Fashion-friendly March marvels
Posted by Caroline on March 3rd, 2010With the last of the fashion weeks causing catwalk-and-couture chaos in Paris, we’ve found some supermodel-worthy stays, dreamed up by designers usually famed for their frocks…
Christian Lacroix takes over in the capital of couture, Paris. He’s transformed the 400-year-old building of the Hôtel Notre Dame into a designer devotion to the city’s famous cathedral. He’s also responsible for the theatrical reinvention of Hôtel le Bellechasse, a plush pad made over with surreal interiors, influenced by Persia, The Avengers and even the Prince of Wales.
Berlin revealed Schlosshotel im Grunewald, a refined palace set amid green grounds close to the city centre.
In London, the Soho House group unveiled their latest venture, the Dean Street Townhouse, an art-filled hideaway with a British brasserie and plenty of cosmopolitan cool. Staying west, we found The Arch, a technological townhouse a stone’s throw from monumental Marble Arch (and the boutiques of Bond Street). There’s also York & Albany, a restaurant with rooms (and good pizza) from Gordon Ramsay and Angela Hartnett, on the edge of Regent’s Park.
We’ve discovered some ravishing rural retreats for country dwellers, too. On the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire, Lime Wood is a gorgeous Georgian manor with two restaurants, lusciously landscaped gardens and decadent interiors. And in monastical Monkton Farleigh near Bath, there’s the Kings Arms – a cosy country pub with just three rooms.
Check back next month for some sunny stays in Palm Springs, Uruguay and Argentina.
If you think we’re doing a good job of bringing you the best of the boutique-hotel world, vote for us in the Observer Travel Awards. They’ve given us a nod in the ‘Travel Agent’ category…
Fashion-lovers should also check out our guide to six of the best fashion stays in London, our own fair city…
By Lucy
On March 5th, 2010