Travel News: 15 Reasons to Travel in September 2017

The Lygon Arms, a boutique hotel set within the idyllic Broadway village in the heart of the Cotswolds, will debut an expansive, multimillion-dollar refurbishment on September 18. The transformation of this 16th century coaching inn, steeped in traditional luxury, will showcase 86 newly designed rooms and suites, a refreshed spa, and the launch of two new restaurants. Updated rooms feature mattresses handmade in Devon and beautifully restored antiques, original paintings, and quirky period pieces. The property has also teamed up with Aztec Adventure to offer a variety of quintessentially British activities such as archery, disc golf, falconry, duck herding, and clay pigeon shooting. 

From $325; lygonarmshotel.co.uk.

The team behind the highly regarded Bavarian Schloss Elmau spa hotel debuts a sister property, Orania.Berlin in the city’s edgy Kreuzberg neighborhood. The 41-room luxury hotel is housed in a repurposed historic building from the early 20th century. Rooms feature incredible finds from around the globe, including hand-woven Loribaft carpets from Iran, Berker light switches from Italy, and linen fabrics from India. Michelin-rated chef Philipp Vogel will oversee a 70-seat, open-kitchen restaurant and the hotel’s ground level bar will host nightly classical and jazz concerts, DJs, poetry slams, and readings by Berlin artists, all curated by Julien Quentin. 

From $115; orania.berlin.

Extreme skiing and gourmet cuisine are more synonymous with Europe than Alaska. But for five weeks starting in March 2018, skiers and snowboarders will be able to combine the best of Tordrillo Mountain Lodge’s heli-ski adventures with a stay at foodie-focused Winterlake Lodge. Limited to only eight guests per week, seven-night ski packages include 10 hours of A-star helicopter use accessing the north part of the Alaskan Range, two Tordrillo Mountain Lodge guides, private cabins at Winterlake Lodge, all meals from the kitchen of award-winning chef Kirsten Dixon, and air transfers from Anchorage. After skiing, guests can recover in the hot tub and sauna or with yoga classes and massage treatments. If your legs need a day off, alternative activities include cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and dog mushing.

From $13,500 per person; tordrillomountainlodge.com.

The Ace Hotel brings its distinct brand of cool to Chicago’s historic West Loop neighborhood. Commune Design helped reimagine the space with Bauhaus references and décor from two of Chicago’s oldest manufacturers, Horween Leather and Ezra Arthur. In the public spaces, utilitarian furnishings are complimented by bold geometric patterns. In the rooms, built-in plywood and linoleum furnishings juxtapose with polished steel, a nod to the designs of Arne Jacobsen and Richard Neutra. Each of the 159 rooms features a unique piece of art stippled, painted, or hand-drawn by students from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Celebrated chef Jason Vincent and the team behind local favorite Giant are already receiving accolades for the breakfast sandwiches and late-night bites they serve at City Mouse.

From $299; acehotel.com.

Four Seasons recently announced World of Adventures, a new private jet experience, as part of their 2018 itineraries. The new itinerary departs October 19, 2018 and takes guests to eight countries across four continents in 24 days. Guests depart from Seattle, making stops for bucket-list adventures in Japan, Colombia, Rwanda, Bali, the Seychelles, Ecuador, and Morocco before returning to Orlando. Highlights include trekking Kikaku-ji, Kyoto’s famed bamboo jungle, sailing for three nights around the Galapagos Islands, and viewing gorillas in the mountains of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. 

From $138,000 per person, based on double occupancy; fourseasons.com.

An alternative to the yoga retreats and boutique hotels on Mexico’s Caribbean coastline, Tulum Treehouse is a private residence perched high in the palms of Tulum. Set along a beach road near the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, this full-service jungle escape is a collective effort between international designers, local artisans, and the Tulum-based Co-Lab Design Office. The treehouse offers two different floor plans that can be adapted to suit guests needs: The house can be rented with only the three bedrooms of the main house, or as a five-bedroom accommodation, additionally encompassing the two-bedroom ground-level garden floor. Rooms are appointed with local textiles and ceramics, Oaxacan rugs, bespoke furnishings by Meridian artisans, and antiques from Mexico City. A 20-person rooftop dining space is perfect for sunset cocktail parties. 

From $1,250, including breakfast; tulumtreehouse.com.

Travelers who like to get off the beaten path in style can explore the exotic islands of the South Pacific this December with Ponant. The French luxury yacht-style cruise line recently introduced a new 16-day itinerary aboard L’Austral that explores Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and the Vanuatu archipelago. The journey includes near daily stops to swim and snorkel in pristine, coral-filled lagoons. Excursion highlights include witnessing traditional ceremonies in a Solomon Island village, trekking through jungles scattered with WWII relics, and visiting one of the region’s most active volcanoes. 

From $7,450, based on double occupancy; ponant.com.

Lark Hotels, a boutique brand with properties in New England and California, will open its second hotel in Salem, Massachusetts in late September. Housed in the historic Newmark’s Department Store building on the city’s Essex Street pedestrian mall, the Hotel Salem will offer 44 rooms ranging from loft-like suites to the 500-square-foot signature Lark Suite. Midcentury furnishings and funky details from from stores in the 50s and 60s hint at the building’s fashionable history. In addition to Counter, a seasonal, new American restaurant, the hotel will boast Salem’s first rooftop bar and restaurant, serving casual fare like oysters and tacos against harbor views.

From $160; thehotelsalem.com.

DuVine Cycling + Adventure recently unveiled its first-ever group trip in South Africa, departing January 28, 2018. The six-day itinerary is perfect for novice and intermediate cyclists, covering nine to 19 miles per day, with options to tack on more miles. The route winds through the Western Cape’s Winelands and includes one of the country’s most scenic byways, leading to Chapman’s Peak. On day four, you’ll swap bike shoes for hiking boots and trek along the coast of Hout Bay. All of the exercise is rewarded with farm-to-table meals and traditional South African braai (barbecue) as well as overnights in some of the region’s top hotels including Babylonstoren, a historic Cape Dutch farm, and Tintswalo Atlantic, nestled at the base of iconic Table Mountain.

 From $5,895; duvine.com.

Travelers who prefer muscle-lengthening, ballet-inspired bar workouts to treadmills and CrossFit no longer have to skip workouts on the road. A recent partnership between JW Marriott and the renowned Joffrey Ballet places ballerina-approved workouts in hotel guest rooms. Launching first at the recently renovated JW Marriott Essex House and rolling out across select JW Marriott hotels this fall, the Behind the Barre series features customized barre class videos designed specifically for hotel guest rooms. Different workouts are designed to invigorate, calm, or balance the body and can be tailored to any fitness level. jwmarriottbehindthebarre.com.

For the first time ever, the Broadmoor Resort’s all-inclusive hideaway, Cloud Camp, perched 10,000 feet above sea level atop Cheyenne Mountain, is open for holiday buy-outs. The new three- or four-night holiday experience includes use of the entire main lodge and its seven bedrooms. Exclusive for one family or groups of friends, staffers will customize the entire experience to specific holiday memories, recipes, and traditions, like hanging stockings by the fire. During the day, guests can join the chefs in the kitchen for holiday cookie making or they can bundle up for a wintery hike and take in the 360-degree views of nearby Pikes Peak and Colorado Springs below. 

From $40,000, all-inclusive; broadmoor.com.

San Francisco’s Mid-Market neighborhood has been on the cusp of cool the last few years. The September 7 opening of Proper Hospitality’s flagship hotel on the corner of 7th and Market signals the area’s arrival as the city’s new social gathering hub. Located in the iconic flatiron hotel building, once a hideaway for high society, the San Francisco Proper Hotel is an ode to the city. Designer Kelly Wearstler cast her unique style over the 131 pied-à-terre style guest rooms, using bold period floral and sketched geometric wallpaper and oversized 50s French and Italian style furnishings and lamps. Proper tapped acclaimed cocktail consultants Josh Harris and Morgan Schick of the Bon Vivants for its beverage program and James Beard-nominated executive chef Jason Franey will oversee four distinctive food concepts. 

From $400; properhotel.com.

The Peninsula Shanghai recently introduced the Azimut 47, a luxurious yacht for scenic private cruises along the Huangpu River. Hotel guests can charter the yacht for lunch or evening river cruises, private functions, family celebrations, special parties, and cocktail receptions. The 47.5-foot cruiser can accommodate up to 10 passengers. Large windows encircle a spacious galley and the flying bridge is outfitted with comfy sofas and offers spectacular 360-degree views of the Bund and the spectacular Pudong skyline. Guests can also request on-board spa services including yoga and Pilates sessions and basic massages. 

Starting at $1,198 per hour; shanghai.peninsula.com.

When it opens on September 7, Asilia Jabali Ridge will be the most sophisticated camp in Ruaha National Park. Located in Tanzania, Ruaha is home to 10 percent of the world’s lion population and one of the largest population of elephants on the planet. Caline Williams-Wynn of Cape Town-based Artichoke Designs and Johannesburg-based Nicholas Plewman Architects are responsible for the striking lodge design. Each of the eight suites blends seamlessly into the surrounding environment and offers views of the park from every corner. After game drives or bush walks, guests can unwind with a dip in the infinity pool or a massage treatment, and the specialty gin bar is a great spot for sundowners. 

From $714; asiliaafrica.com.

The Orient Hotel, the newest addition to Isrotel brand’s Exclusive Collection brings a five-star stay to Western Jerusalem. Two 1800s Templar buildings have been beautifully restored to house 40 of the 243 rooms and suites. To honor the Templars who once lived there, the hotel has created a small interactive museum on site that allows guests to connect with the neighborhood’s heritage. Art from both the Tel Aviv and Israeli Museum can be found throughout the rooms and public spaces. The lobby restaurant, Khan, serves gourmet Kosher offerings including local specialties like eggplant kadaif and mezzes. A seven-treatment room spa, informed by Isrotel’s award-winning Carmel Forest Spa, features a Turkish hammam, Jacuzzi, fitness room, beauty salon, indoor pool, and a stunning outdoor rooftop infinity pool overlooking the Old City. 

From $460; isrotel.com.