slh

Few hotels in Rio de Janeiro manage to balance luxury, style and a genuine sense of place as successfully as Emiliano Rio. Located directly on the more scenic southern end of Copacabana Beach, this boutique five-star property offers a more intimate alternative to Rio’s chain hotels while still delivering a world-class experience.

The hotel is part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World or SLH, a chain of independent boutique properties united by a sense of uniqueness. It is also one of 2 Emiliano hotels in Brazil, the other one being in Sao Paulo. 

The distinctive white exterior of the property, one consisting of honeycomb balcony panels that can be slid open or shut depending on guests’ preferences, ensures thousands of potentially different permutations when it comes to the building facade. With its remarkable Brazilian design, the hotel stands out immediately from the other buildings in that stretch.

I stayed in Emiliano Rio during my short sojourn in Rio de Janeiro and I have to say, it’s one of the most unique boutique properties I have ever stayed in. 

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Located right in the heart of the old town of Quanzhou, a UNESCO World Heritage city in China’s Fujian province, Kaipuu Belfry is a relatively new hotel that opened in 2023 under Lohkah Hotels. Lohkah is an independent chain that runs another Kaipuu hotel along the coast of Fujian as well as another hotel in Xiamen. While the chain’s other properties tend to focus on their resort-like atmosphere, the Kaipuu Belfry plays up its heritage, as it is converted from an old department store that dates back from 1979.

The property was designed by local designer Xie Ke and consists of just 48 rooms. It is also a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH). The belfry in the hotel name refers to the two towers of the nearby Kai Yuan Temple which is within view from the hotel rooftop as well as certain room categories. 

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With dozens of high-end resorts to choose from, deciding where to spend one’s holiday in Maldives may be a daunting task for some. After all, the decision process isn’t quite like that in other places. Proximity to train stations, dining and nightlife options or commercial districts simply do not apply here. When it comes to a Maldives resort, most guests will most probably be looking for things such as overwater villas, turquoise waters with plenty of marine life, great food, well-appointed lodgings, privacy and other aspects that give the feeling of an “escape” – criteria which are hard to quantify as practically all resorts in Maldives offer these.

In fact, these were the exact same thoughts in my mind which was why up until this recent trip, I had never visited Maldives before. Despite having reviewed over 100+ hotels around the world, including other high-end resorts, the thought of having to choose one to stay in Maldives did not seem so straightforward. 

A couple of weeks ago, I finally had the opportunity to visit Maldives. For my first visit, I was invited by Amilla Maldives – a locally-owned resort in Baa Atoll (a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve), to experience just what they had to offer.

Perhaps my visit to Amilla Maldives was timely because the resort has been getting some attention lately. Other than being just a run-of-the-mill luxury resort, the property also has a strong focus on sustainability. They take it very seriously – as I would later find out during my stay. Other than this, the resort is also known for its focus on wellness. The property is a member of SLH or Small Luxury Hotels in the World – a list of carefully curated boutique properties from around the globe. 

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