The Time Hotel, New York, USA

When hotelier Vikram Chatwal first opened the lifestyle-oriented Time hotel back in 1999, the property ushered in a new era for his Hampshire group that prompted the launches of the Chatwal and the Dream series in swift succession.

This month marks the reopening of the group’s inaugural property after an elegant makeover by architecture and design practice, Rockwell Group. The reinvigorated hotel is now a patchwork of intimate, seductive spaces that provide a sense of calm from the hubbub of its Times Square locale. From the darkened entryway that features a multimedia art installation, to the main lobby on the second floor, which mixes jewel-tone finishes with blackened steel, brass and stone to create areas of openness and opacity, a thread of drama runs throughout the property. Filled with modern furniture, the lobby’s lounge, perfectly suited for work or social meetings, is partitioned by heavy curtains to reveal a sumptuous bar at night.

The moody glamour continues upstairs as well; the 193 rooms feature oak panelled flooring, freestanding furniture and custom-made watercolour print rugs that effuse a residential feel. The triplex penthouse suite is particularly comfy, with a concealed kitchenette, a full dining room, two outdoor terraces and a master bedroom suite taking up one entire floor.