Hotel Spotlights
Zannier Hotels’ Singular Way of Capturing a Sense of Place
by Joy PecknoldThe story of Zannier Hotels unfolds like a love story, one between person and place. Having always appreciated the defining elements of hospitality, founder Arnaud Zannier dreamt of a different kind of luxury concept centered around simplicity, authenticity, discovery and complete wellbeing. Given the opportunity to buy a Michelin-starred restaurant in Megève, France, he fell for its enveloping alpine ambiance and Zannier’s first property, Le Chalet, was born. He kept following his heart, seeking out special destinations and building one-of-a-kind retreats deeply connected to the landscapes and cultures they live within. Come along as we delve into the exquisite details of the brand’s five inspired properties.
LE CHALET – FRANCE
“Sublime alpine” indeed. Spectacularly surrounded by the rugged Mont Blanc range, Zannier Hotels Le Chalet is precisely the chalet one would want to own, yet all the details are, delightfully, in the attentive hands of Zannier. Perched above the village of Megève, the boutique brand’s inaugural property is three chalets with 12 rooms and suites, and a three-bedroom private cottage. While each suite has its own je ne sais quoi, all are sumptuously dressed in a relaxed palette of rich textures—light linens, rough-hewn woods, natural stone—and open onto a balcony or terrace for taking in the invigorating mountain scene.
After a day on the slopes, beyond the firelit living room, there is restaurant La Ferme de Mon Père to retreat to for fresh, seasonal French fare, and a spa with a heated indoor pool, sauna, steam room and menu of treatments to satiate tired muscles. In summertime, Le Chalet shifts into a luxe bed and breakfast for adventurers looking to trek, climb and paraglide across this unparalleled parcel of the French Alps.
PHUM BAITANG – CAMBODIA
Named “green village” in Khmer, Zannier Hotels Phum Baitang sits amongst a sea of rice paddy fields, lemongrass and gardens. The flagship property in Cambodia feels completely tucked away, even though it’s just a tuk tuk ride away from bustling Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor Wat. Inspired by traditional Khmer housing, the 45 villas sit atop stilts with high ceilings and aged wooden floors within, and outside, 25 come with private terraces and the other 20 add a private plunge pool to that.
There’s also an Olympic-sized infinity pool for all to lap up. A 100-year-old farmhouse is now The Sunset Lounge where fine wines, cocktails and vintage liqueurs are slowly sipped in rattan wing chairs, and, as the name suggests, the sun is best observed coloring all the green a tinge gold before bidding the day adieu. Connection to the place and its people is furthered by food—the restaurants, Bay Phsar and Hang Bay, pull in authentic Cambodian flavors—and experiences that include participating in the resort’s own rice harvest and receiving a Buddhist monk’s water blessing.
OMAANDA – NAMIBIA
Angelina Jolie played a role in the realization of Zannier Hotels Omaanda. After visiting Zannier’s aforementioned Cambodian property, the Oscar-winning actress and activist reached out to Arnaud about Namibia, its otherworldly landscape and the conservation work of Dr. Rudie and Marlice van Vuuren there. Collaborating with van Vuuren’s N/a’an ku sê foundation to create a 9,000-hectare reserve, the brand built ten Owambo-style thatched roof huts to share this special place with conscientious travelers.
Heading out on a game drive is a thrill, but wildlife is also spotted from the hotel pool or one’s own soaking tub and private terrace. With a name inspired by the Oshiwambo word for rhino, the property is elevated overlooking the savannah with a watering hole in view where antelopes and elephants rehydrate. The airport is only a 30-minute drive away, so many also opt to see this astonishing ecosystem from above via bush plane. From the restaurants’ Namibian cuisine to the local Marula oil used in spa treatments, authenticity runs through everything.
SONOP – NAMIBIA
Save for the lights at night, Zannier Hotels Sonop blends right into its ancient desert backdrop. Tucked in and atop granite boulders within 13,800 acres of private wilderness reserve, it’s as if the resort has always been hidden away there. The Afrikaans word for sun up, Sonop comprises 10 luxuriously large canvas tents befitting bygone British explorers, with clawfoot tubs, antique desks, vintage chests and telescopes for taking in the night sky’s celestial bodies. A pair of binoculars can be all that’s required to catch a glimpse of the locals, such as onyx, jackals and meerkat, for those who are lucky.
Guided drives and ebike, horseback or balloon rides lead guests deeper into the vast, otherworldly landscape. Five-course dinners are served by white gloved butlers at a candelabra-lit communal table, then it’s off to the Cocktail & Cigar Lounge for billiards or a post-sunset show at the open-air cinema overlooking the pool. Combining a few nights at Omaanda and a stay here is highly recommended, with a private airstrip accommodating the comings and goings. Then again, who would want to leave?
BÃI SAN HÔ – VIETNAM
Off the tourist-trodden path, in the Phu Yen province on Vietnam’s south-central coast, Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô is the brand’s most ambitious project to date. With 73 villas sprinkled across 242 acres of remote, unspoilt nature, guests are spoiled for choice; to spend the nights nestled into the hillside, overlooking a rice paddy field or right on the beach, that is the question. Naturally, all things Vietnamese pulse through the property—architecture, art, food, traditions. The resort’s name is “bay of corals” in the mother tongue, as the swath of sea it fronts conceals a reef teeming with life.
Along with lounging by the pool, snorkeling, surfing and all other time-honored tropical holiday activities, there are immersive cultural experiences, such as shopping the local market with the chef, biking to a nearby fishing village or exploring the Cham Ruins. In step with the Buddhist symbolism of the lotus flowers that spring up from the still waters of the pond or inform the treatment philosophy at the Hoa Sen Spa, this pristine place inspires balance and spiritual awakening. Here, as it is at all Zannier properties, travel becomes transformative.
