lounge & dining area @ cool venice apartment (Image by HWL)
Searching for accommodation in Venice meant wading through websites offering a fearful combination of the fussy, the twee and the bland. Then, somehow, we stumbled across the self-described ‘Cool Venice Apartment’ on Facebook. Set in the Cannaregio district of Venice (a five minute walk from Ca d’Oro), the apartment is owned by a group of like-minded friends who pooled together for a two-bedroom pad in Venice. (And why wouldn’t you?)
Great things about the location – Venice is tiny so once you get your head around the maze factor everything is within walking distance. For us it made sense to steer clear of the heavily touristed San Marco and set ourselves up near useful things such as a bakery, supermarket, well-priced cicheti bars and some of Venice’s best restaurants! Staying around here will also enable you to soak up the neighbourhood atmosphere without too much danger of being elbowed by tour groups over breakfast.
textures: ceiling beams, terrazzo & arched windows (Image: HWL)
Traditional Venetian flats are set over three floors – the first floor is essentially an entry way/storage area with staircase (left vacant presumably as a flood precaution), second floor is the living area and the third floor is for bedrooms. In this case the flat occupies only the first two floors, but is nonetheless extremely generous in size. While the master bedroom is a bit bigger with more clothes storage the second bedroom (with twin beds) is very light and spacious so there’s really no need for anyone to feel like they’ve drawn the short straw. The flat has lovely views from most rooms, the kitchen is well-equipped, and the bathroom has a jacuzzi (noisy, but after all that walking around its worth a try at least once).
Miami style: NYC design firm Roman & Williams meld vintage patina with a cosy, contemporary aesthetic at the Freehand Hostel. (Image by Adrian Gaut)
Freehand, a new venture in ’boutique hostels’ that recently opened in Miami, will be a hit with the short-on-cash but big-on-style boho crowd that inundate the city every year for Art Miami Basel. Situated in an 1930′s deco building a block from the beach the hostel is kitted-out with a welcoming mix of vintage flair and contemporary art. Located in the former Indian Creek Hotel, the hostel is a new venture by the Sydell Group the taste-makers behind the ACE NYC and Palm Springs, the NoMad Hotel in NYC and the recently opened Saguaro Hotel in desert art hub, Scottsdale. This is the first of several planned ventures in the ’boutique hostel’ space and it seems fair to say that they are onto something. If the interiors look inviting that’s because they are by New York outfit Roman and Williams, the space-maker team behind the buzzing Breslin at the ACE hotel and the jaw-droppingly awesome 18th Floor Club at the Standard Hotel. In short: this joint has design credentials.
Bunking down at the Freehand Hostel in Miami, designers went for a nostalgic, slightly tongue-in-cheek ‘sea-side holiday’ camp atmos. (Image by Adrian Gaut)
The Rooms: From US$35 a bed, dorm rooms are a thrifty option for solo travellers, a band on tour, or a bunch of friends out to raise hell in Miami. Lovely double rooms (from US$150) are also available though it’s hard to say whether a quiet night’s sleep is assured, what with all the ji-jinx going down. (We can’t speak from experience as we haven’t tried it yet, so if you have, please let us know!)
Mixing it up: Freehand hostel in Miami also caters to grown-ups and lovers with these sweet double rooms. (Image by Adrian Gaut)
What we like the sounds of: The friendly, community ethos of a hostel combined with loads of style. The social strata mash-up, similar in ilk to the fantastic Michelberger Hotel in Berlin.
On the menu: a swish swimming pool, ping-pong tables, bicycles and organised events for interested guests based around art, music and local culture.
On yr bike! Freehand Miami offers guests hispter-ish accessories like vintage bicycles. (Image by Adrian Gaut.)
Drinking: The on-site bar, the Broken Shaker, promises affordable cocktails using herbs and spices from the on-site garden. (No doubt they also have their own supply of hipster bees creating politically correct honey for your organic breakfast in the morning as well…) A restaurant is planned for 2013.
In the drink: chilling at the Freehand Miami Hotel (Image by Adrian Gaut)
Look out for: Art works by Miami artists Sky Farrell, known for her low-fi collages, and Justin H Long, inspired by all that is maritime.
Tips: If you’re planning to stay at the Freehand for Art Miami Basel book AHEAD, like now! (What are you waiting for?!)
While we were dozing…three great new hotels have recently opened in New York City. Here’s a little teaser for your next trip to the city that never sleeps. Full reviews to come when we relaunch of this blog sometime in early 2013!
Wythe Hotel, Brooklyn: hipster epi-centre, hot river views.
WYTHE HOTEL IN BROOKLYN
Picture all the hipsters in Brooklyn and then imagine opening up a hipster hotel sending hipsters from all over the world into this hipster zone and what you have is a kind of hipster theme park where thoughtful interior design meets scruffy facial hair meets politically correct caffeinated beverages….
Sleep like a baby in the Baby Queen Room, Wythe Hotel, NYC.
Situated in the a former textile factory, the 72-room Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg makes a feature of its industrial past, while a renovation has opened up amazing new river views to Manhattan. Like Manhattan’s Ace Hotel, it aims to cater to the full-deck of clientele – lofts for the loaded, bunks for the broke. Also on offer, hipster-ish eating options at the Renard restaurant that draws the local foxes, Instagram competitions for guests and if you ask nicely they probably have a fixie out back that you can take for a spin. For details and bookings: Wythe Hotel.
HOTEL AMERICANO IN CHELSEA
Ever since we unwittingly stumbled upon some photos of the beautifully nostalgic La Boca Chica in Acapulco a few years ago we’ve been watching the Grupo Habita hotel group to see what they would do next… The Mexican group’s latest ventures is situated in the heart of NY’s Chelsea art district, the hotel was designed by Mexico City-based architect Enrique Norten with interiors by Frenchman Arnaud Montigny (best known for his work on the Paris concept store Colette).
NYC likes to mix it up: Latin heart with a hint of modern Japanese at Hotel Americano.
The hotel’s steel exterior presents a hard shoulder to its gritty urban environment but inside an industrial aesthetic is softened by Danish-style leather sofas, wooden sleeping platforms a la ‘urban ryokan’ (as the marketeers would have it) soft Japanese textiles and homely touches such as gas fireplaces (in suites). We like the occasional splashes of bright yellow that brighten up the neutral tones and remind us of New York’s iconic taxis. Perks include a roof top swimming pool that converts to a hot tub in winter. Guests can cement their hipster credentials by borrowing a bicycle from reception. Rooms priced from US$255. For details and bookings:Hotel Americano.
Sex and the city: she’s all your’s baby at Hotel Americano, NYC
NOMAD HOTEL IN BROADWAY
Broadway, NYC is at the centre of everything yet until now it’s been hard to find a cosy hotel to call home. We love the rich bohemian vibe of NoMad Hotel – the mash-up of pictures, textures and colours evoke a mood of travel, a sort of melting pot that reflects the make up of this most cosmopolitan of cities.
New York’s NoMad Hotel features art work drawn from the photographic travel series, Portraits de Villes.
Housed in a Beaux-Arts building, the interiors were given a classic make-over by French designer Jacques Garcia. The French influence is apparent in the art work drawn from Be-pôles’ Portraits de Villes art book series that document a city through the eyes of a single photographer. Another French touch includes the in-house Kitsune boutique, the hipper-than-thou Parisian music and design label.The end result is an old school European-style hotel with a New York sensibility and service ethos. Modern nomads better be packing plastic: room rates start from $395. For details and bookings:The NoMad Hotel.
Not afraid to make a splash. The NoMad Hotel’s dining room evokes the exotic imaginings of an Anaïs Nin novel.
Except the 100 metres: a very East End Olympics, welcome to Bethnal Green. (Photo by HWL).
The neighbourhood: What’s the deal? Bethnal Green: the real East End. Our friend Pete likes to reminisce how there didn’t used to be any supermarkets in the area because the chains were worried that people would steal the food. Today the mix is decidedly eclectic (and don’t worry, there is a Waitrose!). Bethnal Green is halal pizza, Vyner St First Thursday art openings, take away curry, chador-wearing teens, free Russian newspapers, boating nomads living on the canals, and graphic design hipsters on fixed gears stopping off for a latte. In short, all the diversity of London in one slightly industrial zone that is still a while off total gentrification.
We like the gleam of old fashioned timber at the Town Hall Hotel, in London. (Photo by HWL.)
The Hotel: What’s the concept?
It’s a design hotel inserted into the body of an former Town Hall. The UK doesn’t mess around when it comes to privitisation – post offices, libraries, Town Halls – they’re all up for grabs. The hotel group, the Singaporean-based Unlisted Collection, has done well to retain the building’s original elegance. Built in Edwardian times the edifice also features some deco extensions – there are loads of original details throughout. It’s been used as a film set a number of times with appearances in the period drama Atonement; based on Ian Mc Ewan’s Booker Prize nominated novel of the same name; and Guy Ritchie’s edgy crime heist Snatch – ask at the hotel’s reception if you’d like to watch these or other films during your stay.
An elegance of stairways at the Town Hall Hotel – note the designer chairs in the lobby, one of the trademarks of Singaporean hotel group, the Unlisted Collection.
The crowd: What’s the vibe?
Mixed. The edgy flavour and slightly out of the way location of the neighbourhood means the hotel offers a very good price for the standard of facilities – big rooms, designer chairs, even a swimming pool. Among the crowd you will find a mix of in-the-know globe trotters as well as middle-aged couples standing on the corner and looking bewildered as as a bus pulls up and unloads 100 cape-wearing Somalians.
A dash of deco, a glint of gold. (Photo by HWL.)
Tell us about the rooms:
Room are very generous and some of the apartments have good-sized kitchenettes so if you’re planning a long-term stay you can DIY bacon and eggs. In terms of aesthetics, the hotel has gone for a ‘classic look’ that is in keeping with the building, but to our mind it was a little, well, corporate, compared to the groups other offerings such as the showy Waterhouse on the Bund in Shanghai.
A very generous standard hotel room in the basement level at the Town Hall Hotel. Note, for more light, request a room on one of the higher floors. (Photo by HWL.)
The Hotel: What is it ideal for in the context of London?
The hotel is perfect for Shoreditch-friendly street smart types who are doing business in the East End or frequent visitors who want to soak up some of the community atmos in the area. Highlights include Broadway Market on Saturday, taking the fixed-gear for a zip down the tow-path, ogling the handsome waiters at the fashionable eatery Bistroteque or grabbing a £1 lager and wandering about the Vyner St art openings. Note that the hotel is on the Central Line which is ideal for exploring sites and central London (click here for Tube map).
The hotel has retained many of the original details, including this rather quirky fireplace in the middle of a very long bathroom. (Image by HWL.)
Pluses: What is to love?
Both of the in-house restaurants are very good. Viajante, headed by a chef who interned at the legendary El Bulli, does a wonderful and very reasonably priced set lunch and dinner. (Book in advance and request a table at the front so you can watch you meal being prepared with tweezers.) Swimming pools are not a given in London hotels, so we appreciated the opportunity to do a few laps. The bar is also a lovely spot to meet friends for drinks.
Lighten up: breakfast is served in the lovely Corner Room restaurant. We also recommend it for a cosy and elegant meal during your stay. (Photo by HWL.)
Minuses: Where could it improve?
Based on our stay, we would say that the staff are not quite up to standard (a number of incidents suggested a lack of experience) and there were some technical issues with the heating system. Also, while we appreciate the need to diversify the business to functions and weddings, events shouldn’t take place at the inconvenience of other hotel guests. We’re as big a fan of Freddy Mercury as anyone, but do we really want to hear the reverberations of Another One Bites the Dust as the wedding DJ attempts to crank-up the party? Probably not.
A room with a kitchenette. The apartments enable a division of sleeping and living areas, with room left over for guests. (Photo by HWL.)
Tips: let’s hear them.
Have a well-made morning coffee at Hackney Bureau. Check out Viktor Wynd’s Little Shop Of Horrors – an art slash curiosity store that doubles as the Last Tuesday Society HQ, specialising in off-beat events. See what’s on at the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club – a sort of tongue-in-cheek venue where activities might include a roller skating tea-party, a David Lynch inspired cabaret evening, or a retrospective of John Water’s films. (Note that attending in costume is encouraged.) Pellicci, one of London’s best known old school caff’s is around the corner, if you can stomach a fry up, give it a go, otherwise, stick to a cuppa served strong enough to strip your teeth. Low-key but pleasant activities ideal for a Sunday include visiting the V&A Museum of Childhood, strolling in Victoria Park (duck feeding is optional), or taking a look at Anish Kapoor’s rather silly Orbit sculpture at the recently inaugurated Olympic stadium.
A mere dawdle from the Town Hall Hotel will get you to Hackney Empire, a great coffee and lunch spot. Note street artist Conor Harrington’s work on the wall above it. (Photo by HWL.)
Our drawing of our Loft Room on the 2nd floor at the Michelberger Hotel. For the last couple of years we have been drawing our favourite hotel rooms, and we now have a nice collection of Moleskin Japanese albums… (Image by HWL)
The Michelberger Hotel in Berlin has been on our hipster hotel hit list for a few years now. Finally, we had the chance to go! A Leonard Cohen soundtrack and retro glasses of well-priced prosecco in the hotel’s candle-lit bar kicked-off the perfect sojourn in Berlin…
Wise words in the lobby of the Michelberger Hotel, Berlin. (Image by HWL)
The neighbourhood: Looking on a tourist map of Berlin you feel like the Michelberger might be a little bit out-of-the-way – but not at all. The location offers all the transport links, from trains to bike paths, to get you into the heart of the action (naked sun-bathing in the Tiergarten, jostling it out with the tourists at Brandenburg Gate, strolling the bijou boutiques in Mitte or tagging hapless passers-by according to your tastes). But more importantly in Berlin it’s the suburbs where the good stuff is happening – so if you want to eat, drink and make merry, you’re in close proximity to the emerging areas of Kreuzberg and Neukölln. Note that East Side Gallery – the largest remaining painted stretch of the Berlin Wall is just around the corner.
The Clever One – an example of the Luxe room category at the Michelberger Hotel – has a saucy librarian aesthetic. Now to take off those heavy frames and shake-out that hair.
The Hotel:The Michelberger weds a bohemian aesthetic and happening vibe with a friendly welcome (OK, so it’s less of a wedding duo and more of a love triangle). It seems to have taken the best of those 20-something travelling experiences (camaraderie, sociable communal areas, friendly service) and combined them with the best of hotel living – clean rooms, fresh linen and a more sophisticated design aesthetic. The cool bar area is great at any time of the day – if you find yourself knackered at the end of a big day in Berlin and can’t convince your feet to take you back out over the threshold, there’s no shame in spending a night in. (Well, only a little bit.)
Boomshakalakaboom: the exterior of the Michelberger Hotel in Berlin (Image by HWL)
What we loved: The creative atmosphere, the playful design aesthetic, the friendliness of the staff. Late check-outs on request for night performers such as burlesque dancers/DJs/musos/ and other creative slash types. While we didn’t take advantage of them we thought the free daily activities (eg: Sunday outing to the Mauerpark Flea Market) were a nice touch for travellers in the mood for company and hassle-free entertainment.
Paper lantern: while you can start the day in the breakfast room, we preferred a quiet coffee and pastry in the cafe/bar area…a very chilled way to wake up. (Image by HWL)
Minuses/Room to improve:Rooms on the first floor may be exposed to some bar noise; some room categories (Loft, Band) have mezzanine sleeping areas accessed by precarious and narrow staircases – not recommended for the non-mobile, the non-thin or if you’re planning to get drunk a lot. (In the latter case, we recommend crashing out on the day bed on the ground floor.) Mezzanine rooms are warm and could get rather hot in summer – if you of the sensitive ilk, pack ear-plugs so you can sleep with the windows open without being woken by traffic and assorted merry pranksters of the night. While the cleaning staff get our full sympathy (imagine lugging cleaning implements up those teeny stairs) some rooms could do with a little more maintenance – the odd scuff mark removed etc – to keep things looking sharp.
Bunking down with the roadies in one of the big band rooms. Both these and Loft Rooms feature mezzanines.
Tips: Ask for a room on the third or second floor for more light, better views, and more distance from the bar/street noise. Those facing the main road will get the sun in the morning. Transport enthusiasts and urban planners will enjoy watching the stream and interaction of pedestrians, cyclists, tramways, the U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines and street traffic. The hotel has two excellent maps at reception featuring their personal guide to the city – one of cultural sites; one of bars and restaurants. We recommend you pick one up.
Hello sunshine: we advocate a Loft Room with a window desk for anyone with a transport spotting related compulsion. (Image by HWL)
Mornin’ Sunshine: room with balcony and wooden shutters. (Image by HWL)
The neighbourhood: Predictably Shoreditch House is located bang in the middle of Shoreditch – that means you are looking at a semi-industrial landscape with a trademark EINE graffiti wall on one side and the light railway line on the other. It’s glamour, London-style, but on the upside you are very much in Hipster-Central, near a patch of excellent cafes such as Terence Conran’s Albion Cafe and the rustic Leila’s Shop; art galleries like the Rocket Gallery in the Tea Building & White Cube (Hoxton Square branch), street art galleries like Pure Evil and the Village Underground and the cool shops of the surrounding streets and Brick Lane. There’s great street art everywhere, too.
A rather forceful looking ’4′ at Shoreditch House. (Image by HWL)
What’s On Offer/The Crowd: Shoreditch House is part of the growing SOHO House empire – it is essentially a ‘member’s club’ for London-based media types which offers multi-level indie entertainment (bar, restaurant, cinema etc) including a much loved and photographed rooftop pool and bar. They host a swag of invitation-only media events such as book and film launches, which attract a nice crowd of creative types every night of the week. Basically if you work in media in London there is no escaping Shoreditch house. The good news is, the hotel is open for everyone, and if you are visiting London it’s your chance to mix with a cool crowd of locals at a very reasonable price (for London, that is).
London calling: the devil is in the details, at Shoreditch House. (Image by HWL)
The Hotel:It’s a good place to stay if you are in London for work and your meetings are on the East End. It’s anything but corporate but it is well set-up with a lot of common areas (think football tables; many bars etc) and is a great way to get people to come to you for a change – Londoners find it hard to refuse a rooftop drink on a sunny day. It’s also nice for a weekend if you are planning to hang out in Shoreditch, Dalston or London Fields (which is where things are these days in London).
A heady mix of cocktails and the famous ‘Gherkin’ on the fabulous roof-top of Shoreditch House.
Pluses: The bedroom decor is a success – think ‘institutional’ with a subdued ‘maritime’ theme –grey vertical wood panels, school chairs, white tiles. While this sounds like a very bad idea on paper, it works, and creates a rather minimalist, yet warm and cosy atmos. The individual balconies are great, and so are the large internal wooden shutters with which you can play to create your own personal light show. All in all, it’s rather upbeat, and very comfortable.
The public spaces – the downstairs bar is beautiful and the rooftop one, well… it’s spectacular.
Decisions, decisions… An understated slightly salty maritime theme pervades at Shoreditch House, in London. (Image by HWL)
Minuses:I wasn’t a great fan of the overly warm and OTT welcome (including hugs, or was it an arm squeeze?) and detailed instructions as how to fill my bags with the complementary beauty products. (Yes I have been in hotel before! – mind you it was a rather nice package of Cowshed stuff and I did take them home, as instructed, thank you!). But one can hardly complain about warm welcomes.
Shoreditch House: a nice mix of mod cons and homely touches, such as hot water bottles and wooly blankets. (Image by HWL)
The Vibe: Staying there reminded me of French artist Philippe Ramette’s ‘Device for Becoming the Hero of your Own Life’ artwork (a sort of wearable harness that plays a soundtrack for your life – to see it, scroll down on this annoying web page) – you have been cast in a film where you are a cool urban creative with an exciting network of cool urban creative friends signing up book deals or generally going somewhere. I suspect it can be a bit tiring, sometimes, and not always relaxing if you are feeling a bit low.
Anyone for mind games? Playtime at Shoreditch House in London.
No shame in being bookish @ the Zetter Townhouse (Image by Jefferson Smith)
The hotel: The 13-room Zetter Townhouse offers cosy digs with a ‘my great aunt lived in India’ club-house feel; it opens onto the pleasing St John’s Square in Clerkenwell, just across from the original Zetter Hotel.
Rm. 4 suggests you lie back & think of Cool Britannia: but its stumpy four-poster is not recommended for long-legged lovers. (Image by Jefferson Smith)
The neighbourhood: The ye olde neighbourhood of Clerkenwell could be described as ‘hidden in plain view’. While even Londoners struggle to locate it, it could hardly be more central; it is walking distance to Shoreditch, Barbican, Convent Garden, Soho, and Islington. Nearby cultural institutions include the Tate Modern, the Barbican and Sadler’s Wells dance theatre. The closest tube (Farringdon) is just one station from Kings Cross St Pancras. The neighbourhood is peppered with creative businesses, the odd residential loft conversion and the remains of the old city walls. It has more than its fair share of tasty eating options nearby in Exmouth Market and the historic meat market at Smithfields.
Hello Kitty: Yes, it seems the in-house cat is quite stuffed (Image by HWL)
The vibe: Club house meets country house in a distinctly English (read eccentric) vein. The fit-out is the product of months of trawling through action houses and estate sales for club lounges, bric-a-brac, circus off-casts and oddities, such as a stuffed kangaroo for the dining room. (Begetting the question: why doesn’t everybody have one?) Continue reading →
'You Should Have Loved Me', Tracey Enim's emotional plea on display at the Waterhouse Hotel in the unsentimental city of Shanghai. (Image by HWL)
The writers Franz Kafka and Italo Calvino were capable of imagining some pretty odd sh*t, but even they might be surprised to see extracts of their work being exploited by a boutique hotel in Shanghai. Quotes from the writers appear randomly stencilled throughout the building. (E.g: Memory is redundant: it repeats signs so that the city can begin to exist – from Calvino’s Invisible Cities). Not that we hold it against them. Our cynical side rolls over and plays dead in the face of ‘onwards-and-upwards’ Shanghai. A spot of esoteric quotation, however gimmicky, is welcome in this robot city where memories are butterflies quickly crushed …
The lobby's stained concrete and soaring ceilings provide a backdrop to an ironic paper chandelier by Mooi (Image by HWL)
The Waterhouse on the South Bund in Shanghai is a boutique hotel development by Singaporean hotelier and restaurateur Loh Lik Peng who is also behind other faves including Hotel 1929 in Singapore and Viajante restaurant in London. Designed by NHDRO, the 19 room establishment is strung across three interconnected 1930′s warehouses situated along the docks of Huangpu River. With its rough, dilapidated exterior and clever re-use of low-rise industrial spaces the hotel gives the big finger to shiny, high-rise Shanghai.
Industrial exterior of Waterhouse Hotel, Shanghai (Image by HWL)
Throughout the hotel are hints – both natural and contrived – of the building’s former life as docks warehouse and interestingly, if more ominously, as a former Japanese Army HQ. Rust, concrete stains, crumbling concrete pillars (augmented by new, structurally sound posts) and aging bricks imprinted with their original manufacturing stamps…all this whispers of the historic hustle and bustle of a trading port city.
'As long as you don't stop climbing, the stairs won't end' a quote by Franz Kafka is used to tease guests at the Waterhouse Hotel in Shanghai. (Image by HWL)
Navigation and viewpoints within the hotel reference the interplay between public and private space in China’s maze-like hutong neighbourhoods: a narrow staircase may take you somewhere…or nowhere…while windows enable stolen glimpses on walkways and public spaces. The rooms and communal spaces are decked out in a spare industrial palette of concrete, stainless steel and glass, but the effect is softened with an eclectic collection of iconic chairs (a trick used to effect in previous projects like Hotel 1929) and contemporary art works that give a splash and dash of colour.
Money, that's what I want. Art bling at the Waterhouse Hotel, Shanghai (Image by HWL)
Staff quip that the suites here boast Shanghai’s only, ahem, ‘beach views’ – a manmade strip of sand, a volleyball net and other faux seaside hi-jinx lining the river. (It cries out for Martin Parr.) We like the rough luxe mix of lovely linens and spacious digs with utilitarian details, like enamel drinking mugs. The smaller rooms are generous in size with all the usual requirements – desk, reading chair etc and while there is no ‘seaside view’, they are bright, light and cosy.
One of the sizeable smaller rooms at the Waterhouse Hotel, Shanghai (image by HWL)
Pros: Cool design, great rooms. Additionally, the rooftop affords a fabulous view of Shanghai’s sky-scraping skyline (notably the Shanghai Financial Center designed by Kohn Pederson Fox) without having to battle it out with the crowds jostling for a commemorative photograph – subsequently immortalised on a souvenir mug or mouse pad (although this too has a certain eccentric appeal). We also like the bar area where the industrial feel of the space is cut up into convivial sitting areas with lots of interesting chairs.
Start dictating: desk in a standard room at the Waterhouse Hotel, Shanghai (Image by HWL)
Cons: While central, the isolated location means you will have to cab everywhere. Tips: Before setting out for the hotel, do print out an address and map with characters in Mandarin or your cab will not understand where to deliver you, this is true of any taxi travel in Shanghai, but particularly in this case where the address is a little odd. There are a few eateries nearby in the self-consciously historic Cool Docks development, it does feel a little bit naff, but it’ll certainly serve you for a quick bite or an evening’s tipple.
The lobby-slash-bar at the Waterhouse Hotel in Shanghai doubles as a sort of designer chair showroom. (Image by HWL)
Urbn lobby features slate tiles salvaged from the French Concession and re-formed into artful geometrics (Image by HWL)
In the dystopian megapolis that is Shanghai you are unlikely to overdose on bucolic peace and quiet. Urbn, Shanghai’s first carbon-neutral hotel, brings life back to human scale. Of all the hotels we’ve seen this year, Urbn is one of the loveliest: if all hotels were like this one, there’s be no need for us to create this blog at all!
Relax: rustic timbers and well-worn lounges in the lobby hotel & bar at Urbn, Shanghai (Image by HWL)
The second you walk into Urbn’s courtyard you leave the stress – and endless traffic jams of Shanghai – behind. The hotel restaurant and bar area are ideal for chilling out or meeting up with friends and colleagues. The atmosphere is warm, friendly and unrushed.
Make mine an Olivetti! Retro technology at Urbn Hotel, Shanghai (Image by HWL)
The 26-room hotel situated in a renovated 70′s era postal building is made predominantly of recycled or salvaged materials – think reclaimed timber flooring, bricks and slate rescued from demolition sites in the French Concession. The elements have subsequently been rebuilt into artful forms that bring a warm patina to this contemporary building. We also liked the occasional retro detail in the decoration – old biscuit tins and displays of ‘early technology’ which gives the place a bit of a quirk while avoiding an overblown sideshow of kitsch. Full points need to go to the design team: AOO Architecture and Tais Cabral interior for creating a warm space that keeps you thinking.
Any more Zen and you'd be in Japan: the Penthouse suite at Urbn Hotel, Shanghai
The generously sized guest rooms are fitted out in a modernist-meets-Asiatic minimalist palette in simple materials: timber, slate, glass and natural fabrics. The Studio rooms have lovely sunken baths, Atrium rooms have a sitting area comprised of a wrap-around bank of day-bed like couches, well-suited to lolling about or napping. If you are feeling tree-deprived, go for a Garden or Courtyard room for a view onto some greenery – the higher up the better.
Slate & terry towelling, nicely contrasting textures in the bathroom at Urbn Hotel, Shanghai (Image by HWL)
Those in a cashed-up sort of mood: the Penthouse suite with its stone bath and built in chaise-longue is wonderfully calming and you’ll enjoy a lovely view through the trees overlooking red roof-tops. A low-rise view is definitely something to be treasured in Shanghai!
A welcome patch of greenery hits a winter sunburst at Urbn Hotel, Shanghai (Image by HWL)
The predominantly low-rise neighbourhood of Jing’An with it’s ecclectic mix of low-fi and fashionable stores and restaurants is also handy for varied supplies or eating out when you don’t feel like venturing very far.
Dappled light on the facade of Urbn Hotel, Shanghai (Image by HWL)
Tips: Do take advantage of the complimentary bikes and take a cruise around the neighbourhood.
Booking: Contact the URBN Hotel. And keep an eye on their website for news for their forthcoming ventures in Pudong…
The library: snuggle up in a furry chair with a frothy cappuccino and a flaming fire
A hip hotel on the cheap.
Situated in a 1926 art deco gem in the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast district, PUBLIC is the first hotel to be launched in Ian Schrager’s new ‘budget boutique’ hotel line – or as he puts it ‘essential luxury’, don’t mind the contradiction. Hotelier and real estate magnate Schrager made his name – and notoriety – as co-owner of Studio 54 way-back-when before pioneering the boutique hotel concept with Morgans, New York, in the 1980′s.
The Pump Room, a former favourite of the stars, now draws luminaries with this light constellation
Prior to its opening we – cycnics that we are – figured Schrager was simply cashing in on the trend led by hipster hotel groups such as the ACE, Mexico’s Grupo Habita or the German 25Hours. And maybe he is. But fortunately Schrager has been around long enough to know that 60-something year old men do not look good in skinny, low-hung pants and Public has wisely avoided the ironic quirkiness and cooler-than-thou attitude of, say, the ACE. The hotel’s photogenic communal areas – bar, lobby, library – have been blasted with enough of Schrager’s trademark OTT design to optimise the glam-wow-slash-buzz factor. In contrast the hotel rooms are kook-free, more neutral and grown-up friendly, we like the retention of some deco detailing such as wainscoting and in some case, even fireplaces.
Chicago is known for its speakeasies but you may have to shout at the Pump Room
Thumbs Up: To all reports, the hotel is not just a pretty face and the Public is getting rave reviews about its service – which doesn’t surprise us too much given the innate hospitality of the Mid-West. The Pump Room restaurant and bar is also winning fans. Something of a Chicago icon, it was hard to mess with the Pump Room with its old-timey glamour, portraits of regulars a la Sinatra, Bogart etc without p***ing people off. No doubt some regulars are still muttering into their baseball caps and find its current incarnation a tokenistic travesty but while we’re always sad to see nostalgia go, we can’t miss what we never knew, and word is people are happy with the reworked spaces and inclusive menu. Note, Booth ‘Number One’ previously reserved for mega celebrities has been preserved and retains the original telephone dating from the time when big-wigs were so big they could even use a phone at the dining table. (Confession: I stole that crack from the NYT.)
Cool minimalism means this chair was forced to rug up...
Tips:If you’re thinking of a quiet night in on the weekend, don’t expect to have the joint to yourself – Friday and Saturday nights draw in the local eye candy looking to party. On the upside, you don’t have to go out!
Room to improve: The primary issue seems to be sound travelling through the walls of some rooms, and the size of the smaller category rooms (though the latter seems a bit nit-picky given the prices). As always, avoid rooms close to the elevators if you can. Is there anybody on the planet who doesn’t like the convenience of enjoying the odd hot beverage in their room? We thought not. For this reason we lament the lack of kettle facilities.
We like:Complimentary bikes! Free Wi-Fi in the rooms. (Thank goodness for common sense.)
We like the deco feel of the custom light fittings in the standard room
Location: The hotel is situated in the upmarket residential Gold Coast district, a 20 minute walk to the Magnificent Mile – add a further 20 minutes to reach Millennium Park. It’s just a few blocks from the Lake Michigan beach where you can meander, jog or cycle along the Lakefront trail – borrow a free bike from the hotel. Nearby attractions: architecture fans may like to drop in for a tour of the beautifully restored Charnley–Persky House, designed by architect Louis Sullivan and a young draftsman he just happened to have working in the office by the name of Frank Lloyd Wright. Window shop your preferred mansion in the nearby Astor Street district.
Rates: Currently starting from $135, Public definitely undercuts the competition on the lower-priced room categories. Note: as usual, the smaller the cost of the room, the smaller the room.
Thank God for democracy: The Public's motto is 'For Everyone' which means even the wealthy are welcome!
Alternative Chicago hotels: You might also like to check out our review of the Monaco Hotel situated on the Chicago River downtown. Other options include: the The James, Chicago’s luxe offering in the design hotel category. The Sax Chicago Hotel which has a sort of eccentric glam rock sensibility. Or The Affina which is chic and lovely without trying too hard.
Lullaby: Dream big as you fall asleep to this dreamy soundscape by Chicago-based Panda Riot.
