It’s high summer and our spirits are equally ascendant as we enjoy utterly unique destination dining in Somerset, a classic British getaway in the Isle of Wight, Peruvian dishes with Gaelic whiskey flights in Dublin, and ripe tropical greenery in Vietnam’s quieter season. So read on to find out how our editors are taking their summer getaways to new heights.
Sir Prague
Prague, Czechia
There may be more shiny and new things in Prague nowadays, but its historic romance still proves irresistible. Take a dainty hop back in time at Sir Prague, which woos you ardently with its nymph-clad 19th-century building, Cubist furnishings, folk arts and crafts, and parquet floors. Its exterior has already been used as a backdrop for Netflix’s upcoming The Age of Innocence series and it lends itself to genteel pursuits: orchestral music under the library’s Murano-glass chandeliers, glasses of sekt in the greenery-laced courtyard… But with dynamic dining that puts old Bohemia’s pickles and preserves into a mod-Levantine menu and a prime location near the polar-opposite Frank Gehry-designed Dancing House, the hotel offers you the Prague of today, too.
Why we love it: Down to the angular Cubist teacups, room design at Sir Prague has been carefully considered across the board, but there’s no denying that the Sir Grand Suite is the stand-out. Set in a tower over three storeys, with wide-ranging city views, it feels fittingly fairy-tale for such a storied city.
Kate Weir, Deputy Editor
Francis Hotel
Bath, UK
St John the Elder’s charming Georgian vision of Bath’s honey-hued townhouses arrived in masterful form beside Queen Square, in the regal row that Francis Hotel has now occupied. Indeed, the noted architect lived in one himself, but he couldn’t have imagined the modern sanctum you’d find within today. Here you can book collagen fixes and LED light therapy in the spa, tuck into flame-cooked steaks and seafood in Emberwood restaurant, and sip Wiltshire cuvées or cocktails muddled with bee-pollen vodka in the bar. The suite named in his honour might make him feel at home with its maroon-hued wood-panelling, emperor-size bed and marble bathroom. And he clearly knew that the location — within steps of most of Bath’s main attractions — couldn’t be beaten.
Why we love it: Because you can go full Austen in the hotel’s gallery, which is dressed in throwback pastels and furnished with many a plump velvet armchair. It’s here that the afternoon-tea trolley gets wheeled in, so you can enjoy sweet and savoury treats from Chef Pâtissier Dominique Bon, washed down with fragrant tea blends from Gillards of Bath.
KW
The Hoxton
Dublin, Ireland
You can be sure of good craic at The Hoxton, Dublin, which is just five minutes on foot from Temple Bar, handy if you’ve had one Guinness too many. I’m fortunate to have the Southwark outpost as my local London Hoxton, especially as it’s home to Seabird, one of the best rooftop restaurants in the city. Sublime seafood is also the order of the day over at this Emerald Isle edition, where menus transport you to the Americas. Cantina Valentina is the hotel’s take on a Peruvian picantería (a traditional, family-run restaurant for locals to gather in, hailing from towns such as Cusco and Arequipa), and has its own ceviche bar. Plus — it might be a few 1,000 miles away — but guests can get a feel of NYC at the Big Apple-inspired Dollars café-deli.
Why we love it: The Hoxton’s façade may be Victorian, but the site is even older — Viking pits from the eighth century were unearthed during the building works. The interiors, you’ll be pleased to hear, are a little newer.
Caroline Lewis, Senior Editor
Osip
Somerset, UK
Epicure’s rest Osip makes you feel at home with its fireside apéritifs, soft-hued bedrooms and marked deftness at ensuring you’re more-than-well-fed from the moment you arrive. Somerset sleepovers here may be short — a two-night maximum stay makes way for yet more eager-eyed diners — but boy are they sweet, and the expectation that you partake in at least one meal during your stay is hardly a tall order given the string of accolades the kitchen team has accrued under the guidance of chef-owner Merlin Labron-Johnson.
In June, if the famously dependable British weather complies, take your petit fours alfresco against a backdrop of colour-flecked wildflower meadows, cow-grazed fields and abundantly planted polytunnels. And thanks to Michelin-starred Osip’s homegrown ethos, your delicately arranged tasting-menu plates will be as vibrant as your summer surroundings.
Why we love it: Its four bedrooms are each named after the county’s rivers and are cosseting spaces to roll into after you’ve been wined and dined downstairs. But regain your appetite for breakfast, because a wholesome spread continues the theme of stellar Somerset produce.
Millie Field, Content Writer & Editor
Maison Salix
Provence, France
Summer in Provence arrives each year with all its well-rehearsed pleasures: the lavender fields, the linen, the lunches that linger. And though I’m wonderfully familiar with all three, Maison Salix has my heart for its quiet, rural rhythm. Ensconced in the small village of Vallabrègues, this six-suite retreat dates back some 600 years and comes with quite a high-flying history. Pale stone walls, exposed beams and deep-set frames recall its former life as an aristocrat’s family home, with a warmth that remains firmly intact. You’ll quickly find its owners become more like friends: setting up intimate meals around manicured gardens and regaling you with local tales for an insider’s lay of this heritage-proud land.
Why we love it: The courtyard’s swimming pool is tangled with a scent-pleasing scattering of fig trees — a refreshing tonic to enjoy from your sunlounger during summer’s hotter days. And if you want for little more than to linger, the ground-floor Pool Lodges provide direct access.
Ellie Nelson, Senior Content Writer & Editor
The Terrace Rooms & Wine
Isle of Wight, UK
Perhaps it’s the ribbon-cutting of rosé season or the promise of sun-warmed picnics, but June is an appealing month for those of us who love wine. If you want to know where to find me, follow the sound of popping corks and clinking glasses to new Smith addition The Terrace Rooms & Wine on the Isle of Wight. First a bottle shop (with a thousand or so labels), The Terrace retains its grape focus with daily, expert-led tastings exclusively for guests. A clutch of coastal-luxe rooms and harbour-spying sun terrace are what I initially fell for, but — on closer inspection — its lively Ventnor setting amid shops, restaurants and bars also impresses.
Why we love it: The Terrace is figuratively steeped in Ventnor. As well as tempting locals alongside guests to its bar-lounge for curated sips and bites, and stocking the cellars of discerning islanders, The Terrace actively collaborates with the best of the town’s dining spots and pairs its takeaway recommendations with sommelier picks. Just make sure there’s room in your suitcase to return home with a bottle (case?) or two.
Kate Pettifer, Senior Content Editor
The Anam Cam Ranh
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Think about French Indochina-era Vietnam and the mind conjures dark-wood shutters, map cabinets, rattan chairs and slow ceiling fans turning above tiled verandas. All are present and correct at The Anam Cam Ranh, a beachfront resort with pool-dotted gardens just up the coast from the city of Cam Ranh.
And it succeeds in many ways by being broadly evocative of travel itself, which is a bonus if you don’t actually fancy re-enacting The Quiet American, and all you’re really after is a fly-and-flop resort where the spa uses ancient Asian healing traditions, sunrise and sunset yoga sessions take place on the sea-facing lawn, and steamy bowls of pho are just one authentic dish among many served at its menagerie of restaurants.
Why we love it: There’s a kids’ club for youngsters aged four to 12, a mini-golf course that older children will love, and indoor and outdoor cinemas for spending some quality family time together.
Martin Dickie, UX & Production Editor
Keep some space in your calendar for our other new arrivals