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Times
a day ago
- Times
Cheval Blanc Randheli, Maldives, review: a high-end hideaway fit for royalty
From a private lounge at Velana airport, Cheval Blanc's branded leather-lined seaplane spirits guests 40 minutes north to one of the most expensive resorts in Asia. Owned by the French luxury conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy and designed by the lauded Jean-Michel Gathy, the resort is unashamedly aimed at those with deep pockets. Guests arrive to gallery-like spaces between high fluted walls, lines of stone pillars and reflective pools, which combine to create an extraordinary interplay of light and space. The atmosphere is rarified and hushed, aside from the chorus of 'bonjour', 'merci madame' and 'avec plaisir' from the poised, perfectly put-together staff — an affectation that feels charming from the European employees but a little odd from Maldivians and other international staff. That said, the service can't be faulted, with mind-reading butlers arranging everything from unpacking cases to personal-training sessions with an ex-France team athlete or yacht charters in search of manta rays — all of which leaves you free to channel your joie de vivre. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Score 9/10There really is no short straw here. Cheval Blanc Randheli's 45 villas are some of the most impressive in the Maldives, in terms of scale and elevated levels of craftsmanship (though if you did have to choose, the stretch of sand outside beach villa No 14 is known to be a favoured spot for nesting sea turtles). Most of the villas are stilted over water, some above the lagoon and others facing out to sea. But the beach villas, which open onto a large private pool and wide swathes of white beach and come with generous outdoor lounging and dining areas — and feel the most private — are the ones to book. All are similarly styled in luxuriant woods, travertine marble and cream veneer, with sky-high vaulted ceilings, wide-screen picture windows and the bedroom and bathroom separated by towering door leaves. Coffee table tomes on Chaumet, Hublot and Louis Vuitton are dotted around, alongside objets d'art and a telescope for ogling the Milky Way. Grand bathrooms with dinosaur-egg tubs (often drawn upon your arrival back to the villa and kept warm by a targeted patch of underfloor heating), twin vanities and indoor and outdoor showers are stocked with full-size citrus and cardamom-scented amenities specially blended for the resort by Dior. Among the goodies are body scrubs, lip balms, bath salts and hand cream, as well as shampoos and hair masks from Leonor Greyl (all in plastic bottles, which can perhaps be forgiven as you're allowed to take them home). One more niggle, though — the iPad room-control system, which was glitchy to the point of inducing surrender. On Cheval Blanc Randheli Private Island, which can only be reached by boat, there is a four-bedroom villa, a 25m swimming pool, a grand piano, a screening room, a dining pergola, a gym, meditation pavilions and a spa treatment room overlooking the ocean. Score 9/10Diners are serenaded with Serge Gainsbourg songs over breakfast at the White, a breezy all-day brasserie that spills out onto a terrace overlooking the bright beach and baby-blue ocean. The breakfast menu runs to 20 pages, from freshly squeezed juices and detox elixirs, to eggs benedict and gravity-defying white omelettes, to warm pastries and artisanal jams, to sushi, dim sum, noodles and dosa. In the unlikely event that there is nothing you fancy, the chefs will whip up whatever your heart desires; you only have to ask. Tucked behind the White is Le 1947, where complex degustation menus and hard-to-find wines are served at white marble tables under crystal chandeliers. Deelani is perched at the end of the pier and is the place for Italian Mediterranean cuisine in a more relaxed atmosphere — look out for black-tip reef sharks in the water below. Completing the set is Japanese fusion restaurant Diptyque, which serves moreish, super-fresh plates of Maldivian red tuna sashimi, reef fish nigiri, king crab crispy rice rolls and black onyx beef tenderloin with a creamy black truffle ponzu from an open kitchen counter. Private dining experiences — floating breakfasts, sandbank picnics, starlit dinners à deux — can also be arranged. • Best family hotels in the Maldives• Best overwater villas in the Maldives Score 9/10You could spend your entire holiday holed up in your palatial villa and flitting between the beach and the pool, but Cheval Blanc has some sensational facilities and experiences available. Take up the latest racquet-sport craze with a padel lesson on Tennis Island, which in 2024 added two shiny new padel courts alongside the two Paris Masters-spec tennis courts (Roger Federer comes to practice here at least once a year). Another island is completely dedicated to wellness, with an overwater yoga sala, a quiet swimming pool, a health-led café, a hair and beauty salon and the only Guerlain Spa in the Maldives. Arguably, the country's most glamorous spa, its lavish treatment villas come with sea views and entire Guerlain make-up counters to help you to look your best after your 60-minute Orchidée Impériale facial. The water-sports centre is equipped with every vessel you can think of — Seabobs, Flyboard boots, a surf simulator, wooden dhonis, a deep-sea fishing boat and an Azimut 98 Leonardo yacht. The dive centre has a marine biologist on staff and a coral conservation programme, but otherwise sustainability doesn't seem to be a priority for Cheval Blanc. Score 10/10Cheval Blanc Randheli sits pretty in the swish Noonu Atoll, which has a private jet terminal. If you don't happen to own a Gulfstream, it's a 40-minute seaplane journey from Malé. Randheli spans three natural islands. The main island has been sensitively expanded to create a full ring of broad, gently sloping beaches and calm lagoons that are suitable for swimming year-round — you might bump into one of the resident sea turtles who like to float around the pier. The house reef is located by the spa island and is resplendent with purply corals, spotted eagle rays, baby sharks and confetti bursts of reef fish (despite the devastating 2024 global coral bleaching event). With no neighbours in the immediate vicinity, the resort feels incredibly private, and the lack of light pollution makes for wondrous night skies. Price B&B doubles from £2,600Restaurant mains from £29Accessible NFamily-friendly Y Lee Cobaj was a guest of Cheval Blanc Randheli, Maldives ( • Best all-inclusive hotels in the Maldives• Best island resorts in the Maldives
Hospitality Net
2 days ago
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Cristian Nannucci has been appointed General Manager at Tivoli La Vie Muscat Hotel
Minor Hotels, a global hospitality group that owns and operates over 560 properties in 58 countries, is pleased to announce the appointment of Cristian Nannucci as General Manager of the upcoming Tivoli La Vie Muscat Hotel, set to open in Q1 2026. A seasoned hospitality executive with over 30 years of global experience, Nannucci will lead the pre-opening and operational launch of the first Tivoli property in Oman. Nannucci brings a proven track record of leadership across the Asia, Europe and the Middle East, having held senior positions with global hotel brands including Shangri-La and the opening of the five-star dual complex PARKROYAL COLLECTION and Pan Pacific Serviced Suites in Kuala Lumpur. His expertise spans luxury resort management, multi-property operations, brand development, and new hotel openings—skills that will be instrumental in establishing Tivoli's debut in Oman. Most recently, he has taken on senior assignments in Malaysia and the Philippines, combining operational excellence with a strong focus on guest experience and commercial performance. Situated in the modern mixed-use destination, LA VIE, just 15 minutes from Muscat International Airport, Tivoli La Vie Muscat Hotel is a landmark new-build development comprising a 79-key hotel and 100 branded residences. The property will overlook the newly landscaped 18-hole golf course managed by Troon Golf and will be ideally located near the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre, Oman Automobile Association, and several government ministries. Guests can look forward to a full suite of luxury amenities including an Anantara Spa, SEEN Rooftop Bar & Restaurant, all-day dining venue, sports bar, ballroom, meeting rooms, and a state-of-the-art gym and infinity swimming pool. With this opening, Tivoli Hotels & Resorts strengthens its presence in the Middle East, complementing its existing portfolio in Qatar and upcoming expansion into Bahrain. An Italian national, Cristian Nannucci is a graduate of the Aurelio Saffi Hotel School in Florence and has completed executive leadership programmes by Cornell University. His diverse cultural background and international training have shaped a management style rooted in precision, innovation, and warm hospitality.
Condé Nast Traveler
3 days ago
- Condé Nast Traveler
Big Sky Remains Good for Ski and Snow, But Summer Has Entered the Chat
Last year the rustic-chic Lone Mountain Ranch unveiled Auric Room 1915, a members-only supper club and venue where overnight guests can retreat into cowhide-swathed booths to enjoy fried chicken and pours of 18-year-old Elijah Craig bourbon. True to its cattle-ranch roots, the hotel still devotes Thursday nights all summer long to the rodeo, a rowdy, locally beloved spectacle of cowboy and cowgirl culture complete with Montana beef brisket sandwiches and plenty of beer. Auric Room 1915 at Lone Mountain Ranch Lone Mountain Ranch Finally, in the Spanish Peaks, Montage Big Sky, which opened in 2021, expanded its lodging options last year with 47 new residences—including 15 freestanding Mountain Homes, each with five or six bedrooms—adding to the resort's 100 original rooms and suites. Guests can take advantage of all the hotel's perks, such as access to Crazy Mountain Ranch, an 18,000-acre working cattle ranch with ample terrain for horseback riding; an 18-hole golf course; and summertime outdoor excursions like heli-fly-fishing tours that take guests to remote stretches of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. This article appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Forbes
Inside Playa Grande Beach Club, A Boutique Hotel Reimagining Travel to the Dominican Republic
One of Playa Grande Beach Club's nine standalone villas. Playa Grande Beach Club Few destinations do an over-the-top beach vacation like the Dominican Republic. As all-inclusive travel grows in popularity even with the youngest generation of travelers, this Caribbean nation is drawing record-breaking numbers of travelers year-round, many of whom head straight to the island's oversized resorts. Beachfront development has long since pushed past the sugar-fine sands of Punta Cana and into new regions, with big-name hotels and resorts sprouting up in spots that were once known mostly to locals. Notably, the country's first luxury wellness resort, Cayo Levantado Resort, debuted two years ago on a private island in the less-visited region of Samaná. Meanwhile, the once tiny beach town of Miches is buzzing; Viva Miches by Wyndham, A Trademark All-Inclusive debuted in January, while Zemi Miches Punta Cana All-Inclusive Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton opening its doors less than a month ago. The less-visited north shore of the Dominican Republic is home to some of the country's few boutique hotels and resorts. Playa Grande Beach Club A mere blip on the map of the Dominican Republic, the area surrounding the small town of Rio San Juan is nearly untouched, even when compared to still growing destinations like Samaná or Miches. But zoom in on Google Maps and you'll start to see the appeal of this less-visited region: brilliantly white stretches of sand stretch right up to the lush foliage of the tropical jungle. This couldn't feel further from Punta Cana, but with beaches that are just as nice. Amidst the larger-than-life developments of other coastlines, the properties here are tiny in comparison. Small, serene, and supremely exclusive, properties like the Aman-branded Amanera and ÀNI Dominican Republic, are quietly rewriting the narrative of the travel to the Dominican Republic as being limited to the oversized and overwhelming. Even more special still is nearby Playa Grande Beach Club, a boutique property the likes of which there are few in the country, let alone the Caribbean. Home to just nine standalone bungalows spread across a spacious swath of beachfront property carved out of the jungle, its one-of-a-kind design and down-to-earth luxury make it a world all its own. Celerie Kembel-designed Playa Grande Beach Club. Playa Grande Beach Club Inside Playa Grande Beach Club Stepping off the golden sands of one of the country's most beautiful beaches and onto the manicured grounds of Playa Grande Beach Club, it's immediately clear that this is a destination all its own. Even from the beachfront, it's visible: the property's meticulously maintained grounds are packed with details to delight visitors. Fringed umbrellas shade beach chairs; vintage furniture fills spaces coated with colorful, handmade tiles; candy-colored drinking glasses for afternoon piña coladas by the pool look like they're straight out of a doll house. Playa Grande Beach Club's praiseworthy design comes as no surprise to those who know its founding story. Among the property's owners is Celerie Kemble, a renowned designer who had a hand in every detail of its creation and design. Her distinctly island-inspired, Palm Beach-informed design touches every corner of the property. Each bungalow evokes its own unique spirit, with colorful pastel palettes paired with one-of-a-kind textiles and art collected from remote corners of the world, including from Kemble's personal travels. The Dominican inspiration of the property is undeniable, calling on classic, colonial-era design in architectural details throughout. Each bungalow at Playa Grande Beach Club is unique crafted and includes handpicked pieces of furniture, art, and decor. Playa Grande Beach Club To step inside your private bungalow, available in one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom layouts, feels like stepping inside a gingerbread house with a tropical twist. Mine mixed a rose and lime green color scheme, that started with the handpicked textiles on pillows and continue to the tiles spread across the bathroom floor. My bungalow had its own kitchen, with a vintage-inspired refrigerator stocked with goodies like Dominican beer, local mangoes and freshly-ground coffee should I want to wake for sunrise on the sand. The bathroom was its own separate sanctuary, complete with a massive copper soaking tub as the centerpiece of its design. I marveled at its size: how could the floor hold its weight? Did the house have to be built around its oversized port? It was one of a number of supremely special touches that wove together the visceral visual journey at this one-of-a-kind property. Bungalows each come with kitchens, making it an ideal destination for a longer-term stay. Playa Grande Beach Club Home Away From Home The intentionality of every design detail is Kemble's love for the property made manifest, giving it lived-in, well-loved quality that makes it comfortable rather than imposing. Perhaps it's the small size of the property, apt for less than thirty guests at a time, that enhances its homey feel. However, the family-and-friends-first founding of the property is even more likely the source of its welcoming vibe. While Kemble was the creative mind behind the property's design, she was just one of a close-knit group of owners who initially intentioned Playa Grande Beach Club to be a private destination reserved just for friends and family. Now, guests can book bungalows for their own home-away-from-home feel. In addition to just nine bungalows, Playa Grande Beach Club has a main house with a restaurant and bar, a two-story library and lounge, a beachfront pool with a covered lounge area for lazing, and a small gym. Rio San Juan and Beyond For such a set-apart property far from the tourist crowds, there's surprisingly plenty to do just outside the bounds of the resort. One morning I ventured out with a guide who led me up a mountainside that stands between the coastline and the expanses of the island, cracking open fresh coconuts, pointing out tropical fruit laden trees, and explaining the rich vegetation along our trek. At the end of the path was an incredible viewpoint overlooking the island's north coast, from which he pointed out the area's best beaches and departures for the area's other popular excursions: horseback riding, tours through the forest to swim in millennia-old sinkholes and boat rides through the mangroves. 'Why would anyone want to leave such a precious property?' I had thought, until I realized that I would need to plan a return trip to experience everything there is to do in this still largely untouched region of the country. Playa Grande Beach Club's elegant main house, home to the property's lounge space, bar and restaurant. Playa Grande Beach Club The Playa Grande Secret There is plenty to do during a stay at Playa Grande Beach Club, but noticeable absent is the laundry list of amenities that often feel like a to-do list to modern travelers. Here, the luxury is in the space, the solitude, the stretch of sand that feels almost all your own. It is the serenity of dining in the grand, romantic main house, chatting with friends and family over farm-fresh food highlighting island-inspired flavors. "The biggest benefit of staying at Playa Grande Beach Club is that you feel like you are in a family," says Alexandra Jeronimo, General Manager of Playa Grande Beach Club. "The hotel is a timeless place from yesteryear where generational stories are made," she says, referencing both the intimate feel of the property and high return rate of guests. At this boutique property, bungalows sometimes book up to a year in advance by guests who don't want to skip a season at Playa Grande. It's a destination to be shared with friends and family, but carefully. "A lot of visitors tend to say things like 'I don't know if I should tell anyone about this place, so I've decided to tell no one so I can keep it for myself,'" says Jeronimo. After all, what started as a hideaway for a group of close friends and family never lost its essence. Now, it that same sublime peace and welcoming spirit that makes Playa Grande Beach Club such a singular slice of paradise.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Billionaire shocks Vegas locals with what he's done to prime $270m parcel of land on iconic Strip
A billionaire shocked Vegas locals after he turned a prime $270 million parcel of land into a parking lot on the city's iconic Strip. Tilman Fertitta, a Texas businessman who serves as the US ambassador to Italy, had plans to build a luxury Las Vegas resort on the Nevada city's 'Center Strip,' just across from the upscale mall The Shops at Crystals. He purchased the land in 2022 before filing to transform it into a 43-story, 2,240-room hotel and casino, fit with a spa, wedding chapel, restaurants, an auto showroom and more, according to county records obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Fertitta's project started to come to life, as Clark County commissioners approved his plan in October 2022 and the county Building Department issued three demolition permits to tear down the previous structures on the site that same day. But, all of that came to a halt after President Donald Trump announced Fertitta, 68, was nominated to serve as the ambassador to Italy in December. Fertitta, who already owns Golden Nugget Casinos and the NBA's Houston Rockets, wrote a letter to the State Department in March detailing the steps he planned to take to avoid conflict with his approved nomination, which included him resigning from his corporate positions and leaving the luxury resort in the wind. His company, Fertitta Entertainment, did not specify if the resort would one day be built while the parking lot opens its doors to the public. 'All options remain under consideration,' a spokesperson with the hospitality and entertainment company told the outlet. The six-acre lot is now home to a new self-run parking lot that charges a minimum of $14.99 for up to three hours. The space has no ticket machines, barrier arms or attendants on site, leaving drivers to dictate when they want to park there by scanning a QR code to enter their payment method, phone number, and how long they plan to leave their car there. 'Just drive out when you're ready and we'll automatically charge your account,' a sign on the lot's fence read. The lot was previously home to souvenir shops, a Tex-Mex restaurant, Travelodge Motel and a tattoo parlor. After buying and demolishing what was there, a shift in plans arose in Spring 2023 when Fertitta, who is worth $11.3 billion, announced Las Vegas casino executive Maurice Wooden had joined the company as president of luxury hotel development. Then, in early 2024, Wooden was named president of the new and luxurious hotel, Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Afterward, Fertitta asked for a time extension on what was set to be a new resort on the lot. Rebecca Miltenberger, an attorney with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, who represents the billionaire, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal he was 'diligently working through the development process' at the time. Unfortunately, he was 'not able to obtain all necessary permits' that he needed to start construction before approvals on the structure expired, Miltenberger wrote in a letter to the county last fall. Fertitta then faced an October 9, 2024 construction deadline, she added. County officials went on to approve an extension, giving him until October 19, 2025 to start working on the plan, according to records. While it remains unclear if he will follow through with his plan to build the resort, other developers might have their eyes on the land, including Eli Gindi. The New York developer, who built the new BLVD retail complex next to Fertitta's land, told the outlet he considers the Texas businessman to be 'one of the smartest guys in the world' who will build the property if he desires. Still, Gindi is hopeful Fertitta might allow him to buy the site. 'Maybe he'll sell it to use, and I'll be happy to buy it from him.' Gindi added. Daily Mail contacted Fertitta Entertainment for comment. When Trump announced Fertitta would be the ambassador to Italy, he called him an 'accomplished businessman' who he was 'pleased' with the appointment. 'Tilman is an accomplished businessman, who has founded and built one of our Country's premier entertainment and real estate companies, employing approximately 50,000 Americans,' the president said. 'Tilman has a long history of giving back to the community through numerous philanthropic initiatives, which include children's charities, Law Enforcement, and the medical community. 'Additionally, Tilman is the longest serving Chairman of the Board of Regents for the University of Houston. He also owns the Houston Rockets Basketball Team. Congratulations to Tilman, and his remarkable family!' Fertitta has owned the Rockets since 2017 and has made his fortune as the chairman of Landry's, a corporation which includes casinos, hotels and restaurants such as Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
