Tag: Historical Hotels
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At the Raffles Hotel Singapore: Inside the Lobby and a Courtyard Suite
Walk right into the multi-story, Victorian era lobby of the Raffles Singapore and you won't get very far. There's a "residents only" velvet rope reminder, though that doesn't halt half the curious travelers who wander in to either hit up brunch in the Tiffin Room or just snap a photo to say, "I was here."
To be honest, we immediately fell into the same awe from the moment we scratched our name into the heavy registration book at reception. To really be at the Raffles—it's an experience from another time, as anyone will say. However, being actual "residents," we just as quickly snapped into eagle-eyed guest mode. Sure, the Raffles is pretty but is it functional too?
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At the Raffles Hotel Singapore: Foie Gras and Long Bar Slings
Raffles Grill
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think Raffles? Besides luxury and expensive digs, we mean.
The Singapore Sling, right? More specifically, the first thing usually comes to mind at the thought of the Raffles is a fruity, red Singapore Sling from The Raffles Singapore's Long Bar. Of course a visit to the Raffles isn't quite complete without a Sling, no matter how touristy it's become, but there are plenty other dining and drinking options underneath the victorian roof of this historical hotel. Here's a few of our favorites:
Sweet Suites / Singapore Hotels / Historical Hotels / Raffles Hotels / Photo Gallery / Hotel Architecture / Raffles Hotel Singapore Series / → All Tags
At the Raffles Hotel Singapore: Inside a Grand Hotel Suite
Two bedrooms, three bathrooms, a parlour, a private verandah and butler service—it must be a suite. Indeed it is, but the Raffles Singapore is exclusively comprised of suites, and this Grand Hotel Suite is but one of the higher categories.
What distinguishes the Grand Hotel suite from the others below it (Courtyard suite, Palm Court suite, Personality suite) is its location just up the Raffles' grand lobby staircase, in the main hotel building. The others, you see, are located in a neighboring wing, around a private "residents only" courtyard.
Okay, it also boasts far more original art, more antique furniture, the extra bedroom and bathroom, a separate office and living area. Add to that the fact that it costs an extra zero from the lowest category suite ($750 SGD for a courtyard suite versus $7500 SGD/$6000 USD for a grand hotel suite), and we are dealing with serious lodgings here.
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At the Raffles Hotel Singapore: Getting Bearings
If you want to talk about hotels with storied pasts, the Raffles Hotel Singapore simply can't be left out. Today, its 103 suites (yes, all suites) command over $500 per night and those who can't afford to splurge for a stay still find their way to the hotel's famous Long Bar for a Singapore Sling. Raffles is just one of those places you must hit, and it's been that way since the early 1900s.
All this week we'll be taking you inside the Raffles, beyond the keyed "residents only" entrance gates and into the inner sanctum enjoyed by everyone from Ava Gardner and Charlie Chaplin to modern heads of state. And there will be opium beds.
First, to get our bearings, a look at the Victorian architecture that so clearly identifies the place as the Raffles. All of the hotel suites are located in a period wing, complete with original paintings (as a result, no rooms have the same decorations) and even the newer wings—housing the upscale shops—have been constructed to seamlessly blend with the iconic white structure of the original building.
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Former Conservatory-Turned-Duplex Suite Hotel is Music to Amsterdam's Ears
The latest addition to Amsterdam's, ahem, smokin' hot hotel scene is The Conservatorium, recently opened near P.C. Hoofstraat, otherwise known as the city's version of Rodeo Drive. Our intrepid sources have been scouring for early reviews of the petite 129-room escape, but all we've learned about the hotel so far is that it's aiming to "[bring] back the essence" of the iconic 19th Century ex-music conservatory renovated to create the space (hence the name).
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Salacious WWII-Era Stories of London's West End Gems Spotlighted in New Book
London's undeniably posh West End plays home to some of the city's most impressive—and oftentimes hoity toity—hotels: The Ritz, Langham, and Dorchester all cater to an upper crust clientele who know luxury and expect its delivery in spades.
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Old School Veuve Clicquot Estate Sheds WWI Damage for New School Makeover
Is that neon-lighting we see in the background?
Long operating hotels are working double time to keep up with their slick newer counterparts, undergoing minor facelifts or totally gutting their interiors to compete with fresh faced, showy young'uns. Truth be told, we often enjoy staying at places with a bit of time-worn character, but when a building's facade bears damage from World War I, even us history buffs think it's time for an extreme makeover.
Historical Hotels / Isle of Man Hotels / Island Hotels / UK Hotels / Sefton Hotels / → All Tags
Even the Isle of Man Has a Grand Dame Hotel, The Sefton
Do you judge hotels by their cover—or rather, their facade? We kind of admit to it, thus our immediate infatuation with the the historical hotel The Sefton, a classy grand dame that holds court on the main promenade in the city of Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man.
Yes, that Isle of Man. The one that sits in the Irish Sea between Belfast and Blackpool, that prints its own stamps and pounds sterling notes (and coins!) and hosts a motorcycle race every year. That Isle of Man. Who would have guessed it also had hotel properties like this? The Sefton is a truly British place, with a winter garden, chintzy rooms and proper afternoon tea that even brings in the locals on special occasions.
Typically the hotel (and its rooms from 90 GBP per night) host English tourists out for a weekend break from the middle of Britain, but the Sefton was also the site for several of the island's meetings of its own Congress. You see, the Isle of Man is a "British Crown Dependency," meaning it can have its own government but it still defers to good ol' England for things like defense and international representation. You won't get a passport stamp upon arrival to the island, but you will be able to send a postcard with a totally different stamp and postmark from those you'd get back on mainland. And that, dear readers, is just one tiny great reason to visit. Trust us.
[Photo: HotelChatter]
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Karl Lagerfeld Booked the Entire Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the Name of Chanel
If there's one hotel in the world which best encapsulates the Chanel brand, it's the Cote d'Azur's Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. Fittingly then, Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld booked up the entire historical property for the last several days or more to get his Chanel Resort 2012 collection finalized and presented—using most of the world's top models of the moment—to fashion editors, celebrities and starlets.
The hotel itself, which ranks among the most expensive and elite hotels in the world, just emerged from a complete two-year renovation in April, just in time for Karl to properly turn the promenade into a runway and re-introduce the Hotel du Cap to the world. The collection, meanwhile, was all society and old money; lemon skirt suits began a show inspired by the style of Rita Hayworth and Aly Khan; it included 5-star-appropriate bathing suits, relaxed navy crepe dresses and dramatic, flowing evening wear. The more fashion-forward items you likely won't be seeing on many Chanel-buying bathing beauties are midriff-baring tweed sets and white leather thong sandals-boots.
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It's Officially Sandcastle Season by the Hotel del Coronado
The famous red-roofed Hotel del Coronado may have quite the storied history—Thomas Edison dealt with the electrical installation, Marilyn Monroe's Some Like It Hot was filmed here and author L. Frank Baum wrote much of The Wizard of Oz on one of the rooms—but these days some of the coolest creativity is happening outside of its walls down on the beach.
While wandering barefoot in the smooth sand, watching the nearby navy base's helicopters fly over, we stumbled upon a sandcastle. It's not just any sandcastle, however; this is a work of art by Billy Pav, aka "The Sandcastle Man." For over thirty years, he's been building intricate designs solely from the sand, water and shells of San Diego beaches. According to his website, Coronado is his favorite spot, and it's fortunately where we found him this weekend. This particular sandcastle instantly made us think of architect Howard Roark from Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead.
Hotel Fireplaces / Historical Hotels / New York Hotels / → All Tags
Hotel Fireplaces: Thumbs Up or Down?
Hotel can have many pleasantly surprising amenities. Like complimentary bath salts next to a soaking tub or a menu of different pillow types, and of course there's our favorite amenity of free and fast WiFi. But rarely does it happen that you swing open your room door and—BOOM—in-room fireplace.
Usually associated with 5-star hoighty-toighty hotels most likely in Europe, hotel room fireplaces are super rare these days. We just ran into our very first ourselves, at New York State's 265+ year old Mohonk Mountain House. We'll have more on the hotel for you next week, but for now, let's talk fireplaces.
So what do you think—are in-room fireplaces cute and homey or space-wasting scary fiery things?
Historical Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Parties / → All Tags
New York's McKittrick Hotel: You've Never Heard of It, But Everyone Wants In
Have you dropped by Manhattan's McKittrick Hotel lately? No? That's cool, because very few people even know it exists despite the fact that it's a huge, historical building in Chelsea. You see, The McKittrick is operating as an Eyes Wide Shut-type of immersive theatrical production, put on by British company Punchdrunk.
Each evening through May 14, audiences enter the McKittrick for the ticket price of $75 each and up, to experience Sleep No More: "A Legendary Hotel. Shakespeare's Fallen Hero. A Film Noir Shadow of Suspense."
According to the excellent blog Scouting NY, the experience mandates you to wear a Venetian Bauta mask and stay silent. You are, however, "allowed to freely roam the entire 100-room set, which includes a taxidermist’s shop, a witches lair, a detective agency, a graveyard, and so many more..." There may be nudity, and there will be violence, although all of this is part of the act as you follow the players and their drama throughout the hotel.
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