The Grand Canyon and Yellowstone are great and all, but considering going farther back in time this summer with a trip to China to see the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and the Terracotta Warriors. Said warriors are in Xi’an, where Swisstouches has recently opened a new property, its first in China, Swisstouches Hotel Xi’an. Designed by global hospitality design firm HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates, which has offices in 13 countries, the 318 room hotel has a contemporary Swiss sensibility, a first for the ancient metropolis. Today’s Destination Design takes a look at this fresh example of East meets West.
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This past fall, the 19th century mansion of the House of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, known as the Hotel du Marc, reopened after four years of renovations. The neoclassic structure, which serves as private guest quarters for those lucky enough to be invited by the Champagne house, has been entirely restored. Architect Bruno Moinard and a team of historical experts reworked the façade, which was severely damaged during WWI, down to the interiors. This week, Destination Design goes to Reims, France (via the web, unfortunately) for a glimpse of its grandeur.
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Destination Design travels (virtually) to New York City this week for a stay at Hotel Americano, located among the art galleries of Chelsea. Owned by Grupo Habita, which T Magazine called “Mexico’s boutique hotel pioneer in the Ian Schrager mold,” it’s the company’s first foray into the States.
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While some of us are thrilled for the mild winter, others lament the lack of snow. For the latter, might we suggest a trip to Igloo Village Kakslauttanen in the Arctic Circle in Finland. In wintertime, accommodations include snow igloos and glass igloos – yes, igloos! There’s also a restaurant and a chapel for fairytale winter wonderland weddings. The glass igloos are built from a special thermal glass so the temperature inside the igloo is plenty toasty. If you prefer a more rustic approach, you can sleep in a snow igloo in which the temp hovers between -3°C and -6°C. Don’t worry, they provide a down sleeping bag rated to -32°C, woolen socks, and a hood.
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On our press trip to Copenhagen, we were treated to a tour of the new Bella Sky Comwell Hotel on the outskirts of the city center. As you can see, it’s a striking piece of architecture. Designed by the Copenhagen-based architecture firm 3XN, Bella Sky is the largest hotel in Scandinavia, with 23 floors, 812 rooms and 30 meeting spaces and conference rooms. It’s comprised of two towers, with angled facades, joined by a walkway. The hotel just won the “Best Architecture in Europe” award at the International Hotel Awards in London. We were definitely wowed by the architecture and interiors when we visited.
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A mild winter it may be, but that doesn’t stop us from craving sunshine. For this month’s Destination Design we “travel” to Six Senses Con Dao, an ocean-front resort and spa in south east Vietnam. It’s the first five star resort in the area’s archipelago of 16 islands, and more than 80 percent of its land is national park. There are 35 suites and 14 villas with private infinity pools, nestled within a mile-long curve of the bay and sheltered by forested mountains. The getaway was designed by Parisian firm AW2 and won an award for incorporating eco-conscious elements into the siting and structure.
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Do you remember the color drenched house on Shelter Island designed by New York City-based architects Peter Stamberg and Peter Aferiat that we featured last year? Well the duo has completed another fantastic, and no less colorful project — The Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s Stamberg Aferiat Architecture‘s first venture into hospitality, and we have to say, we’re ready to check in.
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The BAB Hotel, located at the heart of the Gueliz district in Marrakech, Morocco, is sleek and artsy, but not overly self-conscious, which means guests have no problem relaxing. With interiors and furniture designed by London firm Studio Hopscotch, it’s very white, with black accents and playful pops of color in the public spaces. And, with a shout-out in Goop, it’s Gwyneth Paltrow approved.
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Parisian hotel La Maison Champs Elysées spans two buildings, one dating from the Second Empire under Napoleon III, the other built more recently. Belgian fashion design house Martin Margiela, who won a competition to re-design the historical part of the building, created 17 hotel suites called the Couture Collection, a restaurant, a smoking room, a bar, and the reception area. The spaces, which opened this past summer, offer harmonious contrasts and touches of surrealism and marks the designer’s first foray into hotel interiors.
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Tubohotel is exactly what it sounds like – a hotel made of tubes.
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