52 MAY 2017 / TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM
/ beyond/THREE STAYS
BOTANIQUE HOTEL & SPA
When it opened a few years back, Botanique
quickly became a high-fashion destination,
drawing socialites and celebrities to the
Mantiqueira Mountains with promises of
relaxation, anonymity and haute cuisine.
These days, the vibe is intentionally lower-
key (though many well-heeled São Paulo
residents still arrive by helicopter—otherwise
it’s a two-hour drive). The service, however,
remains as superb as ever, with a staff who
pride themselves on predicting guests’ every
whim. Local spirits were arranged on the
bureau before I’d even thought to reach for a
drink. Breakfast in bed was by design rather
than special request. The modern glass-and-
stone building’s 17 guest rooms are expansive
and luminous, with floor-to-ceiling windows,
white cowhide rugs on reclaimed-wood floors
and accent walls of rough-hewn boulders.
Bathrooms are decked out with Brazilian
chocolate slate and claw-foot tubs, and clever
design details—like the one-way screens that
allow guests to have both privacy and
uninterrupted views—are a signature.
The real centerpiece, though, is the
900-square-meter spa, where a glass-walled
sauna overlooks the valley floor almost 1,600
meters below. A saltwater hot tub mimics the
effects of a soak in the Dead Sea, and many
FROM TOP: A lounge at
Botanique includes a
telescope for stargazing;
Botanique’s library.treatments incorporate native ingredients, like
the mineral-rich mud from neighboring Minas
Gerais that is used in a popular full-body
exfoliating scrub.
A wellness focus too often implies skimpy
spa cuisine, but the food here rivals many São
Pau lo restaura nts. That’s t ha n ks to chef Gabr iel
Broide, who lights up talking about foraging in
the jungle for new plants and pushing local
cheese makers to experiment. His enthusiasm
comes through in dishes like a velvety sous vide
brook trout or Black Angus ribs served with
roasted hearts of palm and fresh-banana
vinaigrette. Word has it there are horses, a
hiking trail and a waterfall you can pedal to on
one of the hotel’s mountain bikes. But with
pampering like this, you’d be forgiven for never
venturing outside. botanique.com.br; doubles
from R$1,414.