Modern Grace: The Hempel, London

Sixties `it girl` and actress turned hotelier, Anouska Hempel, is a legend in design circles. Famed for creating the stunning Hempel Hotel in London’s West End, Anouska is also responsible for establishing the prestigious Blakes in London and Amsterdam, and most recently the rainforest-inspired Warapuru in Bahia. Known for her unwavering commitment to the creative vision, Anouska is an unapologetic perfectionist. Her eye for detail is most evident in the understated Hempel, said to be one of London’s first minimalist hotels.

Compared to the lavish Blakes Hotel in South Kensington, the simplicity of the Hempel is a stark contrast. Discreet glamour in an almost all white decor is this Hotel’s signature style. From the sparse lobby to the Zen garden, all areas of the hotel are focused on creating calm and tranquillity. Each of the 44 bedrooms and six apartments in the Hempel are all individually
designed to exact standards. Particular highlights feature a bed in a cage over a lounge and a towering atrium over a bed.

Located at Craven Hills Gardens, north of Hyde Park, the luxury hotel is situated close to the world-famous Portobello market of Notting Hill. This market runs along a mile-long road which is lined with antique treasures and vintage fashions. After a long day, head to the Churchill Arms on Kensington Church street, a pub and Thai eatery that is literally decorated in flowers. For a more upmarket affair, take a Black cab to Nobu in Mayfair or the Worseley in Picadilly.

There are endless possibilities when it comes to London entertainment. Despite its gritty streets and more often than not, gloomy skies, London is a metropolis that is open to the world. Diverse in its cultural offerings; underground tube rides,
outrageous tabloids, summer music festivals, pubs at every corner,’beigels’ on Brick Lane, bars in Hoxton, super-clubs in Farringdon, lazy Sundays on Hampstead Heath and Soho cabarets – and this is barely scratching the surface.

www.the-hempel.co.uk

Hotel Du Petit Moulin, Paris

(As published in Fashiontrend Australia).

The Hotel Du Petit Moulin is a dream realised for fashion designer Christian Lacroix who was personally invited to bring his flamboyant aesthetic to the historic Parisian hotel. As a theatre enthusiast, Lacroix’s approach to the design of the hotel is inevitably dramatic. Each room presents an explosion of possibilities and a backdrop for each guest to act out their stories.

The rooms which are all personalised, are a delicious medley of colours, furnishings and textures; gaudy wallpaper with velvet drapes, wooden floor boards with chrome mirrors, contemporary lighting with antique chandeliers, lacquered black doors with teak wood, and bright geometric shapes with somber tones.

Lacroix also designed with the vibrant Marais district in mind. As he explains, “I endeavoured to translate seventeen ambiences corresponding to each of the seventeen rooms, like seventeen ways of experiencing the Haut-Marais.” The Marais district (French for ‘the marsh’), is home to bohemian artists, creative eccentrics and a thriving Jewish and gay population. Catering especially for lovers of art and culture, a myriad of original shops line the surrounding cobbled streets.

The Paris History museum, the Picasso museum and the European House of Photography are all within convenient walking distance of the hotel. For antique shopping venture to the Village Saint-Paul, then take a walk to the rue Saint-Antoine to try an award winning Red- label baguette at Miss Manon, one of Paris’s most famous bakeries. Romanticising the past and devouring the present, the hotel shares an intimate history with its surroundings. Part of the hotel used to house the oldest bakery in Paris; the local legend is that French poet and writer Victor Hugo use to buy his bread there. The reception still maintains the Venetian-style setting, preserved from the original exterior, and the 1900 frontage and the shop signboard is heritage listed, ensuring that its historic grandeur is preserved for all time.

words LIEU PHAM

Hotel on Rivington, New York

Emblematic of New York itself, the Hotel on Rivington is a product of global collaborations. The 21-story orthogonal glass tower is an astonishing fusion of conceptual and practical design. Created by New York design team Matthew Grzywinski and Amodor Pons, the building marries the contradictions of the city; the old with the new, history with post-modern and tradition with
avant-garde. Far from being content to focus on just comfort and luxury, the design duo wanted to achieve a panoramic experience that would extend beyond ‘just another hotel’ experience.

With floor to ceiling windows, and standing higher than any other building in the area, the hotel has a remarkable 360 degree unobstructed view of the city. A provocative theme of ‘conceal and reveal’ pervades the walls where guests can determine their level of exhibitionism and often in some cases, voyeurism. The customised bathrooms suites are incorporated into the building’s exterior, enabling guests to view the New York’s skyline without compromising or intruding on their privacy.

The interiors are the intricate work of Parisianbased India Mahdavi who is touted as ‘the next big thing’ in design circles. Mahdavi’s signature style is a symbiotic blend of masculinity and femininity, resulting in a sensual ambience and warmth. The Rivington’s Thor Restaurant and Bar features a remarkable ceiling glass atrium, which is the creation of renowned Amsterdam designer Marcel Wanders, whose work is permanently featured at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Situated in Manhattan’s fashionable and trendy East Side, the hotel is the perfect place to enjoy New York’s cultural generosity. New Yorkers have a cooler-than-thou attitude and no one can deny that when it comes to fashion, they’re top of the charts. Peggy Pardon on Ludlow street, a vintage boutique brimming with 1920s-1940s dresses and the edgy menswear boutique Spec on Clinton Street, are two of the coolest shopping haunts in the neighbourhood.

Those who are adventurous enough to explore may be blissfully surprised, as the most unique bars and shops are hidden in side streets and alleys, often with unassuming or even derelict facades. If there is energy to spare, the hotel is of walking distance of the East Village, Nolita, Chinatown, Tribeca and SoHo. On-route home, visit Katz’s deli on East Houston Street for kosher hot dogs and pastrami sandwiches and mix with an eclectic clientele of well-heeled hipsters, international jet setters and Jewish nanas.

www.hotelonrivington.com