Travel Brands You Might Not Have Heard About
Most of us are across the big players in travel: the huge hotel chains with global footprints (Belmond, IHG, Bvlgari and Shangri-La just to name a few), the boutique brands with irresistible Instagram pages (Soneva and One&Only come to mind), and the trendy boltholes favoured by influencers and A-listers (we see you Ace Hotels).
The reality is there are tens of thousands of travel companies out there, with new ones launching every week. Keeping on top of them all is impossible… unless you spend every waking minute poring obsessively over travel content like us. And that is why we’re delighted to share with you come of the brands causing a buzz in the Y Travel office; brands that might not have huge profiles (yet!) but that deserve the same hype as your familiar favourites.
ÀNI PRIVATE RESORTS
The world’s first collection of private resorts in far-flung pockets of paradise.
ÀNI PRIVATE RESORTS
ÀNI Private Resorts is the world’s first collection of private resorts, encompassing four high end, all-inclusive private resorts in far-flung pockets of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Anguilla, and the Dominican Republic.
In Southeast Asia, ÀNI Thailand overlooks Phang Nga Bay on Koh Yao Noi’s sandy shore, and ÀNI Sri Lanka, situated on the southern coast, claims a breathtaking view across the Indian Ocean. In the Caribbean, ÀNI Dominican Republic presides over its own private peninsula fringed by the turquoise Atlantic Ocean, while ÀNI Anguilla sits on its own clifftop Caribbean Island perch.
ÀNI Private Resorts represent a new level of luxury, and a type of travel never seen before. The brand’s philosophy is to provide guests with the facilities, staff, and service of five-star resorts, within the consummately private setting of elegant villas.
The finely curated ÀNI Private Resorts experience is the height of group holidays. Exclusively yours to share with your closest friends and family, the four understated yet exceptional villas are perfect for milestone celebrations, weddings, multi-generation getaways and corporate retreats. Each hideaway is staffed with a full team dedicated to all aspects of your bespoke trip.
Catering to groups of eight to 30 people who want to experience a luxury resort setting in complete seclusion, ÀNI Private Resorts’ properties grant guests access to amenities rarely found at villas, such as waterslides, tennis courts, separate spas and fitness centres, multiple pools and dining areas, and private pavilions for anything from sunrise yoga to weddings.
Staff that would usually cost extra at villas, like private chefs, butlers, housekeepers, and bartenders are all included at ÀNI Private Resorts, as are services that normally carry an extra fee even at all-inclusive resorts, including tennis lessons, spa treatments, childcare, and locally inspired activities.
ÀNI Private Resorts are curators of unscripted experiences, an infectious ambiance of joy that transcends age, and magical memories that will last a lifetime.
SUJÁN
A collection of three unique lifestyles; three sumptuous tented camps in India.
SUJÁN
SUJÁN is a collection of three unique, devastatingly-beautiful tented camps in Rajasthan, India: SUJÁN Sher Bagh, SUJÁN The Serai and SUJÁN Jawai.
This Relais & Châteaux approved brand offers transformational experiences in pockets of the country that are known intimately and treasured by the founding family. Think experiences for the connoisseur, the adventurous, and those looking for the extraordinary. Experiences that enrich and rejuvenate your soul with conservation at the fore of the brand.
SUJÁN invite you to immerse yourself in a world where they connect you to the very soul of their natural and cultural heritage, whilst savouring inimitable art de vivre, and making a positive impact in doing so.
HABITAS
A handful of earth-friendly, luxury hotels that prioritise connection (with planet and self).
HABITAS
Habitas describes itself as a ‘platform for a global, social movement with hotels in inspiring destinations.’ The group’s stunning flagship hotels can be found in Tulum, Namibia and Saudi Arabia with upcoming openings slated for Todos Santos, Bacalar and Bhutan.
The Habitas philosophy prioritises community and a mission to change people’s lives in a positive way, and its properties are designed as social architects to create extraordinary experiences. From welcome ceremonies to family dinners that gather the Habitas community together, everything is tied to these core values.
The brand’s definition of luxury is “disconnecting from the outer world and reconnecting with ourselves through spaces designed to bring us closer to the natural environments that surround us”. Complementary to its focus on nature, Habitas has built its resorts around music, wellness, adventure, culture, learning and culinary, so guests can expect bountiful arrays of all these elements.
Top of our list to visit this year is Habitas Tulum, a luxury hotel in Quintana Roo, Mexico, that immerses guests in the Yucatan Jungle, the Caribbean Ocean and Mayan culture. Fusing castaway-chic vibes with an ethical approach, this beachfront beauty is the number one destination for travellers craving maximum charm with minimal impact.
JANU
Aman’s intoxicating new sister brand, with a resort in Montenegro and more to come.
JANU
Janu is the recently launched little sister of one of our favourite luxury brands, Aman (which needs no introduction). Positioned as a more affordable, social version of its celebrated kin, the vision for Janu is a lifestyle brand that emphases wellness and relaxation, underscored by an atmosphere of excitement, buzz and human interaction. If Aman is sanctuary, then Janu is connectedness.
Post-pandemic, Janu has been launched as a sensorial setting to kick-start human interaction again, offering a place for guests to find a new energy and enrich the soul. Janu Montenego, the brand’s first resort to launch, sits nestled on the glistening Adriatic coast, with the pristine island of Sveti Nikola and Budva in the distance. It occupies a prized position on a serene coastal stretch surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, brimming with opportunities to explore and adventure.
Janu is expected to launch another two contemporary resorts in 2022, which are already under construction: Al Ula in Saudi Arabia and Tokyo. There are also more in the pipeline and we’ll be waiting with bated breath to experiences their playful expression and serviced residence concept.
PATINA
Lifestyle brand by Capella with properties in Bali and the Maldives.
PATINA
Patina Hotels and Resorts is the newest member of the Capella Hotel Group family and was launched in 2020 as a lifestyle brand for progressive travellers of a new generation. Honouring individuality, with nods to Capella’s legacy of crafted design combined with intuitive service, Patina Hotels & Resorts promises to respect the continual flow of life and seamlessly accommodate guests as they go about their routine without intermission.
Inspired by a deep appreciation of culture and community and the wellbeing of the planet, Patina Hotels & Resorts encourages guests to nurture a deeper connection with themselves and the world around them. The sophisticated brand currently features two chic resorts: one in the Maldives and one in Ubud, Bali; with another slated for future development in Sanya, China.
The inaugural resort, Patina Maldives, Fari islands is located in a newly constructed string of islands described as “an oasis of communal experiences”. The innovative new concept in the North Malé Atoll comprises four interconnecting islands and three ultra-high-end resorts: Patina Maldives, Capella Maldives, and Ritz Carlton Maldives.
An easy 50-minute speedboat ride from Malé International Airport, the archipelago emphasises accessible luxury and providing guests with an incomparably immersive, communal experience. Patina Maldives is the creation of renowned Brazilian architect of MK27 fame, Marcio Kogan. His design forges a seamless blend of the indoor and outdoor, where the surrounding crystalline water and white sand are the focal point, and a reliance on low lines and floor-to-ceiling windows allows nature to speak for itself, and in turn, for guests to feel wholly unified with their stunning setting.
Patina’s accommodation offering includes 90 beach and overwater villas across nine categories, including sunrise and sunset views and the resort’s crowning glory, a three-bedroom Beach House, complete with a rooftop terrace and gardens. There are also 20 Fari Studios perched on the edge of the Fari Marina Village for those who like to be close to the action!
CHABLE HOTELS
A proudly-Mexican boutique brand with three resorts (and one in the pipeline).
Chablé Hotels
A luxury boutique hotel brand in Mexico, Chablé Hotels is pioneering the destination’s wellness space. The company proudly honours its homeland through interior design, culinary experiences, and heartfelt hospitality, and all four of its beautiful resorts are designed with sustainability in mind.
With resorts located in Yucatan, Maroma, the Sea of Cortez and one in Sian Ka’an Reserve, south of Tulum coming soon, Chable is all about transforming guests via unique experiences where sights, sounds and surroundings create a sense of well-being and harmony.
Chablé Yucatán’s claim to fame is that it is home to one of the only spas in the world with its own cenote. The spa’s menu is bursting with Maya-inspired indulgencies including a hypnotic three-hour ‘signature ritual’ starting in the flotarium and ending with a restorative, herbal-salt exfoliation, and a lymphatic-flow massage. It features modern treasures too, such as a brand spanking new gym and detox program that showcases traditional treatments like chakra therapy, Mayan rebirth massage, reiki, sound cleansing and spiritual guidance from a local shaman, or pick one of three temazcals (a sort-of traditional Mexican heated lodge) and just sweat it out.
IKOS RESORTS
A sample of some of the most mesmerising resorts & destinations in the Mediterranean.
IKOS RESORTS
Ikos Resorts are found in spectacular locations across the Mediterranean – each with a private secluded beach, several pools and acres of landscaped gardens for you to explore.
Award-winning Ikos Resorts are reinventing the luxury all-inclusive beach holiday: from the Halkidiki Peninsula in Northern Greece, the islands of Corfu & Kos to Spain’s Costa Del Sol in Estepona, close to glamorous Marbella.
A unique Mediterranean experience, Ikos Resorts effortlessly combine five-star service with the ease and comfort of all-inclusive luxury. The brand’s signature ‘Infinite Lifestyle’ promises an incomparable stay with distinctive touches such as Michelin-starred menus, signature cocktails by top mixologists, kids clubs and an awesome MINI Drive Adventure around the surrounding area – all included.
GRUPO HABITA
A family of multi-sensory lifestyle hotels in the US & Mexico.
HOTEL TERRESTRE BY GRUPO HABITA
While you may have heard of Grupo Habita – especially if you’ve spent time travelling in Mexico and the United States where they have a prolific footprint – the latest offering to their family of lifestyle hotels, Hotel Terrestre,
Hotel Terrestre, the latest addition to Grupo Habita’s family of lifestyle hotels, is a multi-sensorial invitation for visitors to connect with nature. Intimately situated between the ocean and mountains of Puerto Escondido, Terrestre takes the experience of sustainable tourism into new territory.
The retreat features fourteen villas, a standalone open-air restaurant, a communal circular pool for treatments, a long swimming lane, and a striking hexagonal spa that contains a chilled water bathtub, steam, shower, and outdoor shower.
Each of Terrestre’s fourteen villas has its own private pool and is designed around an earthy palette of colors and textures. Earth, wood, brick, and concrete are delicately combined with clay and sand to immerse visitors in a unique spatial experience, where nature and architecture interact almost seamlessly.
AETHOS HOTELS
A library of properties that celebrate the curiosity of culture.
AETHOS HOTELS
Derived from the Greek word “Ethos”, Aethos is a hotel brand with substance. Founded on the belief that travel and hospitality should always be an experience that leaves a lasting and positive impact on your body, mind and soul, all of the hotels in this portfolio prioritise the creation of a collective spirit of adventure and a community of conscious explorers that seek authentic travel experiences that are mindful of their surroundings.
Found in the beating hearts of cities, buzzing at the same frequency as the hottest restaurants, galleries and festivals, or in the countryside where guests are encouraged to surrender to nature’s perfection and the wholesomeness of rural life, there are currently five Aethos Hotels throughout Europe to enjoy - with more in development.