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This month sees a duo of properties set to get architecture lovers hot under the collar, a rugged escape in the Catskills and a revamped Caribbean classic open their doors.
Urban Cowboy Lodge, the Catskills, USA
Long the weekend destination of choice for New Yorkers looking to hike, ski or fly-fish just two and a half hours away from the Big Apple proper, this revamp of the much-loved Alpine Inn – which sits at the headwaters of the Esopus Creek – gives a fresh reason to visit. The Urban Cowboy team, known for their eponymous properties in Brooklyn and Nashville, have transformed this turn-of-the-century lodge into an ultra-cool 28-room retreat in the Catskills Forest Preserve. Overall, wilderness boho is the vibe – think roaring fireplaces, vintage wooden furniture and eclectic antiques, plus cedar or copper bathtubs in the smartest bedrooms. At zero-waste ethos restaurant Rustic, chef Tara Norvell sources ingredients from farmers and foragers, and a spa and tented accommodation will arrive in summer.
Created with Sketch.
Created with Sketch.
1/10 Hotel Bristol, Warsaw
The historic neo-renaissance Hotel Bristol, which has been a hospitality mainstay in the Polish capital since the turn of the century, has enjoyed an illustrious past life: it once served as a German army headquarters during the war and then the city's university library. Today it’s been repaired to its former art nouveau glory, with plush, unstuffy interiors and the delightful Cafe Bristol with checkerboard floor and delicate pastries (worth a visit even if you’re not staying). The location is hard to beat – the hotel is in the heart of Warsaw’s Old Town on the so-called Royal Route, next to the Presidential Palace. Check availability
Marriott
2/10 Cotton House, Barcelona
Nineteenth-century Cotton House is housed in Barcelona's former Association of Cotton Manufacturers, and this heritage seeps into every part of the Gran Via property. Sumptuous interiors (think leather chesterfields, wingback chairs, prim white sheets...all cotton naturally) and the hotel library are no match for the hotel’s most Instagrammable spot: above and below the 1950s spiral staircase, complete with hanging orb-like lamps. Check availability
Marriott
3/10 The Dean, Dublin
Young-at-heart The Dean takes over a series of Georgian townhouses in the heart of Dublin, not far from shopping haven Grafton Street. The vibe is smart and sophisticated – there’s more than a little Brooklyn about this place – with a smashing rooftop with views over the city and beyond, plus: pizza. Little touches in this design property go a long way. There are hot water bottles in the rooms, retro music players and little notes saying “what’s the craic?”. Rates aren’t extortionate either – which is a nice change for the Irish capital. Check availability
The Dean
4/10 Domaine des Etangs, France
In pastoral Massignac in central France is this 2,000-plus acre Domaine, which combines 900 brown cows (which look at you disconcertingly every time you drive past them), an 11th-century chateau, a mill turned high-end spa, a futuristic art gallery and a working farm. Phew. Inside, the chateau mixes traditional hospitality with some very up-to-the-minute art – expect to see anything from a Hermes scarf and Star Wars film posters to insects and images of constellations mounted on the wall. The vibe here is very much unplug and recharge, helped by its Michelin-starred restaurant Dyades and the rolling hills and 40 ponds ripe for a lazy cycle. Check availability
Cathy Adams
5/10 Ushuaia, Ibiza - part beach club, part hotel, wholly good time
It’s hard to know whether to classify Ushuaia as a luxury hotel or an all-out nightclub (it’s both). This Playa d’en Bossa hotel stages highly popular day parties (sought-after residencies this year include Calvin Harris, David Guetta and Martin Garrix) while luxury villa-style rooms frame the stage. The white lacquer, flora and faunda-covered Ushuaia Tower next door kicks the luxury element up a notch: round leather daybeds inside mirrored rooms, sex toys in the minibar and hot-tubs on the balcony to hear the eardrum-banging from a little further away. Check availability
Palladium Hotel Group
6/10 Orania, Berlin
You’ll want to stay in Kreuzberg if you come to Berlin. Once a cheap and neglected neighbourhood on the easternmost edge of the wall, Kreuzberg – “Little Istanbul” – has long been the city’s trendiest district (street art, banging Turkish food, late-late-late bars). The best place to base yourself is at Orania, which meshes homey suites with live music downstairs, making it a real neighbourhood spot. This five-storey hotel on the corner of Oranienplatz has been through various incarnations since it was built in 1912 (including a nightclub called Trash – in Kreuzberg there’s always a nightclub) but today is a red-and-gold, fire pit-lit boutique with a yummy restaurant. Check availability
Orania.Berlin
7/10 The Thief, Oslo
So named for its location on Oslo’s Tjuvholmen “Thief” Island, this nine-storey curved glass property, designed by local firm Mellbye Architects, is all about art. The Renzo Piano-designed Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art is nearby (and some room rates come with free passes) and there’s artwork from Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons inside. Light-filled rooms (thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows) overlook the moody harbour. Check availability
Thief Oslo
8/10 Hotel Lutetia, Paris
Iconic Left Bank Hotel Lutetia, which had a splashy reopening last summer, has always been a hotbed of creativity – much like the area, St Germain, that surrounds it. During the Second World War, the hotel housed St Germain’s exiled musicians and artists, before being bought by the family behind champagne house Taittinger. Storied guests including Pablo Picasso and James Joyce – who wrote Ulysses here – are in the guestbook. Today it’s one of the Rive Gauche’s only luxury hotels, complete with three new dining “destinations”: the art nouveau Brasserie Lutetia, with hand-painted columns, is a real treat. Check availability
Lutetia
9/10 Rosa Alpina, Italy
Lording it over the pretty South Tyrolian village of San Cassiano is the utterly charming lodge Rosa Alpina. Soft rugs, stone floors and lots of Japanese brushed pine feature in this pared-back luxury property, which also has a standout spa complete with Finnish-style sauna overlooking the Italian Dolomites. Talking of the Dolomites, it’s also a good base for skiing the wider Alta Badia, although there’s a cross-country ski track nearby if you can’t hack the proper powder. Save room (and cash) for a three-Michelin-starred dinner at St Hubertus, run by local produce advocate Norbert Niederkofler, which adjoins the hotel. Check availability
Daniel Tochterle
10/10 Hotel Romeo, Naples
Once gritty, now (sort of) glamorous Naples has one place worth bedding down in: Hotel Romeo. The standout element of this boutique property is the tiny rooftop pool, perfect for posing or gazing over Vesuvius bubbling away in the distance. The hotel, designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange (so expect lots of wood and pared-back design), turns a kind of nuclear blue at night, which makes it feel impossibly urban. Romeo is also a perfect launching pad for the nearby islands of Capri and Ischia as it's right opposite the ferry port. Check availability
Hotel Romeo
1/10 Hotel Bristol, Warsaw
The historic neo-renaissance Hotel Bristol, which has been a hospitality mainstay in the Polish capital since the turn of the century, has enjoyed an illustrious past life: it once served as a German army headquarters during the war and then the city's university library. Today it’s been repaired to its former art nouveau glory, with plush, unstuffy interiors and the delightful Cafe Bristol with checkerboard floor and delicate pastries (worth a visit even if you’re not staying). The location is hard to beat – the hotel is in the heart of Warsaw’s Old Town on the so-called Royal Route, next to the Presidential Palace. Check availability
Marriott
2/10 Cotton House, Barcelona
Nineteenth-century Cotton House is housed in Barcelona's former Association of Cotton Manufacturers, and this heritage seeps into every part of the Gran Via property. Sumptuous interiors (think leather chesterfields, wingback chairs, prim white sheets...all cotton naturally) and the hotel library are no match for the hotel’s most Instagrammable spot: above and below the 1950s spiral staircase, complete with hanging orb-like lamps. Check availability
Marriott
3/10 The Dean, Dublin
Young-at-heart The Dean takes over a series of Georgian townhouses in the heart of Dublin, not far from shopping haven Grafton Street. The vibe is smart and sophisticated – there’s more than a little Brooklyn about this place – with a smashing rooftop with views over the city and beyond, plus: pizza. Little touches in this design property go a long way. There are hot water bottles in the rooms, retro music players and little notes saying “what’s the craic?”. Rates aren’t extortionate either – which is a nice change for the Irish capital. Check availability
The Dean
4/10 Domaine des Etangs, France
In pastoral Massignac in central France is this 2,000-plus acre Domaine, which combines 900 brown cows (which look at you disconcertingly every time you drive past them), an 11th-century chateau, a mill turned high-end spa, a futuristic art gallery and a working farm. Phew. Inside, the chateau mixes traditional hospitality with some very up-to-the-minute art – expect to see anything from a Hermes scarf and Star Wars film posters to insects and images of constellations mounted on the wall. The vibe here is very much unplug and recharge, helped by its Michelin-starred restaurant Dyades and the rolling hills and 40 ponds ripe for a lazy cycle. Check availability
Cathy Adams
5/10 Ushuaia, Ibiza - part beach club, part hotel, wholly good time
It’s hard to know whether to classify Ushuaia as a luxury hotel or an all-out nightclub (it’s both). This Playa d’en Bossa hotel stages highly popular day parties (sought-after residencies this year include Calvin Harris, David Guetta and Martin Garrix) while luxury villa-style rooms frame the stage. The white lacquer, flora and faunda-covered Ushuaia Tower next door kicks the luxury element up a notch: round leather daybeds inside mirrored rooms, sex toys in the minibar and hot-tubs on the balcony to hear the eardrum-banging from a little further away. Check availability
Palladium Hotel Group
6/10 Orania, Berlin
You’ll want to stay in Kreuzberg if you come to Berlin. Once a cheap and neglected neighbourhood on the easternmost edge of the wall, Kreuzberg – “Little Istanbul” – has long been the city’s trendiest district (street art, banging Turkish food, late-late-late bars). The best place to base yourself is at Orania, which meshes homey suites with live music downstairs, making it a real neighbourhood spot. This five-storey hotel on the corner of Oranienplatz has been through various incarnations since it was built in 1912 (including a nightclub called Trash – in Kreuzberg there’s always a nightclub) but today is a red-and-gold, fire pit-lit boutique with a yummy restaurant. Check availability
Orania.Berlin
7/10 The Thief, Oslo
So named for its location on Oslo’s Tjuvholmen “Thief” Island, this nine-storey curved glass property, designed by local firm Mellbye Architects, is all about art. The Renzo Piano-designed Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art is nearby (and some room rates come with free passes) and there’s artwork from Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons inside. Light-filled rooms (thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows) overlook the moody harbour. Check availability
Thief Oslo
8/10 Hotel Lutetia, Paris
Iconic Left Bank Hotel Lutetia, which had a splashy reopening last summer, has always been a hotbed of creativity – much like the area, St Germain, that surrounds it. During the Second World War, the hotel housed St Germain’s exiled musicians and artists, before being bought by the family behind champagne house Taittinger. Storied guests including Pablo Picasso and James Joyce – who wrote Ulysses here – are in the guestbook. Today it’s one of the Rive Gauche’s only luxury hotels, complete with three new dining “destinations”: the art nouveau Brasserie Lutetia, with hand-painted columns, is a real treat. Check availability
Lutetia
9/10 Rosa Alpina, Italy
Lording it over the pretty South Tyrolian village of San Cassiano is the utterly charming lodge Rosa Alpina. Soft rugs, stone floors and lots of Japanese brushed pine feature in this pared-back luxury property, which also has a standout spa complete with Finnish-style sauna overlooking the Italian Dolomites. Talking of the Dolomites, it’s also a good base for skiing the wider Alta Badia, although there’s a cross-country ski track nearby if you can’t hack the proper powder. Save room (and cash) for a three-Michelin-starred dinner at St Hubertus, run by local produce advocate Norbert Niederkofler, which adjoins the hotel. Check availability
Daniel Tochterle
10/10 Hotel Romeo, Naples
Once gritty, now (sort of) glamorous Naples has one place worth bedding down in: Hotel Romeo. The standout element of this boutique property is the tiny rooftop pool, perfect for posing or gazing over Vesuvius bubbling away in the distance. The hotel, designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange (so expect lots of wood and pared-back design), turns a kind of nuclear blue at night, which makes it feel impossibly urban. Romeo is also a perfect launching pad for the nearby islands of Capri and Ischia as it's right opposite the ferry port. Check availability
Hotel Romeo
Doubles from £149
urbancowboy.com/catskills
Rosewood Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda, BVIs
The most-talked about Caribbean opening of the year is the reopening of BVI favourite Rosewood Little Dix Bay. Founded in the Sixties by conservationist Laurance Rockefeller, Little Dix has been shut for four years for a multimillion-dollar refurbishment – during this time the islands were hit by Hurricane Irma. Now looking better than ever, the design of 82 rooms, suites and villas has been masterminded by New York-based Meyer Davis. Hexagonal-shaped bedrooms – with shimmering ocean panoramas – blend Caribbean cool with mid-century modern flair. There are lush gardens and a half-a-mile-long sweep of beach to explore, as well as three restaurants and a clifftop spa with yoga pavilion – the spot for sun salutations with a view.
Doubles from £658
rosewoodhotels.com/en/little-dix-bay-virgin-gorda
Habitas Namibia, Africa
Just when it seemed the Namibian hotel scene couldn’t get any cooler, joining the likes of swish tented camp Sonop and kooky Shipwreck Lodge comes Habitas Namibia. Fifteen lodges – constructed with minimal impact – sit in a vegetation-filled reserve a short drive from Windhoek airport. Habitas’s founders, a trio of arty entrepreneurs with a background in curating extraordinary events, turned hoteliers for the first time in 2017, creating a hit Tulum crashpad, with a focus on creating human connections through music, art and food. This spirit is at the heart of the Namibian offering too; days can be spent learning the traditions of the San Bushmen community, wildlife-spotting on a safari or blissing out in the spa.
Doubles from £470
ourhabitas.com
Arctic Bath, Swedish Lapland
Set to appeal to wellness and architecture fans alike is this Polo-Mint-shaped spa hotel floats on the Lule River in northern Sweden’s Harads during summer, and freezes into the ice come winter. The design, by architects Bertil Harstrom and Johan Kauppi (behind the nearby Treehotel), includes a spa with central ice bath surrounded by saunas, hot baths and treatment rooms. Six cabins bob at the water’s edge, while another six, larger glass-walled cabins – designed by fashion whizz Ann Kathrin Lundqvist – line the shore. Natural and sustainable materials reign supreme and rooms channel Swedish-cool to the max. Food riffs on Sami cuisine, with a focus on all things local – expect wild meat and fish – and activities include dog sledding, bear watching and even moose calling.
Floating rooms from £765, half board
arcticbath.se
ME Dubai, Dubai, UAE
Second up in this month’s architectural-opening whammy is ME Dubai in the Burj Khalifa district in downtown Dubai. The 93-room property not only sits inside the striking, 95m-high Opus building – designed by the late, great Zaha Hadid – but has interiors picked by the Pritzker Architectural Prize-winning starchitect too. The Opus itself is jaw-dropping, with a duo of towers cleverly designed to resemble a cube with a “scooped-out” wibbly central void. As well as a spa, swimming pool and health club, there will be 15 restaurants inside the Opus building to keep discerning food lovers happy, including an outpost of Japanese restaurant Roka, and a Maine Oyster Bar and Grill.
Rooms from £tbc
mebymelia.com
Ruby Lucy, London
Munich-based Ruby Hotels are known for their “lean luxury” approach – essentially opening properties with a killer location and chic design without any unnecessary frills. Think galley kitchens and vending machines in lieu of minibars and room service, and a quick self-check-in on arrival. Touching down on London’s Southbank, 76-room, carnival-themed Ruby Lucy takes inspiration from its buzzing, arty locale. Just moments from transport hub Waterloo station, guests can expect bright rooms with bold brass accents and a hint of cheeky circus cheer. Rooms range from dinky Nest rooms (14-15sqm) to larger Loft affairs (21-23sqm) and all have a Marshall guitar amp that can be used to play guitars loaned from reception. Thankfully, if your – or your neighbour’s – musical talents aren’t Hendrix-level slick, rooms are all soundproofed.
Doubles from £119
ruby-hotels.com