Elite Traveler Summer 2021

COWORTH PARK

ASCOT, UK

Time slows down in the countryside. With grounds made for picnics, a history dating back to 1066 and a mansion that has welcomed a slew of royals (including Prince Harry the night before the royal wedding), Dorchester Collection’s Coworth Park could easily be another stuffy retreat stuck in time. Instead, this verdant vastness of secret gardens, lavender plots, wildflower meadows and sun-dappled terraces, replete with a polo field and duck ponds, has chosen to honor the terrain with modern, savvy, country- elegant awareness. Staunchly sustainable, the splendid hotel puts eco-loyalty first throughout. All restaurants and the Mansion House are solar powered and thermally fitted. Rain and surface water drains into the lake, recycled, to be used for irrigation. Most eco-pertinent, planned as a paragon of green, the hotel’s Spa at Coworth Park continues to prove that sustainability can be infinitely luxurious. Built with low energy requirements, the spa reuses hot air to heat water and transforms organic waste into compost. Its placement along the sun’s path and its purposefully large windows contribute to reducing electricity usage. A plant- and herb-brimming living roof filters water and air, eco-helping and contributing to the country-style ambience. Expect organic brands such as Aromatherapy Associates and ishga, and grounding treatments with evocative names like Forest Therapy. Contact Kate Staniforth, regional reservations manager, reservations.cpa@ dorchestercollection.com, +44 134 483 8160, dorchestercollection.com LAKE AUSTIN SPA RESORT TEXAS, USA Deeply respecting its sacred location on the shores of Lake Austin and set amid lush hills, a nature preserve and trees that house heron nests, this award-winning destination spa models its soul on the multitude of lake houses where Texans take flight to recuperate from scorching summer days. With a priority to honor the treasures of the surrounding topography, the retreat religiously follows green protocols. Its exemplar organic garden, sprouting on the lips of the lake, produces an enormous range of products used to prepare the getaways’ renowned ‘Conscientious Cuisine.’ From its widespread bounty (30 types of tomatoes, six cucumber varieties, 20 diverse peppers and more), the canny chef creates dishes such as guilt-free sweet potato falafel or immune-boosting carrot-turmeric-ginger juice shots. Similarly, the LakeHouse Spa, the jewel in the retreat’s crown with serene treatment rooms and a bamboo deck, forages among the garden’s yield for some of its 100-plus treatments. Disciples of proven scientific studies that show how people enhance their health and well-being when in or around water, Lake Austin Spa Resort plunges guests into H20’s curative powers. Their panoply of possibilities include, among others: paddleboarding, SUP yoga, wakeboarding, swimming, kayaking, water meditation and sunset cruises. With benefits equally possible shoreside, some guests prefer to rest languidly in waterside hammocks or simply gaze at the glimmer from their suite’s ample terrace. Contact Tracy York, general manager, +1 512 372 7300, lakeaustin.com

Photos Eric Martin, Joe Willcocks