The Luxe List 2014

  • Abode, Mumbai, India

    Abode, Mumbai, India

  • Amano'i, Vinh Hy Bay, Vietnam

    Amano'i, Vinh Hy Bay, Vietnam

  • Cheval Blanc Randheli, Noonu Atoll, Maldives

    Cheval Blanc Randheli, Noonu Atoll, Maldives

  • Dwarika's Resort, Dhulikhel, Nepal

    Dwarika's Resort, Dhulikhel, Nepal

  • Gangtey Goenpa Lodge, Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan

    Gangtey Goenpa Lodge, Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan

  • Hotel Hotel, Canberra, Australia

    Hotel Hotel, Canberra, Australia

  • Hotel Indigo Lijiang Ancient Town, Lijiang, China

    Hotel Indigo Lijiang Ancient Town, Lijiang, China

  • Iniala, Phang-Nga, Thailand

    Iniala, Phang-Nga, Thailand

  • Jetwing Yala, Yala National Park, Sri Lanka

    Jetwing Yala, Yala National Park, Sri Lanka

  • Kata Rocks, Phuket, Thailand

    Kata Rocks, Phuket, Thailand

  • One&Only Hayman Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

    One&Only Hayman Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

  • Point Yamu by COMO, Phuket, Thailand

    Point Yamu by COMO, Phuket, Thailand

  • Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto, Japan

    Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto, Japan

  • Sala Lodges, Siem Reap, Cambodia

    Sala Lodges, Siem Reap, Cambodia

  • Sofitel So Singapore

    Sofitel So Singapore

  • Temple Hotel, Beijing, China

    Temple Hotel, Beijing, China

  • Velaa Private Island, Noonu Atoll, Maldives

    Velaa Private Island, Noonu Atoll, Maldives

  • Waldorf Astoria, Beijing, China

    Waldorf Astoria, Beijing, China

  • Mira Moon, Hong Kong, China

    Mira Moon, Hong Kong, China

  • Mira Moon, Hong Kong, China

    Mira Moon, Hong Kong, China

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The Luxe List 2014: Jetwing Yala, Yala National Park, Sri Lanka

Rumor has it that a leopard roams this seaside property’s 15-hectare grounds after dark, perhaps in search of one of the wild boars that graze here. Set on Sri Lanka’s southeast coast three kilometers from Yala National Park and the bevy of leopards residing therein, the Jetwing Yala is offering an extra draw for travelers making their way to this part of the country for the extraordinary wildlife—elephants, crocodiles, spotted deer, a rich pageantry of migratory birds. As the closest accommodations to the park, the resort’s sunrise and sunset game drives and resident naturalist see it excelling at its duties as a safari destination, and not just out in the wild, but on-site as well. Sri Lankan architect Murad Ismail, a protégé of Geoffrey Bawa, was enlisted to design the grounds, and guests greeted with a menu of welcome drinks will follow his wide, polished concrete corridors to their rooms, where high ceilings and skylighted bathrooms keep things airy around four-poster beds and ebony lacquered furniture. Even standard rooms come with spacious balconies overlooking the oversize swimming pool, a magnet for respite from the equatorial swelter, though the beach is just a hop over the sand dunes away.

94-11/234-5720; Jetwing Yala; doubles from US$170

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