After a long winter, spring has finally arrived and flowers are blossoming in the park near our New York offices. We’re excited to see the change of season, but as travel specialists we’re also aware that hitting the road lets you enjoy fabulous flora all year round.
Throughout the year, many of our travel programs, such as “Dutch & Flemish Landscapes” and “History & Gardens of the Caribbean,” visit the world’s top gardens.
Some of Academic Arrangements Abroad’s programs have featured events such as the Chelsea Flower Show, and during journeys our travelers often stay at hotels with amazing gardens, such as La Mamounia in Morocco, the Oberoi Udaivilas in India and the Merrion Hotel in Ireland.
Here are a few of the world’s best hotels for garden lovers:
Cliveden, Buckinghamshire, England
Built by James Barry for the Duke of Sutherland, this great Thames-side mansion is known for its stunning gardens. Owned, managed and maintained by the National Trust, the grounds include 376 acres of formal gardens and woodlands. You can also get lost in a maze, which opened in 2011. Our upcoming “Noble Dukes & Victorian Masterpieces” program features an optional Clivenden Postlude.
La Mamounia, Marrakech, Morocco
This luxurious hotel has a park, which it describes as “more than a green oasis in the heart of the city.” It includes seasonal flowers, fruit trees and hundred-year-old olive trees. There’s also an organic vegetable garden where the hotel’s chefs harvest herbs, tomatoes, turnips, lettuce, radishes, rhubarb and “lesser-known plants.”
Merrion Hotel, Dublin, Ireland
This five-star hotel has two landscaped period gardens, which were designed by Irish landscape artist Jim Reynolds. The smaller one, “Lady Mornington’s Garden,” links The Main House to the Garden Wing, where many guest rooms have garden views. Both of the gardens “re-create the feel of an 18th-century garden with box hedges, water features, pathways, statuary and obelisks.” During our 2013 “Houses of the Irish Aristocracy” program, travelers will stay at this historic hotel.
Oberoi Udaivilas Hotel, Udaipur, India
Located on the shores of Lake Pichola, the Oberoi Udaivilas is surrounded by contemporary terraced gardens. In the April 2010 issue of Garden Design , Emily Young wrote, “Landscape architect Bill Bensley of Bensley Design Studios in Thailand researched traditional Mewari gardens to give visitors the royal treatment from the moment they arrive and are greeted by two stone elephants and pink-blooming Bauhinia trees.” You can escape the winter chill and stay at the Oberoi Udaivilas during our 2014 Rajasthan program.
Villa d’Este, Lake Como, Italy
Hailed by Condé Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure as one of the best hotels in the world, the opulent Villa d’Este overlooks Lake Como. The resort is also known for its gardens, which attract admirers from around the globe. Landmarks in the garden include a 500-year-old plane tree. A recent addition is a Chef’s Garden, where fresh vegetables, berries and herbs are grown.
What are some of your favorite gardens at hotels around the world?
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