Page 61 - Dreamscapes Magazine | Winter/Spring 2025

PHOTOS: ALESSANDRO CHIARINI | ULTIMA HOTEL GSTAAD | KIVOTOS HOTELS | JOHN ATHIMARITIS | EPIC SCOTLAND | GO HEBER VALLEY | VISIT HUNTINGTON BEACH
AFTER A METICULOUS SIX-YEAR RENOVATION, the Old War
Office in the heart of Whitehall where Sir Winston Churchill once
worked has reopened as the site of London’s first Raffles Hotel. Among
the 120 guest rooms and suites are several Heritage Suites, once the
offices of political and military leaders. Corner suites are named for
notable women and female spies, while the stunning Whitehall Ball-
room can host 600 guests. The Raffles London at The OWO is also
home to 85 private residences, London’s first Guerlain spa spread over
four floors and a collection of restaurants and bars including three
sumptuous dining experiences by Argentina-born Michelin-starred
chef Mauro Colagreco. theowo.london; raffles.com/london
W HEN COUNTING SHEEP
DOESN’T WORK, try meditating
with real sheep during a three-day
wellness retreat on a Scottish farm
located in Loch Lomond and
Trossachs National Park. Enjoy
nature while practising mindful,
calming interactions with snuggly
sheep and lambs. The weekend
also includes yoga, sound healing,
forest bathing and afternoon tea with naughty sheep. If your passion
runs more to outdoor swimming, join a Wild Hebridean Swimming
Adventure on the Isles of Mull and Iona. Owner Emma MacDonald takes
guests on sunrise and sunset dips and adventure swims at idyllic
beaches off the beaten track. Teawithnaughtysheep.com/stays; swimdy-
namics.co.uk/adventures; VisitScotland.com
I F YOU LOVE SOAKING in min-
eral-filled hot springs, Utah is the
place to be. The state has 106 known
hot springs with temperatures
above 25 C. Crystal Hot Springs, an
hour north of Salt Lake City, has the
highest mineral content in the U.S.
Homestead Crater, in the Heber
Valley near Park City, resembles a
beehive-shaped, limestone dome
where visitors soak, practise paddleboard yoga, snorkel and scuba
dive. You can even earn a diving certificate here. At Meadow Hot
Springs, near Bryce Canyon National Park, three pools sit in a farmer’s
field. The deepest attracts divers to its underwater cave. And Mystic
Hot Springs, near Capitol Reef National Park, boasts two swimming
pools, vintage bathtubs to soak in and a music festival! VisitUtah.com
FROM THE BEACHES TO THE STRAND, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S
Huntington Beach delivers an exciting food scene. Ola Mexican
Kitchen, with its second-floor ocean view, serves the city’s freshest fish
tacos: tender pieces of lobster, lightly battered rockfish, or blackened
shrimp slipped into house-made tortillas. Ola is also a top contender
for the city’s best margarita, offering the perfect sweet-sour balance
blended or on the rocks. Other contenders include Solita Tacos & Mar-
garitas, Fred’s Mexican Café and Baja Sharkeez. Beer and wine drinkers
should head out on the Surf City USA Barrel Trail, a tour of 14 craft
breweries, distilleries, wine bars, taprooms and eateries in Huntington
Beach including family-owned Matter of Craft. SurfCityUSA.com