If you’ve been chained to your desk for months, you’ll be champing at the bit for a chance to get away and switch off. And if you're travelling in or from the northern hemisphere, it's not too late to savour the last drops of warmth before summer retreats: check out these seven gorgeous hotels, each ripe for golden September and October stays, offering minimal tech and maximum downtime.
Cosy end-of-summer accoutrements at Swedish Country Living (Image: Jonas Ingman)
1. Swedish Country Living, Götaland
@SwedishCountryLiving
Outdoor dining and dips at Quinta Carvalhas
2. Quinta Carvalhas, Ribatejo
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Tap into the healing power of nature – and horses – at Quinta Carvalhas, also known as The Green Farm, in Portugal’s bucolic Ribatejo region. This luxury farm stay and private retreat centre prioritises wellness, with a special emphasis on horse therapy. Using breath, sound and touch, guests are invited to tune into the energy of the resident steeds, which range from dinky mini Shetlands to the majestic Mr Blue, an Irish Draught. Reiki, massage and meditation are also on offer. From soul to soul food: vegetarian farm-to-table cuisine stars ingredients from the garden and orchard, with 16 guest rooms occupying the original farmhouse, a cottage and converted barns. Golegã, the horse capital of Portugal, is a 15-minute drive, while Lisbon airport is an hour away.
Vivid North African interiors at Le Jardin des Douars
3. Le Jardin des Douars, Essaouira
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Set in sprawling grounds, Le Jardin des Douars is a peaceful hideaway with 19 bedrooms, six suites and six private villas. The eponymous gardens are studded with lily ponds, where emerald-green frogs obligingly sing a mealtime chorus. Little cats sunbathe in the garden’s bushes, chameleons mimic the gem-bright foliage, and tortoises totter through the jardin, bound on ancient reptilian business. Enjoy ceviches, tagines and grilled fish on the terrace, saving room for île flottante and mint tea. Between meals and hammam sessions, drift to the captivating pool. At a certain lazy, hazy time of day, winsome staff flit around the guest-topped sun loungers, distributing watermelon slices as wide and juicy as holiday smiles.
Bawah Reserve's jetty at sunset
4. Bawah Reserve, Anambas Islands
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There’s nothing pedestrian about arriving at Bawah Reserve, thanks to the amphibious seaplane transfer, which culminates with a water landing in the main lagoon. Things continue on a high at this dazzling eco-retreat in the Indonesian Anambas archipelago. Thirty-six hand-crafted, standalone suites lord over cerulean waves, revealing proud flourishes such as copper bath tubs and canopy beds. Don’t expect in-room TVs or reliable WiFi; instead, morning hikes, snorkelling and wave-side picnics provide entertainment. Feast and toast at the four restaurants and bars, or unwind with private dining, from lagoon cruises to toes-in-sand barbecues. Beyond your bedroom, 13 beaches, six pristine islands, three lagoons and 100 hectares of forest await.
Pristine stretches on horseback at One&Only Mandarina
5. One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit
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Can’t decide between the rainforest and ocean? Combine both at One&Only Mandarina, which, ranked No.8 among The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023, perches like a resting seabird on jungle-fringed cliffs. Below, the Pacific Ocean unfurls like unwrapped aluminium foil. Honour Mexico’s vaquero (cowboy) culture by watching a polo match at Mandarina Polo & Equestrian Club, or saddle up and conquer a coastal trail with an expert guide. Combat post-ride aches in the Temazcal-inspired steam room or via a cosseting spa treatment. Savour high-altitude cuisine at Carao, seafood with sea views at Jetty Beach Club, garden-to-table creations at Alma, and foliage-fringed cocktails at the Treetop. With local adventures on land and sea, bedtime isn’t top priority, but the Treehouses and nature-hugged villas should prove sufficiently tempting.
Sleek living at The Lodge at Blue Sky
6. The Lodge at Blue Sky, Utah
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Utah in September and October means fewer visitors, foliage that glows like autumnal coins and late-summer sun dappling the landscapes. Bed down like an off-duty A-lister at The Lodge at Blue Sky, winner of The World’s 50 Best Hotels’ Lavazza One To Watch Award 2023. This private, 3,500-acre ranch aces wild-at-heart adventures, from tracking deer, elk and birdlife to planting seeds and harvesting vegetables at Gracie's Farm or horseback rides to the 1800s Tavern. Not to mention axe throwing, archery, rock climbing, fly fishing and 4x4 tours. For sedentary moments, Yuta offers refined mountain cuisine featuring produce and herbs from Gracie’s Farm. Natural highs continue at the Edge Spa, perched on a precipice overlooking Alexander Creek. Supersize holidays in the Signature Suites, which eyeball jagged mountains.
The five-bedroom Mekong Villa at Azerai Can Tho
7. Azerai Can Tho, Cần Thơ
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Smugness is unavoidable during the speedboat transfer to Azerai Can Tho on Con Au Islet, a private island on Vietnam’s Hau river. After all, a lush green paradise with mind-stilling suites, next-level cuisine, a blissful spa, graceful banyan trees and a lotus-studded lake awaits. If you can peel yourself from the sparkling tiled pool, distractions include Cần Thơ cycling tours, Vietnamese cookery classes and rewarding expeditions, from Cai Rang floating market to an organic cacao farm and ancient Khmer temples. For maximum smugness, book a Pool Villa, enjoying villa perks such as private boat cruises in the Mekong Delta, picnics beneath the banyans and other boons.
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