My Cup of Tea has sold an exotic selection of blends and tisanes (plant-based infusions) since 2008. Visiting its new ground-floor space at the recently opened Ham Yard Hotel is as warm an experience as enjoying one of the company’s refreshing tipples. Architect Woods Bagot worked with founder Ausra Burg (pictured, on left) and Lithuanian designer Jovita Pipiraite to create a traditional tea bar, over which the company’s changing range of about 50 teas and blends are served from 1900s French Herboristerie caddies. “In September, we’ll introduce complimentary tastings and a range of confectionery from Italy,” says Burg.
mycupoftea.co.uk

The Park Hyatt’s recently opened New York space is the new flagship hotel for one of the world’s best-known hospitality brands. Located in a 90-storey Midtown skyscraper, its 210 rooms and 92 suites are among the most generous in the city. Pritzker Prize-winning architect Christian de Portzamparc designed the hotel, which is adorned with modern interiors by Toronto-based duo Yabu Pushelberg. Other highlights include an elegant ballroom with illuminated white onyx walls and, for those seeking sanctuary, a state-of-the-art spa on the 25th floor offers a poolside view of nearby Central Park.
newyork.park.hyatt.com

Opened this August, the Peninsula Paris is the venerable Hong Kong-based hotelier’s first foray into European territory. The elegant 200-room venture – just a stone’s throw from the Champs-Élysées – offers stunning rooftop views over the smart 16th arrondissement. Inside there are six restaurants in which to enjoy anything from the Peninsula’s signature Cantonese delicacies to light bites on one of the largest terraces in Paris. Despite the 100-year-old façade, you will find that the spacious rooms are as contemporary as they come and handy in-room controls cater to guests’ every whim.
peninsula.com

Hospitality industry veteran Sara Young and her designer husband Jon returned to the UK from Stockholm to open this smart coaching inn-turned-bed and breakfast on the south coast. The interiors of this four-bedroom Georgian gem, which launched this spring, bear the stamp of the couple’s Scandinavian sojourn. Nordic-inspired minimalism is mingled with nautical stripes in a tasteful palette of blues, whites and greys – accented by recycled wood from a local salvage company. “I’ve always dreamed of having my own business,” says Sara, who plans to add a fifth bedroom and coffee shop to the space by the end of the year.
thelaindons.com