To better serve you, our dedicated DEPARTURES readers, our monthly travel column will now be split into new weekly columns. Hot off the presses, we'll be bringing you the best, most cutting-edge spots to book, stay, and see around the globe on the regular. This week, sleep in style surrounded by Iceland’s iconic Blue Lagoon, a new hotel on skis opens in Finland, and Silicon Valley’s tech elite have a new place to network.
Ken Hayden
Rosewood Bermuda Unveils a $25 Million Renovation
On April 1, Rosewood Bermuda reopened after a four-month, $25 million makeover. Formerly known as Rosewood Tucker’s Point, the reimagined resort welcomes guests with an elegant lobby anchored by a new bar and lounge, plus an atrium courtyard. The 92 rooms and suites are now residential-style retreats that reflect the island’s English colonial heritage. Dining-wise, the resort’s signature restaurant reopens as the Island Brasserie; A refreshed Beach Club features a restaurant inspired by the island’s fish markets (plus an updated bar and new luxury cabanas). Wellness junkies will appreciate a modernized Sense, a Rosewood Spa. Rooms from $546; rosewoodhotels.com.
Courtesy Belmond Cap Juluca
Belmond Cap Juluca Is Taking Bookings
Belmond Cap Juluca is now taking reservations for its November reopening. The resort will be the first property to be fully reimagined under Belmond’s ambitious growth plan (the company aims to double in size by 2020). Spread across a secluded crescent-shaped cove, the property’s 113 newly-appointed guest rooms and suites all feature large private verandas or balconies; and located just steps from Anguilla’s white sandy shores are 113 newly-appointed guest rooms and suites, all with large private verandas or balconies. Many of the rooms have large bathrooms that overlook walled botanical courtyards. The three- and five-bedroom private villas offer more space for families and groups, and are equipped with kitchens, large dining areas, and private pools. belmond.com
Photos: Courtesy The Peninsula New York (L); Francesco Tonelli (R)
Peninsula NY Launches Keys in the Kitchen VIP Program
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, The Peninsula New York is introducing a selection of 30 curated guest experiences. The new Keys to the Kitchen program allows guests insider access to some of New York’s most coveted restaurants, including Per Se, Daniel, the Modern, Gramercy Tavern, Gabriel Kreuther, and Jean-Georges. Incredible meals are paired with bespoke experiences such as a behind-the-scenes kitchen tour, a meet-and-greet with the chef, a champagne tasting, or a personalized menu. These exclusive add-ons are complimentary at each restaurant when guests book their reservations through the Peninsula’s concierge. Rooms from $695; newyork.peninsula.com.
Courtesy Blue Lagoon Iceland
The Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland Opens April 1
You can now sleep in style surrounded by Iceland’s iconic Blue Lagoon: The Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland is set on a private inlet of the UNESCO Global Geopark. Each of the property’s 62 suites has a minimalist aesthetic and floor-to-ceiling windows. Lower-level suites have private terraces; upper-level suites have private balconies. The Retreat Spa is built into an 800-year-old lava flow and features a steam room, cold well, in-water massages, and a spa restaurant. Icelandic produce will dictate the menu at Moss Restaurant; diners won’t want to miss a tour of the wine cellar, which was built into a cavern of multi-hued lava that erupted in 1226. Rooms from $1,460; bluelagoon.com.
McCartan
Hotel Nia Opens in Silicon Valley
With the debut of Hotel Nia, members of Silicon Valley’s tech elite have a new place to network. The 250-room property in Menlo Park offers over 20,000 square feet of light-filled meeting space. Many of these areas, as well as many of the guest rooms, feature floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking San Francisco Bay. Execs can work out at the 2,000-square-foot fitness center then caffeinate with Verve coffee. Bay Area residents looking for a staycation can take advantage of the hotel’s pool, fire pit, lawn games, and California-Mediterranean restaurant, Porta Blue. Rooms from $400; hotelnia.com.
Kilpissafarit
A New Hotel on Skis Opens in Finland
The ski safari takes on a whole new meaning with Finland’s new Aurora Wilderness Camp. Three glass-roofed huts are set on skis so they can be towed to far-flung spots for optimal Northern Lights viewing. (The camp moves around the region surrounding the Finnish village Kilpisjärvi, known for its remote and uninterrupted Arctic tundra.) Each hut sleeps two and is outfit with a gas stove, gas heater, a dry toilet, snowshoes, and kicksleds. Rooms can be booked through Off the Map Travel until mid-April 2018. After the end of the season, the Aurora Wilderness Camp will reopen in January 2019. Three-night itinerary from $2,250; offthemap.travel.