Monday 31 July 2017

Inside the 'best hotel in the world':

£800-a-night Indonesian resort is voted top by travellers (and the runners-up aren't too shabby either)

Readers of Travel + Leisure voted the idyllic resort of Nihi Sumba in Indonesia the best hotel in the world
With just 33 villas set over 560 acres of lush jungle spilling into the sea, guests can enjoy complete privacy
In second place was Marlon Brando's hotel in French Polynesia, followed by a lavish ranch in Wyoming

By Annabel Fenwick Elliott for MailOnline

A luxurious Indonesian hideaway has been rated the best hotel in the world for a second year running.

Readers of Travel + Leisure gave the idyllic resort of Nihi Sumba a 99.12 score out of a possible 100 as part of the annual contest.

And it's easy to see why. With just 33 villas set over 560 acres of lush jungle spilling into the sea, guests can enjoy complete privacy and ultimate relaxation - all for the princely sum of £800 per night and above.

In second place was The Brando in Tetiaroa, French Polynesia - boasting 35 private villas, each with their own pool and beach to give the illusion you're the only person on the island - with an overall score of 98.91.

Those not seeking an island retreat might want to consider the rustic but luxurious Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch in Saratoga, Wyoming, which came in third.

Read on to admire and fantasise about the top ten winners of the publication's 2017 'World's Best Hotel' list.

1. Nihi Sumba Island, Indonesia

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Winner: With just 33 villas on 560 acres, guests can enjoy complete privacy here at Nihi Sumba - with nightly rates starting at £800 - located in Indonesia an hour's flight from Bali

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Nihiwatu beach, meaning 'mortar stone', was named by the early Sumbanese settlers for its isolated rock formation along the tide

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The spacious villas play off the jungle-and-beach setting by using organic, eco-friendly materials and the surrounding ocean is crystal clear - perfect for snorkelling

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Ancient dress is still seen in day to day life and wooden constructions are still scattered across the island, while 90 per cent of the staff are Indonesian

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'The people of Sumba are so warm and beautiful,' wrote one family who stayed here. 'They will forever be in our hearts and soul'

2. The Brando, Tetiaroa, French Polynesia

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While filming Mutiny on the Bounty, Marlon Brando fell in love with the French Polynesian atoll of Tetiaroa, buying it in 1967 with a view of turning it into his own personal paradise. This is the result

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There are 35 private villas, each with their own pool and beach to give the illusion you're the only person on the island, while dining options range from a beachside bar to a stunning restaurant with a menu from Michelin-starred chef Guy Martin

3. Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch, Saratoga, Wyoming

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This lavish 30,000-acre working cattle ranch was the venue for Girls star Allison Williams' wedding to Van Veen back in the summer of 2015

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Its rustic interiors and wide range of outdoors activities - everything from riding and fly fishing to trail adventures - earned this resort the number three spot on the list

4. Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, Matauri Bay, New Zealand

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This lodge is settled in a subtropical landscape of citrus, avocado and kiwi-fruit orchards which give way into the sparkling ocean, trimmed with steep cliffs

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It's a majestic, scaled-up version of an early New Zealand settler's villa, with wraparound verandas, airy rooms, huge sofas, and country-style antiques

5. Gibb's Farm, Karatu, Tanzania

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Gibbs Farm is located in the Ngorongoro Karatu area of Northern Tanzania - the original farm-stay in the Karatu area

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It's a quirky, inviting lodge on a historic coffee estate, which offers romantic lantern-lit dinners beneath the stars at night

6. Tswalu Kalahari, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa

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Guests can bed down amidst the wildlife in the savanna on an intimate safari at Tswalu Kalahari, in Kalahari, South Africa

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It's South Africa’s largest private game reserve, protecting over 110,000 hectares of spectacular grasslands and mountains, and allows no more than 30 guests at a time

7. Triple Creek Ranch, Darby, Montana

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This multi award-winning abode lies at the heart of the breathtaking Bitterroot Mountain Range of the Montana Rockies

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It offers a selection of private log luxury ranch cabins and ranch homes, all connected to its warm and comfortable main lodge

8. Cavas Wine Lodge, Mendoza, Argentina

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Surrounded by 55 acres of vines and over 25 top wineries, not to mention breathtaking views of the Andes mountains, it's easy to see the appeal here

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Cavas Wine Lodge's rooms are colourful and modern, and its plunge pools plentiful and beautifully lit

9. Inn at Willow Grove, Orange, Virginia

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Close to Charlottesville in Virginia and dating back to 1778, this grand property supplies oodles of southern charm

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Every stay includes concierge Butler service, complimentary canapes in the Salon in the evening, and fresh house-made cakes with locally-roasted french press coffee delivered to your door in the morning

10. Rosewood CordeValle, San Martin, California

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CordeValle, a luxury, secluded golf resort resides in the rolling foothills of Northern California's Santa Cruz Mountains

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Dining is taken very seriously here, with menus that change seasonally according to local harvesets and the yield from the resort’s own herb and vegetable garden

How to claim compensation for lost, delayed or damaged luggage

Compensation for delayed luggage — The Montreal Convention makes airlines responsible for your checked luggage

If your luggage is delayed, goes missing or gets damaged on a flight, what sort of compensation are you entitled to? The Montreal Convention makes airlines responsible for the bags they allow you to check in, although their liability is limited to around £1,113 per passenger.

Act immediately

Airlines are more likely to accept responsibility for missing or damaged luggage if you report the problem straightaway. Before leaving the luggage reclaim hall, go to the airline desk.

Fill out a form

you’ll be given a copy of the Property Irregularity Report (PIR) that’s used by airline staff to record the details. While this isn’t a legal requirement, and there maybe a reason why it’s not possible to get one (an unmanned desk at a small airport, for example) you’re still entitled to claim. But without a PIR, the process is likely to be more of an uphill battle.

If the bag is damaged

If you want to claim compensation, write to the airline within seven days of receiving your luggage, enclosing a copy of the PIR.

You will need a PIR form before you claim for any luggage irregularities CREDIT: AP/FOTOLIA

If the bag is missing

As well as personal and flight details, you’ll need to give an accurate description of a missing bag, recording any distinguishing features. A good tip (for the highly organised) is to keep a photo of your luggage on your phone in case you ever need to make this sort of report. Photographic evidence can also help if you are reporting damaged luggage.

Observe the deadlines

Write to the airline, enclosing the a copy of the PIR, within seven days of the flight. If your luggage turns up a day or two late, it’s up to the airline to make arrangements for getting it to you as efficiently as possible.

Monitor progress

where luggage doesn’t show up, you should be able to monitor it through the tracing procedure, either by contacting baggage services at the airport, the airline’s central department or by logging into an online baggage-tracing page with a reference number. This reference will relate to the luggage receipt usually attached to your passport or boarding card at check-in or bag-drop, so you’ll need to keep it to hand. If there’s no sign of it after three weeks, the bag will be declared lost.

At the end of a long flight, the last thing you want to see is an empty luggage carousel — At the end of a long flight, the last thing you want to see is an empty baggage carouselCREDIT: AP/FOTOLIA

Check the rules

If your bag has gone missing on the outward flight and you find you’re on holiday with no possessions, airlines are obliged to cover costs of “essential items”. However, this definition can be a sticking point when it comes to compensation. Depending on the attitude of the airline, it may argue that “essential items” are classified as toiletries, underwear or laundry costs rather than a brand new outfit. In most cases the airline will track down your bag quickly and return it to you within a couple of days.

Make a claim

Ask the airline what its policy is and keep receipts for anything you buy. A potential complication is when your bag has been transferred to another one or two airlines within a single journey. In this case it makes sense to claim from the last one flown, as it’s this airline which usually handles the claim.

Compensation usually comes in the form of an upfront cash payment, a fixed daily budget or remittance once your claim and receipts have been submitted. A claim for a delayed bag must be sent to the airline’s customer relations department within 21 days of handing your luggage to the airline. Depending on various factors such as how complicated your claim is, and the time of year, it may take as long as a couple of months to process.

To claim compensation for missing bag, you must write to the airline within seven days of the luggage being declared lost.

Check your insurance policy

However, you’re likely to find the airline tries to pass the buck by suggesting you take the issue of compensation up with your travel insurer. Depending on your policy, you may get a higher level of cover this way. Be sure to check your insurer’s excess charge and small print first - some policies provide minimal or no cover for luggage while in the care of an airline.