squaremeal.co.uk | 167

A BURMESE SANCTUM

Burma's tourism renaissance shows no sign of faltering, with travellers

ƒ ocking to the country in droves to explore its crumbling temples, pristine beaches and

jungly interior. Until recently, international-standard hotels were thin on the ground, but

helping solve this problem is the new Sanctum Inle - a newly opened luxury resort set

among reedy waters, glittering stupas and stilt-house villages near Inle Lake. The design is

said to imitate a Burmese monastery in form and cuts no corners, with polished dark wood

surfaces, high ceilings and views of leafy gardens stretching down to the lake shore.

From £315; sanctum-inle-resort.com. British Airways o� ers tickets to Yangon airport from London

Heathrow, changing at Bangkok for a Bangkok Airways € ight. From £820; ba.com

Grand designs, Zurich

The prospect of staying at a business hotel in Zurich

is unlikely to set your pulse racing - unless, of course,

that hotel happens to be the new Kameha Grand Zurich

(pictured below). The high design lodgings are set around a

futuristic cube-shaped building. Inside you'll find Japanese

and Italian restaurants; outside you'll find the meadows

and glittering lakes of the city's Glattpark district.

From £136; kamehagrandzuerich.com

London abroad, Amsterdam

It's often said that London's epicentre of cool is shifting

east, but trendy hoteliers Hoxton have overshot entirely,

opening their new branch across the North Sea. Hoxton

Amsterdam was recently unveiled, occupying a row of

17th-century townhouses on the Herengracht canal.

From £64; thehoxton.com

Old and new, Ireland

Expanded and altered since 1228, Ashford Castle (pictured

above) is accustomed to renovations, but its latest facelift is

among the most significant, with a new wine cavern,

pool and cinema, plus 83 refurbished guest rooms.

From £221; ashfordcastle.com

From £136; kamehagrandzuerich.com

Doge the crowds in Venice

Staying in Venice during peak season typically means negotiating a scrum of lost

tourists, aggressive pigeons and rip-o‚ cafés destroying your life savings with a

solitary espresso. Seen from a distance the city is a far more serene proposition,

especially if you're lucky enough to be staying at the recently reopened St Regis

San Clemente Palace, a luxury hotel set on its own private island south of Giudecca

in the Venetian lagoon. Dotted around a 17th-century monastery, the 146 guest

rooms show no sign of monastic asceticism, with plenty of Murano glass, terrazzo

‹ oors and sublime views of the campanile of St Mark's rising above the water in

the distance. From £323; stregisvenice.com. British Airways ‹ ies to Venice Marco

Polo Airport from London Heathrow. From £147; ba.com

travel

Grand designs, Zurich

The prospect of staying at a business hotel in Zurich

is unlikely to set your pulse racing - unless, of course,

HOTTICKETS