Travel News: 17 Reasons to Travel in July 2017

Terminal Neige, a new alpine hotel concept from chic hotel brand Maisons & Hotels Sibuet, debuts its second property this month in Chamonix. The 66-room hotel reimagines an 1880s mountain hut, Refuge du Montenvers, for modern-day adventurers.

Set at 6,275 feet above sea level on the Mont Blanc Massif, the hotel offers spectacular glacier views.Rustic-chic interiors mix natural materials including wood, leather, and wool fabrics. Room styles range from double rooms and a honeymoon room to family rooms that sleep up to six and two dorm-style rooms that sleep up to 10. After a day of skiing or mountain biking, guests can recharge at the Pure Altitude Spa or with a traditional Savoyard meal at the hotel restaurant.

From $168; refuge.terminal-neige.com.

This month’s debut of the Rascal, a phinisi boat from the Ampersand Yacht collection, gives travelers a stylish new option for island-hopping in Indonesia. Handcrafted by Indonesian shipwrights using ironwood and teak, the design combines traditional techniques with modern interiors that draw inspiration from Hamptons-style beach houses. Five spacious, air-conditioned cabins are all uniquely situated above deck. Outdoor lounge spaces include a sheltered dining area, bar, and a 1,280-foot infinity roof deck for sunbathing. Charters spend the summer season sailing around Komodo National Park, crewed by a team of nine, including a dive instructor and a private chef.

From $66,250 for a seven-night charter in the Komodo Islands for up to 10 guests; ampersandtravel.com.

Camellia Hills, the first of four new boutique bungalows from Teardrop Hotels, opens this month in Sri Lanka’s tea country. With stunning views across Castlereagh reservoir, Camellia Hills is a newly built bungalow with five en-suite bedrooms, a dining room, and two large living rooms with open terraces. Guests can take in views of the tea fields from the swimming pool located in the front garden. The other three properties will roll out this fall. When completed, the collection will offer visitors access to the ultimate cultural itinerary of Sri Lanka, from the city to the coast.

From $200; teardrop-hotels.com.

Margutta 19, an intimate palazzo-turned-hotel, opens July 1 on Rome’s storied “artists’ street.” Once the address of Picasso and Fellini, Via Margutta allows guests to live like locals while still being in walking distance to the city’s must-visit sites. The 16 rooms have been elegantly refreshed in shades of sage and ivory, with parquet floors and travertine marble bathrooms. Classic and deluxe suites overlook the cobbled street, while the Garden Suite comes with a private terrace. At Restaurant Assaggia, Michelin-starred chef Angelo Troiani serves Roman classics with a modern twist, including riffs on recipes handed down through generations of the hotel owner’s family.

From $404; romeluxurysuites.com.

Collective Retreats, a new travel company operating seasonal pop-up camps, launches its first east coast property this July in Ghent, New York. Collective Hudson Valley, a retreat at Liberty Farms, is comprised of five glamping tents spread across a private, 310-acre sustainable farm and equestrian center. Each tent is named after a local author who found inspiration in the region (William Cullen Bryant, Washington Irving) and is outfitted with hotel-worthy amenities like French Press coffee bars and 1,500 thread count linens. The resident chef will prepare farm-to-table dinners under the stars and serve elevated s’mores made from caramel apple marshmallows and maple toffee ice box cookies. Collective’s concierge can accommodate almost any wish, from literary tours to in-tent massages.

From $500; collectiveretreats.com.

Chris Burkard, the Instagram-sensation cold water surf photographer and director of the Tribeca Film Festival hit Under an Arctic Sky, will be leading a seven-day photography workshop in Iceland. The trip will chase the northern lights through the Westfjords of Iceland and will cover modules such as image editing, composition, water photography, night exposure, and social media. Participants will have the opportunity to shoot (and partake in) activities such as kayaking, surfing, and skiing. At the end of the trip each participant will put together a portfolio, which Burkard will critique.

$7800; chrisburkard.com.

After a five-month remodel, the Tivoli Carvoeiro reopens this month with larger rooms and three new restaurants. The hotel is situated on a dramatic cliffside near the little fishing town of Carvoeiro in southern Portugal’s Algarve region, putting guests minutes from some of the area’s best beaches. The original 293 rooms were reconfigured to 246 rooms, offering more space as well as balconies, and a new category of family rooms has been introduced to accommodate groups of four. A gourmet restaurant specializes in refined Portuguese dishes and the new rooftop pool bar offers light bites, cocktails, and 360-degree clifftop and sea views.

From $365; minorhotels.com.

White Desert, the only luxury camp in Antarctica, has introduced private jet service from Cape Town to Antarctica. Guests can now fly to the White Continent in the utmost comfort and style, with a maximum of 12 guests per departure. For the first trip, scheduled for November 2017, a Gulfstream jet will fly guests 2,485 miles over the icepack of the Southern Ocean before landing on a specially prepared blue ice runway. During the flight, guests will be served sushi and wagyu beef tartare, complemented by cocktails garnished with thousand-year-old glacial ice from Antarctica. The flight is carbon neutral and White Desert is running the service in line with strict ecological guidelines. Private jet trips will be available for the White Desert’s signature, eight-day Emperors and South Pole trip, the four-day Ice and Mountains adventure, and the Greatest Day, a private chartered one-day trip to Antarctica.

From $32,000; white-desert.com.

Nobu is expanding its hotel empire, launching its sixth hotel this month in London. The 150 rooms, including seven suites, feature black joinery and exposed concrete—a nod to the hotel’s edgy Shoreditch address—juxtaposed with bright white bathrooms and custom-designed gold washbasins. A pocket garden will serve as a public space between the streets and the hotel, and a lobby lounge, anchored by a fireplace, will serve cocktails and Nobu-devised small plates. Of course the heart of the hotel will be the 240-seat Nobu restaurant, which will serve signatures like black cod miso, as well as roasted lobster with scallops, cilantro aioli, and ikura, a dish exclusive to Nobu Shoreditch.

From $320; nobuhotelshoreditch.com.

Hôtel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel, reopens on July 5 following an extensive four-year transformation. The rebirth of the timeless Parisian landmark fuses 18th-century and modern spirit, as envisioned by a talented team of French architects, designers, artisans, and restoration experts. Hôtel de Crillon's 78 rooms, 36 suites, and 10 signature suites have been appointed with a mix of bespoke furnishings, antiques, and carefully chosen artwork. Rooms feature luxe amenities like Rivolta Carmignani Italian linens and duvets from Drouault. Chef Christpher Hache, who trained with renowned French chefs Alain Senderens and Eric Frechon, will return to the hotel to unveil a new menu inspired by his travels.

From $1,365; rosewoodhotels.com.

Belmond Road to Mandalay has partnered with wellness retreat curator Mindfulness Journeys to offer two new mindfulness river cruises along the Ayeyarwady in Myanmar. Guests will be immersed in culture and wellness during three- and seven-night sailings. The ship’s open-air deck is the perfect setting for sunrise yoga classes and Brian Hilliard and Shannon van Staden, co-founders of Mindfulness Journeys, will lead meditation sessions onboard as well as on land in rural pagodas and botanical gardens. Cultural highlights include a visit to one of the most significant pagodas of Bagan, Ananda Temple, which contains four 30-foot gilded Buddha statues and an arts and crafts tour of Mandalay to watch local artisans and craftsmen at work. Active guests can cycle through Bagan and join Hilliard on morning runs.

Seven-night sailing on October 7 from $4,632; Three-night sailing on October 11 from $2,656; belmond.com.

Luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent has announced its first-ever luxury expedition cruise to the Mediterranean. The first Cruising the Greek Isles trip will run October 10-19, 2018 on the new Le Laperouse vessel and will include stops in Athens, Crete, Santorini, Rhodes, Symi, Bodrum, Delos, Mykonos, and Syros. Experts in Greek mythology (a retired Bishop of London) and local history (leading guidebook author Nigel McGilchrist) will host enrichment programs on-board throughout the sailing. Culturally immersive port excursions range from a private visit to an organic farm in Crete, where guests participate in a cooking demonstration, to sampling Santorini’s fabled wines with an oenologist.

From $8,995 per person for a 10-day journey; abercrombiekent.com.

The Little Nell’s annual "Clip in with Christian" cycling camp takes place September 24-28 and provides an opportunity for cyclists of all abilities to ride Aspen's most famed roads with former pro cyclists Christian Vande Velde, Craig Lewis and 2012 Giro d'Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal. Guests wine and dine at the Little Nell and other Aspen favorites and ride the area's most scenic and challenging routes, including Independence Pass. Top-of-the-line Scott bikes will be set up like they’re for a pro team, including personalization on the frame. If guests love their bike, they can purchase it after the camp and the hotel will ship it home. 

$5,750, all-inclusive; thelittlenell.com.

Adventure Canada will host Canadian icon Margaret Atwood on the July 18 Heart of the Arctic expedition. Traveling from the capital of Nunavut, south into Quebec’s Nunavik region, and across the Davis Strait to the coast of Greenland, the 189-passenger Ocean Endeavor ship will cross the Arctic Circle just after the summer solstice, when the midnight sun will be near its zenith. The expedition will seek out fascinating marine wildlife, including polar bears, walrus, and muskoxen. Joining Atwood on the Heart of the Arctic are a number of other experts, including filmmaker and musician Les Stroud (of Survivorman fame), artist Rob Saley, and archaeologist Lisa Rankin.

From $3,995; adventurecanada.com.

Blackberry Farm, the destination foodie hotel in the Smoky Mountains, is hosting the quintessential summer package with MasterCraft Boats featuring music, beer, and loads of time on the water. The two-day event kicks off July 30 with boating adventures as well as clinics and demos from professional wakeboarders Josh Palma and Parks Bonifay. On day two, guests will tour MasterCraft’s boat building facility, before heading out on the lake. There’s plenty of down time to enjoy the farm and hand-selected beer from Blackberry Farm Brewery. The finale dinner gets capped with a concert from musician and surfer Donavon Frankenreiter.

$700 for the two-day event; rooms from $895; blackberryfarm.com.

Winemaker Laurent Bonfils and hoteliers Karl and Anita O’Hanlon helped fuel the renaissance of France’s Languedoc region when they opened Château Les Carrasses in 2011. Last year they debuted Château St Pierre de Serjac, and now they’ve announced their third collaboration, Château Capitoul. Occupied continuously since Roman times, Château Capitoul began to renew its vines a few years ago, and now produces a range of AOP La Clape wines. The 45 new stand-alone residences within the 10-acre estate are now for sale, allowing oenophiles a chance to live out their wine country dreams. Amenities will include a brasserie, a Cinq Mondes spa, a large outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, and a kids club. The château’s eight guest rooms will be available to book by 2019.

From $515,00; chateau-capitoul.com.

After closing in January 2017 for a six-month renovation, Hotel Barrière Le Fouquet reopens its doors on July 1 at its iconic Paris address between Avenue George V and Champs-Elysées. Acclaimed French designer Jacques Garcia masterminded the look of the new rooms, suites, common areas, and spa. The hotel’s 81 rooms and suites have a glamorous new look, done up in gold, velvet, and marble. By the end of 2018, 19 new rooms and signature suites will overlook the Champs-Elysées. On July 10, famous French chef Pierre Gagnaire will welcome diners back to his celebrated brasserie, which has a new look as well as a new tasting menu.

From $817; hotelsbarriere.com.

This month, the design-forward Darcy Hotel, which opened its doors in April near Washington, D.C.’s Dupont Circle neighborhood, is hosting a pop-up flower bar on its ground-floor outdoor terrace. From 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. on July 16 and 30, hotel guests and visitors alike can build their own bouquet or choose a pre-arranged assortment to take home. (All proceeds from the event will go to Safe Shores, a local children’s advocacy non-profit.) Afterwards, pop over to jazz brunch at the hotel’s seafood-focused restaurant, Siren, helmed by D.C. chef  Robert Wiedmaier. thedarcyhotel.com. —Avery Stone