Netjets US Spring 2023

THE SMART GUIDE
© NORTH ISLAND OKAVANGO
the six luxury tents and two
villas will be the perfect base
from which to soak up the
country’s magnificent scenery
and culture. Meanwhile,
deep within the Tibetan
plateau along the northern
reaches of Nepal, the Bensley
Collection will reveal Shinta
Mani Mustang (shintamani.
com), a spiritual retreat with
just 29 suites set against a
dramatic backdrop of some
of the highest snow-capped
peaks in the world. Following
the opening of its muchapplauded
Bangkok property,
The Standard (standardhotels.
com) is set to join the list of
upcoming hotel brands to
launch in Singapore with a
143-room gem set in prime
location on Orange Grove
Road, while Japan will receive
its fourth Aman (aman.com)
resort up in the snowy slopes
of Niseko’s Mount Moiwa.
The only development on the
mountain, the property will
encompass the country’s first
destination wellness retreat
and was designed by the
late architect Kerry Hill to
subtly reference Hokkaido’s
indigenous people.
Over in Africa,
Johannesburg is proving its
worth as a hub with the arrival
IN AND OUT
From top: An elegant room at
Cap Karoso; a boat trip at North
Island Okavango, Botswana.
of the Park Hyatt (hyatt.com)
brand. Taking up residence in
the former Winston Hotel, the
property will feature just 30
guestrooms, plus a restaurant
and a bar designed by global
design studio Yabu Pushelberg.
Neighboring South Africa, both
Mozambique and Botswana
will also welcome new arrivals.
The former will open the doors
to a 40-villa Banyan Tree
(banyantree.com) property,
set on the private island of Ilha
Caldeira, just off the country’s
northeast coast, while amid
the grassy floodplains of
Botswana’s Okavango Delta,
North Island Okavango
(okavangodelta.com) is an
intimate three-tented camp,
where you can experience the
region’s rich wildlife through
activities such as canoeing,
hot air balloon rides and, of
course, game drives. Talking
of game drives, Marriott has
made its mark in Kenya with
the soon-to-open JW Marriott
Masai Mara Lodge (marriott.
com), a luxury tented camp
on the banks of the Talek
River, while in Tanzania,
the Meliá group has given
the much-loved Ngorongoro
Lodge (melia.com), a facelift
to include a program of
sustainable initiatives. In other
African news, the Seychelles
will further burnish its offerings
with the unveiling of Waldorf
Astoria Platte Island (hilton.
com), which will include 59
seafront villas with private
pools, six restaurants and bars,
an observatory and of course, a
spa. The Habitas (ourhabitas.
com) group, meanwhile,
continues to expand with
the opening of two more
properties: Caravan Dakhla,
on the crystal clear shores of
Morocco’s Dakhla Lagoon,
which is best-known as one
of the world’s most important
kitesurfing spots, and Habitas
Santa Teresa, a surfer’s
sanctuary on the tip of Costa
Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula.
In New York, the muchanticipated
Fifth Avenue
Hotel (thefifthavenuehotel.
com) will open its doors.
Located minutes from Madison
Square Park and the Empire
State Building, the property
is housed in a beautifully
restored Gilded Age landmark,
with interiors by Martin
Brudnizki, and a food offering
from renowned chef Andrew
Carmellini. Elsewhere, Raffles
(raffles.com) will make its
American debut in Boston,
while Salt House (salthotels.
com) will open two new
properties—one in Nantucket
and the other, the 123-room
West Hotel, in Minneapolis,
steps from the Mississippi
riverfront. Rosewood
(rosewoodhotels.com) also
continues its expansion with,
ALEX GRABCHILEV
14 NetJets