Four Seasons Macau brings “boutique” to Asia’s gaming hotspot

As Asia’s fast-growing gambling mecca Macau has it all: slick casinos, high-rollers, designer labels, jaw-dropping shows, chic restaurants and huge hotel complexes. In this city of superlatives however, something has been missing: the “boutique” factor. Large-scale, Vegas-esq experiences are easy to come by in Macau, but the more individual and unique factor is harder to find.

Opening on the Cotai Strip in August of this year, the Four Seasons Macau, is doing its best to fill this void. It has brought the promise of something different and more personalised, which is a breath of fresh air for the traveller seeking quiet, comfort and personalised service.

Granted, with 360 rooms the Four Seasons Macau hardly conforms with the traditional perception of boutique, but when compared with behemoths such as the neighbouring Venetian (3,000 rooms) and soon the to be completed Sheraton opposite (some 4,000 rooms) the hotel feels it. The design – contemporary mixed with colonial accents and hints of the orient – brings a unique edge and antique pieces of furniture, sourced from local markets and antique shops, add to the hotel’s individuality.

Service reigns supreme here; staff are, without exception, friendly, polite and attentive. Your name will be remembered and your quirks indulged. As one Four Seasons restaurant manager underlined, the hotel is geared towards the discerning traveller seeking a haven of calm and top-notch service. Where many hotels in Macau compete on price, the Four Seasons seeks to differentiate itself by offering the best standard of hospitality.

Rooms are spacious and comfortable. They come kitted out with a 42″ plasma screen, WiFi (at an additional cost), vast marble bathrooms with walk-in rain showers, L’Occitane products and deep bathtubs. Don’t expect fantastic views, the Cotai Strip is still an eyesore of a building site, instead sink into the big bath and watch TV whilst sipping on something brought up to you by room service.

Guests seeking further peace and quiet should beat a retreat to Windows, which feels more like a country club than a bar / restaurant. Its leather wingback chairs, fireplace and big open-air verandah make it a great spot to enjoy a newspaper and afternoon tea far away from the hustle and bustle of the casino floors.

When it comes to eating, the hotel has a Cantonese restaurant, Zi Yat Heen, as well Belcanção, an extravagant international buffet bulging with European favourites and dim sum. The hotel’s most hyped destination though has to be Bar Azul, a stylish spot with moody blue lighting and a slick bar serving wine, cocktails, champagne and fantastic complimentary canapés.

Visitors seeking retail therapy can sleep easy knowing that the new Shoppes at Four Seasons, Macau’s first luxury mall, is just metres away. Guests after glitz and glamour have the Venetian’s gaming floor on their doorstep, plus Cirque du Soleil’s impressive US$150 million production, ZAIA, close at hand (the hotel concierge can arrange tickets or you can book online).

The Four Seasons also offers guests a big outdoor pool complex, plus a spa and fitness facilities.

For more information visit www.fourseasons.com/macau. Room rates start at HKD/MOP 2,700 per night.

Four Seasons Hotel, Macao, Cotai Strip: Estrada da Baía de N. Senhora da Esperança, S/N, Taipa, Macau; Tel. +853 2881 8888; Fax. +853 2881 8899.

To explore more hot hotels click here and to read more hotel reviews click here.

Shot of the Day: Tiger Leaping Gorge

Yunnan Province, China, is featured in Lonely Planet’s “Best in Travel 2009” book, and the famed Tiger Leaping Gorge epitomises the region’s beauty.

This shot, “Heavy Traffic” by Kiwi Mikex, highlights the Tiger Leaping Gorge’s stunning views and serenity.

For more travel photography and world landmarks visit http://www.iloho.com/landmarks.

W Hotel brings “non-traditional luxury” to Hong Kong

W Hotel, new kid on the Hong Kong hotel block, is injecting some serious style into West Kowloon. With its breed of non-traditional luxury it’s helping to rejuvenate and glam up this burgeoning area. The hotel opens into Elements mall, the city’s newest, and sits next to the ICC, which will be Hong Kong’s tallest building upon its completion in 2010.

The hotel aims to create a nature-inspired oasis within Hong Kong’s urban jungle. Treelike columns rise up through the hotel lobby and bar, their branches twinkling with fairylights when darkness falls. The 393 guest rooms, designed by Australian firm g+a and Japanese firm Glamorous, are adorned with pretty butterfly motifs or a more masculine wood, fire, earth and metal theme. Even waiting for a lift on the guest floors will leave you feeling like Alice in Wonderland amid large bookshelves.

W Hong Kong’s commercial waterfront location makes for some fantastic, if somewhat gritty, views. No kicking back and enjoying the light show from these rooms: W guests can soak-up refreshingly different vistas from the traditional harbourside hotels – think docks and cargo ships rather than luxury cruiseliners and yachts – that cleverly offset the whimsical design theme of the hotel’s interior.

The hotel’s pool, with its views across the whole of the island, is the exception to this rule. When it is finished this will be one of the city’s hottest spots – Hong Kong’s highest pool (up on the 76th floor) with a cocktail bar and jacuzzi to boot. Just two floors below is Hong Kong’s new Bliss spa, fresh from New York – a haven of tension-fighting treatments such as the Ginger Rub and Triple Oxygen Facial.

Another soon-to-be hotspot is Kitchen, one of the hotel’s two restaurants. The chef’s table is a nice touch; solo guests can mix and mingle with each other over dinner without the embarrassment of formal introductions or pre-arranged dinner dates. For more reticent guests, there’s always the distraction of the restaurant’s open kitchen at hand to provide food for thought or topics of conversation. Expect to pay around HKD 450 for three courses (excluding drinks).

All W Hong Kong guests can rest easy knowing the brand’s signature Whatever/Whenever attitude applies – from the moment you arrive in the lobby to the time you check out you can have whatever you want, whenever you want it (so long as it’s legal apparently). Sounds good to us.

W Hong Kong:

1 Austin Road West, Kowloon Station, Hong Kong; Tel: +852 3717 2222; Fax: +852 3717 2888.

For directions and reservations call +852 2317 3303 or visit whotels.com/hongkong.

Kōya-san, Japan’s Sacred Mountain

By Aaron Humphrey

In the forested mountains high above Kyoto, an enclave of temples and monasteries lies delicately arranged amongst the cedars. This is Koya-san (Mount Koya), home to Buddhist monks since the early ninth century and a serene retreat for devout pilgrims and curious travellers alike. As the centre of Japanese esoteric Shingon Buddhism, Mount Koya has seen the development of dozens of holy buildings over the centuries, and is now home to 120 temples; many of them are happy to host visitors for a night or two.

The journey from Kyoto takes about two hours, and as you pull further away from the city by train, the wait between stations grows longer. Time almost seems to go backwards, each station quieter than the last, as progressively smaller towns replace Kyoto’s sprawling suburbs and metropolis. Where the train tracks end, a red cable car awaits to take you on the final, scenic stretch up the mountain.

It’s best to book a temple stay ahead of time, and there are plenty to choose from, ranging in price from ¥10,000 – ¥20,000 (US$105-$210/£68-£135). Included in that price are two meals, dinner and breakfast, which are prepared by the monks. Meals consist of traditional vegetarian dishes, from nuts and lotus root to tofu soup and tempura leaves, the food is plentiful, and as delicious as it is unique. Sitting on tatami mats and sampling the food of Mount Koya ranks among the most memorable culinary experiences in a country bursting with them.

After dinner dusk begins to settle on Koya-san, casting an even more mysterious air to the sacred mountain, this is the perfect time to stroll through the cemetery, where thousands of graves and shrines fill the quiet, mossy forest. This is Japan’s largest graveyard, home to stone jizo statues and memorials of all sizes, centred around the mausoleum where the founder of Shingon lies, not dead, according to the faithful, but merely meditating for the arrival of the Buddha of the Future. Here, many hundreds of small lanterns glow a colour between red and ginger throughout the night. Some of them are said to have remained lit for over a millennium, part of Mount Koya’s timeless serenity.

Getting there: Travel by train to Gokurakubashi station at the bottom of Koya-san. From Gokurakubashi visitors take a cable car to the top of the mountain, which takes 5 minutes. For more detailed travel information, click here

Stay:

Many Buddhist monasteries on Koya-san function as hotels and provide traditional accommodation that includes an evening meal and breakfast. Try Shojoshin-in one of the oldest temples on Koya-san, which offers Japanese style guest rooms as well as a “hanare” (private guest residence with bathroom), Japanese-style gardens and a pond.

See:

Kongobuji temple: Koyasan Shingon Buddhism’s headquarters. The temple boasts a stone garden that is said to outshine many of Kyoto’s best.

Oku-no-In: the mausoleum of Kukai, the monk who first settled Koya-san, which is illuminated by thousands of lanterns.

Konpon Daito pagoda and the Garan temple: Garan Temple is one Mount Koya’s most sacred temples and was designed by Kukai. The Konpon Daito pagoda sits within the temple’s grounds and is said to represent both the central point Mount Koya and all of Japan.

Photos:

Lanterns #3 by mrlins via Flickr (Creative Commons).

Koyasan Mountain Rail by Sofia Brightsea via Flickr (Creative Commons).

koyasan – 高野山 by kanjiroushi via Flickr (Creative Commons).

Good Manners Singapore Style

Walking through Singapore yesterday I spotted this sign and had to take a picture. It sort of summed up the place for me. I think they could do with a couple of these signs up in Shanghai (sorry Shanghai, but getting on a bus with you is never that much fun).

Aman opens doors to Beijing’s Summer Palace

Aman, the luxury hotel group, has opened its first Chinese property in one of the world’s most famous landmarks: Beijing’s Summer Palace.

The Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing, offers its guests 5* lodging steps away from the East Gate of this UNESCO World Heritage Site and the stunning Kunming Lake. It is also just 15km from the Forbidden City.

The hotel spreads across a series of historical buildings, gardens and courtyards. Some of the original rooms housed guests of the Empress Dowager Cixi, China’s de facto ruler from 1861 to 1908.

Rooms and suites reflect traditional Chinese architecture and use authentic layouts, materials and fabrics. The hotel is small; just 18 rooms and 25 suites decorated with Ming-style furniture.

Guests can take advantage of the hotel’s bars and restaurants, plus its spa, fitness facilities, library and boutique.

Rates start from USD 480 per night.

Photos courtesy of www.amanresorts.com

Shot of the Day: Lombok, Indonesia

This shot, taken by Nature Explorer has got me wide-eyed and frantically trying to plan a holiday to Lombok.

Nature Explorer says the image was shot at Kuta Beach at “a unique moment” when the sea water level was so low you could “see the seaweed, all coral and small fish in the bottom of the sea”. Apparently this happens on only 6 days per year.

Wow.

Villa Jacaranda: Gorgeous hotel in Varkala, Kerala

A friend emailed me asking for advice for an upcoming trip to Kerala. Responding to her brought back so many memories of an amazing month there and it’s funny what immediately came back to mind and what I had to battle to remember.

One of the definite highlights was staying at the Villa Jacaranda in Varkala. The villa is just a short walk to dramatic cliffs that overlook the Arabian Sea.

The hotel is undeniably romantic. There are four rooms, one with an incredible roof terrace the others with private verandas, and each boasting the kind of detail that will make you want to return again and again. At sunset garlands of fresh, fragrant jasmine are draped on your private veranda; sheets are hand embroidered with pretty designs; and breakfast is served in privacy either in your room or on your private terrace.

The villa’s garden is painstakingly cared for: exotic trees scent the air and their flowers blow across into the small lily pond.

Ayurvedic massage can be arranged by experienced practitioners at a cost of about 500 rupees (US$10/£6) for an hour.

This place is a delight. Don’t miss out if you’re heading to Kerala on your travels.

Villa Jacaranda

Rooms from 4,000 rupees (US$80/£47) per night + 15% tax.

Temple Road West, Varkala, 695141, Kerala, India; Tel: +91 470 2610296; Email: infojacaranda@gmail.com; Website: www.villa-jacaranda.biz.

Photography © Emma Torry.

China’s Top Ten Hot Spring Resorts

By Stephan Larose for ChinaTravel.net

China’s hot spring resorts are one of its best kept secrets. We’re talking hot springs in tropical caves, exfoliating fish therapy, Himalayan hot springs, and springs next to China’s best golf. So, if dipping in warm, mineral-rich waters by temples and beaches sounds good to you, read on for the lowdown on China’s top ten spas, with hotel and attraction info to boot. Enjoy!

1. Jiuhua Spa and Resort

(four stars, Tel: 010-6178-2288)

Formerly the private retreat of emperors, the Jiuhua Spa and Resort is one of the most popular hot spring spa destinations in the country, and it’s open to all. Limpid pools fed by springs 1,230 meters underground emerge at a tension-melting 40°C. Untainted by the sulfurous odor common to most hot springs, Jiuhua’s spring water has a slight yellowish tint, owing to micro-elements such as strontium, lithium, and metasilicic acid, earning it an emperor’s epithet as “a basin of Golden Water.”

Guests of this elegant four-star resort have a wealth of hot spring pools to choose from. The resort’s two sections comprise 40 pools offering 21 distinct therapeutic applications including mud baths, herbal baths, an Egyptian-themed pool, a foot massage pool, a lotus pool, and a medical stone sauna. Those with tired muscles after treks along the Great Wall, exploring the nearby Ming Tombs, or hiking in Python Mountain National Park next door will be rewarded with head-to-toe relaxation as well as therapeutic benefits for a host of ailments including rheumatic arthritis, sciatic nerve pain, lumbar muscle strain, eczema and hypertension.

The resort also features a host of recreational and therapeutic facilities. Hydrotherapy, salt baths, massage services, Thai spas and skin care treatments revitalize and rejuvenate while bowling alleys, bumper cars, swimming pools, satellite TV, archery and nearby attractions entertain and invigorate.

2. Crown Spa Resort Hainan

(five stars, Tel: 86-898-6596 6888, Email: sales@crownsparesorthainan.com)

Hainan is the place in China for sun-worshippers looking to bronze their bodies, and just 15 minutes after exiting Haikou’s Meilan International Airport, you could be strolling along endless stretches of gorgeous private beach or taking a dip in what the Guiness Book of World Records describes as the “largest indoor hot spring in the world.”

Surrounded by lush Thai, Balinese and Caribbean gardens, the Crown Spa Resort Hainan (Hainan Huangguan Binhai Wenquan Jiudian) is a European-style leisure palace overlooking the South China Sea and boasting myriad exclusive spa and beauty treatments.

It’s hard work living it up, but after a day’s frolicking in the waves or taking advantage of this Haikou resort’s luxury yachts, jet skis, windsurfing, parasailing or nearby golf course, you’re bound to need some of the Crown’s propriety spa treatments. The luxurious, five-story Tea Tree Spa complex is fed by natural mineral hot springs and houses meditation decks, garden pavilions, massage rooms and treatment suites.

And you won’t want to miss the signature fish therapy—it’s the most organic exfoliation there is. Just sit back and close your eyes and let the fish stimulate your nerves and nibble the bacteria from your skin. If you can’t handle being kissed by fishes, there’s always the exercise pool, Jacuzzi hot tubs, steam rooms, Thai massage and aromatherapy to unwind with.

3. Zhongshan Hot Spring Resort

(four stars, Tel: 0760-668-3888, Email: zshsr@zshs.com)

Probably the best-known hot spring resort in China, the Zhongshan Hot Spring Resort has played host to China’s most revered heads of state, Jiang Zemin and Deng Xiaoping, and is situated near a town named after the founder of the modern Chinese nation — Sun Zhongshan, known in the West as Sun Yat Sen. This four-star resort features over 30 hot springs and is also handy to the best golf in the country. What better way to justify an extended dip in warm, mineral-rich waters than by spending the day putting for birdies at a par 71, Palmer-designed, 18-hole golf course or a Nicklaus-designed 18-hole course at par 72? Talk about living the good life!

Zhongshan’s mountains are dotted by numerous hot springs, one of which feeds the resort’s massive 30,000 square meter outdoor spa. Once done mollifying muscles, dissolving stress and achieving Zen-like inner peace, guests can zip over to the seaside resort city of Zhuhai, just a 15-minute drive away, to soak up some rays, or train their newfound Zen focusing skills on the resort’s shooting range.

4. Jinshan Hot Spring Holiday Resort

(five stars, Tel: 0750-728-1188)

Situated by Naji, Enping County, Guangdong, this sprawling holiday village taps an incredible 300 hot spring sources to bring you some of the most mineral rich water in China. Endowed with approximately 35 grams of healing micro-elements per liter, the waters here are renowned for therapeutic benefits that combat everything from rheumatism to skin diseases to cardiovascular afflictions.

Luxurious condominiums surrounded by green hills, flowers and elegant gardens guarantee that guests of this leafy oasis get some much-deserved respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life. The place is well suited for businesspeople conducting tense negotiations; the well-equipped international conference center ensures presentations go smoothly. The rewards are obvious, even if things don’t go as planned: Everyone wakes up fresh the next day after spending the evening hours luxuriating in this Jinshan resort’s 28 Japanese-style hot spring pools, which are divided into high, mid and cool temperatures.

5. Hailuogou Hot Spring (Conch Gully Hot Spring)

(Tel of Hailuogou Scenic Area Management Committee: 0836-326-6203) Hailuogou Changzheng Hotel (Tel: 0836-326-6608)

Western Sichuan’s Gongga mountain is the scene for some of the hardiest, most majestic landscapes in China and include Hailuogou National Park, site of China’s biggest glacier park. Rivaling any North American glacier park in size, the area is renowned as a place where you can see all four seasons in the same day.

If you love rustic, outdoor springs, rugged mountain views and chances to catch snowflakes on your tongue while dipping in hot spring water, Hailuogou is the place for you. Mineral-rich, therapeutic spring waters gush out at toasty temperatures ranging from 50° to 92°C and are said to be effective in combating diabetes, neuralgia and arthritis. And that’s not to mention the obvious psychological benefits reaped by lounging in extreme comfort in a gorgeous setting.

After a day of hiking the verdant forests on the slopes of Mt. Gonggar, trekking across icy fields, listening to thunderous avalanches, skipping across the Conch Gully’s milky rivers, and dipping in the hot springs, the four-star Hailuogou Changzheng Hotel, with its dedications to the Long March and ethnic Tibetan décor, offers a little comfort, luxury and plenty of atmosphere in which to spend the remains of the day.

6. E’mei Lingxiu Hot Spring / Lingxiu Hot Spring

(Tel: 0833-559-2777)

Li Bai is one of China’s most celebrated poets, and when he took in Emei Shan’s (Mt. Emei) temple-studded peaks and mist-shrouded valleys, he found no shortage of inspiration for his superlative stanzas. Of all the mountains in the Shu kingdom, “Mount Emei stands above them all,” he wrote. A setting for scenes from the legendary Monkey King’s journey to the West, this magnificent landscape now serves as backdrop for bathers in Lingxiu Hot Spring’s pellucid pools.

Claims abound of the water’s therapeutic benefits. Sourced 3,000 meters underground, the springs are said to be helpful in combating diseases affecting digestive, neural, respiratory, vasomotor and cardiovascular systems. High concentrations of radon and huge volumes of water ensure that everyone gets in on the therapeutic action.

The five-star Emei Hot Spring Resort is ideally located to take advantage of this and the other hot springs in the area. You’ll need the fine dining and creature comforts because every day in this area is guaranteed to be a full one. Whether you decide to make the climb to Golden Peak Temple, or run the monkey-ruled trails to other historical and natural points of interest, there’ll be no shortage of opportunities to pump those thighs until they’re screaming for a little hot spring love.

7. Tibetan Dezong Hot Spring Resort

(Tel for Lhasa tourism bureau: 0891-634-2884)

Want to lounge around in a warm, waterfall-fed pool at the roof of the world? Then look no further than the Tibetan Dezong Hot Spring Resort. Perched at a lofty 4,300 meters and nestled in the majestic slopes of the Himalayas, the Tibetan Dezong Hot Spring Resort offers visitors an experience that is simply incomparable. Is there anywhere else you can bathe in curative, calcite and tussilago-infused waters while gazing upon the most rugged, photogenic landscapes on the planet?

The Dezong Hot Springs are arranged in simple, rustic fashion, divided into a men’s pool, above, and a women’s pool, below. 40° C, jade-colored spring waters cascade 20 meters into the resort’s pools.

Once you’ve had enough (if there is such a thing), other worthy attractions are within reach (if you’re driving), such as the Zhigongi and Dezong Temples, and Tianzangtai, while Nam-tso Lake (Namu Lake in Tibetan); Potala Palace, Bakuo Street and Dazhao Temple are further off. Accommodations are somewhat limited, but the five-star Yaluzangbu hotel features creature comforts and cars for hire for the drive to the springs 170 kilometers away.

8. Tibetan Paillong Hot Spring

(Tel of Linzhi tourism bureau: 0894-582-2469)

About 40 kilometers down state highway 318 from the four-star Linzhi Fujian Hotel, Paillong Sulfur Hot Spring, near Pailong village, flows from the holy Brahmaputra river at a steamy 45-60 degrees centigrade. Extremely simple, and practically unknown, Paillong consists of just one small stone and brick pool. One of Tibet’s best kept secrets, you’re not likely to see crowds here.

The water issues directly into the pool from the rock, all you need do is let the water flow over your body and let the spring vapors clear your lungs and skin. Just sit and let your ego dissipate. Then, turn your gaze upon the verdant river valley below. Radiant organic energy illuminates your mind, revealing the universe in measureless fractals…. Dizzy yet? Do remember to breathe slowly as you slip into the infinite…

9. Jinping Mengla Hot Spring

(Tel of Gejiu Tourism Bureau: 0873-212-5699)

Yunnan’s jungle-covered karst towers jut out of tropical forests and stand like unearthly sentinels keeping watch over otherworldly landscapes. Awe-inspiring and oft photographed to be sure, Yunnan’s got something for hot springs lovers too: the Jinping Mengla Hot Spring.

Gushing forth from caves in southern Yunnan, 50-60 degree centigrade waters flush with curative elements stream over colorful rocks. Lying in the bubbling baths, visitors will find several “masseuse rocks.” Muscles are naturally kneaded as water flows provide movement and shallow pebble beds provide texture and traction.

Beauty abounds in these lush forests: You’ll find ravines, waterfalls, mirror-like lakes, karst landforms and jutting green mountains. The four-star Century Plaza Gejiu (0873-216-8888) is just seven kilometers from the hot spring.

10. Guangdong Conghua Hot Spring

(Tel: 020-8333-9933-2266)

Guangdong province’s Conghua Hot Spring Scenic Area was originally built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. 75 kilometers from Guangzhou, it is now a nationally renowned tourist attraction and health resort. Warm water enriched with ten kinds of minerals bubbles to the surface at 12 different springs, ranging between 30 to 71°C.

A large area replete with historical landmarks such as the Bi Lang Bridge, Di Cui Pavilion and Tao Ran Hall, the springs are surrounded by waterfalls, slow-moving rivers, and tranquil forests. Try the Guangdong Hot Spring Hotel, a sprawling property comprising over 40 buildings set lakeside amidst pine forests with hot spring water piped into rooms. You’ll find everything from villas to presidential suites, along with squash courts, bowling alleys and a host of mountain trails to keep you busy when you’re not lounging in the springs.

Hainan Beach by fedfil via Flickr (Creative Commons).

Lake Nam-tso by poorfish via Flickr (Creative Commons)

SiChuan – Hailuogou by auws via Flickr (Creative Commons)