Gray Hotel

Location: Milan, Italy

Unashamedly elitist and purely residential, The Gray is the new point of reference for the fashionistas of Milan. Rejecting the brasher elements of the couture circus and the “see-and-be-seen” clique, only established names and their chosen guests will enter into the private, club atmosphere of this exquisite hotel. Side-step in from a narrow street that runs between the cathedral and the glass-domed Galleria, under historical facades that give no clue to the modernity they hide behind them. The murmur of barely spoken conversations in the snug lobby is interspersed by the musical clink of glasses from the bar, in a scene cloaked in style and the scent of eminence. As in an elegant fashion designer’s boutique, subdued tones of beige, orange and red are underscored with diffused lighting, extending into the 21 guestrooms of Milan’s most jealously-guarded secret. A model of gracious living, The Gray is select, intimate and mysterious.

Architecture/Interior Design:

Guido Ciompi

Design Concept:

Designed with Milan’s most exclusive fashionista set in mind, the simply named Gray treads a careful line between elegance and opulence. The hotel is hidden away in a five-story building that used to house residences and businesses. The Florentine architect Guido Ciompi has created a sumptuous lobby in which to welcome guests, with a red velvet covered divan swinging above the reception. Ciompi has also included a light installation that bathes the walls, top to toe drapes and the lobby’s black flagstones in an ever-changing myriad of colours.

Each of the 21 guestrooms in Milan’s most closely guarded secret offers its guests completely unique interiors. Two rooms feature their own gym, for example, whereas others are spread out over two storeys, joined by a filigree steel staircase. At the same time, all share high quality craftsmanship, evident in the limed wood closets, the ebony tables or the headboards upholstered in white or ostrich leather. Ciompi pursues his stylistic hallmark, a formal expression of clean, geometric lines, throughout the interior of the hotel. This successful result alone is enough to make the Gray a modern classic.

Hotel’s Facilities:

Food & Drink:

“Le Noir” features traditional Italian cuisine combined with sheer design
The “GBar” mixes the best mojito in town, for few eyes only

Recreation:

2 bi-level rooms with private steam rooms
2 rooms with separate private gyms

Conferences:

Private meeting room for up to 12 people, boardroom style, overlooking the rooftops of Milan

Haymarket Hotel

Location: London, United Kingdom

A bold step away from cookie-cutter minimalism in an ultra-central London location. The Haymarket’s façade was designed by John Nash, the master architect who developed most of Regency London, including Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and the adjoining Haymarket Theatre.

Now extensively remodeled by Tim and Kit Kemp, London hoteliers extraordinaire, the remodeled Haymarket Hotel comprises 50 bedrooms and one exclusive townhouse property. The Haymarket’s location could not be more central: on the corner of Suffolk Place and Haymarket, around the corner from Trafalgar Square.

In addition, the private townhouse has direct access to the hotel and all its services and facilities, offering luxury living on a large scale in a hotel context. All rooms feature wireless internet as well as granite and oak bathrooms with the highest level of techno-luxury (heated towel rails, anti-misting mirrors). Guests can also take advantage of the 18 metre swimming pool with bar and nightclub-worthy sound system, as well as the BRUMUS restaurant and bar.

Architecture/Interior Design:

Kit Kemp

Design Concept:

The Haymarket Hotel fuses contemporary and classical references. A landmark building designed by the legendary John Nash, the master architect who developed most of Regency London, including Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and the adjoining Haymarket Theatre, the building comprises 50 bedrooms and suites plus one exclusive townhouse property.

The Haymarket’s façade features a dramatic row of columns that run the length of Suffolk Place. Interiors are a remarkable combination that honours the building’s noble lineage while updating it with co-owner Kit Kemp’s “modern English” interpretation of interior design. The lobby is a clean airy space featuring a large stainless steel sculpture by Tony Cragg and paintings by John Virtue, while the downstairs pool features a spectacular lighting scheme that uses strong contrasts of light and shadow.

Sepia-grey oak dominates the lobby, library and conservatory, and handpicked antiques help jumble past and present. Guestrooms are individually furnished and feature custom-made pieces, avoiding the “designer formula” look and emphasizing rich texture and colour. From their shagreen coffee tables to ivory wood-toned pieces, they evoke contrast and comfort at every level.

Modern English indeed: Haymarket Hotel continues the contemporary rediscovery of specifically English traditions in their purest form, presented in a resolutely forward-looking context.

Hotel’s Facilities:

Food & Drink:

BRUMUS Restaurant & Bar.
The Shooting Gallery (a private dining room seating 40).
24hour room service.

Recreation:

Two spacious drawing rooms with honesty bar.
18 meter swimming pool with bar, lounge, music and lighting system.
Fully equipped gym.

Conferences:

Private meeting rooms.
Business services including video conferencing.

Roomers Hotel

Location: Frankfurt, Germany

Once upon a time, the structure that now houses Frankfurt’s Roomers hotel was home only to offices. When these closed, the building stood empty for a long time before architectural firm Grübel and Romanian designer Oana Rosen got their hands on it, transforming it into a sleek and imposing triumph of modern hotel design.

Roomers offers 106 rooms, 11 suites, a restaurant and a bar spread over five impeccably-designed stories. The hotel’s most stunning feature, however, is reserved for the top: a 600-square-metre roof encased in an illuminated dome made of glass set in specially-glazed white concrete. Inside this futuristic bubble, three fully-equipped conference rooms offer spectacular views over Frankfurt’s banking district below and the river Main nearby. And next to these luxurious business hubs sits hotel Roomers’ impressive Biorhythm fitness and wellness world, conceived by Wiesbaden design group 3deluxe. There, guests can relax or blow off steam after a day exploring the sites, shops and restaurants of Germany’s bustling business capital.

Architecture/Interior Design:

Oana Rosen / Architekturdesign und Innenarchitektur 3deluxe biorhythm / Grübel Architekten

Design Concept:

Classic curves meet progressive design at Roomers, an ambitious new venture in Frankfurt, Germany’s business capital. With its gleaming glass façade set in specially glazed white concrete, Hotel Roomers is a glossy snapshot into the city it inhabits: all timeless charm, clean lines and modern architecture.

Conceptualized by Grübel, an architectural firm best known for its sleek work with BMW, and Romanian designer Oana Rosen, Roomers is an elegantly futuristic five-storey hotel full of electrifying design flourishes, such as an illuminated bubble-domed wellness centre emblazoned with ivy etchings. Formerly a quaint office building, Roomers Frankfurt has now morphed into the exact opposite: a fresh, cosy space full of swirling dark colours interpreted in new ways.

Through its strategic use of bright colours and leather upholstery, the lobby now looks more like a posh Japanese club than what was once the entrance to a workplace.

The 112 guestrooms are decorated in the seemingly contradictory style of indulgent minimalism, but when these two concepts meet, the effect is superb. Continuing the modern theme are the four conference areas in Roomers’ illuminated top level. Kitted out with the chicest accoutrements, these luxurious business rooms can accommodate up to 80 people. Oana Rosen, who previously took Frankfurt by storm when she lent her creative hand to the ultramodern hotel The Pure, has created another conceptual yet wholly enjoyable hotel. Located just minutes away from the river Main, visitors would be hard pressed to find a better backdrop to relax and indulge in the city of Frankfurt.

Hotel’s Facilities:

Food & Drink:

Frankfurt’s new designer hotel Roomers has one restaurant, a bar and a patio.

Recreation:

Biorhythm spa, fitness and wellness centre on top floor by design group Architekturdesign und Innenarchitektur 3deluxe biorhythm.

Conferences:

A 600-sqm illuminated glass dome houses luxurious conference rooms for up to 80 people, offering amazing views over the river Main and Frankfurt’s banking district.