Archive for the ‘hotels’ Category
Hotel Max has a great sense of style and a great sense of play. Located in the heart of downtown Seattle, this boutique hotel has its finger directly on the city’s pulse. The hotel features stunning design elements everywhere from the lobby to the hallways, and the rooms boast original artwork by local artists. With its amiable staff and beautiful aesthetics, Hotel Max offers a contemporary vibe for travelers in the Pacific Northwest.
Berlin is a city that is constantly changing. Ultra modern building projects glisten beside historically grand structures and the occasional art-covered chunk of the Berlin Wall. In this constantly evolving landscape, there is never a shortage of sleek and stylish hotels either, many which have become some of the city’s most daring expressions of new design. Among these trendsetters Nhow Hotel has to be one of the most beautifully designed of them all.
As Austria’s largest city, Vienna is filled with abundant hotel chains. So where to start? For something really special, give Hollmann Beletage a try. This hotel is an oasis of pampering and relaxation right in the heart of the city. It’s a small boutique hotel with just a handful of rooms, but it has the feel of a roomy house.
Looking for a hip, youthful, and fashionable place to stay in Vienna, Austria? Then check out the Twenty Five Hours Hotel Vienna. Located at the MuseumsQuartier in Vienna, it’s in the heart of the city (7th district), right next to the Hofburg Palace and most of the city’s museums, conveniently next to metro and tram stops. What’s so unique about this hotel is that it’s circus themed, plus it’s a nightlife hotspot too.
Buenos Aires is an exciting city. For starters, it’s home to the sultry tango. Its buildings seem to have been splashed with all colors of the rainbow and turned into open canvases for some of the world’s best graffiti art. There’s a whisper of European flavor to the city, with strong Italian and Spanish roots that have produced great things, among them top notch helado. Plus the city is packed with steakhouses and everywhere you turn are steaming empanadas. Here you can watch a tango show in the park over cold cervezas, shop in street markets for hidden gems, stay out till dawn in the city’s many hopping nightclubs, and just wander about enjoying the relaxed vibe.
I knew the minute I crossed the border from Italy into Switzerland. First, the train announcements switched from Italian to Swiss German. Then, the look of the houses began to change. Train station names and road signs ceased to be in Italian. The most striking change came when the drink cart vendor switched languages—he went from speaking flowery Italian to roaring by with an urgent Achtung!
We’ve stayed in some pretty darn stylish hotels this year, from urban city retreats to ultra modern design hotels, to charming B&B’s, sleek boutique luxury hotels, swanky 5-star chains, and countryside manor houses. Out of all of them, here are our top 5 choices from 2012:
#1! Cahernane House Hotel, Killarney, Ireland
Staying in an Irish manor house in Ireland is an absolute must if you’re exploring the Irish countryside. One of the quintessential Irish experiences, they can be found speckled throughout the countryside and offer little pockets of homey luxury. I can’t begin to describe how truly beautiful this place is!
Klaus K is a design hotel inspired by the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, and “inspired” is definitely an apt description of the thoughtful aesthetic of this incredible hotel. Design details abound — in the lobby and the rooms, but also in unexpected places like the elevators, wallpaper, and carpet. Owners Mia and Marc Skvorc have incorporated literal and symbolic references to the Kalevala in almost every aspect of the hotel’s design, but for those unfamiliar with the epic Finnish poem, the masterful blend of textures and colors gives you plenty to look at while the soft lighting and modern elegance create a sense of richness throughout the establishment.
Located just outside of Tallinn’s Old Town in the city’s up-and-coming Rotermanni Quarter, Nordic Hotel Forum is a contemporary option for the modern hipster. As a world-class business hotel, it has all the technological amenities a guest could hope for: super-speedy wifi, flatscreen TVs, and even Skype-equipped telephones. The hotel’s aesthetic is designed to provide guests with a relaxing escape from both work and play – and it definitely does the trick. For this weary traveler, the tranquil room with its comfortable bed was a welcome solace from a long day of trekking around the cobbled streets of the nearby Old Town. As for the rooms, they feature clean lines, smooth textures, and a color palette of bright whites and dark woods.
Upon entering the Nobis Hotel, the lobby’s elegant aesthetic makes a positive impression. The round lights hanging from the ceiling provide a cloud-like feel that complements the natural light flooding in the windows.
