01 LONDON
The LaLiT London is the English capital’s newest luxury boutique hotel. Once home to St Olave’s Grammar School, the Grade II-listed building bears reminders of its history, from the striking panelled Great Hall to the two bars located in the former Teachers’ Room and Headmaster’s Room. The 70-room property combines original Victorian features with custom-made Indian interiors and modern technology, and boasts the fine-dining pan-Indian restaurant Baluchi, where guests can sample dishes from across India, and a spa, Rejuve, which offers traditional Ayurvedic treatments.
02 PARIS
After four years of renovations, the iconic Hotel de Crillon in Paris has finally reopened. Located at the foot of the Champs-Elysees, the property, which dates back to the 18th century, features 124 rooms, three restaurants and one bar. Also on site are three function spaces that are classified heritage landmarks, thanks to their ceilings, which are dated between 1775 and 1776. The new hotel was a team effort, with fashion figure Karl Lagerfeld designing two suites; Chahan Minissian, Tristan Auer and Cyril Vergniol presiding over interior design; and architect Richard Martinet in charge of the restoration and renovation of the façade and first-floor grand reception room.
www.rosewoodhotels.com/crillon
03 HANOI
The new La Siesta Central in Hanoi, Vietnam is located in the city’s historic Old Quarter and offers panoramic views of Hoan Kiem Lake. The 27-room boutique hotel is the perfect base from which to explore Hanoi’s top attractions, such as the French Quarter, and features impressive interiors highlighted by dark wood panelling, intricate patterned tiling and black-and-white artworks. There are several room types available, plus a rooftop restaurant and bar with amazing views of the city. The in-house La Siesta Spa offers an extensive menu of treatments, many based on traditional Vietnamese healing methods.
04 TASMANIA
You’d be hard pressed to find another hotel with a personality and branding as strong as MACq 01’s, Hobart’s newest hotel launched in June. Located by waterfront on the docks of Hobart’s Old Wharf, MACq 01 is surrounded by boats and convict-built sandstone warehouses, and affords stunning views of Mount Wellington in the backdrop. This hotel’s design and furnishings showcase five distinctly Tasmanian traits and ideals, and each of its 114 “informally luxurious†rooms spotlights a fascinating character from Tasmania’s history – it delivers on its “storytelling†identity and then some. Guests only find out which historical personality or unique character they’ve been “paired with†when they reach their rooms, adding a sense of mystery and adventure to the MACq 01 experience. What’s interesting is that the hotel has also engaged a master storyteller and a team of full-time storytellers who take guests on engaging journey through the hotel – connecting them with design elements and historical artefacts, as well as trails throughout the Hobart waterfront.
