Time Sep

(Jeff_L) #1
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Raising the bar


ATLAS BARSINGAPORE


Building a better


tree house


TREEHOTELHARADS SWEDEN


Tree houses aren’t generally
synonymous with splendor.
But the seven elevated cabins
at Sweden’s Treehotel—
located in a tiny village in the country’s
Arctic region—could easily give the
Swiss Family Robinson a run for its
money. For starters there are the
extraordinary exteriors: one resembles
a UFO another resembles a bird’s nest
and the bottom of the latest edition—
the aptly named 7th Room(right)
which opened in 2017—features a life-
size photograph of the canopy view it
displaced. Inside the cabins which
start at just under $500 per night are
more reined with sleek minimalist
furniture and cozy lounge areas.


Like gin? Then make haste for
Singapore’s recently renovated
Atlas Bar which features about
1000 varieties of the spirit some
dating to 1910. The 7400-sq.-ft. facility
set in Singapore’s Gothic-looking Parkview
Square ofice tower
is an Art Deco
throwback—The
Great Gatsby as
conceived by the
Hong Kong property
mogul C.S. Hwang.
His granddaughter
Vicky says that the
refurbishments
were “intimidating”
but the hard
work appears
to have paid off.
The Atlas now
occupies the No. 15 slot on this year’s
World’s 50 Best Bars List helped in no small
measure by its gin collection which is one of
the world’s largest. “We wanted to be a center
of excellence for gin” Hwang says. “A place
where those who were gin enthusiasts or
simply gin-curious could come enjoy and
learn a bit more.”—Suyin Haynes


Although some guests may have to
travel to a separate facility to shower
fans argue that that’s a small sacriice
to make for a one-of-a-kind camping
experience especially when it’s under
the Northern Lights.—S.C.

A taste of history
EIGHT TABLESSAN FRANCISCO

UNDERSEA
IMMERSION
PONANT LE
LAPÉROUSE

AN ECO
ADVENTURE
HOTEL XCARET
RIVIERA MAYA
MEXICO

Ponant’s new
cruise ship may
have Hermès bath
products a Michelin-
starred chef and
24-hour butlers but
its most striking
feature is below
deck. A multisensory
underwater lounge
dubbed the Blue Eye
features two large
portholes just below
the water line
allowing daylight to
illuminate the marine
life below as well
as hydrophones
which pipe in the
natural clicks calls
and trills of the
underwater world.
“Body Listening”
sofas vibrate
discreetly in time
to the underwater
orchestra.—K.R.

This resort which
opened in December
is the irst in Mexico to
earn an “EarthCheck”
certiication for its
sustainability efforts
such as following a
strict composting
program and
donating to wildlife
conservation efforts.
Should guests tire of
its on-site amenities—
spa treatments pools
restaurants—they can
take a free shuttle to
XCaret’s eco theme
parks which offer
activities like zip-lining
and snorkeling.—S.C.

George Chen has opened more
than a dozen restaurants
including the James Beard
Award–nominated Betelnut
but Eight Tables has been lauded as
his most ambitious one to date. It stars
a 10-course high-end showcase of
sifang cai or private chateau cuisine
an experience popular during the Qing
dynasty when Chinese elite had private
chefs and would invite friends to their
homes for grand and elegant meals.
The $225 meal starts for instance with
nine small bites representing the nine
essential lavors of Chinese cuisine
ranging from sweet (dates stufed
with chrysanthemum honey) to spicy
(beef tendons topped with Sichuan
peppercorns) and is studded with
luxurious ingredients like foie gras and
caviar. To evoke a private chateau Chen
hired design irm AvroKO. The studio
skipped the usual bar area for a bar
cart hung photos of Chen’s father and
grandfather in the reception area and
carved out a semi-private room for each
of the eight tables.—Kate Rockwood
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