Berlin (creative commons)
In a world of anonymous hotel chains and globalised brands it’s often difficult to find a unique and personalised individual experience in the hotel industry. However, once you begin to look you’ll find that there are indeed a few smaller hidden gems which have managed to cling on to their unique personalities and offer a friendly, tailored service to their customers through a heightened sense of culture and style. The best of them provide excellence in all categories of customer care, from innovative hotel interior designs to superior service, facilities and stylistic flair.
The Zetter Hotel, Clerkenwell, London
Just a few minutes from Oxford Street, the Zetter offers modern-vintage suites with designer trimmings and has its own restaurant serving up traditional British cuisine.
Caesar Hotel, Queens Gardens, London
This stylish retreat next to Hyde Park and Marble Arch has a slightly industrial feel of exposed brick and wooden frames, offset with super-cool retro furniture and a renowned cocktail bar with international snacks.
Rough Luxe Hotel, Birkenhead Street, London
Next to busy King’s Cross, the Rough Luxe features regularly changed contemporary artworks on bare walls, with original copper bathtubs in some rooms and a range of handmade toiletries.
The Mandeville Hotel, Mandeville Place, London
Close to fashionable Bond Street, the Mandeville has stylish traditional rooms and an award-winning restaurant serving British-sourced fine produce, along with a cocktail bar that boasts British classics concocted with spirits distilled entirely in the UK.
The Ampersand Hotel, Harrington Road, London
Located in trendy South Kensington in a big Victorian building, the Ampersand has a refreshing, Mediterranean-style restaurant with a cosmopolitan atmosphere. A pillared foyer, grand chandelier and Victorian furnishings in its rooms add a rather gaudy flourish that’s verging on the currently uber-hip steampunk style.
Trafalger Square by UG Ardener (Creative Commons)
The Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt
A leading light in hotel interior designs, Martin Brudnizki has created a warm, comfortable and light atmosphere in the Villa Kennedy, which has its own restaurant, pool and spa and whose rooms ooze clean sophistication enhanced with a careful balance of textures, colours and shades in the décor.
Cosmo Hotel, Berlin
The Cosmo in the museum quarter of Berlin offers high-end design of floor-to-ceiling windows and sophisticated interiors. The comfortable feel belies its darker origins as an old Stasi building, which was revamped by the London-based Silvestrin/Salmaso architects in 2005.
Le Genral Hotel, Paris
Le Genral utilises soft material and pure lines, with warm rosewood tones and halos of light to create a subdued and comforting oasis of serenity right in the city centre. The soft carpeting and transparent furniture heighten the impression of unruffled calm in the midst of outside noise and bustle.
Hotel Odeon Saint-Germain, Paris
Newly renovated and refurbished by Garcia, this enchanting establishment in the magical heart of Saint-Germain des Pres and embedded in a 16th Century building, has a sheltered courtyard and traditional rooms distinguished by their fine attention to detail.
Hotel Yasmin, Prague
The aggressively contemporary Hotel Yasmin employs silver globes and olive walls to tremendous effect, creating a futuristic look and feel that contrasts startlingly with the old medieval town on its doorstep. The restaurant is a particular treat, a sculptured space decorated with mirrorball lights by Tom Dixon and serving German, Japanese, Korean and Czech cuisine.
Author Bio:
David Bell is a freelance writer and blogs about travel, interior design, online marketing, telecoms and small business solutions. Follow him on Twitter @DavidBellWriter
