The piece examines how three Monte Carlo hotels - Hôtel de Paris, Hermitage, and Metropole - each embody different narratives of European luxury through their architectural design and guest experiences.
Known to many as the Eternal City, Rome has an uninterrupted history spanning two and a half thousand years. Apart from incredible historical sites, Rome has some of the world’s finest luxury hotels, often carved out of grand palazzos that once served members of the royal court of the Papal elite, and all of them adorned with opulent finishings and fine art.
Since 1824, The Shelbourne has been a warm and inviting jewel of hospitality and the setting for some of the most dramatic cultural and political moments in Irish history. Beloved by guests and locals as “Ireland’s living room,” The Shelbourne has always reflected the spirit of the city around it, playing a significant role in the literary, social, political, culinary and artistic traditions of Irish society.
It felt quite strange when, for the first time, I saw the station name ‘Battersea’ appear on a dot-matrix signboard on a platform of the Northern Line a year ago. For some time I’d been reading in newspapers about the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station but I had no idea that this neighbourhood would also become home to one of the newest Underground stations in London.
Traveling and providing services to travelers is what gives to a big percentage of the world's population a colorful tone to their reality. Including myself.
To stand out hotels must have more than a pretty face. Yet creating a great concept is not an easy task. Here are a few insights on the challenges and pitfalls of hotel concept development.
The 2012 Olympic Games are giving London the impetus to complete a number of hotel projects – which in turn is giving interior designers the opportunity to demonstrate their creativity in some interesting new spaces. Dexter Moren, Director at London-based design practice Dexter Moren Associates, shares his expectations for the key design trends he sees for the year ahead in this dynamic hotel market.
As he was developing his business plan for what would eventually become the Spanish chain Room Mate Hotels, Enrique Sarasola was confronted by naysayers who told him there was nothing new in the hotel industry. Check-out was 11 a.m., period. Continental breakfast was served until 10 a.m. at the latest, period. High design meant high prices, period. To which Sarasola replied, why?