Departures India Autumn 2019

DEPARTURES TRAVEL ROOM

DEPARTURES TRAVEL ROOM WITH A VIEW 20 The Cherry on Top The Rosewood Hong Kong is a luxurious addition to the city’s spectacular skyline. by Maura Egan WHEN I ARRIVED at the end of the cobblestoned driveway of Rosewood’s new property in Hong Kong, I was greeted by an enormous bronze sculpture of a reclining figure by the artist Henry Moore. It was a fitting piece, as I found myself in various states of repose during my recent visit, entranced by perhaps the best views of the city’s fabled skyline. Within minutes of checking into my 26th-storey suite, I was slouched in a Giorgetti club chair taking in the nightly light show that dances across the buildings of Victoria Harbour. The next morning, I found myself awake before dawn, watching the city come alive from the comfort of my bed: clouds rising over Victoria Peak, helicopters buzzing by and tourists boarding the ferry to Hong Kong Island. At the Rosewood, which occupies 43 floors of a 65-storey limestone tower in the city’s now burgeoning Kowloon cultural district, you can never escape the views. And why would you want to? It’s as cinematic as any Wong Kar-wai film. When I wasn’t lounging, I padded about my suite, which, thanks to designer Tony Chi, is an opulent mix of East (green lacquered panelling, the octagonal Bagua symbol as a recurring motif) and West (Glen plaid wool headboards, wooden shutters). When building her flagship property, Rosewood CEO Sonia Cheng wanted the hotel to reflect what her native Hong Kong has become – a stylish cultural capital. And this extends beyond the guest rooms. She’s filled the public spaces with an international art collection, including a life-size sculpture of an elephant by the Indian artist Bharti Kerr in the lobby and a series of Damien Hirst’s “Butterfly” works hovering over the banquettes in the tea salon. A pastry shop, filled with bright confections, looks more like a A suite at the Rosewood Hong Kong; below: a table at Holt’s Café, in the hotel Parisian jewellery atelier, while Holt’s Café, a European-style brasserie, serves both dim sum and steak frites. While there are more restaurants and clubs in the works (a steak house, a women’s club) as well as a branch of Rosewood’s Asaya spa coming late this year, the swankest spot is no doubt the Manor Club, a 24-hour private lounge open only to suite and Club room guests. There’s a kitchen dishing up delicacies all day long, a library with a pool table, a bar with an expert mixologist, and an outdoor terrace with those inimitable views. rosewoodhotels.com FROM TOP: DURSTON SAYLOR, © ROSEWOOD HONG KONG

STEFANO TRIPODI The floating pool at the Mandarin Oriental in Lake Como, Italy; below: the hotel’s lounge; bottom left: the grounds of the Mandarin Oriental include an extensive botanical garden Fit for a Diva Mandarin Oriental’s latest offering has become the new centre of gravity of the Italian lake district. by Joe Harper WHEN YOU ARRIVE at the new Mandarin Oriental on Lake Como, the first thing you should look for is the enormous 200-year-old Lebanese cedar tree towering above the water’s edge. The acclaimed soprano Giuditta Pasta, who owned the property’s Villa Roccabruna in the early 19th century, would sing underneath this sweeping evergreen. Legend has it that opera composer Vincenzo Bellini heard her voice from his home across the lake and began creating roles specifically for her, including the protagonist in his iconic 1831 opera Norma. The hotel’s opening in April, in the village of Blevio, marked the first arrival of a major international hospitality brand directly on the lake. Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como is made up of nine villas of different styles ranging from neoclassical to contemporary that are spread throughout the property’s 26 hectares. The villas, which taken together contain 75 guest rooms and suites, are largely connected by a sprawling botanical garden meant for exploring – colourful oleanders and bulbous bay trees are among the 54 species of plants and flowers dotting the pristinely manicured landscape. Almost all the rooms have some sort of quiet outdoor area providing sunset views of the lake. (A valley between the THE GRANDE DAME 21 DEPARTURES