Aman Sveti Stefan - Montenegro

I have waited for Aman's renovation of Sveti Stefan for years. This picturesque rocky islet off the coast of Montenegro was a 15th century fortified fishing village before its heyday in the 1960' and '70s as one of the world's top hotels, and where Sophia Loren vacationed for decades. After the break-up of Yugoslavia, the island resort went into disrepair. When I heard in 2007 that the Aman hotel group would spearhead its renaissance, I waited patiently. The moment has finally arrived, with its opening this summer. The road down to this exclusive, private jaunt ends abruptly as you enter the footbridge to Sveti Stefan, personally guided to your final destination by the world-class chef de cuisine. The views are terrifically enchanting, peppered by fig-scented air and olive trees, or as Byron so famously described, "the most beautiful encounter between land and sea..."