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Condé Nast Traveller has revealed its Hot List for 2013 and among the 54 best new hotels in the world, seven are in the UK.
Citizen M London: when Rattan Chadha sold his Mexx fashion brand in 2001, he had already set his sights on creating a chain of budget hotels for travellers who, like him, ‘wanted fantastic, stylish basics, but no fuss’. Last year he delivered in London, opening a hotel that’s not just young and fun, but relaxing too. Comfortable basics, a friendly vibe, cool design and free Wi-Fi, just off the Southbank.
Café Royal Hotel, London: the revitalisation of one of London’s most illustrious 19th-century addresses would have been a challenge for anyone, but architect David Chipperfield has risen to it with great effect.
South Place Hotel, London: the first hotel from restaurant group D&D London (Almeida, Kensington Place) opened last September in Moorgate. Furnished by Conran + Partners and hung with quirky pieces from Hoxton Art Gallery, it’s a bit of a party pad on the edge of hip Shoreditch.
The Atholl, Edinburgh: this four-suite hotel is in a different league from Edinburgh’s smartest boltholes. Converted from a Regency townhouse by property developers Alison Davies and Malcolm Gray, it radiates glamour from the minute you step into the marble hall, with its hand-painted wallpaper and flickering Roja Dove candles. This is the grandest, coolest house in town for an extravagant weekend or a swanky house party.
Me London: its location is hard to beat – on the edge of Covent Garden, one block from the Thames. Hats off to Foster + Partners for tackling the awkward, triangular site. The hotel is in creamy Portland stone fronted by an elliptical tower and topped with a glass cupola; the interiors are entirely black and white. At the building’s core is a pyramidal atrium thrusting up through all nine floors.
Bulgari Hotel, London: the location – an equidistant totter from Harvey Nichols and Harrods – tells you a lot about the crowd and vibe at this sleek new arrival. An elegant upstart with enough spark to keep the grandest dames of Knightsbridge on their toes.
Dorset Square Hotel, London: this revamped Firmdale hotel edges the site of Thomas Lord’s first cricket ground, and references to the great game range from cricket-ball handles on bedroom wardrobes to red-stitched armchairs and arrangements of bats on the walls of the cosy sitting room. A joyous new all-rounder with a playful soul in the heart of the city.
