Where To Have A Sumptuous Hibernation Vacation

The long, topiary-lined driveway that leads to The Cashel Palace in County Tipperary creates the perfect mise-en-scène for this majestic red-brick Palladian manor; picture a smaller, more bucolic version of Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel. In fact, since the 300-year-old mansion was turned into a hotel in the 1960s, many actors have sojourned here, including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. In the foyer, guests are greeted by original timber paneling, artwork by iconic Irish painters (including John Lavery and Jack B. Yeats), a crackling fire and an even warmer welcome from its staff.

Rooms and suites are divvied between the historic main house, new Garden Wing and Gate Lodge. Main-house suites include grand four-poster beds and double-height ceilings, while the Garden Wing has a modern elegance, feeling almost like a luxurious Manhattan loft. Guests are spoilt for choice on how to spend their stay – from relaxing in the spa (the alfresco seaweed bath is a must) to Michelin-star fine dining in The Bishop’s Buttery; expect melt-in-the-mouth Irish Sea scallops, complemented by a spectacular wine list. If you can bear to leave the hotel grounds for an afternoon, make sure it’s with the equine concierge to visit the world-famous Coolmore Stud nearby. If not, simply curl up with a good book by the fire.

In Manhattan’s Johnston Building, which dates back to the turn of the 19th century, hotel and members’ club The Ned has found its New York home. Formerly the NoMad hotel, the Soho House design team has imbued an eye for decadent detailing and cocooning furnishings across the expansive floors (a mix of members-only and public areas), paying homage to the characterful original architecture and taking inspiration from the limestone building’s Beaux Arts style. There are 167 bedrooms and suites, several restaurants and bars (including a rooftop space serving a menu influenced by a Mexican cantina, and Little Ned, a bar roaring with 1920s glamour and cozy booths – both have privileged views of the Empire State Building), a live-music area, and the library (workspace by day, moody-hued bar by night). Its position – just north of Madison Square Park, in the heart of Broadway and with Fifth Avenue practically on the doorstep – makes it an ideal base for taking in NYC’s sights, but there are also ample velvet-clad corners to while away the hours in, expertly mixed picante – or your cocktail of choice – in hand.

For a full immersion in the mountains, an immaculately designed chalet makes for a decadent retreat. In the Austrian village of Lech, within the breathtaking Arlberg mountains, The Arula Chalets consist of two spacious, fully hosted residences. These have ski-in/ski-out access, making them ideal for those seeking active pursuits – and every attention is paid to detail, in both design and service. The chalets have sweeping vistas from their terraces, which come with steaming hot tubs; while their facilities include a cinema and wine cellar, as well as a shared private ice rink. And on the wellness front, to make your stay all the more restorative, there’s an indoor swimming pool, Finnish sauna, steam bath and a menu of treatments to enjoy in the spa rooms.

While striking from the outside, even the Dutch Golden Age façade and grand double doors that front the Pulitzer Amsterdam don’t divulge just how capacious – and irresistibly ambient – the space is that lies behind them. A melding of no fewer than 25 canal houses – dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries – comprise the heritage hotel, where a warren of art-lined walls links 223 individually designed bedrooms and suites, a charming courtyard restaurant (home to a designer-decorated festive tree – this season Jenny Packham took the reigns), a plethora of plush seating for lounging around with a coffee or cocktail, and The Beauty House, a hidden gem in the grounds, offering treatments from the likes of 111Skin. Overlooking the Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht canals, the hotel sits in the historic – and Unesco World Heritage – heart of the city, with many significant sites within easy walk or cycle. But with rooms gazing out over the boats that glide past and the teetering townhouses opposite, much time can be happily passed taking in the view.

The chic countryside pile of Heckfield Place – a resplendent Georgian manor that sits in 400 acres of ancient woodlands and gardens, just under two hours from London – instantly absorbs guests into its bucolic charms on arrival. The interiors have been exquisitely renovated with a refined but thoroughly inviting style, where comfort prevails and you are never far from an enticing armchair by a warming fireside. In the rambling grounds, the scope of pastimes that guests can partake in span art tours and nature walks, forest bathing and – for the hardiest – wild-water immersion. There is also the beautiful Bothy by Wildsmith spa, where the restorative power of nature is celebrated and a curated treatment menu encompasses massage, facials, meditation and movement, as well as osteopathy, reiki and more. The Heckfield Reset is a retreat designed with the goal of seemingly slowing time, during which guests experience the wilderness of the estate and are encouraged to submit to deep rest and relaxation through expert-designed treatments. Overseen by luminary chef Skye Gyngell, the culinary offering is also a highlight at Heckfield, with menus championing local and seasonal produce and ingredients mainly sourced from the on-site Home Farm.

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