Elite Traveler January-February 2018

Hotel Bel-Air LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

Clayoquot Wilderness Resort TOFINO, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA Camping may evoke memories of flimsy tents, damp forest floors and a series of never-lighting campfires, but if you decide to visit the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, in the Unesco-designated Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve, you’ll find all the goodness of camping, just with a more palatable and luxurious edge. Guests stay in tents decked out with comfy beds, sofas, woodstoves and vintage oil lamps. Clayoquot offers the chance to partake in breathtaking outdoor activities, including bear- and whale- watching, helicopter adventures (think heli-fly-fishing, yoga on top of the 3,000-ft-tall Clayoquot mountain and dining experiences). The Reserve is one of the last remaining ancient temperate rainforests on earth, and Clayoquot is a true example of a resort embracing its environment rather than dictating it. Luxury Waterfront Ensuite Tents from $2,200 per night. Contact Antonella Puglisi, general manager, antonella@wildretreat.com, +1 888 333 5405, wildretreat.com A Hollywood icon since 1946, Hotel Bel-Air is an oasis in the busy, loud town. Twelve acres of landscaped gardens in the Los Angeles canyons make the property feel more like a secluded resort than a city hotel and create a sense of absolute privacy (perhaps why it is so beloved by A-listers — both Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe practically lived there). The low buildings wind through lush grounds that include not only the property’s Swan Lake but also its famous oval pool, which is essentially a Hollywood institution in its own right. The Presidential Suite feels like a private residence and has been called a home away from home by legions of Oscar winners. If you call it yours for the night, you’ll find private gardens with an infinity pool and a great room with piano and fireplace. Presidential Suite from $15,000 per night. Contact Luis Suarez, assistant director of reservations, luis.suarez@dorchestercollection.com, +1 310 887 2458, dorchestercollection.com/en/ los-angeles/hotel-bel-air