design hotels

Asia's Best Design Hotels

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Architecture & Design

Modern architecture-loving travelers will love the destinations featured by our friends over at Departures . The magazine took a look at Asia's coolest design hotels, which are some of the most impressive properties in Shanghai, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore. These properties are "sleek super towers and seemingly impossible, imagination-defying structures" according to the luxury magazine that is published by American Express publishing.

Today's Asian luxury hotels are influencing Western hotels, while once it was the opposite, according to Edwin Heathcote, architectural critic for the Financial Times. The most significant new hotels each have something that is memorable, the Departures piece explains. In some, it's the restaurant that's the most memorable; in others, it's a soaring sky bar or a penthouse suite. In others it is the structures themselves that are redefining skylines.

Hong Kong
According to Departures, Hong Kong has also opened itself up to a host of contemporary international architects who have put their stamp on the city, from Foster + Partners to Cesar Pelli to I. M. Pei. Recently, at the 117-room Upper House (from $425), local Andre Fu-known for doing the home of actress Michelle Yeoh-has created an ideal, almost spiritual, balance of uncluttered spaces. "The design is not Asian in a literal manner," Fu told Departures, "but it reflects a subtle Asian sensitivity." He has achieved this with pools of water, bamboo enclosures, natural timber, shoji glass, limestone and lacquered paper panels. Additional design highlights include the Sky Bridge on the 49th floor, which crosses a 130-foot-high atrium; the hotel's Bedonia stone façade (see photo above) by one of Britain's hottest architect-designers, Thomas Heatherwick; and freestanding bathtubs with panoramic harbor or island views.

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The George To Open In Hamburg

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The newest member of Design Hotels is known as The George and will open in November in Hamburg, Germany. The 125-room hotel promises a "New British Style" offering a contemporary twist to English tradition and design. It was inspired by British social clubs and offers spaces in which to socialize and lounge including a library, a restaurant with attached English garden, a rooftop terrace and two clubrooms as well as a lounge and bar.

Hotelier Kai Hollmann used both the styles of British classics as well as exotic influences dating back to colonial times in his design. The primary design scheme in black and white is softened by rich accent colors and warm dark woods. Each of the public rooms are also available for private hire. Room rates start at 159 euros.

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Lancid 19, Budapests's New Boutique Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Lánchíd 19, Budapest's sexy new boutique hotel is now open. The hotel, which is the first Hungarian member of design hotels features the work of Hungarian architects and designers. The hotel's facade, created by Nextlab, is a changing glass artwork which provides pictures at night which shine out over the Danube riverbank. The movement of the glass lamellas are painted with tiny graphics to follow the flow speed of the Danube. During construction the medieval walls and remains of a water-tower were excavated and the archaeological remains are visible from the lobby through glass flooring. Each of the 45 rooms and 3 suites have an individual look and all have views of the Buda Royal Castle. More information on the process of creating the hotel can be found on their blog.

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Tags: budapest, design hotels, DesignHotels, hotel, hungary, lancid 19, Lancid19, travel, vacation

The Levante Parliment

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Levante Parliment recently opened its doors in Vienna. The hotel, which is part of the design hotels group, maintained the original 1908 facade but updated the interior with clean lines and dramatic contemporary art. The building is both a gallery and a hotel and features black and white photographs by Curt Themessl and glass art by Ioan Nemtoi. The Nemtoi restaurant features Nemtoi's glass bar and four massive glass sculptures. Without the sculptures, the hotel would look like any modern hotel but the simple design of the hotel provides a nice contrasting backdrop for Nemtoi's colorful and sinuous forms. The hotel also has a sauna and infrared cabin and a courtyard garden. Rates start at 175 euros per night.

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