until the end of May, patrons can sample wines from a limited list expertly curated by Coravin, featuring local and international gems. Learn more about Coravin’s World Wine Tour here.
To book visit Atria or Bentley Restaurant + Bar
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Dion Lee is teaming up with Cho Cho San for an Australian Fashion Week event.
The more things change, the more things stay the same. Nowhere more than in the fashion world. Despite the vagaries of taste, black remains the go-to colour of choice. Fitting, then, that for next week’s Australian Fashion Week, the perennially black-clad media darling Dion Lee has partnered with Pott’s Point Izakaya joint Cho Cho San on a black-themed late-night ramen bar.
Lee, based in New York and not showing in Sydney next week, has worked with the restaurant to create a menu inspired by his inky, haute-industrial aesthetic and favourite flavours.
As part of the signature offering ($50pp) guests are offered “Dion’s Martini” on arrival (his take on the classic vodka drink spiked with a black olive, natch), a Tokyo-style shoyu ramen with shitake mushrooms, smoked daikon and crunchy tempura shiso leaf, and a winning black sesame and cocoa soft-serve ice-cream replete with black cone. (Trust us, it tastes infinitely better than it sounds.)
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Cho Cho San x Dion Lee: Late Night Ramen Bar
Available from May 13-16, 5pm to late.
Signature set: $50pp includes Dion’s Martini, Tokyo Shoyu Ramen and Black Sesame Soft Serve.
To book click here
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Few watch enthusiasts would be unfamiliar with Jaeger-LeCoultre and its enduring Reverso collection. Since 1931, the Reverso has been celebrated as one of the great dress watches of the 20th century.
In recent years, the watch has gone from strength to strength—in 2023 alone, we received the new Reverso Tribute Chronograph, the impressive Duoface Tourbillon, and the slimmer Reverso Tribute Small Seconds—capturing the imagination of casual observers, collectors, and those looking to scale the horological ladder.
It is also part of the cultural conversation thanks to exceptional branding experiences, such as ‘Reverso Stories’, a travelling experiential trunk show. Jaeger-LeCoultre is again summoning its movable experience to Australia, this time in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. For a limited time, eager fans can glimpse the Reverso collection up close via a multi-sensory exhibition tracing the history of this remarkable timepiece.
Presented in four chapters ( Icon, Style and design, Innovation, and Craftsmanship), the Reverso story will be told through the lens of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s expert watchmakers, who combine nine decades of craftsmanship, inventiveness, and design into one interactive experience.
As a bonus, guests will be privy to a large-scale art installation by Korean artist Yiyun Kang—commissioned by the Maison under its ‘Made of Makers’ programme—and the launch of three exceptional new Reverso timepieces, yet to be revealed. These watches will showcase skills such as enamelling, gold-leaf paillonage, and gem-setting, mastered by the manufacturer’s in-house Métiers Rares (Rare Handcrafts) atelier.
Completing the immersion into the spirit of Art Deco, guests will be able to enjoy a complementary refreshment post-experience at the pop-up Jaeger-LeCoultre 1931 Café.
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‘Reverso Stories’ will be held in Sydney’s Martin Place from 10–19 May 2024. It will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (and 5 p.m. on Sundays) and free to the public. Visitors are welcome to book online here or register upon arrival.
For more information, visit Jaeger-LeCoultre.
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Before 2013, the idea of preserving (expensive) wine was a real issue for wine connoisseurs, professional and otherwise. That was until Greg Lambrecht stepped in.
To save exceptional wine from spoiling, the American inventor created the Coravin, a preservation and pouring device that extracts wine from the bottle without compromising its taste or pressure. In other words, if you wanted to enjoy a glass of that Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux you’ve been saving but don’t want to finish the entire bottle, you wouldn’t put a silver teaspoon in the bottleneck and hope for the best. You’d use a Coravin.
“It’s always been my dream to enable wine lovers to drink whatever they want, whenever they want, in the quantity that is right for that moment,” Lambrecht tells Robb Report. “Some nights, that may be just one or two glasses from an incredible bottle of wine or maybe treating yourself to a fine Champagne, and with Coravin you can do this without feeling the pressure to finish the bottle or risk of throwing wine away when it’s past its prime.”
Coravin changed the game and is arguably one of the best advancements in modern Oenology. It has become a mainstay in the wine and hospitality industry globally, with most top-end restaurants and sommeliers utilising of its many iterations to service varied worldly wines.
Today, 11 years later, Coravin celebrates its achievements in the wine industry with an official, inaugural Coravin World Wine Tour. Wine connoisseurs who dream of tasting some of the best wines from around the world at almost 50 percent below the standard price, take heed.
For the month of May, patrons can sample wines from a limited list expertly curated by Coravin. The list features local and international wines of recognition that rarely grace restaurant lists, let alone by-the-glass.
Bentley Restaurant in Sydney and Atria at The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne will be serving customers exceptional, high-profile wines by the glass using the innovative Coravin wine serving system until May 31st. If you fancy indulging in some of the world’s rarest wines, such as Champagne Salon ‘S’ Blanc de Blanc Brut 2013—which retails for $3,800 a bottle and will be served by the glass exclusively at Bentley—or scarcely available Australian wines such as Bass Phillip Pinot Noir 2021 and Bass Phillip Chardonnay 2021, this is your chance.
“A notable trend in the industry is many venues are starting to offer alternative pour sizes, to suit single diners or tables of two better. This is to ensure a more comprehensive wine experience at the venue, without needing to commit to a full bottle or wines that are not available in a half bottle format,” says Sean Lam, head sommelier at Atria.
“Coravin technology enhances the traditional wine-tasting experience and elevates the overall dining journey. At Atria, for example, we can offer side-by-side a Margaret River Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay and a Premier Cru Chablis, and all three wines are in peak condition.”
Christopher Tan, director at Bass Phillip, adds that it’s a privilege to contribute to Coravin’s first World Wine Tour. “We are talking about wines that would be the envy of any serious wine collection, so it’s outstanding to see these being served in restaurants, let alone by the glass.”
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In addition to Australia, the Coravin World Wine Tour will also run in the UK, Italy, and France. To experience this special Coravin first-hand, Sydneysiders can make a reservation at Bentley Restaurant + Bar and Melburnians at Atria at The Ritz-Carlton anytime this month.
For more information, visit Coravin.
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