Elite Traveler Winter 2021

etr li at ve eler WINTER 2021/22 31

Welcome

@ELITETRAVELER AROUND THEWORLD The Elite Traveler team has been enjoying staycations and farther-flung destinations, as well as sampling inventive cocktails and checking out Europe’s biggest boat show. For daily updates, follow us on Twitter @elite_traveler and on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest @elitetraveler

Winter is such a joyous time. The holidays, the parties, the festive spirit. And as social gatherings have mostly been put on hold for the past two years, this festive season will likely see multigenerational family reunions and dear friends coming together to celebrate missed milestones and make up for lost time.

And so you and your clan might be looking for a splendid suite for your soirée, or for a romantic getaway for you and your beloved. Our Top 100 Suites list, an annual collection of the crème de la crème, is here to help. But this year has seen a substantial change in the compilation of this list. For the past decade or so, the same big hitters have dominated this sphere thanks to downright decadent accommodations and spectacular amenities (think: firework displays from a huge private infinity pool, suites that lie 16 ft under the Indian Ocean, or 18th-century frescoes painted by an Italian master artist). While you’ll still find those firm favorites, a number of others have not made the list for the simple reason that they do not have a single, notable eco-friendly practice in place. Many are in the process of implementing such practices, but if they aren’t up and running then you won’t find them on these pages. And it’s not always the sexy, impressive stuff (like reverse water osmosis or hydroelectricity) that matters, but sometimes programs such as commuter buses for staff to reduce car usage (as seen at Viceroy Los Cabos) or ensuring that if you hold an event, be it a wedding, a business conference or a raucous birthday party, then carbon emissions will be offset (like at Kempinski Vienna). These values ensure that sustainability, community and environmental issues are not just a passing trend but are woven into each hotel’s fabric. Hotel suite sorted; the next item on the agenda: how to get to your destination. Doug Gollan looks at sustainability in the skies — at the big-name aviation giants that have announced “faster and deeper initiatives,” revealing carbon neutral plans (and in some cases, emissions neutral). Elsewhere in this issue, Becca Hensley steps back in time with a look at the most historic hotels in the US — from ‘The Del,’ Hotel del Coronado in California, a resort that emanates 1950s wholesomeness and has hosted many a famous guest (Marilyn Monroe, Walt Disney and Charlie Chaplin, to name a few), to The Hermosa Inn in Arizona, hand-built by a larger-than-life cowboy artist. If the walls could talk... And since ‘tis the season, Alex Martin compiles the best whisky releases of the last year (if you’re looking to spoil yourself), including an incredibly special bottle with a $3m price tag. Prefer bubbles? Cheers with a clear conscience — Elin McCoy looks at green Champagne and Moët Hennessy’s valiant sustainability efforts. We’ll drink to that.

Ahead of opening night, Emma Al-Mousawi tries Tamburrini & Wishart’s five-course tasting menu, said to be “inspired by Scotland’s natural larder.”

Alex Martin heads to Lyaness to sample the inventive Cereal Martini, created using Ketel One, Golden Levain and seeded vermouth.

Samantha Coles pays a visit to The Langham’s Sterling Suite — the largest and most expensive suite in London at 4,843 sq ft and $30,000 per night.

Kim Ayling went to Monaco Yacht Show for the annual show. Her highlight? Seeing the new sailing boat launches as well as “monsters” like Artefact and Viva .

Emma Al-Mousawi stays at The Londoner Hotel — and becomes better aquainted with the Secret Whisky Bar, which is only open to residents.

Samantha Coles enjoys a stupidly pretty South African sunset and fishing trip at Zulu Camp in South Africa with a cool glass of white wine, naturally.

Samantha Coles Editor samantha.coles@elitetraveler.com