American Adventures: Incredible Journeys Close to Home
December 11, 2023 by Hidden Doorways
Exploring the wonders of distant lands is always thrilling, but discovering the hidden gems right in our backyard is equally enchanting. For those eager to embark on a vacation where just a few days off can turn into an unforgettable escape, our US-based partners offer a trove of experiences.
Dive into the crystal-clear waters of the Florida Keys, indulge in the exquisite wines of Sonoma, or get swept up in the vibrant culture of Santa Fe, so mesmerizing you’ll feel as though you’ve stepped into another world entirely. Our portfolio brings the best of America to your fingertips, inviting you to uncover the rich and diverse experiences that lie just a stone’s throw away
THE INN OF THE FIVE GRACES
The Sensory Stimulation of Santa Fe
The Inn of the Five Graces highlights the best of what splendorous Santa Fe has to offer. Its exceptional concierge curates tours covering world-class opera, hiking, skiing, hot air ballooning, chocolate-tasting and moments that preserve and celebrate Santa Fe’s diverse artistic traditions. Even if you choose to just rest and absorb what the inn has to offer in its confines, your every sense will be awakened and enriched in the region’s culture — it was designed after all as a showcase for its owner’s passions and exotic treasures.
A soulful sanctuary that opens guests up to Native American, Spanish and Anglo-American cultures all on one of Santa Fe’s oldest streets (with the famous 17th-century San Miguel Chapel just a stone’s throw away), it’s not called Five Graces for nothing — sight, sound, touch, smell and taste are all equally honored and appreciated here.
BRUSH CREEK RANCH
The Wilderness of the Great American West
As buzzy as the brouhaha of a city might be, what about waking up mountainside where all there is to be heard are bird calls and the breeze? That’s what Wyoming’s Brush Creek Ranch Lodge & Spa can promise, hammocked by the Sierra Madre Mountain range and the mystical Medicine Bow National Forest it’s your chance to get back to nature. Wade fishing in a private 20-mile stretch of the North Platte River and horseback riding across 30,000 acres of untouched wilderness are just the beginning.
Unbridled luxury is a given on this working cattle ranch where it raises 100% American Wagyu cattle — one of only three locations in the world licensed to do so, and unsurprisingly is the only beef served at the ranch. Farm-to-table food is a firm focus here. As well as its three luxury properties — the Lodge & Spa, the adults-only Magee Homestead and French Creek – there’s also The Farm. Here, guests have endless experiences on offer. There’s a brewery, a distillery, a creamery, a greenhouse, a cellar and spirit vault, a bakery and destination restaurant, The Cheyenne Club. So if you want to escape reality somewhere that’s back-to-nature and sees you getting hands on with cheesemaking using milk from its herd of Alpine goats and learning about organic farming in the greenhouse that sustains the whole estate, Brush Creek has got you covered.
LITTLE PALM ISLAND
The Crystalline Waters of The Florida Keys
A private island with no passport required. A setting so stunningly tropical it rivals The Maldives. A seemingly endless view of crystalline waters interrupted only by breaking waves and native wildlife. This is Little Palm Island – America’s only private, adults-only island resort.
Here you’ll reconnect with nature in a different way. Surrounded by lush, tropical foliage and exotic wildlife, the magnificent Looe Key Reef calls you to paddle board over and dive to inspect it closer. Even bathing here is best done al fresco as you sink into the warmth of a copper bathtub looking out onto the ocean.
British West Indies attitude with Balinese accents, tiki-torch pathways, thatched bungalows and rum-coconut cocktails on tap, this is paradise found.
THE MERCER
Downtown City Splendor
From the peace and quiet to the hustle and bustle, a stay at The Mercer sends you straight to Soho where you’ll feel New York City’s throbbing pulse. Maybe you want to escape the country for a change of pace or perhaps you’re doing some serious city hopping and want to land in NYC to experience it at its luxurious pinnacle, either way, The Mercer’s loft-like rooms and suites complete with decadent marble bathrooms, Juliette balconies and cozy fireplaces will have you covered. A red-brick Romanesque revival building, it’s an architectural gem that lets you tap into the city’s history as well as its chic and sleek modernity giving you a place to explore the city that will feel like your own personal townhouse.
MII AMO
The Healing Vortex of Arizona
Slowness, openness, clarity and wisdom are at the heart of Arizona’s Mii amo. Transported to the American red rock desert with Sedona’s healing vortex nearby, a unique journey is in the making here.
Mii amo is intimate and it’s secluded, nestled in the Boynton Canyon. As guests light the gas fire in their luxurious Casita room, the canyon’s raw beauty unfolds all around them. Walk barefoot through the resort’s Crystal Grotto to the quartz fountain and then along the Sensory Garden’s reflexology pathway before melting into the sound lounge or laying on a dry float table in its world-renowned spa.
Time spent here is unlike any other destination — an experience described as otherworldly. Its philosophy is linked to the canyons’ energy with ceremonies informed by lunar cycles, compass points and the elements. A great place of spirituality, to land here is to open your body and mind to heal and achieve balance.
TURTLE BAY RESORT
The Untouched Shores & Authentic Surf Culture of Hawaii
A surfer’s paradise with some of the largest waves in the world coax adventurers from far and wide to the tranquil trails of Hawaii’s Turtle Bay.
Choosing to vacation here opens the door to five miles of unspoiled coastline, 12 miles of breathtaking trails and gastronomic experiences courtesy of Turtle Bay’s 468-acre farm. The draw of the world-renowned island waters is what truly defines this destination. Pool-side cabanas and cocktails, and the North Shore’s famous Kuilima Beach and picturesque Kawela Bay settle you into your stay before private surf lessons with pro surfer Jamie O’Brien get you on your feet with a spot of turtle-spotting kayak tours, custom boat charters and, back on land, stargazing, ukulele lessons and Lei-making ensure your stay here connects you to both land and water.
As an aside, the resort recently celebrated its 50th anniversary with a head-to-toe, multi-million dollar renovation and rejuvenation of its Nalu Spa which opened in Spring 2023.
THE MADRONA
The Sprawling Wine Country of California
24 rooms, 8 acres of land, citrus groves, lush green gardens and what was once a family residence built in 1881 welcome to Sonoma county’s boutique resort, The Madrona. Set in the heart of California’s wine region, this ode to the Grand Dame estates of the late 19th-century is yours to call home as you explore America’s version of Tuscany’s vineyard-rich hills.
The Madrona stands in the town of Healdsburg which boasts a local, understated reputation and acre upon acre of award-winning vineyards. Hirsch (one of California’a greatest Pinot Noir vineyards) and A Rafanelli Winery (six miles to the north of Healdsburg) are commonly considered two of the top spots to stop off at on your wine tour to salivate over its complex Zinfandel and berry rich Cabernet. Aperture Cellars is one to note too — a stunning 40-acre estate in the Russian River Valley.
It might be largely about vines and grapes here, but don’t forget the towering Redwood forests either — a must when you’re in the region and best done with a picnic.
TWIN FARMS
The Comfort of Countryside in New England
Where better to sink into the comfort of the countryside than in a 1795-era farmhouse cottage in Vermont? Twin Farms, with its rotating seasonal activities, will see you wiling away winter afternoons in front of the fire followed by snow-shoeing, fat tyre biking and sledding across 300 acres of meadow and woodland or fly fishing and canoeing come summertime. A favorite experience is its all-year round picnic-ing with settings carved out to suit the time of year whether that’s petits-fours by the pond in warm sunshine or a moveable feast to hike with and enjoy over a Green Mountains view. Bedding you into its nature-rich setting further are its new Treehouse cantilevered rooms, opened only this year where you can open the day with its legendary lemon soufflé pancakes filled with fresh Vermont strawberries and round it off with an in-room massage courtesy of its Bridge House Spa on your own private treetop veranda.
SOUTHALL FARM & INN
Unforgettable Sustainable Farmland in Tennessee
Keeping to the countryside but going down a farm footpath instead is a route to Southall Farm & Inn – a sweeping countryside enclave within the rolling hills of Tennessee, just 20-minutes from Nashville. When you’re not unwinding in its spa (Tennessee’s largest in fact), your time will be spent walking its 325 acres that cover a working biodynamic farm, orchards, an orangery and a bursting greenhouse. Southall’s surroundings are a thing of beauty, but what is borne out of its lands makes it more stunning still. Farm-to-table cuisine and cocktails blended from foraged ingredients from around the farm forges a link so strong between the land and its dwellers that every mouthful will be as memorable as its setting.
