hotel
There are 11 entries for the tag
hotel
I introduced this innovative Dutch hotel last spring. I definitively plan to stay there one day.
citizenM is an innovative, contemporary hotel for the cost conscious traveler. The first hotel is located at Amsterdam Airport. The second citizenM hotel is under construction already and will open shortly near Amsterdam's World Trade Centre.
citizenM keeps accumulating awards. Last year, they won a Worldwide Hospitality Award for Best Innovative Hotel Concept. Philips fills the room with technological innovations as you can see in this video report by Megawhat.tv on YouTube.
About The European Hotel Design Award of the Year
Sleeper Magazine presented the award event on Thursday, 6 November 2008. The European Hotel Design Awards is the premier celebration of outstanding innovations in the hospitality industry and hotel design in Europe.
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TRAVEL
posted @ Friday, November 14, 2008 11:17 AM | Feedback (0)
Gone is the design that Philippe Starck did at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood, California.
The hotel needed to update its Alice in Wonderland concept for some time now. The mastermind behind the new design at the Mondrian Hotel is Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz.
The party to launch the $40-million redesigned Mondrian is scheduled for September 4th, 2008. But I bring you a speak preview, thanks to Los Angeles Times.
What's New?
The fanciful mirror works as a TV screen. You will see pieces from many superstar designers in the remodeled Mondrian next to affordable pieces like the installation of inexpensive hooks in the bathroom or the La Murrina and nickel lanterns made by Roost on the lobby.
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TRAVEL
posted @ Monday, September 01, 2008 12:19 PM | Feedback (2)
When we went to San Francisco last winter, we rented a Prius. It is a fun car to drive. We stayed at Hotel Vitale and two Fairmont hotels. My husband and I truly appreciated the fact that Fairmont gave us free valet parking because we drove a hybrid car.
Unfortunately, Fairmont green generosities extend only to California. I find the hip Hotel Vitale with its relaxing and good for the soul experience is missing the boat by not having a similar policy. This is the only area where I give a failing grade to Hotel Vitale.
Opus Hotels in Vancouver and Montreal
As a Canadian, I am proud to announce that the Canadian boutique hotel chain Opus Hotels started to offer free valet parking to anyone who shows up in a hybrid car. Opus Hotels has a blog where they tell how what measures they are taking right now to lesser the impact of environment.
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TRAVEL
TRENDS
posted @ Tuesday, July 15, 2008 11:35 AM | Feedback (0)
We owe a lot to our parents. After all they gave us an environment to flourish and expand our horizon.
The customs want that you throw a big party at the 25th and the 50th anniversary. Kids should be the ones that organize it. The problem is that kids are still in school for the 25th, so they cannot afford an extravagant party. And 50 seems so far and your parents will be old.
Why not throw a big bash when the kids are able to pay for it and the parents have not yet retired? This way, it can be a real threat.
Baby boomers are cooler and healthier. Forget the golf course and throw a hip Miami club scene. If the family is not ready to travel south for the party, here are the key elements to recreate the setting around a pool or on a sandy beach.
Unisex Party Theme
Devise a theme that will appeal to your mom and your dad. This scheme uses a lot of round shapes and feminine touches. But the metal, the futurist look of the Onfalos grill and the Bang & Olufsen loudspeakers talk to your dad.
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PARTY ideas
TRENDS
ENTERTAINING
posted @ Sunday, June 01, 2008 1:46 PM | Feedback (0)
This is not an April’s fool: Be on the first 100 citizens to book a room at the first citizenM hotel and enjoy one night of casual chic luxury, nice towels, huge king size bed and friendly smile for free.
CitizenM (M for mobile) is a new affordable luxury hotel option for travelers to Europe. The first hotel is located at Schiphol International Airport, an amazing international airport that acts as a gateway.
Like in a boutique hotel, the concept behind CitizenM is hip with a fresh attention to details.
Excellent Services
The new hotel chain concept caters to a new type of travelers. CitizenM targets people who value personal choice, modern design, friendly technology and the proximity to a city at an accessible price. Every room has a wall-mounted LCD television with free movie access and provides a free Wi-Fi internet connection.
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TRAVEL
TRENDS
posted @ Tuesday, April 01, 2008 12:45 PM | Feedback (0)
Ever since I first heard of them, I wished to stay at Hotel Vitale. The hotel opened March 9, 2005.
I imagined myself taking the complimentary yoga class, available daily, at the penthouse level yoga studio. Unfortunately I was unable to fit a class into my tight schedule. Oh well, one more reason to go back.
To understand the concept of this hotel and its appeal to me, let's go back to their root. Their goal was to create an urbane oasis. In a press release published before their opening, you can read that
Hotel Vitale represents not only a new frontier for the highly successful boutique hotel company, but an entirely ground-breaking concept in the arena of luxury hospitality.
This luxury hotel cleverly mixes old and new modern furniture for their decor. The old appears through the use of materials and finishes. But the shapes always stay modern. The architects and designers managed to create spaces that are soothing, hip and friendly at the same time.
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DINING out
TRAVEL
DINING
posted @ Tuesday, March 04, 2008 11:22 AM | Feedback (2)
I wrote my recipe at the end of this post. First, let me introduce my inspiration on a video filmed next to a spa refreshment station in the Californian Wine Country. We stayed at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa a few nights.
Since it is no more fashionable to serve bottled water, the trendy hostess needs to dish up the tab water. Last summer, I showed you how to serve a pitcher of water with fresh berries. The look was great but the taste of the water is not distinctively altered by the berries.
Cucumber water improves the taste of tap water. Spa aficionados already experience the benefits of cucumber water for improving the look of your skin. On top of it, this drink is simple to make at home.
Cucumber Water Recipe
In order for the cucumber to fully release its juice, you need to prepare it the day before your event.
Ingredients:
- 1 cucumber, sliced and unpeeled + 6-7 cucumber slices for decoration
- 1 1/2 to 2 liters of water
- 3 mint sprigs + 2 mint sprigs for decoration
- Half a lemon, sliced and unpeeled
- Ice cubes
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FOOD + drinks
DINING
posted @ Thursday, February 28, 2008 9:40 PM | Feedback (2)
We stayed in the hip and fun Hotel Vitale San Francisco yesterday. I love the place. We had appetizers and drinks at The Americano. We went to dinner at the famous Tadich Grill, the oldest restaurant in California. It dated back to the Gold Rush era.
We ate breakfast at Frog Hollow Farm, an organic bakery at the Farmer’s Market of One Ferry Building next to The Embarcadero. Their risotto tart is absolutely divine. Now, we are in the Wine Country. The weather is fabulous.
I will write the details of the fabulous places where I stayed and ate in the coming days.
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TRAVEL
posted @ Wednesday, February 27, 2008 5:02 PM | Feedback (0)
Experiencing the Fairmont Gold floor was on my priority list for my trip to Boston last week-end. Fairmont Gold is a hotel within a hotel.
Guests at the Fairmont Gold located on the fourth floor of the Fairmont Copley Plaza enjoy unique quarters with the look and feel of a 1912 mansion house from the Back Bays area.
Stylish accommodations for the discerning travelers
This distinctively British style hotel caters 59 rooms. The rooms on the Gold Floor are more luxurious. The gold chandelier on a dimmer and the floor-to-ceiling marble bathroom announce lavish room amenities. Everything is thought to make your stay more comfortable. They do not just provide the robes; a pair of slippers is waiting for you nicely wrapped in a basket.
The moment you arrive at the dedicated check-in / check-out desk, you feel the superior service. Guests enjoy a private lounge equipped with board games, a library and their own reception area. The package includes a delicious complimentary deluxe continental breakfast with a daily hot entrée. I cherished most the relaxing moments provided by the evening hors d'oeuvres at the lounge. All day, guests have access to complimentary beverages and an honor bar. You pay extra to book a Fairmont Gold room at the Club floor but you will get a lot more in return.
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TRAVEL
posted @ Tuesday, February 05, 2008 7:04 PM | Feedback (0)
Following my last week trend report on raw material, I noticed that July-August 2007 issue of French Elle Décoration published several articles about this design style.
Once I reviewed my inspirational styled photographs it became clear that Blue Nature designed most of the pieces I wish to highlight.
Bleu Nature is born out of a wondrous exploration of driftwood-a free-spirited, untamed material by Frank Lefebvre in 1995. They got many lines including one inspired by the novel of Robinson Crusoe.
To keep things simple in this post, I am only showing you the work of Blue Nature for the new Mystique Hotel located in Oia on the Santori Island, Greece. The hotel shows that charms and simplicity can feel luxurious.
A collection of raw material furniture
The raw material trend works so well in bare white rooms of these villas. Many of the furniture and accessories were designed for the Hotel. Forget faux-bois, here all the pieces are made of old wood often found on sea shore.
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HOME decor
TRAVEL
HOME + GARDEN
posted @ Wednesday, July 25, 2007 12:16 PM | Feedback (0)
I am a huge fan of the Canadian fashion brand m0851. I live close by their flagship store in Montreal. My husband can testify that I always stop to look at their store window. I love the simplicity of their streamlined clothes and leather accessories.
I am thrilled about their way in the hospitality industry. You can enjoy the same design philosophy when you travel to Belgium. m0851 just opened three guestrooms on top of the new Antwerp’s store in a popular fashion street.
The balanced modern aestheticism and functionality of the rooms are typical of the m0851’s look and feel. The interior design is urban chic and has pure lines. The rooms seem very comfortable for the guests. An itty mini boutique hotel that is located near museums, trendy cafes and restaurants.
I am showing you the m0851 rooms because they are inspirational for when you having guest spending the night at your house. m0851 guestrooms are my pretext to talk about the ultimate guest room. When you design a guest room in your home, try to think of everything your guests may need.
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EVERYDAY entertaining
TRAVEL
ENTERTAINING
posted @ Wednesday, April 18, 2007 12:21 AM | Feedback (0)