TR AV E L L E R PARTN E RS HIPS
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PALAZZO CONSIGLIA, MALTA A converted townhouse owned by a Maltese family just a few minutes’ walk from the waterfront, this bolthole is ideal for exploring Malta’s capital. With only a dozen rooms and a rooftop pool, it’s easy to settle in, and there’s plenty on the doorstep. Charter a yacht and take in Valletta’s harbour or head into town for a night of jazz at the Bridge Bar. Nearby restaurant, Panorama, dishes out full-flavoured Mediterranean dishes (pistachio-crusted lamb and poached local rockfish) and if you time it right (April) you can catch the annual fireworks festival – best observed from the Palazzo’s roof. palazzoconsiglia.com
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PRINCIPE DI SAVOIA, MILAN Superior to all the other hotels in Milan, this neoclassical beauty dominates the Piazza della Repubblica. Providing safe harbour for the international fashion pack since the 1920s, it’s awash with hand-painted frescoes, antique Italian furniture and priceless modern art. Interior designer Celeste dell’ Anna left his mark on four of the hotel’s Imperial suites, but if you haven’t the budget for one of them, ask for a room at the front of the hotel (great views). At night you won’t eat better anywhere else than the main restaurant, Acanto. It takes on a 1970s look with glistening bowls of tagliolini and lovingly crafted artichoke flans making their way to elegant tables. Save space for the dessert trolley...
MANDARIN ORIENTAL, MARRAKECH Just 10 minutes from the Medina, this Moroccan pleasure palace is as tranquil as it is grand. It took Parisian design duo Gilles & Boissier three years to complete the ultra-swish interiors with elegant colours, hand-woven rugs and Berber motifs etched in clay. Each riad-like villa is stand-alone and comes with a secluded courtyard, outdoor kitchen and open fireplace. The gardens are equally impressive with 30 different varieties of rose dotted among ancient olive trees and shoulder-high cacti. Hit horizontal by the main pool and watch waiters in cricket jumpers buzz about with trays of Caesar salad and San Pellegrino – the thrills of the Red City can wait. mandarinoriental.com
MOONS Minimum time off, maximum pleasure… Clockwise from top left: Principe di Savoia; lounge at Palazzo Consiglia; the pool at Fichimori; the Mandarin Oriental's spa and pool; one of the Marrakech Villas at The Mandarin Oriental
FICHIMORI, PUGLIA Renting a villa might seem at odds with your typical honeymoon notion, but Fincimori is no ordinary villa. This detached trulli, set among the rolling hills of the Valle d’Itria, really is small and perfectly formed: two breezy bedrooms, a glimmering pool and private hammam. Whitewashed walls melt into honeystone terraces and verdant lawns; the villa’s rustic trulli cones lend it an extra level of authenticity. Beaches, cobbled old towns and buzzy piazzas are all there for the taking, but if you choose to revel in isolated bliss, massage therapists and yoga instructors can be summoned at the press of a button. thethinkingtraveller.com