Five new luxury hotels waiting for you to check in, from Marrakech to Malaysia
New openings that have caught our eye, from the Park Hyatt’s debut Malaysian property to a hushed hotel hidden in plain sight amid the bustle of the Spanish capital.
1.
The Brach
Madrid
The Gran Vía is one of Europe’s most well-trodden streets but you wouldn’t guess it when you step inside the Brach Madrid, the Evok Collection’s first Brach venture beyond France. The seven-storey hotel has been thoughtfully soundproofed but the interiors also help to turn things down with ornamental textures, dark hues and moody lighting. Once the childhood home of Victor Hugo, the building retains the feel of a stately mansion, quietly ensconced on a main street.
Each of the 57 guest rooms and suites is filled with vintage souvenirs, adventure books and even the odd musical instrument. The spa is kitted out with an oxygenation chamber and an infrared sauna but there’s also a long marble pool and massage rooms – perfect if getting here via the Gran Vía takes its toll.
brachmadrid.com
2.
The Twenty One
Athens
The renovated Twenty One sits among the sprawling private homes of Kifisia, an area that “blends a glorious past with a vibrant present”, says co-owner Alexandros Varveris. The hotel’s – you guessed it – 21 rooms are decorated with Punto tiles by French design team Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, while marble-and-terrazzo bathroom interiors come courtesy of the co-founders’ family business, Moda Bagno and Interni, founded in 1974. A pink-and- green tiled swimming pool is nestled in a lush garden, while in the restaurant, Isabella’s, chef Nikos Dimitras focuses on refined Mediterranean fare.
thetwentyonehotel.com
3.
Izza
Marrakech
“To be surrounded by so many artworks and artists is a form of nourishment,” says Aicha Benazzouz, who, as part of Izza’s art-direction team, conducts several tours per day. As she leads Monocle up a slender stairwell to a balcony overlooking one of three interior courtyards, she details the hotel’s years-long renovation. “We connected seven adjoined properties on a quieter part of the medina,” she says.
Having started as the project’s interior stylist, Benazzouz now oversees the entire operation, which functions as both hotel residence and museum.
Typically, riads are inverted houses that shelter inhabitants from the bustle beyond. Izza takes a different approach, like a labyrinth with surprises at every turn, and Moroccan and African artists are given pride of place. Interiors riff on Morocco’s rich heritage, with woodwork as well as zellige, tadelakt and arabesque tiling providing the backdrop. The head chef, Ahmad El Hardoum, fuses Moroccan flavours with Mediterranean touches.
izza.com
4.
Schloss Schauenstein
Fürstenau, Switzerland
The ivy-clad, medieval Schloss Schauenstein in the small Alpine town of Fürstenau has long been a place of culinary excellence under chef Andreas Caminada. The Graubünden-born restaurateur is known for his love of local produce, serving up delights such as herb and roe cannelloni, fresh fish and hölzige geiss goat’s cheese.
To mark the hotel’s 20th anniversary, the castle’s interiors have been renovated by Danish design studio Space Copenhagen. Its ancient stone walls, timber beams and winding staircases have been softened with oak, wool and linen finishes. Vintage pieces mingle with modern designs – sofas by &Tradition, Gubi chairs, Frama’s Sintra stone tables – while bedrooms have been refreshed with furniture from the likes of B&B Italia and Cassina. Bathrooms, finished in stone with minimalist fixtures, have rainfall showers and deep tubs.
schauenstein.ch
5.
Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Park Hyatt’s roll-out across Southeast Asia’s major cities shows no sign of abating. For its 50th outpost worldwide and debut Malaysian property, the brand has taken the top floors of Kuala Lumpur’s Merdeka 118 tower. It is one of the first tenants to move in – the HQ of one of Malaysia’s biggest banks will follow next year. By virtue of a spire on top, Merdeka – meaning “independence” in Malay – is Southeast Asia’s tallest building and its design is intended to reflect the silhouette of the country’s first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, with a hand pointing skywards in recognition of Malaysia’s independence in 1957.
For the interiors, the hotel’s design team worked with GA Group – the London-based hospitality company behind 1 Hotel Mayfair and Rosewood Schloss Fuschl, a converted Austrian castle – to inject a sense of heritage and place. The entrance stairway is designed to evoke a traditional Malay home, typically built on stilts, while local design elements, including pivoting shutters, feature throughout, alongside works by Malaysian artists such as Tunku Khalsom and Agnes Lau. “Our guests are surrounded by quiet references to local craftsmanship that feel intuitive,” says Herman Kemp, the general manager.
At the Merdeka Grill restaurant on level 75, Norwegian chef Stig Drageide brings a dash of Scandinavia to the likes of spicy Angus steak tartare and cedarwood- roasted salmon. But the real treat is the view of the city’s skyline, particularly of the Petronas Twin Towers and the Stadium Merdeka. “Once you come up to level 75, you’re in a different world,” says Kemp. “It’s impressive no matter how many times you’ve seen it.”
hyatt.com
