CANEEL BAYSalomon Bay Road, US Virgin Islands, 00-340 776-6111, caneelbay.com. From €480 a room
What:Some people prefer screens to scenes as a friend of mine found on a transatlantic flight when he tried to look at the extraordinary view of Greenland out of the aircraft window and was asked by a steward to close the blind because the light was ruining the in-flight movie for other passengers. But for those who appreciate natural beauty, this resort is in its own peninsula in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, in the middle of the 5,000-acre Virgin Islands National Park (above right, with lots of hiking trails). Caneel Bay has stuck with air-conditioning – north Americans seem to require life in a cold (nay refrigerated) climate – but there are ceiling fans too for those who like their sea breezes unfiltered. There are no televisions or phones in bedrooms but there's a business centre and wifi spots for those who need to cyberly escape from beach life. Around the peninsula are seven beaches from a quiet honeymoon beach through to a water sports area. Rooms:There are 166 rooms with louvered walls and picture windows. Handcrafted furniture is in colonial style and all rooms have a patio or balcony and views of white beaches or tropical gardens in lieu of a small screen. The secluded Cottage Seven, once the home of the Rockefeller family, has housed celebrities and politicians. Prices start at around €480 for a room.
THE OLD CONVENT
Clogheen, Co Tipperary, 052-7465565, theoldconvent.ie
What:The owners of The Old Convent (left) by the Knockmealdown mountains have really thought about what people want from a country house hotel, and have created a comfortably designed place with four-poster and canopy beds, free-standing baths and a large open fire in the downstairs lounge. In the guest lounge you can make your own tea and coffee and are free to raid chocolates from the fridge and add to your five-a-day from the fruit bowl. There is no television in the bedrooms but you can borrow a television and DVDs, and get free popcorn and fresh-baked cookies to complete the experience. "Many of our guests are looking to get away from their busy lives for some much-needed time out together," says Christine Gannon, who runs the hotel with her husband Declan, who makes amazing eight-course gourmet dinners for €65. "We decided to try and create a space that promotes spending quiet time together." They encourage guests to take mountain walks nearby or to have tea in front of the fire and play board games.
Rooms: The rooms are themed, each with a different design. From €85 pps, with breakfast.
TRAVAASA HANA, MAUI
5031 Hana Highway, Hana, 001-808-248-8211, travaasa.com/hana. From $399 a night, double occupancy
What:You can watch the Pacific or exotic plants from your porch – in a hot tub if you like – but you won't be watching telly in this hotel (comprising 70 cottages and suites). It's in a small rural community on the east coast of the Hawaiian island of Maui. Instead of slapping concrete boxes "that suppress the magic of a place" on to an existing community, the owners wanted to give guests a sense of the place they were in. There is no air-conditioning to cut you off from real atmosphere – instead there are plantation-style ceiling fans to stir the trade winds – and no radios or alarm clocks to drown out nature's noise. As the accommodation sits on an acre of grounds (below) near a beach and looks over Hanu Bay, there's plenty of wildlife. Food is locally sourced and there's a spa for extra sensory perception.
Rooms:The Sea Ranch Cottages have hot tubs on their lanais (porches – getting a sense of place involves learning the local lingo okay?) and ocean views. They start at $499 each per night, based on double occupancy and includes three meals a day plus snacks and unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, daily spa treatments, use of sports equipment, wellness classes and spa facilities.
