DP Hotlist 2024: Discover 3 Luxe Retreats Redefining Remote Luxury
If you’re looking to get away, but still want to savour all the trimmings of a luxury resort, head to these remote properties across the world that cover an arc of what luxury means to modern travellers.
Contemporary values of sustainability, customization, and authenticity, combined with the desire to create an experience of a lifetime are gently redefining what luxury means to today’s traveler. But luxury cannot be categorized under one umbrella topic. Some wouldn’t dare to sleep in a capsule suspended from 270 meters on a mountain face guarded by a steep-sided gorge in southern Patagonia. Think of a minimalist cabin in a remote desert oasis with a no-ceiling bedroom and an alfresco hot tub amidst the stark beauty of California’s Joshua Tree National Park. Innovative site responsive design geared with solar power adds a modern twist to this off-grid living. This is a luxury for those looking to rest and recharge in a remote desert landscape. For those beachcombers, who desire to stay at a cliff’s edge with private infinity pools and a lounge deck that offers plunging views to that secluded beach of the Cyclades is deemed a luxury too.
These are 2024’s new getaways that offer a chance to escape from our daily lives; some retreats take this idea even further, where ‘getting away’ actually means ‘far from civilization’ yet do not compromise on the guest experience. DP curates a list of off-grid retreats that tap into the meaning of quiet luxury.
Also read: 3 Ultra-Luxury African Retreats Redefine 2024’s Wildlife Safari Experience
The cliff-edge pool greets with a swim-up cocktail bar that seems to merge with the horizon. (Image Credits: Gundari)
1. Gundari Sculptured By Nature Introduces Folegandros To The Greek Island Hoppers
While Santorini and Mykonos are abuzz with crowds and partygoers, Folegandros lives a slow life. Gundari is the first luxury boutique resort in Folegandros and sits on the island’s soaring cliffs with plunging views of secluded beaches. Guests arrive in style either by private helicopter or a boat from its neighbouring islands. The 27 bio-climatically designed suites and villas are perched on the cliff face and take ‘room with a view’ to a whole new level.
Step outside, and each room flows into a private heated infinity pool that offers unobstructed views of the sparkling blues of the Aegean. All the suites and villas guarantee privacy, while the deluxe and superior cave suites are subterranean and are positioned at a dramatic cliff edge that exudes true disconnection from the world. Acclaimed Athens design studio, Block722 takes cues from the Cycladic design aesthetics. Each suite and villas feature handcrafted timber furniture, marble floors, and natural rustic textures casting an overall palette of earthy browns — a break free from the typical white-washed tone of the Greek villas.
Also read: Definitive Guide To The Top 5 Luxury Hotels Of Marrakech That Capture The Essence Of Modern Luxury
Swathed in artfully crafted natural stone, the Superior Cave Villas feature an infinity pool, and a large shaded lounge deck, with an open dining. (Image Credits: Gundari)
Known for drawing a community of music lovers, the luxury suites have Klipsch sound systems while the bar has been designed as a hi-fidelity listening space, inspired by the Japanese jazz ‘Kissatens’ of yesteryear, where music is played from Gundari’s extensive vinyl library. At ‘Orizon’ the Michelin-starred chef Lefteris Lazarou serves refined Greek fare and to make the dining top-notch, guests are invited to a bespoke dinner where they select their produce from Gundari’s farm. The subterranean spa is the perfect spot to slip into deep relaxation with sound baths, energy healing, yoga, and more. The resort owns six Fiat 500e Cabrios, one hybrid Jeep Renegade, one electric Mini Moke, 12 electric bikes, and a Cooler Kub 250S e-motorbike— all available for guests to take on their adventures across the island.
#DPloves the architectural design that integrates effortlessly into the landscape and its water features that bring the Aegean’s brilliant blue within close reach.
How To Get There: Folegandros can be reached by regular daily ferries from Athens, Santorini (just 50 minutes away by fast ferry), Milos and all major destinations in the Cyclades. Private helicopter and luxury boat services are arranged by the hotel.
2. OVO Pantagonia’s Glass Capsules-On-The-Rocks Embrace The Power Of Nature
Imagine sleeping inside transparent capsules set on an impressive rock wall, at a height of 270 meters. These high-altitude pods invite you to feel the wind’s fury as they offer unbeatable views of Patagonia’s natural wonders. The four capsules are carved out of polycarbonate and CPAIA (National Organism of Architecture and Engineering) validates these mountain modules. It’s not as rough and tumble as one would imagine. It’s a comfortable stay that includes room service in a unique location. Each of the high-altitude capsules is spread vertically over three floors: a bed on the upper level, a minimalist lounge in the middle with a dry toilet and, on the bottom level there is a netting hammock that brings in the ultimate on-top-of-the-world experience. The interiors are spare but cosy, with light-weighted beddings and accents. But the real excitement is getting into these OVO capsules.
Each living capsule features a telescope, ideal for a stargazing night while the bedroom invites you to contemplate the beauty of the landscape from the comfort of the bed pack. (Image Credits: OVO Patagonia)
The journey to the capsules will take you to Estancia Bonanza, a rural chalet created by the same entrepreneur behind Ovo Patagonia–Federico Echevarría, in the southern Andes mountains of Argentina, South America. The next leg of the journey after a walking trail and a jeep ride will take you up on an incline via ferrate made of steps and small ledges that take an hour to climb before getting to the top of the peak with an expert guide accompanying you the whole time. While one can see wildlife in their mountainous habitat, at OVO one can enjoy both sunrise and sundown with a glass of wine. The OVO guide doubles as a butler who brings you dinner and breakfast and is at your service throughout the adventure.
#DPloves the design of the capsules by Perspectiva Aérea, a team that includes mechanical engineers, mountaineers, and geomechanical technicians specialising in high-altitude setups.
How To Get There: To reach OVO you need to get to El Chalten, located 200 km from the airport of El Calafate in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. El Calafate has daily flights from Buenos Aires.
3. Folly Joshua Tree Introduces The Beauty Of Off-Grid Living In California’s Desertscape
Imagine twisted Joshua trees piercing the sky, while granite giants stand sentinel over hidden canyons and desert mountains as a permanent backdrop to your vacation. This is Joshua Tree, a small town, a couple of hours from Los Angeles. Nestled inside the Joshua Tree National Park and packed with trails for hiking, Folly is born from an irresistible urge to craft an unconventional escape for a new generation of travellers. It is a serene escape where nature and architecture converge and are reflected in the rustic feel of the cabin suites, offering a respite from the ordinary while cocooned in modern, minimalist luxury. Folly cabins are whimsical steel structures washed in earthy brown. Designed by the founder, and architect Malek Alqadi, Folly showcases a remarkable and unconventional open-space structure. Its interiors pull off a balance between minimalist aesthetics and the art of experimentation.
The Joshua Tree Folly is a 2-bedroom cabin which sleeps 2-6 people. It offers unique sleeping experiences. The comfortable ground-floor bedroom suite features a window wall that offers a front-row seat to the desert landscape. The cosy loft bedroom has a queen-sized bed, storage drawers, and a large skylight. The washroom makes space for an open shower with exposed and expansive views. For outdoor lovers, the stargazing room features a comfortable queen-sized bed. These cabins are best suited for small groups with families and friends. Solar-powered skylights, energy-efficient amenities, and recycled materials further showcase its eco-conscious design. While the surrounding wilderness is ideal for hiking, a local concierge team is ever ready to assist those seeking a bespoke itinerary.
#DPloves modern technology being incorporated into this off-grid living like tech-controlled monitoring of energy consumption, EV charging station, super-automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine and solar production used for in-room amenities.
How To Get There: Palm Springs Airport is located 35 minutes from Folly Joshua Tree.
Los Angeles Airport or San Diego Airport is a convenient 2.5 hours from Folly Joshua Tree.
From Las Vegas, Nevada it takes approximately 4 hours through various routes passing through the desert
basin to reach Folly Joshua Tree, an ideal ride for road trippers.
