The “New Asia” style of hospitality finds one of its most rarefied expressions in the New Majestic Hotel, located in the heart of Singapore’s Chinatown. An open-concept period-inspired lobby shows the imaginative possibilities of this marriage of old and new, or “heritage chic”, as the hotel calls its particular design savvy, which also takes into account its period furniture dating from the 1920s to the 1960s.

Individually designed rooms, 30 in all, continue the mix of vintage and designer furniture, customized baths, and can include private gardens and six-meter ceilings in attic-style suites. Five rooms have also been personalized by some of Singapore’s most influential talents from cinema, theatre and fashion. Every detail from bedding (the New Majestic calls it a “bedscape”) to bathroom (freestanding copper tubs) has been re-imagined. Some rooms feature floor to ceiling mirrors; others feature aquarium-themed transparent bathrooms. Back downstairs, The Majestic Restaurant is a sleek reinterpretation of one of Singapore’s favorite Chinese dining rooms and serves modern Cantonese cuisine.

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The Surin Phuket (formerly The Chedi Phuket) will re-open its doors on December 21 after extensive renovation. Located on one of the most popular Thai islands known for its lush tropical landscape and white sandy beaches, the resort is nestled on the tranquil coast of Phuket’s finest shore Pansea Beach. The 108-cottage seafront retreat has been redesigned by Paris-based architect and interior designer Ed Tuttle, who was also the resort’s original architect. In addition to showing off the new beach bar and gym, the resort will showcase larger and brighter cottages and public areas, as well as a revamped chill-out lounge and restaurant.

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On the water’s edge at Nacka Strand, Hotel J has its own 25-berth guest harbor and offers sweeping views of the Royal DjurgÃ¥rden, the island of Lidingö and the boats on Saltsjön. The architects at Millimeter and designers at R.O.O.M. have transformed the 1912 brick building into a stylish shrine to seafaring – and an American one at that.

Continue reading “Hotel J, A New Lifestyle Venue In Stockholm’s Harbour” »

For Greek Cypriot art collector Dakis Joannou, New Hotel has been a true labor of love. After picking apart the tired Olympic Palace Hotel, which was built in the heart of modern Athens in 1958, he set about restructuring it, piece-by-piece, without discarding anything. The result is an astonishing work of art – a Gesamtkunstwerk, in which all the senses are in an overall intensified form of visual, tactile and somatic interaction with the objects, structures and materials.

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Although it’s located on Auckland’s High Street, in the middle of the city’s hip fashion district, Hotel DeBrett is more about enduring style than any short-lived seasonal trend. And while much of the Art Deco charm of one of Auckland’s oldest hotels has been preserved, owners and designers Michelle Deery and John Courtney have managed to transform this 1920s building into a modern boutique hotel that surprises guests with warm, homely touches. Continue reading “Auckland’s Transformed Hotel DeBrett” »

As guests step through the glass doors of Klapsons, Singapore’s newest boutique hotel, the combination of 5-star luxury and a unique sensitivity towards contemporary design is immediately apparent. William Sawaya of Sawaya & Moroni spearheaded the design team and the results are sensational. The Klapsons Boutique Hotel attempts to revise the face of both business and leisure travel to Singapore by affording a quiet sophistication and a subtle sense of luxury joined with a sincere functionality.

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With its turquoise water and opalescent sand, Cap Juluca’s crescent-shaped beach is unparalleled

Is this the most beautiful beach in the world? I’ve never seen a prettier one. And if you stay at Cap Juluca, it’s all yours. Go off-season like we did and it’s even more yours. Summer season rates are in effect until the end of October, so there’s still plenty of time to benefit.

I love the Caribbean in the summer when it’s just a bit warmer than the winter, easy to get into the best restaurants and a lot more affordable to stay at five-star resorts such as Cap Juluca on the easygoing island of Anguilla. Continue reading “Summer pleasures at Anguilla’s Cap Juluca” »

25hours Hotel HafenCity, the first hotel to be built in the up-and-coming waterfront area of Hamburg, Germany, opened on July 1. The budget deluxe property offers a modern take on a sailor’s club and is the newest property from the 25hours hotel group, helmed by its passionate CEO Christoph Hoffman. The concept is based on 25 stories collected from sailors interviewed in a local seaman’s club. These stories are woven into the fabric of the hotel and are captured in log books in each guestroom, as well as in illustrations that adorn the walls. The hotel offers 170 cabin-style suites, a rooftop sauna, restaurant, bar, a Mare Kiosk, a Radio Room business center and unconventional meeting spaces, including one housed in a repurposed shipping container. For budding musicians, the hotel’s Vinyl Room is the perfect place to play DJ, and bands can practice free of charge in the Gibson Music Room, in exchange for performing in the hotel. Those on the go can pick up one of the hotel’s bikes or even a MINI to zip around town, both free of charge.

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Insolito Boutique Hotel, a tranquil coastal resort nestled in a rocky hillside in Buzios, Brazil, opens a new restaurant, nine new guest rooms and a Parilla, a barbecue from Rio Plata. The new dining areas immerse guests in original culinary experiences that allow them to experiment and discover the Brazilian culture and way of life. The 20 themed guest rooms based around Brazilian history and culture include nine new spaces that reflect Brazilian Modernism, thus giving guests the opportunity to learn more about the country. Continue reading “Insolito Boutique Hotel Opens New Restaurant and Parilla” »

Urban design quietly nestled among an oasis of natural serenity, Casa de La Flora sits in Khao Lak, on the shore of the Andaman Sea. The brainchild of businessman Sompong Dowpiset, this 36-villa resort is an ode to the angular geometries of Brutalist architecture, while simultaneously paying tribute to the surrounding environment. Applying a distinct sensitivity to the adjacent landscape and achieving harmony with the local flora, the hotel by VaSLab Architecture is Khao Lak’s only resort offering contemporary architecture and design. Guests are invited to experience this exceptional retreat in the midst of pioneering interiors, personalised services and discreet, yet sincere eco-credentials. Continue reading “Introducing Casa de La Flora” »