Great Suites & Baths

By Rebecca Oliva, Associate Editor -- HOTELS Magazine, 8/1/2004

This year’s standout suites and baths are

distinguished by the over-the-top array of services and amenities

they offer guests. As hotels battle for travelers’ top

dollars, pretty rooms and pristine settings just won’t

suffice anymore. The greatest suites offer extended personalized

services that begin even before a guest’s arrival. For

example, at One&Only Ocean Club,

Paradise Island, The Bahamas, three staff members are dedicated

to guests staying at the opulent seaside villas. VIP attention

and special privileges also are included in the room rate.

Yet, luxuries large and small still count. Consider

Shangri-La Singapore’s presidential suite, which was completely

renovated to offer guests more space, including ceiling height

as well as top-of-the-line marbles, woods and custom-designed

carpet. The Mandarin Oriental Miami debuted a presidential suite

that caters to relaxation and rejuvenation with its decadent

spa serenity room. It is these extra

services and features that give all of the rooms

featured here added value for the guest, which inspires them

to come back again and again.

Mandarin Oriental Miami

The 327-room Mandarin Oriental debuted a second presidential

suite to complement its line of 31 suites. This one features

a separate spa sanctuary and 2,000 sq. ft. (185 sq. m) of

indulgences, including bamboo hardwood floors, a formal dining

room, gourmet kitchen and private balcony. However, the gem

of this opulent suite is its spa “serenity room,” a Zen-like environment

with warm color tones, bamboo accents and Mexican river stones

accented by Spanish marble tile. The room features an infinity-edge

soaking tub with color light therapy and a relaxation area with

a glass-enclosed steam shower. Spa butlers are on hand to arrange

lavish baths with aromatherapy candles, rose petals and tranquil

music.

La Residencia,

Mallorca, Spain

The new deluxe suite at this idyllic resort in Mallorca combines

the ultimate in romance and privacy. Perched on a hill, its elevated

position allows for total seclusion, while the private terrace

takes advantage of the vistas below. Decorated and furnished

in a traditional Mallorcan style with tiled flooring, antique

wooden furniture and

romantic open fireplaces, the suite offers plasma-screen televisions,

its own swimming pool and a very intimate

outdoor seating area.

Shangri-La Singapore

The presidential suite exudes luxury in the highest form,

including a living area for formal entertaining, as well as drawing

and dining rooms with access to the balcony. The master bedroom

was relocated adjacent to the private elevator to include a separate

study, living area, bedroom, dressing area and luggage storage.

The entire suite was renovated to include more

natural light in the bathrooms and higher ceilings in the living

areas.

The décor was custom designed, including area rugs for

the entertainment area and carpet in the bedrooms. Furniture

is handmade from walnut timber by craftsmen in Singapore and

upholstered in rich fabrics from England and the United States.

The

spacious bathrooms and the floor of the foyer were finished with

exotic marbles from Italy and Spain, and each main room features

a European crystal chandelier.

Hotel Unique,

São Paulo

The Oasis presidential suite at this new and stylish São

Paulo hotel was created to surprise the senses, as well as look

exclusive and different. The space has everything for the modern

traveler, ranging from a rooftop Jacuzzi to hand-held controls

to operate all electronics and window treatments. Tones of white,

sand and brown, floors of prime Brazilian wood and wide, round

windows with excellent views make this one of the region’s

most talked about projects. The suite’s interior was conceived

by João Armentano, one of Brazil’s most important

designers.

Anantara Resort & Spa,

Hua Hin, Thailand

Anantara’s new 76-sq. m

(818-sq. ft.) suite allows guests

to feel like royalty with such

luxuries as a personalized DVD collection, a private martini

bar and a choice of seven types of pillows. The 12 suites overlook

either the sea or tropical gardens and feature a terrazzo bathtub

with 200 l (53 gal.) of water and scented bubbles. A bath-master

is

included with each suite to draw guests’ bath to their

personal

specifications.

One&Only Ocean

Club, Paradise Island, Bahamas

One&Only Ocean Club’s three seaside villas, each more

than 4,000 sq. ft (372 sq.m), offer guests the ultimate seclusion

with an endless array of “one and only” personalized

amenities and services. Guests can choose from pillow menus to

the kitchen and bar stocked with the exact foods and spirits

of choice, to a selection of customized playlists on iPod MP3

players. Guests are met at the airport by the director of villa

services, and they are greeted in their rooms by their own butler

and housekeeper with cold towels, lemonade and a complimentary

welcome bottle of Dom Pérignon.

The gated entrance to each villa opens into

a lushly landscaped garden courtyard with a jetted tub and room

for patio dining. Glass doors lead to the villa’s great room, where 25-ft.-wide

(7.6 m) louvered doors reveal views of the infinity-edge pool.

Polished hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, gentle fans and wood

furnishings complete the British Colonial look. Each villa has

a full-service kitchen, with a private chef on request. Continental

breakfast, afternoon tea, sorbet and frozen grapes are served

poolside daily. Guests also have first priority at the spa, or

they are invited to enjoy treatments in the privacy of their

own villa.

Aman-i-Khás,

Rajasthan, India

At this very exclusive resort in the hills of India’s rugged

Ranthambhore National Park, the 108-sq. m (1162-sq. ft.) tent

suite’s interior echoes the Mughal style of living. “Rooms” are

separated by cotton drapes and include a sitting and dining area,

bedroom with a king-size bed, and a bathroom with a soaking tub

and a shower. Constructed of canvas and supported by a steel

frames with the interior walls and ceilings draped in fine cotton,

entry to each tent is gained through a screened door. The center

of the

tent ascends to a soaring 6-m (20-ft.) canopy under

which lies an oversized daybed, ideal for lounging.

The exotic bathroom includes a shower, soaking

tub, and separate toilet and dressing area. Furniture is minimal

and unobtrusive, mimicking the traveling camps of an earlier

time.

The Metropolitan Bangkok

The penthouse suite at this contemporary hotel is a mix of East

and West design. Designed to create an atmosphere that is unerringly

serene, its sophistication is derived from high ceiling volumes

and impeccable finishes. Natural light floods the interiors,

which feature specialty Thai Makha wood. Exclusive pieces by

Natee Utarit, an up-and-coming Thai artist, are displayed throughout

the suite. To further promote relaxation, the suite has a custom-built

meditation chair and a Shambhala yoga mat. Other extra touches

include a daybed with Thai celadon silk cushions.