Daily Tablet Hotel

Locanda Rossa : Capalbio, Italy

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:05 GMT

Please note: Locanda Rossa is open annually April through December. Three night minimum required for stays in July and August. Two night minimum required for all other dates.

The Maremma, the coastal region where Tuscany meets Lazio, is a bit of a Johnny-come-lately as a holiday destination, though you’d never know it from looking at it today — here a once-impoverished agricultural region has been transformed into, well, a not-at-all-impoverished agricultural region, and one that’s as well known for tourism as for produce. And this fame is due in no small part to a wealth of independent hotels, places like Capalbio’s Locanda Rossa.

Locanda Rossa’s original structure has undergone a modern expansion, but the seams don’t show a bit. Contemporary interiors meet farmhouse architecture in the rooms and suites, which, if not for the half-timbered ceilings and the views of the farm, could easily pass for modern urban apartments. Then again those views of the olive groves, not to mention the gardens and the pool deck, are why you’re here and not in a modern urban apartment in the first place.

There’s a spa for those tough cases who need even more relaxation, and the Osteria Wine Bar is more than a wine bar, serving sophisticated local fare, much of it made from the estate’s own produce. Meanwhile the beaches are minutes away, and the splendid Maremma countryside surrounds — all less than two hours’ drive from Rome.

How to get there:
Train Station: Capalbio Scalo
Driving Directions from Rome: Take Strada Statale 1 Aurelia in the direction of Livorno. Exit at Chiarone and continue 124 km then turn left towards Pescia Fiorentina. After 2.5 km, take mandatory left turn to Capalbio. After 3 km you will find the red entrance to Locanda Rossa on your right.

Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with directions.

Aditya : Galle, Sri Lanka

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:18 GMT

There are places whose appeal waxes and wanes with the trend-chasing crowds — and then there’s the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. The boom in Sri Lankan hospitality doesn’t seem to have much to do with the changing fashions, and one imagines a place like Aditya, though recently opened, is in it for the long haul, as its splendid beachfront location and its low-key, friendly approach to service are unlikely to see substantial revision any time in the near future.

Most every boutique hotel thinks of its design sense as “eclectic,” but Aditya presents a stronger case than most, its starkly modernist beds, furniture and bathrooms sharing time with antique pieces and traditional architectural details. Five suites are nestled into private gardens, six of them face out to sea, and the Grand Surya Suite, a two-story villa, has a private terrace with a plunge pool and a prime view of the Indian Ocean sunset.

The activities on offer are suitably low-key, from spa treatments to cooking classes to coastal explorations, whether that means the old fort at Galle or dolphin-watching at Mirissa. The beach occupies its fair share of guests’ daytime hours, as does the pool. And while there’s no nightlife to speak of, it’s hard not to imagine that that’s just how Aditya’s guests like it.

How to get there:
Aditya is located on a secluded beach 10 minutes north of Galle (on the SW coast of Sri Lanka). The hotel is 2.5 hours south of Colombo. Transfers can be arranged from/to the Bandaranaike International Airport (135 km away) in Colombo. Train service is also available from Colombo to Galle (where a taxi can be arranged to pick you up). Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for further questions or assistance with airport transfers.

Aditya : Galle, Sri Lanka

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:14 GMT

1864 The Sea Captain's House : Santorini, Cyclades, Greece

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:12 GMT

Please note: 1864 The Sea Captain's House is open seasonally, March through mid-December.

In Santorini, the location does almost all of the work; most hotels just do their best not to spoil the view. Any hotel that can actually add something to the natural experience very quickly crosses over into the extraordinary — and the reason we’re here, as you might have imagined, is that the delightfully named 1864 The Sea Captain’s House is one of this rare breed.

First of all, even on Santorini, there are locations, and then there are locations. Oia, at the top of the inner crescent, is probably the island’s most picturesque town, its terraced residences cascading precipitously down the cliffside. The Sea Captain’s House joins them — with just four suites (and no reception or other common space), it’s scarcely a hotel at all, presenting what’s essentially an idealized, luxe version of Oian village life.

That means jacuzzis in every suite, for one, and an approach to decorating that goes beyond the stripped-down Greek-island norm — there are hints of the baroque in these bedrooms, with their antique woodwork and gilded mirrors. It’s all in the name of character, though, rather than pure flash; the scale of the place prevents it ever feeling over-opulent. Dine in, if you’re in the mood for some privacy, or book a table at one of the owners’ two village restaurants, if you prefer a more sociable stay.

How to get there:
Santorini (Thira) can be easily reached from Athens by plane (approximately 45 minute flight time) or ferry (approximately 3 hours). Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with transfers.

137 Pillars House : Chiang Mai, Thailand

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:13 GMT

Thai boutique hotels tend to stick to a couple of themes; think beach villas in the coastal regions, or ultramodern design in Bangkok. More suited to the old northern capital of Chiang Mai, however, is 137 Pillars House, a luxury boutique that’s more elegant than funky, more traditional than outré, a natural stylistic evolution from the old house’s former use as the headquarters of the East Borneo Company.

So well kept is 137 Pillars, however, that the result is more a trad-luxe fantasy than an outright preservation job. Much of the construction, however classic in style, is in fact a painstaking contemporary reconstruction, giving the lie to the notion that “they don’t make them like they used to.” In fact they make them better; these century-old suites are only improved by the addition of modern electronics, plumbing and climate control, and the 19th-century atmosphere suffers not a bit.

The common spaces are equally genteel in aspect, from the Library Bar to the Parlor Lounge, from the dark and romantic Dining Room to the casual show kitchen, which mounts demonstrations and cooking classes. The gym, spa and pool keep guests in fighting trim, and outside, rather than some generic entertainment district, is Old Chiang Mai, home to any number of temples, monuments and cultural attractions.

How to get there:
137 Pillars House is located 10 minutes from Chiang Mai Airport. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.

137 Pillars House : Chiang Mai, Thailand

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:12 GMT

How to get there:
137 Pillars House is located 10 minutes from Chiang Mai Airport. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.

Infinity Residences & Resort Koh Samui : Koh Samui, Thailand

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:01:02 GMT

Chances are, the “infinity” in Infinity Residences & Resort refers to the seemingly endless views out into the Gulf of Thailand. But it could equally refer to how far this corner of northwestern Koh Samui feels from the rest of the island’s booming tourist business. If you’re feeling social you’re a short drive away from Bophut Bay and Chaweng Beach, but from these wooded hillsides you don’t even have to know they exist — and if you’re a frequent Tablet reader you know that in Koh Samui there’s no greater luxury than that.

Infinity’s residences range from one to four bedrooms, and while the space and equipment necessarily vary a bit, there are some constants: king beds, sea views, full open kitchens, modern electronics, and massive bathrooms. Some have private lap pools, others hot tubs or plunge pools, and in the very worst case you’ll share a pool with the other half of your duplex — life is pretty good when that’s the worst case.

The gym, spa, pool and restaurant, naturally, are up to the same general level as the accommodations, and there’s an astonishing view from just about every corner of the place. If there’s anything to grouse about, perhaps it’s the location, which might feel slightly out of the way in comparison with the rest of the island’s high-end properties — but if remoteness feels like a disadvantage, then we humbly suggest that you just might have your priorities the wrong way round.

How to get there:
Infinity Residences & Resort is located 20 km from the Koh Samui airport. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.

Hotel de la Paix, Luang Prabang : Luang Prabang, Laos

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:01:01 GMT

Luang Prabang is one of those destinations where you hardly need an extraordinary hotel to have an extraordinary experience — which makes the fact that there are several of them feel almost gratuitous. Not that we’re complaining. In the case of the Hotel de la Paix it means a rare conjunction of historical architecture and modern design, and a chance to inhabit an ancient place in an atmosphere of the utmost contemporary luxury.

The architect, Duangrit Bunnag, is responsible for some very fine modernist beach hotels in Thailand, and here he’s wedded a handful of original French Colonial structures (including the old governor’s mansion) to a number of new buildings, heavily influenced in turn by traditional Lao architecture. The result is a strangely timeless blend, especially in the guest suites, which feel not just sequestered in space but somehow lost in time as well.

Only some of them come with private pools, but all are indulgent in their own way, with private gardens and spa-like bathrooms. Of course there’s a proper spa as well, for when “spa-like” isn’t quite enough, and a main pool for a more serious approach to swimming. Add a fine restaurant and lounge, as well as a cooking school, and the culinary angle is more than covered — especially when you add the restaurants at 3 Nagas, the sister hotel, just a few minutes down the road.

How to get there:
Hotel de la Paix is conveniently located just 5 minutes from the central area of town and a 15-minute drive from the Luang Prabang Airport. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.

Altapura : Val Thorens, France

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:01:01 GMT

Val Thorens makes much of its status as the Alps’ highest ski resort; more practically, it makes much of its status as its largest, at least in terms of terrain. But from our hospitality-centric viewpoint, a French ski town isn’t really on the map until the Sibuets have opened a hotel there. Altapura, like its sisters in Megève, answers a number of perennial ski-hotel complaints — it’s modern in style without sacrificing a sense of place, it’s comfortable without lapsing into kitsch, and it’s proof positive that a stylish social scene and a family-friendly vibe need not be mutually exclusive.

The look of the place is often described as Scandinavian, but if you look beyond the blond wood you’ll see what’s essentially a post-modern take on a very French alpine lodge. The heavy timbers, it seems, have been hauled down and made into furniture, into patchwork tiles, or into latticed screens; even the traditional taxidermy is present, though largely in stylized carved wood.

In a ski lodge, however, the tactile pleasures often take precedence over the visual ones. Here Altapura doesn’t disappoint. The rooms, however striking, are never stark, and that modern furniture lacks for nothing in terms of comfort — and the less tangible conveniences include Apple iPads alongside pervasive wi-fi and satellite television.

The three restaurants inhabit equally contemporary spaces, but vary in atmosphere, from the ultra-cozy La Laiterie to the rather more adult Les Enfants Terribles. Meanwhile the Pure Altitude spa, with its seven treatment rooms and heated indoor pool, is a viable alternative to a day on the slopes. And last but not least, Altapura benefits from ski-in ski-out access, as well as a ski shop in partnership with Goitschel.

How to get there:
Altapura is located 30 km from the Courchevel Airport (CVF). This is approximately 1 hour by car. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.

Fairmont Monte Carlo : Monte Carlo, Monaco

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:45 GMT

Though it might have been strange to say so a few years ago, the Fairmont Monte Carlo Hotel as it stands today is a building of some architectural distinction. This Seventies-vintage zig-zag of a modernist hotel behemoth has climbed out of the stylistic uncanny valley, the aesthetic no-man’s-land between contemporary and retro. Now it’s a piece of historic Monte Carlo, a pleasingly retro modernist monument — and, not incidentally, one of the finer luxury hotels in town.

And while the bones of the place have improved with age, the interiors have been kept very much up to date; a thorough renovation has this Fairmont looking extremely well turned out, if a touch on the conservative side. That’s no criticism — one doesn’t come to Monte Carlo to have one’s world turned upside down, but rather for a taste of the good life, in classic Riviera style. The basic rooms are big enough, and certainly comfortable enough, but it pays to spring for an up-close sea view, available in the better rooms and many of the suites.

Either way, you’ll soak in the view at L’Argentin, the fine dining restaurant, and Saphir 24, the lounge and bar, both of which look out over the Mediterranean through wraparound floor-to-ceiling windows. Meanwhile the spa and health club occupy a new addition to the hotel, and the soothing interiors, all white and sky blue, only intensify the atmosphere of relaxation. Monte Carlo has hotels with a longer history, as well as hotels of a more recent vintage than the Fairmont; still, in terms of character, this place stands apart.

Infinity Residences & Resort Koh Samui : Koh Samui, Thailand

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:43 GMT

How to get there:
Infinity Residences & Resort is located 20 km from the Koh Samui airport. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.

Hotel Recamier : Paris, France

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:17 GMT

Please note: For selected weekends throughout the year, the hotel has a two (2) or three (3) night minimum stay requirement.

If there’s a common thread that runs through most of Paris’s big-name hotels it’s this: whether they’re centuries-old grand hotels or cutting-edge design experiments, they tend to announce themselves with some fanfare. For that reason we’re always partial to the soft-spoken, to Parisian hotels that buck the trend by providing a place to hide away, rather than a place to be seen — hotels like the newly renovated and revamped Hotel Recamier.

It’s located on the scenic Place St. Sulpice, one of the most pleasant areas on the Left Bank, right in the heart of St. Germain des Prés, home to a charming old church as well as a smattering of luxury brands. And the new Recamier is suitably small and intimate, to suit the neighborhood — there’s very little in the way of public space, and never a crowd in the lobby: just a breakfast room, a terrace, and twenty-four stylish, redesigned guest rooms.

There’s a different, subtle theme to each floor, from a modern monochrome look to an earthier, African-inflected style. All rooms, on any floor, are crisp, contemporary in an understated way, and above all exceedingly private — a feeling of seclusion is rare in Paris, and worth seizing when it presents itself. To that end there's no space wasted on a restaurant; the usual advice about the impossibility of going hungry in Paris applies here as well.

About Hotel Recamier: Hotel Recamier is a luxury boutique hotel in Paris. It is located on the scenic Place St. Sulpice on the Left Bank, right in the heart of St. Germain des Prés. The hotel's design features subtle theme rooms that are contemporary, understated, and private.

L'Hotel : Paris, France

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:12 GMT

“No two rooms are the same” — any hotel with even a modicum of personality is likely to include such a phrase somewhere in its promotional literature, and it is bound to be true, at least to some degree, of any hotel selected by Tablet (though there may be a Japanese capsule hotel in our future). Then again, no two snowflakes are the same either, and that's not exactly a compelling argument for sleeping in the snow, is it?

That said, in L'Hôtel's case, it really is true. The rooms really are all different, vastly different, so different they seem to belong to separate hotels or even continents. The Barroco is in Italian Baroque style, the Pagode in an antique Japanese theme, the Léopard is finished in leopard-print fabrics, and the Oscar Wilde is in a traditional English style, a partial reconstruction of Wilde's dining room in London, featuring framed letters from the staff urging him to settle his hotel bill (which he did not live to do). All of this is carried off with a charm and a mastery that elevates it above gimmickry, into the category of real character, of personality.

Personality, after all, is what makes a hotel a Tablet hotel — not 24-hour room service, or indoor pools, or other standard five-star amenities. What cookie-cutter chain hotel can match L'Hôtel's central spiral staircase, into which sunlight pours through a domed glass ceiling, or the Roman-style bath, housed in the vault beneath the hotel?

There is a restaurant, and a good one — not a three-star spectacle of a restaurant, but an excellent one anyway. Le Restaurant exists not as a public relations scheme, or as a way for the hotel to maximize food and beverage profits, but as a service to its patrons — remarkable food, French but totally modern and light. This restaurant is as popular with the locals as the bar is with celebrities.

Fitting, as the hotel is not designed as a self-contained experience, but as a complement to the attractions of the surrounding district. L'Hôtel is located in St. Germain-des-Prés, the heart of the Rive Gauche, within easy reach of the Ecole des Beaux Arts and innumerable art galleries, cafés, and boutiques. It would be quite reasonable to claim that this is the best location in Paris for a hotel; for those interested in experiencing the authentic Paris, there is no better place to start.

In fact, if this were a boring corporate mega-hotel, the neighborhood alone would make it worth visiting. But this is a phenomenal hotel, full of life and character, and the combination of location and execution make L'Hôtel the place to stay in Paris, and, quite possibly, the perfect Tablet hotel.

About L'Hôtel: L'Hôtel is a luxury boutique hotel from Jacques Garcia in Paris. It is located in the St. Germain-des-Prés district, the heart of the Rive Gauche, and steps from the Ecole des Beaux Arts and galleries and cafes. The hotel features a celebrity and local loved Michelin starred restaurant, Le Restaurant, serving gourmet French food.

Mandarin Oriental Bermuda : Paget Parish, Bermuda

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:15 GMT

One fact about Elbow Beach is perhaps more illuminating than anything else we could say about it: it's a Mandarin Oriental.

It was not always so — in fact this sparkling clean, seemingly brand-new resort was established in 1908, as the South Shore Hotel. Then, as now, it was one of Bermuda's most prestigious and exclusive hotels, a Colonial estate presiding over the island's Atlantic coast.

The hotel is no less majestic today, its columned entryway gleaming in the late-afternoon sun. Rooms are luxurious and spacious, with marble bathrooms and wither patios or balconies. The interiors are contemporary in style but comfort is stressed over design — the furniture is more plush and enveloping than aesthetically challenging.

A look at the services and amenities reveals that this is (like any Mandarin) a first-class resort, with everything the leisure traveler could desire. There are a number of indoor and outdoor restaurants and bars, extensive business and conference facilities, a pool, spa and fitness center, and lighted tennis courts. Bermuda is something of a golf hotspot, with more courses than any correspondingly large area of Scotland or even Florida. And any aquatic activity imaginabe can be arranged, from seaside loafing to deep-sea diving.

Bermuda's location, closer to New York than to Miami, combined with the scarcity of international flights, means most of the hustle and bustle that descends upon the Caribbean passes it by. The whole place, then, has a certain feeling of seclusion and exclusivity; a feeling only heightened by the sumptuous surroundings and impeccable service at Elbow Beach.

Ace Hotel : Seattle, WA, USA

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:12 GMT

Ace Hotel's standard rooms have shared bathrooms. Let us be absolutely clear about this. Fully half of the rooms do not have their own private bathrooms.

We trust some of you, at least, are still with us — the Ace Hotel, obviously, will appeal to a slightly different segment of the marketplace than, say, the Sorrento. This place drips with an unforced, unpretentious cool; the lobby, with its dark walnut floors and retro-futuristic white walls (more Barbarella than Balazs) looks more like an art gallery than a hotel lobby, and the guest rooms—with their 14-foot ceilings and walls of whitewashed brick—look more like a gallery than most galleries.

At the risk of buying too credulously into a regional stereotype — this is the Pacific Northwest, not Hollywood. In Seattle, where tech mavens with stock portfolios wear thermal T's from Army Surplus, cool means spending wisely, and marking these rooms up to design-mag prices would only detract from the cachet of this no-frills sleepover club.

Here you may sleep under the watchful eye of Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant, with a view of Elliot Bay and the Olympic Mountains, or just the streets of Belltown. Those shared bathrooms are sparkling clean, not at all the dormitory nightmare one may imagine, though if you must have a private bathroom, it's worth cracking open your wallet and shelling out the extra fifty-odd dollars. A Batman-esque hidden revolving door opens into a charmingly minimal space, decked out in (what else) walnut and white, with an industrial aluminum sink and no Philippe Starck anything.

Services and amenities are minimal, of course — cable TV is about as plush as it gets. If you have read this far, you know luxury isn't the point; this is a place to lay one's head, a home base for adventures around town (with wireless internet access, though — these people aren't savages, after all). Your fellow travelers will likely be up to all hours, so this might not be the place for early-to-bed types, or the severely jetlagged.

Downstairs is the new home of the Cyclops Café, a local favorite (every hotel says its bar is a local favorite, but trust us on this one), and beyond are the bars and cafés of Belltown, as well as the traditional Seattle destinations like Pioneer Square and the Pike Place Market. Perhaps that's the true significance of the white walls: to shame idle guests into getting out there and doing some living.

Chewton Glen Hotel : New Milton, Hampshire, England, UK

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:00:07 GMT

Chewton Glen may be the country house hotel against which to measure all others. The location is spectacular, occupying 130 acres of parkland at the edge of the New Forest (once the hunting ground of Norman nobles, later the refuge of smugglers carrying Continental contraband). Nearby are Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge, and the Isle of Wight; closer still is the sublime, dramatic Dorset coast, and beyond, the Channel.

As scenic as the surroundings may be, many guests may never get to see them — the hotel is luxurious enough that to tear oneself from the grounds requires a supreme effort. The exterior may be simply that of a very big house in the country, but within the walls is a completely modernized luxury hotel. Those in search of authentic 18th-century interiors may be disappointed, but those who prefer comfort to rickety (however authentic) furnishings will be delighted. They simply did not make suites (and especially bathrooms) this large in the old days. And space isn't the only luxury — the huge windows offer views of the grounds that are breathtaking enough to compete with the satellite TV and Bang & Olufsen entertainment centers.

An excellent restaurant may be enough to lure you from your room; Marryat features an eclectic and modern menu, with mushrooms and game from the New Forest mixing with seafood from Christchurch, and a variety of vegetarian options, as well as a remarkable wine list.

In keeping with the theme of decadent relaxation, and carrying on the Roman bath tradition in the South, is the Chewton Glen Spa — one of the best in England, and a consistent award-winner. A dizzying array of treatments are on offer, using products from Clarins, Thalgo, and Guinot. If a simple swim is more to your liking, then take a dip in the 17 meter indoor pool, in the central hall of the hotel. This pool is not just massive and photogenic, but ozone-treated as well, reducing the need for chlorination, and turning an everyday indoor pool into a spa-worthy luxury.

As for outdoor activities, there is everything one could wish for from a country house hotel, located between the forest and the sea. On the grounds one may indulge in golf, tennis, and croquet, and shooting and riding can be arranged nearby. If you are feeling adventurous, the hotel staff is happy to arrange fishing expeditions, 4x4 excursions into the New Forest, and even sailing the Solent (the channel between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight).

How to get there:
Chewton Glen Hotel is approximately a 1 1/2 hour drive from Heathrow Airport as well as London's city center. London's Waterloo Station to New Milton Station is a 1 hour and 50 minute trip by rail and a taxi can be arrange to meet you at the station. New Milton Station is 10 minutes from the hotel. Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers.

Gerbermuehle : Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:00:11 GMT

Some of the best contemporary-design hotels are renovations of existing buildings. But few start with structures as storied as Frankfurt’s Gerbermühle. This 16th-century flour mill had a second or third life as a local businessman’s summer house, where Goethe met his Marianne — and now it begins a fourth or a fifth, as a stunningly up-to-date boutique hotel, enclosed within a classic shell.

It’s unexpected for Frankfurt, a city perhaps better known for its skyscrapers. The interior, however, is perfectly suited to this fast-paced financial center. Public spaces are contemporary, mixing the clean lines and hard surfaces of modernism with some judiciously selected antique-style furnishings. And the style of the guest rooms is softened a bit, for easier living — still sharp and contemporary, with a predominance of white, but eclectic, warmer and more livable than the stark minimalism of the usual design boutique.

The Tower Bar serves drinks in the tower of the old mill, a high-ceilinged space with an antique atmosphere. Weather permitting, though, the heart of the Gerbermühle is unquestionably the summer garden, a tented outdoor space alongside the River Main — perfect for a meal in the sun or just a moment of quiet in a bustling modern city.

Sofitel on Renmin Square : Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:32 GMT

With every decade that goes by China opens itself further to the West. By now Hong Kong feels like it’s right next door, and Beijing and Shanghai are quickly losing their air of exoticism. Even Xi’an, the eastern end of the Silk Road, is finding itself more and more accessible to foreign travelers; surely it’s a sign of the times that the top hotel in town is the Sofitel on Renmin Square, an utterly modern luxury hotel from the French-owned international chain.

Outside it’s a fairly typical commercial building, about as Chinese as any Sofitel anywhere — which is to say, not a lot at all. Inside, though, there’s a generous helping of local color, from the rich colored fabrics in the rooms (it wasn’t called the Silk Road for nothing) to the rows of vases in the restaurant, a visual allusion perhaps to the Terra Cotta Soldiers in Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum, less than an hour to the east.

Services include the usual array of five-star offerings, as well as some rather unique ones — restaurants include the usual Cantonese and Mediterranean offerings as well as a Muslim restaurant, serving halal cuisine as a tribute to the region’s Islamic history (yes, really).

Please note: At Sofitel on Renmin Square, there is a 10% service charge that is not included in the room rates.

Geejam : Port Antonio, Jamaica

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:31 GMT

Chris Blackwell’s Island Outpost hotel group has always made the most of its music-business connections, for good reason — Jamaica without reggae just wouldn’t be the same (and Chris Blackwell, without Island Records, might not own hotels in the first place). With Geejam, however, this marriage goes a step further.

This place was actually a recording studio first, where the likes of Gorillaz and Björk went away to focus anyone on the music. It seems the beachside surroundings and the sunny contemporary interiors are a great improvement over the usual dank and darkened studio control room, and the lodging experience turned out to be one that’s well worth sharing with the non-musician general public.

Any hotel in the Caribbean that’s worth staying at had better be small, but this one is vanishingly tiny — just seven units (though one of those is a three-bedroom villa). And for all the place’s hipster cachet, it’s kept remarkably low-key; it’s closer to some of Jamaica’s finest beaches than it is to the nightlife in Port Antonio, ten minutes away. There’s some small chance it’ll be a bit stressful for a musician on holiday, being that close to the workplace — but for anyone else, a surprisingly effective escape.

How to get there:

The main international airport is Norman Manley in Kingston. Guests can connect to a twenty-minute private flight via plane over the Blue Mountains to a local airstrip, known as Ken Jones. Geejam is approximately 30 mins. drive from Ken Jones, which is complimentary. Alternatively, a private helicopter can also be chartered directly to and from the airport, and for those who are a little squeamish with small planes, Geejam is currently a two & a half hour drive from Kingston. Contact the hotel's reservations dept. to make arrangements.

Clift Hotel : San Francisco, CA, USA

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:25 GMT

Once San Francisco’s grandest old-fashioned luxury hotel, the century-old Clift underwent a thorough re-imagining at the hands of Philippe Starck, who has transformed its faded Victorian elegance into its nearest modern equivalent — all black, ivory and steely grey, with rich textures in hardwood, velvet and leather, it’s the last word in hyper-modern boutique decadence.

Hints of the hotel’s Art Deco heritage remain, from the choice of furnishings in the surrealist-inspired lobby to the noir-ish lighting effects throughout. The famous Redwood Room was the focus of the original Clift, and it’s still here in all its wood-paneled splendor, decked out in some of Starck’s most serious lounge furniture. Like Morgans and St Martins Lane, the Clift is home to an outpost of Jeffrey Chodorow’s Asia de Cuba, serving its signature fusion cuisine at a massive cross-shaped communal table made from hand-etched Venetian mirrored glass.

Guest rooms are stylish, but not precious — they’re sedate, almost monochrome, with accents in soft lavenders and greys, amplifying the effects of the natural light. Bathrooms are smallish, but clever, and the living spaces are spacious, many with astonishing views; the Clift is a high enough building to make for some spectacular sightlines.

It’s a bit of a scene, as any Morgans Hotel Group production is intended to be — that’s a large part of the appeal for the people who make up the Clift’s clientele. This is Starck at his most elegant, and his eye for a well-placed surprise only deepens this place’s mystique. It would seem there’s some mileage yet left to be wrung from this partnership.

The PuLi : Shanghai, China

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:15 GMT

It’s the city of the future, Shanghai — lucky, then, that its hotels, as a class, have quickly joined the ranks of the best in the world. For a little evidence supporting that proposition one need look no further than the PuLi Hotel and Spa. Where one might expect another outpost of the established big-luxury chains, we find the flagship of a new group, the prosaically named Urban Resort Concepts — they’re saving the poetry, it seems, for the product itself.

At least there’s no chance of missing the point of what kind of experience it’s meant to provide. The 26-story tower takes care of the urban part, and the sophisticated interiors of the guest rooms, with their clean lines and muted colors, point towards the PuLi’s city origins. Physical luxuries abound, and the rooms’ electronic amenities keep guests feeling as wired as can be.

Its resort credentials, however, aren’t really in question either — the hotel’s wellness center is as extensive as any full-service health club, and the spa is run by Anantara, an outfit with a fair bit of expertise in such matters. And even the views contribute, in their way: in the distance is the Shanghai skyline, but the more immediate vistas are of the green and leafy JingAn park.

How to get there:

The PuLi is approximately a 20 minute drive from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and a 45 minute drive from Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

The Kandy House : Kandy, Sri Lanka

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:15 GMT

The first upscale boutique hotel in Sri Lanka's interior brings new meaning to the phrase "instant classic." Though just opened in 2005, Kandy House has roots two centuries old — from 1804 on it was home to one of Sri Lanka's ruling families — and the stylish, newly renovated interiors stop a bit short of trendy minimalism, instead mixing modern fixtures and materials with traditional architecture and an impressive array of antique furniture.

All of the eight rooms (and one suite) are contained in the old manor house, so the experience is a remarkably authentic one — there's no television, and without air conditioning you're forced to engage with your environment a bit, throw open those windows or even step out on the veranda and survey the grounds of the estate and the jungle beyond. Authentic doesn't mean uncomfortable, though, as the ceiling fans and the gentle hill country breeze keep things cool, and the four-poster beds and claw-foot tubs are classic low-tech luxury.

In fact there's little to do here that wouldn't have been possible to 19th-century guests as well — the courtyard and the verandah are still the house's main attractions, though the pool is presumably of newer vintage. Food is upscale traditional Sri Lankan, with produce selected daily from the market in Kandy proper. And for a look into Sri Lanka's pre-colonial past, you can't do better than the city of Kandy and its surrounding region — this part of the interior was the last holdout against colonization, and cultural monuments abound, including the Temple of the Tooth Relic of Buddha (which is, if you're wondering, pretty much exactly what it sounds like).

Note: The Kandy House only accepts children over the age of 12.

Bleibtreu Hotel : Berlin, Germany

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:06 GMT

Located on the sleepy Bleibtreustrasse, just off the shopper’s paradise of the Kurfürstendamm, the Bleibtreu Hotel is the sort of downtown boutique we’d like to see more of. This is a hotel that succeeds in being modern and hip, yet never painfully so, in being suitable for business and leisure travelers alike, not just bespectacled art directors and bar-hopping coolhunters.

Would it be impolite to say that identikit shades-of-white minimalism is looking a bit tired? Perhaps, but no matter, as there’s nothing of the sort to complain about here. The Bleibtreu may be all about simplicity, but there’s a lot of ground to be covered between simple and downright empty. In this case simple means there’s a certain unity to the décor, even when actual colors are used, like the occasional bold striped ceiling or mosaic-tiled bathroom.

Functionally, it’s all about ease, with simple furnishings, wireless LAN and remote lighting. The rooms aren’t palatial, but clever design avoids any feeling of crowding. Public spaces are too often neglected in smallish city boutiques—the Bleibtreu’s centerpiece is the terra cotta courtyard, along the alleyway beside the hotel, and its 30-foot aqua-blue mosaic table.

The Deli 31 brings a sense of New York to Berlin: burger, fries, salads, bagels, sandwiches as well as a weekly menu with German specialties like meat dumplings with cream-leek and mashed potatoes or fried sausages with sauerkraut are prepared in front of the guest in the open show kitchen. Hotel guests can choose from the buffet at Breakfast 31, or traditional breakfast is served for the late riser from 8AM to 10PM. The Espressobar 31 is perfect for a pick-me-up before braving the designer showrooms on the Ku’damm.

Here, in the entrance area of the Bleibtreu is Blumen 31, the hotel's own rose specialists. Where romantics will find rare types of rose alongside all kinds of exotic blossoms and bizarre beauties, which can be arranged by the florists into enchanting works of art. Naturally, the floral decorations for the hotel are also designed here.

Brown TLV Urban Hotel : Tel Aviv, Israel

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:10 GMT

Viewed from the right angle, Tel Aviv looks as sophisticated as any of Europe’s style capitals. One such angle is framed by the rooftop lounge of the Brown TLV Urban Hotel, which frames the skyline’s nighttime panorama. Or from more or less anywhere inside the Brown, come to think of it — from the Seventies-inspired décor of the Living Room to the sleeker, more contemporary look of the Brown’s 30 swanky bedrooms.

They’re billed as “intimate” and “urban-sized,” which, yes, is a polite way of saying they’re a little on the small side. They won’t feel cramped, though; with big plush beds, work stations, walk-in showers and plenty of closet space, there’s not much more you’d ask for. The smallest are aimed at the solo traveler, while those at the higher end of the range add sitting areas or small balconies.

A single spa suite caters to guests in need of a little pampering, a chic little meeting space offers the city’s best-looking boardroom, and they’re working on opening a restaurant — until then you’re in the capable hands of a couple of neighboring cafés. There’s nothing particularly revolutionary about it, except for the location — it’s high time Tel Aviv, with its famously glamorous nightlife, got the boutique hotel it so richly deserves.

Brown TLV Urban Hotel : Tel Aviv, Israel

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:10 GMT

Presidio Motel : Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:15 GMT

It doesn’t get much more Californian than this. The West Coast is blessed with a surplus of mid-century motor inns, in varying states of repair, and more and more of them are being reborn as something a little bit more stylish. The Presidio, in downtown Santa Barbara, is a case in point — its owners must have seen something worth preserving underneath the layers of thoughtless renovations, because they’ve kept the bones of the place intact, even as they’ve completely replaced its skin.

And while some developers might opt for a bland luxury concept (with prices to match), the Presidio stays accessible: while the design, by local artists Kat Trajano and Stephanie Mansolf, looks like a million dollars, the comforts are pared-down, with the atmosphere doing most of the work. It’s a slightly whimsical look, which suits both the sunny California setting and the quirky motel building itself, with its off-kilter peaked timber roof.

It’s a breath of fresh air for anyone who’s seen enough anodyne corporate luxury, and it goes without saying that it’s a massive improvement on what came before. Attached is the Supply Room, which has quickly become one of Santa Barbara’s best-curated women’s boutiques — and from there you’re off and running, with the city center’s shops and restaurants beginning practically at the end of the driveway.

Presidio Motel : Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:14 GMT

Grand Hotel Tremezzo : Tremezzo, Lake Como, Italy

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:00:12 GMT

Please note: Grand Hotel Tremezzo Palace is open annually from April through October.

Midway down the southwestern arm of Italy’s sublime Lake Como is the town of Tremezzo — just one of many spectacular towns by the water, it’s as stunning as any of them, and is home to something rather impressive: the Grand Hotel Tremezzo Palace.

This is a grand hotel in every sense, having more in common with the stately palaces on Lake Geneva than with the trademark Italian villa hotel. Twelve acres of parkland surround the century-old building, and a hundred massed windows face out over the lake; every room overlooks either the park or the waters of Lake Como.

The interiors are elegant, leaning more toward an authentic and well-preserved tribute to the spirit of 1910, rather than the lavish set design of the much older Villa D’Este, down the road. The style is Liberty, the Italian variant of Art Nouveau, admitting a decided French influence as well as some English elements — unique indeed for a hotel in the heart of Lombardy.

Golf and tennis facilities are close at hand, and the Tremezzo offers no fewer than three outdoor pools, as well as a spa and fitness center, and access to the sporting possibilities of the lake. Three restaurants serve upscale Italian fare, two of them with breathtaking views of the water, and a cocktail bar and a wine bar serve as the centers of the hotel’s nightlife.

Sofitel Marrakech Lounge & Spa : Marrakech, Morocco

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:00:13 GMT

The compromise position between the densely packed medina and the wide-open, suburban Palmeraïe is the Hivernage district; it’s less crowded than the old town, but closer to the center of it all than the sprawling out-of-town resorts. And there are a few very worthy hotel options in the Hivernage, among them the Sofitel Marrakech Lounge & Spa.

You could make a case that if any international chain can get to the essence of Morocco, it would be a French one. If it’s boutique (or riad) intimacy you’re after, this might not be the place — with just this side of 350 rooms and suites, the Sofitel Marrakech Lounge & Spa is not a small hotel. But it’s a five-floor complex, rather than a tower, which means a more human scale, and the pure physical luxuries of the place go a long way towards making any guest feel at times like pretty much the only guest.

Chief among them is the spa, a major piece of the Imperial puzzle, and an area where the Sofitel has an advantage over most of the in-town competition. Add a healthy dose of sophisticated Paris-via-Morocco modern interior design and you’ve got a stylish luxury hotel that’s solid in all areas.

Hotel Lisboa Plaza : Lisbon, Portugal

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:00:08 GMT

Just off the the Avenida da Liberdade, the main boulevard in Lisbon’s city center, lies the fifty-year-old Hotel Lisboa Plaza, a classic family-owned hotel housed in a listed historic monument, behind a charming Art Nouveau facade. Here you’re within walking distance of the best of central Lisbon, yet quietly and discreetly tucked away from the pedestrian traffic of the boulevard, with the added quiet comfort of the city’s Botanical Gardens out the back window.

The interiors are elegant, designed in an antique style by the famous interior decorator Graca Viterbo, from the classic marble floors and ornate furnishings of the reception to the rich fabrics and soft pastel tones of the guest rooms. Bathrooms are traditional marble, with combined bath and shower, and the windows are double-glazed to further reduce the street noise. A restaurant and bar are at your service, and the breakfast buffet earns high marks, but you’re by no means confined to the hotel — the historic center of Lisbon is teeming with cafes, restaurants and bars to explore.