demo

76 TIMESeptember 3–10, 2018

explains. Her kitchen, by contrast, is

“very seasonal, very territorial and very

personal.” Among its oferings: roasted

pumpkin and duck with elderberries,

and wild boar with hibiscuslowers and

plums.—Merrill Fabry

Guests at the Collectionist are

free to explore available rooms

once they arrive

Back in 2000, Ana Roš turned

down a job as a diplomat

in Brussels so she and her

husband Valter Kramar could take

over his family’s restaurant and inn in

Slovenia’s Soca Valley. She hadn’t been

to culinary school, but no matter—in

the mountains, not far from the Italian

border, she set about revolutionizing

the local cuisine. Those eforts paid

of: this year, Hiša Franko cracked

the World’s 50 Best Restaurants

list, conirming Slovenia’s place on

the map as a culinary destination.

Historically, says Roš, Slovenia “has

never had ine dining in its tradition.”

Its cuisine—a mix of Mediterranean

and alpine inluences—is geared

toward people who “need food that

is actually their energy for life,” she

The choose-your-

own-adventure hotel

THE COLLECTIONIST,SYDNEY

REVOLUTIONARY

CUISINE

HIŠA FRANKO,KOBARID, SLOVENIA

No two Airbnbs look

alike, so why should hotel

rooms? That is the thinking

behind the Collectionist,

a new boutique hotel that offers

39 distinct sleeping quarters, created

by 20 designers and artists with

themes that range from “Moroccan

Circus” to “La Chambre Noir” to

“Queenie Fah Fah.” Guests are free

to explore available rooms once they

arrive and to choose the one they

like best, much as they would when

renting a car. “Our goal is to turn [the

traditional hotel experience] on its

head,” says Dan Symonds, co-founder

of the Collectic Hotels group.

—Eli Meixler

PYRAMID

PERCH
MARRIOTT MENA
HOUSE,CAIRO

WELCOMING

STARGAZERS
CENTRAL IDAHO
DARK SKY RESERVE,
IDAHO

Hotels often boast of
sea or city views, but
this one overlooks a
Wonder of the World:
the Great Pyramid
of Giza. In February,
Marriott International
unveiled a refreshed
version of the storied
property, which got
its start in 1869 as a
hunting lodge before
being converted into
a hotel whose guests
included Frank
Sinatra and Charlie
Chaplin. It now offers
331 suites set amid
40 acres of gardens,
as well as four dining
areas, a spa, a pool
and an 18-hole golf
course.
—Julia Zorthian

Can’t go to space?
Try Idaho. Last year,
a 1,400-sq.-mi.
region in the central
part of the state
became the irst site
in the U.S.—and
only the 12th in the
world—to be named
a Dark Sky Reserve
by the International
Dark-Sky Association,
meaning that its traits
(clear air, 10,000-ft.
elevation) are ideal
for stargazing. Local
oficials pledged
to take measures
to limit light
pollution, including
shielding the tops of
streetlights.
—Jeffrey Kluger

THE WORLD’S GREATEST PLACES 2018

HISA FRANKO: SUZAN GABRIJAN; THE COLLECTIONIST: COURTESY THE COLLECTI

ONIST; SYMPHONY OF

THE SEAS: COURTESY SYMPHONY OF THE SEAS; ECOCAMP PATAGONIA: TAYLOR MICH

AEL BURK