Head for the HILLS
This starry Knightsbridge hotel is a fixture on the capital’s five-star scene. Now, it’s been reimagined for the next generation
It’s hard to imagine a setting more sensational than a thousand-yearold castle set on an Umbrian hilltop. And the new Hotel Castello di Reschio, slowly and sensitively restored by Count Benedikt Bolza and wife Donna Nencia, is only one part of a vast estate, which includes forests, olive groves and vineyards, as well as nine rental properties coaxed from crumbling farmhouses. Expect original stone fireplaces and bespoke pieces by Benedikt’s own furniture brand BB for Reschio in the 36 rooms – one even has its own olive press – which are sumptuous but allow the building’s incredible bones to shine through. Much of the magic, though, is in the surprises, from the courtyard palm house to the restful spa hidden in the old wine cellar. From approx £656 per night (reschio.com).
When the Carlton Tower opened in 1961, it was a beacon of luxury for a buzzing London – quite literally, too, as the capital’s tallest hotel at the time. ‘It was the epitome of glamour. The place to see and be seen,’ says Ailsa Connery, design director of interior and architecture studio 1508 London, who were charged with masterminding the most extensive makeover in its history. Now complete, the new-look Carlton Tower Jumeirah features a new foyer, restaurant and cavernous spa, which houses a swimming pool swathed in natural light.
‘Working with the structural constraints of a 1960s building was challenging,’ admits Connery. ‘To open up the lobby we removed a central column and raised the ceiling to create a double-height entrance.’ With decorative Italian marble flooring and a bespoke chandelier by Lasvit, it hopes to capture what she calls ‘the return of the
‘LUXURY HAS EVOLVED TO BECOME MORE THAN BEAUTIFUL FINISHES’
arrivals moment’. It’s clear that carving more space has been a real focus of the renovation, which included a reduction in the overall room count to accommodate a larger number of suites. Furniture is soft and sculptural, with deep blues, greens and maroons, while balconies overlook leafy Cadogan Gardens.
There are heritage stories here, too. Retained above the entrance to new Mediterranean restaurant Al Mare is the modernist copper installation Four Seasons by British sculptor Elisabeth Frink, which was commissioned for the hotel’s opening. It’s been joined by a new bronze and pewter relief map of London, in collaboration with applied arts studio Rima & McRae, which decorates a full wall of the Chinoiserie tea room.
‘Luxury has evolved to become more than beautiful finishes and bespoke furniture,’ says Connery. ‘We want guests to feel as relaxed as they would in their own home.’ From £540 per night ( jumeirah.com).