Andaz , Ottawa, Canada

Canada’s somewhat staid capital is not exactly known for for its lively nightlife or cool quotient, but with the country’s new prime minister and the 150th anniversary of confederation around the corner, Ottawa is coming in from the cold.

This is further reinforced with the launch of the Andaz hotel, a 200-room property set over 16 floors in the city’s Byward Market, a buzzy neighbourhood bordered by upscale Sussex Drive and where open air markets and an abundance of restaurants rub shoulders with chic boutiques and galleries.

Design firm Mason Studio created a sleek, locally-inspired modern interior, with a Canadian timber lighting installation  by Toronto-based furniture makers Hollis + Morris and artwork curated by the Canada Council Art Bank. Natural, local materials such as oak panelling and grey stone floors meanwhile, form an understated backdrop for bold colours and textures in richly patterned rugs and copper accents.

The hotel’s signature restaurant – inspired by Ontario farmlands – features wood elements and a custom plaid wall in the private dining room, making it the perfect space to sample chef Stephen La Salle’s New Canadian dishes using local, organic and hormone-free produce. And while the views here are certainly a talking point, it is still worth a meander upstairs to Copper Spirits & Sights, the city’s highest rooftop bar.