Five of the best home away from home hotels...
The lake and the 'pub', with the main building behind. Photo Twin Farms
Twin Farms, Vermont. Tucked away in a pocket of rural Vermont is the gorgeous home away from home idyll of Twin Farms. Centred around a 1795-built farmhouse, the 300 acres of rolling countryside is home to nine rooms and 11 cottages, an outstanding restaurant, a clubhouse with a games room and bar, a spa and a boating lake. All rooms have fireplaces and are richly and romantically decorated, and the cottages are extremely private and cosy. Staff are discreet to the point of invisibility, yet anticipate guest’s every needs. Ice-skate on the lake and a tray of hot chocolate and cookies might magically appear. www.twinfarms.com
From the dining area through to the garden. Photo Tas Hotel
Tas Otel, Alacati, Cesme Peninsula, Turkey. Alacati is perhaps the most fashionable village in Turkey; a glorious restored village with rustic-chic boutiques and restaurants and beautiful old stone houses. Zeynap and her staff are on hand with a warm welcome at the Tas Otel, and serve home made preserves at breakfast and cakes for afternoon teas. The lounge has a large fireplace and sagging sofas, and the six rooms – plus a stone cottage behind two palm trees – are bright and airy, with white walls, wooden floors, and blue window shutters. Behind there’s a high-walled garden with a vine-shaded breakfast terrace overlooking a sparkling swimming pool. www.tasotel.com
Dining area at the estancia. Photo House of Jasmins
House of Jasmins, Salta, Northwest Argentina. Its adobe walls are swathed in jasmine, its roofs are terracotta tiled, and colonnaded terraces provide shade and shelter from the summer sun. The Andes Mountains rise in the distance behind the House of Jasmins, and the colonial city of Salta is 20-minutes drive away. It’s a family run 14-room estancia and a haven of homely tranquility. Built 120 years ago, the patina is authentic, and today it’s augmented with white curtains, indigenous art and rugs, and occasional cowhides. It sits in 247 acres of land, has a super swimming pool, a spa and an excellent restaurant called La Table that has a cosy interior and a graceful canvas roofed terrace. www.houseofjasmines.com
The sea views from the decking and pool area. Photo Cape View Clifton
Cape View Clifton, Cape Town, South Africa. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean from the heights above trendy Clifton, the Cape View Clifton is an intimate five-suite guesthouse that is clean-lined and contemporary. All nine rooms and suites have a comfy lounge area and kitchen, private balconies, Jacuzzis, and terrific views – out to sea, across to the rugged peaks of the Twelve Apostles and the swanky seaside suburbs of Clifton and Camps Bay. It’s a seaside bolt-hole that feels like a private home – one with exquisite taste, knockout views, a swimming pool, large decked areas, private terraces, and a laid-back honesty bar. www.capeviewclifton.co.za
The lodge and gardens. Photo Loch Nes Lodge
Loch Ness Lodge, Scotland. The Loch Ness Lodge is a stylish and secluded retreat that emphasizes highland hospitality. Its seven large rooms are decorated in contemporary country house chic style, with muted lichen, russet, stone and heather influenced tones, refined furnishings, and enveloping beds with goose-down duvets. The elegant drawing rooms are ideal for reading a book in, and the breakfast area is filled with antique furniture. After some hiking, castle touring, fishing or golf, it’s delightful to return to a dram on the garden terrace in summer or by the fire in winter. www.loch-ness-lodge.com