A Need for Nature

BERLIN, 2 March, 2021 — If the last 12 months have taught us anything, it's that nature is tonic. More than a balm for uneasy times, the great outdoors offers a break from the daily urban grind, and an opportunity to reconnect with natural environments. From a series of cottages set deep in the forest in the Japanese town of Hakone, to an old-world hideaway in the Californian desert, join Design Hotels for an immersion in some of the world's most inspiring natural settings.
www.designhotels.com/a-need-for-nature

Amidst Andorra's Incles Valley—one of Europe's most hidden corners—sits the L'Ovella Negra Mountain Lodge; a rustic hideaway hewn from stone, wood, and concrete. An easy gateway to local hiking, snowshoe walks, and heli-skiing, the remote retreat fully embraces its adjacency to nature, and is seasoned with regular creative gatherings. A similar concept prevails in Switzerland's Eastern Alps at Nira Alpina, a ski-in ski-out property where local materials, including wood and granite, strike a stunning balance between regional charm and the comforts of modern living. Studded with balconies and terraces that provide views of a plateau that's peppered with turquoise lakes, the hotel appeals to nature watchers, while more active guests will appreciate the 120 kilometers of local ski runs.

Crossing continents and the Avalon Hotel & Bungalows in Palm Springs channels the desert's Golden Age heyday with Kelly Wearstler design and mid-century accents. Outside, manicured gardens, lofty palms and the looming desert are all within touching distance, with complimentary bicycles supplied for closer exploration of the surrounding mountains. It's a contrasting vibe at the Rabot Hotel From Hotel Chocolat, where British chocolate brand Hotel Chocolat have transformed St Lucia's oldest cocoa farm into a series of atmospheric cottages defined by pitched wooden roofs and stone walls. Fed by estate-grown herbs and fruits, and the hotel's exclusive cacao cuisine, guests are treated to views of Soufrière Bay's twin volcanoes, lush green landscapes and immediate proximity to local wildlife.

The Giardino Group's three Swiss properties—Giardino Ascona, Giardino Lago and Giardino Mountain—each provide a front row seat to the country's impressive and diverse scenery. At the understated yet indulgent retreat of Giardino Lago on Lake Maggiore, mountains frame every angle and abundant greenery is a reminder that you are never far from the natural world here. Luxury mountain resort Giardino Mountain equally showcases the best of Switzerland's famed attributes, supplemented with crisp Alpine air, and the forests and lakes of the Engadine Valley. In the country's south, Giardino Ascona conjures the aura of a Mediterranean oasis with its sprawling gardens, various outdoor seating areas and access to a plethora of activities—such as hiking, boating and paragliding—that both incorporate and maximize the beautiful natural surroundings.

Further north and Utrecht's Parc Broekhuizen is a 15th century estate—formerly the National Institute for Nature Conservation—set in a national park where finding peace with nature is aided by access to hiking, horse riding, and cycling. A carriage house and stables, an orangery, and landscaped gardens additionally converge to create a space where the outdoors and indoors seamlessly blend. It's a similar feeling at the Hakone Retreat före & villa 1/f in Hakone, Japan, where the 48-room hotel is literally placed in the very heart of nature. Set in a forest and connected by a path, eleven cottages are accompanied by open-air hot spring baths that face a pond, and are embraced by the soothing sounds of the wind, rustling trees, flowing water, and the forest's birds.

About Design Hotels

Design Hotels™ represents and markets a curated selection of over 300 independent hotels in more than 60 countries across the globe. More than a collection of hotels, the company is a collection of stories. Each property reflects the ideas of a visionary hotelier, an "Original", someone with a passion for genuine hospitality, cultural authenticity, thought-provoking design and architecture. Each "Original" stands for the individual, aesthetic and service-driven experience that his or her hotel provides.

In 2017, Design Hotels™ launched Further, a traveling laboratory for experiential hospitality that transforms hotels across the globe into temporal hubs of thematic exploration. The mission behind Further aligns with the values of the future-facing Promad, a new generation of traveler embracing progressive travel and global nomadism. First identified by Design Hotels™ in collaboration with leading futures consultancy The Future Laboratory, the purpose-driven, self-actualizing Promadic movement is set to shape the future of hospitality.

Founded by Claus Sendlinger in 1993, Design Hotels™ offers its members insightful travel industry knowledge, from market trend consultancy to international sales representation. The company has its headquarters in Berlin and branches in London, Los Angeles, New York and Singapore. In 2019, Design Hotels™ joined forces with Marriott Bonvoy, enabling its member hotels to have both a greater and more selective reach while offering its Community the benefit of the industry's leading loyalty program.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of nearly 8,000 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 139 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy®, its highly-awarded travel program. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.

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