Hotel art is so often synonymous with mass-produced prints, thoughtlessly arranged in carbon-copied rooms. But there a few emerging boutique properties that are celebrating artistic expression and embracing local and international artists.

Contemporary… THE THIEF

Ranging from the seriously impressive collections of big name artists such as Andy Warhol and Antony Gormley in THE THIEF hotel in Oslo, to carefully curated exhibitions of local African artists at the Tribe Hotel in Nairobi, some of the world’s most exciting art can now be found in hotels.

These collections have grown from each hotelier’s passion for art. Whether it be cutting edge digital art technology like at QT in Sydney or experiential, tactile arts as in Rovinj’s Hotel Lone, this tangible excitement has the ability to inspire a global renaissance.

Art ecstasy in Oslo

World-class curator and former director of Norway’s National Museum of Art Sune Nordgren is the man behind THE THIEF’s stellar art collection. Newly opened in January this year, the hotel’s 119 rooms feature handpicked original artworks by contemporary masters alongside thought-provoking video installation and cutting edge graphic design. ‘Art on demand’ is available in every room via interactive TV, while themed maps such as Oslo Escape Routes take guests on a curated tour around the city. The hotel also features prominent works on loan from its neighbour, the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art.

Tactile art in Rovinj

In-room gallery… Park Hotel Tokyo

Perched along Croatia’s Adriatic coast, the Hotel Lone combines innovative design with functionality to present something distinctly expressive. It is the hotel’s attention to detail which is truly astonishing – every surface, furniture piece, light fitting, even the staff uniforms designed by Croatian fashion studio I-GLE, have been individually commissioned to fit the hotel’s creative concept.

From rich textured wall hangings to decorated murals and living installations, the entire hotel is touchy-feely (read on before making any assumptions) and encourages guests to play with materials, to use their senses and become part of the creative process – unlike the traditional museum ethos.

Sumo delights in Tokyo

Located in the culturally exciting area Shiodome in Tokyo, Park Hotel Tokyo features ART Colours, a quarterly exhibition project that allows guests and Japanese residents to enjoy the beauty of the four seasons. A selection of artworks and video installations by Japanese artists are chosen for every exhibition and displayed in the hotel’s atrium.

The hotel also recently launched an Artist in Hotel project where Japanese artists are invited to create Japanese ink paintings directly on the walls of the rooms, turning hotel rooms into art galleries. The Artist Room Sumo is the first, where guests share the room with lively images of sumo wrestlers.

A dazzler down under

Theatrical… QT Sydney

Right in the heart of Sydney, QT Sydney stands proud within the historic Gowings department store and heritage-listed State Theatre.

Behind its doors, the old world charm is retained with new technology, distinctive art mediums and pioneering artists. Its eclectic and quirky artifacts from around the world are put together in a whimsical fashion alongside cutting edge graphics and an imposing LED wall of intriguing digital art. Hotel guests will experience art as a theatrical performance as new expressions are crafted from old attitudes.

Inspiring tribal art in Nairobi

Tribe Hotel’s treasure trove of art pieces is curated by Faranak Ehsani and is home to some of the finest tribal art to be found anywhere in the world. Artefacts from South Africa to Cameroon and Ivory Coast in the West, through to Kenya and Rwanda in the East fill the lobbies, rooms, restaurants and lounges. Guests might even find themselves sitting on an art piece, dressed as a stool, chair or bench somewhere in the hotel.

The hotel also offers a 50 feet high atrium with tiers of galleries for events and exhibitions, making it a cultural axis to engage locals and international guests. 

www.designhotels.com

Amy Hughes

Usually, between the two of us, either my friend or I have pretty well sussed where we’re headed, and what we might do there.  Not this time.  We’ve booked a night at Hipping Hall for its location.  It’s a good mid-way point from Scotland back to London to break up the seven-hour drive.  Except neither of us quite know where it is, exactly.  The website says it’s between England’s Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, but now that we’re here, we realise there’s nothing ambiguous about it – we’re in the Yorkshire Dales.   She’s a Brit, and I’ve lived here 12 years, yet neither of us ever ventured here. The landscape is all rolling hills punctuated by the odd church steeple.

Charming… Hipping Hall

We arrive at Hipping Hall late in the afternoon. The 15^th century stone building used to house a blacksmith before a later owner married the daughter of a local lawyer, becoming proper “gentry.” He left the hall as a legacy and it’s now an intimate hotel with just nine rooms.

It’s a cold Saturday, and we’re shown to the sitting room where small coal fire is surrounded by comfortable couches, a pick of the day’s papers and wonderful jazz playing just loud enough.  A welcome cup of tea and cake is soon set on a side table while I tuck in to the Times in the few hours before dinner.

Hipping Hall is miles from any major city, and like most country hotels, they offer dinner in their gothic dining room. It’s mostly couples on a romantic break, but we’re one of two sets of gal pals reducing the pressure on our neighbouring husbands and wives to look overly into each other.

Warm, fresh baked bread takes the edge off before we’re presented with a dish of pork belly accompanied by orange and chicory which are more subtle than overpowering.  With the added broccoli stem it’s nearly a “healthy” dish as we’re more than halfway to our five-a day.  Yorkshire goat’s curd arrives in the form of two bubble gum shaped balls, deep fried with a soft, salty centre.  White and red beetroot and candied walnuts balanced the flavour, along with a lovely dollop of burrata.

We’re torn between the halibut and the vegetarian field mushroom duxelles, so we agree to share both.  The mushrooms are tasty and unusual, but need a light jus or broth to enhance the flavour, and unfortunately it’s the third time we’re seeing the small fried balls (they were in the amuse bouche as a coating for quail’s eggs) so they’ve worn out their welcome.  But the halibut is better than many I’ve had at top London restaurants.  It’s a perfectly flavoured dish which marries mushrooms, an emulsion, and artichokes brilliantly.  The halibut is moist and delicious.

We’re perhaps too accustomed to poor service in the UK, particularly once we leave the confines of the Big Smoke, but that’s where Hipping Hall shines.  The same small staff that runs the hotel also works the dining room.  They seem to get to know each guest (but not too much), and are very responsive.  Every time we fail to leave a dish empty (which isn’t very many); we’re asked if it was okay, if anything was “not quite right” with the dish.  Spend some time in England and you’ll understand how unusual this is.   It’s not just that they ask, it’s the way they ask.   Say to a Brit, “Is everything okay?” and you can pretty much bet serious money the answer will be, “Oh yes, lovely thanks,” even if it was dog food on the plate.  It’s a subtlety, but by asking if something wasn’t quite right, the waiter has a better chance of gently coaxing the customer about what went wrong.

We keep it local with dessert, a sort of deconstructed rhubarb pudding.  We’re informed it’s forced Yorkshire rhubarb.  Little do they realise we wouldn’t actually be bothered if it was frozen, but we love the full disclosure.  Two toasted mounds of marshmallow are set down with tiny drops of meringue, strips of rhubarb, and refreshing sorbet.   It’s very tasty, but the best is yet to come.

It’s time to escape couple-dom so we retire to the fire for a few mean rounds of backgammon over tea and petit-fours.  Three small chocolates never tasted so good.  After a three-course meal I’m too self-conscious to ask for more, but if these came in a box, I’d have bought more than one to take back.  The cream content is so high; they practically melt in our fingers.

Breakfast in the dining room with the Sunday papers is heavenly.  The croissants are warm, the eggs delicately scrambled.  And we’re off to the see Kirkby Lonsdale, just a few minutes’ drive.  We know nothing about it, but quickly learn it’s a market town (code for quaint).  We’re instantly charmed by the old fashioned sweets shop, Ruskin’s view (a sweeping view of the hills which the author pointed out to Turner, who later painted it), and a street lined with a handful of great boutiques.  It’s the sort of shopping that convinces one to leave London; terrific things at a fraction of city prices.

Our little detour may convince us to give up the train, and drive to Scotland more often.

www.hippinghall.com

Imagine a luxury hotel in the heart of one of the most densely populated conurbations on the planet.

Now fill it with attentive but unobtrusive staff, award winning chefs, and scatter it with private secluded rooms in extensive tropical gardens and run scores of bubbling brooks, rivulets and cascading waterfalls through its open areas and atria. And give it plenty of room; yes. Set its rooms on 10, nay 15, rolling acres of grounds purchased by its farsighted owners 40 years earlier.  Finished?

Tropical haven… Chai Spa

Welcome to the Garden Wing, Singapore, Shangri-La’s new premier property on the island nation.

My chamber for my three-night stay is an executive garden room, with three gruelling steps amid the bougainvillea up to a private garden and cabana (OK daybed if you must). To be honest, I do not feel like I’m within 1000 miles of Singapore.

With the cabana – (sorry, daybed), outdoor lounges on the deck, a lounge suite in the room and a king size bed, giant bath and tropical shower, there are plenty of relaxation options after a hard day exploring the heady sights, sounds, tastes and smells of one of the great cities on Earth.

If you do find your way out of your room and its tempting room service options – or what I have christened the Magic Book – you can bathe in the cool waters of the enormous pool complete with fountains, indulge in poolside dining at the Waterfall Cafe. There’s also a Chinese restaurant and several other bars and cafes scattered around the hotel, including The Line. You can try Cantonese cuisine at Shang Palace, take on some Japanese at Nadaman, or enjoy high tea at The Rose Veranda.

Secluded… Executive Garden Room

There is also a gymnasium, the Chi Spa, tennis courts, golf pitch and putt, a sauna, steam room and jacuzzi.

Garden Wing truly is a haven, wrapped in an eyrie, surrounded by an oasis.

Breakfast at the Waterfall cafe is a madrigal of Asian and Western fare. The first morning I opt for bircher muesli with mango yoghurt, a buckwheat waffle with caramelised bananas, watermelon juice, followed by gravlax on dark bread with capers and lemon juice and the International Herald Tribune.

The second morning I decide to give the chef a workout with eggs benedict and smoked trout with potobello mushrooms on rye with a garden salad, then a trip to the buffet for some other sundries. The food is good. Very good. There is no IHT the second morning so I make do with some online papers on my Samsung Galaxy S3 with 4G – no Apple zealot I.

Although I didn’t try it, they also do a champagne brunch and luncheon and dinner.

Scrumptious… Waterfall Cafe

Walking around the cafe piling gourmet morsels on my plate, the place has the feel of a country kitchen of some tropical expat magnate who has left for a few days giving me the run of the place, but who has had the common decency to leave the place fully stocked with vittles.

There is also world-class free wifi, which comes in very handy, complimentary evening cocktails from 5pm to 7pm at Garden Wing Lounge, which – I hope you’re sitting down – I didn’t get around to, but it looked like it might be a good idea to dress up for when I walked past.

Each afternoon during my stay the tropical rain sets in for a one-hour downpour you could set your watch by, which is fun to watch from the deck, icy cold Tiger in hand, as I take in the fecund smell of the rain hitting the warm earth and swallows dart around the skies of Singapore.

The Garden Wing

22 Orange Grove Road, 258350, Singapore

Mark Eggleton

In the films Mon Oncle and Playtime by the late great French film director and comic Jacques Tati, the character Monsieur Hulot is a helpless innocent in a remarkably cold and impersonal modern world. Both films were shot over 40 years ago and they beautifully capture a time that’s rather like now. We’re all rather caught up in our virtual world of email, texting, tweeting and more, but we seem to have forgotten that something a little more real exists.

Contemporary... Crown Metropol lobby

A stay at Melbourne’s Crown Metropol is a classic example of our modern world. For all intense and purposes it’s a beautiful hotel with a colour palette of cool greys and an assortment of warmish browns throughout. It boasts large, comfortable, tastefully designed rooms with the stylist’s right mix of hard and soft furnishings.

The public areas featuring slow curving streamlined corridors and virtually soundless elevators that disgorge silent passengers on every floor ooze a cool sophisticated ambience. There’s a stunning pool on Level 27 and a modern, sleek gymnasium full of non-sweating people with well-honed physiques.

Down on Level 1, Mr Hive Kitchen and Bar is a stylish redoubt on the hotel fringes leading into the vast Crown Entertainment Complex. The food inside is gorgeously crafted by a team led by chef John Lawson and the bar service is cool and efficient.

All of it fits a sleek five star hotel offering. The bones are there. The skin covers the bones. It’s a pretty damn good-looking hotel. Yet just like Mr Tati’s fictional cinematic world Crown Metropol lacks a beating heart.

On a recent stay for four nights I walked into the hotel, past two nicely uniformed but relatively disinterested doormen, to a reception where a staff member asked for my name and credit card. He mentioned how the key worked, thanked me for my card and suggested I “enjoy my stay”. And that was it. I didn’t see or hear of another staff member for four days. I wandered empty corridors and left through an entrance devoid of staff until my last morning when I stepped into a lift alone and descended.

“Good morning sir – anything from the mini-bar last night? Did you enjoy your stay?” was the greeting from a different front desk person, the second staff member I’d seen.

Stylish... Mr Hive Kitchen and Bar

It was a completely modern first world experience. No human interaction and the alienation that comes with that. I was trapped in a sci-fi film. A prisoner in a five-star future devoid of humans. At one stage I even wondered if there had been a zombie apocalypse and I was the only one left in the hotel.

Continuing with the theme of human detachment was my room's rooftop car park view. It was always full but no-one ever seemed to get into or out of a car. Occasionally men in dark mobster-chic suits would clump together in small groups of three or four but never enter a vehicle. They’d chat and gesture before disappearing into stairwells. It was all rather surreal.

Yet the hotel was keen to charge for things. In my large, gloriously appointed marble and glass bathroom was a pricelist for personal items such as a toothbrush or a shaver. Cracking into the hotel Wi-Fi involved another transaction - a practice Australian hotels need to stop. You can get free Wi-Fi in McDonalds.

I would suggest it all comes down to that personal touch. Little things like a concierge who greets you in the morning as you walk downstairs. Maybe a general manager who cruises the floor a few times a day and flags down occasional guests for a brief chat or housekeeping staff that say good morning to you in the corridor. Maybe even a turndown service at night so you feel like someone in the hotel cares that you get a good night’s sleep.

It’s all about giving a hotel heart in a world where there are fewer places promoting organic human interaction. You kind of expect humanity in a hotel – they’re in the hospitality industry. A hotel is delivering you a home for the night. Beautiful design and style might look good online but they don’t deliver a wonderful guest experience and that’s what great (even good) hotels should be delivering every night the world over.

www.crownhotels.com.au

Serene... Sundara

The glowing sun sets over the Indian Ocean as the waves lap effortlessly onto the beach at Jimbaran Bay – the perfect backdrop to Bali’s newest restaurant, Sundara.

Meaning ‘beautiful’ in Sanskrit, Sandara offers the perfect mix of fresh flavours, savvy wine list and a relaxed beach-club vibe. With its direct beachfront location and panoramic views of the bay, Sundara is the latest culinary instalment at the Four Seasons Resort Bali.

Helmed by Executive Chef Greg Bunt, the menu is eclectic and international with share plates, sushi and pizzas served at lunch on the relaxed, open-air rooftop deck.

In the evening, Sundara transforms into one of Bali’s most sophisticated dining experiences. An abundance of vibrant, innovative and classic flavours are on display, celebrating steak and seafood. Late at night, the candlelit beachside provides an intimate and sensual mood – the perfect spot for a romantic dinner or a bespoke cocktail. 

Warm... Sundara bar

“Sundara will become a must-see landmark for all of Bali,” says Michael Branham, General Manager of the Resort.

“We’re creating a very social meeting place that will attract a stylish crowd from well beyond our Resort. It’s part of our ongoing desire to evolve and deliver an outstanding and exciting experience for our guests,” he says.

Designed by Koichi Yasuhiro from Tokyo’s renowned Design Studio SPIN, the restaurant spans across two levels, as soaring Balinese-style pavilions create a distinctive space with a luxurious yet relaxed ambiance.

www.fourseasons.com/jimbaranbay

Amy Hughes

Like so many of the Arab nations, Egypt’s tourism sector has been hit hard. Gone are many of the tourists who swoop to Cairo to take in the pyramids. And, even Sharm el Sheikh, the popular dive and snorkel resort on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, known for being a safe haven, is now suffering.

Time to kick back... the Ritz Carlton

With weekly protests over President Mohammed Morsi’s sweeping legislative changes removing a check and balance system, Britain’s foreign office has issued warnings to tourists. 

As a journalist, I tend to like to fly into places just as others are hoping to get out. But there’s no reason to bail on a vacation to Sharm these days. If anything, now is a great time to go, with no crowds to battle for towels on beach loungers. Protests are held away from the big hotel areas and tourists are not at all under threat. The Egyptians in the tourism sector are friendlier than ever, and keen to strike good bargains.

So after we negotiate a price for the ride to the Ritz Carlton, we sit back and enjoy the view before making it through the ultra-secure entrance gates.

Bliss... Sharm el Sheikh

The “wow” factor is in the sweeping, full-length windows that hit us with a view of the endless pool and beach as soon as we enter the lobby. It’s the rocking chairs I spot first – a few of them out on the terrace near the bar, looking out at the sea. I’m already saving my spot for happy hour.

The pool is like a series of 20 metre tiles snaked together, a perfect training ground for enthusiastic swimmers, myself among them. And just a few steps beyond, is a wonderfully non-manicured beach. That’s right. No one comes along and combs the beach at the end of the day. This, is the real thing. Natural sand dunes create five separate coves along the edge of the Red Sea. Straw umbrellas look like slanted sombreros in this very authentic setting.

And there are those rocking chairs again. This time a few are dotted around private sun decks nestled in the sand. There’s something about a rocking chair that’s instantly soothing, even without sitting in one. It’s a symbol of calm and peacefulness. The rockers, and an even better version – the hammock, all invite casual lounging. I stare out at the sea, falling into a timeless reverie.

For more deliberate relaxation, massages are done on the beach, in a small tented pavilion right out on the edge of the dunes with the sound of waves providing a hypnotic soundtrack.

Intimate and tranquil... Sea Front Villa Room

Set on a coral reef, the Ritz attracts non-residents for its fish tank; an enclosed swimming area where masks and fins aren’t required to see beautiful, finned creatures in technicolour. It’s this ease of use that really works at the Ritz. Everything one needs to unwind, from the views, to the rockers, to the instant underwater gratification, is instantly accessible.

There’s no faffing, no equipment needed, no organising to do. No long walks from one place to the other, just a few steps, and you’re there.

When we finally pull ourselves up from the horizontal state, we jump in the pool for water aerobics. Yes, water aerobics. We’re both sceptical we’ll be able to burn off breakfast, but Mohammed gets us going and has us doubled over in fits of laughter. He’s just one of many friendly and attentive staff members who all seem eager to please.

Several rooms, including ours, have direct access to the pool. Beds are comfy, linens soft. One of the best parts about this hotel is the one we don’t even notice until we’re ready to leave – the location of the Kids Club. Seemingly by design, it’s perfectly located at the front of the hotel, divided by the large reception building, from the rest of the resort. It’s an ingenious way of allowing both kids and adults have their own space without disturbing one another. The little ones have everything they need: a water park with a sandy beach, connected to a lazy river where they can cruise in small canoes. There’s even a bar and cafe at hand for parents who want to chill out with their children.

And for those of us without kids, the popular nightlife of Na’ama Bay is just a short cab ride away. There, it’s easy to find bars, restaurants, and a maze of local stalls to weave through.

Ritz Carlton Sharm el Sheikh

www.ritzcarlton.com

Here on earth, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts offers travellers the next best thing: free Wi-Fi access in the group’s 78 hotels.  In addition, nearly all hotels, including the Kerry Hotels and Traders Hotels, now offer complimentary Wi-Fi service in limousines so that guests can access the Internet using their mobile devices from the hotels’ chauffeured cars.

In 2009, Shangri-La was the first international luxury hotel group to provide free Internet access at all its properties, and it continues to be at the forefront of customising technology to keep guests connected, even while they are on the move.

“Extending free Wi-Fi service to the limousines was a natural step to take after offering it at all our hotels.  Connectivity is a vital part of the Shangri-La experience, and complimentary Internet access has become one of our signature standards,” said Greg Dogan, president and chief executive officer of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.

Since Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong introduced complimentary Wi-Fi in hotel cars in February 2010, the initiative has been rolled out at 72 hotels – most recently in the new Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto’s R and S class Mercedes-Benz.  By the end of 2013, free Internet access will be available in the limousines of 82 of the group’s hotels.  Properties opening in London, Istanbul and Doha, as well as in Shanghai, Qufu and Sanya in China are among the new hotels that will offer Wi-Fi in their fleet of hotel cars.

At several individual Shangri-La hotels, mobile connectivity has been taken a step further.  In Taipei, arriving guests who are chauffeured to Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel are welcomed via FaceTime, while commuters using Shangri-La Hotel, Guangzhou’s shuttle can enjoy free Internet en route.  At Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, guests can flip through an iPad that provides information about the hotel’s surrounds and the Lion City.

The limousine Wi-Fi service is not available where resorts provide boat transfers – i.e. Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa and Traders Hotel Malé in the Maldives and Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa in the Philippines – or in cars serving Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort and Spa, Fiji Island and Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina Cairns.  The service is slated to be available at Traders Hotel in Yangon in the future.

www.shangri-la.com

The 'Grande Dame' of Swiss hotels... Badrutt's Palace

The guests dining at the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in St Moritz, nestled in amongst Switzerland's Engadine Valley, aren’t the only noteworthy subjects in the room. The walls of Le Restaurant's 100-year old dining room are adorned with an historic and valuable wallpaper known as ‘Eldorado’.

Eldorado is made by world famous wallpaper factory Zuber et Cie – which rose to fame thanks to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who decorated the reception room in the White House with the scenic mural ‘Vue de l'Amérique Nord’ and has since been gracing the homes of celebrities and politicians the world over.

At Le Restaurant, Eldorado has graced the walls of the prestigious dining room since 1913 and features a world utopia with four continents: South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. These are represented by the city of Vera Cruz, a Southern Alpine lake, the Bosporus strait, and the Pyramids and Sphinx, respectively.

Highly valuable... 'Eldorado' wallpaper

But to catch a glimpse of Eldorado’s creative landscapes and floral artistry, you’ll need to suit up. Dining at Le Restaurant is a very formal affair and the dress code demands a jacket and tie.

Le Restaurant serves a daily menu of French haute cuisine in a classical, candlelit setting with a live music ensemble and is also open for breakfast, where a harpist accompanies the expansive buffet.

History buffs will be keen to know that Zuber et Cie is the last remaining international factory to print wallpaper using woodblocks. The French manufacturer has an archive of 100,000 carved woodblocks from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Zuber et Cie wallpaper is considered the most expensive in the world (a scenic mural known as 'Les guerres d’indépendence' is 15m wide and valued at USD $40,500) and the antique woodblocks used to create it are classified as French national treasures.

www.badruttspalace.com

Berlin is in the midst of a shift. The city is stepping away from the ultra-cool post-East hipness it has become so famous for and toward an effortless modern grandeur in the new, old West. Reflecting this shift is recently opened boutique hotel Das Stue.

Stately... Das Stue

The hotel’s name is Danish for ‘living room’ – a space where people relax, socialize, entertain, and discuss.

“Berlin is, at last, ready for this kind of hotel,” says General Manager Jean-Paul Dantil.

“Das Stue offers an atmosphere in which people can meet socially, formally, or intimately. It’s a place that combines Berlin’s old spirit with an international sophistication – a stage that Cary Grant would have loved.”

The 80-room hotel captures a modern ease and confidence as it hearkens back to an old-fashioned elegance in the traditional, diplomatic Tiergarten district, just off of Tiergarten Park and tucked into a section of the vast Berlin Zoo.

The area’s past is laden with historical importance, influence, and power. Grand embassy buildings surround the hotel, a testament to the district’s longstanding international orientation.

Culinary art... Cinco at Das Stue

In fact, the hotel is a rethink of Berlin’s former Danish embassy, a landmarked 1930s structure with a stately, grey stone façade and a grand entrance hall flanked by two sweeping staircases and, interestingly enough, a crocodile head sculpture.

The hotel’s two restaurants feature the creative cuisine of Michelin-starred Spanish chef Paco Perez, of the acclaimed Restaurant Miramar on Spain’s Costa Brava.

Just off the open kitchen, an installation of Tom Dixon’s copper hanging lamps and copper kettles creates an eye-catching centerpiece in the fine diner Cinco, which showcases Perez’s avant-garde, molecular-leaning Mediterranean cuisine.

n a second, sharply triangular space, slatted walls and skylights frame a more casual, all-day dining experience with a soft glow. Here, Perez presents his own inventive take on tapas.

Eclectic... the lounge and bar

The contemporary kitchen is complimented by, in my opinion, the best part of the hotel: the lounge, bar and outdoor terrace, with private access to the Berlin Zoo.

In the lounge, whimsical shapes and an experimental use of colour and texture, together with leather animals in the shape of rhinos, hippos and buffalos, add a fresh vibe.

The hotel’s library spans across three levels of the building, with high ceilings, historical hardware and a selection of Taschen books and the private collection of vintage fashion photography on display is especially intriguing.

“This hotel is luxurious, but it’s not just luxe,” says architecture and design guru Patricia Urquiola, curated the hotel’s public areas.

“It simply has something you don’t see at first look. It runs deeper. I like to call it augmented reality.”

Das Stue

Drakestrasse 1

10787 Berlin-Tiergarten

Germany

http://www.das-stue.com

Travel in style... The Grand Tourista Bag

As culture, business and leisure intersect in destinations as diverse as Berlin, Abu Dhabi and Bangkok, a new global traveller has emerged – multi-national and cross-generational, mobile and jet-setting. 

As this global elite begins to surface, so too does a collection of luxury goods, travel destinations and experiences.

The latest addition to is The Grand Tourista Bag by Jason Wu for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, a travel accessory inspired by today’s grand tour and designed with a new generation of luxury travellers in mind.

Sophisticated, timeless and informed by the brand’s rich heritage, The Grand Tourista Bag marks Wu’s first product created exclusively for travel.

“I am really excited to be part of a legacy that is rooted in impeccable style that can stand the test of time, and The Grand Tourista Bag reflects exactly that,” says Wu. 

The Grand Tourista Bag is a sumptuous shoulder tote designed in a subtle black and white houndstooth pattern on structured canvas with leather trimming.

The partnership between the New York designer (whose supporters include Diane Kruger, Rachel Weisz and Reese Witherspoon) and the luxury hotel brand developed organically over the course of two years, after Wu showed his collection as a breakout designer at The St. Regis New York during S/S 2010 New York Fashion Week. 

“Traveling the world to design, show and sell his collections, Jason Wu intimately understands the needs of luxury travellers today,” says Paul James, Global Brand Leader, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts.

The Grand Tourista Bag is available online for a limited time.

www.stregis.com/boutique

www.jasonwustudio.com