The February Hideaway Report follows Andrew Harper's travels to the Canadian Rockies, where he evaluates properties in Calgary and Edmonton. Mr. Harper also discovers splendid new luxury hotel options in Brittany, France.
Banff, Alberta, Canada
Hospitable hotel perched on Sulphur Mountain overlooking the Bow and Spray river valleys, about two miles outside of Banff’s town center. The 343 spacious guest rooms and suites are decorated in warm earth tones with dark wood accents; GrandView One-Bedroom Suites include gas fireplaces, two standard baths, floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies with picture-postcard views of 9,360-foot Mount Rundle.
Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
Chalet-style red-roofed, timber-and-stone hotel lining the banks of the boulder-strewn Pipestone River near the hamlet of Lake Louise. Guest accommodations on the hotel’s “Preferred” side overlook the stream and hotel lawns; other rooms offer views of the 11,627-foot Temple Mountain.
Jasper, Alberta, Canada
Sprawling 700-acre mountain resort sanctuary overlooking picturesque Lac Beauvert in Jasper National Park, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. A dozen categories of rooms, suites and cabins are offered, but avoid anything less than a Lakefront Suite. Many lodgings feature woodburning fireplaces, private balconies and baths with tubs and separate showers.
Alberta, Canada
Twelve-story contemporary hotel attached to an office and residential high-rise in the heart of downtown, directly across from the landmark 627-foot Calgary Tower. The 143 rooms feature a modern design, goose-down duvets, comfortable sitting areas, warm wood accents and state-of-the-art technology; a Prestige room included bold color accents, a comfortable king bed and a large bath with walk-in rainfall shower, wood laminate vanity with two vessel sinks, and a separate tub.
Dinard, France
Occupying a Belle Epoque villa and former aquarium with sweeping views of a sailboat-dotted bay, this hotel with 25 accommodations burnishes the credentials of Dinard as one of the chicest beach towns in France. Paris-based interior designer Sandra Benhamou gave the hotel a ’30s retro look with a seaside color scheme of sand, gray, sea foam and green, and the best rooms are the suites, most of which have showers that double as steam rooms.
Sainte-Marine, France
Handsome, well-run hotel dating from 1913 surrounded by lush gardens, set at the edge of the estuary of the Odet River about 12 miles south of Quimper. Twenty bright rooms feature teak parquet floors, modern locally themed oil paintings, comfortable sitting areas and a blue-and-white nautical décor; baths come with combination tub/showers and NUXE toiletries.
Roscoff, France
Delightful 23-room hotel housed in a granite mansion topped by a sharply pitched slate roof, located on the Sainte-Barbe peninsula in a park overlooking the sea. Guest accommodations are all decorated in a beach-house style with color schemes of sand, celadon and pale blue, complemented by antique wooden furniture. Some rooms have doors that open directly into an attractive small garden.
Andrew Harper members have access to full travel-planning services through Andrew Harper Travel.
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