46 places to get away from it all

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* 46 PLACES
TOGETAWAYFROMITALL*
Hotel Central
I
London's
NewGastro-sleep
GordonRamsayventuresoutof the kitchen.
Whiteinteriorsfteshena roomat the Witt
anda bathroom(lower)at Empress
Zoe.
i'l
it
casemixed media works by talented
young Turks and guest rooms are
sultan-size,with polishedoak floors
and low-slung couches.After hours,
the Longtablerestaurantdraws young
Istanbulluswith live soul music and
saffron martinis. Equally fashionable
are the 17hypermodernsuitesat the
new Witt lstanbul(www.wittistanbul
.com;from 9195,including breakfast).
Checkingin is like stayingwith an impossiblystylishfriend: islandkitchenettes are clad in Carraramarble,beds
are custom designed,and even the
walls-laser cut with a subtle floral
motif-are gallery worthy.
For total cultural
immersion,the exotic
heart of Old Istanbul is
the bestplaceto sleep,
and hotels here come
with a reliable alarm
clock: the muez zin's
'
early morning call to
prayer.Book in advanceto stay at the
intimate EmprcssZoe(www.emzoe.com;
from $80 including breakfast),where
cheerfully painted rooms (somewith
hand-paintedfrescoes)are furnished
with kilims. Though it's tempting to
linger over breakfastin the garden,
the location is perfect for getting a
jump on crowds at the Blue Mosque
and Hagia Sophia.A few blocks away
near TopkapiPalace,flowerywindow
boxes and fragrant cups of apple tea
greet guestsat the SirkeciKonak(www
.sirkecikonak.com;
from grgO including breakfast).Housedin a graciously
restoredOttoman mansion,the hotel
managesan artful serenity,but it,s
the friendly staff and complimentary
extras (afternoon snacks,a steamy
marblehammam,and cookinglessons)
that set it apart from the pack.
Iil
:n
.Yotioncl Geographic Traveler
n the past.you hadto headfar out
I
of
I of Londonto the bucolicvillages
I tn" Cotswoldsor Berkshires
for a
stay in one of England's
stylishgastro
inns:homeypubswith locallysourced,
seasonalfareandcozy,antique-stuffed
b e d r o o m sB
. u t w i t h t h e o p e n i n go f
GordonRamsay's
York& Albany(www
.gordonramsoy.com),
travelersseeking
a quintessentia
Eln g l i s hc o u n t r yi n n
experience
don't haveto venturebeyondthe fringesof London'sRegentPark.Housedin a restoredRegency
coachhouse,the hotel's
ten shabbychicroomshavepastelwalls,originalsashwindows,andchunkyvintagearmoires.But
the realdrawis thecasualyet sophisticated
downstairs
eatery,helmedby Michelin-starred
Ramsay
prot6g6AngelaHartnett.The three-course
prix fixe lunchmenuwill set you backlessthan g30
for unfussy,
elegantlypreparedofferingslikerumpof Cornishlamb.On warmdays,headthrough
the rusticstabledoorsto the hotel'sstone-cobbled
ltaliandeli(obove),wherestaffwill packup a
temptingarrayof home-cured
meatsandartisanalcheeses
for an alfrescopicnic.-JoNt RENDoN
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z
a
S T A Y SU N D E R $ r 5 O
Gettysburg,PA,andSouthlsland,NZ
F
z
O ttickory BridgeFarm,
Orrtanna,Pa. Knownto
localsfor its country-style
dining,65-acreHickory
BridgeFarmalsohasguest
roomsfor visitorslooking
to escapethe bustleof Gettysburg,just ninemilesaway.
Thefour streamside
cottages
includeworkingFranklin
stovefireplaces,
whilethe
two roomsin the farmhouse
havehandmadequilts.Larger
partiescanrentthe "old
farmhouse"-whichdates
to the 1700sandfeaturesa
wood-burning
fireplace.
Go
I
horseback
riding,tour a local
vineyard,
or visitthe famous
battlefieldduringthe day.
ln the evening,
don'tmiss
out on a mealin the dining
room-oven-friedchicken,
cornfritters,spicedpeaches,
and homemadeapplebutter.
OwnersRobertand Mary
Lynndishup a full country
breakfasteveryday except
Sunday,
whenguestsare
serveda picnicbreakfasthot stickybunsandfresh
fruit-in bed.From$75;
www.hi ckorybridgefarm
.com.-JeannetteKimmel
O Watson's Wan Renwick,
NewZealandNestledin the
heartof NewZealand's
Marl- 6
boroughwineregionon the
:
northeastcoastof the South =
lsland,this cozyhostel,/hotel
hybridoffersthe bestof New
Zealand-quaintcharm,
s
laid-backatmosphere,
and
beautifulsurroundings.
Head
to nearbyMount Richmond
ForestParkfor a tramp in
the woods,or renta bicycle
from the hotelandcoast
alongcountryroadsleading
to 2o-pluswinerieswithina
three-mileradius.The region :
is knownfor Sauvignon
Blanc,
but farmfreshberriesand
0
caf6s-featuringmusselsand =
scallopsfrom the MarlboroughSounds-alsomerita
stop.In the evening,unwind
by relaxingon the lodge's
verandaor soakingunder
the starsin a privateoutdoor
bath.From$42for a double
roomwith privatebath;www z
.watsonswaybockpa ckers.co.nz.
€
-RachoelDunlap
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