Relais & Châteaux has added 11 new members to its association, welcoming partners in Africa (Botswana), the United States (Louisiana), Europe (Spain, Romania and France), the Middle East (Israel and Egypt) and Asia (China and India).

In Asia, Sitara Himalaya offers a private retreat at altitude, while King’s Joy in Beijing, China, led by Chef Gary Yin, is the world’s first vegetarian restaurant awarded three Michelin stars and a green star for sustainability.

In Europe, experience the contemplative serenity of Finca La Donaira in Montecorto, Spain, while Matca Hotel in Transylvania, Romania, offers a serene escape amid forests and meadows.

In France, discover the elegant 17th-century pavilions of Les Lumières in Versailles, while Le Clos Vauban in Langres celebrates the Grand-Est region’s gastronomy. In Burgundy, Château Sainte Sabine promises warm hospitality and fine dining just three hours from Paris.

In the United States, Emeril’s in New Orleans crafts contemporary cuisine from the heart of the French Quarter.

In Africa, Châteaux Sitatunga Private Island, part of Great Plains Conservation in Botswana, invites explorers to discover its extraordinary waterways and rare wildlife.

And in the Middle East, La Maison Bleue in Egypt, provides a serene sanctuary near the Red Sea, or guests can enjoy the tranquillity of The Drisco Hotel’s shady patio.

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Sitatunga Private Island, Okavango, Botswana
2 Suites and 1 Villa

Sitatunga Private Island is the perfect base for exploring the delta’s natural waterways to discover fascinating wildlife, including antelope, elephant, crocodile, hippo, and a dazzling variety of birds. With an expert guide, guests may board an aluminum, flat-bottomed boat or a traditional fisherman’s canoe known as a mokoro to set off on safaris, capturing each moment with a professional camera set, complete with a range of lenses and high-quality binoculars, furnished by the safari camp.

To build the two guest suites and two-bedroomed villa, Dereck and Beverly Joubert – the celebrated wildlife photographers and co-owners of Great Plains – used recycled wood wherever possible to protect the environment and honour local traditions

Finca La Donaira, Montecorto, Spain
Nine rooms (including five suites)

Not far from the Route of the White Villages, the pride of southern Andalusia, Finca La Donaira is perched above the Serranía de Ronda, deep in farming country spanning more than 1,700 acres. The landscape in this corner of Spain includes meadows as far as the eye can see, thousands of ancient oak trees, and Roman and Arab ruins – all creating an atmosphere of contemplative serenity.

The property features a restored farmhouse and outbuildings, carefully renovated with natural materials while preserving the original beams and frames. The 9 rooms and suites of the farm, in duplex or with direct access to a medicinal garden and the Andalusian patio, still have their exposed stone or whitewashed walls.

Matca Hotel, Transylvania, Romania
16 rooms and two villas

While Transylvania certainly owes some of its renown to Bran Castle, this region of central Romania, with its plateaus and valleys, should best be known as the home of countless medieval towns and castles. Matca Hotel is embraced by an environment of forests and meadows, a breathtakingly beautiful landscape that seems to have escaped the reaches of civilisation.

The 16 rooms, in outbuildings with pointed shingle roofs, have refined, carefully considered décor. White walls, light wood, warm fabrics, and breathtaking views of the rolling hills, the summits of the Piatra Craiului Mountains, and the Bucegi Natural Park. The same welcoming ambiance is found in the two independent villas, with the added luxury of a veranda and a private jacuzzi.

Les Lumières, Versailles, France
31 rooms

Set to open in late July just opposite the palace built to glorify Louis XIV, Les Lumières has made its home in the two 17th-century pavilions that the Sun King presented to Edouard Colbert and Antoine de Gramont. When crossing the threshold of this elegant architectural ensemble, guests will discover that a historic building can indeed dovetail perfectly with well-chosen contemporary décor.

The 31 spacious rooms and suites bear the names of major figures from the Age of Enlightenment: scientists, philosophers, writers, and explorers ensure that 21st-century travellers have the rest they require.

Château Sainte Sabine, Sainte-Sabine, France
23 rooms including two suites

The magnificent, 16th-century residence still possesses the elegance that its Renaissance architects so lavishly bestowed upon it. Outside the petite village bearing its name, it sits on 20 acres of wooded grounds, home to thirty free-roaming deer.

Each is a comfortable private haven, with soaring windows looking out past the grounds to Sainte-Sabine and its 16th-century church on one side, and Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, one of The Most Beautiful Villages in France, on the other.

The Drisco Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
40 rooms (including four suites)

Located on a quiet street in the German-American Colony district of Tel Aviv, The Drisco Tel Aviv is a charming destination, proud of its heritage. Recently renovated, the property is one of the oldest hotels in Israel–century-old frescoes still adorn the walls of the lounge and bar, once frequented by some of the great writers of the 19th century.

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