It turns out that luxury London hotels are like buses. You wait ages for one to open, and then two, or in this case several, come at once.
27.08.2023 - 22:25 / forbes.com / Bill Bensley / Art
Anyone who has stayed in an exuberantly designed hotel in Asia has most likely experienced the designs of Bill Bensley: the Bangkok-based designer is the creative force behind The Siam Hotel Bangkok; Rosewood Luang Prabang, Shinta Mani Angkor and Capella Hanoi among others. Apart from his hotel designs, though, Bensley is also an artist and philanthropist and those three interests combine in the first Bensley Art Trail, a 12 day tour for those interested in art, design, luxury and conservation from November 28th-December 10th. Bensley will lead it, taking 12 guests behind the scenes of several of those hotels as well as his home, with itinerary details constructed by the Bangkok based luxury, bespoke travel company Smiling Albino. Proceeds will go to the Shinta Mani Foundation which is based in Cambodia to fund 32 scholarships for students of the Shinta Mani Foundation Hospitality School, Class of 2024.
“I have been designing hotels all my life, but when I first picked up a paint brush just 4 years ago I absolutely fell in love with art,” Bensley explains. “In creating the Bensley Art Trail I want to share my enthusiasm with you and inspire you to release your inner child, while having a ton of fun along the way as we travel, draw and paint in some of Southeast Asia’s most beautiful places.” Throughout the tour, Bensley will impart his thoughts about hotel and interior design, landscape architecture, and spotlight individual artists, describing what is unique about their work.
The trip kicks off at the recently opened InterContinental Khao Yai Resort, a railway themed resort two and a half hours from Bangkok near Khao Yai National Park known for its wildlife including elephants, waterfalls and hiking trails. For this design, Bensley used reclaimed train carriages, some rescued from the jungle, and created a fantasy design around them. While here, guests will participate in immersive art workshops with the designer and join him and park rangers for conservation-themed forest walks.
The next stops include Rosewood Luang Prabang, a hilltop resort in which every room has a different, colorful, storytelling design, with more art classes and observation of ancient traditions and sites in this historically spiritual city. The tour then moves on to Cambodia and a stay at Shinta Mani Angkor and Bensley Collection Pool Villas in Siem Reap, the setting for the iconic temples of Angkor Wat; a Jeep tour will explore the more remote temples. There is also a free art exploration day/ chance to visit the Foundation headquarters followed by a transfer into the Cardamom Mountains and National Park for a stay at Shinta Mani Wild-A Bensley Collection. This tented camp was created for the purpose of conservation: to
It turns out that luxury London hotels are like buses. You wait ages for one to open, and then two, or in this case several, come at once.
In the evolving story of global conservation, Cambodia, with its verdant forests and deep cultural history, is at at an important inflection point: The country needs to find a modern approach to conservation while balancing the need for economic growth and bringing people out of poverty.
There are many historical properties turned into luxury hotels.
Visiting London is all about hitting the big sites: Tower Bridge, the British Museum, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and, of course, Big Ben. To make every second of your time in the English capital count, book a hotel near one of those must-see places — you’ll feel fully immersed in the city, and you’ll get an eyeful of beauty every time you look out the window or step out the door. Staying in a hotel near Big Ben in London is probably the best strategy because you’re not only next door to the most famous clock tower in the world, but also to so many other must-sees: Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, 10 Downing Street, and, the icing on the cake: Buckingham Palace. Of course, the problem with this idea is that the closer you are to the big attractions, the more expensive the accommodations, but we’ve managed to find six luxury hotels near Big Ben for a variety of budgets.
Although it is only the ninth biggest city in France, Bordeaux is certainly one that should be at the very top of your French to-do list. Not only is it the heart of the famed wine-growing region, the entire city is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it has more protected historic buildings than any other city in France except Paris (there are 347 listed buildings in Bordeaux). To see the city, its glorious architecture, and its excellent cultural offerings properly, you need to stay in the city center in one (or several) of the best hotels in Bordeaux, France, for every budget.
Acadia National Park stretches over a rocky and mountainous coastal landscape of the Maine coast. The park has a wild beauty reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest and is home to an extensive network of hiking trails (120 miles, in fact) and its 30 lakes are prime fishing, biking, and boating spots. Mount Desert Island, where the majority of the park is located, has a quintessentially New England atmosphere, with charming fishing villages, bustling lobster boats, and colorful buoys dotting the harbors. While there are no lodges within the boundaries, there are plenty of hotels near Acadia National Park for anyone who would prefer a comfortable bed after a day of adventuring.
My dog Poppy was begging me for a pampered, luxe vacay, so I took her to The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco in the heart of the Nob Hill neighborhood to experience the storied hotel’s “Love Your Pup” package. From the moment we checked in to our room on the club level, we were impressed.
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From today’s Daily Lodging Report newsletter: Nikkei Asia published an article on Hilton planning to expand its luxury offerings in Asia. Hilton will be bringing its Waldorf Astoria brand to Malaysia, Vietnam, India, and other countries for the first time as part of its plans to open 25 new luxury hotels in the Asia Pacific region over the next few years. That’s up from the 33 luxury hotels it currently runs in the Asia Pacific.
Guests commonly come in contact with numerous hotel personnel, even during short stays. They are less likely to meet—or even know about—some of the people who work behind the scenes. One of those roles is the Hotel Operations Manager.
While luxury boutique hotels have always appealed to a certain set, Small Luxury Hotels of the World is trying to create more converts. In October, it launched a marketing campaign around a so-called “private collection” to amplify the message that “smaller is better.”
The Portrait Milano debuts December 1 in the heart of Milan’s fashion district. The location makes sense, given that the 73-room property belongs to the Lungarno Collection — a group of Italian boutique hotels founded by the family of Italian loafer king, Salvatore Ferragamo.