You won't find a Nota Bene guidebook in the travel section of your local WH
Smith. They're far too exclusive for the open market. Investing in one of
these reviews isn't so much buying a book as gaining entry to an elite club
of the most discerning globetrotters with whom you can swap insider tips
online.
Nota Bene's destination guides are the little bibles that the likes of Jemima
Khan, Tamara Mellon, P Diddy and Mick Jagger reach for before they go
anywhere near their passports. These A-listers know that they can trust Nota
Bene implicitly because its inspectors travel anonymously, pay their own way
and are never blinded by the hype, leaving them free to express brutally
honest opinions about the world's most talked-about properties.
If you're sold on NB's impeccable credentials but regard the annual
subscripton fee of £350 as a little steep, the good news is that we've
persuaded NB's founder Anthony Lassman to reveal the team's favourite USA
hotels for a very reasonable price indeed — absolutely nothing.
THE PENINSULA Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
The Peninsula's general manager, Ali Kasikci, is one of the world's best
hoteliers and his professionalism shows in the little things. I love the
fact that the hotel operates a 24-hour room system, for example, so they
don't chuck you out at 11am like most other hotels. You can keep your room
until whatever time you need to leave for your flight. It's so civlised and
illustrates an attitude that's about making guests feel important, not
making housekeeping easier.
The rooms are light and luxurious, the style is pared-down classic meets
contemporary. They're very comfortable but, really, this place is about the
ambience of the public areas. It's fun to be like the Angelenos and have an
early-morning workout in its great gym, followed by breakfast on the rooftop
patio by the pool, and look back over the Hollywood Hills, or hire a pool
cabana for the morning. Ladies who lunch and movie moguls love its Belvedere
restaurant; Sunday brunch here is an institution. Sly Stallone was sitting
at the next table last time I was here. There's always an energy and
intimacy about the place.
Details: The Peninsula Beverly Hills (00 800 2828 3888,
www.beverlyhills.peninsula.com), doubles from £255, room-only. Virgin
Atlantic (0870 380 2007, www.virgin-atlantic.com) flies from Heathrow, with
fares from £328.
THE MERCER, NEW YORK
So many of the design hotels of the Nineties were all style over substance,
but The Mercer has stood the test of time and weathered beautifully. It's
one of the finest examples of Romanesque revival architecture in the city
and walking into its loft-like lobby-cum-sitting-room is a bit like walking
into an Edward Hopper painting though there isn't a painting in sight, just
one entire wall of open bookcases. The crowd is very cool and edgey Kate
Moss might stroll by, Marc Jacobs is always there, but it's not intimidating
and staff don't have that dreadful gushing "Have a nice day"
style.
Rooms are mainly white, offset by baby-soft leathers in pale lavendaer or
pistachio and dark wenge woods. They never try too hard, if anything they're
a bit stark but there are lovely touches, like lots of candles in the
bathrooms. They encapsulate that energetic New York vibe. Like its owner
Andre Balazs, who's suave and good looking and dates Uma Thurman, it
resonates with a natural glamour. And it's great to be downtown. I love the
interesting little boutiques in Tribeca and Nolita and how restaurants spill
on to the streets with al fresco tables in the summer.
Details: The Mercer Hotel (00 1 212 966 6060,
www.mercerhotel.com), doubles from £260, room. BA (0870 850 9850,
www.ba.com) flies from Heathrow and Manchester from £249, or Aer Lingus
(0818 365000, www.aerlingus.com).
POST RANCH INN, BIG SUR
One of the world's most iconic drives is the Pacific Coast Highway, which you
wind your way along to reach this fabulous inn. It has the most spectacular
location, perched up in the mountains, looking down on the Pacific. It's
utterly peaceful and secluded. The style is as lavish as it can be while
masquerading as rustic. Rooms are supremely posh log cabins, very Ralph
Lauren meets hicksville. They're all scattered about the estate and so are
very private. Some are cantilevered over the ocean, others are tucked under
huge redwood trees.
The restaurant serves fabulous northern Californian cuisine, with lots of
seafood and lobster — it's the kind of place where they don't go into a flap
if you want to eat off-menu. And, there's a wonderfully indulgent spa.
During the day, you take bracing hikes — this is a real nature lover's
paradise — then you eat very well under the most enormous, wide-open,
star-spangled skies and feel jolly happy. If you're going to San Francisco,
this is the place to splurge for a night out that you'll never forget.
Details: Post Ranch Inn (00 1 800 527 2200,
www.postranchinn.com), doubles from £295, room-only. United Airlines (0845
844 4777, www.ual.com) flies from Heathrow to San Francisco, from £310.
EasyCar (www.easycar.com) has car hire from £15.50 a day; the inn is about a
three-hour drive from the airport.
THE LITTLE NELL, ASPEN, COLORADO
Aspen is the St Moritz of America. In the ski season, it's all about fur coats
and celebrities but there's much more to it than that. It's got the Wheeler
Opera House, great museums, the 500-seat Harris Concert Hall and fascinating
architecture, as well as some of the most expensive real estate in the
States. In the midst of this, right by the gondola, so you can ski in and
out, is The Little Nell. It's one of the best ski lodges in America and very
nearly on a par with the best Europe has to offer : and that's saying
something. It has that elegant Alpine decor: lots of cosy settees and
armchairs, decorated in a restrained palate of neutrals and muted golds.
Rooms have big romantic fireplaces and some have balconies from which you can
easily leap on to the slopes. The scenery is breathtaking year round. In the
winter, you're guaranteed deep snow, but in summer, you have wonderful
mountain walks and music festivals and the prices plummet so it's also a
real bargain.
Details: The Little Nell (00 1 970 920 4600,
www.thelittlenell.com), doubles from £155, room-only. British Airways (0870
850 9850, www.ba.com) flies from Heathrow to Denver from £442. Alamo (0870
400 4562, www.alamo.co.uk) has a week's car hire from £125, Aspen is between
four and six hours, depending on weather conditions.
TWIN FARMS, VERMONT
Remember Peyton Place? This is it, that ideal of pastoral perfection. Vermont
is everything you've ever imagined about New England, those gorgeous
clapboard houses and thousands of acres of soft-focus mountains, forests and
the lakes. It's beautiful any time of year but those amazing autumn colours
make this indisputably the place to see the fall. It's an extraordinary
experience and so is Twin Farms. It does the country-house thing better than
anywhere in this country.
The owners have furnished it with pieces collected over a lifetime. There are
original Hockneys on the walls, beautiful French antiques, priceless rugs
but these are exquisitely countered by genius touches of simplicity such as
a stencilled wooden floor or, in one case, a carpet that has a dog-paw
print. The mix feels natural, it's not trying too hard, it's not cynical, it
just works brilliantly.
Details: Twin Farms 00 1 800 894 6327, www.twinfarms.com),
doubles from £560, all-inclusive. Delta Air Lines (www.delta.com) flies
from Gatwick via Atlanta to Burlington International Airport, from £406.
Budget (0870 153 9170, www.budget.co.uk) has a week's car hire from £125.
The hotel is a 90-minute drive from the airport.
TU TU' TUN LODGE, OREGON
A friend in New York tipped me off about this lodge. It's like stepping on to
the set of A River Runs Through It. Oregon is a beautiful state, quite
different from the America most of us experience. The scenery is so rugged
and wide open, it's perfect for outdoorsy types. You can fly fish in the
Rogue River, go hiking or kayaking in the cold and bracing nearby ocean.
The lodge isn't particularly sophisticated, it's a 1970s building but it
absolutely maximises the splendour of its location by having masses of glass
everywhere, vast glass walls overlooking the river. Decor is contemporary
and quite plain. Rooms (with names such as Bony Point and Snag Patch) are
predominantly pine with folksy fabrics, some have balconies, others patios.
This place is about simple pleasures such as having the fish you caught that
morning cooked perfectly for you at dinner. It's a real little gem.
Details: Tu Tu' Tun Lodge (00 1 800 864 6357,
www.tututun.com), doubles from £56. British Airways (0870 850 9850,
www.ba.com) flies from Heathrow to Portland via Seattle from £621. Holiday
Autos (0870 400 4447; www.holidayautos.co.uk) has a week's car hire from
£120. Tu Tu' Tun is a six-hour drive from the airport.
MAYFLOWER INN, CONNECTICUT
This is a magnet for stressed-out New Yorkers, they all come here for the
weekend to recover from those endless power meetings. The hotel's all
Victoriana deluxe, four-poster beds, chintz, lavish velvet cushions, heavy
swags. In truth, it's actually a weeny bit over the top but it's all done so
well that it doesn't feel sickly or overpowering.
And then, as a complete contrast, there is this very serious, minimalist,
all-white destination spa. The therapists are excellent, treatments are
divine, there's yoga and an amazing indoor pool. It is so relaxing and, as
staff here are used to those ever-so-demanding east-coast executives, the
service is absolutely top-notch. There is spa cuisine - but there's also an
excellent gourmet restaurant is your body need only be a temple on the
massage table. It's basically the Chewton Glen of America but it does
five-star pampering so much better than its British rival. For detoxing and
destressing, this really is the business.
Details: Mayflower Inn (00 860-868-9466,
www.mayflowerinn.com), doubles from £215. BA (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com)
flies from Heathrow and Manchester from £249, or Aer Lingus (0818 365000,
www.aerlingus.com). Avis (0844 581 0147, www.avis.co.uk) has a week's car
hire from £165, the hotel is a two-hour drive.
BLACKBERRY FARM, TENNESSEE
Tennesse offers a superior Deep South experience, the pace of life is so slow
here, people speak with that fabulous drawl, the land seems to go on
forever, there are the Great Smoky Mountains and Blackberry, one of
America's finest hotels. It's set in 4,200 acres of peaceful countryside,
the sense of space is awe-inspiring and it's so luxurious you'll feel
utterly spoilt.
A word of warning, this isn't the place for a diet. Nibble on a beansprout
once you leave, while you're here make the most of it. Blackberry is a
working farm so you'll eat home-grown organic lamb, chicken, cheeses —
there's something very special about that kind of culinary provenance. The
selection at breakfast is jaw-dropping — waffles, pancakes and so many egg
dishes. Dinner is gourmet southern cooking and delicious, and there's a
tremendous wine list. The rooms are lovely, floral and Frenchified, with
four-posters with luxurious linens. You may take a walk, fish or horseride
during the day but mainly you come here to eat damn well and sleep damn
well.
Details: Blackberry Farm (00 865-984-8166,
www.blackberryfarm.com). doubles from £395, full-board, minimum two-night
stay. US Airways (0845 600 3300, www.usairways.com) flies from Gatwick to
Knoxville via Philadelphia. The hotel is a 25-minute cab ride away.
CASA TUA, MIAMI
South Beach is wonderful, but all those designer hotels along the ocean front
are overhyped and overpriced — and the service is underwhelming. Casa Tua is
a couple of blocks behind Collins so you can have all that throbbing, SoBe
vibe when you want it and can retreat to somewhere beautiful and private
when you don't. Casa Tua is a lovely art-deco villa, more of a restaurant
with rooms than a hotel really; and you can tell the owner Miky Grendene and
the staff really love the place.
The rooms are very 1950s Italianate (Miky is originally from Venice) so there
are lots of dark woods and leather, ceramic lamps, tongue and groove walls
and white wooden floors. They have a timeless chicness about them. The whole
place has a lovely retro atmosphere, particularly at night when you can sit
on the first-floor balcony surrounded by candle light and eat dinner. Also,
guests can use the pools and beach of the very exclusive Setai hotel, where
Madonna was photographed recently.
Details: Casa Tua (00 1 305 673 0973; fax: 673 0974;
www.casatualifetsyle.com). Doubles from £450. Virgin Atlantic (0870 380
2007, www.virgin-atlantic.com) has flies from Heathrow; from £298.
MILLIKEN CREEK INN, Napa Valley, California
If you need a reason — other than the charm of this unpretentious 1930s
guesthouse — to head out here, the French Laundry, widely regarded as the
best restaurant in the entire world, is just up the road. But, actually, you
don't need to stray from the hotel to eat very well indeed. Breakfast on its
pretty wooden verandas is a glorious affair, with pastries from the famous
local Bouchon Bakery and dozens of egg dishes. The hotel was once owned by a
horticulturalist and has the most beautiful planting, perfectly manicured
lawns and views down to the riverbank. Rooms don't offer any great style
statement but are classy, with raftered ceilings, cheerful
buttercup-coloured walls and open fireplaces. There's plenty of Victoriana,
but the decor is quite eclectic with occasional touches of Asia. The Napa
Valley is all about eating and drinking very well, so expect to put on a
pound or two visiting the fabulous wineries and restaurants.
Details: Milliken Creek Inn (00 1 888 622 5775,
www.millikencreekinn.com); doubles from £150, room-only. Gateway airport:
San Francisco.
A subscription to Nota Bene (0870 240 4089, www.nbreview.com)
costs from £350 and includes 10 destination guides and regular newsletters
and bulletins.
