The new 600-passenger Seabourn Encore, with an interior designed by Adam D. Tihany, and a restaurant under the aegis of Thomas Keller, is scheduled to enter service on December 4. Its official maiden voyage leaves Singapore for Bali on January 7, 2017. (Apparently, this 10-day inaugural cruise sold out in two days!) Aside from a spa with a full range of massage, detox, cleansing and wrap therapies, the ship offers The Retreat, billed as “the ultimate serene space.” At its center is a large whirlpool, sheltered from the elements by a flower-shaped canopy, which is ringed with 15 private cabanas designed as luxurious living rooms. There, the fortunate occupants can relax while perusing the menu of spa cuisine, or indulging in a glass of Champagne or one of the specialty cocktails. Sounds like fun.
Following the comprehensive redesign of Singita Ebony Lodge, in South Africa’s Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Singita Lebombo Lodge is the latest of the group’s properties to undergo reinvention. Located on a private 33,000-acre concession in a remote and wild area of Kruger National Park, Lebombo is famed for the bold contemporary design of its 15 loft-style suites and its dramatic position on a ridge high above the N’wanetsi River. The public areas have been enlarged and augmented by a new rooftop terrace and dining area, an interactive kitchen, a library and an additional 80-foot lap pool. Two new family suites have also been created, which can be combined to form a self-contained four-bedroom villa.
The indefatigable Adrian Zecha, the founder of Aman resorts and now an octogenarian, has launched a typically imaginative new venture. Zecha is the co-founder of Ahn Luh, a luxury hotel brand in China. Its first property, Ahn Luh Zhujiajiao, recently opened in the historic Qingpu district of Shanghai (30 miles to the west of downtown). The concept of the new group is to offer all the comforts of a modern hotel in an ancient Chinese cultural context. (Readers familiar with Aman Summer Palace in Beijing will readily understand the idea.) All Ahn Luh properties will have fewer than 100 rooms and are intended to be hideaways. Ahn Luh Zhujiajiao is based on a restored 600-year-old Ming Dynasty courtyard house and incorporates a Qing Dynasty opera stage. Each of the 35 surrounding villas has a traditional design, with its own courtyard and garden. Amenities include a restaurant serving local Chinese cuisine, a Tai Chi center and a spa where treatments draw inspiration from traditional Chinese medicine. Seven resorts are in development, the next being Ahn Luh Lanting, near Hangzhou, which is expected to debut next year.
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