Small Luxury Hotels of the World is kicking off 2020 by introducing five new additions, three of which are in Europe. New hotels include an intimate adults-only hideaway in Barcelona, a sustainable Sicilian farmhouse and the brand’s first in Montenegro.
The Wittmore, Barcelona, Spain
Bringing a bit of the Big Apple to Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, The Wittmore has a speakeasy vibe with its red velvet interiors, Bakelite telephones and adults-only, no-photography policy. The 22-room property has a baronial dining room decked out with tartan motifs and a fireplace, as well as a rooftop sun deck with yellow-and-white striped loungers, a plunge pool and views of the city. The Witty restaurant feels as if it’s straight out of a Wes Anderson film thanks to its bird-print wallpaper, dog-shaped salt and pepper shakers and an old-master-style oil painting of a fictional Lord Wittmore.
SLH Insider Tip: Every Thursday night, The Witty restaurant hosts musicians playing everything from jazz music to Spanish pop.
Villa Geba, Sveti Stafan, Montenegro
A secret hideaway overlooking the Adriatic Sea, Villa Geba offers views of the Sveti Stefan peninsula, a former fishing village that was recently named Montenegro’s most-photographed site. Each of the hotel’s eight suites comes with its own private butler and is named after a different Greek goddess. The hotel’s Muse Restaurant & Bar serves French cuisine prepared by Chef Olivia Méli, who trained under Joël Robuchon, with specialties like sea bass in salt crust or lemon meringue pie with lavender. There’s also an infinity pool suspended above the Montenegrin coastline, surrounded by ancient ruins.
SLH Insider Tip: The hotel can organize a host of bespoke activities for guests, including tea ceremonies with Montenegrin monks in a local monastery, dinner in a winery or gourmet lake-side picnics.
Susafa, Sicily, Italy
Susafa is a family-run estate, which aims to introduce guests to centuries-old rural life (think cherry harvesting and Sicilian wine tasting to ravioli and tortellini making). Susafa produces most of its own energy through solar panels and all of its water is sourced from on-site wells. Guests are encouraged to join walking tours of the gardens growing fruits, vegetables and herbs which are served at the hotel’s restaurants. The hotel has just 18 rooms, in addition to olive groves and wheat fields from which they produce their own organic extra virgin olive oil and supply wheat for bread and pizza.
SLH Insider Tip: Guests should not miss the chance to take part in the hotel’s Sicilian cooking class, teaching them how to make traditional Sicilian tomato sauce “caponata” with fresh seasonal ingredients from the garden; this is followed by a lesson in ricotta cheese and cannoli making.
The other hotels that were added to the portfolio include Topping Rose House in New York’s Hamptons and Angkor Village Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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