From sumptuous Highland hideaways and Rocky Mountain resorts to a Turkish temple of luxury and a Danish pleasure den, our travel guru brings us his quarterly wrap-up of luxury travel news and reviews

ISLAND LIFE

If utter escape is your thing, I suggest hooking up with super-lux Brazilian travel expert Dehouche and arranging a visit to Pousada Maravilha. This is an eco-mini resort in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, 350km off the northeast coast of Brazil: the owners say UNESCO measured the air quality as being the purest in the world after the Arctic. Whatever the air, the place is totally unspoiled, with empty beaches at the end of every track, and dolphins playing in water that’s a diver’s paradise, with average visibility of 50m. There are a couple of restaurants and bars on the island, but mainly a feeling of complete exclusivity. www.dehouche.com

HIGHLAND THING

I wouldn’t know which end of a golf bat to pick up, let alone how to score a golf goal, so it’s rare for me to recommend a hotel synonymous with all things 18-holy. Yet that’s exactly what I’m going to do with Gleneagles, in Scotland, because this grande dame hotel has just had a head-to-toe refurb of its spa. Many of the treatments are unique to the hotel, and once you’ve been nicely buffed, you can get out and play at activities ranging from mountain biking to falconry. There’s also a two Michelinstarred restaurant and, yes, a worldfamous golf course. www.gleneagles.com

THE HOLE TRUTH

If you’ve ever wondered what elk, those Rocky Mountain moose-type deer things with giant antlers, do in spring, Amangani, the ridiculously beautiful resort in Wyoming, has the answers. Come May, elk shed their antlers, which are picked up by boy scouts and sold to collectors during the annual elk fest in the ski-chic town of Jackson Hole. Amangani, perched on a rocky crest high up above the town, can get you tickets to the fest: on your return you can sit by the heated outdoor pool and gaze out at one of the world’s alltime great mountain hotel views. www.amanresorts.com

MAURITIAN MAGIC

If a stay at One & Only’s swanky Le Saint Géran on Mauritius isn’t lux enough for you, you’ll need the resort’s new ‘Glampfire dinner’. Despite the slightly naff name this is a private dinner like few others. Superchef Vineet Bhatia will create you a bespoke menu, served in your own private tipi on the beach, by your own butler, who’ll welcome you with a bottle of chilled Dom Pérignon. You’ll be serenaded by your own musicians and the evening’s rounded off with some personal fireworks. Nice. www.oneandonlyresorts.com