22 November 2023 |
“The Ritz is my home,” Coco Chanel once declared. The grand dame hotel, which stands majestically on the Place Vendôme, served as the legendary French designer’s residence starting in 1937 until her death in 1971. She hauled in precious objects – Cocteau sketches, camel- coloured sofas and coromandel lacquer screens – to decorate her pair of suites, 304 and 305. Not just a luxury, her stay was also a matter of convenience: Chanel’s headquarters were located around the corner on the Rue de Cambon.
The spectacular interior of Villa Palladio Jaipur, designed by Marie-Anne Oudejans
Peripatetic designers have always had a natural affinity for certain hotels across the globe. Marc Jacobs famously lived at the Mercer Hotel in New York, moving in when the pandemic began, and Diane von Furstenberg has her own branded suite at Claridge’s in London. German-born designer Tomas Maier even led a campaign to save the Okura Hotel, a mid-century marvel in Tokyo, from being demolished in 2015 (which failed, though it was rebuilt and reopened in 2019). When you travel as much as the fashion pack does, a hotel can be an illicit hideaway as much as a haven away from home, which is sorely needed if you find yourself in the annual conga line of runway shows and presentations in New York, London, Milan and Paris, not to mention the endless resort collections in far-flung spots. During Paris Fashion Week, bellhops whisk piles of Globe-Trotter and Goyard luggage into the jewel box-like Le Meurice and cult favourite or a loud hotel… If you go Le Bristol. (And for good reason, a dip in its pool or a Russian banya, aka bathhouse, to a hotel, you should feel treatment offers a much needed pick-me-up during a hectic, show-filled schedule.) Of course, Paris is filled with charming boltholes off the beaten path. There is the beloved Hotel Lutetia, which has hosted everyone from Camus to Hemingway to Brad Pitt. After an extensive renovation in 2018, the hotel bar has become a discreet den where VIPs and designers go to talk business over champagne and salty potato chips. The dimly lit La Coquille d’Or bar at the Chateau Voltaire, an elegant hideaway courtesy of Zadig and Voltaire founder Thierry Gillier and the creative director Franck Durand is also frequented by editors, celebs and the like.
In Milan, a new favourite is Ferragamo’s Portrait Milano, a grand 73-room property housed in one of Europe’s oldest seminaries, located at the crossroads of the city’s swankiest shopping corridors. In February, the 27-year-old wunderkind designer Maximilian Davis showed his AW23 debut collection for the house in the grand piazza, now open to the public. Of course, there are plenty of stylish spots for recharging in the offseason as well. Head north from Milan and check in to the Passalaqua, a baroque confection sitting on seven groomed acres of olive groves, and mimosa and magnolia trees which cascade down to glistening Lake Como. This former private villa turned intimate hotel, opened by the Valentina De Santis (of the famed hotelier dynasty) in the summer of 2023, is a love letter to Italian craftsmanship from the giant Murano glass chandeliers to the candy-coloured Fiat 500 buggy that transports guests around the property. This summer, British designer Jasper Conran will open the doors to Villa Mabrouka located in another idyllic setting – the hills above Tangier – which will offer spectacular views of the strait of Gibraltar. Once the home of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, this exotic retreat will soon be the place among the jet set.
Not to be outdone, designer and all-round aesthete Christian Louboutin has applied his maximalist and eclectic vision to Vermelho, a bijoux-like property in Melides, Portugal, a small town south of swanky Comporta. Named for the word red in Portuguese, which seems fitting for a man known for his vibrant scarlet-heeled shoes, this 13-room hideaway is an exquisite melange of pastel frescoes, azulejo tiles and trompe l’oeil shell mosaics. As Louboutin recently said of his latest project, “I didn’t want a busy hotel or a loud hotel… If you go to a hotel, you should feel like you belong there, that feeling of home.”
THE VENICE VENICE HOTEL, GOLDEN GOOSE
The Venice Venice Hotel was thoughtfully designed to honour Venice’s ancient history while not forgetting the living, beating heart of the city. The creators, the minds behind the Golden Goose label, define that as postvenezianità, or post-Venetianness, where the old is juxtaposed with the new. The interior of the 13th-century palazzo, which is perched on the Grand Canal just by the Rialto Bridge, has an avant-garde vibe complemented by plenty of contemporary art.
CHÂTEAU VOLTAIRE, ZADIG & VOLTAIRE
Located in the heart of Paris, the Château Voltaire is the perfect city escape. It’s sophisticated without being staid, and luxurious right down to the fluffy bathrobes. The elegant hotel was designed by the Zadig & Voltaire founder Thierry Gillier and the creative director Franck Durand, who both wanted to capture the beauty of the French capital. Its La Coquille d’Or bar embodies this spirit and attracts A-listers aplenty.
VERMELHO, CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN
Christian Louboutin’s new hotel is in Melides, Portugal, a quiet town 30 minutes away from the stylish village of Comporta. Named Vermelho, the Portuguese for “red” – no prizes for guessing why – it has an enchanting, eclectic interior. Designed to feel like a home, the intimate 13-room property showcases Louboutin’s vision with pastel frescoes, classic azulejo tiles and handcrafted furniture.
PORTRAIT MILANO, FERRAGAMO
Ferragamo’s new Portrait Milano hotel is perhaps the most elegant place to spend the night in the city’s beloved fashion district. The 73-room property is an elegant restoration of one of Europe’s first seminaries and the 500-year-old architecture makes you feel like you are travelling back in time. It was here that Maxmilian Davis showed his debut collection as creative director for the house last fall and the majestic palazzo is now open for the public to enjoy.
VILLA MABROUKA, JASPER CONRAN
The British designer Jasper Conran opened Villa Mabrouka in June. Situated in the hills outside Tangier, Morocco, the idyllic haven was formerly the home of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé and has gardens of citrus trees and iceberg roses, terraces with stunning views of the Strait of Gibraltar, and a vibrant interior. Fashion’s great and good are already flocking to this beautiful oasis.
HOTEL LES DEUX GARES, PARIS, DESIGNER LUKE EDWARD HALL
There’s not one white wall in Hotel Les Deux Gares: those are electric green, while the lamps are pink and the couches are royal blue. The interior was designed by the English artist and designer Luke Edward Hall, who has melded quirky British design with Parisian élan to create a vibrant space that still nods to the past. It’s not your typical Parisian stay, but it is refreshing in its youthful energy and bold colours.
THE OKURA, ARCHITECT YOSHIO TANIGUCHI
The Okura Tokyo is an exquisite example of understated luxury and Japanese aesthetics. There was outrage among the smart set, the German designer Tomas Maier being one of the most vocal, when the hotel, which first opened its doors in 1962, was demolished in 2015 to make way for an updated version. It started welcoming guests again four years later, its redesign having been overseen by Yoshio Taniguchi, the son of the Okura’s original designer, who ensured the original 1960s feel of the hotel had been replicated, right down to the identical lobby carpet. With stunning views of Tokyo and the hotel’s Japanese garden, the hotel offers tranquillity in a busy city.
QUINTA DA CORTE, INTERIOR ARCHITECT PIERRE YOVANOVITCH
The Quinta da Corte is a vineyard-cum-boutique hotel that sits in the hills of the Douro Valley in the north of Portugal, surveying the green slopes below it. The beautiful landscape is the perfect backdrop for the 19th-century building, redesigned by the French interior architect Pierre Yovanovitch to preserve its charm and simplicity using antique furnishings and natural elements. Of course, the Quinta de Corta also offers its own wine, as well as tastings at surrounding wineries.
VILLA PALLADIO JAIPUR, DESIGNER MARIE-ANNE OUDEJANS
The nine-room Villa Palladio Jaipur, in India, is a dream of a hotel, with delightful interiors by the Dutch designer Marie- Anne Oudejans. Showcasing all shades of red and wallpaper adorned with palm trees and floral accents, it has featured in a plethora of magazines. Not only visually perfect, the bolt-hole has a palm-shaded swimming pool, a spa and a library – all essential factors for a peaceful getaway.
CHÂTEAU ROYAL, BERLIN, ARCHITECT DAVID CHIPPERFIELD
The Château Royal in Berlin is a contemporary spot that draws both on the city’s creativity and the elements of a classic grand hotel. Each of the 93 rooms features work by artists with strong ties to the German capital, including Danh Vo, Thomas Demand and Anri Sala. The likes of whom can regularly be found wining and dining in the hotel’s Dottir restaurant and bar, a social hub for the city’s creative class.
@chateauroyalberlin, chateauroyalberlin.com
Photos courtesy of Quinta da Corte, The Okura, Portrait Milano, Hotel Les Deux Gares, F Villa Palladio, Villa Mabrouka, Chateau Royal, Chateau Voltaire, Vermelho, Venice Venice Hote. Taken from Issue 58 of 10 Men – ELEGANCE, GRACE, BEAUTY – out NOW. Purchase here.
