1. The Clarence, Dublin, Ireland
Owners: Bono and The Edge
Divine Details: Built in 1852, The Clarence (pictured left) was transformed into a boutique hotel in 1996 by two of Dublin’s most famous sons. There are 48 individually designed bedrooms and suites here, including the ultra-swish penthouse suite, complete with an outdoor hot tub and panoramic rooftop terrace. Two Clarence musts: a meal in The Tea Room restaurant, and a pint in The Octagon Bar—Bono’s stomping grounds when in town.
Website: theclarence.ie
2. Mission Ranch, Carmel, California
Owner: Clint Eastwood
Divine Details: Hollywood giant Clint Eastwood has owned this sprawling ranch property on California's Monterey Peninsula since 1986, which features a 1850s farmhouse and a total of 31 rooms, many with Pacific Ocean views. If you think staying at a property owned by a Hollywood legend equates with the glitz and glam of Tinseltown, think again—rambling landscapes and fresh country air are star attractions here.
Website: missonranchcarmel.com
3. The Owl’s Nest, Burgundy, France
Owner: Leslie Caron
Divine Details: Famous for her lead role in 1958's Oscar-winning Gigi, Caron is now equally renowned as an hotelier, proprietor of this charming French country inn. Located 90 minutes south of Paris in Villeneuve-sur-Yonne, The Owl's Nest (or La Lucarne au Chouettes as it's called in French) has only four rooms, but each is unique and all are surprisingly inexpensive. In another section of the inn, there's a gourmet French restaurant, with a lunch and dinner menu that changes daily and seasonally. Some recent tastes include lamb fillet, local guinea fowl and rhubarb and strawberry tartlet.
Website: lesliecaron-auberge.com
4. Turtle Inn, Belize
Owner: Francis Ford Coppola
Divine Details: Turtle Inn is just one of three Central American luxury resorts (Blancaneaux and La Lancha are the other two) owned by film-maker Francis Ford Coppola. According to Coppola, upon visiting Belize for the first time, he was smitten by the gorgeous, tropical environment. “I was searching for the same jungle paradise I enjoyed while shooting Apocalypse Now in the Philippines. I discovered it tucked in the Maya Mountains and invite you to do the same,” he writes on the hotel’s website. Turtle Inn is located minutes away from Mayan ruins, rainforest hikes, waterfalls and, of course, the Caribbean Sea. Balinese-inspired, thatched-roof cabanas sit on a sprawling stretch of white sand, all within a few steps of the ocean.
Website: blancaneaux.com
5. The Greenwich Hotel, New York, New York
Owner: Robert De Niro
Divine Details: The doors to De Niro’s 88-room hotel only recently opened but it has quickly become a Big Apple hot spot and was notably featured in the April 2008 issue of Vanity Fair. No two rooms in The Greenwich Hotel are alike, but the one thing that does remain constant throughout are the luxury touches like hand-loomed Tibetan silk rugs, Moroccan tiles and English leather couches, just to name a few. Also in-house is one of the city’s most buzzed about restos, Ago, helmed by famed Italian-born Chef Agostino Sciandri—home-made pasta, risotto and a seriously stacked wine list are just a few of the gastronomic highlights. If a city slicker honeymoon is your style, The Greenwich Hotel is definitely the place to check in and check out.
Website: thegreenwichhotel.com
