Monday November 02, 2009
Kempinski Hotel Taschenbergpalais
Dresden, Germany
If you know your local history then you’ll know why a reconstruction of an 18th-century Baroque palace is just as big a point of local pride as an authentic, unreconstructed 18th-century Baroque palace. Either way, today the Taschenbergpalais is Dresden’s top luxury hotel, with the Kempinski flag flying over its 200-odd rooms and suites.
It’s the perfect location for something like this, in the heart of Dresden’s historic city center, surrounded by sights including the opera house and the Zwinger palace. And while the exterior’s reconstruction was painstaking in its historical correctness, the interiors, by the Swedish firm Living Design, are actually somewhat contemporary. Additionally the rooms benefit from some of the advantages of modern building: they lack for none of the modern comforts, including underfloor heating in the marble bathrooms, a healthy complement of high-tech gadgetry and plenty of space to stretch out.
Completing the package are a couple of fine restaurants, a completely modern spa and wellness center, and all the meeting space you could possibly need. It’s perhaps an exaggeration to say it’ll have you feeling like 19th-century aristocracy, but not much of one — there’s definitely something to be said for occupying a room at a city’s most prestigious address.
Sunday November 01, 2009
The Nines
Portland, OR, USA
Portland may be better known for its homespun, folksy charm, its artisanal espresso and one-speed bicycles — but with The Nines, there’s finally a chic luxury option. The name is no accident: “dressed to the nines” isn’t a phrase you hear often enough around Oregon, but it certainly applies here.
The location is classic city-luxe, not some rehabbed warehouse space, but atop a historic building overlooking Portland’s surprisingly elegant downtown square. And if your business isn’t right on Pioneer Square, you’ll find Portland a compact and easily navigated city — you can easily get from baggage claim to the hotel via light rail in under an hour.
With over three hundred rooms it isn’t small, but the rooms have personality, classic meeting modern in brilliant colors. All the luxury trappings are included, from electronics to down duvets to rain showers, and the service is professional — this is a Starwood Luxury Collection property, which should help high-maintenance guests sleep a little easier.
So the standard features are all in place, including a 24-hour gym and a fine restaurant, Urban Farmer, a steakhouse with an upscale take on rustic Oregonian produce in an exceedingly well-dressed environment. Better still is the library, featuring cocktails and billiards in a cozy, clubby space, furnished with thousands of books from Powell’s, the West Coast’s last, biggest and greatest independent bookshop.
Sunday November 01, 2009
Hotel Missoni Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
We’ve seen fashion hotels before. In some ways the parallel between fashion design and hotel design seems apt — if an outfit is a temporary personality, then a hotel is a temporary lifestyle, and there’s an element of fantasy to both. If there’s anything really unusual about the Hotel Missoni, it’s probably the location, in Edinburgh. But just as you never know when you might need, say, a tweed jacket, you never know when you might find yourself in need of a bit of modern style in the Scottish capital.
The building is certainly a bit of a fashion statement, a daring modern work by the Milanese architect Matteo Thun, which can’t help but stand out against the backdrop of the Royal Mile, some of whose buildings date back seven or eight centuries. Inside it’s no less bold: bright colors and eye-popping prints will quickly purge the very idea of tartan from your mind.
As in the best fashion hotels the Missoni is exceedingly comfortable, but stops just short of outright pampering. This is a hotel for people with places to go and things to do. There’s still plenty of time for a bit of Italian style in the Cucina & Bar — café by day, cocktail bar by night. And if you think Edinburgh is a bit of a curveball, the next Missoni Hotel is already set to open — in Kuwait City.
Saturday October 31, 2009
Lanson Place
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
You can’t really get any closer to the middle of it all, at least in Hong Kong, than Causeway Bay — rents in this teeming commercial district rival those on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and the shops, bars and restaurants are tightly packed. Best, then, to escape to a hotel that’s a bit more private than the typical vast, crowded chain hotel. Which, naturally, is where the Lanson Place comes in.
Lanson Place strikes a balance just about midway between the typical boutique (difficult furniture, hip lobby bar, much architectural grandstanding) and the buttoned-up business hotel (do we really have to describe it?). Behind a classic facade it’s pared-down and modernist, in stylish whites and neutrals, but packed with practicalities from wi-fi access and work desks to generously equipped kitchenettes. It’s perhaps too conservative for scene-makers, and probably a bit edgy for real old-guard salarymen; for anyone else, however, it’ll more than do.
In this neighborhood, after all, shutting yourself in a five-star cocoon would be missing out. Thoughtful though they may be, it’s hard to imagine those kitchenettes seeing much use — in Causeway Bay an almost dizzying selection of restaurants is never more than a minute or two away.
Friday October 30, 2009
The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Kiawah Island, SC, USA
Three cheers for stylistically sensitive development. A brand-new American golf resort too often means a bland and faceless building full of identical L-shaped bedrooms, but the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island just isn’t that sort of place. Instead imagine a resort with all the comforts and luxuries of a modern five-star hotel, but with an architectural style transplanted from the antebellum mansions of old South Carolina.
Of course with 255 rooms and suites this is no plantation house. But big resorts have advantages that smaller hotels often can’t match, especially in facilities. Not many boutique operations can operate a full-service spa, much less a tennis clinic, a 65-foot swimming pool, or five (five!) golf courses designed by the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye.
Even the activity-agnostic will find plenty to like about the Sanctuary, not least the ten miles of Atlantic beachfront. Most of the rooms and suites face the sea, and they’re quite worthy of holing up in — beds are plush, the décor is soothing, and the bathrooms are so lavishly outfitted you might entirely forget about the spa. A generous handful of restaurants and bars completes the package, and this place is a natural wedding venue, with gorgeous outdoor spaces and no end of function rooms.
Thursday October 29, 2009
Grand Hyatt Seoul
Seoul, Korea
Those who haven’t traveled in Asia might blanch at the thought of checking in with one of the big Western chains. But they do things a bit differently over there. Anyone who’s seen Lost in Translation can tell you that the Park Hyatt Tokyo, for one, is something more than just your ordinary high-end business hotel — and much the same can be said of this one, the Grand Hyatt Seoul.
For one thing, you haven’t known luxury hotel service until you’ve seen the Far East version. The rooms, though visually understated, are state-of-the-art, containing everything you’d expect from a modern hotel room. Full-length windows take in panoramic views of the city or the mountains, and bathrooms are universally plush, with tubs in every one. Absolute design addicts might be left a bit cold, but for most of us comfort is as important as style.
And as ever it’s not just the quality, but the quantity of the services and facilities as well. The Grand Hyatt Seoul is home to no fewer than nine separate dining and entertainment venues, and along with the spa there’s not just a gym and pool, but the city’s most massive 24-hour fitness complex, Club Olympus, with its indoor and outdoor pools, squash and tennis courts, and even an outdoor ice rink, when weather permits.
Thursday October 29, 2009
Ibiza Gran Hotel
Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain
For a long time in Ibiza the hotel situation lagged some way behind the legendary nightlife. We’ve seen the odd boutique here and there making an effort to remedy the situation, but nothing on the scale of the Ibiza Gran Hotel. One look at the place and you can see it doesn’t suffer from any lack of ambition: with an exterior like a cruise ship and an interior like an art museum, it’s anything but retiring.
It’s all suites, which is always a good start. All are clean-lined and contemporary, in blond wood and modern furniture, and many of them look out at views of the sea and the old town. Whirlpool tubs are universal; the junior suites have them right there in the bedroom, while others find them out on the terrace or in the bathroom, made from marble.
The spa and the fitness center are suitably vast and suitably stylish, and the heart of the place is probably the pool deck, where the guests and even the building itself seem to angle towards the sun. And though it’s a complete enough experience, and a remarkably upscale one, it’s not meant to be entirely self-contained — many of Ibiza’s most famous clubs are within easy shouting distance.
Wednesday October 28, 2009
Riad AnaYela
Marrakech, Morocco
When you’re shopping for a riad hotel you can go for the pared-down and unpretentious, just a mellow slice of Moroccan life. Or you can go all-out epic Marrakech romance, and book in at AnaYela. There are probably places you can go if you want a bit of humble, down-to-earth traditional Moroccan experience — this, thrillingly, is not one of them.
From the moment you pass through the doors it feels like a Hollywood fantasy of a riad, come vividly to life — everything’s meticulously restored, finely crafted down to the last detail. Fittingly, it’s run by a management team and a local staff who are almost too lovely to be real, and you could say the same about the myth that ties the place together, a love story about a young girl named Yela, to whom you’ll find references hidden all through the house.
Down to brass tacks: three rooms and two suites, none of them overly large but all of them exquisitely comfortable, and all of them admirably free of phones and TVs, the better to immerse you in the romance of the place. This kind of theater is best maintained with impeccable service, and AnaYela has that base quite well covered. The obligatory rooftop deck is fine enough, but for a truly unique experience, there’s an observation tower with a panoramic view of the medina — spend a moment or two up there and the whole Yela romance starts to make a little more sense.
Tuesday October 27, 2009
Hotel St. Augustine
Miami Beach, FL, USA
In Miami’s bid to maintain its reputation as America’s sexiest destination, South Beach is its red carpet. With hotels, bars and clubs like glittering starlets flashing canned smiles to the cameras, SoBe’s exhibitionistic brand of luxury sometimes borders on sensory overload. So while its hot-list neighbors peddle the lifestyles of the rich and famous, the Hotel St. Augustine instead offers a refreshing dose of modesty, set in a 1937 Art Deco landmark in the burgeoning South of Fifth district.
With only 24 rooms, the St. Augustine functions more as a guest house than a full-service hotel. It’s not unheard-of to have only one staff-person on-hand, hopping back and forth from reception duties to tending the small in-lobby bar (which also doubles as a breakfast lounge). The unassumingly hip décor keeps it simple, with the requisite Scandinavian clean lines, light woods and chromatic minimalism.
Designed around the concept of bringing the spa experience to the individual level, the bathrooms are by far the highlight of the hotel, and its primary claim to bragging rights amongst South Beach’s indulgent properties. While the main quarters of the rooms run on the smallish side, the bathrooms are expansive, featuring multi-head European steam showers and a spa-bar of products for self-pampering.
And that may be the key to this place: self-pampering. Prima-donna tendencies and celebutante fantasies are better played out elsewhere, but set only two blocks from the beach and minutes from the velvet-ropes, the Hotel St. Augustine is a perfect refuge from SoBe’s more ostentatious glamour.
Monday October 26, 2009
The Citizen Hotel
Sacramento, CA, USA
Though it’s the capital of California, a state with an economy bigger than those of about 180 countries, Sacramento doesn’t get much respect — it’s often overshadowed by nearby San Francisco, much as Albany plays second fiddle to New York City. But in the Citizen Hotel, Sacramento might finally have the hotel it deserves.
It’s by any definition a modern boutique hotel, conceived by the California-based Joie de Vivre group. But stylistically it’s far from the modern-design standard. Instead the Citizen is full of historical references, with an atmosphere that recalls the 19th century — think gold mining, railroad barons, the Wild West struck rich and grown up.
By the time you get to the rooms, the retro atmosphere is fairly subtle — some guests, in town on official government business, might not pay it a second thought. Bedrooms are not quite haute luxury, but more than comfortable enough, with all the necessities: HD televisions, iPod stereos, fine Italian linens and efficient work spaces.
Grange, the restaurant, showcases modern Californian cuisine — organic, local and seasonal — in a genteel throwback atmosphere, and the Scandal Bar feels like the sort of place where back-room deals are made (sans cigar smoke). In fact they probably are, given the Citizen’s central location, close by to the courthouse and the Capitol.
Monday October 26, 2009
AVIA Savannah
Savannah, GA, USA
Savannah is a historical city, but that doesn’t mean it’s stuck in the past — it’s an art-school town as well, and there’s some appetite here for a bit of experimentation. So a contemporary-style boutique hotel like the Avia is certainly not out of the question.
You’re a short walk away from the plantation houses and tree-lined boulevards you might expect from Savannah, but the Avia is a remarkably urban experience, a well-kept loft building just off the river walk. Rooms are cool and contemporary, but not at all minimal — there’s plenty of color, and the eye can’t help but be drawn to the occasional scarlet or leopard-print chair or sofa.
Good as it looks, design isn’t the point of this place. Savannah, and by extension the Avia, is about the good life — the rooms lack for no comfort, and food and drink are central to the experience, with daily wine tastings, custom-roasted coffee, and a fine introduction to modern Southern cooking at the Avia Kitchen. And the town itself is the other half of the equation, with Paula Deen’s restaurant, for example, just down the street; your concierge will see to it that by the time you leave, you know Savannah inside and out.
Sunday October 25, 2009
Royal Palm Hotel
Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
If we tell you there’s a resort you’ve got to see in the Galápagos Islands you’d probably imagine some kind of bare-bones eco-resort, or a bit of sailing on some latter-day HMS Beagle. What you might not expect is an inland luxury resort hidden away in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island — but that’s exactly what the Royal Palm is.
Bare-bones it isn’t, but an eco-resort it certainly still is, at least in the sense that you’re immersed in the Ecuadoran rainforest from beginning to end. The Royal Palm spreads out over 500 acres of lush garden, all for just ten villas, eight studios and three suites. Within any one of them you’ll lead a pampered existence, with all the pleasures of a modern luxury hotel — plus, of course, the added pleasure of your surroundings in one of the world’s last great wildernesses.
It may make for an uneasy balance for anyone who equates environmental friendliness with spartan self-denial; but here you’ve got the lagoons, the tortoises and the Charles Darwin research station peacefully co-existing with spa treatments and casual modern cuisine. Use it as a base from which to explore the Galápagos, or just a place to hide yourself away.
How to Get There: Travel via Quito or Guayaquil airports to Baltra airport in the Galapagos. At Baltra airport, guests must pay $100 park services entry fee for the Galapagos Islands. Transportation from Baltra airport to the hotel, via boat and van, takes about 40 minutes. Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com for help arranging your transfer.
Sunday October 25, 2009
Villa del Sogno
Gardone Riviera, Lombardia, Italy
There was a time, back before the invention of air travel, when the lakes of northern Italy were the favored destination for Europeans of means. And even now, the fact that the flight to the Maldives is quicker than the coach ride from Vienna to Lake Garda has done nothing to diminish the intrinsic charms of the Gardone Riviera, still on display at the Hotel Villa del Sogno.
The villa itself stands on a terraced hillside above the shores of Lake Garda, and looks out over the lake and the surrounding valley, with stunning views from many of its 31 rooms and suites, and an incomparable one from the hotel’s terrace lounge. Inside the style is classic, fitting Lake Garda’s status as an old-world destination — you can get modern design in a million places in Italy, and there’s no need for it here.
Some of the better rooms and a couple of suites have their own private terraces, but they’re not a necessity — you can’t escape the view, and you’ll find yourself outside soaking in it much of the time. That is, when you’re not soaking in something else — either the Villa del Sogno’s swimming pool, or the whirlpool down in the lavish spa and wellness center.
Sunday October 25, 2009
Sivory Punta Cana
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
It’s not about the Dominican Republic so much as it is about a beach at the end of the earth. Sivory Punta Cana may as well be on its own desert island, so focused is it on the sand, the surf, and the horizon. And if you wanted to get away from everything else, it’s hard to imagine a more gorgeous place to do it.
The accommodations are almost equal to the setting. Neither aggressively modern nor patronizingly island-kitsch, they’re soothing, contemporary, and subtly quite luxe. You won’t be blown away by bachelor-pad gadgetry, but you also certainly won’t mind the deep two-person soaking tub, the all-pervasive wireless internet, or the dedicated wine fridge. There’s more space than you’ll know what to do with, and the views are extraordinary, especially in the waterfront suites — it’s like living inside a postcard.
They’re more than luxurious enough to hole up in, and some do. Honeymooners might not even know about the spa, expansive though it is, and the restaurants go far beyond the odd bit of room service — for just a hundred-odd guests the Sivory provides no fewer than three restaurants, and, in the cellar, eight thousand bottles of wine.
Saturday October 24, 2009
968 Park Hotel
South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
Lake Tahoe is known for a lot of things — chiefly water sports, skiing, and other outdoor pursuits — but inventive small hotels are typically not among them. Development here has tended toward the utilitarian, to put it kindly. Which makes the 968 Park Hotel all the more special.
For one thing, it’s a renovation, not a new build, and given the amount of empty space around here, that’s something that requires uncommon restraint. But what’s most impressive about the development process is that the 968 was a zero-waste renovation: though they stripped it to its studs, they salvaged what they could, and found homes for everything else.
The finished version of the 968 Park is about as green as it gets, which is still surprisingly uncommon even in California. The stylish, contemporary interiors stand out as well, especially given the state of the competition. There are some notable comforts, especially the spa, which comes in handy in recovering from a day spent on the slopes. But in the end the 968, like all Tahoe resorts, is about the location: the lake, the casinos, and above all the ski resorts. With Heavenly Village just across the road you’ve got all the trappings of a ski town, from chair lifts to shops and restaurants and even an ice rink, all within a few minutes’ walk.
Saturday October 24, 2009
Spitz Hotel
Linz, Austria
Having a bit less high-culture history to weigh it down than Vienna or Salzburg do, Austria’s third city of Linz gets on with the business of modern life — some of which happens to take place in a very modern hotel called the Spitz. It’s right in the heart of the city, across from the new town hall and around the corner from the Ars Electronica Center, the technology museum that’s set to re-open in January of 2009. The ideal place for a modern-style design hotel, especially one which, like the Spitz, is relatively easy on the wallet.
It’s an upgrade from the 1980s chain hotel that used to occupy this space, taken over by a private owner and redesigned by the architect Isa Stein. The new-look Spitz ranges across several categories of hospitality, from standard rooms and studios to long-stay rooms and apartments. It’s still more design hotel than luxury hotel, full of contemporary works by local artists and video installations by Ars Electronica, but it doesn’t lack for comfort — guest rooms come with flat-screen televisions and the public spaces in particular are striking, with their clean white backgrounds and asymmetrical red leather seats.
Friday October 23, 2009
The St. Regis Singapore
Singapore, Singapore
You may think you know about luxury hotels, but until you’ve seen the Asian version, you haven’t seen anything yet. And don’t let the sleek glass tower fool you — the St. Regis Singapore, despite its contemporary sheen, is a luxury hotel of the old school, the sort of place where, if you’ll let them, they’ll pick you up at the airport in one of a fleet of Bentleys.
Once inside you’re assigned a butler, and seen to your room, which is all old-world opulence, though it may contain such modern interventions as multiple LCD televisions and pervasive wi-fi. Sun streams in through full-length windows, lending a cheery aspect to the bright reds and golds of the décor, and the bathrooms are arguably the centerpieces of the rooms, with rain showers, deep freestanding tubs, and in-mirror flat-screens.
Bars and lounges include a New York–style cocktail bar, a genteel drawing room, and a chic wine bar, which is arranged more like a wine library than a traditional lounge. Three restaurants cater to various tastes: an upscale French brasserie, a pan-Mediterranean option, and Yan Ting, an artful high-end Cantonese restaurant. And just outside central Singapore awaits — the shopping district of Orchard Road is a short walk away.
Thursday October 22, 2009
Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena
Bansko, Bulgaria
Nobody is about to mistake Bansko, Bulgaria for St. Moritz. But it’s certainly not without its charms. You can actually afford to ski here, for one thing; and if you’re having an increasingly difficult time telling one Alpine resort from another, you’ll find Bansko has an almost comical abundance of character. And the affordability extends to the hotels as well — here’s a top-end luxury hotel, the Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena, which is located literally right at the bottom of the gondola, charging a nightly rate that might not even get you through the door of the worst hotel in Gstaad.
One look at the Grand Arena’s distinctive exterior and you can tell you’re not in the Alps anymore. The rooms may be a bit on the mild side, but you don’t come to a ski resort to admire the furniture. There’s plenty of character out in the streets as well — this has only been a ski resort for a little more than a decade, so the old town is perhaps quainter than most. Of course, if you’re used to Courchevel or Park City or Whistler, you’ll find the slopes themselves a bit quaint; but that’s sort of the point. Bulgaria is still lovably bizarre, the Grand Arena rolls out the red carpet for cheap, and the ratio of experience to cost is at an all-time high.
Wednesday October 21, 2009
The Regent Esplanade Hotel Zagreb
Zagreb, Croatia
Surely it won’t be long before the contemporary-design boutique hotels move in to Zagreb, but there’ll never be anything in the Croatian capital to match the historic appeal of the Regent Esplanade. It dates back to the Twenties, to the heyday of the Orient Express, and its Art Deco interiors have been renovated, but not updated — just looking around these rooms (and ignoring the satellite television) you could easily convince yourself it’s still 1924.
Of course those old-fashioned good looks are compatible with modern luxury-hotel comforts. Goose down pillows and duvets on the beds, oversized towels in the modern marble bathrooms, and above all plenty of space, always a luxury in a city-center grand hotel.
Elegance in the guest rooms is certainly nice, but in a classic luxury hotel like the Regent Esplanade, it’s the public spaces that really shine. The lobby is stylish, in the same gorgeous and impeccably maintained Art Deco style as the rest of the hotel, and the cocktail lounge and the French bistro have atmosphere to spare. But it’s the fine dining restaurant and the grand ballroom that are truly monumental — the Regent is the European grand hotel at its best.
Tuesday October 20, 2009
Pool House
Poolewe, Scotland, UK
Though the name may conjure images of bathing beauties and poolside bungalows, it’s not that kind of pool house. This Pool House takes its name from the village of Poolewe, where the River Ewe meets the sea, on the shores of Loch Ewe, in the far North West of Scotland. It’s a classic Victorian mansion, dating back to the 19th century — and now, in the 21st, it’s a small and intimate family-owned hotel.
You’ll find few of the trappings of the professional hotel — with just seven suites, it’s got the atmosphere of a private residence. The North by North West dining room looks out over Loch Ewe, and the billiard room serves single malt Scottish whiskies sorted by geographic origin, and the drawing room is the venue for afternoon tea, Victorian style.
Every suite is different, but all are lavishly decorated — one a recreation of the bedroom of the house’s 19th-century owner, another a replica of a first-class cabin on the Titanic (including an antique glass shower from 1912), and still others in French Empire, Renaissance Italian or pre-colonial Indian styles.
It’s remote, yes, and secluded, but for the Scottish Highlands, Poolewe’s climate is relatively mild — it’s unlikely, outside the winter months, that the weather would keep you shut in. Not that you’d mind.
How to get there:
Pool House is approximately a 5 hour drive from either Edinburgh or Glasgow and 90 minutes from Inverness International Airport.
Monday October 19, 2009
MaMaison Residence Sulekova
Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Given the relative dearth of boutique hotels in this part of Europe, and in particular the tardiness with which international travelers have embraced Slovakia, it’s a bit surprising, honestly, to find that one of Bratislava’s first small contemporary design hotels is such a strong entry. But that’s exactly what the MaMaison Residence Sulekova is — thirty-two relatively spacious apartments (not rooms, apartments) in a bright and breezy modern style, located in a residential neighborhood right in the heart of old town Bratislava, walking distance from the Danube and the Bratislava Castle.
In terms of design the MaMaison’s not charting out any new territory, with its hardwood floors and vaguely Nordic-looking furniture. But the interior color schemes are light and unpretentious, more than stylish enough, and the apartment-style amenities are a thoughtful touch, from kitchenettes complete with fridges and freezers (compensating a bit for the lack of a proper restaurant) to DVD-equipped televisions and in-room stereo systems. And despite the residential feel, it’s serviced like a hotel, concierge, round-the-clock room service and all. Fans of the hipster-central nightclub-oriented variety of boutique hotel might not find it exactly to their liking, but if you’re after something stylish but a little more grown up, this is the place.
Monday October 19, 2009
The Regent Palms Hotel
Providenciales, Turks And Caicos Islands
More new upscale Caribbean than traditional mellow island funk, the Palms is a new addition to the pantheon of haute-luxury Turks and Caicos escapes. Don’t be fooled by the main house’s Palladian architecture; this place is a full-service luxury resort in the modern mold, with all that that entails, from the private beach to the stand-alone spa complex to the restaurant, serving the kind of inventive high-end cuisine that’s still too rare in this part of the world.
Modern also means big rooms. All come with plenty of space to stretch out, private terraces or balconies, and a kitchenette at minimum — all suites come with full kitchens, outfitted with Viking appliances. Bathrooms are luxuriously oversized as well, each one with a hydro-massage bathtub, and here the up-to-date amenities go hand in hand with classic styling: coral stone, marble, and ornately detailed moldings and wainscoting.
The location on Grace Bay places the Palms close to the heart of the action, such as it is, on Providenciales. But many of us will be content on the resort’s grounds, or in the water — there’s a pristine private beach and a labyrinthine infinity pool (complete with swim-up bar), and golfers, divers and sport-fishers will find Provo lacks for almost nothing.
Sunday October 18, 2009
Edsa Shangri-La Manila
Manila, Philippines
The best luxury chains are often the most consistent, and the Shangri-La group is no different. So what separates the Edsa Shangri-La from its sister, the Makati? Little more than the location. Which one you’ll choose will depend largely on which part of Manila you’ve got business in, whether that happens to mean leisure business or business business — the Edsa is in Mandaluyong City, a bit north of Makati.
Once you’ve made your choice you can sit back and enjoy the Shangri-La experience, which is a touch more dramatic, more romantic, than the average top-flight luxury hotel. The twin-tower construction dominates the local skyline, and the rooms can see for miles. Tower Wing rooms are perhaps a bit more formal than Garden Wing rooms, but it’s not exactly night and day — both are decked out in a sophisticated mod-Asian look, and all rooms, from the humblest Superior to the Tower Wing’s Presidential suite, are equipped to the latest international standard.
In a hotel of this caliber certain things can almost go unmentioned: a range of restaurants, a handful of bars, a spa and wellness center complete with pool and gym. If there’s anything unique about the Edsa Shangri-La it’s the lush landscaped garden, a treat indeed in the massive metropolis of greater Manila.
Saturday October 17, 2009
W Montreal
Montreal, QC, Québec, Canada
Montreal takes pride in its reputation as North America’s most fun city — so it’s only natural that here you would find a classic old bank building converted into a dramatic and colorful high-design luxury hotel. This is the W brand’s bread and butter: the W Montreal is a hotel that’s equally well equipped for business and for pleasure, as stylish as any boutique and yet palatable for all but the stodgiest of luxury customers.
The lobby is dominated by a deep crimson red, but this soon gives way to blues in the guest rooms — turquoise, sky blue, a bit of neon. It’s far indeed from the creams and greys of the typical high-end hotel, and it keeps the design front and center at all times. There’s no mistaking a W for an ordinary chain hotel, and that’s more or less entirely the point.
From work desks and wi-fi to terry robes and rain showers, the rooms are loaded with all the must-haves. A couple of bars and a restaurant keep things buzzing, and a spa and fitness center are there when you’re ready for some alone time. It’s stylish but at the same time accessible, preaching the design gospel to a crowd that’s bigger than the usual boutique enthusiasts.
How to get there:
From Aéroport Pierre-Elliott Trudeau, 20 km - approximately 25 minutes.
Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers or to get directions.
Friday October 16, 2009
The Address Hotel, Downtown Burj Dubai
Dubai, UAE
There’s a case to be made that if you want to get to the heart of the new Dubai, this is the place to go. The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai is sandwiched between the sprawling Dubai Mall and the enormous Burj Dubai, which will be for a time the tallest building in the world — and if there’s a city where bigger is unquestionably better, it’s got to be this one.
Not for the Address, then, the subtle pleasures of the intimate little boutique hotel. It’s shorter than the Burj, but not by a whole lot, its 196 rooms and suites standing as high as sixty-three floors up. The look is contemporary luxury, and the services and amenities are encyclopedic to match: thoroughly wired, 24-hour everything, and no convenience spared, right down to details like in-room espresso machines and Acqua di Parma bath products.
And what it lacks in some kind of kitsch local color it more than makes up for in international culinary appeal. Restaurants include Chinese and wide-ranging pan-global options, and the sky bar, all the way up on the sixty-third floor, serves cocktails and snacks with a vertiginous view of downtown Dubai.
Thursday October 15, 2009
Pullman Barcelona Skipper
Barcelona, Spain
We’re obviously partial to independent little boutiques, but we freely admit that sometimes, big is beautiful. And so it is, in the case of the Hotel Pullman Barcelona Skipper. With some 241 rooms and suites, and existing as it does under the ownership of the French hospitality giant Accor, it’s no mom-and-pop operation. But with its combination of sleek contemporary design and professional luxury-hotel service, it sets itself far apart from the average chain hotel.
The rooms are open to the midday sunlight through full-length windows, and the hotel’s coastal location, near the Olympic Port, means you have views of either the Mediterranean or the city. The style is crisp and contemporary, more professional than artistic — the design is attractive but keeps to the background. And from here you can choose between the options of beachside Barcelona or the attractions of the old city — whether by taxi or metro, transportation is not an issue.
And while the Skipper caters very confidently to business travelers, with enough conference facilities to host a convention, it’s equally geared towards leisure travelers. Two outdoor pools and a spa and 24-hour fitness center keep guests active, and the two restaurants, Malbec and Syrah, don’t discriminate between romantic dinners and business lunches.
Wednesday October 14, 2009
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples
Naples, FL, USA
Not that Naples, the other one — Naples, Florida, on the southern end of the Gulf side of the peninsula. Not the most glamorous of destinations, probably, but that’s the glamorous people’s loss, not yours; while they’re still loading their luggage onto some St. Barths–bound seaplane, you’re already sipping a cocktail and basking in a view of the Gulf, which if it isn’t quite technically the Caribbean you’d never know just by looking.
This is one of those moments when you’re glad for the consistency of an established chain. The Naples outpost is simply Ritz-Carlton through and through, pure old-world décor and refreshingly formal service — afternoon tea, as always, is a highlight. The rooms are faultless, if entirely traditional, and the services are complete; the spa, in particular, is a 50,000-square-foot marvel of state-of-the-art pampering. And while elegance is the theme, rest assured — this is still Florida, and it’s not easy to be underdressed.
You’re far enough north of town to feel quite comfortably secluded, and the beach is about as tranquil and pleasant as they come. Golfers are linked by a quick shuttle ride to the Ritz-Carlton’s golf club, featuring 36 immaculately groomed holes.
How to get there:
From Southwest Florida International Airport - approximately 25 mins.
From Miami International Airport - approximately 2 hrs.
From Ft. Lauderdale International Airport - approximately 2 hrs.
Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers or to get directions.
Tuesday October 13, 2009
Pod
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
It’s the kind of hotel you might be prepared to see in Mumbai, but it’s not at all standard in traditional Chennai — though the name, to be honest, might provide a hint. The Pod Hotel is so modern that “modern” doesn’t even quite cover it; the owners, including architect Vikram Phadke, are stars of contemporary Indian design, and from the geometric lines to the concrete-and-glass construction to the eye-popping red of the mosaic-tiled pool, the Pod is so futuristic that it’s hard to remember it’s a functioning hotel, and not just a bold aesthetic statement.
But function it does. There’s technology everywhere you look, with wireless internet and an Apple TV in every room, plus loaner iPhones for guest use. And the traditional values aren’t forgotten either: witness the platform beds swathed in top-quality linens, and the regular yoga classes out on the sun deck.
A hotel like the Pod, understandably, likes to take the opportunity to show off its stylish spaces a bit — enter Absolute, the restaurant, which infuses contemporary Californian cooking with Thai, French and Japanese accents, and looks quite good in the process. The audience for this sort of thing, in Chennai, might not be all that large — but it’s hard to imagine the Pod wouldn’t become the very center of it all.
Monday October 12, 2009
Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa
Goa, Goa, India
It’s probably not, at first glance, what you’d expect a Park Hyatt to be. But then again Goa is probably not quite what you’d expect it to be. This hippie hideaway went mass tourism for a bit, but is now being rediscovered by a totally different breed of traveler, one that appreciates the idyllic setting but prefers a slightly smoother ride — less a commune vibe than, well, a Park Hyatt one.
In fact the Park Hyatt version is a slightly idealized Goa, one that turns back the development clock a few ticks. The location, a bit outside of Goa proper, means tranquil country life and unspoiled, uncrowded beaches. The resort’s low-slung villas hug to the shores of a placid lagoon — this is no Shinjuku skyscraper, that’s for sure.
Rooms and suites are decorated in a subtle contemporary-colonial style, the Park Hyatt–standard clean lines everywhere in evidence. The comforts, too, are up to Park Hyatt standard, and the bathrooms are among the most lavish anywhere. It’s an ideal home base from which to explore the colorful chaos of Goa, or, if you’re in a retiring mood, the sort of place you could comfortably barricade yourself in for days upon days at a time.
Sunday October 11, 2009
Conrad Bangkok
Bangkok, Thailand
There’s just something about Bangkok. Some of the top hotels are practically pleasure palaces, urban resorts where business is all but forgotten among spa treatments and poolside cocktails. Here even the most conservative business hotels — and now we’re talking about the Conrad Bangkok — take a page from the resort handbook, kicking off its heels and letting down its hair to a degree some of us might find surprising.
You would expect a five-star hotel on Wireless Road, in the heart of the diplomatic district, to be a pretty serious affair. But even here you’ll find saucy glass-walled bathrooms, a couple of remarkably swinging bars, and all through the house, an atmosphere that lends itself just as well to romance as to business.
And while corporate travelers are well looked after, with copious meeting facilities and a first-class events staff, it’s in the more leisure-friendly areas that the Conrad absolutely shines. There’s a spa with 11 treatment rooms and a well-equipped fitness center, plus an outdoor pool, a rooftop track, and two lighted tennis courts. Among the restaurants is Liu, a remarkably atmospheric fine Chinese option, and the Diplomat Bar and the 87 Plus nightclub draw a crowd that’s far above and beyond the usual hotel-bar audience.
How to get there:
From Suvarnabhumi International Airport - Approx. 40 mins. by using the Bangkok-Chon Buri (Motorway) towards the Bangkok City centre and exit at South Ploenchit Road and turn onto Sukhumvit Road. Second left onto Wireless Road where the Conrad is located.
Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers or to get directions.
