City Luxury issue

A pioneer of the 1990s Nuevo Latino gastronomic wave, Mexico City native Richard Sandoval’s first NYC restaurant Maya earned him prominence for his application of classical European techniques to a traditional Mexican palette. Over a half-dozen restaurants later, Sandoval has returned to his youthful stomping grounds to open the ultra-posh 16-room Hippodromo Boutique Hotel in leafy La Condesa. Across from Parque Mexico, the 1930s Art Deco building’s contemporary, high-tech rooms have oversized windows, Mexican duvets, and a local poet’s musings brass-etched on marble over each bed. The architect, Nahim Dagdug, was raised in Mexico City, as was chef and partner of the Hip Kitchen & Lounge, Josefina Santacruz. The Hip’s daily market menu highlights the bright flavors of Latin food, many from the sea, sharpened with aromatic, fruity glazes or chili emulsions. Finally, a spot deserving of the name Hip. -Diane Mehta

The 2004 tsunami that ravaged Southeast Asia hardly discriminated in its destruction: Beachside resorts felt the storm’s brute force as much as nearby villages. Open just a year at the time, the villas at the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa Maldives were largely destroyed by the storm. After much hullabaloo, the resort reopens December 1 with more than a dozen new villas designed to blend quietly into the island. Sporting wide sundecks and plunge or swimming pools, these palm-thatched retreats are just steps from one of the largest lagoons in the Maldives. Also new is the Jiva Grande spa, with Indian ayurvedic treatments and yoga, and a signature mud bath. The resort’s restaurants offer everything from Pan-Asian cuisine to nouveau-international seafood and game, plus margaritas, Cuban cigars. If an exclusive respite isn’t enough, enjoy the normally calm waters with some big game fishing or coral diving. -Diane Mehta

The Miami Beach high-concept Astor Hotel and its Metro Kitchen & Bar earned Karim Masri accolades among the A-list leisure set. This December, Masri and partner Nicola Siervo open a new hangout for a double-dose of South Beach Style. At Quattro, chef-brothers Nicola and Fabrizio Carro dish up Italian cuisine from the Piedmont and Lombardy regions, where slow-roast meats, truffles, cream, butter, and cheese play a prominent role. The bistro-style space is warmly modish, with terrazzo floors and cognac-leather banquettes, while outside, seating for 100 encourages lingering in the afternoon over espresso and dessert. -Diane Mehta