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Luxe Lavs: Warm Locations Where You Can Beat the Winter Blues

With cold weather and holiday vacation fast approaching, Luxe Lavs contributors Angela Fairhurst and Natalie Compagno set out to find year-round warm weather destinations that can thaw the chill and bring some heat back into your winter wonderland.

Baoase, Curaçao

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Curaçao beckons vacationers with its ideal weather. Situated below the hurricane belt, it provides a reliable sanctuary from the cold winter weather. Willemstad, the capital, is a UNESCO world heritage site. When Baoase guests tire of the bustle of this charming city of colorful buildings, they can escape back to Curaçao’s only five-star resort. Baoase is a Virtuoso resort with 23 rooms, suites, and villas and a “no photographs” policy to protect the privacy of its guests. Although the design is Asian-inspired, the service and private beach is truly Curaçao. Each accommodation has creative and impressive bathrooms. Imported from Indonesia, the bathtubs and sinks are shaped from river rock in Java. Fixtures, such as showerheads and taps, are Italian, and Master Villa sinks are Belgian slate with a perfect ocean view from the tub. Our favorite is the Beachfront Pool Suite with the impressive outdoor stone tub, open ceiling, carved Balinese doors, and rain shower seemingly hanging from the sky.

The Mulia, Nusa Dua Bali

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Bali is known for its pristine, white sandy beaches and dramatic coastline views. With the property sitting on Nusa Dua’s bay, The Mulia, Nusa Dua Bali is no exception. The five-star tropical resort is decorated elegantly with rooms of marble floors. After a day spent lounging poolside, relax wrapped up in plush bathrobes, then prepare for the evening in the luxurious bathroom. Choose a large bathtub with jets or an oversized shower with hydro-massage showerheads, then enjoy the array of in-room Salvatore Ferragamo bath amenities. Afterward, you can enjoy a fine dining experience at the resort. The Mulia has much to offer, from stand-up paddle boarding on Nusa Dua’s calm waters to windsurfing and canoeing. The Museum Pasifika’s art galleries and a popular surfing spot, the Bukit Peninsula, are also nearby.

Milaidhoo Island, Maldives

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There is a brand new resort in Maldives, the Milaidhoo Island, with state-of-the-art Maldivian bathrooms in both the Beach Pool and Water Pool villas. Beach Pool Villas are set directly on the white, powder soft, sand beach among tropical palm trees. Ocean views open up to 180 degrees on the vast sundeck. The bathroom offers an indoor rain shower, a separate deep bathtub, and an outdoor open-air garden-shower. The Water Pool Villas sit on stilts over the ocean. These spacious rooms are full of light, opening up to a huge sundeck with a private freshwater infinity pool, Maldivian-style swing chair, sun loungers, an oversized daybed by the pool and steps into the ocean for easy access to the nearby coral reef. The huge bathroom has a separate deep bathtub with ocean view and tropical rain shower with a glass wall offering views of the sea below. All villas have thatched roofs with high ceilings and custom-made furnishings. The rooms have both ceiling fans and air conditioning, not always common in the Maldives. Our favorite unexpected touch were the private wine refrigerators.

Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort, Costa Rica

Photo Credit: David Cowan

Photo Credit: David Cowan

The Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort, Costa Rica is set in the tropical forest of Guanacaste with panoramic views of the Culebra Bay. It is built into the land with rounded canopy structures that are reminiscent of tree houses. It was designed by Costa Rican architect Ronald Zurcher. He created the interesting ambiance through his cultural and architectural sensibilities. He pays tribute to the property’s beautiful environment and local heritage and found inspiration from the organic forms and shapes of the native flora and fauna of the peninsula. You can enjoy the mountainous views from the infinity pool, comfortable sun bed, or even the balcony, while native capuchin howler monkeys swing in the trees above. Each suite is complete with floor-to-ceiling windows as well as a treetop balcony that can be accessed from the bedroom as well as the shower. The bathtubs are placed under large picture windows that allow a relaxing soak while taking in the view, and the outdoor showers let you commune with nature.

Want to read about more luxe lavs around the world? Check out:

By Angela Fairhurst and Natalie Compagno for PeterGreenberg.com