Singita Boulders Lodge, South Africa

I learned about the Singita Game Reserves from my friend Kellie who went to South Africa for her honeymoon.  What has come to my attention since starting this blog a few months ago is that there are far more jaw-dropping, spectacular hotels in sub-Saharan Africa than I could have ever imagined. 

(It's a bit hard to avoid the fact that the continent with the most extreme rates of poverty, disease, and underdevelopment is also the one with the most excessively priced luxury hotels.  I don't really think it's a coincidence, but this is obviously not the forum to discuss the lingering impact of colonialism on distribution of wealth.  This is an aspirational/inspirational hotel blog, so let's just all agree to acknowledge that only a miniscule percentage of the people who live on this continent, or any continent really, could ever afford to stay here, and then carry on with the indulgence.)    

The Singita Boulders Lodge in the northeast of South Africa is one of the many lodges owned by Singita Game Reserves.  They have a number of hotels in South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe and each one will blow your mind.  Each hotel has a seemingly effortless ability to connect indoor and outdoor space.  Beyond that, the design choices - the animal skin rugs and the natural materials in structure, furniture and art  - all work to create a space that is undeniably local, not at all kitschy, and absolutely dream-like.  Just look closely at the bathroom details in the photo below. 

I might just decide that this is Africa Week at Let's Stay Here so I can post 100 more photos of incredible Singita hotels.

Travel and Leisure: Best New Hotels 2011 - Best Of

This month Travel + Leisure magazine published the It List: The Best of New Hotels 2011. I have gone through the list of 50 hotels and chosen my top 3. I'll feature runners-up and big time losers in later posts.

1. GoldenEye Hotel & Resort, Jamaica

This place is the winner for so many reasons. It is the perfect size with 11 cottages and 6 suites. It has clear connection to the surrounding environment (kayaks from every room!) with just the right amount of design style. I love the use of natural wood and local textiles. Most importantly it has a sense of humor. The website is playful, that silly cocktail glass is endearing, and it doesn't refer to itself with stupid marketing blabber like "treat yourself to a breath of fresh air..." That goes really far in my book.



There's a lot of good stuff going on in this room.

Photos courtesy of GoldenEye Resort

2. Babylonstoren, Cape Winelands, South Africa This is an old farm transformed into a resort with acres and acres of land to explore. My favorite detail is this, "For traveling gourmands, some cottages offer kitchens—glassed-in cubes facing an eight-acre garden from which you can pick your own herbs, fruits and vegetables, the same produce used by the chefs at the restaurant, Babel."

I spent wayyy too long eating up every detail on the website. Beware of major time suckage before clicking here.

Photos courtesy of Babylonstoren

3. Hotel Havana, San Antonio, TX

If I'm going to San Antonio I do not want to stay in a W Hotel with velvet curtains and claw-foot golden settees. It's the heart of Texas, for fuck's sake.

I like this hotel because it knows what it is and where it is. The traditional furniture suits the historic space but the splashes of bright color and 1950's vintage elements make it modern.

Photos courtesy of Hotel Havana