Nine gifts for the intrepid traveller in your life
Finding a unique and thoughtful gift for the person who has everything – and has been everywhere – can be a steep challenge.
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Finding a unique and thoughtful gift for the person who has everything can be a steep challenge. That said, gifting them an experience — like one of the following nine over-the-top itineraries and getaways — is sure to make for a showstopping holiday season. From a supersonic plane to make their jet-setting lifestyle easier to a chance to spot the ultra-elusive snow leopard in the Indian Himalayas, these gifts are sure to please even the most intrepid globe-trotter.
And if you’re looking for more luxury gift ideas, check out the complete Robb Report Ultimate Gift Guide for 2017, which includes inspirations in every category from cars to watches to fashion, to travel, and more.
## Sail away
Price: Starting at US$2.3 ($A3) million
While plenty of cruise lines bill their ships as floating hotels, few truly live up to such lofty claims. Ritz-Carlton, however, is charting luxurious new territory with its nascent Yacht Collection, a trio of lavish liners that will soon bring the hospitality brand’s signature white-glove service and unrivaled amenities to the high seas. For one Robb Report reader, the long-awaited union of five-star hotels and oceangoing adventure will come with the ultimate in exclusivity, as Ritz-Carlton offers the rare opportunity to charter its first-ever yacht on a bespoke 5-night itinerary.
Aided by Ritz-Carlton’s yacht concierge, the recipient of this gift will be able to personalise virtually every aspect of his or her journey, from determining the vessel’s route (choosing from ports throughout the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Latin America, Northern Europe, Canada, and New England) to selecting as many as 297 family and friends to join the voyage. Each port of call will come with a host of curated on-demand experiences, from cooking classes in Tuscany and diving excursions in Belize to exclusive access to events like the Palio di Siena and Cayman Cookout.
The experience aboard Ritz-Carlton’s 626-foot yacht will be equally one of a kind, with private dinners crafted by chef Sven Elverfeld of Germany’s Michelin three-star Aqua and signature cocktails mixed by Bob Peters of the Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte’s Punch Room. Passengers will also have their run of the Ritz-Carlton Spa, three swimming pools, a pleasure cruiser, and 149 suites, the most lavish of which will be the two 175-square-metre penthouse suites (with their own private plunge pools) — no doubt reserved for the lucky Robb Report reader who sails away with this spectacular gift.
## Chic pyjamas from one of New York’s most popular hotels
Though treating a loved one to a few nights in one of the Mark hotel’s lavish new terrace suites is sure to make for a memorable gift, make their stay the ultimate getaway by also gifting them the hotel’s newest loungewear (US$400 ($A525) for the set). The New York City grande dame tapped pajama experts in Paris to design a classic unisex pajama set that is chic enough to wear both indoors and out.
The crisp cotton, long-sleeve button-down and matching pants are elevated by orange piping and bespoke monogramming, making them perfect for lounging around the suite or enjoying a nightcap downstairs at the property’s chic bar, which was designed by Jacques Grange and boldly furnished by Guy de Rougemont and Vladimir Kagan. The brave can even venture out in their set to New York’s busy Fifth Avenue for a truly unique fashion statement.
## Straight from the source
Price: Starting at US$15,000 ($A19,700)
Instead of giving the coffee connoisseur in your life a bag of beloved beans, go for something a bit more personal — and a lot more unique — by presenting them with a chance to create their very own custom blend in Costa Rica.
The plush Nayara Springs hotel will be the home base for this 5-night journey into the heart of coffee country. The recipient and a guest will be whisked far away from their local café and into a breezy villa, complete with a private infinity pool, that can be accessed from the road or via a 76-metre pedestrian bridge suspended above the rainforest. After settling in with a volcanic mud wrap at the open-air spa (one treatment a day is included), the recipients will be escorted by one of the property’s expert baristas to a local coffee farm where they will learn how the beans are harvested, roasted, and ground. Once they have tasted all of the different beans, they will create a custom blend — a fresh bag of which will be delivered to them every month for the next year.
After revving up on caffeine, they can enjoy off-property activities ranging from canyoneering to befriending a sloth at the resort’s own sloth sanctuary to soaking in the EcoTermales hot springs. They will head home both fully caffeinated and utterly relaxed.
## Track the elusive snow leopard in the Indian Himalayas
In the Himalayas, snow leopards usually live between 2,987 to 5,395 metres above sea level in a treacherous and miserably cold habitat. The mysterious cat is also endangered (with only about 3,920 to 6,390 wild cats living across 12 countries) and notoriously shy, making spottings extremely rare. But andBeyond employs some of the world’s best snow leopard trackers, and its expedition through the Indian Himalayas is arguably one of the best opportunities to try and see the elusive feline — and for those who love adventure and wildlife, it is by far one of the planet’s greatest thrills.
On this 13-day adventure (from US$6,459 ($A8500) per person), guests will set out by foot or on rugged 4x4s in search of the elusive snow leopard, exploring lush valleys and ancient monasteries along the way. After long days spotting more common wildlife like ibex, Tibetan antelope, blue sheep, and marmots while searching for snow leopards, guests will retire to luxe hotels throughout the country where they will enjoy traditional Himalayan food and unwind with relaxing spa treatments.
## Turf and surf
Price: Starting at US$40 ($A52.5) million
The azure waters of the Sea of Cortez are just steps away from this glass-encased, 930-square-metres Four Seasons Private Beachfront Yacht Villa in Los Cabos. Designed by Guerin Glass Architects to maximize the sun-drenched seaside location, the customisable home calls for a gourmet outdoor kitchen, swimming pools, and direct access to the sugary beachfront. The layout features six to seven en suite bedrooms with private outdoor decks, a sunken living room, and a formal dining room — plus, the architecture firm will work with the recipient to create a bespoke abode that matches his or her preferences. Floor-to-ceiling walls of glass overlook the sea and Sierra de la Laguna mountain range, creating a natural transition between indoors and outdoors.
Though a one-of-a-kind beachfront villa is tempting on its own, what makes this gift truly stand out is the private yacht, 30-metre dock, and captain’s quarters in the backyard — all included in the home’s price and ideal for those who crave the open seas. The recipient will also enjoy an exclusive, invitation-only membership to the Costa Palmas Beach & Yacht Club.
The villa will be located within the 1,000-acre resort community of Costa Palmas, which includes a 3.2-kilometre private beach, 250-slip marina, and Robert Trent Jones II–designed 18-hole golf course. Residents can move into the villa as early as the first quarter of 2019.
## Travel by private jet with one of the world’s best adventurers
Geoffrey Kent, founder of Abercrombie & Kent — one of the world’s top luxury travel outfitters — bleeds adventure. Born while his parents were on safari in Africa, he grew up on a farm in Kenya, and at only 16 years old, he became the first person to motorbike from Kenya to Cape Town. And yet, surprisingly, there are still places the globe-trotting adventurer is dying to go — and he’s taking just 50 lucky guests along for the ride. A roundup of places he has yet to see, the Around the World with Geoffrey Kent: An Inspiring Expedition by Private Jet (from US$150,000 ($A197,000) per person) will whisk guests to 10 destinations across the globe in a custom Boeing 757-200ER tricked out with plush Italian leather seats (complete with massage systems), a fully stocked open bar, and first-class meal service.
The 24-day trip will take guests from the lush rainforests and beautiful beaches of Nicaragua to the Swan River in Western Australia and the vibrant city of Tbilisi, capital of up-and-coming travel destination Georgia. Be prepared for countless edge-of-your-seat stories.
## A Spike in flight innovation
Price: US$100 million ($A131,500)
The Spike Aerospace S-512 Supersonic Jet will be more than fast: Its projected cruising speed is Mach 1.6, or 1,770 km/h, which, according to the company, is 725 km/h faster than any other civilian aircraft.
The boom it produces when it breaks the sound barrier will be more like a whimper by the time it reaches the ground — quiet enough to allow for travel at supersonic speeds over land masses with sound restrictions. But perhaps more impressive than the aircraft’s speed or sound will be the “view” from inside. High-definition screens will run the entire length of the windowless cabin walls, displaying video feeds from exterior cameras. “You’ll have a panoramic view of whatever is outside, as if you were standing on a beach,” says Vik Kachoria, the president and CEO of Spike Aerospace, which is based outside of Boston. “From left to right, you’ll have a view of the full horizon.” The screens will be able to display movies or other presentations from a laptop. Kachoria notes that the windowless design will also make the cabin quieter.
The cabin will accommodate 18 passengers in a variety of configurations, including a bedroom if desired, although the flight times might be too short to need one. The S-512 will have a range of 11,482 kilometres; when flying at supersonic speeds, it will be capable of traveling from New York to London in 3.3 hours and Los Angeles to Tokyo in 5.17 hours.
Spike has begun test-flying scaled-down, subsonic drone versions of the aircraft. It expects the full-size, full-speed S-512 to enter service in 2023, after the required certifications from the FAA and international aviation authorities. The early adopters, says Kachoria, “will be the first on their block — or in their country — to own the world’s fastest jet.”
## Crown jewel
Price: Starting at US$2,000 ($A2630)
Surrounded by the lush greenery and bamboo forests of Bali’s central highlands, John Hardy’s sprawling jewellery workshop is a sort of utopia for its 700 artisans and employees, where much of the food that is served at the communal lunch table is grown on-site and where endless windows and open-air spaces immerse you in nature, even indoors. That Balinese spirit is imbued in the brand’s jewellery, which is instantly recognisable for its unique textures, surfaces, and flexible forms that feel smooth on the skin. The company maintains its distinct sensibility through traditional skills that include hammering metal surfaces (a technique known in Balinese as palu), hand-weaving gold chains, and hand-carving animals and shapes. The recipient of this gift will have an opportunity to learn these approaches firsthand in the first Ubud edition of John Hardy’s Artisan in Residence Workshop Masterclass, where he or she will work alongside the company’s craftspeople to create his or her own piece of jewellery. The intimate experience will include an exclusive behind-the-scenes workshop tour and lunch with the design team and artists. After gaining a deeper appreciation for the possibilities of the various jewellery-making techniques, the recipient will again meet with the design team to collaborate on a unique piece. From a simple woven bracelet to solid-gold bangles, a gem-encrusted necklace to a statement ring — the possibilities are limitless.
The experience is enhanced by a 2-night stay at the nearby Como Uma Ubud hotel, surrounded by rice paddies and rich cultural sites where visitors can tour centuries-old palaces and temples and shop local markets that celebrate the country’s rich heritage of artisanship.
## Heli-skiing in the Alps
Price: Starting at about US$70,000 ($A92,000)
Travellers are fascinated with the idea of following in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway, whether to a bullfighting arena in Pamplona, his former home in Key West, or a bar in Havana, Paris, or just about any other place where he ever pulled up a chair. Few of Papa’s fans, however, have thought to follow in his tracks on skis.
This gift from House Hannes Schneider in Stuben, Austria, includes a 1-day helicopter trip for four to Schruns, a resort in the Montafon Region where Hemingway skied with his young family in the mid-1920s, in the early days of the sport. The author wrote fondly about his Austrian skiing experiences in A Moveable Feast, and he opened The Snows of Kilimanjaro in the village of Schruns, where his family stayed in the still-operating-today Hotel Taube. The recipient of this gift (starting at about US$70,000 ($A92,000)) and his or her guests will stop for a drink at the Taube after a day spent skiing the Schruns backcountry with a private guide. The day will also include a picnic lunch prepared by House Hannes Schneider’s chef as well as massages for all following the return flight to the chalet.
Recently renovated by the owners of the Kristiania Lech hotel, House Hannes Schneider is a historic residence in the heart of the Arlberg. The recipient and as many as 15 guests have the run of the six-bedroom chalet — which includes a sauna, a 16-seat dining room, a butler, and a chef — for 7 nights. A private ski guide will be available to the group throughout their stay for excursions into the Arlberg, which, with the opening of the Flexenbahn cable car between Zürs and Stuben/Rauz last winter, became the world’s fifth-largest ski area.
At the end of each day, guests can curl up by House Hannes Schneider’s fireplace with a Grüner Veltliner and a good book — perhaps The Sun Also Rises, which Hemingway rewrote during one of his ski trips to Schruns.
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Forget a Bow Tie. Here Are 3 Black-Tie Accessories to Rock Instead
Stylist Tom Stubbs on ditching the bow tie this festive season—and what to wear alternatively.
Black tie, that essential marker of an increasingly rarefied ceremonial style, is inspiring. Nothing coaxes men into upping the sartorial ante quite like reading those words on an invitation. I say amen to raising the bar, but I can’t bear wearing a traditional bow tie—and haven’t done so for over a decade.
Around the turn of the millennium, I was enthusiastically dress-code obedient, but two unstoppable forces put me off: Fashion moved on, and I got old. Where abiding by hallowed traditions once felt exalted, it suddenly began to seem restrictive and stuffy. And while it was extraordinary to be a bow-tied 30-something, in my 40s, the convention made me feel like a pompous, conservative square. Now, menswear has changed so much that bow ties register as pedestrian garb better suited to waiters than to revellers.
Fortunately, there are several black-tie alternatives that excite and inspire me now that I’m well into my 50s—many espoused by stylish guys on the red carpet and innovative designers in London, Paris, Florence, and Milan. And though I might take a bow on nonconformism as I step into my 60s, I still plan to steer clear of the bow tie, that ultimate symbol of gentlemanly customs, for as long as I can. Here’s what I’m replacing it with.
Form and Function
I got excited seeing Lemaire’s slim metallic modernised bolo ties in the house’s fall 2024 show. A favourite of men as varied as Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, and Snoop Dogg, the bolo is perhaps best remembered as the chosen neckwear of John Travolta’s surly hit man, Vincent, in Pulp Fiction. Originally, Native American tribes including the Zuni, Hopi, and Navajo used these accessories used to fasten bandannas with plaited-leather cords. High-end versions double as a bit of jewellery, with silver slides set with turquoise and often engraved with animal motifs, including buffalo skulls and eagles. Contemporary takes abound, but vintage sleuthing can turn up some particularly beguiling options.
Gambling Man
Varying in size, flounce, and attitude, ribbon ties—also called gambler or Kentucky neckties—have long been a legitimate black-tie alternative. Actor Cillian Murphy has worn Saint Laurent’s take to various award shows, looking stand-alone chic and authentically cool. They have a distinct Western energy—Kirk Douglas donned one as Doc Holliday in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, as did Robert Vaughan in The Magnificent Seven. But they’re as much rock star as they are gunslinger: The late Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls and Bauhaus front man Peter Murphy (style role models of mine) also wore them with panache. Take a note from the runway and wear them with a pair of boots—cowboy, Chelsea, or with a Cuban heel—to really step away from the standard.
Fit to Be Tied
Getty Images/Courtesy of Lemaire
If you want to give yourself some breathing room, consider scarves and neckerchiefs. This fall, Tom Ford proposed a louche take on evening style, using black, slim-plaited, or delicately sequined scarves whose long tassels provocatively dangle at the hips. For maximum effect, the brand styled them with open satin shirts, recalling rockers Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart. London’s La Bowtique also does beautiful outsize bows. On a smaller scale, the Twilly—a short silk scarf pioneered by Hermès—works in much the same manner. The French maison makes gorgeous options with angled ends for extra verve, whether hanging loose or more discreetly knotted.
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Show Stoppers
The Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance—a beauty pageant for priceless classic cars—returns for another instalment at the city’s most intriguing, and unlikeliest, venue.
The logic behind staging a prestige automobile show on an island may, at face value, seem warped—history tells us that cars and water do not play nicely. The rationale twists further when said piece of land is a former shipyard that is, aesthetically, more workhorse ute than classic Ferrari.
Scratch beneath the surface, however, and the decision to plant the Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance on Cockatoo Island for the second year running begins to make locational sense: the steel arch of the emblematic bridge acting as photogenic backcloth; the UNESCO World Heritage site’s previous guises as 19th-century penal colony and eminent boat-building facility fleshing the show’s historical bones; the theatre of watching collectors delicately coaxing their four-wheeled artworks off a rusty roll-on/roll-off barge in the islet’s wharf before showtime. (After all, if owning a car in this stratosphere isn’t about projecting drama, then what’s the point?)
Throw in an endless endowment of free Champagne for guests and VIP transport from the mainland via superyacht, and it barely matters that the three-day jamboree is, in the words of founder and curator James Nicholls, “a logistical nightmare”.
“People love the energy, the adventure” says the Anglo-Italian, a broadcaster, writer and photographer whose extensive resume includes various stints as a concours judge across the world. “There’s a great contrast between the luxurious motor cars and the industrial environment. The Turbine Shop [a timeworn, hanger-like space used to display the vehicles] is where ocean-going liners and propellers were built. People interested in cars are also interested in that kind of thing but it’s just a backdrop. Cars are the main focal point.”
The concours d’elegance concept (“concours” means “competition” in French) can be traced back to 17th-century Paris, when aristocrats would flaunt horse-drawn carriages in local parks during summer months. Animals eventually gave way to automobiles, and the gatherings mutated into more organised contests in which these new-fangled contraptions were, in somewhat prescient fashion, judged solely on the appearance. The trend spread throughout European high society, before reaching America in 1950 with an inaugural pageant at Pebble Beach, California—a concours which has since evolved into a behemoth of the species, now billing itself as “the world’s most prestigious car show” and drawing 214 vehicles and spectators in the low five figures at the last annual meeting. Other concours are thriving globally, from spectacles in Lake Como in Italy (the longest running event, launched in 1929) to Udaipur in India. Vanity, it seems, remains in vogue.
Among this storied company, Sydney’s interpretation is playing catch-up. But Nicholls insists the local variant—launched in 2019, having occupied three other citywide locations—has no intention of locking horns with competitors. Not numerically, at least.
“In 2024, we had 500 people over the three days; this year we’ll aim for 750. But we’re never going to become a 20,000-people show,” he says. “We want it to be bespoke and beautiful, so people don’t have to queue for a glass of Champagne. You can talk to the car owners, and everyone feels like a VIP.” The overarching aim is to become a “destination event” on the socialite calendar, on par with the Melbourne Cup or the Australian Grand Prix.
While keen to keep paying visitors guessing, Nicholls offers Robb Report a sneak peek into some of the 44 objets booked to occupy the coarse, exposed-brick viewing hall, ranging from turn-of-the-century rarities to modern-day exotics: a 1905 Eugène Brillié 20/24 HP Coupé Chauffeur, believed to be the only one of its ilk left; a 1955 Porsche Speedster 356 “Pre A”, examples of which are valued in excess of $750,000; a Lamborghini Miura 3400, a model famed for its starring role in the opening sequence to 1969’s The Italian Job movie; a 2021 Audi R8 Spyder, an iteration that is no longer being produced and thus quietly accruing kudos.
Up to seven “classes” will be open, including categories solely for Porsche Speedsters and pre-war Australian coachbuilt cars. Two 1930s Bugattis are slated for appearance, one of which is, as this article is being written, on a boat somewhere, on its way to Australia. A panel of seven judges, led by the first ever female concours head assessor, who also adjudicated in 2024, will select the overall “Best in Show” winner—scored last time out by a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM, a model line with a $24 million price tag attached. And in a progressive play designed to lure the oil-shunning generation, an “electric elegance” section will debut. Nicholls estimates the combined value of all this precious metal at around $80 million.
While it would provoke an illicit thrill to discover that frenzied super-collectors were slyly puncturing rivals’ tyres or keying priceless bodywork—skulduggery has plagued other pageants, from dog show Crufts (canine poisoning) to Miss World (rigging allegations)—the entrants are, in keeping with the show’s refined, English-garden-party profile—a gentlemanly bunch. To a point. “They like meeting up, the community that’s here, but they do get competitive,” says Mark Ussher, the Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance managing director, and on-the-ground organiser. “They care about their cars but they’re investors as well as collectors. If they win a concours anywhere around the world it adds value to the car.”
Which makes it doubly important that, surrounded by all that deep Harbour water, everyone remembers to put their handbrake on.
The Sydney Harbour Concours D’Elegance runs from February 28th-March 2nd 2025; sydneyharbourconcours.com.au
Book tickets now and take benefit from the RR 15% discount code: ROBB15
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Jannik Sinner Is the First Tennis Player to Take a Luxury Bag Onto Wimbledon’s Centre Court
The 23-year-old Italian flaunted a custom Gucci duffle bag on center court.
Jannik Sinner aced the style game at last year’s Wimbledon Championships.
The Italian tennis star turned up to his match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo with a custom Gucci duffel bag on his shoulder. It marks the first time a designer bag has been carried onto centre court in the history of the prestigious, centuries-old tennis tournament, as reported by Women’s Wear Daily.
The duffel, which Sinner describes as a “timeless classic,” showcases the house’s signature beige and ebony colorway, the iconic GG monogram, and a contrasting green and red web stripe. It also features the athlete’s initials near the straps. Ironically, the rather traditional design has called into question a 150-year tradition.
“For sure this will create a conversation,” Sinner told WWD before defeating Cerundolo in straight sets. “Bringing sport and luxury fashion together in this way is something that’s never been done before and I feel extremely proud to be a part of it. I hope people will love it as much as I do.”
Wimbledon’s dress code is extremely strict: Players have been required to wear white at the event since 1877, with not even off-white or cream permitted on the court. Tennis whites were originally instated as it was believed the ensemble showed less sweat, as reported by Time. The tradition has continued out of respect for the sport’s history and a desire to maintain formality.
The rules are enforced, too: Our own player Nick Kyrgios was allegedly fined $25,000 for rocking red Air Jordan trainers at 2023’s tournament. Interestingly, the decidedly non-white Gucci accessory was reportedly given the all-clear by the powers that be. A spokesperson for Gucci told WWD the house worked with Sinner’s team “for the approvals from the ITF (International Tennis Federation), ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals), and Grand Slams, including Wimbledon, to ensure the bag met the necessary requirements.”
The 23-year-old, who turned pro at age 18, became a Gucci ambassador in 2023 in his first luxury fashion endorsement. “Gucci for me represents Italian excellence around the world, excellence which is rooted in tradition as much as in innovation,” Sinner said. “This is the kind of message I am proud to convey when I represent my country wherever I am in the world.”
The Italian player was capture in action last week during his 1st round men’s singles match against Nicolas Jarry (from Chile) on day two of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park with more Gucci gear. Sinner carried a custom duffle bag crafted by HEAD and designed by Gucci to the men’s singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne.
Sinner will play Australian Alex de Minaur tomorrow 22 January at the Australian Open.
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We Cherrypicked the Best Elements of Luxury Resorts to Create the Ultimate Fantasy Hotel
Everyone has a favourite hotel—but what if you could create your own? We envision the ultimate place to stay, combining elements of the world’s most noteworthy openings.
Forget fantasy football—what about a heavenly hotel? Imagine you could create one from scratch, cherrypicking the best aspects of the world’s most noteworthy recent openings and reopenings, combined into the perfect, impossible property. That’s what we’ve done, from the best rooftop restaurant for supper to the only beach club where’s it’s truly worth basking in the sun, this is the world’s ultimate hotel. The only thing we can’t arrange: the chance to check in.
FACADE Capella Sydney
Australia
It took seven years to turn this local landmark—the building once housed the departments of education and agriculture—into a luxury hotel. A honey-coloured jewel in a precinct awash with appealing sandstone facades, its crowning glory, literally, is the gleaming, four-storey glass addition that perches atop the structure like an architectural tiara.
SUITES
The Surrey, a Corinthia Hotel
New York City
After a full reimagining by Martin Brudnizki and its new operators, Malta-based Corinthia Hotels, this Upper East Side stalwart’s signature suites now include a quartet inspired by Central Park bridges. Mouldings nod to the structures’ architectural details, while hand-painted sketches inside the grandes armoires evoke the Ramble-adjacent Bow Bridge.
RESTAURANT
Le Rooftop at Royal Mansour Casablanca
Morocco
Relax on the 23rd floor of this Art Deco-inflected skyscraper hotel and you’ll not only enjoy astonishing views over the water and toward the towering Hassan II Mosque, but you’ll also find yourself rubbing elbows with the coolest crowd in the city. Snag a sofa on the terrace before sundown and linger all evening.
LOBBY
Peninsula London
England
Hong Kong’s Peninsula hotels are renowned for their fleet of high-end classic cars—a personal passion of billionaire owner Sir Michael Kadoorie. No wonder he struck a deal with Surrey’s Brooklands Museum for his latest opening in London: not only is the Claude Bosi-operated restaurant named in its honour, but the institution also makes available a rotating selection of outstanding vintage vehicles—most recently, a Bentley Blower and a Napier-Railton—for display in the eatery’s dedicated lobby, close to the Concorde nose installed overhead, sourced from Kadoorie’s personal collection.
BEACH CLUB
Borgo Santandrea
Italy
The dearth of standout beaches is the Amalfi Coast’s dirty secret, so this is a remarkable asset: walk down through the terraced, lemon-tree-filled gardens of this Gio Ponti-inspired hotel bolted to the steep cliffs by Conca dei Marini, and you’ll stumble upon its own beach club attached to the property. The restaurant sits in a renovated boathouse; feel free to snip some herbs from the mismatched pots filled with sage and basil.
SPA
Meritage Resort and Spa
Napa Valley
The naturally formed 2,044 m² Estate Cave, located 12 m underground, was already spectacular—its extensive menu of treatments includes both cave-stone massage and guided breathing and meditation sessions—but the $37 million rehab of this establishment thankfully doubled the size of the adults- only pool in front of Spa Terra.
POOL
One&Only Za’abeel Dubai
UAE
This gravity-defying infinity pool, sitting atop the cantilevered link between the hotel’s two towers, has a clubby vibe, swim-up bars and sunken seating pods—and the fact that it’s Instagram catnip doesn’t hurt either.
Photos by ADRIAN GAUT; BORGO SANTANDREA; PENINSULA LONDON; WILL PRYCE.
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Hole In One
The Citizen Kanebridge VHG Golf Open Returns to The Southern Highlands This February.
The third annual Citizen Kanebridge VHG Golf Open Day is happening again this year at Citizen Kanebridge Lodge in the Southern Highlands on Friday, February 21. Players will tee off from 8 am for a day of unrivalled bucolic hospitality in the spirit of friendly competition.
The Open unites forces with the operators of Mount Broughton in Sutton Forrest to stage the popular day, in which teams of four enter to enjoy 18 holes of unadulterated fun.
Players will meet at the clubhouse, where—golf aside—they will be served breakfast, lunch and liquid refreshments throughout the day before heading back to Citizen Kanebridge Lodge for a special dinner, fun awards ceremony and more drinks.
Located just 10 minutes from the Citizen Kanebridge Lodge in Berrima, the stunning Mount Broughton course gives players—male and female, and ranging from amateur to semi professional—the chance to compete in a golf day with plenty of high-jinks and food along with way.
The event is part of the new offering from Citizen Kanebridge, a private membership club based in Sydney. Citizen Kanebridge allows members to have access to the Robb Report Club(RR1) based in the United States of America, Citizen Kanebridge Lodge in the Southern Highlands of NSW, and The Royal Automobile Club of Australia (RACA) in Circular Quay, Sydney.
Members interested in Golf Open Day, may enquire by reaching out to leanne@citizenkanebridge.com.au. For more information on Golf Open day, you can download the information brochure here.
Love golf? jump to our golf connoisseurship package from the Spring 2024 issue of Robb Report ANZ.
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