Hotel München Palace

Munich, Germany

 

These things do tend to move in cycles, don’t they? At one point, some years ago, the classic luxury hotel was something that desperately needed rebelling against. But now, with hoteliers the world over embracing modern design at its most outré, conservatism has itself become one of the last remaining forms of rebellion. And where better to turn for an immersion in classic comfort than the Bavarian capital, and the aptly named Hotel München Palace.

 

Pest-Buda Hotel – Design & Boutique

Budapest, Hungary

 

Life on the Buda side of the Danube can feel like coming unstuck in time. You have some elevation in these parts, which means extraordinary views of the river, the fabulously ornate Matthias Church, and the painstakingly reconstructed Buda Castle complex, plus plenty of wooded hiking trails on the way up. Not too shabby a hilltop, we must say, a sentiment seemingly shared by the folks behind Baltazár — they’ve opened a sister hotel and bistro, Pest-Buda, within spitting distance of these historic heavyweights. Then again, when you situate your boutique on the site of Hungary’s oldest hotel, opened in 1696, you’ve got a claim to the “historic heavyweight” moniker yourself.

 

RAAS Jodhpur

Jodhpur, India

 

We spend a lot of time in these virtual pages wrestling with the pros and cons of India’s two main hotel genres. On the one hand you’ve got the historic palace hotels, which make a virtue out of traditional architecture and traditional service. And on the other you’ve got the stylish, design-conscious boutique hotels. Rarely can you stay in a hotel with one foot in each world — but that’s exactly what RAAS Jodhpur is. Thoroughly modern within, thoroughly ancient without, it’s something special indeed: a chic luxury boutique that blends seamlessly into the old walled city of Jodphur.

 

Alegra Boutique Hotel

Jerusalem, Israel

 

Mixing old and new is standard practice in the sphere of boutique-hotel design. But the concept takes on new dimension at Alegra Boutique Hotel. This is a place that’s old — not just because it’s in Jerusalem, one of the oldest cities in the world, but because it’s located in Ein Kerem, one of the oldest sections of the metropolitan area. And the idea of a boutique hotel is a new one around here. Several hotels in Jerusalem call themselves boutiques, but Alegra Boutique Hotel is one of the first in Jerusalem with a legitimate claim.

 

The Kensington

London, England

 

We’re not generally drawn to traditional hotels, and a Georgian townhouse hotel is about as traditional as it gets in London. But we make exceptions for conservatism in the name of something that’s worth conserving — and the old-school London luxury hotel is a tradition that’s worth hanging on to. And like so many of the purest examples of various national traditions, the Kensington happens to be a foreign creation: that of the Doyle Collection, an Irish concern.

 

Palazzina Grassi

Venice, Italy

 

If ever there were a city that needed a bit of the old Philippe Starck treatment it was Venice. Here a little design goes a long way — not that you could accuse the Palazzina Grassi of being just a little bit designed. Here Starck is at full strength: masks on the bedside lamps, comically exaggerated chandeliers, mirrors on every surface. It’s a classic Venetian palazzo filtered through the mind of a dedicated anti-classicist, and the result was always going to be memorable — and now, after an extensive refurbishment, it once again looks as new as it did on the day it opened.

 

AX The Saint John

Valletta, Malta

 

In a city like the Maltese capital of Valletta, with its fortifications and its Baroque ornamentation, you might expect a hotel to lean heavily on historical atmosphere. AX The Saint John, however, has taken a liberal approach to its own history. This 19th-century townhouse, right in the heart of the city, has been updated in a style that’s entirely of-the-moment, even as it pays its respects to the past.

 

Casa Goliana

Mexico City, Mexico

 

In a city as vast and overwhelming as Mexico City it’s no accident that the most enjoyable hotels are often the smallest. And while Casa Goliana has plenty else going for it as well, its most immediately apparent characteristic is its small size. Weighing in at just eight rooms, this 20th-century house in the hip and upscale Roma district blurs the line between boutique hotel and bed and breakfast — but by any name, it’s a charming, intimate, and extremely stylish stay.

 

La Valise Mexico City

Mexico City, Mexico

 

It’s always cool to be contrary — especially in the world of cutting-edge boutique hotels. Let the big chains scramble to outdo each other with bigger spas and better restaurants, sparkling fitness centers and Olympic-sized infinity pools, more pillows on the menu, more of everything. An achingly hip little hotel like La Valise in Mexico City doesn’t need any of that. In fact, the three-suite property, located above a shop in a 1920s townhouse in the happening Roma neighborhood, makes a virtue of its small size.

 

Hotel Pulitzer Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain

 

Straddling the border between the old city and the Eixample, Hotel Pulitzer Barcelona is as modern as they come, fitting effortlessly into Barcelona’s already expansive cohort of high-design hipster hotels. It’s a 2004 renovation of a Twenties building, and its carefully preserved facade offers little hint of the striking Art Deco-influenced spaces within — again, in true Barcelona style.

 

The Pavilions Madrid

Madrid, Spain

 

Spain’s got plenty of homegrown hotel talent, but right here in Madrid the Hong Kong–based Pavilions group makes a strong impression. The Pavilions Madrid manages to be both central and a little bit reserved, thanks to a location on a side street just off the Plaza de Colón. And while there are bigger and more opulent luxury hotels in the Spanish capital — the Pavilions tops out at 28 rooms and suites — there’s little to find fault with in the experience here.

 

Gezi Hotel Bosphorus

Istanbul, Turkey

 

To call it the Istanbul equivalent of Times Square isn’t quite right, but it gets the general idea across — this is the city’s main crossroads, the heart of the city’s transit network, and both a commercial and a cultural center. More to the point, it’s adjacent to the famous Gezi Park, and a (pretty athletic) stone’s throw from the shores of the Bosphorus itself. A reasonable spot, we think, for a place that calls itself Gezi Hotel Bosphorus.

 

The Laslett

London, England

 

Long one of London’s favorite residential neighborhoods, Notting Hill has finally got a boutique hotel that’s perfectly suited to its setting. The Laslett’s 51 rooms and suites span a row of five Victorian townhouses, less than a minute’s walk from the Notting Hill Gate underground station, which means the rest of the city is convenient as can be — but while you’re here, you’re perfectly placed at the nexus of creative West London.

 

Chapter Roma

Rome, Italy

 

Rome has glamorous hotels, opulent hotels, luxurious hotels. But it doesn’t have many hotels that are in the top tier when it comes to pure style. Maybe the Eternal City is focused on timeless concerns, leaving matters of fashion to Milan. Whatever the explanation, Hotel Chapter Roma is an illuminating exception. Maybe the difference is that designer Tristan Du Plessis was respectful of the hotel’s 19th-century digs, but not worshipful — add one part dark and moody industrial modernism, one part gem-toned Art Deco-inspired swank, and one part irreverent street-inspired art and you’ve got yourself a hotel experience that’s literally unforgettable.

 

Madama Garden Retreat

Venice, Italy

 

Venice is unusual for all the obvious reasons, but often unremarked upon is just how busy and urban it feels — with its surface area as limited as it is, there’s not a lot of green space, or quiet space in general. Madama Garden Retreat, in the Cannaregio district on the north side of town, is an exception: a stylish and luxurious little eight-suite hotel for which the phrase “garden retreat” is entirely appropriate.

 

Seven One Seven

Amsterdam, Netherlands

 

All the big stereotypes about Dutch hotels (freaky modernist design, low-budget student digs) are right out the window — Seven One Seven is as traditional and as haute-luxury as they come, just nine sumptuous suites in a landmark 19th-century house along the Prinzengracht, outfitted in absolutely classic style by the former owner, the fashion designer Kees van der Valk.

 

The Prince Akatoki London

London, England

 

A few streets away from Marble Arch, near the the west end of Oxford Street and the entrance to Hyde Park, might not be the first place you’d look for a hotel that’s a celebration of Japanese culture. London has long been a cosmopolitan city, though, and this venture from the Tokyo-based Prince hotel brand distinguishes itself from many other local luxury hotels with the tranquil atmosphere, thoughtful design, and first-class service for which Japanese hotels are famous.

 

Macakizi

Bodrum, Turkey

 

Though it’s hardly the household name that some other Mediterranean destinations are, Turkey’s Bodrum Peninsula can’t stay secret for long. The combination of hilly seaside geography and crystal blue waters isn’t exactly a hard sell. And the hotels aren’t half bad either — Maçakizi, for its part, is the kind of stylish and sophisticated luxury hotel that’ll put a jealous glint in the eyes of Côte d’Azur or Greek Isles hoteliers.