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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels
introUrban oasis or tropical retreat? Artsy abode or bucolic B&B? Yes, please! We round up the best new boutique hotels and independent openings across the globe. [Photo: Jason Bailey/The Pilgrm]
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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels.
LovelaceA hotel stay is, by definition, a fleeting experience. Munich’s Lovelace Pop-Up Hotel embraces the ephemeral nature of hospitality by constantly changing its design and collaborating with creatives, as well as hosting events ranging from vegan dinners and arts festivals to karaoke nights and piano recitals. Book a night before it shuts its doors in 2019, and become part of “a Hotel Happening“. [Photo: Steve Herud]
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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels.
Secular RetreatLiving Architecture is the holiday home provider that unites vacation rentals and cutting-edge, experimental architecture. It’s a combination no one knew they needed, until the project was launched by Alain de Botton in 2010 with its first property, MVRDV’s Balancing Barn. Since then, a total of six architect-designed houses across England have proven extremely popular. The highly-anticipated Secular Retreat by Peter Zumthor is due to be added to the portfolio later this year. It will be the first permanent project designed by the Swiss star architect to be built in the UK, and chances are it will be booked for months on end, so keep an eye on the site and make your reservation early.
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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels.
Pilgrm2018 has been a bumper year for hotel openings in London, so what’s one more? The Pilgrm makes a rather handsome addition to the burgeoning “budget design” end of the market: it offers small rooms without any unnecessary frills. The thoughtful design details, premium amenities and beautiful finish show that quality is rated higher than quantity here. The Victorian-era building in Paddington was refurbished with upcycled materials from the era, sourced from all over the UK and outfitted with the essential mod cons like hairdryers and smartphone speakers, but without the superfluous like phones, a minibar or aircon. [Photo: Jason Bailey]
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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels.
Artist ResidenceThe “artist” part of Artist Residence isn’t just an affectation or a marketing ploy to add creative edge to a new hotel brand. It was earned by co-founder Justin Salisbury who, after taking over the family B&B in Brighton, commissioned artists to redecorate the humble abode and offered them bed and board in return. After adding residences in Cornwall and London, Oxfordshire is the latest destination to open, with Bristol next on the cards.
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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels.
BelvedereFor decades, the Hotel Belvédère du Rayon Vert was nothing but a towering relic of days gone by. Its location in Cerbère, on the French side of the border to Spain, once made it an almost inevitable stopover for travellers awaiting customs clearance. As travel times and border controls decreased, the hotel fell into disrepair and eventually closed. In recent years, the original owner’s grandson gradually began renovating the heritage-listed building, reopening the art deco casino, bar, theatre and cinema room. Now, guest rooms are being added to the portfolio one by one, painstakingly restored to their former glory.
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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels.
BienvenueIn the French capital, a lack of travellers to fill vacant hotel beds has never been a problem. Indeed, the very centralisation that plagues remote towns like Cerbère has led to skyrocketing accommodation costs. Hôtel Bienvenue was another welcome addition to the hotel scene when it opened in the vibrant South Pigalle neighbourhood last year. The warm and welcoming room design is complemented by a serene courtyard and the hotel’s offerings include a weekly pâtisserie course. [Photos: Herve Goluza]
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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels.
Berber LodgeIf your idea of a Moroccan holiday is more akin to Talitha Getty lounging about a Marrakech rooftop in a colourful caftan than Sex and the City-style flashy luxury, then check into the Berber Lodge. Located far enough from the city to feel removed from the hustle and bustle of the Medina, but close enough to allow shopping trips to the souks at a moment’s notice, it’s the perfect place to tune in to the local lifestyle, Berber hospitality and the beautiful Moroccan landscape. Owned by interior designer Romain Michel-Ménière, who has left his mark on many local hotels, it oozes the type of effortless authentic North African style so readily associated with Marrakech.
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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels.
FlemingHong Kong’s The Fleming was recently overhauled and now boasts a beautifully detail-oriented design inspired by a very local nostalgia. In fact, most of the design elements hark back further than the age of the building that houses the hotel – they’re based on the interiors of the city’s famous Star Ferry, giving the hotel an air of maritime elegance and colonial charm. Think dark wood, deep glossy lacquer, leather upholstery and brass handrails. All aboard!
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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels.
Coqui coquiAs a boutique residence and spa that grew out of a perfume brand, it seems logical that Coqui Coqui chose Bora-Bora as its new destination. After all, the Polynesian island is known for its fragrant vegetation, including ylang ylang, jasmine, sandalwood and vanilla. Having opened several hotels over the past 14 years, the Yucatan-based brand is now adding the first residence outside Mexico to its portfolio. The fact that founders Nicolas Malleville and Francesca Bonato moved to the South Pacific island for a year, getting to know the location, its sights and sounds, indicates that this new hotel is likely to be as lovingly equipped and thoughtfully decorated as fans have come to expect. Not yet open, the hotel is slated to debut in autumn 2018. [Photo: Coba, Mexico; Melissa Dali]
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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels.
AmapaClose your eyes and picture a beach break in Mexico. Hotel Amapa is that image come to life. Bright, airy spaces decorated in light neutrals, accentuated with colourful pops of vibrant local design and craft, panoramic vistas of the Pacific Ocean fringed with tropical beaches on one side, dramatic views of the Sierra Madre Mountains on the other, this design hotel is a feast for the eyes. Thanks to its central location in the vibrant quarter of Puerto Vallarta that it takes it name from, you can be part of the local action – or remove yourself from it by retreating to the in-house spa.
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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels.
SirenThe Siren in downtown Detroit combines vintage chic with contemporary comforts – and nary a hipster cliché in sight. It’s one of the more uplifting success stories of the motor city’s recent renaissance, bringing the beautiful Wurlitzer building back to life. In the spirit of revival, the building serves as more than lodgings, also offering several restaurants, a flower shop, karaoke bar and barber shop.
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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels.
21c Kansas CityArt in hotels is hardly a new phenomenon, but 21c Kansas City goes one step further by billing itself as a “museum hotel”. Rather than just displaying art in guest rooms and the lobby, it devotes an entire floor of the historic Savoy Hotel and Grill building to exhibits. In addition to the permanent collection, focused on contemporary art of the 21st century, it hosts events and curated exhibitions. This opening brings the number of 21c hotels across the southern USA to seven.
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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels.
CalistogaDesign-savvy Americans have been rediscovering the good old motel. Usually the cheap and cheerful default option for everyone from families and philanderers to road-trippers and business travellers on a budget, a new set of design motels are giving the drive-up concept a contemporary overhaul. Calistoga Motor Lodge in California’s wine country may feature a somewhat atypical spa, but it also embraces more traditional aspects by hosting pool parties, as well as offering board and lawn games. The interior design likewise acknowledges the look and feel of the great American road trip experience, but with an airy, modern edge. [Photos: Aubrie Pick]
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The World’s Top 15 Coolest New Hotels.
Under CanvasTented hotels have become such a standard accommodation option, we no longer have to extol the virtues of glamping. Under Canvas, like the African luxury safari camps it’s modelled on, offers all the comforts of a hotel stay with the outdoors experience of a camping adventure. This year, the founders have added three new locations to the four camps already operating near various US national parks: the Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore now all have their very own Under Canvas glam camps.
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