Conde Nast Traveller UK

NOVEMBER 2021

HOTELS PLUS
COUNTRIES
UK PUBS WITH ROOMS
ISLANDS
SPAS MARRAKECH’S CRAFT UPDATE

VILLA FIXERS SHOPPING IN TULUM
TOUR OPERATORS

AIRLINES
CITIES
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BORN IN LE BRASSUS

SÉBASTIEN FOUCAN

RAISED AROUND THE WORLD

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A FAMILY STORY

Yasmin and Amber Le Bon wear ASHOKA ®

Canada calling

With ancient forests steeped in wildlife, lakes that will take your breath away and intriguing cities,
Canada is a natural adventure playground waiting to be explored.

Now open for travel once more, this outdoor wilderness is more appealing than ever before. Whether you love
adrenaline pumping adventure or soft exploration, we can craft you a getaway for next summer that really brings
Canada to life. From unique experiences to handpicked hotels and the very best specialist guides, we’ll take care of
every detail so all you have to do is throw yourself into the country’s adventurous spirit, feet first.

Call us on 0203 1306 908 or visit www.scottdunn.com/cnt

PHOTOGRAPH: ALISTAIR TAYLOR-YOUNG CONTENTS
NOVEMBER 2021

THE READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS p 63

Your pick of the world’s best hotels, cities, islands, tour operators,
villa fixers, airlines, spas and more

MARRAKECH p 84

How the city’s craft scene is being reimagined for the modern age

OBAN p 96

A love letter to the misty-shored town in Scotland’s western Highlands

FASHION p 106

Iceland’s far-out landscapes are a foil for this season’s sharpest looks

GIZA IN EGYPT, BOOKABLE THROUGH RCA-WINNING TOUR OPERATOR RED SAVANNAH

November 2021 Condé Nast Traveller 9

CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2021

56

50 36

130 12 EDITOR’S LETTER 127 FLAVOUR HUNTER

54 16 CONTRIBUTORS Moveable feast Cooking and PHOTOGRAPHS: JON ATENBOROUGH; MANUEL DIETRICH; HANE GARZA;
120 eating around Latin America with top PUTANPHOTO; @WETHEFOODSNOBS
23 WORD OF MOUTH Peruvian chef Virgilio Martínez.
Sip trip Is cider the new natural wine?
The people and places on our radar The apple-fresh drink gets a rebrand
from Australia to Uruguay
134 NEWS AND EVENTS
33 WHERE TO STAY
Book an evening of Champagne tasting
Exclusive first review The Pig in the at one of London’s hottest hotel
South Downs. The round-up New arrivals, and catch our most recent
London hotels plus a revamped podcast for island-hopping tales
boutique bolthole. The Weekender
Harbour Beach Club, Salcombe 156 THE VIEW FROM HERE

49 STYLE FILE An architectural angle on the beach
club at Antasia in Cyprus
Rainbow sunglasses for a Y2K
revival. Shopping in Tulum, Mexico.
Trends Totally tropical looks in the
Maldives. Postcard from.… St Gallen,
Switzerland. Beauty Top-performing
products for people on the move.
Watch Lightweight timepieces are the
new heavy hitters. Jewellery The
enduring appeal of gem-set serpents

118 THE GLOBETROTTER

Jon Hamm, star of the much-

anticipated Top Gun: Maverick

120 STAYCATION 127

Whose round is it anyway? The latest

pubs with rooms across the UK

10 Condé Nast Traveller November 2021



ON THE COVER

Moving countries during a pandeMic NÁMASKARÐ IN ICELAND. PHOTOGRAPH: HIMANSHU LAKHWANI. ON THE COVER: MODEL KRISTIN @ ESKIMO WEARS WOOL CAPED COAT, £369;
isn’t an enviable task, but in my case, PHOTOGRAPHED BY WILL DAVIDSON. CASHMERE AND WOOL-MIX SCARF, £119; LEATHER BOOTS, £429, ALL BOSS (HUGOBOSS.COM)
it did come with a perk: a four-day
break in Switzerland’s Lake Lucerne, STYLED BY MARTHA WARD
at a 2018 Readers’ Choice Award-
winning Bürgenstock hotel. I’d never SUBSCRIBE
been before, but I had a strange sense
of déjà vu, possibly the result of flipping VISIT CNTRAVELLER.
through too many magazine pages for COM/SUBSCRIBE,
the past 18 months and fantasising
about everything from the views EMAIL CNTRAVELLER@
through aeroplane windows to in-flight SUBSCRIPTION.CO.UK, OR
meals to actual landscapes and breath-
taking scenery. As we drove up 1,400ft, CALL 0844 848 5202
slowly gaining sight of the crystalline
lake below and the majestic Alps ahead, FOLLOW US ON
I had one very specific thought: this is I N S TAG R A M
what I’ve missed.
@ CO N D E N AS T T R AV E L L E R
That moment when you realise
you’re in an extraordinarily beautiful place and that your entire holiday lies MANDARIN ORIENTAL,
ahead of you. That moment you find your favourite rosé on the menu. That LAGO DI COMO, ITALY
moment you discover that the sky is postcard-blue with fluffy clouds, and
there’s a real postcard on the bureau in your hotel room, and you do in fact
remember the address for where your nieces are staying this summer. The
moment you clock you have packed four pairs of heels you will not wear and
one new pair of trainers that will leave you with blisters. That moment you
stumble upon a little shop in Lucerne and learn that cannabis products are
legal in Switzerland. That moment you realise the only sound you can hear
are the bells around the necks of cows grazing below. That moment you order
sushi for the third time and feel guilty for not having tried the tomato fondue.
That moment you hear your partner tell a funny story for the third time, and
you still laugh, because the rosé has made you tipsy, and you can only think
about how lucky you are, in so many ways, to be here in this spectacular place
with someone you love.

This is what I have missed. This is what we have all missed, these past unend-
ing, dismal, dark months. I’d never been to Lake Lucerne before, but it is
precisely this trip I have missed, this place I have craved, this dream I have
dreamt. The results of this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards reveal what you’ve
been missing, the wonderful places you’ve been dreaming of and waiting
anxiously to return to. We are so close now to the end of 2021, and we are all
allowing ourselves to dream a little bigger, and to make plans. So think long
and hard about what you’ve missed, and sooner rather than later, I hope you
find your own moment in the sunshine, pouring through fluffy clouds in a
postcard-blue sky, your heart full just thinking about how lucky you are.

DIVIA THANI

GLOBAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

@diviathani

All information and travel details are correct at the time of going to press. Due to uncertain circumstances, this may have changed
on the date of publication. Please check businesses’ individual websites for up-to-the-minute details. Unless otherwise stated, hotel prices are

low-season rates and restaurant prices are for a three-course meal for two without drinks

12 Condé Nast Traveller November 2021







CONTRIBUTORS

THIS MONTH, WE ASK OUR HAPPY WANDERERS ABOUT A MAKER THEY’VE DISCOVERED ON THEIR TRAVELS

JON HAMM The Globetrotter (p118) ANTONIA QUIRKE Writer, Oban (p96)

‘My aunt told me once,“Always try to bring home one thing that’s ‘Little Braemar Gallery in the Cairngorms sells beautiful, affordable
unique to the town you’ve visited,” and I took that to heart.There work by Scottish fine artists such as Edinburgh printmaker John
Heywood. No one captures winter trees and flinty fields as well as
was a very cool shop in London’s Mayfair, Penfriend, that sold
brilliant pens. It’s moved online since I was there.’ Missouri-born he does, and I treasure what he creates.’ Contributing editor Antonia
is also a film critic and presenter on BBC Radio 4
actor Jon won two Golden Globes for his turn in ‘Mad Men’

NELSON CJ Writer, Word of Mouth (p23) ALBERT KRIEMLER Postcard from St Gallen (p56)

‘In Lagos, Nigeria, 16/16 is an exquisitely minimalist residence and ‘I love people who craft, and on my most recent trip to Mallorca I
creative space that’s perfect for artists looking to work in isolation. discovered Mimbrería Vidal in Palma. Founded in 1955 and since
It also sells a hyper-curated edit of products.There aren’t a lot of run by three generations of the same family, it is filled from floor
places like it in the city, so it really stands out.’ Nigerian journalist to ceiling with all sorts of baskets handmade on the island.’ Albert
Nelson has written for ‘The New York Times’, ‘Dazed’ and ‘Vice’ has worked at the Swiss fashion label Akris for more than 40 years

VIRGILIO MARTINEZ Eating in Latin America (p127) TARA STEVENS Writer, Marrakech (p84) PHOTOGRAPHS: JIMENA AGOIS; DANIEL BALDA; LAVINIA CERNAU; MANUEL
DIETRICH; JONATHAN FRANTINI; ROBBIE LAWRENCE; ERIC MICHAEL ROY
‘Artesanos Don Bosco in Lima, Peru, supports artisans across the ‘I adore The Exvotos workshop in Seville; a friend introduced me to
country. It trains people in crafts from stonemasonry to carpentry, it a few years ago and it’s grown since then. It makes quirky hand-
painted, head-shaped vases and containers. I’ve never seen anything
using locally sourced wood and fibres. Some of the tables at like them – I want them all.’ Tara splits her time between Spain and
my restaurant Central come from here.’ Peruvian chef Virgilio’s Morocco, where she runs Fez cooking school the Courtyard Kitchen

Central in Lima is ranked sixth best restaurant in the world

16 Condé Nast Traveller November 2021

BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE

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GREECE • ITALY • FRANCE • SPAIN • PORTUGAL • CARIBBEAN • MOROCCO • TURKEY • CROATIA • SRI LANKA

GLOBAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

DIVIA THANI

Deputy Global Editorial Director JESSE ASHLOCK
Editor, UK ISSY VON SIMSON

Director of Operations PAULA MAYNARD
Creative Director PETE WINTERBOTTOM
Photographic Director MATTHEW BUCK

Chief Sub-Editor GRÁINNE MCBRIDE

Features Director FIONA KERR Digital Editor BECKY LUCAS Travel News Director ERIN FLORIO Director of Editorial Administration
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Assistant Digital Editor SARAH JAMES Contributing Editors PR Manager SOPHIE MITCHELL
Senior Picture Editor KARIN MUELLER Digital Picture Editor SOPHIE KNIGHT DAVID ANNAND, JONATHAN BASTABLE, Executive Director, Communications MOLLY PACALA
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INTRODUCING

THE NEWEST JEWEL IN THE CARIBBEAN AND ONE OF THE MOST
EXCLUSIVE PRIVATE ISLANDS IN THE WORLD



BELONG TO THE LEGEND

THE DORCHESTER, LONDON ˚ 45 PARK L ANE , LONDON ˚ COWORTH PARK , ASCOT ˚ LE MEURICE , PARIS
HÔTEL PL A Z A ATHÉNÉE , PARIS ˚ HOTEL EDEN, ROME ˚ HOTEL PRINCIPE DI SAVOIA , MIL AN

T H E B E V E R LY H I LL S H OT E L , B E V E R LY H I LL S ˚ H OT E L B E L-A I R , LOS A N G E LE S ˚ D U B A I (O PE N I N G 2 02 2 )
dorchestercollection.com



PHOTOGRAPH: AMARACHI NWOSU WORD OF MOUTH

UPDATES ON EVERYTHING GROUND-BREAKING IN TRAVEL. EDITED BY FIONA KERR

BELIEVE
THE
HYPE

FUELLED BY HIGH-PROFILE
HAPPENINGS, NIGERIA’S

ARTISTIC PRESENCE IS EVER
GROWING. LAGOS-BASED

WRITER NELSON CJ MEETS
ITS CULTURAL DYNAMOS

SINGER-SONGWRITER TEMS

November 2021 Condé Nast Traveller 23

RETRO AFRICA

WILLIAMS CHECHET

THE NATIVE MAGAZINE CREW Nigeria has long been West Africa’s cultural powerhouse, but now its
creative energy is hitting new levels of global visibility. The country’s artists are
Above, Black Excellence,
a giclée print on archival reaching fresh audiences through the Art X Lagos showcase in November
and London’s 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in October, while the party
paper by Williams
Chechet. From bottom left, sounds of Afrobeats are bagging Grammy Awards for performers such as
collaborations with Retro Wizkid and Burna Boy. Meanwhile, its huge film industry, aka Nollywood, is
evolving to international acclaim. Here’s a snapshot of the scene right now.
Africa gallery by Victor
Ehikhamenor and THE ART

Nate Lewis, and Retro ‘It’s a great time to be a part of the contemporary-art community here,’ says Dolly
Africa artist Yusuff Aina Kola-Balogun, the 27-year-old founder of Retro Africa gallery in Nigeria’s capital
Abuja. ‘There’s such a spotlight on the works being made across the continent
in studio
and on Black art in general.’ The scene takes in names as varied as pop artist
VICTOR EHIKHAMENOR Williams Chechet, described as the Nigerian Warhol, and the well-established
Victor Ehikhamenor. But the gallerist is currently excited about emerging players

such as Tyna Adebowale, whose pieces focus on gender issues and queer
identity, and the self-taught Ken Nwadiogbu, best known for his hyper-realistic

paintings. The Art X Lagos fair has played a massive role in empowering the
country’s artists and small galleries. ‘The only thing slowing our ambitions was
a lack of creative spaces, but that’s changing,’ says Kola-Balogun, who curated

her first New York group show earlier this year, featuring Ehikhamenor
and American Nate Lewis, and plans to open a gallery in Miami next year.
Chigozie Obi, a 23-year-old multidisciplinary artist, recommends Lagos’s Art
Twenty One and A Whitespace. ‘The former is massive, which is unusual in
Lagos. And the latter plays with its concept space, repainting and reconstructing

it for various projects. I think that helps people to experiment more.’

THE FILMS

Nigerians like to joke about the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, a Lagos landmark that
seems to make an obligatory cameo in just about every Nollywood film shot
in the city. And there are lots – from Kunle Afolayan’s supernatural thriller

NATE LEWIS

PHOTOGRAPHS: YUSUF SANNI; DIWANG VALDEZ

24 Condé Nast Traveller November 2021

KUNLE AFOLAYAN WORD OF MOUTH

The Figurine (2009) to Kemi Adetiba’s political drama King Of Boys (2018). ‘The D O L LY K O L A-B A L O G U N
energy here makes it a unique location,’ says Afolayan. ‘It’s the kind you find in
New York and London. Every time I shoot a film in Lagos, I tend to look out for DAVIDO
the tourism potential in that area; and when I shoot in other African countries
I am always looking for ways to bridge the cultural gap.’ Nollywood is the second-
largest film industry in the world in terms of output, after India’s Bollywood, but
it’s now evolving in a different way. Homegrown studios such as EbonyLife and
FilmOne are exerting more influence, while Netflix is expanding its presence,
commissioning three new Nigeria-set films from Afolayan and an original-series

sequel to King of Boys from Adetiba. Last year also saw releases from a new
generation of young filmmakers intent on broadening Nollywood’s narrative,
including Damilola Orimogunje, who tackled postnatal depression in For Maria
Ebun Pataki, and Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim, whose short Ifé depicts a lesbian love affair
against the backdrop of modern-day Nigeria and the challenges it presents.

THE SOUNDTRACK

It’s hard to talk about Afrobeats without acknowledging the role that Lagos
continues to play in nurturing some of the genre’s greatest talents. Wizkid,
whose ‘Essence’ featuring Tems – a star in her own right; check out her new EP
If Orange was a Place – has been hailed as the track of the summer, hinges many
of his songs on the struggle of living in this chaotic city (and it’s hard to imagine
Burna Boy’s ‘Kilometre’ or singer Davido’s ‘The Best’ originating from any other
place). Up-and-coming Omah Lay, who appeared recently on a Justin Bieber
remix, considers the metropolis instrumental to his work. ‘My music mostly

reflects my Port Harcourt origins, but Lagos exposed me to experiences
that helped diversify my sound.’ Seni Saraki, co-founder of influential magazine

The Native, which hosts the annual Nativeland festival, goes a little further.
‘I genuinely think there are few places more musically exciting right now than
Lagos. Artists here are digging deep, from singers such as Zinoleesky and Bella
Shmurda to The Cavemen’s neo-highlife beats and genre-defying Cruel Santino
and Odunsi The Engine. It’s refreshing to see so many daring to be themselves.’

RETRO AFRICA OMAH LAY

WORD OF MOUTH

The ncehxatpter Clockwise from top left: PHOTOGRAPHS: CHRIS CHURCHILL; @FRANCISCA ETCHEGARAY
José Ignacio’s Playa
URUGUAY’S MOST FAMOUS BEACH TOWN KEEPS
EVOLVING WITH SMART SPACES TO STAY AND FEAST Mansa; fries at Chiringuito
Francis Mallmann;
In the late 1970s, when José Ignacio was still a lonesome fishing village, an
adventurous, then unknown Argentine chef named Francis Mallmann dining area, pool, and
interior at Posada
decided to open an enchanting restaurant there, Posada del Mar. He followed
up its success with Los Negros, which had a tin roof and poetry on the walls. Ayana; plants at Cruz
The town soon became one of the most sought-after spots in South America. del Sur Farm
Mallmann went on to garner international fame, and this spot, with its gravel
roads and grassy dunes, became a destination for a certain type of traveller
– the kind who has seen the world and wants to get away from it for a while. Last
December, the chef returned to launch the beachfront open-flame restaurant
Chiringuito Francis Mallmann. Inspired by Luchino Visconti’s seaside scenes in

Death in Venice, he created a series of tents with striped fabrics, folding
sling chairs and low wooden tables set on the sand. ‘I have so much affection

for José Ignacio,’ he says. ‘I love coming back to the beach at this moment
in time, when being outside and breathing fresh air is so meaningful.’ Chiringuito

is the latest parrilla – a boho-style restaurant with a wood-fired oven or
grill – to open here. Also at the end of last year, the simple Cruz del Sur Farm
began serving just-caught fish with rainbow carrots and Swiss chard grown at a
nearby ranch, following local institutions such as Parador La Huella, built on
the sand of Brava Beach, and the down-to-earth La Olada, with rustic tables for

roasted lamb and charred squash. Mallmann is part of a small innovative
crew who dared to dream up something new here during the pandemic. Austrian

couple Edda and Robert Kofler did too, launching Posada Ayana, a beautiful
eight-room hotel near Mansa Beach, where in November artist James
Turrell completes one of his Skyspaces, a room with a roof aperture that

transforms the blue yonder into a natural canvas. A short drive away, Argentine
bibliophile Eduardo Ballester has opened Rizoma, a bookstore, café and

four-room inn. Set inside a distinctive rust-hued cube surrounded by towering
trees, it is a small, self-contained world with a gallery where Ballester’s

wife, ceramicist Marcela Jacob, exhibits her work. ‘I’ve had a house here since
1996, and I’ve seen José Ignacio change a lot,’ says Ballester, who has

been visiting since the 1960s and remembers a time before the village had
electricity. ‘It’s still so charming.’ And a place that remains true to its
roots, no matter its next iteration. PAOLA SINGER

26 Condé Nast Traveller November 2021



WORD OF MOUTH 0 PHOTOGRAPH: ELISE HASSEY

TURN THE BEAT AROUND What’s touching down
and what’s packing up
IN AUSTRALIA’S OFF-TRACK NORTH, INDIGENOUS MUSICIANS ARE
AMPLIFYING THE VOLUME FOR WIDER REPRESENTATION LA VIE EN ROSE

A wild expanse in the north-east of the Northern Territory, Arnhem Land is Australia’s final Pastel-loving Wes Anderson’s much-
frontier, home to the Yolngu people and said to be the birthplace of the didgeridoo, possibly anticipated film The French Dispatch will get
the world’s oldest musical instrument. The region has always had music in its DNA, but it cinemagoers ooh-la-la-ing from 22 October.
was arguably rock band Yothu Yindi that propelled the Yolngu voice into the 21st-century
With a host of the director’s long-time
spotlight with Nineties hit ‘Treaty’. Since then, this remote part of the Top End has been favourite stars – Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton,
steadily rocking out to fresh waves of creative chart toppers. Hip-hop sensation Danzal Owen Wilson and more – it follows a group of
Baker – known as Baker Boy and the Fresh Prince of Arnhem Land – grew up between the writers who work on an American magazine
communities of Maningrida and Milingimbi, and his dynamic raps, in his native Yolngu Matha based in an archetypal French town (filmed
and English, have catapulted him into the mainstream. Having recorded a remix of ‘Treaty’
in 2018, performed with Dizzee Rascal and been named Young Australian of the Year in in Angoulême in south-western France).
2019, he is one of the country’s hottest artists. His first album Gela, out on 15 October, is a
high-energy sound blast recounting his story ‘in a way that is true to me’. Meanwhile, when PANDEMIC PICK-ME-UPS
Ziggy Ramo released his politically charged debut album Black Thoughts during 2020’s Black
Lives Matter protests, he became the voice of a generation. He spent part of his childhood in Big-hitting spas are prescribing coronavirus-
Gapuwiyak in Arnhem Land, and his introspective songs are informed by his father growing focused packages. Austria’s Lanserhof Lans
up in missions and his great-grandmother being part of the Stolen Generations (Aboriginal is battling long Covid via breathing therapy
and Torres Strait Islander children who were removed from their families through Australian
government policies). ‘I have lived a cross-section of Australian history, and I’m trying to share and altitude training. Villa Stéphanie in
that unique experience,’ says Ramo. ‘Storytelling is something we’ve done for thousands of Germany boosts immunity with ozone
years. For me, it’s using my music as a vessel to care for Country.’ Now bursting through the therapy, while Spain’s SHA Wellness Clinic
bush is King Stingray, a five-piece Yolngu surf-rock band that mixes ancient manikay (songs) offers cutting-edge photobiomodulation,
and bilma clapsticks with electric guitars and searing lyrics for an inventive take on traditional delivering light to the brain to stimulate cells.
sounds. The group has rock royalty in its veins: frontman Yirrnga Yunupingu is the nephew
of Yothu Yindi’s lead singer while guitarist Roy Kellaway is the son of its bassist. ‘We grew up SPIN-OFF SHOWS
together in Yirrkala and were inspired by what our family did,’ says Kellaway. ‘We have one
foot planted in history and one firmly in the future.’ With these rising stars, Australia is finally With a Scottish outpost already in Dundee,
the V&A is now working on an East London
getting a new songbook, one that riffs on the nation’s past. CHLOE SACHDEV
From top: Central Arnhem Road in the Northern Territory; the band King Stingray site at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Florence’s Uffizi Gallery has gone one better
28 Condé Nast Traveller November 2021 with its brilliantly named Uffizi Diffusi project,
which will see many of its artworks exhibited

across Tuscany to combat overtourism.

THEATRE SEATS

Arts lovers are running wild with immersive
stagings from theatre company Punchdrunk.

From March 2022, The Burnt City will
recreate the fall of Troy across three
buildings in London’s Woolwich, while in
February Macbeth-retelling Sleep No More
returns to NYC’s McKittrick Hotel.

KITE SURFING

The newest watersport to make a big splash
is wingfoiling. A cross between windsurfing

and snowboarding, it involves holding a
two-handed wing while riding a hydrofoil-
mounted board that, when mastered, can

be used for jumps, flips and twists.

AIR MILES

Skip the airport scrum and join the sleeper-
train revival, with French start-up Midnight
Trains, slated for departure in 2024, taking
its ‘hotel on rails’ – including a sleek bar and
individual rooms – from Paris to cities such as
Edinburgh, Berlin and Rome. FIONA KERR







REFINED ELEGANCE

ozenreserve-bolifushi.com Part of THE OZEN COLLECTION @ozenreservebolifushi

WHERE TO STAY

INSIDER REPORTS ON THE BEST PLACES TO BED DOWN. EDITED BY ISSY VON SIMSON

FIRST LOOK

THE MUCH-LOVED PIG EXPANDS
TO SUSSEX WITH A CLEVER
RURAL ESTATE. JO RODGERS

CHECKS IN AHEAD OF THE REST

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAKE EASTHAM

November 2021 Condé Nast Traveller 33



WHERE TO STAY

There are 300 people in The one-pub village where I live in constructed umbrellaed terrace – the spot you want to stake out
Sussex, and just about everybody has something to say of Robin with a paperback and a glass of something – dips to a clipped
Hutson’s latest hotel, The Pig in the South Downs. Namely, is stretch of grass and then Chardonnay vines, with the hills of
the historic county – white cliffs, family-run vineyards, pebbly the park rising in the distance.
beaches, brick-and-flint towns and all – about to be rumbled?
The area is often forgotten by tourists. It’s puzzling given the The set-up will charm but not surprise those who know the
landscape, as Arcadian as any in Britain, and the one-podcast- group’s modus operandi already, which is no criticism. Rooms
and-you’re-here train from London. But for better or worse, are oak-and-brass rustic, with plump beds, Tunnock’s Caramel
things here are on the move. In the same year, we’ve had a Polizzi Wafers next to the coffee machine and the usual monsoon
Collection property – The Star – open in Alfriston, East Sussex, showers.At breakfast, the eggs and tea are scalding, as they should
and now a Pig in Madehurst, West Sussex. Is it a Good Thing? be. A two-acre kitchen garden was dug out in 2017, so it’s long
established now, and supplies head chef Kamil Oseka, previously
Titbits about the arrival have been making the rounds in at The Pig at Bridge Place, with peppers and tomatoes, stone
these parts for some time. In 2017, Home Grown Hotels (HGH), fruit and edible flowers.The staff are young, warm and confident,
The Pig’s parent company, bought Grade II-listed Madehurst a mix of keen new faces from the area, most of whom hadn’t
Lodge in a hamlet just outside hilltop Arundel. It had been a worked in hospitality before, and seasoned managers such as
private home and, according to Hutson, founder of HGH, the hotel director Mairead Gleeson who came from Soho House.
locals weren’t thrilled about the buyer. The small estate was
once the dower house to Dale Park, a hulking Georgian mansion What may be more of a revelation is the location in the heart
on a pristine sweep of downland that was demolished around of British wine country, a lane of tourism still unplumbed by many
travellers. Hutson tells me that he would like The Pig in the South

ONE OF THE MAJOR REVELATIONS IS THE LOCATION IN THE HEART OF BRITISH WINE
COUNTRY, A LANE OF TOURISM STILL UNPLUMBED BY MANY TRAVELLERS

1960. The lodge came with about 20 acres of similarly untouched Downs, which laid its own vineyard of 4,000 vines in 2020, to be
countryside and what Strutt & Parker, the firm that was selling ‘a beacon’ for the oenophile community, which isn’t a stretch.
it, called ‘the grand feel of a glorious bygone era’: original In 2014, HGH made the move to push more English sparkling
sash windows, plenty of outbuildings ripe for conversion, foot- and less Champagne, which it felt went hand in hand with its
paths from the door and private views of the South Downs ethos of buying and growing food locally (the famed 25-mile
National Park. A glass-slipper fit for a hotel, in other words. menu). The decision made Hutson and his business partner,
HGH got the keys for about £3 million. Cue a sensation in the David Elton, a lot of friends in the industry. The Pigs now sell
neighbourhood. And then – and then! – crickets. about 30,000 bottles of English sparkling from 52 wineries every
year, and the latest addition’s placement is perfect for vineyard-
But Hutson has had his skates on these past few years. At hopping. Heavy hitters including Ridgeview, Wiston, Bluebell
one point, he had three Pigs under development – Kent, and Rathfinny are an easy, picturesque drive away.
Cornwall and Sussex – and had to decide where to focus efforts
first. He went with Kent, because the logistics around the But what about bedding in with the village? When I wonder
building works were the most straightforward. Then it was a about the local reception, I’m thinking of my own neighbours,
toss-up between Cornwall and Sussex, and he chose the former, who are fiercely protective of Sussex from miles off, and what
he says, because the latter borders Kent and he didn’t want would happen if an operation such as this one moved in next
anyone to feel as if he was steamrolling willy-nilly through door. Hutson doesn’t pretend this isn’t a concern. But it’s about
south-east England. And in the past month, he has finally being a good resident over time, like anyone else, he says. The
been kicking the tyres in each of the 28 guestrooms at the management handed out vegetables from the kitchen garden
South Downs outpost. At the time of writing, he had slept during lockdown and delivered bottles of wine door to door at
in 20 and counting. Christmas. They bought a defibrillator for the cricket club. It
turns out that tomorrow 80 people from Madehurst are coming
The eighth Pig sprawls off a country lane in a wooded valley over for drinks and a little music ahead of the official opening
50 miles south of London. The main house is believed to have next week. There were only 120 people recorded here in the
been built in the 1770s and is squarely pleasant, but most of the last census. It seems like so far, so good.
bedrooms are set in ancillary buildings – a stable yard, a handful
of garden wagons, an apple store and, Hutson’s favourite, a BOOK IT Doubles at The Pig in the South Downs from £145.
former chicken coop. There are more outdoor spaces here than thepighotel.com
at other offshoots, strewn with chairs and fragrantly planted
with lavender, rosemary, jasmine and bay hedging. A newly

Opposite, clockwise from top left: Groom’s Cottage attic bedroom; Hayloft bedroom in the Stable Yard building; raspberry tart with raspberry
curd at the restaurant; sitting-room artwork. Previous page, Chicken Shack bedroom exterior. All at The Pig in the South Downs

November 2021 Condé Nast Traveller 35

WHERE TO STAY

THE ROUND-UP:
LONDON HOTELS

OUR PICK OF THE SLICKEST SPOTS TO BOOK, FROM BIG-HITTING NEW
OPENINGS TO A REVAMPED BOUTIQUE BOLTHOLE. EDITED BY ISSY VON SIMSON

36 Condé Nast Traveller November 2021

PHOTOGRAPHS: SIMON UPTON BEST FOR THEATRICAL STYLE

NOMAD LONDON, COVENT GARDEN

Despite the Ace Hotel’s departure from the city, there’s something of a USA
revival going on in London, with The Standard landing in King’s Cross and the
Mondrian just launched in Shoreditch (see next page). And earlier this year,
the first NoMad outside the States opened in a palatial former magistrates’

court opposite the Royal Opera House. It came with some expectation –
after all, the original put a whole New York City neighbourhood on the map,
its Dirty Martini-fuelled bar an overnight sensation – but has hit the ground

running. The centrepiece restaurant, in a luminous, almost neoclassical
atrium draped with greenery, was booked up for weeks, a see-and-be-seen
destination. There’s plenty of showmanship here, but it’s more Noël Coward

than PT Barnum: vintage chandeliers, brass and crimson, mohair and
damask, mural painters from the opera house involved in the decor. In the

bedrooms, bathrooms nod to golden Twenties Art Deco and the main
spaces to a sort of transatlantic connoisseur spirit, with big-brushed abstract

expressionism propped up on the floor, Hopi kachina dolls beside the
fireplace and a blend of Victoriana and art history on the walls (we perhaps
have hotelier Andrew Zobler’s grandmother, who owned an antiques shop,
to thank for this). The Library bar has shelves and shelves of books, though

the prominent criminology section can’t match a tour of the adjacent
new Bow Street Police Museum, birthplace of London’s first force, which has
seen the Krays, Oscar Wilde and Emmeline Pankhurst pass through its cells.

Shakers rattle like sidewinders in the tavern-esque Side Hustle, mixing
up fancy American-style cocktails. This is a big-thinking but surprisingly

intimate hotel that deserves a standing ovation. RICK JORDAN
BOOK IT Doubles from £455. thenomadhotel.com

WHERE TO STAY

BEST FOR ECCENTRIC CHARACTER

BEAVERBROOK TOWN HOUSE, CHELSEA

A smart offshoot of the Surrey Hills original, this property has taken over
a pair of restored Georgian townhouses in a prime position near Sloane
Square. It feels like a joyous and timely celebration of the capital – especially

on the stairs where an extraordinary collection of artwork has been
cherry-picked by creative director and advertising legend Frank Lowe: old
posters for the Boat Race, Brooks’ Peckham Brewery and Kew Gardens. Just
as bedrooms in the country mansion pay homage to former owner Lord
Beaverbrook’s friends and guests, here each one is named after a London
theatre, with framed programmes of past productions and books on opera

and Laurence Olivier. Interior designer Nicola Harding, who previously
worked on the estate’s Garden House, has used a bolder, more playful
palette for this spin-off, lending it a grown-up urban edge. Four-posters and
fringed velvet sofas sit alongside antique desks, patterned lampshades
and cushions made from vintage fabrics by Penny Worrall; bathrooms are
equally colourful, with glassy tiles in rich apple green and bottle blue. On
the ground floor, a Japanese apothecary cabinet at the entrance of the
arsenic-hued, Art Deco-detailed bar marks a shift to the East. The best spot
in the Fuji Grill restaurant, helmed by ex-Dinings SW3 chef Alex Del, is at
the counter, where a sensational 20-course omakase supper is prepared,
combining traditional techniques with modern European elements for dishes
that might include tuna dry aged in house and hamachi sashimi with
smoked aubergine. This standout addition to the area – where the Cadogan
reopened under Belmond in 2019 and Hotel Costes is slated for late

2022 – is part of a new chapter for Chelsea. EMMA LOVE
BOOK IT Doubles from £400. beaverbrooktownhouse.co.uk

BEST FOR A CLUBBY VIBE

MONDRIAN LONDON, SHOREDITCH

This East London enclave should really have had its day. It’s been years
since Shoreditch’s street-food stalls, concept bars and cutting-edge

boutiques started taking off. Then came the smart stays, award-winning
cocktail dens and Michelin-starred restaurants. Bright young

creatives were quickly priced out of living here. Then, over the past
18 months, the once-buzzing streets went silent. A couple of big
names closed for good and there was space for fresh players to shake
up the re-emerging neighbourhood scene. Mondrian, the city-slicking

group dreamt up by Ian Schrager in the 1990s, was primed to
launch a new London hotel after handing over the keys of its South
Bank stalwart a few years ago. The company, helmed by the Reuben
brothers, took over splashy members-club-hotel The Curtain when
it shuttered and brought in design studio Goddard Littlefair – also
behind the 2016 facelift of Scotland’s Gleneagles – to switch things

up. The loveliest of the 120 whitewashed, exposed-brick rooms
have large balconies and skyline views, but this is the sort of place where

you won’t spend much time in bed. Art fills the lobby – spot the
double-height piece by British painter Fred Coppin – while ground-floor
Christina’s serves glossy pastries by day and Espresso Martinis by night.

There’s a members-only rooftop restaurant with its own pool and
co-working space where events and panels are held. And – the biggest

coup of all – Spanish chef Dani García has opened the first UK
outpost of his renowned BiBo brand downstairs. The best incentive

yet to rediscover Shoreditch. SARAH JAMES
BOOK IT Doubles from £299. sbe.com

PHOTOGRAPHS: PAUL RAESIDE BEST FOR LITERARY KICKS

HENRY’S TOWNHOUSE, MARYLEBONE

Heritage and hedonism are happy bedfellows at Henry’s. Said to be Jane
Austen’s favourite brother, the eponymous proprietor lived here in the 19th

century, putting the author up as she toiled away at her masterpieces –
apparently early sections of Sense and Sensibility were written here. Today,
there are first editions of her works to pore over in the velvety Snug, with its

enormous fireplace and tumblers of whisky. That’s the kind of vibe that
owners Steven and Jane Collins have established throughout the seven-
bedroom Georgian house, previously a ‘dreadful’ B&B. The couple injected

a hefty dose of fun and frivolity into every corniced corner during an
18-month makeover, for which they tapped designer Russell Sage, behind

some of the city’s best-looking addresses (The Savoy Grill, Zetter
Townhouse). As well as the commanding original staircase, floors and
doors, there are 15th- and 16th-century oil paintings from Steven’s personal
collection, and every bedroom is named after one of Austen’s family – with
twin canopy beds in brother Frank and celestial blues in sister Cassandra.
Crafty modern extras – silent Dyson hairdryers, slick flatscreen TVs – are
smartly hidden away. But it’s the social spaces and pitch-perfect service that
really supercharge the place. For now, it’s all about having the run of the whole
house with your crew. Gregarious housekeeper Ann Grimes helps to make
everything happen, poised for a call via speed dial on one of the antique
telephones. Chef George Parkes, meanwhile, uses local produce for feasts
served in the Pantry, a dining room large and private enough for even the
most rip-roaring supper. Chic yet cheeky, historic but with all the cutting-edge
trimmings, Henry’s is the ultimate good-time crashpad. BECKY LUCAS

BOOK IT From £4,950 a night (sleeps 14). henrystownhouse.co.uk

November 2021 Condé Nast Traveller 39

WHERE TO STAY

BEST FOR INSIDER ACCESS

THE LOST POET, NOTTING HILL

This property arrives six years after the local hotel scene was levelled
up with The Laslett, whose five Victorian mansions, made over by a
British group keen to invoke a sense of ‘old’ Notting Hill, put the district
back on the map for shiny people looking for late nights and a fun vibe.
But The Lost Poet has opened in what is today an entirely different
neighbourhood, one that collectively leans into the hyper-local, where
the baristas know your coffee order and the most curious new bakery/
restaurant/bar is only stumbling distance from the front door. On
the quiet end of Portobello Road – before the vegan cafés, film-set mews
and paintbox-pastel terraces with makeshift lemonade stands – the
unmarked townhouse is capturing the zeitgeist for serious privacy and a
sense of rootedness in its surroundings. Checking in here feels more like
renting an apartment than staying in a hotel. Rooms have monochromatic
wallpaper (pistachio green, pastel pink, sunshiny yellow), artwork from
the Nelly Duff Gallery and a rainfall shower or silver bathtub deep
enough for a proper dip. The front-of-house team is always at the end
of WhatsApp, dropping off hampers of cheese and crackers from The
Sloe Kitchen and breakfast tote bags stuffed with Ottolenghi bakes and
salty butter at the door. Windows look onto the curving entrance of
Portobello Road – the lower-level Suite has a whitewashed deck while
showstopping two-storey penthouse The Muse is all about the top-floor
suntrap terrace, with views to rival any rooftop bar in the area. This
patch of W11 has long been a classic spot for weekend day-tripping

– and now there’s a lo-fi address for sleepovers too. SJ
BOOK IT Doubles from £200. thelostpoet.co.uk

40 Condé Nast Traveller November 2021

EUROPE’S MOST PRIVATE BEACH RESORT

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Book direct or via your travel advisor
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WHERE TO STAY MORE NAMES
TO WATCH
BEST FOR COSYING DOWN
THE SCOOP ON THE CAPITAL’S
LIME TREE HOTEL, BELGRAVIA
UPCOMING ARRIVALS
This Ebury Street townhouse conversion is a masterclass in how to maximise
eclectic style in a small space. It also delivers on a hard-to-keep promise: Two years after wellness-driven hotel Inhabit
launched its first property in Paddington, its second
an elegant hangout that feels like home, in a great location, at an affordable
price. Owners Matt and Charlotte Goodsall opened the property in 2008, opening also lands in W2 this winter. Expect the
same socially conscious design – bespoke furniture
quickly turning it into the area’s loveliest little boutique hotel. They
reframed challenge as opportunity in last year’s lockdown, overhauling the by Goldfinger, cushions from Aerende – and
restful artworks by rising stars. Yoga and meditation
interiors and adding a new café. The couple enlisted Fraher & Findlay
architects, whose previous projects include Wolf & Badger in Coal Drops classes will add to the pause-and-reset mood.
Yard, but relied on their own taste for the decorative details, sprucing up In spring 2022, Jamie Poulton and Ed Baines, the
corners with Sanderson wallpaper and Pooky lampshades. The 28 bedrooms
co-owners of Soho restaurant stalwart Randall
range from minuscule to moderately sized, but this only contributes to & Aubin, will be serving up Sicilian-inspired fare at
the country-cottage cosiness. Clever design ensures that even the tiniest Broadwick Soho – the first London hotel by interior
space is optimised, with teal velvet headboards, mountains of ikat pillows designer Martin Brudnizki. He has already put his
stamp on restaurants, bars and members’ clubs around
and marmalade-coloured armchairs (thoughtful reading material is the world (The Britely in Los Angeles is his latest);
provided – ours was Aesop’s Fables). Single rooms come at a keener price, here, he is taking cues from the area’s gritty glamour to
so solo travellers are well looked after. The Buttery kitchen is helmed by create a townhouse fit for an eccentric grandmother.
On Leicester Square, The Londoner is a supersized
Stefano Cirillo, previously at Notting Hill spot Beach Blanket Babylon.
Breakfast is made up of perfectly executed classics – avocado on sourdough new player hoping to kickstart a much-needed
makeover of the central tourist hub. Spread across 16
with runny eggs, chocolate-spread-layered French toast topped with storeys, half of which are underground, the behemoth
berries, a full English with halloumi – accompanied by the smell of freshly has been designed by Yabu Pushelberg (the London
ground Gentlemen Baristas beans and crunchy pastries from the bakery Edition, the Las Alcobas in California’s Napa Valley).
down the road. The back garden is a tiny pocket of quiet for chatting late on
summer evenings. Just like the rest of the house, it’s a sweet miniature that Standout spaces include a rooftop izakaya lounge,
has all the elements needed and charm in spades. KATHARINA HAHN Joshua’s Tavern, with about 50 UK-crafted gins to
choose from, and three clubby, guests-only hangouts.
BOOK IT Doubles from £170. limetreehotel.co.uk Yabu Pushelberg is also behind Asaya, the wellness
offering at The Chancery Rosewood, slated to
42 Condé Nast Traveller November 2021 open on Mayfair’s Grosvenor Square in 2024. Sir
David Chipperfield is in charge of ensuring that
original architect Eero Saarinen’s ‘palace on the park’
vision for the Sixties building is upheld. Interiors by
Joseph Dirand will channel a gentlemen’s club vibe
through Art Deco detailing, walnut panelling, marble

and brass accents and a rich colour scheme.
Pipping it to the post will be The Audley on nearby
Mount Street, the first London project from Artfarm

– owned by gallerists and art collectors Iwan and
Manuela Wirth and responsible for Somerset’s
Roth Bar and The Fife Arms in Braemar – and the
Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London on Hanover

Square, both due for completion next year.
Another heavy-hitting Asian addition in 2022 will
be The Peninsula London at Hyde Park Corner.
Interior designer Peter Marino (the Cheval Blanc in
Paris) is waving his magic wand over the rooms,

while a destination spa comes as standard.
On Whitehall, Raffles London at The OWO is

transforming the landmark Old War Office
building – Winston Churchill’s World War II
headquarters and Ian Fleming’s inspiration for James
Bond – into a flagship hotel with nine restaurants,
including a winter garden for afternoon tea.
The Admiralty Arch Waldorf Astoria has
snagged an equally historic monument at the end
of the Mall, which, in 2023 after an extensive
restoration, will have sweeping views of the city

skyline from its rooftop bar. EL

+44 (0) 1242 787800 REDSAVANNAH.COM #TheRedEdge
VILLAS · JOURNEYS · GULETS

WHERE TO STAY

linens and riffs on rattan are a refreshing step
away from typical nautical colour schemes.
Balconies have Adirondack chairs for peace-
ful moments or people-watching over the
buzzy deck below. Interconnecting rooms are
a clever option for families, but the penthouse
is obviously the kingpin. Make sure to get a
sea view. Sleeping to the sound of the surf
gently pounding the shore is wonderful, as
is the sunrise over East Portlemouth.

EAT Beach picnics here are spot on. Hampers
of club sandwiches, cans of Léoube rosé, fruit
and crudités come with all the kit you might
need, including a very smart windbreak,
tablecloth, boules set, Frisbee and rugs. In the
restaurant, suppers focus quite rightly on
seafood: catch of the day; grilled squid and
lobster; dressed crab; fat, garlicky mussels
from Fowey, and oysters. It’s Salcombe Gin
or Salcombe Brewery Pale Ale to wash things
down and Salcombe Dairy ice cream to
finish. In summer the terrace is the hot ticket,
but on colder evenings the inside space has
a cosy brasserie vibe.

WHO COMES HERE? Curious locals and
second-homers excited for a new lunch haunt;
holidaymakers seeking a different place to
check in. Once up and running, the spa and
indoor pool will make this a year-round escape.

THE WEEKENDER WE LIKE Not having to get in the car.The ferry
chugs to and from the harbourfront every 30
minutes. And with Bo’s Beach Café and the
South Sands hotel next door, you can also
eat out just steps away.

HARBOUR BEACH CLUB, SALCOMBE WE DON’T LIKE It’s not completed yet so it
would be churlish to nitpick, but if service is
WHY STAY? Whatever the weather, it’s larch cladding provide a relaxed Hamptons sharpened up it will be excellent next summer. PHOTOGRAPH: MICHAEL DUTTON/ALAMY
hard to resist a steps-from-the-sand British aesthetic while mimicking the gabled roofs of CONTACT Doubles from £340; harbour
hangout, and this box-fresh opening, low- the sail lofts along the estuary. It’s an elevated hotels.co.uk. ISSY VON SIMSON
key but contemporary, has a knockout setting daytime pit stop and a well-pitched holiday
in a particularly lovely part of Devon. address, especially for those on the button OUT AND ABOUT
enough to book in for half term. Here is The best way to explore is on the water
WHY NOW? The classic yet rundown Tides direct access to the best parts of Salcombe or walking along the Area of Outstanding
Reach hotel closed eight years ago, but a – beaches, boating – without the town crowds. Natural Beauty coastline: the routes
planning-permission battle, local disapproval between Bolberry Down and Bolt Tail,
and 2020’s hindrance to construction made BEHIND THE SCENES Harbour Hotels has pictured, are breathtaking.
completing the site’s new incarnation a long quietly mushroomed into a portfolio of 15
and arduous process. With some scaffolding properties in the south of England, popping
remaining (though the views are a good up in all sorts of salty-aired spots: St Ives,
distraction) and finishing touches to come, it Brighton, Sidmouth (with Guildford and
kicked off business at the end of this summer. Richmond stretching the waterfront mantra).
And this arrival should energise its reputation.
WHAT IS THIS PLACE? Sister to established
Salcombe Harbour Hotel, it takes a South SLEEP The 50 bedrooms have up-to-the-
Hams staycation in a sprightly direction with minute interiors from London-based DO
barefoot vibes and from-scratch architecture Design Studio.There’s terrazzo and brushed
(only the exterior walls of the original Thirties brass in the bathrooms, mid-century-modern
building still stand).Tongue-and-groove and nods and Pooky lighting, while the chartreuse

44 Condé Nast Traveller November 2021



ALL YOUR ARRANGEMENTS TAKEN CARE OF IN ONE PLACE

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transferred to the charming mountain town of Banff.
ACCOMMODATION:
3★ to 5★ hotels incl Tweedsmuir Park Lodge with guided Days 9-10 Banff to Lake Louise
nature walks & activities and Faimont Chateau Lake Louise Take a short transfer to the picture perfect Lake Louise and
soak up the spectacular surroundings on one of the many
DAY TOURS: walking trails.
Old Montréal Walking Tour • Niagara-on-the-Lake Winery
Tour • Niagara Falls Helicopter Flight • Banff Gondola Days 11-12 Lake Louise to Jasper
Tickets • Columbia Icefield Discovery Tour • Jasper Wildlife Enjoy more eye-catching views as you travel along the
Discover Tour • Grouse Mountain Admission • Whale Icefields Parkway, before arriving into beautiful Jasper
Watching Tour by Seaplane & Covered Boat National Park.

MEALS & DRINKS: Days 13-14 Jasper to Vancouver
4 breakfasts, 5 lunches & 3 dinners • Soft drinks at Board the infamous Rocky Mountaineer train for the Journey
Tweedsmuir Park Lodge • Complimentary snacks Through the Clouds, passing through some of western
& beverages on the Rocky Mountaineer Canada’s most incredible scenery.

Days 15-17 Vancouver
Step out from your boutique hotel to explore this alluring city
and embark on an exciting full day trip from Vancouver’s
Waterfront by seaplane to Victoria in search of orcas,
humpbacks and other marine life.

Days 18-20 Vancouver to Tweedsmuir Park Lodge
Fly to Bella Coola, where you’ll be driven to enchanting
Tweedsmuir Park Lodge. With three days here, Tweedsmuir
is the perfect sanctuary in which to spend the final few days
of your Canadian holiday.

Day 21 Tweedsmuir Park Lodge to Vancouver
Return to Vancouver to connect with your international flight.

Call TRAILFINDERS on 020 7795 4570

Visit trailfinders.com/canada for more inspiration

Prices are per person, based on 2 adults sharing. Valid for selected July departures & subject to availability.
Prices correct at time of going to print on 1 September.