Luxury Hoteliers Magazine 1st Quarter 2017 | Page 78

Games Room , Aman , Venice
I had a day trip on a private boat with Lagunalonga ( www . lagunalonga . com ). Francesco the charismatic de Niro lookalike skipper was dedicated to giving me the day I wanted . This personalized and intimate service was a great way to get a sense of the whole lagoon . And I was treated to small , light offerings outstandingly cooked on board by chef Flavio using local ingredients . There was definitely a magic to his menu of schie on soft polenta , followed by seafood spaghetti , fillet of sea bream and vegetables and finishing with panna cotta with wild berries .
Francesco took me to the north lagoon . To Murano with her glass factories that are still thriving from centuries of family-owned concerns and with a church bedecked in lovely chandeliers made from the local factories . To Burano , the lace island , with her quaint array of vivid colored houses that were danced upon by the fierce sun and shimmering water . And onto Torcello , set among lovely pastures , and as ancient as anywhere on the lagoon with an arrestingly innocent and sacred feel to its small Basilica .
Equally pure a sensation to the architectural beauty of Venice is the natural beauty of The Dolomites .
The setting is mountain peaks , pine forests and streams above rich green pastures and chalets . Here at the Rosa Alpina hotel ( www . rosaalpina . it ) in San Cassiano is an extended stretch of pine buildings . The setting is pure Heidi country . And it ’ s steeped in tradition with Lederhosen waiters and checkered shirt waitresses . It even has its own recognized Ladin language . The rooms have a neutral Alpine look and a simple and homely feel . The hotel ’ s St . Hubertus Restaurant offers locally grown produce . Its confidently set menu is served with considerable theatricality . Each course is brought by a parade of waiters with synchronized service . Less of a performance is the taciturn breakfast whose buffet island reflects a modern diet with all the seeds , nuts and jams you could imagine .
And there ’ s a classy spa that is easy to reach on the floor beneath the concierge . Guests can effortlessly and indulgently slip down in one ’ s white gown and slippers to this oasis of tranquility . Like all that Rosa Alpina does there ’ s a strong insistence on purity and health . Murad creams and lotions renew the skin and firm the face and tone the body . There are dermo-peeling and anti-cellulite treatments . There are after-sun repair offerings and detoxication programs for both the face and the body . These stimulate and create flow across the body . Amongst their specialities are “ Beautiful Eyes Treatment ”, “ Joy For Feet ”, “ Detox Salt Peeling ”. After my day ’ s hiking , I particularly liked the full use of lemon balm that was applied in the topically named “ Alpine Herbs Muscle Relief ”. Depending on the season , be it après-ski or post hiking and biking , there ’ s always the hot stone massage to ease away those aches and pains so energetically earned . It ’ s the perfect way and perfect location in which to unwind .
About the author Adam Jacot de Boinod worked on the first series of QI , the BBC series presented by Stephen Fry and is the author of The Meaning of Tingo published by Penguin Press
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