The World's Hottest Hotels 2011

 

We’ve been doing some globetrotting of our own to round up 10 of the world’s most inspiring new hotel designs. They feature stunning interiors, awe-inspiring architecture, and clear identities that are often intricately linked to their surroundings.

So if you’re planning a trip, you can rest assure we’ve done your homework for you. These glamorous, quirky and edgy hotels will offer you much more than just a bed and a roof over your head. Here are our top five picks of the world’s hottest hotels this year.

MAMILLA HOTEL
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL

In a city as rich in history and culture as Jerusalem, it goes without saying that a luxury hotel can’t simply rely on a tried-and-tested design approach. Located a stone’s throw from the Old City, the Tower of David and countless other cultural landmarks, Mamilla Hotel is a destination worth visiting by itself, due to its multi-faceted embodiment of Jerusalem’s unique spirit.

Click here to see our list of top luxury hotels

Even the Mamilla’s external walls are true to its neighbourhood. Moshe Safdie, the world-renowned architect responsible for it, scrupulously adhered to the city law that requires all new structures to be built with Jerusalem stone – the local, sand-coloured limestone used for some of the area’s oldest structures, including the Western Wall. He has used it liberally throughout the hotel, including large, exposed blocks that showcase its natural sheen and encapsulate its ancient history in a modern aesthetic.

Just as Safdie plays on this tension between old and new, noted designer Piero Lissoni stunningly combines contrasting styles and elements in the interior. Throughout the hotel, modern, minimalist pieces of furniture are placed next to antiques, and Chinese pieces are paired with Italian ones. The large, dark features of the public spaces – such as the black, geometrically shaped staircases – are offset by pure, natural light flowing in through the skylights.

From its architecture and interior design through to the kosher wine and hammam treatments offered in the hotel’s winery and 1,000-sq-m spa, the Mamilla links the past and the future, the conventional and the experimental. It is perhaps a perfect representation of contemporary Jerusalem.

Rates US$390 - 790
www.mamillahotel.com

LE ROYAL MONCEAU
PARIS, FRANCE

The Le Royal Monceau gushes with Gallic charm, as well as Philippe Starck’s distinctive touches. Resembling a hotel from the Roaring Twenties, it offers guests a welcome escape and a tender embrace. Parisian elegance permeates the interiors, including Starck’s brilliant Zenith Chandeliers and Unfocused Zenith Chandeliers dotted all over the hotel, creating an air of intimacy, excitement and romance.

 

Starck cleverly adds fresh meaning to the idea of a classic, luxury hotel with splashes of bold, blood red on the front door awning, the hanging pendant lamps, the ceiling in La Cuisine restaurant, the walls and carpet in Le Bar Long, Le Cinéma des Lumières screening room and La Fumée Rouge cigar parlour. In contrast, the 85 hotel rooms are in more restful shades of grey and white, which, according to Starck, gives guests a “clean break” from the loud public spaces. Floor-to-ceiling square mirrors encircle the bathroom walls.

 

Other spaces include La Librairie des Arts, the first hotel bookstore specialising in contemporary art, design and architecture; Le Royal Éclaireur hotel boutique; L’Art District, an art space; and Les Petits Rois du Royal Monceau, a space dedicated to children. Le Royal Monceau epitomises Parisian sophistication like nowhere else.

Rates US$1,044 - 8,033
www.leroyalmonceau.com
 

HOTEL TEATRO
OPORTO, PORTUGAL

The magnificent, bronze-and-gold Hotel Teatro stands in the heart of the historic Portuguese town of Oporto, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Designed by Nini Andrade Silva, of Atelier Nini Andrade Silva, its gorgeous interpretation of the glittering world of the theatre pays homage to the site’s previous occupant, the famed Teatro Baquet, which was destroyed by a fire in 1888.

A poem by Portuguese poet Almeida Garrett is etched prominently on the hotel’s grand front doors, and a box office is the first thing you notice as you enter. Silva has hidden all the light fittings to bestow a warm, luminescent and mystical atmosphere on the interior and allow its back-lit textures to stand out. Floor-to-ceiling curtains shrouding the walls and windows also heighten the air of mystery and intimacy. Finally, theatrical costumes are placed in glass display cases throughout the lobby and at various points around the hotel.

Theatrical grandeur also influences the décor of the 74 rooms. Lush tones of bronze and gold predominate, from gold washbasins to bronze bathtubs and nightstands. Dramatically spectacular and romantically intimate at the same time, this hotel is sure to be a box office hit.

Rates US$168 - 292
www.hotelteatro.pt

HILTON PATTAYA HOTEL
PATTAYA, THAILAND

Located on the 17th floor of a tower overlooking Pattaya Beach, the uniquely contemporary Hilton Pattaya Hotel’s calm, tranquil design is the brainchild of Bangkok design firm Department of Architecture, who were enlisted to create its lobby, Drift Bar, Edge and Flare Restaurants, as well as the spaces linking them. Waves of fabric strips adorn the vast lobby’s ceiling, and these are mirrored by curving lines on the carpet, creating a Zen-like atmosphere. These strips are illuminated at night, conjuring up a romantic ambiance. You can also stroll out to the terrace, which is lit after dark by droplet lamps, and relax by the infinity pool as you enjoy the views of Pattaya Beach.

The restaurants upstairs have a very different atmosphere. Edge is encased in wood, from the floors and walls right up to the ceiling. Even the tables and chairs. Delicate pendant lights are suspended randomly from the ceiling. A deeper colour palette adds depth to the space in Flare, where private dining areas created by hanging sheets of dark, sheer fabric and cleverly hidden lighting evoke a mysterious atmosphere.

Bangkok-based August Design Consultant’s guest room concepts echo the warm, Zen-like, off-white lobby design. The colour palette is kept to a minimum to allow the textures to stand out. Overall, this is a distinctly cool and sophisticated place.

Rates US$158 - 821
www1.hilton.com

THE WAIKIKI EDITION
WAIKIKI BEACH, HAWAII, USA

See our picks of the top suites in hotels around the world here

The Waikiki Edition epitomises the best of Hawaiian style. The first of the Marriott’s new Edition brand of hotels – which rejects the homogeneity of many five-star chains – it sets high standards with gorgeous interiors by Yabu Pushelberg, and lush, coconut-palm-filled gardens by Deborah Nevins. It’s a sleek take on Oahu’s easy beach style and surfer ethos.

The lobby pays homage to surfing’s greats: an installation by artist and former international surfer Herbie Fletcher features 100 broken boards from some of the world’s best pipeline surfers.

The 353 rooms and suites have a similar tone. Comfortable neutrals, woods and plenty of white create a fresh, organic feel that complements the slick, linear forms George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg often bring to their designs. Huge windows adorned with teak shutters look out onto views of the city, the yacht harbour, the beaches, the ocean and the pools. There’s even a 1,400-sq-ft penthouse with a 1,500-sq-ft terrace overlooking the Pacific.

Guests can enjoy Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s divine food at the Morimoto Waikiki, which is decked out in sunny shades of yellow and white, with shells hanging in transparent boxes from the ceiling, a full sushi bar, and an open kitchen. The Hawaiian-chic hotel also boasts a spa, several bars, a club, an outdoor movie theatre, a sunrise pool, and a private beach with its own lagoon that’s a perfect spot for serene sundowners.

Rates US$375 - 9995
www.editionhotels.com

This article is adapted from Home Journal’s June 2011 issue