OPENINGS
8 Hotels to Look Out for in 2011
The Rasa in Jaipur, shown in a rendering, will unveil its canvas and glass tents in March.
By ELAINE GLUSAC
Published: January 12, 2011
THE global economic forecast may be dim, but travelers can look forward to distinctiveness among the class of 2011 hotel openings. In Hong Kong, the city’s tallest skyscraper will become home to a hotel. In India, a resort made of box-shaped tents will take shape. And in New York, a Latin import will have its debut. These and three other newcomers aim to inspire travel strictly for the in-house amenities, activities and design.
RITZ-CARLTON, HONG KONG
When the hotel opens in Hong Kong’s tallest building in March, the rooms at the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong(ritzcarlton.com) will be higher above street level than those of any other hotel in the world. Lodged in the International Commerce Center on Levels 102 through 118, the hotel will be surrounded by glass walls that ensure skyscraper views of Hong Kong Island and Victoria Harbor from all of its 312 rooms, the top-floor bar, the outdoor terrace, the gym and the pool, which has a ceiling that shows video. Even 11 spa treatment rooms on the 116th floor will have floor-to-ceiling windows that reveal the sights. Ritz-Carlton promises a casual atmosphere at its six bars and restaurants, including one with Asian tapas beside the rooftop fire pits. Doubles from 6,000 Hong Kong dollars, or $787 at 7.6 Hong Kong dollars to the U.S. dollar.
RASA
JAIPUR, INDIA
In March, just over nine miles from downtown Jaipur, theRasa resort (sterlinghotels.com/rasa) will unveil 40 square tents with glass wall facades and canvas sides, blending modern design with nature-based tourism. Each Rasa tent will have a four-poster bed, full bathroom and a private box-shaped outdoor pavilion. In a dramatically arched dining room, the resort’s restaurant serves organic produce grown on site. The futuristic compound adjoins Amer Fort, a 16th-century fortress with ornate interiors, and offers access to Kanak Vrindavan Valley, a garden popular with birders. Doubles from $360.
HOTEL MISSONI KUWAIT
KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT
In time for Kuwait’s 50th anniversary of its independence from Britain, Hotel Missoni Kuwait (hotelmissoni.com) will open in February with 169 rooms, all overlooking the Arabian Gulf. Inspired by the Missoni fashion line, known for its multicolored patterns, the design is pegged to bold color — more than 85 different shades — including mosaic tiles laid out in Missoni’s signature zigzag stripes at the bottom of the swimming pool. Wares from restaurant china to beach towels were custom designed by Missoni for the hotel, its second, which will also host an Italian restaurant, an 18th-floor lounge serving global fare and a Six Senses Spa set to open in summer. Doubles from $320.
CORINTHIA HOTEL LONDON
Tucked into a block between Trafalgar Square and the Thames, the Corinthia Hotel London (corinthialondon.com), opening April 2, occupies a building that was originally a hotel but spent 71 years as government offices. It will contain 294 rooms, several within turrets, and all with muted color schemes and spacious marble bathrooms. A 23,000-square-foot ESPA spa provides 15 treatment rooms, a lap pool and cafe. The chef Massimo Riccioli, who runs La Rosetta in Rome, will create a seafood restaurant in the Corinthia, the ninth of the family-run, Malta-based luxury Corinthia Hotels group. Doubles from £450, or $670 at $1.51 to the pound.
THE GREAT GETAWAY MARRAKECH HOTEL & SPA
MARRAKESH, MOROCCO
Fifteen minutes south of Marrakesh en route to the Atlas Mountains, The Great Getaway(the-great-getaway.com) aims to offer guests access to both city and country, with Land Rover tours in the surrounding desert and guided shopping excursions in the city. The 20-room compound opens in March with accommodations including mountain-view rooms in the main lodge and villas with two bedrooms and their own orange, lemon or pomegranate orchards. Four air-conditioned luxury tents include fireplaces and free-standing copper bathtubs. The nearly five-acre, clay-walled resort hosts a palm-ringed swimming pool and traditional hammam for on-site diversions. Doubles from 140 euros, or about $183 at $1.31 to the euro.
DREAM SOUTH BEACH
MIAMI
Using a star motif and sky-blue color scheme, the boutique hotelier Vikram Chatwal is bringing an ethereal sensibility to the 108-room Dream South Beach(dreamsouthbeach.com), expected to open Feb. 1. Dream connects two previously separate four-story Art Deco buildings using an entry courtyard with wall fountains and bamboo plants, and a rooftop walkway. Frosty-blue-hued rooms feature hanging crystal light fixtures, etched mirrors and geometric-patterned headboards. The chef Todd English will manage food and beverage operations, which cover the lobby restaurant, the rooftop poolside lounge and the minibar goodies. Doubles from $275.
HÔTEL AMERICANO
NEW YORK
The Mexico-based Grupo Habita runs stylish hotels in Acapulco, Playa del Carmen, Puebla and Mexico City. In March it plans to make its debut north of the border with the 56-room Hôtel Americano (www.americanohotel.com), on 27th Street in Chelsea, near the second phase of the High Line elevated promenade, which is also scheduled to open this spring. The Mexican architect Enrique Norten designed the 10-story building, and the French designer Arnaud Martigny has outfitted the minimalist interiors with glass-enclosed showers, concrete floors and platform beds. Most amenities — a contemporary Latin-accented French bistro, two subterranean bars and a rooftop pool and lounge — will open by summer, when visitors will be able to walk off a meal or drinks on the promenade. Though rates have not been set, the company said it expects doubles to start around $325.
ROSEWOOD SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE
SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, MEXICO
Americans have been going to San Miguel de Allende, in Mexico’s central highlands, since the 1950s, when military veterans found that their G.I. Bill benefits were good for tuition at the Instituto Allende. The Rosewood San Miguel de Allende (rosewoodsanmiguel.com) has carved out a 13-acre enclave behind the art-centric school, where on Feb. 8 it is opening 67 rooms featuring beamed ceilings and outdoor patios or terraces. The colonial-inspired compound will also include a rooftop tapas bar framing views of the town cathedral, two swimming pools and a spa with five treatment rooms. And the resort offers its own educational opportunity: the chef will teach Mexican cooking. Through April 20, doubles from $295, including breakfast.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario