Banana Island Resort in Doha, a Robot Hotel in Japan and Five Star Celebrations at Mandarin Oriental
Beat the Banana
Doha might not be the top pick on every bucket list, but there’s a new reason to go: the just-opened Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara. Twenty minutes off the coast on a fancy ferry, the resort comprises a mix of pool suites and over-water villas that dot the shoreline of Banana Island (yes, it’s shaped like a banana). The resort aims to up the ante with over-the-top fitness facilities, including a bowling alley (!), a surf pool with a professional instructor, nine-hole putting range and an “oxygen garden” which sounds… refreshing? The rest of the resort keeps on with the superlatives: ask about the 18-carat gold manicure at the spa, the world’s most expensive shisha pipes and a 1kg hamburger. Hard to beat? That’s the aim.
From $3,833. Doha, Qatar, (+974) 4040-5050, doha.anantara.com.
Five Star Celebration
The Forbes Travel Guide ratings just came out for 2015, and a handful of Hong Kong hotels have cause to celebrate. Taking home the most praise? The iconic Mandarin Oriental earned quintuple five stars for the hotel, the Mandarin Spa and restaurants Pierre, the Krug Room and Mandarin Grill + Bar, as well as another four-star award for Man Wah. To celebrate the achievement, the Mandarin Oriental has put together a “Reach for the Stars” staycation package for high-rollin’ foodies so you can see what all the fuss is about. Stay two nights in a signature suite and enjoy limo transfer, a welcome bottle of Krug Champagne, an eight-course dinner with wine at the Mandarin Grill + Bar, dim sum at Man Wah, a seven-course dinner at Pierre, and a three-hour suite experience for two at the spa. And that, my friends, is how stars are born.
From $58,000 'til Sep 10. 5 Connaught Rd. Central, 2820-4202, www.mandarinoriental.com/hongkong.
High-Tech Hotel
We’ve already heard of robots serving in restaurants and aiding in natural disasters, so why not staffing a hotel? Japanese theme park Huis Ten Bosch is set to open futuristic Henn-na Hotel, aka “Strange Hotel” in July. And guess what? The two-story property will be partially staffed by robots. These “actroids” (that/who can apparently have human conversations) will perform check-in, room service and housekeeping. Other added techy touches include face-recognition door keys, auto air-con that adjusts according to your body temperature, and in-room tablets to control room settings or order services. Will it be the most efficient hotel in the world—or the creepiest?
Rooms prices will work on a bidding system, starting from JPY7,000 ($451). 1-1 Huis Ten Bosch Machi, Nagasaki, Japan; (+81) 570-064-110, www.h-n-h.jp.