THE SMART GUIDE © NORTH THE SMART GUIDE © NORTH ISLAND OKAVANGO 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 of the Park Hyatt (hyatt.com) IN AND OUT From top: an elegant room at Cap Karoso; a boat trip at North Island Okavango, Botswana 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 programme 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, among a few others, the ALEX GRABCHILEV 14 NetJets
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