Hotel Pulitzer, Buenos Aires
Hotel Pulitzer, Buenos Aires
Address: Calle Maipú, 907, Esquina Paraguay
Tel: 54.11 4316 0800 (Argentina)
Website: www.hotelpulitzer.com.ar
Opening date: March 2011
Rates: From $140
Business amenities: The business centre offers video conferencing, DVD player and rear projection screens. The three meeting rooms, with a capacity of 30 people each, can be combined to form a larger conference space and are perfect for working lunches. Complimentary Wi-Fi available throughout the hotel; two storeys of private guest parking.
Rooms: 104 rooms with great views, desk, LCD screen and satellite television. Superiors and suites have iPod docks and Nespresso coffee machines.
Leisure: A small outdoor pool is due to open in the next few months.
Restaurants: Young Argentinean chef Fernando Golabek serves healthy dishes prepared with seasonal ingredients, from 7am to midnight, at the Easy Food restaurant. The Cocktail Bar, with a cocktail menu designed by top local bartender Inés de los Santos, is located on the first floor. During spring and summer, the hotel's terrace Sky Bar on the 13th floor is a relaxing spot with incredible skyline views.
Created by Spanish designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán, head of Contemporain Studio, the décor mixes hints of the great 1950s Argentinean hotels and porteña effervescence. Each room is a blend of vintage and contemporary furniture using top-quality materials and a highly varied colour palette. The ground floor boasts a stunning library in dark lapacho wood.
Templar Hotel, Toronto
Address: 348 Adelaide Street West
Website: www.designhotels.com/templar
Opening date: August/September 2011
Rates: From C$325 ($344)
Business amenities: The main restaurant, Monk Kitchen, has a built-in screening room, which caters for 24 seated, or 70 for a reception. There is a separate lounge, ideal for smaller receptions. There are also two luxury lofts suitable for meetings.
Rooms: All 27 suites and lofts feature teak and stone inlay flooring, neutral tones and floor-to-ceiling windows. Bathrooms are designed with floor-to-ceiling etched glass. Guests are provided with an iPad, set up with their preferences. The Kong North loft opens onto a massive terrace that spans the whole width of the building, while the Spa Suite has direct access to the Ansen spa.
Leisure: Ansen spa offers bespoke spa services, as well as Japanese water-based treatments and a sand-blasted pool.
Restaurants: Monk Lounge combines the lobby library and bar and leads to the Monk Kitchen restaurant, which serves up international cuisine. The rooftop bar offers some of the best views of the city, including one of Lake Ontario.
Located in the centre of the city's creative neighbourhood near the Metro Toronto Convention Center, the eight-storey glass and aluminium Templar Hotel features a lobby filled with modern art and Poliform interiors by Toronto-based designer Del Terrelonge in collaboration with luxury travel authority John Wee Tom. A Porsche Panamera serves as the hotel's stylish airport shuttle.
Las Clementinas, Panama City
Las Clementinas, Panama City
Address: Calle 11 & Avenida B, Casco Antiguo,
Tel: 507.228 7613 (Panama)
Website: www.lasclementinas.com
Opening date: November 2010
Rates: From $195
Business amenities: High-speed Wi-Fi internet, fully equipped business centre and secretarial services. Intimate private meeting rooms, seating up to 16 guests, are ideal to host small corporate events.
Rooms: There are only six oversized suites with elegant interiors and their own kitchens. All have sustainable, tropical hardwood floors, iPod docking stations, sofa beds and access to the roof terrace.
Leisure: Customised guided tours and in-house spa treatments are both on offer.
Restaurants: Run by chef Javier Lanmarca, the restaurant has a romantic palm garden planted with exotic fruits and herbs used in the contemporary Panamanian dishes on offer. Cocktails and dinner are also served on the rooftop terrace, which has breathtaking views of Panama City, the Pacific Ocean and the Panama Canal.
Panama City has quietly become a global hotspot in recent years, particularly its revitalised Casco Viejo historic district. In 2003, the walled neighbourhood was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its rich history, charming streets and eclectic architecture. Las Clementinas is located in a meticulously restored 1930s apartment building.
Public Chicago, Chicago
Address: 1301 North State Parkway,
Website: www.publichotels.com/chicago
Opening date: September 2011
Rates: Preview rate, from $135; standard rate, from $215
Business amenities: The hotel will offer a Living Room and Library with intimate seating areas, communal work tables and computer stations. There will be ten state-of-the-art business rooms and a full-service business centre.
Rooms: The hotel's 285 rooms look out on Chicago's Gold Coast, Lake Shore Drive or downtown, while the apartments and the penthouse each have a large terrace.
Leisure: A fitness centre and a screening room located off the Library.
Restaurants: The Pump Room restaurant headed up by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, is inspired by his 2011 award-winning ABC kitchen in NYC. At night the restaurant's bar will become a supper club offering tapas, cocktails and music. The Library will serve Stumptown coffee and patisseries by day and cocktails by night.
The debut of Ian Schrager's new chain, Public Chicago, transforms the historic Ambassador East hotel, which opened in 1926. Famous for its Pump Room restaurant, it played host to the likes of Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and John F Kennedy in its heyday, as well as music legends Led Zeppelin and David Bowie. Promoting Public as a new, inclusive hotel concept that champions good service and offers a personal, homely feel, Schrager says: 'Luxury is no longer about spending the most money. It is about getting the best value and being made to feel special. This is not in response to difficult economic times; it is a true paradigm shift.'
Hollywood Roosevelt, Los Angeles
Hollywood Roosevelt, Los Angeles
Address: 7000 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles
Tel: 1.323 466 7000 (US)
Website: www.thompsonhotels.com
Opening date: Refurbished March 2011
Rates: From $199
Business amenities: Plenty of meeting options, for groups from 15 to 1,500. The Blossom Room, which can hold 500 people, hosted the first-ever Oscar ceremony in 1929 and has been restored to its original grandeur. There's free Wi-Fi in public areas and rooms; the computer room is open 24 hours a day; and local calls are free.
Rooms: The 300 modern rooms are designed by Dodd Mitchell, with flat screen TVs and king- or queen-size beds. Tower rooms have Hollywood Hills, Boulevard or downtown views, while the Cabana Rooms provide either a tranquil garden, poolside access or a balcony over the pool area. Room and concierge services are available 24 hours a day.
Leisure: The hotel's heated outdoor swimming pool provides the opportunity to swim above a million-dollar underwater mural painted by David Hockney.
Restaurants: Executive chef Tim Goodell's Public Kitchen & Bar is a brasserie-style restaurant with eclectic American fare. His 25 Degrees, meanwhile, puts a modern-day spin on the classic burger bar. Other venues include the poolside Tropicana Bar, The Spare Room speakeasy, with its two vintage bowling lanes, old-fashioned board games and cocktails, the laid-back Library Bar, and celebrity haunt Teddy's nightclub.
This glorious Hollywood icon, which first opened its doors in 1927, is located on the Walk of Fame, across from the Grauman's Chinese Theater. An entertainment industry hotspot, it boasts a good dose of old-style Hollywood glamour along with an uncomplicated, laid-back vibe.
Soho Beach House, Miami
Soho Beach House, Miami
Address: 4385 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
Tel: 1.786 507 7900 (US)
Website: www.sohobeachhouse.com
Opening date: October 2010
Rates: From $225 for members; from $315 for non-members
Business amenities: Located on the eighth floor, the Club Lounge creates a private, comfortable space with lounge seating, sofas, bookcases and dining tables. On the top floor, the Penthouse is an open space designed for private events opening onto a roof terrace with an outdoor hot tub. A small screening room is also available.
Rooms: Six categories of rooms, all decorated with vintage furniture to create an aura of 1940s South American glamour in the heart of Miami. All 50 rooms come with Italian espresso machines, rainforest showers, Cowshed bath products and Wi-Fi access. A personal in-room mixologist is available for all guests.
Leisure: The 30m-long infinity pool has private air-conditioned cabins and open lounge beds. There is also a smaller plunge pool and bar on the eighth floor. The club's private beach area is spread between the boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean. The Cowshed spa comes with a gym, sauna, eucalyptus steam room, blow dry bar and beauty salon.
Restaurants: There's an outpost of classic Italian restaurant Cecconi's in the ground- floor courtyard. The 1940s Cuban-style wine-tasting bar offers a collection of rare cigars, while the Tiki Bar in the private garden serves expertly mixed cocktails.
Designed by Martin Brudnizki, Soho Beach House Miami is the latest opening of the Soho House private members' club group. It boasts an extensive art collection, including works by Hernan Bas, Jose Parla, Elizabeth Peyton, as well as big-name British artists such as Tim Noble & Sue Webster and Douglas Gordon.
Hôtel Americano, New York
Hôtel Americano, New York
Address: 518 West 27th Street
Tel: 1.212 216 0000 (US)
Website: www.hotel-americano.com
Opening date: September 2011
Rates: From $325
Business amenities: There is a digital concierge that is said to be better than the real thing. Desks and international power outlets are available in all rooms, wireless access is complimentary and meeting spaces are available during business hours.
Rooms: All of the 56 rooms and suites are thoughtfully designed, with low-slung beds inspired by traditional Japanese ryokan inns. Each room features an iPad, complete with custom video art pieces, and bathroom products by Sharp's. North- facing rooms have views of the Highline and Empire State Building.
Leisure: The rooftop lap pool may not be Olympic-sized, but it's heated and open all year round. There is a poolside lounge area with table service and inspired city and river vistas. There are no spa or gym facilities in-house, but guests enjoy access to the nearby Chelsea Piers sports fitness complex.
Restaurants: L'Americano is a large, open-plan space with a lovely outdoor courtyard area, serving a fusion of French and Latin cuisines. Downstairs, Bar Americano is perfect for mixing business with pleasure. Accessed by a dedicated exterior lift, the rooftop grill serves Greek- inspired dishes and Argentine asado.
Located in the heart of Chelsea, the new Hôtel Americano is the first foray into the US by Mexico City-based boutique hotelier Carlos Couturier and his Grupo Habita, which has ten properties in total, all popular for their fun, cool atmosphere.
The Chatwal, New York
Address: 130 West 44th Street
Tel: 1.212.764.6200 (US)
Website: www.thechatwalny.com
Opening date: August 2010
Rates: From $795
Business amenities: The 140 sq m Club Room facility can accommodate up to 70 guests for a seated dinner or conference. It also has a soundproof movable wall, dividing it into two independent rooms. Complimentary wireless internet access.
Rooms: The hotel's 76 art deco-style rooms come with iPod docking stations, Blueray DVD readers and custom-made playing cards and backgammon sets. The mini-bar selection includes a bespoke cocktail set, a candy jar and Debauve & Gallais chocolate.
Leisure: The spa has a relaxation lounge serving aperitifs, a saltwater pool, hot and cold plunge pools, a fitness centre, and a manicure and pedicure studio.
Restaurants: Chef Geoffrey Zakarian is in charge of the Lambs Club restaurant, which offers modern American cuisine. Featuring chrome light fixtures and floor- to-ceiling windows, the Lambs Club bar serves great cocktails, such as the Southside 17, a mix of gin, lime juice, sugar and mint.
Located off Times Square, this 76-room hotel is housed in a landmark neoclassical masterpiece by Stanford White (originally home to The Lambs, America's first theatrical club). Thierry Despont's redesign blends White's original details with a glamorous, witty take on classic art deco ('a style that never dies', says Chatwal hotel group CEO Sant Chatwal).
Mondrian Soho New York
Mondrian Soho New York
Address: 9 Crosby Street
Tel: 1.212 389 1000 (US)
Website: www.mondriansoho.com
Opening date: March 2011
Rates: From $309
Business amenities: A 102 sq m gallery with a huge terrace offers flexible meeting spaces accommodating up to 100 guests.
Rooms: The 270 white rooms come with touches of blue in the carpets and toile-patterned pillows, with ample light from floor-to-ceiling windows. The penthouse has a fabulous 19 sq m south-facing terrace and is currently hosting our Wallpaper* handmade telescope designed by Based Upon.
Leisure: A fitness centre, in-room spa services, on-site valet parking and limousine service are all available.
Restaurants: Chef Sam Talbot is in charge of the Imperial No Nine Restaurant, which serves sustainable seafood dishes in an almost al fresco dining room, half greenhouse/half louche lounge. Its almost transparent roof makes it a real see-and-be-seen hotspot.
Mondrian SoHo is the fourth New York outpost of the venerable Morgans Hotel Group, which invented the entire boutique hotel genre with its namesake property. Located on the southern tip of industrial- cool Crosby Street, the Mondrian is a 26-floor, new-build tower inspired by Jean Cocteau's seminal 1946 film La Belle et la Bête. Designed by Morgans-veteran Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz, Mondrian SoHo is drenched in blue, from the subtly oversized furniture at reception to the lifts.
The Waikiki Edition, Hawaii
The Waikiki Edition, Hawaii
Address: 1775 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu
Tel: 1.301 380 4137 (US)
Website: www.editionhotels.com/hotels/waikiki
Opening date: October 2010
Rates: From $379
Business amenities: Meeting studios and boardrooms include smart boards and videoconferencing facilities. Multilingual secretarial staff are available on request. The Penthouse and Sun suite are available for private parties and functions. For larger conferences, a 855 sq m ballroom can accommodate up to 920 guests for dinner or gala events.
Rooms: The 353 rooms have oversized windows overlooking the harbour and the Pacific, a large work area, complimentary high-speed wireless internet, daybeds and 24-hour, in-room dining.
Leisure: Conveniently located close to the Private Sunset Beach, The Spa at Waikiki has four treatment rooms, manicure and pedicure stations and a full range of spa services. In-room massage and spa services are also available on request, and surf and bikini boot camps, yoga classes, biking and hiking tours and personal trainers are also on offer.
Restaurants: The Morimoto Waikiki restaurant, supervised by Japanese chef Masharu Morimoto, serves dishes such as pizza with raw tuna, anchovy aioli and sashimi terrine served with five different sauces.
Located in the former Yacht Harbor Hotel, the 350-room property is an exercise in large-scale, design-driven hospitality masterminded by Ian Schrager, operated by Marriott and executed by Canadian architecture office Yabu Pushelberg. With its prime Pacific-front location, the Waikiki Edition takes its main design cues from literally outside its front door: the beach.
Le Royal Monceau - Raffles, Paris
Le Royal Monceau - Raffles, Paris
Address: 37 Avenue Hoche, 8ème
Tel: 33.1 42 99 88 00 (France)
Website: www.leroyalmonceau.com
Opening date: Re-opened October 2010
Rates: From €780
Business amenities: Three light-filled modular reception rooms and a business centre with state-of-the-art equipment.
Rooms: Designed to be a home away from home, the 85 rooms, 61 suites and three apartments all come with personal touches such as a Royal Monceau acoustic guitar, paintings and art books. Amenities include media panels with iPod connections, and mirrors with integrated televisions.
Leisure: The hotel boasts Paris' first private hotel cinema, seating 100 and serving raspberry-flavoured popcorn created by Parisian patissier Pierre Hermé, who is in charge of the hotel's dessert menu. The Monceau's bookshop stocks over 700 contemporary art and architecture books and comes with an art concierge who can inform guests of exclusive art vernissages, fashion or cultural events. The Clarins spa has the largest private pool in Paris, and includes a hammam, a laconium room and a sauna. Guitar lessons and a mobile sound studio are available on request.
Restaurants: Guests can feast on French fare at the large communal tables of La Cuisine or sample hearty Sicilian dishes in the glasshouse of Il Carpaccio. Both open onto the lush garden designed by Louis Benech. There are three different bars: the Bar Long, Le Grand Salon and La Fumée Rouge, a cigar bar with a plush red décor.
Relaunched in October 2010, this Parisian grande dame has been completely transformed by designer Philippe Starck into a welcoming haven for busy globetrotters. 'I wanted it to feel like going to the home of a dear friend, a private, intimate place to which you've been given the keys,' says Starck of his redesign.
Mandarin Oriental, Paris
Mandarin Oriental, Paris
Address: 251 rue Saint-Honoré, 1er
Tel: 33.1 70 98 78 88 (France)
Website: www.mandarinoriental.com/paris
Opening date: June 2011
Rates: From €965
Business amenities: The four meeting spaces have fresh, contemporary interiors and views over the garden. Conference services; Wi-Fi; audiovisual equipment; and an on-site technician providing media support are all available. Business event booking rates include Wi-Fi and access to a printer, projector and laptop. Boardroom butlers, who can arrange travel and act as temporary PAs, and a delegate transfer, are also available on request.
Rooms: 99 rooms and 39 suites decorated in a contemporary French style with Oriental and art deco touches. The suites resemble private apartments with their own balconies. The vast Royal Mandarin suite is one of the most luxurious in Paris, with its private dining room and terraces with fabulous views.
Leisure: A stunning spa area includes a 15m-long pool; hammam; state-of-the-art fitness centre; spa with seven treatment rooms providing a selection of face and body treatments. The Camélia garden provides a quiet spot for relaxation.
Restaurants: Chef Thierry Marx's Sur Mesure restaurant offers fine French cuisine and a futuristic, all-white décor by Patrick Jouin. Garden restaurant Camélia offers simple, quick menus as well as an Asian counter serving oriental specialities. Bar 8 features a dramatic marble bar, while the Cake Shop serves delicious French patisseries in the lobby.
Following the success of its Barcelona property (winner of a Wallpaper* Design Award 2011 and Best Business Hotel 2010), Mandarin Oriental Group's new Paris hotel is another inspiring destination. The location next to the Jardin des Tuileries, the Louvre and Place Vendôme makes for some of the highest room rates in the city.
Shangri-La, Paris
Shangri-La, Paris
Address: 10 avenue d'Iéna, 16ème
Tel: 33.1 53 67 19 98 (France)
Website: www.shangri-la.com
Opening date: December 2010
Rates: From $650
Business amenities: Four magnificent function rooms with ornate French ballroom interiors, totaling 850 sq m of events space. All rooms are flooded with natural daylight and equipped with the latest audiovisual technology, and are ideal for executive business meetings and conferences.
Rooms: 54 rooms and 27 suites designed by French interior architect Pierre-Yves Rochon in a classic yet welcoming French style. Standard rooms come with executive desk, electronic safe, broadband internet access and walk-in closet.
Leisure: A 16m-long indoor swimming pool will open at the end of 2011. A fitness centre with personal trainers and in-room spa treatments are already available.
Restaurants: Both L'Abeille and La Bauhinia restaurants serve French cuisine, under the supervision of Philippe Labbé. Cocktails are available in the imperial-style surroundings of Le Bar. Cantonese eaterie Shang Palace is due to open summer.
Built in 1896 as the home of Bonaparte's grand-nephew, the Prince Roland Bonaparte, this hôtel particulier is now home to the Shangri-La group's first European property. Located in the 16ème arrondissement, just next to the Trocadéro, the hotel boasts great views of the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre and the Seine. The 19th-century building was completely restored by architect Richard Martinet and interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, and comes with a secluded garden created by landscape designer Louis Benech.
Sana Berlin Hotel
Sana Berlin Hotel
Address: Nürnberger Strasse 33/34
Tel: 49.30 2005 1510 (Germany)
Website: www.berlin.sanahotels.com
Opening date: December 2010
Rates: From €83
Business amenities: The six meeting rooms (all with top-of-the-range audiovisual equipment) can be configured through the use of partition walls, providing space for up to 130 people. Three of the meeting rooms are located on the ground floor, while the other three are on the hotel's top floor, offering panoramic views over Berlin and access to a roof terrace.
Rooms: The 208 rooms and suites have large windows and light-filled interiors with lacquered white surfaces and oak flooring. For longer stays, the hotel also offers 42 residences featuring washing machine and dryer and a fully equipped kitchenette.
Leisure: The Fitness & Wellness centre comprises an indoor pool, fitness room, saunas and massage service.
Restaurants: The elegant ground-floor restaurant serves Portuguese-inspired cuisine, with a selection of fine fish and meat dishes. A selection of teas and coffees is available at the Lobby Bar, while late-night drinks and snacks can be found at the hotel's Chill-Out Bar.
Located near the Kurfürstendamm and Tiergarten park, this newly built hotel features a vast double-height lobby space, a sleek restaurant and seven floors of accommodation. Barcelona-based interior designers and architects Francesc Rifé Studio's characteristic search for space and order is palpable in the geometric proportions of the curving façade. Sana Berlin Hotel is the latest addition to the ten property-strong Sana Hotel group, based in Portugal.
The Weinmeister, Berlin
The Weinmeister, Berlin
Address: Weinmeisterstr 2
Tel: 49.30 755 667 (Germany)
Website: www.the-weinmeister.com
Opening date: July 2010
Rates: €205
Business amenities: With iPads and laptops available for hire, and conference rooms with Apple computers, this hotel is perfect for business travellers from the music, fashion and creative scenes.
Rooms: The 88 spacious rooms have supersized beds with winged headboards backing on to bathtubs. Each room features an Apple iMac, free Wi-Fi, handmade furnishings, Asprey cosmetics and pyjamas.
Leisure: The sixth-floor BeautySpa offers massages, beauty treatments, manicure/pedicures and airbrush tanning.
Restaurants: In an Alice in Wonderland moment, dangle your feet from the seat of the oversized club chairs in the lobby bar/restaurant, which serves shots of Schwarz herbal liquor, produced by German actress Jessica Schwarz, and modern German fare. The surrealist effect is heightened by the sight of staff appearing from behind curving walls clad in sportswear by Ellesse.
Behind its gilded, perforated steel façade The Weinmeister in Berlin's Mitte boasts stylish interiors and a cosy bar/restaurant. Co-owner Tom Tänzer, also behind sister hotel Lux11, has aimed for 'comfort and convenience' with walls padded in muted, earthy-coloured panels of felt and columns bound, corset-style, in dark grey packing blanket fabric. Architects BBDA managed to include a small spa with a sauna next to the decked roof terrace. The latter's fabulous views, dominated by the nearby Alexanderplatz TV Tower, are off-limits to most - access is strictly by invitation only. Given general manager Dirk Dreyer's A-list connections in the global media and music scene, there will be no shortage of celebrity visitors, however.
25Hours Hotel HafenCity, Hamburg
25Hours Hotel HafenCity, Hamburg
Address: Überseeallee 5
Tel: 49.40 2577 770 (Germany)
Website: www.25hours-hotels.com/hafencity
Opening date: July 2011
Rates: From €105
Business amenities: Events for up to 110 people can be held in the two meeting rooms equipped with modern technology. There are three rooms for smaller, more casual meetings on the Club Floor; a revamped shipping container that provides an original setting for meetings of up to 12 people in the lobby, as well as a flexible, 300 sq m multipurpose room.
Rooms: The 170 rooms are decked out with elements inspired by the seafaring world, including bunk beds, pilot ladders and custom-made wooden trunks. Accessories, wallpapers and logbooks recall the journeys of 25 real and fictitious seafarers and their stories of distant worlds.
Leisure: The hotel is home to the rooftop Harbour Sauna, with views of HafenCity; a pop-up bike shop; and a maritime-themed boutique selling books and hand-picked products. The Club Floor houses three lounges and a large vinyl collection.
Restaurants: The Heimat Bar & Kitchen serves hearty breakfasts, lunches and dinners, its menu featuring dishes such as local cheese platters, Wiener Schnitzel and potato salads and apple tart. Snacks and drinks are served in the evenings.
Hamburg's 25Hours Hotels group has opened this new property near the Herzog & de Meuron-designed Elbe Philharmonic Hall in the vast HafenCity development, a new cultural hub located in the city's old harbour. With its cabin-style suites and a repurposed shipping container for private meetings, the hotel is a modern take on traditional seamen's clubs. Its lobby references a working harbour, complete with export crates and timber planks.
New Hotel, Athens
New Hotel, Athens
Address: 16 Filellinon Street
Tel: 30.1210 628 4400 (Greece)
Website: www.yeshotels.gr
Opening date: July 2011
Rates: From €180
Business amenities: Access to Wi-Fi in all rooms of the hotel. The large meeting space has plenty of natural daylight, as well as teleconference facilities and technology including projectors and microphones. The hotel's main meeting space, a 180 sq m room, can be divided into seven smaller areas depending on guests' needs.
Rooms: The 79 rooms are designed by the Campana brothers in collaboration with local architecture students according to three themes: a homage to a Greek folklore character; the 'evil eye' blue bead that guards against bad omens; and collaged postcards of old Athens. Furniture is bespoke and some pieces are made from recycled materials. Apple audiovisual facilities are available in the executive rooms. All rooms have a pillow menu and luxurious bath amenities.
Leisure: There's a wellness centre and fitness area with shower/steam bath and massage rooms. Guests have access to a CD/DVD library. Guided city tours are also available.
Restaurants: Located on the ground floor, the New Taste restaurant's Mediterranean menu features fresh salads, grills and Greek specialities prepared with high quality, mostly organic produce.
The Yes! Hotel group's latest offering, the New Hotel is art collector and owner Dakis Joannou's most adventurous project yet. Located just off Athens' central Syntagma Square in the former Olympic Palace Hotel, it was designed in partnership with the Campana brothers. The Brazilian designers have mixed contemporary décor with nods to historical Athens, and their own quirky homage to local culture. The building's overall architectural redesign was overseen by Athens-based practice 3
The Oitavos, Cascais
The Oitavos, Cascais
Address: Rua de Oitavos, Quinta da Marinha
Tel: 351.21 486 0020 (Portugal)
Website: www.theoitavos.com
Opening date: September 2010
Rates: From €175
Business amenities: Complimentary Wi-Fi access throughout the hotel; on-site business centre; audiovisual equipment; excellent conference centre with five meeting rooms accommodating from ten to 150 people each, and a ballroom for up to 300 people. Airport pick-up in Mercedes and various working lunch packages also available.
Rooms: The 142 glass-fronted guest rooms seem to float above the dunes, their private balconies offering sea views and vistas over the golf course. Five premium corner rooms have large wrap-around decks and dramatic Atlantic ocean views, while a spectacular 128 sq m luxury suite comes with a 60 sq m balcony and a separate dining area. Rooms are equipped with flat-screen television, iPod docks, high-speed internet and contemporary sculptures and artworks.
Leisure: Outdoor and indoor seawater swimming pools; Jacuzzi; sauna; hammam. The spa has ten treatment rooms, while the fitness centre offers personal training sessions.
Restaurants: Overseen by Michelin-starred chef Aimé Barroyer, the four dining options are the Ipsylon Restaurante, for fresh seafood; the Ipsylon Lounge, for tea or tapas; Les Herbes, for breakfasts next to a herb garden; and the Atlantico Pool Bar, for pool-side cocktails.
Located amid pine trees and sand dunes but only 20 minutes from Lisbon airport, this seaside retreat comes with elegant interiors and a large choice of activities, from balneotherapy and horse riding to tennis and golf - the award-winning Arthur Hills-designed Oitavos Dunes golf course, ranked in the top 100 courses in the world, is located next door.
W St Petersburg
W St Petersburg
Address: 6 Voznesensky Prospect
Tel: 7.812 6106161 (Russia)
Website: www.wstpetersburg.com
Opening date: April 2011
Rates: From RUB14,866 (€374)
Business amenities: The hotel has two studios and one strategy room, which can be adapted for a different uses, such as small gatherings, larger business meetings and private screenings. The hotel's meeting specialists aim to create unique experiences, transforming meetings into virtual playgrounds. Wireless internet access is available throughout the hotel.
Rooms: 137 rooms and suites featuring the W Pillow menu on request; iPod docking station; 'Ortan'zia' ceiling lamp by Terzani; large desk with high-speed internet; Nespresso machine; phone with dual line, speakerphone and voicemail.
Leisure: The Bliss spa has six treatment rooms, a nail lounge, a sauna and a steam room. The swimming pool has a Jacuzzi and a rain shower, while the fitness centre has Technogym Kinesis machines.
Restaurants: All the food and beverage in the hotel is managed by Alain Ducasse. With its open kitchen and chef's table, the Mixin restaurant serves some of the best dishes in town, including puff pastry foie gras. For drinks, choose between the rooftop café, the cosy Living Room lounge and the fashionable Mixup bar.
The first W Hotel in Eastern Europe, W St Petersburg couldn't be better located; it's right in the heart of the historical centre, next to Saint Isaac's Cathedral, and near the Winter Palace and Hermitage Museum. The design was by Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel.
Square Nine, Belgrade
Square Nine, Belgrade
Address: Studentski Trg 9, Stari Grad
Tel: 381.11 3333 500 (Serbia)
Website: www.squarenine.rs
Opening date: February 2011
Rates: From £157
Business amenities: A 38 sq m conference room can accommodate private dining, while the Isay Weinfeld-designed dining room can welcome 60-80 guests.
Rooms: The 45 sleek guest rooms are fitted with built-in Brazilian wood desks, original Hans Wegner club chairs, Nespresso coffee machines and Hermès toiletries. All have complimentary Wi-Fi access. Twenty-four- hour butler service available on request.
Leisure: The minimalist Wellness Centre has a sun-splashed lap pool; a glassed-in, climate-controlled fitness room; a cedar- lined Ofuro Japanese tub, and a Turkish steam room. The treatment rooms offer ten different types of massages.
Restaurants: Under the supervision of executive chef Goran Kovacevic, the elegant Square Nine restaurant serves modern European cuisine and international wines, while the lobby bar focuses on snacks and aperitifs. The hotel produces its own gourmet products, including honey and organic wine.
A drab office building given a five year, $40m revamp by Isay Weinfeld, the architect behind São Paulo's smart Fasano Hotel, Belgrade's Square Nine arrives like a Parisian supermodel at a cowpoke beauty contest. The first serious design hotel in a city dominated by uninspired chain brands, Square Nine is furnished with a collection of vintage Danish modern pieces. It took three years to amass, with New York antiques dealer Wyeth Home Furniture trawling international auctions and tracking down the manufacturers of a single 1930s Arne Vodder bar stool, then convincing the company to reproduce 12 more for the bar.
Kempinski Hotel River Park, Bratislava
Kempinski Hotel River Park, Bratislava
Address: Dvorakovo nábrežie 6
Tel: 421.2 3223 8222 (Slovakia)
Website: www.kempinski.com
Opening date: June 2010
Rates: From €159
Business amenities: Many of the 11 meeting rooms have views of the Danube. They can be configured to cater for everything from quick informal meetings to more formal gatherings. The ninth-floor executive meeting rooms feature a lounge area, while the ground floor Kempinski Event Plaza, framed by a Japanese garden, can hold up to 500 guests.
Rooms: Furnished in warm woods and pastel shades, the spacious 191 rooms and 40 suites overlook the medieval city, the Danube or the surrounding forest. All rooms feature complimentary internet. Limousine and butler services for suites and executive rooms available on request.
Leisure: Relaxation options include a spectacular 15m indoor pool with views over the forest; a fitness centre, and the Zion spa, with treatment rooms, whirlpool, steam bath, and Finnish sauna, alongside hydro-massages and ice-brushing. Three different golf courses (River Bernolákovo, White Eurovalley Malacky and Hainburg) are located less than 20 minutes away.
Restaurants: The River Bank brasserie offers regional specialities prepared with local organic ingredients, while post- prandial cocktails can be had at the Arte Lounge or the Churchill Cigar Bar.
The Kempinski Hotel River Park's combination of plush spaces and business facilities makes for a pleasant corporate jaunt. It's difficult to trump the Kempinski's location on the Danube: the medieval old town - home to Bratislava Castle, St Martin's Cathedral and the Primate's Palace - is only 200m away, while the city's business hub and corporate HQs are all within a 5km radius. The hotel is 15 minutes from Bratislava Airport, and 35 minutes from Vienna Airport.
Hotel Único, Madrid
Hotel Único, Madrid
Address: Claudio Coello 67
Tel: 34.91 781 0173 (Spain)
Website: www.unicohotelmadrid.com
Opening date: Re-opened in May 2011
Rates: From €250
Business amenities: There are two small meeting rooms seating up to 20, including the Consejo, a grand, high-ceilinged salon with a colourful décor; a 24-hour business centre; a garden accommodating 100 people; and the option of booking the entire hotel for an exclusive event. Complimentary broadband internet is available throughout the hotel.
Rooms: Furnished in a masculine mix of brown wood wall panelling, light timber floors, and king-sized beds wrapped in Egyptian cotton sheets, the 44 sound- proofed rooms are kitted out with a blaze of hi-tech gadgetry including wide-screen LCD TV, Blu-Ray, CD and MP3 players, iPod and iPhone docks, hydro-massage jets in the shower, and anti-fog mirrors.
Leisure: A small but fully-equipped gym teams up with an equally bijou spa. Or else, pack running shoes for a sprint around nearby El Retiro Park.
Restaurants: With two Michelin stars tucked under his belt, Ramón Freixa continues to dazzle Madrid's gourmets with his nouvelle cuisine Spanish menu that includes dishes such as langoustine cappuccinos and roasted rabbits stuffed with pistachios. Weather permitting, the best seats are in the garden terrace.
The owners of Bilbao's Hotel Miro and Barcelona's Grand Hotel Central have launched their third venture in Madrid's historic Salamanca quarter. A renovated 19th-century mansion, the property is a stone's throw from all the major museums, restaurants, nightlife and shopping. Since its relaunch, Único has become something of a destination for Madrid's smart set. And why not? The vibe is invariably low- key and chic, and everyone is clamouring for a table at Ramón Freixa.
Nobis Hotel, Stockholm
Nobis Hotel, Stockholm
Address: Norrmalmstorg 2-4
Tel: 46.8 614 1000 (Sweden)
Website: www.nobishotel.se
Opening date: December 2010
Rates: From SEK2,490 (€274)
Business amenities: The management suites of this former bank are now the Nobis Hotel's Private Rooms, their original oak panelling and stucco ceilings featuring in the five meeting rooms. The Boardroom and the Direktionen Room are both suitable for multimedia screenings. Wireless internet access is free throughout the hotel. The business centre is limited to a single Mac but other Macs and iPads can be loaned. Bespoke business packages are available and the hotel's VIP car service ranges up to a Lexus limo.
Rooms: Designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune, all 201 rooms represent the best of modern Swedish style; Arflex's elegant 'Litet' desk and Wästberg's desirably tactile 'W083' lamp make working a pleasure. Some rooms are small but still share the same design standard.
Leisure: Fully equipped gym with a sauna and a steam room. A variety of treatments and personal trainer programmes are on offer thanks to a collaboration with Sturebadet and Balance Gym.
Restaurants: The glamorous Gold Bar and the Lounge, with a 28m-high atrium, are ideal for impromptu meetings; Caina serves rustic trattoria fare in refined surroundings; while the Bistro, a modern take on the classic Italian café, focuses on espressos and pasta dishes.
Housed in adjoining 19th-century buildings on Stockholm's most central square, the Nobis shares the block with Acne and Marimekko stores. Claesson Koivisto Rune's involvement in the project ran to the graphic design and interiors of the florist. But far from being a simply a showcase for their work, the hotel features a pleasing selection of pieces by Grcic, Urquiola and more, making it a must for design fans.
