Islington Hotel
COST: $$$
On an island full of pastoral inns, the Islington stands out like a bold Rothko painting in a gallery of Norman Rockwells. The 11-room Regency-era building is filled with art and antiques from the private collection of the husband-and-wife owners, Amy and Nicholas Parkinson-Bates: sketches by Picasso and Australian artist Brett Whiteley, a chaise longue swathed in leopard-print Thai silk, Persian carpets, and lacquered Japanese furniture. Islington’s centerpiece is a glass-enclosed conservatory, where guests can dine while contemplating mist-shrouded Mount Wellington. The innkeepers act more like hosts than managers: they’ll arrange a chauffeured tour of the nearby Cole River Valley vineyards and share a brandy with you in the drawing room when you return.
As Featured In...
From Food & Wine, Oct 2008
“It’s been described as the last bastion of luxury before the South Pole, and though I’ve never been to the South Pole, I can’t find it in my heart to disagree...” MORE>>
From Travel + Leisure, Nov 2006
“Guest quarters in the original building are a beautiful mix of old-fashioned details (room No. 3 has a pressed-tin ceiling) and up-to-date amenities (heated granite bathroom floors). Islington’s centerpiece is a glass-enclosed conservatory, where guests can dine overlooking the mist-shrouded mountain....” MORE>>
Last updated October 2008 lastArticle = 10/2008 and lastAward =
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