JOURNEYS

Resorts
four seasons resort langkawi
A destination fit for royaltyor for expunging a royals curse.

abdrivers, bellboys, and even randomly encountered people on the streets of Langkawi will tell you about the legend of Mahsuri, a 19th-century princess whose husband, after believing a false accusation of adultery, sentenced her to death. As she lay dying, Mahsuri issued a curse on the Malaysian island that, she declared, would last for seven generations. That time span included a Siamese invasion, droughts, floods, famines, and Japanese occupation, but the hex supposedly ended in the 1980s with the birth of an

eighth-generation descendant of the princess. Many residents point to the islands recent prosperity as a tourist destinationa trend highlighted by last years opening of the Four Seasons Resort Langkawias a sign that Mahsuris curse finally has been lifted. Langkawis growing popularity with tourists also could be attributed to its natural beauty and beaches.The island is the cultural center and namesake of a Malaysian archipelago of 100 or so forested isles, where three species of monkeys, hundreds of exotic bird species, and nearly

a third of the worlds flowering plant types thr ive. The Four Seasons, a sprawling 48-acre property designed in the manner of a kampong, or Malay village, consists of a collection of pavilions and villas staggered throughout gardens, a rain forest, and a mile-long private beach on the islands sparsely developed northern cape. Reflecting Langkawis varied cultural influences, the Four Seasons incorporates design elements from Southeast Asia, India, and even Europe and North Afr ica. A labyr inth of Moorish arches, modeled after those of the Alhambra palace in Spain, leads

from the resorts entrance to a large courtyard with a reflecting pool. Intricate filigree, batik fabrics, and geometric patterns emblematic of IndoIslamic art adorn indoor and outdoor spaces throughout the resort, as do organic detailscascading water, river stone pathwaysassociated with the principles of feng shui. Set within tropical gardens and bordered by limestone cliffs, the spa at the Four Seasons is a haven unto itself. It wouldnt surprise me to find in the next year or so that people consider this a destination spa as opposed to a resort with a spa, says Royal Rowe, the resorts general manager. Guests receive treatments in one of six private glass-box pavilions, which feature separate dressing rooms with enclosed garden saunas and multihead rain showers. A staff yogi from Marrakech offers personalized yoga sessions designed to precede such treatments as a lemongrass and coconut body scrub, which in turn is followed by a traditional Malay massage and floral bath. Guest rooms at the Four Seasons are, in a word, spacious. Even the 70 deluxe suites, the smallest of the resorts accommodations, measure 732 square feet apiece and include outdoor bathing areas with garden showers and oversize terrazzo soaking tubs. The 20 freestanding beach villas, which measure 2,370 square feet each, have steeply pitched ceilings, outdoor living areas, reflecting ponds, plunge pools, spa rooms for two, and retractable glass walls that afford views of the Andaman Sea and nearby isles of Langkawi and Thailand. But the two-bedroom Royal Villa, a 15,078square-foot home with an infinity pool and an art collection, exceeds all of the resorts other accommodations, offering perhaps the ultimate proof that Langkawis royal curse has been reversed. jessica taylor
Four Seasons Resort Langkawi, 800.819.5053, www.fourseasons.com ($450$4,500)

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a suitable destination in winter as well, thanks to such conveniences as an acre of heated underground parking (so the car is warm when the valet fetches it). An outdoor ice-skating rink operates year-round, and a Canoe Club with a private beach is scheduled to open this summer. karen cakebread
The Whiteface Lodge, 800.903.4045, www.thewhitefacelodge.com ($345$1,200)

the 292-room Mina A Salam; Al Qasr, a palacelike structure that overlooks the resorts private, mile-long beach; and Dar Al Masyaf, a 283-suite, lowrise villa complex modeled after traditional Arabian summer homes. Water taxis, known as abras, wind through canals that connect Madinat Jumeirahs hotels and other attractions. scott goetz
Madinat Jumeirah, 877.854.8051, www.madinatjumeirah.com ($640$3,950)

shifting sands
The Maldives island of Reethi Rah was less than half its current size before One&Only Resorts arrived on its shores. The luxury resort chain, which opened the One&Only Maldives at Reethi Rah last May, dredged enough sand during construction to form what is now, at more than 100 acres, one of the largest of the 1,200 islands in this Indian Ocean nation. The developers created 12 beaches and numerous coves, and they imported

bare essentials
Wynn Las Vegas Madinat Jumeirah

wynns winning bet

A 24-foot-tall projection screen shaped like a human head rises above a reflection pond outside Wynn Las Vegas Daniel Boulud Brasserie. The screen is dark as Tchaikovskys Swan Lake plays over the sound system, but when the soft melody cuts to a louder, flamencostyle dance track, diners at the formal French restaurant look up from their soupes loignon gratine. The face of a pale, dark-haired woman wearing bright lipstick fills the screen, and she chatters in Spanish as the waterfall behind the head gives way to a candyapple red projection screen. An image of a black bull gallops across the second screen, while the womans legs disjointed from her massive head in the foregrounddance to the techno beat. As abruptly as it began, the audio/video onslaught ceases after a few minutes. The screen sinks below the waters surface, and conversations at the tables resume, although the topics of discussion have changed. The Lake of Dreams display at Daniel Boulud is one of the glitzy, provocative, and unexpected elements that you grow to expect at Wynn Las Vegas, a $2.7 billion megaresort built by casino developer Steve Wynn. A winding escalator delivers guests from

the restaurant to a 110,000-square-foot casino, a Ferrari and Maserati dealership, and a 31-boutique shopping mall. Outside, a Tom Faziodesigned golf course (see page 218) cuts a wooded, almost mountainous path through this otherwise flat terrain, the result of the builders moving 800,000 cubic yards of dirt and planting 7,500 new pines, elms, and other trees on the property. The barbell-shaped pool at Wynn Las Vegas likewise affords a sanctuary

at the heart of the Strip, the view of which is blocked by the bronzecolored hotel. But guest rooms inside the building, especially the suites on the 39th floor, offer a clear indication of your whereabouts when the automatic drapes retract to reveal the lights of Las Vegas. jennifer hall
Wynn Las Vegas, 702.770.7000, www.wynnlasvegas.com ($200$3,000)

great expectations
Adirondack Great Camps defined rustic opulence in the early 20th century, a role the Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid, N.Y., could rightfully assume for the 21st. Joe Barile, the lodges owner and a former Olympic luger, modeled his 85-suite resort after the mountain retreats of industrial-era barons. The authentically grand atmosphere he created owes partly to his use of local resources: Logs harvested from the property and from Bariles nearby ranch were milled on site, and blacksmiths from the region forged the light fixtures and hardware.The lodges rough-limbed furnishings and barkcovered trims are woodsy works of art. Although Great Camps served strictly as summer retreats,Whiteface is

St. Barts is the French West Indies isle of intime, where Parisian film stars stretch out on sugar-sand beaches in sunglasses, tanning oil, and little else. Le Sereno, a resort of 37 suites and villas on the islands Grand Cul-deSac cove, is the lodging equivalent of the local dress code: just enough and no more. Ceiling fans stir the gauze bed canopies in the suites cool interiors, while private sundecks beckon beyond glass doors. A beach arcs across the cove, where kite surfers speed over turquoise waters. At Le Serenos outdoor restaurant, mesh screens block the wind as diners linger over the Friday bouillabaisse, made with fish flown in that morning. Service is continental and intuitive: Before you feel thirsty, a waiter appears with Champagne. david lyon
Le Sereno, +590.590.298.300, www.lesereno.com ($550$2,260)

One&Only Maldives at Reethi Rah

purebred arabian
If Madinat Jumeirah were in Las Vegas, the resorts old Arabia theme might seem contrived, if not downright tacky. But in Dubai, which was part of old Arabia, the 867-room propertys flying-carpet-fantasy atmosphere rings authentic. Set on 100 acres of prime beachfront in Dubai, Madinat Jumeirah comprises a 75-shop souk, 23 bars, 45 restaurants, a 1,000-seat amphitheater, and three distinctly different hotels:

Whiteface Lodge

Le Sereno

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diving into the caribbean

Amanyara is proof that Amanresorts

Kasbah Tamadot

more than 1 million plants to ensure that privacy-protecting foliage borders each of the resorts 130 villas. Inside the villas, One&Only applied a simple, contemporary Asian motif to cavernous spaces composed of such materials as mahogany, coconut shell, silk, teak, and rattan. Towering, sculptural, Thai-style doorways open to black-tile reflecting pools and terraces accented by plumeria trees; some villas feature decks with broad, flat hammocks that hang over the ocean. The soaring columns and carved-wood ceiling of the 100,000-square-foot spa create a templelike space that is accented throughout with waterways and flowersincluding the One&Only orchid, which the company engineered solely for the island. s.g.
One&Only Maldives at Reethi Rah, 866.552.0001, +960.664.88.00, www.oneandonlyresorts.com ($680$3,180)

bransons berber fantasy

Kasbah Tamadot, the latest addition to Sir Richard Bransons Virgin Limited Edition resort group, stands in Moroccos Asni Valley, a place where ghostly, thousand-year-old villages

cling to the mountainsides overhead and rivers rush through steep, rocky gorges below. The converted kasbah, which joins a South African game lodge and a Caribbean private island in the ballooning billionaires collection, is no less eye-catching: Behind its ornate gate and crenellated ramparts, Bransons Moroccan folie is a 19th-century pastiche of rose gardens and courtyards, splashing fountains, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, rooftop terraces, and hidden, curtained alcoves. Its 18 guest rooms no two are alikeand public areas beg the term eclectic; ceilings are decorated in North Africas hypnotic style of geometric patterns, the floors thickly strewn with carpets, and the spaces in between fur nished in antiques from India, Africa, China, and Italy. Kasbah Tamadots executive chef, Jean Mundell-Murphy, most recently from Bransons Necker Island resort, spent months studying the local style of cooking to create her own dishes. Dr inks may be enjoyed at a rooftop bar while looking across the valley to a bustling Berber village. jack smith
Kasbah Tamadot, +44.20.8600.0430, www.virginlimitededition.com ($350$1,450)

contemporary Asian style applies equally well to settings far from the Singapore-based chains homeland. Located along the west coast of Providenciales in Turks and Caicos, Amanyara is the companys first resort in the Caribbean. Forty identical timber-shingled, glass-walled pavilions are scattered throughout the propertyeither on the edge of ponds or along the beachfrontand feature such details as thick-cushioned daybeds, terrazzo floors with teak inlays, and slate showers. Reflecting pools and a 64foot, black-granite-tile pool highlight the resorts indoor/outdoor central pavilion area. An adjacent bar overlooks the waters just offshore from the resorts private beach, which is protected by a reef that offers some of the Caribbeans best diving. s.g.
Amanyara, 800.477.9180, www.amanresorts.com ($1,350$6,700)

Amanyara

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