Dreams of golden sandy beaches, ethereal views and spicy cocktails dancing across your taste buds need not remain just a dream to keep you sated during those tedious meetings at work. The holiday season is just around the corner and its time to start preparing! Be it a cool wintry wonderland to freeze away the stress of reality or a humid tour through the African Savannah to draw away from the cooling winters, The Peak has you insured for when it comes to the newest attractions in travel and living that not many others have traversed through before.
Aside from the numerous engaging activities and unique gastronomical adventures to be had at each location, the most important aspect of travelling is the hotel stay. Every travel location has something unique to offer, and with our list of both conventional and boutique hotels and villas, not only will you live like a local but do so in luxury as well.
The Boulders Resort & Spa, United States of AmericaÂ
Drawing inspiration from the Sonoran Desert that its based in, The Boulders Resort & Spa is a 1,300 acre luxury oasis hidden amongst the foothills of the desert that hosts a luxurious spa and championship golf courses, fit for the whole family. Choose between staying in their adobe Casitas, Executive Suites or their stand alone residences, the Villas and Haciendas, all of which offer uniquely designed accommodations with a charming Southwestern decor and gorgeous add-ons such as a wood-burning fireplace and a natural stone shower, all eco-friendly of course.
If an award winning spa and the fresh green lawns of the golf course are not to your fancy, maybe try out they myriad of other activities that the resort hosts. You could go on a moonlight bike ride, before ending the night with a stargazing session, or maybe even view the scenic dessert from their Grand Canyon Air Tour before going on a Desert Hummer adventure. There is plenty for the whole family to do, not to forget their various restaurants and cafes that boasts uniquely varied menus, be it a night for classical Mexican food with a side of vivacious tequila, to trying out a classic American spread, The Boulders Resort & Spa have you covered on all fronts.
 Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo, South Italy
Set in the heart of Taormina, this Sicilian hideaway with its idyllic rooms and incomparable views of the Ionian Sea and Mount Etna have given the Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo every right to boast of its 5-star rating. The first hotel to be built in the city, the Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo, like a fine wine, has aged exceptionally well since its establishment in 1873 as a mere private house with rooms for rent.
Each room is built to ensure optimum scenic view from all angles, with 45 rooms and 26 suites, most of which come with an attached terrace and balcony for a thoughtful moment of ponder, if needed. Surrounded by a six-acre park, opposite a Greek amphitheatre, known as the Ancient theatre of Taormina, the hotel offers a myriad of activities such as boat cruises, a private beach to soak under the Sicilian sun, and complimentary shuttles that transport guests to the hotels sister branch, Taormina Mare, a seafront apartment on the banks of the Ionian Sea.
Sol Y Luna, Peru
Be it for culture immersion or sightseeing, Peru is a country of diversity, natural beauty and archaeological ruins that rival that of Rome or Angkor Wat. Culturally rich and historically resplendent, it would be amiss to not spend out your days exploring Peru at Hotel Sol Y Luna, located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in the Andes. A vast landscape of cultivated land, pre-Colombian ruins and Spanish colonial churches, this authentically contemporary hotel is bound to give you a truly localised Peruvian experience like no other.
Doing away with hotel rooms, guests are afforded gorgeous villas to stay in, whose panoramic views showcase the majesty of the Andes Mountains encircling the valley. The interior of each villa is decorated and fitted with local Peruvian handcrafted murals, decor and handloomed textiles created by the local artisans. Hotel Sol Y Luna also works in association with the Sol Y Luna association who provide local children with the opportunity to attend school and pursue an education. Your holiday will go a long way in supporting the next generation of local Peruvians, so don’t feel too badly about all the extra shopping. A fantastic getaway for an active person who wants to get off the grid, whether it be to go mountain trekking or kayaking, or just to lay around and enjoy the cuisine, Hotel Sol Y Luna is your place to be.
Perivolas Lifestyle House, Santorini
A travel list would be incomplete without a nod to one of the most popular locations of 2017/2018, Greece. Moving away from the mainland however, we travel to Oia, a coastal town on the Northwestern tip of Santorini. Carved into the edge of a clifftop, this unparalleled view of the island and the Aegean Ocean are renowned for being one of the most beautiful sights in Greece. Nestled into this cocoon of a quiet lifestyle is the Perivolas Lifestyle House. If you are searching for an off the grid holiday, these lifestyle homes are the solution. Designed amphitheatrically, the house lies on the rim of the cliff and exudes a laidback luxury that is uncommon on the town.
Guests live in private residences instead of hotels, and each individual home is built by native craftsman using local materials in a Cycladic style. Unique architecture of smooth surfaces, white washed walls and archways seemingly scooped out of the wall, will make you itch for the perfect instagram shot, however internet is not provided. You will not find computers or televisions in any of these homes either, as the point that Perivolas tries to drive in, is that outside noises and distractions take away from the natural beauty that can be found nowhere else but in this small simple town of Oia, Santorini.
Çırağan Palace, Turkey
Feeling like royalty is a whole other experience in comparison to living the life of a monarch, but head on to Turkey to see if the “blue blood†lifestyle is becoming on you. Welcome to the Çırağan Palace in Istanbul. What was once a former Ottoman palace has now reinvented itself into a 5-star hotel in the heart of Turkey, on the European shores of Bosphorus. With its colourful marble exterior and rich baroque interior, the ambience and service offered at Çırağan Palace contrasts highly with the high octane energy of Istanbul in the best of ways.
Offering a choice of 310 rooms and suites, with an extra 11 suites located in the imperial palace section, privacy is afforded to you at the same level it would be to the Queen of England. The entire hotel is seeped in Turkish culture and heritage with fractions of the Ottoman Empire’s renowned legacy peeping through the decor and interior, from the lush Turkish carpets adorning the suites to their world class restaurants that bring together both the old and the new of East and West Istanbul. Turkey in itself is such a verbose and seductive country with its renowned architecture and one-of-a-kind street bazaars, however the Çırağan Palace requires a whole holiday of its own just to soak in this resplendent experience.
