Amba Taipei Ximending — Taipei, Taiwan

A cool alternative to the flashy neon of downtown, Amba Taipei Ximending is a collaboration between two of Taiwan’s sharpest creative talents: architect Grace Cheung of Xrange and interior designer Eugene Yeh. Cheung’s 12-metre-high foyer, encased in a silver-fringe curtain, sets the whimsical tone. A lift opens to the fifth-floor lobby, decorated with rustic wood benches and vintage leather sofas, its high ceilings exposed. The all-day café doubles as a wireless workplace for creatives, who can rendezvous in the gallery, atrium or, by night, the music lounge. Let’s not forget the 160 rooms, with streamlined, eco-friendly interiors and high-end bath products made with local organic ginger.