Daily Tablet Hotel

Grand Hotel et de Milan : Milan, Italy

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:00:13 GMT

Milan may be the most fashion-forward city in Italy, the couture capital, and the center of industrial progress as well—but this is still Italy, after all, and there’s always room for a little bit of ancient history. Nothing industrial or futuristic about it: the Grand Hotel et de Milan is every bit as traditionally elegant as the newly reopened La Scala theater, which is just a few steps away—and this location surely played a crucial role in the hotel’s history, as such famous names as Nureyev, Callas, and Caruso have graced its guestbook.

Most notoriously, Giuseppe Verdi spent years here, including his last—and though the hotel, like La Scala, was closed for a long renovation, the public rooms are almost exactly as he left them, filled with antique furnishings, marble floors, and Oriental rugs. Guest rooms are just as impressive, all rich fabrics and period furniture, some in nineteenth-century style, others in art deco or art nouveau, and one dedicated to Verdi himself—suite 106, the Royal suite.

Of course all Milan’s modern charms are accessible—the boutiques of Via della Spiga and Via Montenapoleone are close at hand, in addition to the city’s sightseeing attractions, like Il Duomo and La Scala. There are certainly more daring, more modern hotels, smaller boutiques, and more fashionable places to lay one’s head, but if it was good enough for Verdi’s final days, it’s certainly worth seeing.

The Tsitouras Collection : Santorini, Greece

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:00:14 GMT

Stunning sunset views, check. Whitewashed walls and complimentary cocktails, check. What distinguishes Tsitouras Collection from the various other high-end lodgings on Santorini is the hotel’s structure: unlike the sprawling resorts with infinity pools, Tsitouras is comprised of just five freestanding cottages situated on a cliff overlooking the sea.

Each cottage is attended by a butler staff, and is individually decorated according to one Greek theme or another. The House of Porcelain, for instance, is full of Royal Copenhagen china, while the House of Nureyev contains original sketches of the famous ballet dancer performing in Athens. The interiors are anything but spare, however — Dimitris Tsitouras, the namesake art collector who restored the hotel’s main building in 1985, has filled guest quarters with an impressive array of antique treasures that complement each cottage’s theme. From Beidermeyer chairs to Byzantine icons to Yamaha pianos, the details within these mini-museums stand in sharp contrast to the minimalist style of many contemporary hotels.

For all its precious antiquities, the hotel still lacks a pool and spa, facilities one might expect at a first-class resort (unless, of course, you book the extravagant and entirely separate TC Villa, which includes a private pool that appears to merge with the blue ocean beyond). But the chance to enjoy the natural beauty of Santorini while sleeping in the presence of a Picasso ceramic piece, as you could in the House of the Sea, is a one-of-a-kind opportunity. Don’t be surprised if you see some of the hotel’s furnishings under glass in the future — Mr. Tsitouras is currently working on a museum to house some of his many artifacts.

The Elysian : Bali, Indonesia, Indonesia

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:00:10 GMT

The days when Bali was innocently viewed as an undiscovered paradise are long since gone. These days travelers can expect something a little more worldly, and peace and quiet are increasingly hard to come by. Hence the appeal of a place like the Elysian.

This is more like urbane apartment living than the typical island getaway. The Elysian’s 26 private villas face out onto walled garden courtyards, each one with a private eight-meter swimming pool. Inside, the look is a sort of cosmopolitan contemporary Asian, all clean lines, local teak wood and light stone.

Rooms are outfitted with all the conveniences of city life, from broadband internet and 40 channels of cable to Bose sound systems with pre-loaded iPods. Each one comes with a lounge, day bed, outdoor garden furniture and a sprawling modern bathroom with a massive soaking tub.

Should a social mood strike, there’s more to the Elysian than just the privacy of the villas. There’s a spa, of course, including yoga and aromatherapy among its offerings, and a 25-meter swimming pool surrounded by cabanas and a Balinese temple. The poolside restaurant is perfect for a leisurely night in, and the Elysian’s location means any number of fine options are just outside your door.

Ayasofya Pansiyonlari : Istanbul, Turkey

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:15 GMT

If it’s true, as the old saying goes, that the most important variable in real estate is location, then there are probably few pieces of hotel real estate more valuable than the one occupied by Ayasofya Pansiyonlari. Here, on a cobbled lane behind the famous Aya Sofya mosque, arguably Istanbul’s top tourist attraction, stand a row of 19th-century wooden houses, carefully restored by the Turkish Touring and Automobile Club into a sixty-three-room hotel.

And it’s quieter than you think. Despite being round the back from one of the world’s most-photographed buildings, there’s no more than a steady trickle of foot traffic on the lane outside. Some rooms face courtyards or the walls of the old Topkapi Palace (just another one of the Sultanahmet district’s ancient treasures) — booking a front-facing room, though, is a must, as the experience of waking up to a view of the Aya Sofya itself is a singular one.

There are a handful of terraces, courtyards, dining rooms, plenty of places for a meal or a drink — it’s not quite a luxury hotel, but it’s more than comfortable enough. In the end, though, the point is not the what, but the where — you’ll wake up every morning in a place most visitors struggle to get to by bus, by ferry, by cab. If they only knew.

The Levante Parliament : Vienna, Austria

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:15 GMT

In a city as resolutely classical as Vienna, even the Bauhaus facade of the Levante Parliament hotel stands out as something stylistically extraordinary. Equally surprising is what’s inside — a contemporary take on the era’s obsession with monochrome and geometric forms that’s just as striking as the typical clean-lined design hotel, and a good deal more livable.

One improvement comes in the area of materials, what seems like miles of marble, glass, and exotic woods. Accents in orange and copious black-and-white photo prints break up the Levante’s minimalism, and the rooms are filled with inviting creature comforts, from down duvets and plush towels to the sort of high-tech gadgetry that’s quickly becoming indispensable — you don’t know you need underfloor heating or speakers in the bathroom until you try going without them for a while.

There’s a restaurant named after the glass sculptor Ioan Nemtol, the creator of many of the orange glass pieces you see around the place, and there’s an arrangement with the Palais Auersperg next door for events and conference space. The Parliament building, sensibly enough, is right next door, and the historic city center is just to the east, making most everything in this compact and walkable city easily accessible.

The May Fair : London, England, UK

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:11 GMT

In London, the hotel world’s majorest of major leagues, even the big chains know which way the wind is blowing — away from that fusty manor-house look, and toward something altogether more clean-lined and contemporary. Nobody’s about to mistake the old May Fair for the Sanderson, but after a top-to-bottom £70m renovation, it’s looking shockingly up-to-date.

It’s plain they’ve learned some lessons from the new breed of design hotels: the Mayfair Bar is stylish and modern, packing in a hip West End crowd, and Amba, the restaurant, is striking in granite and black leather. Upstairs, the bedrooms are still oversized and as luxurious as they come, and now they’re utterly modern too, slightly minimalist in muted earth tones. And of course they’re packed with all the modern must-haves, from high-tech (Bang & Olufsen entertainment centers) to low (Molton Brown bath products).

A 201-seat private screening room is a rarity, to be sure, but the May Fair’s spa is its crown jewel. It’s vaguely Asian in design (as are all spas these days) and completely over-the-top — the best place for a mud bath after a long day of splashing cash all over the West End. Or all over the hotel — the May Fair’s own Palm Beach Casino is among the biggest in town, and its atmosphere of old-world glamour is an inducement to high-stakes playing.

Culloden Hotel : Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:10 GMT

High in the Holywood hills, five miles outside of town, you’ll find what may be Belfast’s grandest old hotel. The 19th-century Culloden estate cuts an impressive silhouette, surrounded by twelve acres of wooded parklands and gardens overlooking the waters of Belfast Lough. Once a bishops’ residence, then a private home, today it’s the sort of place that hosts pop stars and heads of state on their way through town.

Behind this imposing Gothic exterior lies a lush interior; no drafty castle, the Culloden is stuffed with antiques and artworks, stained glass and Louis XV chandeliers. Guest rooms are decked out in rich fabrics and antique furnishings, with marble bathrooms, separate showers and tubs, and views of the gardens or the Lough. Suites come with king beds, stereo systems and superior views.

Dining options include the informal Cultra Inn and the award-winning Mitre Restaurant, serving continental fare made from fresh Irish ingredients in a dining room converted from the old refectory. Golfers are in heaven, surrounded by a number of fine courses including the Royal Belfast, and the athletically minded can make use of the hotel’s pool and fitness center. Sailing the Lough is a popular pastime as well, and the grounds and gardens make for excellent walking. Perhaps best of all, the shops, restaurants and nightlife of Belfast’s city center are just minutes away.

AC Ciudad De Toledo : Toledo, Spain

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:00:15 GMT

Due to its small-town location, the Toledo branch of the AC hotels doesn’t see the same steady flow of high-profile guests that parade through the doors of its sisters in places like Madrid. It’s a different animal from its big-city counterparts, a fused-together cluster of traditional Spanish homes on a hillside looking across the river at Toledo’s historic old town — limos and entourages aside, the AC Toledo is stylish in its own way, a rustic and rural take on the boutique hotel concept.

Colorful tilework and warm Mediterranean tones enliven each of the hotel’s three levels: guests enter the property at the top floor and work their way downhill. Guest rooms and suites are spacious, light-filled, and outfitted with furnishings that fuse country chic with a contemporary sensibility: think dark reds and fresh whites, wood-beamed ceilings, potted plants, and huge, bright bathrooms with hydromassage bathtubs. Some rooms come complete with private balconies looking out over the romantic Toledo skyline, a view that’s best savored with café con leche at sunrise (or with sangria when the lights are twinkling at night.)

For many of us the point of staying outside a major city is the slow pace, cordial service, and thoughtfully presented regional cuisine — the sleepy city center is a leisurely fifteen-minute stroll from the hotel, and it’s hardly a major nightlife destination anyway. This gracious little hotel is better suited to those seeking rest and pretty sunsets, and a break from cosmopolitan excitement.

Naumi : Singapore, Singapore

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:00:14 GMT

The colonial style reigned in Singapore hotels for quite a long time. But today a new generation of design-conscious boutique hotels is moving in. In the place of what was once the Metropole, a fairly standard budget hotel, the Naumi now stands proudly clad in steel mesh, just down the street from the Raffles (and, to the great convenience of business guests, just a few minutes’ walk from the convention center).

Inside it’s at once crisp and flamboyant, with clean lines and sober colors livened by expressive touches like brightly-colored design-classic chairs or ornate wallpaper patterns etched into glass. In terms of comforts, the rooms are a step up from the boutique-hotel norm, verging on luxury territory: business travelers will be happy with the full-sized desks, IP telephones and wireless internet, leisure guests will make use of 42-plus-inch plasma televisions with Xbox and Wii game systems, and everyone can benefit from the kitchenettes and from the bathrooms, equipped with separate baths and showers and stocked with Aesop toiletries.

What sets the Naumi apart ultimately is the service. Guests are assigned a “Naumi aide” upon check-in, a sort of concierge-butler-assistant — so you’ll never be on your own. Further thoughtful touches include the ladies-only floor, and the swimming pool, already beyond what’s strictly necessary for a 40-room hotel, and all the more so for its view from the building’s rooftop.

Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi : Chiang Mai, Thailand

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:00:14 GMT

Not at all the typical Mandarin Oriental, and in fact quite unlike just about any hotel anywhere — the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, on the outskirts of the inland city of Chiang Mai, is no high-rise city hotel but a bona fide resort, Mandarin’s first. And what a resort it is.

The concept is one of total escape, total immersion in what amounts to a painstaking recreation of a centuries-old Lanna palace, complete with functioning agriculture, villagers hired to work the fields and put on displays of traditional crafts and culture. All exquisitely stage-managed, of course, but if you like a measure of fantasy in your tourism, you won’t be disappointed.

Accommodations are spread widely over the fifty-acre property, guests and staff alike traversing the grounds on bicycles or by golf cart. The suites in the central colonial-style building look out from balconies over an array of more traditionally-styled pavilions and villas, styled after traditional Thai farmhouses and rice barns, and the almost excessive Residences, each one a palace unto itself.

No luxury is spared, either in-room or out — butler service is just a call away, and the Dheva spa is the height of decadence, offering a comprehensive menu of treatments in an environment patterned after an ancient Burmese palace. Dining options include French, Chinese and traditional Thai offerings, and the leisure activities tend to the quiet side — yoga, cultural tours, a culinary academy. You won’t see much of Chiang Mai from this compound outside the city, but you will get a look at the traditional culture of northern Thailand that you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere.

Hotel San Roque : Garachico - Isla Baja, Tenerife, Spain

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:00:13 GMT

Geographically speaking, a holiday in the Canary Islands is already pretty much by definition an exercise in getting away from it all. But you’ve got to choose wisely — there are parts of Tenerife that are so thoughtlessly overdeveloped as to leave you wondering why you bothered at all. Luckily, when you need a vacation from your vacation, there are options available — a little extra effort is amply rewarded by a place like the Hotel San Roque, in the north-side town of Garachico.

The charming old building’s been left pretty much as it was, while the interiors have been updated with contemporary finishes and modernist furnishings. Rooms are smart, comfortable and spacious enough, stylish but not ostentatious. There’s art everywhere, from a selection of modern Spanish artists, and most of the furniture comes with an impeccable design pedigree.

Garachico is Tenerife’s old port town, and the San Roque sits at the city’s edge, a comfortable walk from the old town, with views of the sea, the surrounding countryside, and the snow-capped Teide peak. There’s plenty of golf to be played, as well as sea-going diversions like diving and deep-sea fishing — it’s the pool deck, however, that is the focus of most guests’ attention.

Mandarin Oriental Munich : Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:00:03 GMT

Despite its distinctly old-fashioned appearance, this is, perhaps, Munich's most sophisticated hotel. Small and discreet, the Mandarin Oriental is still widely referred to by its old name, the Rafael, though this 19th century building was only converted to a hotel in 1990.

This is probably due to the fact that many of the guests have been devotees since the hotel since it first opened, and often come several times a year (Zubin Mehta stays here every time he conducts the Opera series). Evidently, they all like the fruit on check-in, the newspaper in the morning, and the extremely familiar, extremely friendly faces of the concierge and the barman. An added bonus - everything in the mini bar is on the house. And the food, by the way, is absolutely sensational. Should you find yourself burnt out - as many visitors to Germany do - on bratwurst and strudel escape downstairs to one of the city's best centers of modern cuisine, the Mark restaurant.

Your physical surroundings aren't so shabby either. The air is redolent with the many flowers strewn throughout. The Mandarin Oriental prides itself on its collection of prints and etchings, which includes several from its former namesake, the Italian painter Raphael himself. Real antiques decorate rooms that are architecturally quirky in a way unique to buildings over a century old. Like Prince Charles, you might want to sleep in room 608, which features a sitting room in a turret, and will make you feel like Rapunzel. Opinion is divided on the best aspect about the hotel, though. Some say it's the location - walking distance from anything you would possibly want to see in Munich, the Opera, the Marienplatz, shopping, and the Maximilianstrasse. Some say it's the nice pianist at the piano bar. But others say, hands down, that it's the terrace on the roof with its garden and heated pool from which you can see the Alps.

Esperanza : Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:00:22 GMT

Esperanza is located at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, four miles outside of Cabo San Lucas, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez. The setting is spectacular and the resort itself is luxurious and exclusive, the sort of place where you just might spot a vacationing Hollywood star.

It's no surprise, then, that privacy and seclusion are among Esperanza's biggest draws. There are no standard rooms here — just fifty casitas and six luxury suites, all with private terraces and ocean views. The décor is nothing to write to Wallpaper about, just a comfortable, contemporary Baja look, with plenty of stucco and exposed beams, and a smattering of works by local artists. No need to complain to your agent either — the linens are the obligatory Frette, presumably in compliance with some Screen Actors Guild regulation.

The restaurant offers an improbably beautiful view, as it is carved into the bluffs of Punta Ballena (Whale Point) overlooking the truly pacific (as opposed to Pacific) Sea of Cortez. Breakfast is served on a seaside terrace, TAPAS serves the inevitable array of small plates, and, not to be outdone, the Palapa Bar offers drinks with an ocean view, and a prodigious selection of tequilas.

Whale-watching, perhaps unsurprisingly in a place called Whale Point, is an option, as are all manner of other seafaring activities, from sailing to surfing. Land-lovers may prefer a day of spa treatments or yoga classes, a spin through the open-air art gallery, or a visit to either the historic town of San Jose del Cabo or the less historic nightlife of Cabo San Lucas. It would be difficult to find bad food around here, whether in a proper restaurant or at a streetside vendor, and bars and nightclubs span the spectrum from local favorites to the Hard Rock Cafe. Then again it may be difficult to force yourself to leave the resort grounds, so comfortable and scenic are the surroundings.

Grand Hotel Central : Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:00:35 GMT

Spacious, cool and clutter-free, the Grand Hotel Central melds the scale and efficiency of a business hotel with the textures and colors of a city-center boutique hotel. The minimalist-chic design looks immediately familiar, immaculately clean and gracefully illuminated, but is confidently handled, and finishes lengths ahead of the average minimalist boutique. And the location elevates it as well: the proximity to Barcelona’s cathedral and the Gothic quarter makes it tourist-friendly, and the arty El Born district which surrounds is the natural habitat of the young and stylish.

Inside it’s well-equipped for business or pleasure; each of the 147 guest rooms features crisp white linens, spotless glass doors, a large flat-screen television, high-speed internet access, and conveniences like an oversized work desk, a hands-free telephone, and ruthlessly efficient soundproofing. Luxurious bathrooms contain anti-steam mirrors and roomy bathtubs. And fully half of the guest quarters are actually rather extravagant, either expanded Executive rooms or full-fledged suites, with high ceilings and huge windows facing out to the cathedral.

Tart sangria and Catalan-inspired lunches are served in Actual, the hotel’s stylish restaurant. The rooftop’s sparkling blue infinity pool, however, may be the hotel’s most notable feature, as the panoramic views of ancient monuments and the contemporary city-dwellers that bustle around them are truly unmatched in Barcelona.

Hacienda Temozon : Temozon Sur, Mexico

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:01:09 GMT

Located in the heart of the Mayan country of the Yucatán peninsula, the Hacienda Temozon is an authentic 19th-century hacienda, a family-owned farming operation converted into a luxurious hotel that’s at once big and small — with just 28 rooms, it’s intimate, but the rooms themselves are massive, with 18-foot ceilings, and the hotel sprawls over the compound’s grounds, taking in gardens, open spaces and even a 17th-century chapel.

Physically the hotel is gorgeous, its deep red exteriors just about glowing in the strong tropical light, and the interiors traditionally decorated but meticulously kept-up, polished to a high sheen. Guest rooms come with iron beds, hardwood antique furniture and ornate tiled floors, as well as creature comforts like plunge pools and indoor hammocks, the latter apparently something of a Mayan tradition.

But of course there’s more to the Hacienda Temozon than sheer visual beauty. Underneath it all it’s essentially a modern five-star luxury hotel, albeit one dressed as an old sisal plantation — the management is by the Starwood group, no strangers to running a tight-yet-effortless ship. Pool, spa, fitness facilities, restaurant, bar — it’s all here, self-contained, on-site, and rendered with a smile. The only reason to leave the grounds (though it’s a good one) is to see the Mayan ruins; the pyramids of the ruined city of Uxmal are just twenty miles away.

Avalon Hotel : Beverly Hills, CA, USA

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:01:09 GMT

What was once the Beverly Carlton (and two neighboring apartment houses) is now the Avalon, a Fifties retro-style hotel packed with mid-century Eames, Noguchi and Nelson furniture to match its blocky blue facade and curvaceous hourglass-shaped pool, which we’d like to think is an homage to onetime resident Marilyn Monroe, but probably isn’t. Though outside the 90210 area code, the Avalon is still close enough to everything that matters, and you’ll likely be surprised by the quiet (and the low rates, for Beverly Hills at least).

California Modern is a good choice for a budget-minded hotel, less expensive than the hypermodern set design that is the modern boutique standard, and on balance more comfortable as well—and yet miles better looking than the utilitarian design of the corporate chains. Rooms are slightly more up-to-date, tempering what could be Jetsons kitsch with muted colors and modern bathrooms. The beds are anything but budget, decked out in the obligatory Italian linens, and the amenities are all a business traveler could ask for, including 24-hour room service and high-speed internet.

Suites come with sofa beds, in case you’re entertaining, and for longer stays try one of the two-bedroom villas, complete with kitchen, dining room, parking, a private patio and the full array of hotel services. Blue On Blue is the hotel restaurant (which, thankfully, is not literally blue-on-blue), a sort of upscale neighborhood diner, serving on Lucite tables in private cabanas around the pool. And as for the location, the Golden Triangle is nearby, for all your shopping and scene-making needs, and Santa Monica and the Sunset Strip are close at hand, but at the end of the day, you’ll be thankful for the quiet of the Avalon’s residential setting.

Pantages Suites Hotel Spa : Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:00:19 GMT

Location isn’t everything when it comes to hotels, but it’s close. Pantages Suites, then, starts with a pretty big advantage: it’s maybe a block away from the Eaton Centre, the massive mixed-use retail/office development that’s one of the commercial centers of downtown Toronto, perfect for business travelers and conventional leisure guests alike.

This neighborhood is chain-hotel territory, to be sure, which means a little style goes a long way — Pantages’ design-boutique concept makes for a welcome contrast against the more conventional business hotels. Rooms soothe rather than shock, decked out in hardwoods and muted neutral tones, and the soothing is tactile as well, with 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets (and yoga mats in each room, for good measure). Some have kitchenettes, others sleeper sofas, and rooms on the “Serenity Floor” have Jacuzzi tubs.

The other half of the concept, after all, is the spa, a 9,000-square-foot pleasure palace offering an expansive menu of state-of-the-art treatments and services. As for on-site entertainment, there’s a martini bar, with regularly scheduled live jazz nights, as well as Fran’s Restaurant, a re-interpretation (and re-location) of a classic Toronto diner that was a regular haunt of the pianist Glenn Gould.

L'Auberge de Sedona : Sedona, AZ, USA

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 04:00:18 GMT

As Arizona getaways go, Sedona’s not hard to love. Far from the heat and sprawl and traffic of Phoenix, it’s a hundred miles north, and three thousand feet higher up, in an entirely different landscape — one of stunning red rocks and dramatic mountain sunlight. It’s a bit of a cult destination, in both senses of the word — new age types come to be near the high desert “spiritual vortices,” and more traditional holidaymakers flock to low-key, upscale retreats like L’Auberge de Sedona.

L’Auberge’s location on the edge of Oak Creek is a geographical asset used to great advantage, from trout fishing or duck feeding to creekside coffee-and-a-book nooks that feel like elegant outdoor living rooms. Private cottages on the creek’s banks are the resort’s crowning glory, outfitted with wood-burning fireplaces; lodge rooms are smaller, though still spacious, and come with private balconies or patios. The look is an eclectic blend, an American-southwest-meets-Provence-farmhouse hybrid, with some Adirondack influence thrown in for class.

In keeping with the resort’s name, the restaurant offers French-inspired cuisine crafted from garden-fresh produce, not to mention a champagne brunch on Sundays. If six-course meals, crackling fires, forest-shaded cottages, and packs of baby ducklings don’t have you sufficiently relaxed, massages and spa treatments are on offer at a creekside cabana. More exhilarating activities, like jeep tours and hot-air balloon rides, are booked on request, and Sedona’s restaurants, galleries and shops are a leisurely stroll away.

Hotel 1000 : Seattle, WA, USA

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 04:00:17 GMT

For everything that makes the Northwest such a vibrant and livable place, there’s a bit of a shortage of style in the upper end of the hotel market. But not to worry — this is an imbalance that is well on its way toward being redressed, thanks to the brand-new Hotel 1000.

It’s Seattle through and through, from the slightly woodsy, slightly Pacific-Rim décor to the high-tech underpinnings of the place — everything’s networked, right down to the infrared sensors that tell housekeeping you’ve stepped out and are a prime candidate for a turn-down. In this high-tech town it’s only natural that you’d have surround-sound home-theatre systems and free wi-fi, as well as slightly more envelope-pushing gadgets like IP phones and satellite radio.

But even if you can’t be bothered with LCD screens there’s plenty to love. The bath that fills from the ceiling gets lots of attention, but there are old-fashioned charms as well, like fine Thai linens and Molton Brown bath products. There’s a spa, a library, a lobby bar, and the BOKA restaurant, where Northwestern cuisine is on display at its finest — and the location places you in the heart of guidebook Seattle, with Pike Place and Belltown both close at hand.

The Ivy Hotel : San Diego, CA, USA

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:00:31 GMT

Yes, this is the hotel with the stripper pole. Granted, it’s only in one room (the so very over-the-top Star Suite, complete with fuzzy plush king-size bunk beds and mirrored bedroom floor), but it goes a long way towards illustrating what sort of place the Ivy is. As in, maybe not the ideal place to book Mom and Dad a room while they’re in town visiting Sea World.

For the sort of person who’s into velvet-rope exclusivity, peekaboo showers, and hotel-bar bottle service from suggestively-clad cocktail waitresses, however — and who knows, that may include Mom and Dad after all — the Ivy is just the thing. While some hotel concerns are dialing back the nightlife, this one has it turned up all the way; the Quarter Kitchen restaurant is big news on San Diego’s emerging culinary scene, the Eden rooftop bar is quite often packed (though occasionally chilly, this being San Diego) and the Envy nightclub features tight door control on the outside and go-go-dancing debauchery on the inside.

Of course the little things we expect from boutique hotels everywhere are present here as well: flat-panel HDTVs, iPod docks, top-shelf bath products and luxurious linens. There’s butler service as well, and Cadillac Escalade mega-SUVs available to ferry you and your guests about the Gaslamp district, if need be. A quiet and private place to lay your head it’s not — the Ivy is for travelers who demand quite a bit more.

The Sarojin Thailand : Khao Lak, North of Phuket, Thailand

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:00:08 GMT

The Sarojin is a hotel that almost wasn’t. This stunning beachfront boutique, on the mainland just north of the island of Phuket, faces right onto the Andaman sea — and was just about completed before the tsunami of 2004 undid an entire year’s work. The owners, however, weren’t lacking for vision or determination, which is lucky for us: the Sarojin turns out to have been well worth the wait.

It’s a spectacular setting, on a wild stretch of forested beach, with a lagoon on one side, the sea on the other, and a massive ancient ficus tree as the centerpiece of the property. And while the hotel itself is luxurious and well-designed, it doesn’t feel decadent or gluttonous — the materials, mostly local, blend seamlessly with the natural surroundings, and even luxuries like the oversized egg-shaped tubs are more about tangible comfort than ostentatious visual impact. King beds, DVD players and CD stereo systems are standard, as are open-air lounge pavilions, and the pricier residences add plunge pools. Those willing to splash some cash can stretch out in the spacious living rooms of the Sarojin Suites, and have a soak in the pool baths out on the terraces.

The Ficus restaurant sits below the canopy of the old ficus tree, and the Edge serves fresh seafood by the beach. There’s a full-service spa, naturally, surrounded by mangroves — treatments are administered in open-air pavilions with a view of the sea. And outdoor excursions are limited only by guests’ willingness — the Sarojin offers yacht excursions, diving trips, canoe safaris and even elephant tours.

How to get there: The Sarojin is one hour’s drive north of the Phuket Airport. The hotel can arrange for private car transfer from the airport to the hotel.

Alden Hotel Splugenschloss : Zurich, Switzerland

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:00:07 GMT

Not every hotel in Zurich is out to prove how edgy and hip Switzerland can be — for those in the mood for some classic hospitality, one need look no further than the Alden Hotel Splugenschloss, a small all-suite property in a century-old heritage apartment house a few blocks from the Banhofstrasse. It’s the rare luxury hotel that’s family-owned and -operated these days, but the Alden is the exception; 22 suites, one imagines, is small enough that it doesn’t take a multi-national corporation to run it.

Classic, of course, doesn’t have to mean old-fashioned. Interiors are a mix of the old and the new, with seemingly no corner cut in the selection of materials — contemporary clean-lined furnishings as well as antiques and reproductions, and ornate parquet floors. Suites are spacious, with drawing rooms big enough for entertaining, and some come with sofa beds, roof terraces, in one case even a private sauna.

Most hotels of this size would dodge the dining issue entirely, but not the Alden. Here you’ll find not one but two restaurants: the Alden Kitchen, serving traditional Swiss dishes from market-fresh ingredients, and the Alden Bistro, which is more or less exactly what it sounds like.

Beverly Wilshire Hotel : Beverly Hills, CA, USA

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:00:26 GMT

Despite subtle name changes over the decades, to most of us, it’ll always just be the Beverly Wilshire. Fresh off a massive renovation, and still under the Four Seasons flag, this Beverly Hills grand dame is more high-end than ever, a perfect match for the unapologetic opulence of Rodeo Drive.

The Beverly Wilshire was never exactly understated to begin with; it’s a massive E-shaped Italianate monolith, spanning the length of an entire city block, and the lobby is still an all-out assault of old-money glamour. The restaurant and bar, however, have been brought into the twenty-first century — the Wolfgang Puck steakhouse features interiors by Richard Meier, the architect responsible for the Getty Center museum, a modern LA landmark.

Upstairs, the guest rooms have seen changes as well, though subtler ones. Still relatively conservative (no Richard Meier makeover here), they’re somewhere between modern and classic — marble baths still prevail, and there’s more than a hint of prewar Hollywood atmosphere in the decor.

It’s a city hotel, but one with room to breathe, and offers a sort of city-resort feel; the spa and fitness center are smallish but well-equipped, and the pool deck is a self-contained oasis, complete with day beds and private cabanas.

Hotel Seerose Classic & Elements : Meisterschwanden, Switzerland

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:00:27 GMT

Behind the unconventional is a hotel with something of a split personality. Here just outside the village of Meisterschwanden, alongside Lake Hallwil in north central Switzerland, is what’s really two hotels in one: Seerose Elements, a high-design contemporary-style boutique hotel, and Seerose Classic, which is something a bit more, well, classic, a rustic lodge of the kind you’d fully expect to find here, in the middle of a nature reserve on the shore of a photogenic Swiss lake.

Three of Elements’ four stories are dedicated to three of the ancient elements: Earth, Air and Water, with the fourth quite understandably omitted. All are decorated in smart modern style and a color scheme that’s appropriately earthy, airy, et cetera. Meanwhile over in Classic it’s all old-world elegance, with rustic hardwoods everywhere. Category B rooms have at least partial lake views, while Category A+ pulls out all the stops, with balconies, frontal views, and in some cases four-poster beds and whirlpool baths. Two hotels means two approaches to dining, the stylish Samui-Thai and the classically European Restaurant Seerose, plus a lakeside bar and a candlelit wine cellar. Best of all this lakeside idyll is just an hour from basically anywhere in Switzerland: Basel, Berne, Lucerne and Zürich.

The Pure Hotel : Frankfurt Am Main, Germany

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:00:07 GMT

The Pure’s former life as a textile factory leaves little trace on what’s now Frankfurt’s sleekest hotel. There’s nothing you’d call industrial-chic, no exposed brick or metalwork or funky old doors: this place is as smooth and white and cool as an eggshell. White marble, white leather, white lacquer — the celebrated local architect and designer Oana Rosen finds the button marked “futuristic” and presses it repeatedly.

It’s immersive, and the sheer dedication to the theme is admirable, with the desk staff done up in head-to-toe white, looking vaguely medical. Upstairs in the guest rooms you’ll find a touch of warmth breaking through in the form of wooden parquet floors and the odd splash of contrasting black, but still it’s a bit like sleeping inside a stylish and rather well-crafted cloud.

There’s plenty of function to go around, from wireless internet and on-demand audio-video jukeboxes to more physical charms like down duvets and decadent bathrooms with glass-walled tubs. Meeting rooms are obligatory in businesslike Frankfurt, and you’ll find a fitness room and a sauna as well. The Pure has no restaurant, just an appropriately chic and minimalist cocktail bar, but the location in the heart of the banking district means all the city’s best is close at hand.

Topnotch at Stowe Resort & Spa : Stowe, VT, USA

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:00:04 GMT

Though not blessed with the same natural gifts as some western resorts, Stowe offers some of New England’s finest skiing, and more than a few excellent hotels. Notable among these is the aptly named Topnotch, a perennial East Coast favorite occupying 120 acres of land between the town of Stowe and the ski resort at Mount Mansfield.

No rustic old lodge, Topnotch is one of the Northeast’s most luxurious resorts. While the exteriors are perhaps not much to look at, the public spaces are striking and surprisingly contemporary, and the guest rooms are decorated in a European country house style, at once more elegant than the average clunky ski lodge and more unpretentious than many of the East Coast’s fussier five-stars.

Even standard rooms are plush and spacious, and the suites quickly escalate into haute-luxury territory, the best ones complete with fireplaces and efficiency kitchens. Larger parties or guests with a taste for excess can book the Resort Homes, self-contained residences with full kitchens and laundry rooms — and anyone with the means and the inclination can purchase one of the homes and make the Topnotch experience a permanent one.

Facilities are suitably grand, including a palatial spa complex offering a wide array of treatments and fitness classes, and indoor and outdoor pools and tennis facilities. And while skiing on the slopes of the Stowe resort is the chief attraction, Topnotch is a worthy year-round destination, with access to a wealth of outdoor activities, from hiking and biking to canoeing, fly-fishing and horseback riding.

Helvetia & Bristol Hotel : Florence, Tuscany, Italy

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:00:08 GMT

On the outside, this building—despite having been built in the 19th century—blends in comfortably with the surrounding architecture, with its white walls, gray stone arches reminiscent of Brunelleschi’s churches. But while the exterior is reminiscent of the Florentine Renaissance, inside is firmly turn-of-the-century (though recently restored). The bedroom windows are covered with swaths of ornate drapery and the walls are papered in brocade. The public rooms are cozy with period furniture, heavy drapes, and lived-in velvet sofas. The dining room is like a gentleman’s club with its rich brown wall coverings, 15th-century Italian oil paintings and plush red velvet chairs. And on winter evenings, an open wood fire crackles in the lounge. The Helvetia & Bristol Hotel is situated in the ideal location where you can get to know Florence and is within walking distance of all the city’s famous monuments.

Though the restaurant prides itself on recreating ancient Tuscan recipes such as risotto with pigeon and cavelo, there are better restaurants nearby—you should only eat here the one night your feet will carry you no further, and all you want is a trouble-free meal. On the other hand, you really shouldn’t miss the Winter Garden bar. In the 1920s, it was quite the intellectual hub—Pirandello, Stravinsky, De Chirico, D’Annunzio and his mistress Eleonora Duse, even Bertrand Russell. Now, while we can’t guarantee you the same level of stimulating interaction, we can promise you a delightfully airy environment, perfect for summer evenings, and the possibility of catching some phantom whispers of brilliance from times past.

Even if intellectual activity is not your idea of a holiday at all, the Helvetia and Bristol may still be your place to stay. Besides super TVs with endless cable channels in the bedroom, it’s also the best base to shop-till-you-drop in all of Florence. You’re just a few steps away from the Via Tornabuoni, the smartest shopping street in town; so Gucci, Trusssardi and the Armani boutique are within easy reach. Of course, it’s also nearby the Duomo and other Florentine treasures. And unlike other hotels, you have to walk past shops on the way. And as we all know, purchasing a pair of Prada shoes is absolutely necessary before Caravaggios at the Uffizi and a post-modern Pirandello play.

Hotel Gabbia D'Oro : Verona, Italy

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 04:00:17 GMT

Verona is a city steeped in history; the architecture spans the ages from Roman times through the Renaissance and beyond, and it’s all perfectly preserved, having survived the 20th century completely intact. Today it’s this rich heritage upon which Verona’s tourism industry trades — and what better starting point than an opulent, old-fashioned hotel like the Gabbia d’Oro.

The atmosphere is impossible to place — though converted from an eighteenth-century nobleman’s house, the Gabbia d’Oro’s décor draws from any number of eras. Stone interior walls and timbered ceilings feel vaguely medieval while the delicate antique furnishings recall the 18th and 19th centuries. As it turns out it’s more an expertly curated reconstruction than any sort of historic preservation — the hotel was created out of whole cloth in the 1980s. This does little to damper the exquisite atmosphere of the place, however, and strict historical accuracy, it would seem, is secondary in a city like Verona, where tourists flock to visit a balcony where a fictional Juliet could hypothetically have appeared at a window above Capulet’s orchard.

The guest rooms are stuffed with antiques and artworks from throughout the centuries, and come stocked with Persian rugs, lush antique furnishings and either old-fashioned claw-foot tubs or modern whirlpool baths in their pink marble bathrooms. Breakfast is included, and cocktails, tea and light snacks are served in the Orangerie’s courtyard garden. For lunch and dinner it’s out into the streets of Verona, certainly not short on restaurants and cafés alongside its churches, museums and architectural wonders.

Hotel Victor : Miami Beach, FL, USA

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:00:56 GMT

It’s not easy making a splash in South Beach’s sea of would-be chic hotels. At every turn a gaggle of trend-chasing properties are vying for to be at once impossibly cool, deeply conceptual, and plush enough to attract pampered celebrities. Hotel Victor takes a risk with its Ocean Drive location, next door to the monumentally glitzy Versace mansion, but so far it seems to be paying off — an opening-night party escapade involving P. Diddy and a rookery of disoriented penguins guaranteed it a place in the public eye from the very start.

Hotel Victor’s design comes courtesy of the French designer Jacques Garcia, who made his reputation with his arresting work on Paris’s stunning Hotel Costes. The inviting lobby, done in shades of purple and green, features clusters of velvety couches, gracefully separated by diaphanous curtains suspended from the ceiling. Tentacle-like strings of beads hang from glowing light fixtures, while live jellyfish float and glimmer in glass encasements.

The guest rooms are split between the original 1936 building and a contemporary addition — only the latter, it should be noted, come with balconies. Still, all are nearly over-the-top in their lavishness: each contains a full bar (not mini), 300-thread-count sheets, a flat-screen television with DVD player and, in keeping with the theme, hanging jellyfish lamps (not live). In-room telephones are programmed to connect guests to Neiman Marcus personal shoppers at the touch of a button, — hard not to take as a personal comment on one’s dress sense. Dinner at the swanky Vix and cocktails at the outdoor ceviche bar are the obvious choices; for further suggestions, or if the jellyfish are totally harshing your mellow, look no further than the Vibe Manager (only squares and Frenchmen call him the concierge anymore).

The Fort Printers : Galle, Sri Lanka

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:00:24 GMT

In recent years Sri Lankan tourism has been heating up in a big way. And nowhere, it seems, has got a bigger share of the action right now than the Galle Fort, the south-coast walled city built by Dutch traders in the 17th century. Here on the winding streets of this historic district, hotels are forced to keep a low profile — the ones worth noting tend to be extremely small and unobtrusive, tucked away behind the walls of centuries-old landmark buildings.

Fort Printers is exactly this kind of hotel. This tiny five-suite masterpiece has been carved out from the shell of what was first a college, then a print shop; hence the name, Fort Printers, and the names of the suites: History, Geography, Arts, the Headmaster’s, and the Prefect’s. They’re all different in layout and design, but all are spectacularly well-designed — contemporary, sparely furnished, open to the sun and breeze, with high ceilings, huge windows, jackwood floors and whitewashed walls.

Meals lean heavily on fresh local seafood, Sri Lankan curries and some degree of Mediterranean influence. Five suites means the place is as intimate as can be — you’ll feel more like a house guest than a hotel customer. Or, play host: five suites also means booking the whole villa isn’t entirely out of the question.