STAY
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DISPATCHES
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
•
DECEMBER 2012
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DESIGN NOTES:
The lobby is a rustic, candle-lit, open-plan affair with Mayan
and Asian accents, beyond which lies an infinity pool and one of the most
glorious ocean vistas imaginable. Red and blue macaws stroll freely nearby,
and o en play a game of call-and-response with guests at a ernoon tea.
IDEAL GUEST:
Anyone who wants a li le Zen in a Mexican retreat. Zoëtry
promises to help you “escape, energize and enrich,” which it does through
a combination of lovely oceanfront scenery and spa treatments that go far
beyond the norm (the ancient Mayan massage, for instance, or the shaman
who does some splendid things with steam and herbal essences).
AMAZING AMENITY:
The Thalasso Center—specifically, the center’s
saltwater pool. Even in a place where exotic treatments abound, the Janzu
stands out: Part acrobatic demonstration, part massage, the treatment
consists of a skilled practitioner floating, flipping and flexing his clients in
water, an experience that’s said to leave them feeling reborn.
UNEXPECTED TREAT:
Guests receive a handwoven grass beach bag, a bo le of
tequila and a fresh fruit basket. The best perk by far, though, is the compli-
mentary sunset sail on
La Bonita
,
a private catamaran upon which you are
invited to dri aimlessly along the stunning coastline, refreshment in hand.
DESIGN NOTES:
Evoking a grand 19th-century
lodge, the lobby features low-hanging chan-
deliers, plush leather furnishings and earth
tones—all of which combine to create a cozy
atmosphere that’s only slightly diminished by a
rather cross-looking stuffed Alaskan brown bear.
WHAT YOU’LL FIND JUST OUTSIDE:
The lodge
maintains a 30-acre wildlife preserve teeming
with the warblers, waders, wrigglers and stomp-
ers that call Whitefish home.
ROOMWITH A VIEW:
Sprawling across two floors,
the many-bedded Flathead Suite boasts non-
pareil lakefront vistas, which are best enjoyed
from either of its two private balconies.
BEST PLACE TO HANG OUT:
The Boat Club
Lounge has jaw-dropping sunset views and a
head bartender named Chappy, an inexhaustible
raconteur who will happily tell you everything
you need to know (and more) about the local area.
SIGNATURE COCKTAIL:
In chillier months the bar
offers the Boat Club Pumpkin Martini, dressed
up with graham cracker bits and a dollop of
whipped cream (se ling once and for all the
question of whether to order dessert).
UNEXPECTED TREAT:
Lady of the
Lake
,
the lodge’s 31-foot Windsor
Cra motor yacht, which looks
like something Cary Grant
might have taken for a spin.
Zoëtry Paraiso
de la Bonita
RIVIERA MAYA,
MEXICO
THELODGEAT
WHITEFISH
LAKE
WHITEFISH,
MONT.
ZELJKO ANDREI (ZOËTRY); TIM RICE (WHITEFISH)
