Top of Their Class
Where better to escape the cold than in a luxury penthouse? Warm up to one of these spacious suites this winter.
BY ELAINE GLUSAC
Presidential suite. Penthouse. Villa. Pick your preferred term -- all are synonymous with superb service and luxury. And the latest crop of high-end hotel suites is swiftly outmoding earlier incarnations. The desire for privacy has resulted in dedicated elevators, in-suite gyms, and, of course, private swimming pools. And space expansions not only accommodate family and support staff but allow you to spread out -- or move in -- as never before.
Penthouse
THE JOULE, Dallas
STATS: 2,500-square-foot, 2-bedroom, 2.5-bath penthouse with living room, dining room, kitchen, and library (books included)
LOOK: Luxe fabulous. A playful sensibility reflected in purple sofas, zebra-print ottomans, and decorative oversized chess pieces meets serious luxury by way of private elevator, Italian mosaic-tiled floors, and 300-thread-count linens.
PROFILE: Not many hotels would install a pool on the rooftop and cantilever it over the edge of the building. Especially a revitalized Neo-Gothic landmark. But The Joule has layered the good, old bones of the former Dallas National Bank Building with a contemporary sensibility, from its modern art collection to its swanky penthouse. The latter is designed for entertaining, with a kitchen including Sub-Zero appliances and a fully stocked bar, a dining table for eight, and a pool table, as well as the requisite entertainment options including iPod docks and large-screen TVs. In private, the window-wrapped master bedroom offers 180-degree panoramic skyline views (and a telescope with which to spy) interrupted only by a free-standing fireplace. Glass walls frame the bathroom as well, but automated screens provide privacy in the double-headed shower and deep soaking tub.
DETAILS: From $5,000, joulehotel.com
THREE-BEDROOM BEACHFRONT VILLA
BANYAN TREE MAYAKOBA, Riviera Maya, Mexico
STATS: 5,511-square-foot villa with 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, kitchenette, and living room with daybed and dining area
LOOK: East-meets-West. Lavish use of wood and stone reflects an Asian affection for organic materials. Mexican references in palette, furnishings, and woven fabrics.
PROFILE: For its first North American property, Asian hotelier Banyan Tree chose the tony Mayakoba development just 40 miles south of the Cancun airport. Much of the resort lies behind the beach, sheltered among the lush mangroves. But its best-of-the-bunch suite, the three-bedroom beachfront villa, encompasses generous indoor and outdoor living areas as well as a private pool, a Jacuzzi, and out-your-door beach access. An open-air shower and bathtub, along with the indoor varieties, adjoins the master bedroom. The small kitchen is equipped with essentials rather than what’s needed for full-scale cooking. A porch hammock, palapas on the beach, and steady sea breezes never let you forget the Mexican Caribbean locale.
DETAILS: From $5,855, banyantree.com
MAESTRO SUITE
THE DOLDER GRAND, Zurich, Switzerland
STATS: 4,300-square-foot suite with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, dining room, living room, and kitchen
LOOK: Manly Alpine club courtesy of rich leathers, woods, and original beams, along with snowcapped views beyond.
PROFILE: Closed for four years for a $400 million renovation by British architect Sir Norman Foster, the 1899-vintage Dolder Grand significantly modernized (think geothermal heating) while padding its reputation for pampering (spa guru Sylvia Sepielli designed the lavish new spa). Of its four individually designed Top Suites, the Maestro, inspired by influential Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan, reigns, featuring a circular living room and dining room tucked into a century-plus-old tower, an antique grand piano, a kitchen clad in marble, and a fully stocked library. Each of the two bedroom-adjoining bathrooms features a whirlpool, a steam shower, and a sauna. A balcony off the living room and a spacious terrace off one of the bedrooms both take in Lake Zurich, the city, and the surrounding mountains.
DETAILS: $13,521, thedoldergrand.com
LODHI POOL SUITES
AMAN NEW DELHI, India
STATS: 1- to 3-bedroom suites, from 2,800 square feet, each with living room, dining room, garden, and swimming pool
LOOK: Subcontinent serene. Tranquility channeled via subdued colors, placid pools, and cool stone floors complemented by handmade rugs and decorative light screens.
PROFILE: An urban resort, the Aman New Delhi works hard to create a calm, insular compound of reflecting pools and stone walls within a courtyard design. The just-debuted Lodhi Pool Suites go a step further, offering accommodations in a separate building on the far side of the hotel pool, each with its own plunge pool and private garden furnished with a daybed for relaxing. Butlers -- each suite comes with one -- can cater for up to six guests in the dining room. The living rooms are paneled in dark wood, and bathrooms feature sliding screens that separate the dressing areas from the facilities. The three-bedroom suites are bi-level, with master bedrooms and terraces aloft.
DETAILS: From $1,450, amanresorts.com
PENTHOUSE SUITE
GANSEVOORT TURKS & CAICOS, Providenciales
STATS: 3,700-square-foot, 3-bedroom, 3.5-bath abode with full kitchen, 2 terraces, living room, and dining room
LOOK: White-and-brown palette with blue accents provides a cool ambience in this oceanfront indulger that features spacious outdoor patios.
PROFILE: After opening hotels in New York and Miami, the mini-chain Gansevoort hopped offshore with its new Turks & Caicos locale, albeit with urbanite-appealing amenities such as the Exhale Spa with its signature CoreFusion classes and a branch of Manhattan’s popular Bagatelle Bistro. The resort’s residential-chic penthouse sports a designer kitchen tricked out with a Gaggenau cooktop, Rosenthal Loft china, and Guy Degrenne flatware, plus a dining counter as well as a table. You’ll find aqua-therapy indoors and out: One bedroom harbors a free-standing bathtub filled from an unexpected spigot on the ceiling, and a wraparound terrace hosts a hot tub. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer unobstructed ocean views on a quiet, park-buffered end of popular Grace Bay Beach.
DETAILS: From $2,025, gansevoortturksandcaicos.com
PRESIDENTIAL SUITE
SLS HOTEL AT BEVERLY HILLS
STATS: 1,900-square-foot, 1-bedroom suite (expandable to 3 bedrooms) with 2 baths, kitchen, dining room, 2 living rooms, and bar
LOOK: Urban sleek with Philippe Starck’s signature cheek. White tables and chairs pop against a backdrop of neutral-to-brown walls, fabrics, and window shades.
PROFILE: L.A.’s new SLS unites a hospitality dream team: design by Philippe Starck, food by Spanish chef José Andrés, retail by Moss, uniforms by designer Pascal Humbert, and personal training from celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak and staff. Those A-list credentials express themselves in the sixth-floor Presidential Suite, featuring an eggshell-shaped bathtub, a vanity mirror embedded over a photographic black-and-white portrait, a Kinesis Personal machine for in-room workouts, and an Apple computer. Optional extras include a personal butler and a liquid-nitrogen cart for molecular gastronomy experiments or instantly frozen daiquiris. Views of the rooftop pool and cabanas frame the L.A. party scene outdoors.
DETAILS: $5,000 nightly, slshotels.com
MORE TOP SUITES
■ The new 5,900-square-foot private apartment on the top floor of the HOTEL DE CHARME LES AIRELLES in Courchevel, France, features four bedrooms, steam showers, a fireplace, a dining room stocked with vintage wines, a home theater, a private spa for in-suite services, and a vast terrace with an outdoor Jacuzzi in view of the ski slopes. $51,000 nightly, airelles.fr
■ The two-bedroom Mandarin Suite opening with the December debut of the MANDARIN ORIENTAL, LAS VEGAS, designed by Adam D. Tihany, includes a media room for private screenings, a dining room, a stationary bike, a Technologym Kinesis Training System, and panoramic views of the Strip. The hotel is part of Vegas’ fabulous new CityCenter, a 67-acre city-within-a-city featuring hotels, retail, and more. From $15,000, mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas
■ In Colorado ski country, the new VICEROY SNOWMASS near Aspen delivers a luxe hotel to the popular ski area. Four penthouse units feature fireplaces in the living rooms and bedrooms, black marble and glass-tiled bathrooms, full kitchens with Bosch and Viking appliances, and mountain-facing balconies. From $975, viceroysnowmass.com
■ Just reopened after an 18-month, $28 million renovation and expansion, JUMBY BAY, A ROSEWOOD RESORT in Antigua now offers two 1,713-square-foot Rosewood Estate Suites, each including a courtyard with a fountain, private infinity pool with ocean views, four-poster mahogany bed, outdoor shower, butler pantry, and office. From $2,150, jumbybayresort.com
■ SANDESTIN GOLF AND BEACH RESORT on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast offers 14 unique penthouses on the 2,400-acre development, the largest of which is 3,431-square-foot Sandestin Lasata Penthouse. From $633, sandestin.com
■ Set in the back of the resort with unfettered views of Camelback Mountain, the Andalusian Suite (pictured above) at the newcomer INTERCONTINENTAL MONTELUCIA RESORT & SPA in Scottsdale is sequestered by its own privacy wall. The Moroccan-style 2,800- square-foot, two-bedroom suite features grand interior columns, hand-painted ceilings, and a private pool. From $4,000, icmontelucia.com
■ The two new Chairman Suites at the PARK HYATT SHANGHAI encompass nearly 2,100 square feet on the 85th and 88th floors and overlook the Huangpu River from window-side soaking tubs and elsewhere. Also: daybeds designed for in-room spa treatments, separate living and dining rooms, a media-equipped den, a full kitchen, and a grassy courtyard. From $12,885, shanghai.park.hyatt.com
■ Why stop at one penthouse? Orange County, California’s new THE RESORT AT PELICAN HILL offers 24 nearly 3,600-square-foot villas, each with four bedrooms dressed in 500-thread-count linens, complete kitchens with Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, stocked wine cabinets, dining for six with Fili d’Oro table linens, limestone fireplaces, and two-car garages. From $2,700, pelicanhill.com
■ The three-bedroom Penthouse EXTREME Wow Suite (pictured left) at the recently opened W SOUTH BEACH in Miami sequesters a private plunge pool outdoors, a full kitchen, and a living room. A glass balcony dares you to toast the sunset and city views. Or, head up to the rooftop terrace for another awe-inspiring place to do the same. From $8,000, whotels.com