Emirates Palace
Escaping without running away. Giving in to the luxury of leaving everything behind to depart, knowing that you live every journey three times: when you dream of it, when you live it, and when you remember it. In a dream-worthy global itinerary, we depart from Italy and head east toward Abu Dhabi, the country of wonders, where tradition and innovation run alongside talent and extraordinary harmony. The Emirates Palace is one of the few hotels in the world to boast a spectacular 7-star rating. Now an established iconic location- perhaps because of the visual beauty of its real gold detail decor contrasted with the rich green of the surrounding gardens- it is most likely recognized for the supreme services offered to clients, including a private marina to dock one’s yacht, the possibility to withdraw real gold coins and gold bars from the ATM Gold and its helicopter landing pad.
Travelling further eastward on the trajectory of this extraordinary itinerary leads to the exotic and energetic Malaysia, a mosaic of a country, inlaid with culture and ethnicity, that offers bewildering landscapes, unexplored jungles and islands rich with uncontaminated beaches. The Four Seasons Resort Langkawi, set along the Tanjung Rhu coast, astonishes guests with its mix of traditional Malaysian architecture combined with Moorish design, and for its refined approach to the most adrenaline-inducing water sports such as jet-skiing, wake boarding, windsurfing and kayaking.
Continuing toward the Orient, in an atoll among the islands of Fiji we find Laucala Island, private property of “Mr. Red Bull,” Dietrich Mateschitz, a resort among the Leading Hotels of the World, comprised of twenty-five villas that embody contemporary luxury, each unique from the others, with private pools, exclusive beach access and a breath-taking view of the surrounding barrier reef. The island, the destination of Elle Macpherson’s wedding, is a place where dreams are made and the perfect location for a romantic getaway, far away from everyone and everything.
In nearby French Polynesia, The Brando resort offers an experience of extreme comfort, in harmony with the uncontaminated atoll. It owes its name to Marlon Brando himself, who founded this Tahitian paradise in 1966 after shooting Mutiny on the Bounty on location.
Hopping from Oceania over to the Americas, the Journey of (Im)possible Dreams continues to the Land of Fire, Argentina, atop a majestic mesa that takes your breath away. A silence interrupted only by the sounds of nature, vast and luminous spaces, waterfalls, fjords, glacier peaks and enchanted lakes welcome guests to the land of Magellan. The Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa, another of the Leading Hotels of the World, situated in the Cerro Alarkén Natural Reserve, dominates in hospitality, service and linearity. The hotel impresses guests with its sustainable design including huge windows framing a snow-capped landscape, warm wood-burning fireplaces, unpolished stone and natural fabric decor. A far corner of the world that feels like home.
Moving north for an immersion of festivity and excitement we reach Miami, the metropolis by the sea. Latin rhythms, Hollywood style pools and a futuristic skyline transmit joy and a carefree spirit, of which the Faena Hotel Miami Beach is the perfect embodiment. Co-conceived by famous director Baz Luhrmann and his wife, costume designer and scenographer Catherine Martin who personally curated the interior design, the hotel surprises with its pop details, bright coloured furniture and Art Deco style. A unique hotel, whose spirit brings to mind Satine from Moulin and the Grande Gatsby.
Before returning to Europe, a stop-over on the African continent is a must. Located in Serengeti National Park, the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti offers its guests the opportunity to get up-close and personal with the local people and culture in an unforgettable stay in the heart of the savanna. This Safari Lodge, situated in the heart of Tanzania, is the ideal spot for those who want to see the true Africa without sacrificing comfort. This safari destination offers the possibility to organize a tour through the savannah with Masai guides on the look out for elephants, lions and leopards.
On to Marrakesh, an imperial city strongly influenced by France and Spain during the years of its colonialism, which offers a stay in one of the most famous hotels in the world: La Mamounia. The hotel was created as a palace with surrounding gardens that King Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah gave to his son on the occasion of his wedding. State leaders and film stars are among its exclusive visitors. In the hotel’s Moroccan-style guest rooms, Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt have slept, in addition to stars such as Salma Hayek, Orlando Bloom, Gwyneth Paltrow, Dalida, Elton John and the Rolling Stones who, here, wrote the famous “Marrakech Express”.
On the way back home, in our own Bel Paese where the Itria Valley gently descends towards the Adriatic Sea, we make a stop at Borgo Egnazia, a place of wonders whose design is liberally inspired in its shapes, materials and colours by the typical Apulian countryside. A place unlike anywhere else consisting of a courtyard, a hamlet, and 29 villas surrounded by the spectacular San Domenico Golf Club and Vair Spa, a temple dedicated to nurturing the body and soul.
Finally, in choosing last leg of our Journey of (Im)possible Dreams, we couldn’t imagine anything else but staying Italy, where The Four Seasons Hotel Firenze is the perfect place to end our tour. Packed to the brim with history and art, situated in the stillness within the walls of the largest private park in Florence, this complex, which was once a papal residence, a convent and the luxurious residence of the Florentine nobility. Today, it charms its guests with its frescoes, bas-reliefs and stucco decor with a triumph of original artworks and precious architectural details that inevitably remind us of the Renaissance era.
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