Tag Archives: hotel

Boundary Hotel: London

13 Jul

Guest Review by Christian

Shoreditch, loads of graf including this little squirrel beastie by Belgian artist Roa (Image by HWL)

The neighbourhood: Tell us about it.
Shoreditch – still killing it after all these years. The recent regeneration has only made it better and more approachable, if not a little more self-conscious. Natural home to the hipster (don’t wear socks if you want to blend in). Train carriages on top of warehouses, chalk stripe suits with pink shirts, the creative bourgeoise, a constant waft of sweet tandoori, with a layer of graffiti on top.

Hang it all at the Eames Room, at the Boundary Hotel in London.

The Hotel: What’s the concept?
Design hotel on the financial fringes, catering to media and creative industries and the odd discerning City exec. part of the Conran group it builds on the successful example set by Shoreditch House without all the bells and whistles. Good value when compared with the standard bearers of London hoteliery.

The Eileen Gray Room, the risk here is going out and coming home to find that Le Corbusier has decided to paint all over it. Not much of a risk, given the circs…

The crowd: What’s the vibe?
Relaxed and cool, maybe a touch Parisienne…

Tell us about the rooms:
Room was massive… It was one of the corner suites, the ‘Shaker’. Standard rooms are still pretty good… Bigger than normal.

Get back to your modernist roots in the Bauhaus Room at the Boundary Hotel.

The Hotel: What is it ideal for in the context of London?
Brilliant business hotel given proximity to the City. On your days off you have something more exciting than the West End to explore. Great little pubs close by like the Owl and Pussycat and the George & Dragon. Voluminous shopping opportunities at Boxpark, Spitalfields and Brick Lane… and just along Redchurch St there are some fun boutiques like APC, Catch & Release and Aubin & Wills.

The Hoxton branch of the White Cube gallery is within strolling-while-whistling distance….Here shown a previous exhibition by Marcus Harvey featuring a mohawked Churchill and a portrait of Thatcher constructed from an assortment of cast objects, including sex toys and corn cobs. (Image by HWL)

The clubs have become a little ‘bridge & tunnel’ (like the lower east side), so best avoided on weekends or stick to the pubs and bars. Oh, and have a beer with Tracey Emin at the Golden Heart… if she’s not there you can enjoy some of her original work in the loo.

Breakfast bacon bap at the Albion – they do a decent light supper and scrummy afternoon tea too.

Pluses: What did you love?
The food is incredible… the Albion caf is a great way to start the morning with porridge and prunes or a bacon bap. The formal French restaurant downstairs is simply awe inspiring… the lapin a la moutarde is still fresh in my memory. Not to be eaten every night as you will rue the lack of a gym, but don’t leave without venturing downstairs.

Mind your silver plates and go the chaud lapin at the Boundary…

Minuses: Where could it improve?
The reception and entrance are quite small and not that awe inspiring, although functional. I would say a gym, but there are plenty of Boris Bikes around…

Tips: do you have any?
Take the east London line down to Peckham Rye and visit the park and Lordship Lane.

Bookings: Contact the Boundary Hotel

Lullaby: Fall asleep to Golden Brown by the Stranglers

Christian: Employee of the Month

About Christian:

Corporate hostage with enthusiastic delusions of creative escape.

Explore the inner workings of his heinous mind on Tumblr Everything I do Is Wrong.

Or why not stalk him on Twitter: @legalotter.

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Hotels We Love in: Shanghai

17 Dec

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…

Our Perfect Day in Shanghai: see our travel tips here…

Simple comforts, nifty lamps and warm timber in the standard rooms at Urbn Hotel, Shanghai (Image by HWL)

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Hotels We Love in: Tunis

22 Nov

Italianate Villa turned sometime B&B: Dar Hayder, Tunis

The Tunisian tourism industry is based primarily around escapism: beaches with some sand dunes and ancient ruins thrown in. In contrast, the capital Tunis, is a sleepy thing where tourists, though present, are primarily a side-effect of a journey headed elsewhere. While there are plenty of hotels in the city and its surrounds, the boutique hotel movement cannot be said to have taken off, nor has its ancient medina been taken over by the frenzy of riad renovation madness that has beset neighbouring Marrakech. This could be a good thing. Here’s our selection of cool hotels in Tunis… 

Medina: La Chambre Bleu. Situated in a 19th century Italianate-style villa that was formerly part of the Palace Agha complex, La Chambre Bleu is a one-room B&B in the heart of the heart of the historic Medina. The beautifully tiled room, which forms an independent apartment on the second floor of the building, gives you 40 square metres in generous living space – including a sleeping alcove, sitting area, sofa bed and access to the courtyard for breakfast. What you can expect here is oodles of atmosphere and the experience of staying with friendly and helpful hosts, a local Tunisian family. There’s no air-con, but there is central heating and internet. Note: The medina is largely a car free zone, so if you stay here or in another medina property you will have to walk at least part of the way to your hotel. (Late arrivals and solo female travellers – ask someone to meet you.)

La Chambre Blue in Tunis (Image © Renzo Chiesa/CB)

Pop Tunis: Ceiling detail, courtyard tea-time, kids room @ Chambre Blue, Tunis (La Chambre Blue in Tunis (Image © Renzo Chiesa/CB)

Medina: Dar El Medina: This lovely 19th century renovated riad is the medina’s most professionally run B&B. Riads were traditionally designed for families so there are always quirks when they are adapted for tourism purposes: oddly shaped rooms and winding staircases are to be expected. The public areas are quite grand, and the courtyard is a pleasant spot to while away a few hours scribbling postcards etc. The rooftop terrace lends itself to a lazy apero while the sun sinks over this white city. The 12 rooms are designed to avoid the blast of the summer sun, so for this reason, you might find some rooms on the dark side but they are all unique and beautifully decorated. We also love the neighbourhood…

Dar El Medina Tunis: lounge room, courtyard, ornate ceiling details (Image by HWL)

Long afternoon shadows: Roof top terrace, Dar El Medina, Tunis (Image by HWL)

Medina: Dar Hayder: Among certain aficionados Dar Hayder, a renovated 19th century Italian Palace, is the most authentic of the city’s restored historic homes.  The owners form part of Tunis intelligentsia (the hostess used to be the Director of the National Library of Tunisia) so interesting conversations are on offer and they are also excellent cooks, dinners can be arranged amid candlelight on the patio, the impressive roof-top terrace or at the lovely old dining table inside. The rooms come in a range of forms and sizes erring on the generous. What we loved: the atmosphere of the living space has a beautiful patina that can only be acquired over time. Where it needs to improve: Despite the friendliness and civility of the owner, the enterprise falls short of professional, the rooms were dusty, no glasses or water were provided and the bedding was minimalist. Also, its position outside of the medina will feel a little lonely after sundown if you are a woman travelling alone. Our recommendation: this is an interesting address and a beautiful house, but best booked as a bunch of friends so you can have the run of the place or as somewhere to host an event, cocktails etc. Contact: darhayder[at]gnet.tn

@ Day Hayder: courtyard bench, stairs to terrace, kitchen interior (Image by HWL)

Simple and charming: Day Hayder, Tunis (Image by HWL)

Sidi Bou Said: Villa Didon Carthage: Villa Didon is the hip hotel in town. Shamelessly modern and minimalist in its fittings, this ten room hotel claims to take some aspects of its design – such as the separation of wet/dry areas in the hotel rooms – from the ancient city of Carthage which is one of Tunis’ main drawcards (you can see historical ruins from some parts of the hotel). To our mind the hotel design is a little on the cold side, and the service a tad pretentious. On the positive, the seaside rooms have amazing views (and prices to match). The hotel attempts to create a cultural clique with regular events, exhibitions etc which is potentially interesting if bling-friendly. Also, a plus are the hotel’s lobby and bar areas, this is a cool place to mingle and watch the sun go down and this being Tunisia, the cool crowd is likely to be friendlier than the cool crowd anywhere else. The downside is you may be bugged by bar noise on the weekend and will have to compete with bar guests etc for space. If you stay, you could try the in-house hammam.

White beauty: Villa Didon in Tunis

Minimal interiors at Villa Didon, Tunis

Villa Didon: one of the hotel's four impressive drinking spots (Image by HWL)

Sidi Bou Said: Dar Fatma. Located in Sidi Bou Said, the fashionable-meets-touristic seaside village 20km from Tunis, is Dar Fatma. This historic B&B combines Tunisian simplicity with some arty touches – blown up vintage photographs of Tunis, some furnishings from Philippe Starck, etc. Understated and simple, it provides respite from the bustle of Sidi Bou Said. Visitors will love watching the sun go down from the roof top terrace and the small swimming pool will serve you for a quick, cool off dip.  Like all B&Bs in Tunis, if services such as internet and air-conditioning are vital to your wellbeing, it’s best to check they are in your room before you arrive.  Sidi Bou Said itself is a charming blue and white town with a touristic bent, advantages include the sea breezes, the promise of fresh seafood and a couple of cool art galleries nearby.

Terrace sunset, @ Dar Fatma, by the seaside in Sidi Bou Said

Arty atmos meets Tunisian: Dar Fatma, in Sidi Bou Said

Gammarth: Mövenpick Hotel Gammarth Tunis. As the name suggests, the Mövenpick group have set up shop by the seaside in Gammarth, 20km from Tunis. As you might expect the lobby and dining areas are tres swish in a tasteful sort of fashion and it must be said that breakfasting  outside beneath the sun-shades is a wonderful experience. (It certainly isn’t cheap, but the buffet is good quality and plentiful.) What this hotel offers is a resort-style experience: the plus is you have full access to the beach, and a pool and never have to go anywhere. The downside, is you never have to go anywhere, and if you do, you’ll have to go by car. To our mind, it’s not particularly ‘Tunis’ but it will make for a lovely beach weekend free of quirks if tourism is not high on the agenda.

Corporate lush meets Tunisian resort: Mövenpick Hotel Gammarth Tunis (Image by HWL)

Yes, it has quite a view! Mövenpick Hotel Gammarth Tunis (Image by HWL)

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Going PUBLIC in Chicago

11 Nov

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.

Booking: Contact the Public Hotel Chicago

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.

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CPH Living, Copenhagen: Floating World

1 Nov

Ahoy Sailor: Lobby of Copenhagen's only B'otel

GUEST REVIEW: SALLY O’BRIEN

The Hosts: There are five people in charge of CPH Living: Henrik and Hans Henrik (a social worker and goldsmith respectively), plus the Hede family from Zealand: dad Jørgen and his children Mrrianne and Michael.

The neighbourhood: Christianshavn, a small man-made island dating from the 17th century, is one of Copenhagen’s hippest and most central neighbourhoods. It’s home to charming cafes, thousands of bicycles, the long-running Free Town of Christiania, rustic half-timbered buildings, public housing and modern apartment blocks sheltering typical Danish good taste. It’s also the home of the world’s best restaurant, Noma.

CPH Living? Don't mind if we do. Pictured: Roof-top terrace at sundown, exterior by day & night, hotel room and a Danish breakfast buffet.

The boat: Originally a German barge, the SS CPH Living embarked on her journey of transformation when she was dragged to Poland, extended in size and then refurbished in a Tallinn shipyard. In Spring 2008, she crossed the Baltic Sea and docked at Langebrogade 1C, before opening for business in June 2009.

The double-storey reception/breakfast area affords great views of the dark and brooding architectural gem that is Den Sorte Diamant (The Black Diamond; ), an extension of the Royal Library designed by schmidt hammer lassen, it’s not a bad spot to start an architectural reconnaissance of the city (guided tours available).

The rooftop area is entirely dependent on the weather–we scored grey skies and light drizzle during our stay, but it’s easy to see that on a sunny day it would make a perfect spot to plot the day’s activities, or recover from them with a sun-downer (which, this being Scandinavia, will take place long after dinner).

Other than these two communal areas, every other possible space is devoted to the hotel’s dozen rooms.

Room with a view: Room no.1 of the floating hotel

The room:  Rooms are compact, but with typical Danish aplomb, the storage solutions are natty and it’s all clean lines, original artworks, wooden flooring, comfortable bedding and as much natural light as possible (thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows in every room). Bathrooms are stark, marine-hued and spotless and make good use of their limited dimensions, although we’re not sure why they need a window onto the sleeping area. If you’re travelling with someone you’re not on nudity terms with, it could get a little awkward.

Whether you’re aware of the rocking of the boat is a personal thing. We couldn’t feel it at all, our travel companion did. What will be harder to ignore is the music coming from the Tivoli amusement park during summer nights and carries across the water: light sleepers, pack some earplugs.

Black Beauty: architectural icon Den Sorte Diamant hulks across the water in the distance

What we loved:  How often do you get to sleep on a boat in the middle of a busy metropolis? Why can’t we do this sort of thing more often in maritime cities?

The closeness to the heart of things (Copenhagen is admirably compact and most things will be within walking distance if you’re moderately fit) yet the sense that we were staying somewhere special, a little off-grid: this is the only boat-el in Copenhagen.

Christianshavn itself is an intriguing mix of boho families, local hipsters, Greenlanders hanging out on the island’s main square and the denizens of the Free Town Christiania. Spending a day exploring its streets and squares is an easy pleasure for flâneurs.

Sophie Gråbøl's iconic sweater in Forbrydelsen Series 1 (The Killing)

Get into the mood: If you’re heading to CPH in the colder, darker months (anything outside July and August it sometimes seems!) then the gritty, rain-soaked crime drama Forbrydelsen (The Killing) is a must. Starring Sophie Gråbøl and Lars Mikkelsen, and available on DVD, the first series throws up more red herrings than a Danish buffet and is singlehandedly responsible for the revival of traditional Danish pullovers (you can buy one here).

Peter Høeg's novel is partially set in Christianshavn near-by.

Read (or re-read) Peter Høeg’s wonderful Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow, which is partly set in the public housing projects of Christianshavn. The Danes do strong heroines like no one else.

Tips: There’s a breakfast buffet and vending machines for drinks and snacks, but if you really need good coffee (which can be hard to find in the city), and some fine baked goods, take an easy 10-minute stroll to arty Islands Brygge (just keep going after passing under Langebro — the bridge to your left as you face the hotel from the street) and stock up on great bread and pastries at Wulff + Konstali Food Shop (Isafjordsgade 10), or continue for another few minutes to either Food Shop No 26 (Thorhavnsgade 26 ) or Emmerys (Islands Brygge 79D), which both do scrumptious breakfast and snack offerings and really decent coffee.

Danish pastries: breakfast at CPH Living, Copenhagen.

Tariff: A room costs from DKK1000 (€135; £117; US$186; CHF165; AUD$180)

Contact Info: CPH Living; Langebrogade 1C, DK-1411, Copenhagen (see map here).

If it’s full: see other Hotels We Love in Copenhagen

Suggested lullaby:  In keeping with a brooding noir theme, Help the Dead, by Danish duo Murder: A little bit mellow, a little bit spooky, a lot beautiful.

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The talented travel writer Sally O'Brien

ABOUT SALLY: Sally O’Brien has written about travel, food and hotels for a number of publishers and publications, including Lonely Planet, Vogue Entertaining + Travel, Qantas, easyJet, the Sydney Morning Herald and Olive, covering cities such as Copenhagen, Bilbao, Geneva, Sydney, Madrid, Berlin, Turin and Basel. She’s lived in Seoul, Sydney, Melbourne and Lausanne and can be found at her website or her blog Swissing Around. Despite dropping her bags in hundreds of different places to stay over the years, she still gets het up about a great home away from home.

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Hotels We Love in Paris: Bonjour (Hi)-Matic

18 Oct

Business as usual: Hanging Five at the Hi-Matic Hotel in Paris.

So, we’ve been meaning to blog about the Hi-Matic Hotel in Paris for a while now… But we’ve just come across this little video (below), and we reckon it pretty much does the job for us, so perhaps it will do for now? The 42 room Hi-Matic Hotel by Matali Crasset, Patrick Elouarghi and Philippe Chatelet in the fashionable 11th district is reasonably priced (think around the €100+ range), is in a cool neighbourhood (bobo central) and promotes a green ethos.

The Princess and the Pod, at the Hi-Matic Hotel, Paris

The hotel plays around with interesting ideas, such as rooms that fold away Japanese-style during the day and funny, chopped up living spaces reminiscent of cubby houses or half-built lofts with jewel-like colours. The costs are kept down due to the DIY (auto-’matic’) of the check-in procedure etc – there’s no staff, you simply collect a key and let yourself in. Perks: Vending machine offering snacks, books and toys. A dainty (read well-chosen, if not copious) organic (‘bio’) breakfast served on trays a la ‘in-flight’. Tips: Note that sleeping/bathroom arrangements are small and, for lack of a better word, ‘intimate’. Room to Improve: There do seem to be some issues with clothes/luggage storage and overall practicality of the design. Approach in the spirit of weekend’s living experiment! (And enjoy!)

*****

If you’re staying at the Hi-Hotel, definitely try to book a table at the lovely Septime. If it’s too pricey or you can’t score a table, the tiny Le Mouton Noir (‘Black Sheep’) Mouton on the same street is pretty good and reasonably priced, but do ask for on street level (downstairs is damp,while the mezzanine is claustrophobic).

Booking: Hi-Matic Hotel

*****

One of the hotel’s collaborators, the rather whimsical designer Matali Crasset known for her colourful and playful takes on furniture, is currently responsible for an odd little installation at the Pompidou Centre; Blobterre, a sort of growing greenery installation in the children’s section. We reckon a Hi-Matic Hotel + Blobterre could make a suitable quirky machine-for-living meets the Triffids sort of weekend. (Especially right now with Paris in full art swing with FIAC, and off-events such as Slick Paris and some amazing shows on at the Pompidou etc.)

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Hotels We Love in London: The Hoxton

13 Oct

Uncommon common area @ the Hoxton Hotel, London

Cool, Cheap, London, Hotel. Pick any three. Every couple of months we get an email from a  far-flung friend or colleague saying something like: “Can you recommend a cool hotel in London that’s not too expensive?” Having lived in London for the past few years, we can say that this is no easy request, especially for those travelling under their own steam (ie: not on expenses) and carrying a weaker currency. And maybe that’s why we’ve been procrastinating posting about London hotels! A couple of months ago our friend John Ryan sent us the usual hotel/London/CanYouRecommend? email. We sent him a bunch of ideas, and  he ended up at the Hoxton in Shoreditch. Finally, it looks like we can fill the above request with ease.

So John, tell us a bit about it: The public restaurant/bar area at the Hoxton is beyond hipsters – fairly pricey food (and average, although it is London I guess) and dumb beautiful people giving service. But the hotel side is just lovely. Very friendly staff (like, not ‘Have a nice day’ types… friendly like your friends … conversational, not transactional). There’s also the lovely attitude: when I booked, the invoice had a line item that said something like “Pointless taxes” with a “0″. When I checked out, the account was headed “The Damage”. And every little sign and instruction had that same tone and voice. A sticker on the window showing you how to open it was titled “Stupid Sign #41″…

Neon dreaming: Hoxton Hotel, London

So, what did you like?: A great spot, made even better by their z-card brochure featuring their recommended places around the neighbourhood. It’s available on their site too (see here). Super! How else would I have known where I could get a 50 quid shave?! (I did get the shave; don’t tell my wife!)
*
Rooms: Stylish, small, very comfortable. Hand-etched art on the wall! Lovely toiletries. And  – almost best of all  – you get a little brown bag in your room and hang it on your door, and in the morning there’s a fresh OJ, a banana and a yoghurt with muesli (from Pret). It’s yum.

Cosy digs with arty etchings: a typical room at the Hoxton Hotel, London

What did you love?: But best of all was the price. I looked for places within 30 mins travel time of [my conference] with free WiFi. That was my search. The Hoxton was EASILY the cheapest I could find, aside from slum houses totally discredited on sites like Trip Advisor (God love ‘em). I was totally price-conscious, and not looking for a status joint. Turned out I stayed at a pretty cool joint.

London, in’it? Hoxton Hotel, tried out something new with ‘East End’ themed hotel rooms. Just now we’re not sure whether to expect a hotel-wide roll-out of the Grandmother-meets-hobo makeover.

Booking: contact the Hoxton Hotel. If you’re quick on the draw, register for the Hoxton’s £1 room sales.
HWL Tips:  If you stay here, our favourite haunts in the ‘hood are: Coffee: Story Book Cafe: noisy, bar-meets-coffee shop with board games and ping-pong. (100-106 Leonard St, EC2A 4RH) Baked goods: Leila’s Shop: cool, organic style homely cafe that has great coffee, slabs of cake and cheese platter meals. Just near the White Cube gallery on Hoxton Square. (17 Calvert Avenue, E2 7JP)

Clash of civilisations: reading a local mag over coffee & ginger bread at Leila’s Shop, Shoreditch (Image by HWL)

Cheap & Cheerful Dinner: Cay Tre: Cool, reasonably priced and very tasty Vietnamese restaurant which offers the usual classics plus some more original house specials, eg: a quail and aubergine curry hot-pot (yum). (301 Old St, EC1V 9LA; Tel: 020 7729 8662) Or try their unimaginatively named but more glamorous premises nearby at Viet Grill. Drinks: for a casual sporting atmos, try Bar Kick, featuring table foot and reasonably priced cocktails; for speakeasy with a jazz twang, try The Night Jar. A cool night out: Bistroteque: hipster restaurant and bar in Hackney (take a cab). The bar is like Cuba circa 1960. The restaurant is a white, concrete loft with some of London’s cutest looking waiters. They have good menu du jour deals for early diners. Book ahead. Ideally combined with an art gallery hop along Vyner St as part of First Thursday openings. (23-27 Wadeson St, E2 9DR; Tel: 020 8983 7900.)

Stone, paper, scissors: Hoxton Hotel, London

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ABOUT JOHN: John Ryan is a travel content veteran and all round digital guru. He was the managing editor of Lonelyplanet.com and the site received several Webbys during his tenure. He also co-authored the very odd and shamelessly eccentric Micronations about real life non-UN recognised countries, such as the self-proclaimed empire, the Republic of Whangamomona, where the presidency was shared between a poodle and a goat. These days John can be found in Melbourne where he  runs his own website strategy agency, the hiply named Sitegeist. He also does a mean air guitar.

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Hotels We Love: in Melbourne

10 Oct

Hello Alice! Melbourne laneway art (Image by HWL)

Melbourne is a city that works on it. It doesn’t sit back and rest on its laurels, it doesn’t try to get by on its looks. Melbourne is a city that prides itself on great food (mostly at reasonably prices) and excellent independent coffee (it’s a town that showed zero interest in Starbucks) and a dynamic and entrepreneurial grass-roots art and design scene.  It’s a city in a state of continual evolution and exploring it can take on the dimension of a treasure hunt. Confession: Melbourne is our (adopted) home town, and although we are penning this from the other side of the globe, we share the common Melbourne trait of taking pride in the city – and wanting to share it with others. If you strike up a conversation with somebody, don’t be surprised if they start scribbling their favourite restaurants or cafes on a napkin for you.

Shanghai love nest in Alkira Apartment, Melbourne (Image credit: Paul Healy photography)

While the majority of Melbournians still live in the suburbs the CBD is undoubtedly the city’s playground with an impressive density of restaurants, cafes, bars and art galleries etc.  For this reason, the CBD remains our preferred address in Melbourne, though it must be said that noise and natural light (or lack thereof) can be issues. We’ve listed a few good ideas for the CBD as well as the city’s south side. For what’s on in Melbourne, regardless of where you stay, check out The Broadsheet and Melbourne 3000. (By the way, if you book any of the following on our advice, please tell them we sent you! And if you have experiences – good or bad – we’d like to hear them.  :-) )

The Alkira Apartment offers art deco digs fitted out in a vintage/loft style.  We asked the owner, Michelle Francis, to tell us a bit about the design. She says, “The facade of the building is art deco – which we love – but it was converted into apartments in the 80’s and very few deco features remain, so we decided to go for quite a bold aesthetic rather than trying to replicate the original style.  The deco exterior is quite stunning – the glass tiles that form the central panel of the building were the first use of glass tiles in Australia and the green, black and white terracotta tiles are geometric and quite mesmerising. The architect, James Wardrop also did the  Shrine of Remembrance, a Melbourne landmark.  Internally, we’ve incorporated a couple of blocks of really strong colour: a vermillion red in the study/reading room; a moss green in the kitchen; and a feature wall of gorgeous embossed Osborne and Little wallpaper, but the rest of the space is pretty neutral to play up the light and space.

The study has an Asian theme, the rest is more of an eclectic retro sleek look with a few collectibles as well as some plain quirky bits (such as the life sized torso of a yellow crash test dummy). The living area is glossy (coated) raw concrete which shows up all the wonderful imperfections such as paint drops from over the decades.  There’s a lush wool aubergine carpet in the bedroom for bare feet in the mornings.”

Alkira: a homely retro aesthetic that says 'Melbourne' (Image credit: Paul Healy photography)

Perks: We love the mix-it-up aesthetic of the interiors – a bohemian twist on the right side of vintage – it feels very Melbourne. Michelle is no stranger to hospitality; she used to own a restaurant on the great Ocean Road; and we like the thoughtfulness of supplies such as coffee paraphernalia, books and magazines. While Queen St overall isn’t our favourite strip in the CBD (though we like the trees) the apartment is at the right end of the city which puts you in the heart of everything, and the location means that you could also collect tasty local produce from the nearby Queen Victoria Market and cook it up in your very own kitchen. Tips: Note that while the bedroom does have a window, it opens onto a light-well, which means it is not as luminous as the living areas. On the upside, you should be protected from city traffic noise. Also note, there’s no hotel-style concierge service. Michelle offers a few great ideas for local cafes. “We love Hardware Societe  for their absolutely superb breakfast menu, three blocks away. But if you just want to ‘duck out’ for a quick bite, Sparrow’s Nest nearby is great.  Seven Seeds cafe  Brother Baba Buddah can’t be missed for an excellent coffee.

Billiard Room: the Lindrum wants you to feel at home (Image credit: Hamilton Lund)

Hotel Lindrum: Small, cosy and a stone’s throw from Federation Square, the Lindrum is on the parent-friendly school of interior design but we like the lounge room-style lobby complete with pool table and the coffee-bar check-in.  The Lindrum has always managed to be fashionable without necessarily being hip, it’s civilised without being stuffy, and friendly without being overly familiar. It’s no longer shiny and brand new but you can count on all the mod-cons and comforts of a good hotel on a personal scale. Perks: It’s not a hipster hotel, but it’s the kind of place everyone can feel comfortable.  Room to improve: A hotel of this calibre should offer free wi-fi in the rooms! Tips: If you want views and loads of natural light (and who doesn’t?) book a Deluxe room with the bay windows. Other room categories may look onto alleyways etc. If breakfast is not included in the rate, you’re a short stroll to Degraves St etc where there are oodles of cafe choices.

Our tip: the 'deluxe rooms' with bay windows are the most luminous. (Image credit: Hamilton Lund)

Having trawled through the listings on Air B&B we think this is the most interesting option in the CBD. Loft Apartment – Heritage Building: In the historic Bible House, a late 1800′s building and former printers, is a loft apartment that will appeal to creative types. Situated on Flinders Lane, the heart of Melbourne’s fashion district, it’s fitted out with loads of artistic and personal touches. The site doesn’t show the bedroom, but it mentions Third Drawer Down linen, a local brand founded by an ex-Craft Victoria curator who started out making limited edition tea-towels featuring work by local artists and has since expanded into all kinds of other exciting artistic merchandise. For artistic pedigree, you can’t fault it. Perks: Location! This is one of the most exciting parts of the city – step out, and you’re in it. Tips: It’s in the middle of the city within a dense network of alleys, so keep in mind that views will not be expansive. You may also hear some street noise. The owner lists all kinds of tips on attractions in the local area.

Fast track your way into Melbourne's creative scene

We're converts: stay at Bible House in Melbourne

The Adelphi – we were going to recommend this 90′s icon by local architects Denton Corker Marshall, the city’s first boutique hotel with its trademark rooftop swimming pool. But we were troubled by two things; firstly they failed to respond to two emails asking for publicity photos to publish on the blog (we’re still waiting…). This reminded us of previous occasions where they have been similarly unhelpful, which doesn’t bode well for customer service. Secondly, we had a look around on the internet, and reviews suggest the hotel is now looking a little tired. So now we’re hesitating about including it… Perks: the rooftop bar has an amazing views over the city and its overhanging swimming pool is an enduring novelty (not to mention a healthy, if vertiginous, way to start the day). Note that the pool/bar area is sometimes closed to guests during corporate events, namely in the summer. (Think December.) The location is smack bang in a good bit of the city, and if the concrete laneways get too much, you’re not far from Treasury gardens etc.

Adelphi Hotel Melbourne

Tip: There are construction works opposite the hotel during 2011 so do check before you make a booking as it could be noisy. In general ask for a room overlooking the street, not the side alleys. (A ‘New York style view’ is code for ‘view of an alley with little natural light’.) To avoid disappointment, note that views are not on the menu here, it is not the hotel’s fault – it’s just the reality of its location (surrounded by alleys), as is some street noise. If breakfast is not included, don’t worry, this area is home to some of Melbourne’s best cafes and breakfast haunts.

Brooklyn Arts Hotel: This joint has popped up in Melbourne since we were last in town. Located on George St, Fitzroy, it’s a retro little hotel aimed at the creatively inclined. Vintage-style furnishings and quirky touches like snowdome collections and kitsch art work are the order of the day.

Grandmotherly vintage chic at the Brookly Arts Hotel, Fitzroy

Perks: Great location, within reach of the restaurants and cafes of Brunswick St, the galleries of Gertrude St and a short walk to the CBD. Also on the menu, a yummy breakfast with good bread, and a  friendly atmosphere with like-minded guests. Staying in a terrace will give you an idea of the local architecture. Tips: Speaking from personal experience, these big old Victorian mansions aren’t exactly sound-proof. Bring ear-plugs! (I used to live in one, also on George St, with an unlikely combination of people including a bemusingly pony-tailed cyclone-predictor from Darwin, a shivering samba dancer from Bahia and a sort of paper mache robot that lived on the balcony). Ask your friendly hostess Maggie to organise a cute bike rental from The Humble Vintage during your stay.

Brooklyn Arts Hotel: vintage Dreams in Fitzroy, Melbourne (Image embedded from the talented leaaaah on Flickr)

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT: Melbournites are creatures of habit and they tend to stick to the north or the south of the city depending on where they live. To generalise: the inner north is more indie, more creative, and cheaper,  the ethnic mix is arguably more diverse, and the restaurants cater to all budgets. The inner south is leafier, slicker and more expensive. It’s home to accounting execs and BMXs. More generalisations: bits like Toorak, are conservative and old money, bits like Prahran are young and gay friendly, and bits like Elwood/St Kilda East have a strong Jewish community, beachside access and an indie shopping strip. St Kilda itself is popular with backpackers and suburban tourists.

In South Yarra, our friend Andy Mac who runs Citylights Projects tells us he’s heard good things from artists who stayed at The Albany  hotel. They’ve recently refurbished a boxy 50′s ‘motel’ and offer cool rooms at reasonable prices with a rock n’ roll kind of aesthetic. We like the honesty on the website – they clearly state which room categories have had a minor make-over and which have had the full botox and stomach stapling.

Retro dining area at the Albany Hotel

Perks: It’s got a pool, a retro cafe and a relaxed vibe.  Plus the location near Chapel St etc is great. Room to improve: We get the impression that housekeeping is below par in the older rooms, the rooms with minor renovations are superficial at best, and that noise from other guests is an issue, especially if you are on the ground floor. If you are fastidious or a light sleeper, perhaps it’s best to avoid. Tips: To avoid disappointment, our suggestion is to book a fully and newly renovated room, such as the Pool Club Deluxe, that way you can be assured that everything is clean and new.

Our tip: it's best to book a renovated Pool Club Deluxe room at the Albany, Melbourne

In St Kilda,  The Prince is still the flashiest boutique hotel this side of town although, admittedly, the design, which was noted for its ice-cool minimalism is no longer as up to date as it was. (In the meantime, the Millennium ‘bug’ has also gone out of fashion.) Architectural credits go to Hecker Guthrie (who also had a hand in luxe Fjäll ski lodge, Falls Creek); while Wood/Marsh took care of the deck and day spa zones (on another scale and genre, visitors should visit another of their projects: ACCA, contemporary art space.) The in-house restaurant has been given a bit of a hipster-friendly re-furb and is now warmer and welcomes guests for drinks and nibbles, but still offers excellent in-house dining. Not that you’d need to eat there – there are so many fantastic options near by. Perks: the Prince still offers a sense of glamour and wow-factor. Aesop products in the rooms. Room to improve: Some people complain about the size of the basic rooms and the dark corridors – we kind of like the corridors though admittedly, it may help to have a miner’s helmet light on hand. But the real issue since day one is noise from the bar etc. Tips: The hotel is part of a complex which has live music – if you score a room too close to the band room you may find yourself bugged by music/reverberation. Not so cool if you’re paying cold hard cash for a good night’s sleep! Pack ear plugs or get some from reception. If you want a view, go for a superior room or at least confirm a ‘street vista’ in the Deluxe room category (some are internal looking).

The Prince hotel dining room gets a bit of a hipster make-over

Deluxe room @ the Prince Hotel, Melbourne. Our tip: request a street vista.

Confession: we’ve never been to The Hatton but this 20 room hotel in a grand old mansion gets great reviews, and as far as a small, personable hotel on this side of town goes, we challenge you to find better. Perks: Location, the South Yarra location is not hipster central, but it is restful, just near the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens and a nice shopping/cafe strip which will meet most of your eating needs. On a sunny day you’ll enjoy a glass of local wine on the roof top.  Tips: The smallest room category is, well, smallish!

Front entry and bar at the Hatton

Standard room @ the Hatton Hotel, Melbourne

Musician’s Elwood Apartment: We have an enduring soft-spot for the beachside suburb of Elwood, in particular its art-deco flats which are beautifully proportioned, warm and welcoming. This flat with lots of original historic features is owned by a couple of local musos and comes with its own grand piano! It’s located on one of the area’s streets named after writers and poets and is close to our favourite little park in Melbourne, the St Kilda Botanic Gardens, and the iconic local cafe, Jerry’s Milk Bar.

Warm and welcoming, kitchen and dining area with restored fireplace...

Perks: The owner has kitted it out with all the mod cons and interesting touches, such as books devoted to music and other interests. If you stay here you’re close to the canals and beach reserve, so there’s plenty of opportunities for strolling and soaking up the atmos. Tips: The bedroom is small!  – it’s definitely a ‘climb in situation’, so the living areas are the real drawcard here. If you’re into music you should check out who’s playing at the Espy in St Kilda, despite the lack of sticky carpet, the increasingly gentrified Esplande Hotel is still a fixture on the local indie music circuit. Note: One of our favourite things to do in Melbourne on a Sunday is going to the  Wall 280 cafe on Carlisle St, in East St Kilda nearby, getting coffee and a sweet treat, then collecting fresh bagels and toppings from Glicks up the road (be prepared to queue, the ‘staff’ seem to be kids fresh from the kibbutz). Then take the whole lot back for a picnic/newspaper reading session at the aforementioned St Kilda Botanic Gardens. Admittedly you’ll need wheeled transport if the coffee is to remain hot!)

Make yourself at home in Elwood...

St Kilda: for the flashies among you, this slick flat in St Kilda offers the comforts of a hotel with the mod-cons of a new apartment and a sunny balcony. It also epitomises the ambitions of many aspirational South-siders to live in a cool, inner-city designer pad near the beach. (And why wouldn’t you?) Original art works help lend some character to the place and a typically Melbourne fastidiousness about chichi design and providing excellent in-house coffee is in evidence.

Sheridan crisp, white 1000-thread-count bed linen: count us in!

Perks: Complimentary and quality breakfast goodies, like organic muslie, are on offer. Free parking is available if you have a car (a definite plus on this side of town). Location! Lots of pubs, bookshops and restaurants abound and it’s just a short stroll to the Esplanade.  Plus it’s close to Pelican (16 Fitzroy St, St Kilda, Melbourne), a cafe we are somewhat fond of for the great coffee and the warm architectural fit-out, by local firm Six Degrees. (Note that service can be on the slack side if you order something more ambitious than a cuppa.) Tips: If you like to start your day with exercise, try a run along the beach or take a dip at the St Kilda Baths.

Blanco appliances and designer dishware: lifestyle a la St Kilda

I’m an artist: If you are artistically inclined, you could try applying for a long-haul artist residency, why not start with the friendly, ‘no deadlines’ approach offered by Wardlow in Fitzroy? Otherwise, there are more formal residencies on offer at Gertrude Contemporary (more popularly known as ‘Gertrude 200′), one of the city’s leading exhibition spaces, also in Fitzroy. Or try the more indie Seventh down the road.

Live differently: apply for an artist residency in Melbourne (Image © Gertrude Contemporary)

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Get Religion: Stay @ Le Corbusier’s La Tourette

27 Sep

La Tourette, the monastery designed by Le Corbusier near Lyon in France, offers design fanatics a chance to experience his architectural theories in a spiritual context, without having to take radical vows of chastity and poverty. At La Tourette, guests are welcome to book themselves into a cell for a night – or longer – for a unique and thrifty taste of Modernism with a splash of Catholicism (or the other way around, according to your tastes).

It's quite something: the crypt at La Tourette by the architect Le Corbusier (image by HWL)

Bearing Le Corbusier’s design trademarks – stilts, a free-floating facade, horizontal windows and a roof-top garden – the concrete structure is grouped around an internal courtyard in the manner of a traditional monastery. Within its walls is a series of interconnected spaces, providing its inhabitants with the opportunity for personal, community and spiritual life; the three pillars of human life. Commissioned by the Dominicans and built between 1956 and 1960, the building was designed to house both novices – who spent several years at the convent – and friars who were life-long inhabitants. Today it also welcomes visitors, such as Le Corbusier fans!

It's complicated: courtyard at Le Corbusier's La Tourette (Image by HWL)

Le Corbusier developed a building scale based on what was then the average size of the average French man – 1.75 metres (5ft8″); but noting that  the ‘hero’ in American movies and books of the time, was invariably described as ‘6ft tall’ (1.88m) – he created a secondary, more ‘heroic’ scale that could be applied to international or big budget projects. At La Tourette visitors are housed in the novice cells based on the 1.75cm scale. (The friar’s rooms are based on the larger scale to accommodate the few more modest possessions they may accumulate over the course of their lifetime.)

Interior life & exterior world, desk & personal balcony @ La Tourette (Image by HWL)

By contemporary standards, the cells are small and basic, but they are also cosy and efficient. This is the kind of set-up Virginia Woolf was probably imagining when she wrote about having A Room of One’s Own. Each compact room contains four distinct spaces delineated by its unique light source and activity: an entry with hand-basin and clothes storage; a bed with reading light; a desk with chair; and a private balcony with a little nook for candles etc. At opposite ends of the room are louvres to enable cross ventilation. Pared down to its essentials this modest room enables the full gamut of a monk’s day-to-day living: rest, reflection, privacy and contact with the outdoors. This is real minimalism minus the chichi price tag.

The hallways circulating the living space are designed to accommodate meditational pacing. Small blocks of strategically placed concrete, and ‘concrete flowers’ that obscure the windows at the end of the corridor, enable light to enter but block external views; this allows the thinker to walk without having their thoughts interrupted by the view. The end windows are positioned off-centre to draw walkers (who subconsciously follow their axis) to orient themselves closer to the internal courtyard and away from the living cells, thus assisting with noise and privacy. As our guide said, “It’s not symmetrical, but it is balanced.”

Le Corbusier's La Tourette: hall leading to chapel (image by HWL)

Staying at the Convent: From an accommodation perspective, the Convent’s sleeping arrangements are evidently basic: each cell is equipped with bed linen, a blanket and a single bed. (You do have to make your own bed and no, you cannot share it.). It’s no thrills, but it’s clean and somehow pleasing. Showers and toilets are taken in a communal ablutions room – one for men another for women. Meals are taken in the large communal dining room with beautiful verdant views through windows that were designed in conjunction with the mathematically-minded composer Xenakis. The building is heated but we suspect it could be brisk in the cooler months.

Le Corbusier's La Tourette: dining rm windows inspired by Xenakis (Image by HWL)

This is supposed to be a place of spiritual and intellectual reflection so there is a rule of silence throughout the convent. However, the hard concrete surfaces and old-fashioned door sealants mean that the convent is far from sound-proof and with some visitors going to bed at midnight and others getting up at 6am, and couples accustomed to sharing a room, whispering urgently to each other through their cell doors “Have you got the toothpaste!?”…well, it’s not exactly silent. (For the sake of your own peace and others, it’s best to leave small children at home). Despite all that, the intention of silence was enough to create a meditative atmosphere and after 24 hours of quiet and a good walk in the adjoining forest we felt calm and refreshed.

Le Corbusier's La Tourette: chapel with Miro-esque skylights (Image by HWL)

The crowd: there are three main groups: the actual residents, the Friars; groups, such as volunteer gardeners preening the grounds, or writers attending a workshop; and tourists – primarily of the archi-fanatic variety and easily spotted by their trademark hipster glasses and manic photo taking! Dining tables are organised according to the purpose of your visit – a group of unwitting Japanese tourists created quite a stir among the grey-haired green-thumbs by going free-style and accidentally breakfasting at the Gardener’s table.

Le Corbusier's La Tourette: meditative strolls in the forest (Image by HWL)

Perks: First up, don’t miss the guided tour! Also, we don’t want to over-hype it, but the church at La Tourette is something really special, make sure you enter it from inside the monastery so you get the full effect (i.e: not from the external side door that takes you directly into the church). If you take the tour you can also access the magical Crypt. We were amused to see that Le Corbusier wasn’t satisfied with merely designing the entire building; he also felt compelled to sign his hand-drawn crucifixes. (Not that he had an ego issue or anything.) The smaller chapel with its avant garde fluorescent lights is also delightful. Note that the tours are open to everyone – you don’t have to be a guest.

Autographed crucifix anyone? The Crypt at La Tourette (Image by HWL)

Tariffs: €35 per night, per person with breakfast. You can also have diner there, but you will need to pre-order at the time of the booking or significantly in advance. Alternatively, come prepared to picnic on the grounds. Failing that, Lyon is a half an hour drive away, or you can eat at the neighbouring villages such as L’Arbresle.

The ominously named Hotel Terminus (Place de la Gare, in L’Arbresle) has some retro charm, we enjoyed the trout with almond sauce, but locals were raving about the house speciality: frogs. We were also recommended the cute-as-a-button Le Capucin in an old, quaint part of town.

Booking: if La Tourette’s official website is still under construction, you’ll find them listed on the Dominicians site here. Practical information is listed here. Note, there is a train that connects from Lyon, but the walk to the monastery from the station is definitely uphill and there are no taxis, not advised for non-minimalist packers.

Alternatives: If you’d like to visit Couvent de La Tourette, but not to sleep there, we can suggest the following alternatives in nearby Lyon: the quirky and cosy College Hotel which has a slightly scholastic meets gentlemen’s club feel. If you haven’t had enough architecture, you can try Renzo Piano in a slightly corporate mood at Hotel de la Cité. If you feel the need for sumptuous digs fit for a Pope, book yourself into Cour des Loges.

Sleeping with Le Corbusier: you might also like our story about Hotel Le Corbusier in Marseilles.

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At home in: Homeikan Daimachi Bekkan, Tokyo

6 Jul

In bloom: cherry blossoms at Homeikan Daimachi Bekkan (Image by Dave Kellogg)

Guest Review by Dave Kellogg

It’s commonly cited that Tokyo, with 30 million people, is the most populated city in the world. The iconic images of the megalopolis reflect its size: buildings stacked with neon signs; workaholic men and women dressed in business suits and nodding off on packed commuter trains; and thousands of people every minute flooding the crosswalks in the Shibuya Ward. What a relief then when my colleague Brendan and I walked up the narrow, empty alleyway not far from the Kasuga St. metro station and entered Homeikan Daimachi Bekkan (the latter word meaning ‘guest house’). Most hotels serve their purpose as staging areas for travel, but this bekkan itself becomes the destination. So much of what we wanted in our Japan experience was in our very bedrooms. Its traditional ryokan architecture and garden immediately bring Tokyo down to size and launch visitors back in time.

Hello secret garden, Tokyo (Image by Dave Kellogg)

The owner: Kunio Koike inherited the complex from his father.  His father built it as his private home. However, jealous residents of the building across the way, which his father also owned, complained it upstaged them. So he made it into another shared residence. Kunio explains that this is what makes it so unique: it was a home designed for private residence turned into a guest house.

Warm yourself: the ryokan's sunny deck (Image by Dave Kellogg)

The neighborhood: The neighborhood is named Hongo. In the 19th century, the neighborhood housed some of Japan’s great writers, including the woman on the Japanese ¥5,000 note, Ichiyo Higuchi. She died young of tuberculosis, but thanks to her few novels critics placed her as a groundbreaking female literary figure in patriarchal Japan. Another gentleman once lived across the alley in the older guest house (140 years) also belonging to Kunio. His name was Mamoru Shigemitsu, the Japanese Foreign Minister who, to conclude World War II, signed the instrument of surrender to the U.S. and its allies on the USS Missouri.

Around Hongo there are boutique shops and plenty of tiny Japanese restaurants, all on the ground level. Here, you don’t feel so overwhelmed with shops eight stories off the ground like you do in the major commercial districts of Tokyo. At the same time, the Tokyo Dome (home stadium for the Yomiuri Giants) and a super-mall with a rollercoaster on the roof is only about a 10-minute walk away.

Bring your ship into port: the Irifune room (Image by Dave Kellogg)

The room: Brendan stayed on the second floor in a room called “Kasuga” which means ‘spring sunshine.’ I stayed on the first floor in “Irifune” which means ‘ships sailing in with a mountain of treasures’.

What we loved: The quietude and nature in the middle of Tokyo. The human brain is geared to be attracted to contrast and this guest house set among greater Tokyo is a dandy. In Japan, we are always smitten with the details as well — the fine touches. For instance, when we plopped our stuff down in our rooms we were greeted with a perfect little bean snack wrapped in a pickled sesame leaf as well as a pot of green tea. We took our treats to the wood chairs in the sun-room and looked out on our little garden. We were in Tokyo but really had no need to leave the room!

Make yourself at home: tea set at Homeikan Daimachi Bekkan (Image by Dave Kellogg)

For further information and reservations: contact Homeikan Daimachi Bekkan

Trust me: Dave Kellogg

ABOUT DAVE KELLOGG

Dave Kellogg is a writer and TV host/director currently living in Beijing, China.

He works closely with his travel colleague Brendan Madden — together, they have produced numerous short and long-form travel documentaries encompassing material such skiing in Iraq,  mountain biking to Mt Everest and staging a mock karate battle in a Beijing hutong. Check them out at In Deep Films.

Recently, Dave returned from filming in Japan near to where, and just before, the earthquake struck. His prayers go out to all people affected by the tragedy there.

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