October travel news: editor's picks

Kura Design Villas, Costa Rica

Perched high on a remote coastal ridge, among the lush tropical forests of Ballena Marina National Park, Kura Design Villas is an outstanding vantage point for dramatic views over the turquoise South Pacific. Built by a local architect and biologist couple, the six villas unite the vocation of each with sleek design and a sustainability programme that demands a minimal environmental footprint. There are no TVs on site; a selection of books, magazines, newspapers and movies are provided along with an iPad and free WiFi. Outdoorsy types best take advantage of the unique surroundings with a spot of whale watching or a visit to the national park.

Uvita, Marino Ballena, Costa Rica; Tel: 1.506 839 28150; www.kuracostarica.com

Writer: Lauren Ho

Aveqia, London, UK

First launched in Sweden, Aveqia is a whole new dining experience. The concept invites diners to an evening of cooking with chefs who have worked in Michelin starred establishments such as London's Le Gavroche and the Operakällaren in Stockholm, all paired with complimenting wines chosen by an in-house sommelier. The space, housed in a beautiful Edwardian red-bricked building in post-industrial Farringdon, includes a bar and five separate cooking areas connected to individual dining spaces and decked out in Scandinavian blues and classic Swedish design pieces such as chairs by Carl Malmsten. Owners Johan Kadar and chef David Berggren have landed this project somewhere between fine-dining and cookery school; the idea is to learn how to rustle up well-above-average food in state-of-the-art kitchens with appliances from Gaggenau and Siemens. Diners and chefs cook in groups of four with each team responsible for a different course, before sitting down at refectory tables tastefully decorated with candles and Swedish crockery.

2 St. Bride Street, London EC4A 4AD; Tel: +44 2036512972; www.aveqia.co.uk

Writer: Alex Tieghi-Walker

Brasserie Zédel, London, UK

Once the Regent Palace Hotel, this distinguished century-old building boasted one of London's most celebrated Art Deco interiors. Reinvigorated in the 1930s by West End stage set designer Oliver Bernard, the timber veneer, gold-leaf detailing and marble and mirrored elements brought back the glamour of that era. Now, after another restoration during which each item was removed and repaired by artisan craftsmen, the interior is back to its former glory - and home to a new restaurant by the duo behind the Wolseley and the Delaunay. Inspired by the grand cafés of Paris, Brasserie Zédel, along with its cocktail and jazz bar, offers French classics from the must-have steak frites to escargot and crème brûlée. The kitchen is managed by the great chef David Collard; interiors are by David Collins Studio in association with architecture practice Donald Insall Associates.

20 Sherwood Street, London, UK; Tel: 020 7734 4888; www .brasseriezedel.com

Writer: Lauren Ho

Palacio Astoreca Hotel, Valparaiso, Chile

Valparaiso's steep landscape and vibrant local architecture make an ideal home for this distinctive building, recently converted into a 23-room hotel by local architects Mathias Klotz, Renzo Alvano and Pablo Riquelme. One of the city's most iconic monuments, Astoreca Palace was built in 1923 by a Croatian émigré to oblige his English wife. After several changes of ownership it ended up in the hands of Swiss-Chileans Vincent Juillerat and Francisca Joannon. The two-year revamp placed European and Chilean aesthetics in eclectic contrast: original parquet flooring, hand-painted ceramic tiles and contemporary wallpaper are accessorised by pillows, rugs and blankets woven by artisans in the Andes foothills. Highlights include the library and in-house seafood restaurant.

Calle Montealegre 149, Cerro Alegre, Valparaíso, Chile; Tel: 56.32 327 7700; www.hotelpalacioastoreca.com

Writer: Lauren Ho

Marti Istanbul Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey

The newest member of Istanbul's ever-expanding design-hotel scene, the Marti is a 270-room venture playing heavily on Turkish art and culture (its designer, Zeynep Fadillioglu, is notable for being Turkey's first female architect to build a mosque). While strikingly modern, the hotel threads together traditional Turkish elements like mosaic murals and wooden screens in the rooms. At its heart is a large atrium centred on an Ottoman tent and water installation by Turkish Carnegie Prize-winner Kutlug Ataman. The four restaurants and bars include a placid courtyard café, which should interest the Young Turks who frequent frenetic Taksim Square, just a few moments away.

Abdülhak Hamit Cad No.25B, Taksim 34435, Istanbul, Turkey; Tel: 90.212 987 4000; www.martiistanbulhotel.com

Writer: Alex Tieghi-Walker

Botanique Hotel & Spa, Campos do Jordão, Brazil

Among the many things currently luring us to Brazil: this new hotel and spa in the mountainous region of Campos do Jordão. Designed by São Paulo-based firm Candida Tabet Arquitetura, the idyllic complex is set over 700 acres and comprises 11 stand-alone villas, each with its own garden, along with six suites that look out onto the rugged landscape. Botanique is home to the county's first full Brazilian spa, offering treatments inspired by the country's native and Afro-Brazilian heritage. And its restaurant offers locally sourced, contemporary Brazilian fare. There are opportunities for hiking, mountain biking and lake swimming - and, for homebodies, there's a private cinema and library.

Rua Elídio Gonçalves da Silva 4000, Bairro dos Mellos/ Campos do Jordão, Brazil; Tel: 55.11 3500 2115; www.botanique.com.br

Writer: Lauren Ho
Photography: Marcio Scavone

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa, Republic of Maldives

With properties scattered from Cambodia to Saudi Arabia, the Park Hyatt has just opened its first venture in the Indian Ocean, this time bringing its signature brand of minimal luxury to the islands of the Maldives. Sited just south of its capital, Malé, the 50 Maldivian villas are located within one of the world's largest coral attols and whilst the majority of the villas are backed by the island's lush vegetation, just a few steps away from the turquoise sea, a further 14 of them are positioned within the coral-filled waters allowing for all-round dramatic sunsets and endless views of the ocean beyond. Designed by SCDA Architects of Singapore, the interiors are light and airy with neutral modern furnishings set against natural timber and stone. The hotel's two restaurants, headed by seafood guru, Liam Crotty, include the chic Dining Room, which serves a range of international fare, while the more casual Island Grill, which is set on the white sands of the beach, has a locally sourced, regionally inspired menu such as tuna garudhiya served with fresh addu havaadhoo, straight from the island's herb garden. Due to open in November, the spa will use local rose oil in many of its treatments. Another perk is the nearby new regional Kooddoo Airport, putting the hotel within easy reach.

North Huvadhoo, Gaafu Alifu Atoll, Republic of Maldives; Tel: 96.0 682 1234; www.maldives.hadahaa.park.hyatt.com

Writer: Sara Henrichs

Phos, Mykonos, Greece

Perched on a narrow wedge-shaped rooftop in Mykonos Town, the central hub on the delightful Cycladic isle of the same name, Phos restaurant has taken the traditional Greek pergola and transformed it into a sculptural canopy under which diners eat. Designed by Athens-based LM Architects, who are well known for their shape-shifting wooden installations, the appropriately named eatery (Phos means 'light' in Greek) is bathed in sunlight most of the day with the pergola creating a myriad of shapes and forms across the boutique-sized restaurant floor. Serving traditional local fare with lots of aubergines, fish and coastal crustaceans, the restaurant seamlessly blends into the local landscape, backed by the parched hills of Mykonos whilst looking out over the paradisiacal Aegean sea beyond.

Matogiannia, Mykonos; Tel: 30.22 8902 6217; www.phosmykonos.gr

Writer: Alex Tieghi-Walker

QT Sydney, Australia

It's about time Sydney got a hotel that reflects its slightly off-kilter personality. At QT, gone are the designed-to-suit-all interiors. Instead, its 200 guest rooms are outfitted in 12 styles that incorporate an opulent-quirky aesthetic. The richly textured design is the handiwork of Nic Graham, who oversaw the public spaces; Shelley Indyk, who designed the red and orange palette in the timber-floored rooms; Anna Roberts, who added decorative details; and costume designer Janet Hine, who created the staff uniform. The central location - behind the State Theatre and the Gowings Building - is a boon to the two restaurants, Gowings Bar & Grill and Parlour Lane Roasters, helmed by Robert Marchetti. Along with SpaQ, specialising in bespoke treatments, they are sure to become destinations in their own right.

49 Market Street, Sydney, Australia; Tel: 61.2 8262 0000; www.qtsydney.com.au; www.designhotels.com

Writer: Carrie Hutchinson

Oldtimer Tankstelle Brandshof, Hamburg, Germany

Alex Piatscheck is determined that the 1950s petrol station he has painstakingly renovated into a café and garage is not going to be ornamental. 'Everything we have collected must work, we will not be a museum,' he says. Built in 1953 as a pit-stop before motorists reached the main road into Hamburg, Tankstelle Brandshof, a popular meeting place for fans of Oldtimer cars, became a listed building in 2010. The rebuild, which was constructed on the back of the original blueprints and in collaboration with the Department of Heritage in Hamburg, took over a year, using traditional techniques to achieve an impressively authentic fifties feel. With gloriously unfussy interiors styled by local designer Tina Hinssen, the café offers its visitors a menu where the daily specials are scribbled across a chalkboard. Food and drink, including coffee made with a Faema E61 machine from the 1960s, is served over shining red counters in the dining room, which is flooded with light from the windows that encircle the building.

Billhorner Röhrendamm 4, 20539, Hamburg, Germany; Tel: 49.40 782 564; www.tankstelle-brandshof.de

Writer: Emily Brown
Photography: Johanna Klier; www.dorfmuellerkroegerklier.de

Olivocarne, London, UK

The unveiling of Olivocarne, part of restaurateur Mauro Sanna's now established collection of Belgravia-based eateries and shops, is determinedly in keeping with the traditions of its founder's home country, Sardinia. Pierluigi Piu, architect and fellow islander, has ensured that Sardinian influence is not just present on its plates, but is evident throughout the restaurant by using the space to narrate about the island through various iconographic references. Contrasting with the contemporary flooring and furniture, the walls are brought to life with a crowd of peasants, horsemen, shepherds and hunters by Sardinian painter Mauro Angius. Ceramists and sisters Stefania and Cristina Ariu further share the story of traditional country life with their striking bas-relief of a giant flock of sheep, embellishing the walls of the lower dining room. The effect is softened with the use of varying shades of purple; a tint in the flooring develops to a rich plum fabric, which covers the long bench seating. Food is traditional, with dishes such as beef carpaccio and wild mushroom risotto.

61 Elizabeth Street, London, SW1W 9PP; Tel: 44.20 7730 7997; www.olivorestaurants.com

Writer: Emily Brown
Photography: Pierluigi Piu

Transport &
Technology special

Tudor: Style File Atelier

Silhouette

Transport &Technology special

October travel news: editor's picks

Tudor: Style File Atelier

Silhouette

Transport &
Technology special