Metro, Chic and Luxe. Starting with Asia.
1. Tawaraya, Kyoto
Three centuries of being the country's best traditional style hotel is only a blip on the illustrious radar of this Japanese Ryokan. Think tatami floors, think soak tubs, think oriental gardens, think butlerettes, think high tech, think old world. Mix all with minimalist zen. Relish the esoteric flavour of your orgasmic stay. And gloat about the fact that you've stayed in the preferred playground of the jetset.
No website that i've come across. Heightens the exclusivity.
Rates begin from 300 USD. Thats about 15k per night.
2. The Manor, New Delhi
Chic is the word. Sitting pretty in South Delhi's plush Friends Colony, The Manor has a dozen rooms and suites all designed for understated comfort. Easy on the eyes, personalized when it comes to service. A magnet for the classier hip who prefer the non-limelight. Awesome food. Serene manicured lawns.
themanordelhi.com
Rates begin from 7k. A positive steal.
3. W Seoul Walkerhill
Funked up. Completely. This place is pulsating and oozing with design. Awesome stuff. Each view is like a coffee table book cover. And you have all the mod-cons for business as well as more than enough for entertainment.
whotels.com
Rates begin from USD 300. 15k.
4. The Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing
Housed in a series of traditional structures, most over a 100 years old, the Aman is the chain's first (extremely welcome) move towards urban properties. Chinese kitsch on the outset, the insides are pretty luxe, with their muted references to the immediate vernacular. Awesome place, Aman never fails to disappoint.
amanresorts.com
Rates begin from USD 550 (25k)
5. Aman New Delhi
While the Beijing Aman hovers on the outskirts, The Aman New Delhi sits slap bang in the centre of the city, giving a new lease of life to a compound that once housed the idiotically useless Lodhi Hotel. Location is the first thing that hits you- its probably the city's most exclusive district, with its cultural institutions, tombs, parks, and residences of the uppity. And then its the design. Very boxy (the way i like it), lots of Screens, lots of minimalist accentuations. And then the rooms, most of which have their own plunge pools. Aman completely junks the business hotel theory and has established an urban resort that works like no other. Be it through the 50 m lap pool, or the first Aman restaurants open to outsiders, or its fleet of luxury ambassadors. The Aman is a succesfully contemporarized version of classic chic and definitely the best in the city if not the country.
amanresorts.com
Rates begin from USD 550 (25k)
6. The Sukhothai, Bangkok
One of the initial chic urban hotels that Asia saw, The Sukhothai is a definitive version of the ethnic chic thats such a rage nowadays. Think Thai accentuations like meditative Buddhas, lily pools, silky furnishings, et al. Just add a contemporary twist like wood panelling, cubist lamps among others and you've got a pretty little design guru of a hotel.
sukhothai.com
Rates begin from USD 250 (13k)
7. Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
As luxe as edgy design can get, the Landmark MO is a chunk of sharp design that first shocks you with its upfront look and then pampers you silly with its service and luxuries.
mandarinoriental.com
Rates begin from HKD 3100. About 19k
8. Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi
While the main FS property at Chinzan-So is a horror story in chintz, Marunouchi is redemption in its sleek and minimalist approach to top class luxury. Small too, unusual for a FS property, but equally high on the legendary service.
fourseasons.com
Rates begin from JPY 54000. 27k.
Special Mentions
ITC Sonar, Kolkata
Its the architecture more, and interiors less, as the hotel still manages to squeeze in a bit of its idiotic Vegas inspired touches in otherwise what is the best looking building in town.
The Park- Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore
Awesome stuff that all 4 have to offer, that means cool design, good food and a hip atmosphere apart from superb locations. Just not luxe enough.
The Metropolitan, Bangkok
Too western in its Oriental approach. Seems more like a Buddha Bar in London than a Bangkok hi-design hotel.
W Hong Kong
About to open, and if other W properties are anything to go by, then you better start panting now. Should be a funked up bitch.
Park Hyatt-Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai
Cool stuff, but a bit too biz-oriented at the core. But Luxe enough.
Trident, Gurgaon
Another fabulous looking hotel. Not Luxe enough again, not to mention the Gurgaon location. If just Oberoi took it over...
1. Tawaraya, Kyoto
Three centuries of being the country's best traditional style hotel is only a blip on the illustrious radar of this Japanese Ryokan. Think tatami floors, think soak tubs, think oriental gardens, think butlerettes, think high tech, think old world. Mix all with minimalist zen. Relish the esoteric flavour of your orgasmic stay. And gloat about the fact that you've stayed in the preferred playground of the jetset.
No website that i've come across. Heightens the exclusivity.
Rates begin from 300 USD. Thats about 15k per night.
2. The Manor, New Delhi
Chic is the word. Sitting pretty in South Delhi's plush Friends Colony, The Manor has a dozen rooms and suites all designed for understated comfort. Easy on the eyes, personalized when it comes to service. A magnet for the classier hip who prefer the non-limelight. Awesome food. Serene manicured lawns.
themanordelhi.com
Rates begin from 7k. A positive steal.
3. W Seoul Walkerhill
Funked up. Completely. This place is pulsating and oozing with design. Awesome stuff. Each view is like a coffee table book cover. And you have all the mod-cons for business as well as more than enough for entertainment.
whotels.com
Rates begin from USD 300. 15k.
4. The Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing
Housed in a series of traditional structures, most over a 100 years old, the Aman is the chain's first (extremely welcome) move towards urban properties. Chinese kitsch on the outset, the insides are pretty luxe, with their muted references to the immediate vernacular. Awesome place, Aman never fails to disappoint.
amanresorts.com
Rates begin from USD 550 (25k)
5. Aman New Delhi
While the Beijing Aman hovers on the outskirts, The Aman New Delhi sits slap bang in the centre of the city, giving a new lease of life to a compound that once housed the idiotically useless Lodhi Hotel. Location is the first thing that hits you- its probably the city's most exclusive district, with its cultural institutions, tombs, parks, and residences of the uppity. And then its the design. Very boxy (the way i like it), lots of Screens, lots of minimalist accentuations. And then the rooms, most of which have their own plunge pools. Aman completely junks the business hotel theory and has established an urban resort that works like no other. Be it through the 50 m lap pool, or the first Aman restaurants open to outsiders, or its fleet of luxury ambassadors. The Aman is a succesfully contemporarized version of classic chic and definitely the best in the city if not the country.
amanresorts.com
Rates begin from USD 550 (25k)
6. The Sukhothai, Bangkok
One of the initial chic urban hotels that Asia saw, The Sukhothai is a definitive version of the ethnic chic thats such a rage nowadays. Think Thai accentuations like meditative Buddhas, lily pools, silky furnishings, et al. Just add a contemporary twist like wood panelling, cubist lamps among others and you've got a pretty little design guru of a hotel.
sukhothai.com
Rates begin from USD 250 (13k)
7. Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
As luxe as edgy design can get, the Landmark MO is a chunk of sharp design that first shocks you with its upfront look and then pampers you silly with its service and luxuries.
mandarinoriental.com
Rates begin from HKD 3100. About 19k
8. Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi
While the main FS property at Chinzan-So is a horror story in chintz, Marunouchi is redemption in its sleek and minimalist approach to top class luxury. Small too, unusual for a FS property, but equally high on the legendary service.
fourseasons.com
Rates begin from JPY 54000. 27k.
Special Mentions
ITC Sonar, Kolkata
Its the architecture more, and interiors less, as the hotel still manages to squeeze in a bit of its idiotic Vegas inspired touches in otherwise what is the best looking building in town.
The Park- Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore
Awesome stuff that all 4 have to offer, that means cool design, good food and a hip atmosphere apart from superb locations. Just not luxe enough.
The Metropolitan, Bangkok
Too western in its Oriental approach. Seems more like a Buddha Bar in London than a Bangkok hi-design hotel.
W Hong Kong
About to open, and if other W properties are anything to go by, then you better start panting now. Should be a funked up bitch.
Park Hyatt-Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai
Cool stuff, but a bit too biz-oriented at the core. But Luxe enough.
Trident, Gurgaon
Another fabulous looking hotel. Not Luxe enough again, not to mention the Gurgaon location. If just Oberoi took it over...
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