This month, our Luxe Lavson the world’s best hotel bathrooms has the best views of every season in each hemisphere…all from your hotel bathroom. Contributors Angela Fairhurst and Natalie Compagno share four hotel bathrooms where you can watch the seasons at their best while soaking in the bathtub.
Summer: Four Seasons Bora Bora
Head to Bora Bora, Tahiti, for a summer view that offers a sense of peace to beat the rising heat. At the Otemanu Overwater Bungalows at Four Seasons Bora Bora, you can gaze out onto the lagoon of Bora Bora and the majestic Mount Otemanu, the land icon of Bora Bora, inside an oval stone tub. The bathroom’s design is a blend of natural wood with rustic nuances and sleek modern appliances. Local art decorates the walls, like the fishing tools that surround the frames. All the products are L’Occitane and are in eco-friendly refillable dispensers and instead of disposable slippers, Four Seasons provides complimentary local pattern flip flops, perfect for the not-so-long walk to the private plunge pool right outside the bathroom. Guests can wrap themselves into lightweight yukata robes and order the “Romance Menu”, a luxurious bath kit with bubbles, Tahitian monoi oil, flower petals and cocktails. They had us at Bora Bora Lagoon but the Tahitian touches sealed the deal.
Fall: The Amankora Resort
Fall takes us to The Amankora Resort in Bumthang, Bhutan, where the layout places the tub as the center piece of the serene bathroom views. We love the how terazzo-clad tub looks out across bucolic farmland, apple or chards and up Punakha Valley. The rooms are all connected and open so that the bathroom is airy and light. The space and furniture are created with Bhutanese-inspired design and Champ wood from Southern Bhutan – clean wood furniture, very similar to mid-century design, is set amidst soft throw rugs and cozy lighting. Small wood trays and candles are provided so guests can relax in the tub, soak in the tranquil view and sip their tea. Afterwards slip into a robe with Bhutanese patterns on the cuffs and cozy up next to the Bukhari, a traditional wood-burning stove, manufactured locally.
Winter: Le Melezin
It’s hard to find better winter vistas than the French Alps. Le Melezin resort next to the Bellecôte Ski slopes of Courchevel has a view of La Loze Mountain with its snow-capped conifer trees. The resort originally opened as Le Savoy in 1956, but it’s been an Aman resort since 1992 with all classic traditions of a fine French Chateaux. Soak in a deep bathtub in a bathroom finished in red cedar, rose-tinted granite, twin Delepine washbasins, and a separate shower. Aman Resorts designed the containers for their amenities with a biological Keji product and the robes are a mix of linen and cotton in raw beige Porthault… Après ski!
Spring: Azur Luxury Lodge
Travel down under to New Zealand for spring, which is actually their fall. The view from the en suite bathroom of the Azur Luxury Lodge is of Lake Wakatipu and the mountain ranges of Cecil and Walter Peak in Queenstown, New Zealand. We chose this hotel because the tub is situated perfectly in the middle of bi-folding French picture windows to maximize the view. Two people can enjoy the spa bath together using New Zealand’s own bathroom amenities by Linden Leaves, and an Aromatherapy oil burner with lavender essential oil. Step out of the tub, onto the heated floors, using a towel from the heated towel rack and then wrap yourself with one of the soft chenille bathrobes. There is a separate rain forest shower and dual granite “His & Her” vanities as well. Now, that’s our idea of a loo with a view!
