This new 85-room hotel is a study in a dark, moody Italian design, sensibility plopped in the middle of the quintessentially English (and posh) suburb of Knightsbridge.
Deep, dark mahoganies mingle with Italian marble, as well as shiny silvers and slate greys, all giving the hotel – which dubs itself the first new luxury hotel in London in over 40 years, and sits slickly next to its historical neighbours – a distinctly masculine feel.
Celebrities including Aishwarya Rai and Rosamund Pike jetted in for the hotel’s opening last month, and while we’re sure they popped across to the neighbouring shopping haven that is Harrods, we bet they also took advantage of the six underground leisure floors of the hotel that house one of London’s largest spas as well as a 47-seater cinema and a 25-metre swimming pool.
Book in for a two hour Energy booster ritual at the slick onyx spa, and indulge in an exfoliation, a cleansing algae wrap and a scalp and body massage, (priced at a one-off special rate of Dh1,270) before unwinding in the relaxation rooms, waking up your skin in the ice fountains or hitting up the state-of-the-art gym.
But if unwinding for you is more about pasta than pampering, book a table at Il Ristorante, which is helmed by Alain Ducasse’s right-hand man Robbie Pepin, and is open for lunch and dinner.
Making a grand entrance down the winding staircase, you’ll get to sample Robbie’s Brit-influenced Italian menu, including produce-praising dishes like Mediterranean sea bass with taggiasca olives, minestrone vegetables and basil, or warming options like Beef fillet with polenta and rosemary jus (yum!).
Inside info
If you’re on a budget but still want to experience a slice of Milanese style in the Brit capital, try the three-course set lunch at Il Ristorante, a seasonal selection that changes fortnightly and will set you back just Dh175-per-person.
Details Rooms from Dh3,650-a-night | 171 Knightsbridge | +44 207 151 1010 | bulgarihotels.com
Guy and Girl, Miami, USA
The Shelborne is a South Beach hotel that looks exactly as you’d imagine a chic Miami spot to look – think all-white exteriors with punches of colour, palm trees and a pool the colour of the sky above.
Inside the hotel is one of the city’s coolest new boutique shops, where under its high ceilings you’ll find quirky labels, so pick up a Maya swimsuit, a Tallulah summer dress and Cocobelle sandals and be ready to show Miami what you’re made of.
1801 Collins Avenue, South Beach | shopguyandgirl.com
Ku De Ta, Bali, Indonesia
One of Bali’s most iconic nightlife spots, this barmeets-club-meets-bistro is the Indonesian isle’s answer to Barasti. Stretching across Seminyak beach, it’s the place to sup on a drink and snack on a grazing menu while watching the famous Balinese sunset.
The prices are higher than many other beachside options, but the people-watching is the best you’ll find on the island; the visiting DJs are world-class, and the food – hello, crispy soft shell crab, nice to meet you! – truly sophisticated.
Jalan Kayu Aya No. 9 Seminyak | kudeta.net
