THE NEW HOSPITALITY
Think ‘luxury hostel’ is an oxymoron? KASH BHATTACHARYA reveals five places where the bill comes as a nice surprise
The humble hostel gets a luxury upgrade. By KASH BHATTACHARYA
IT WAS IN
my late 30s, prompted by a life- changing decision to adopt a nomadic lifestyle and see the world, that I found myself needing to find budget accommodations that were stylish and social yet private. I was seeking luxury in hostel environments, but not luxury in the traditional sense. Luxury might come in the form of an unusual experience: a food tour of the city, enjoying an aperitivo with Milanese locals, cocktails in a converted historic train station or something as simple as a spectacular view. What followed was a mission to scout out the best luxury hostels the world had on offer. Here are five luxury hostel gems.
THE HOUSE OF SANDEMAN HOSTEL & SUITES, PORTO (LEFT )
波圖 左圖
The House of Sandeman sits on top of a 227-year- old wine cellar in Porto. It’s a collaboration between the Sogrape wine company and the Independente Collective hospitality group.
While the exterior of the historic building has remained relatively untouched, the interiors have been transformed: you get large, airy, stylish communal spaces that still retain faithful architectural elements of the old building. Double- height ceilings, arches and skylights, wine barrel- inspired dorm beds and suites overlooking the Douro river make this a jawdropping contribution to the art of low- cost hotel design.
THE QUISBY, NEW ORLEANS 新奧爾良 (BELOW 下圖)
The meaning of ‘quisby’ can be interpreted as ‘misadventure’ or someone who is ‘out- of-sorts’. That’s cool with the owners of The Quisby in New Orleans, who self-identify as a ‘bunch of misfits and loveable troublemakers’. Some of them are native to the city, some visited the Big Easy and didn’t have the heart to leave. Together, they have created a hostel in the three-storey structure of the historic Audubon Hotel. It was built in the 1930s as a basic form of housing for Mississippi riverboat crews, but its beautiful cream and emerald facade belies its humble origins. The hostel has 30 rooms, a mix of shared and private dorms. Large sunny windows, memory-foam mattresses and free New Orleans chicory coffee and local pastries at breakfast all enhance the experience. Rooms overlook Charles Avenue, the route of the Mardi Gras festival: make sure to book your rooms here well in advance – and I mean seriously well – to take in all the action.
ONCE IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (RIGHT )
南非 右圖
Located a restaurants, hostel thriving Once on hubbub Kloof is in the Cape Street, sustainable of Town. bars not and far luxury from
150 This guests, is a large with hostel, conference sleeping rooms, over meeting room, cinema space, communal kitchen, on-site restaurant and bar – and a lively social calendar. The rooms are mostly private with en suite bathrooms, graced with crisp white linens and local artwork. The on-site bar, Yours Truly, is a Cape Town institution, where locals and guests gather in a space that’s half urban hipster, half sub-tropical jungle.
NEXY HOSTEL, HANOI
河內(BELOW RIGHT )
右下圖
Wedged between tall, narrow houses in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, surrounded by a maze of street wires and wayside scooters, stands the smart, cheerful white-and-blue facade of the Nexy Hostel.
The hostel is described as ‘a place to sleep or not sleep at all’, thanks to shared spaces that include a games room, a cafe and a lively rooftop terrace. Rooms are minimalist, clean and comfortable. A locker for storage, power outlets for juicing up gadgets, privacy curtains for enjoying quiet time and even minor details like hooks for hanging up damp towels show a great attention to detail.
DOCK INN HOSTEL, WARNEMUNDE (ABOVE AND RIGHT瓦爾內明德 上及
右圖)
quay The unique from containers, etched world’s of Hamburg, age- overseas of by Dock oceans, Warnemunde old countless with German 150 Inn shipping were their Hostel, kilometres voyages shipyard dumped special is containers. home constructed away, patina across harbour in to the the before These the port being into made Although spaces from moved such for the and the structure basic skilfully millennial building of transformed the and blocks, hostel mobile. it’s is surprisingly to the lofty terraces comfortable and high and airy windows. – thanks The the rough, container fresh theme charms merges of the well Baltic with seascape. Here, bathrooms are concealed in shipping crates, while larger containers offer space for eight-bed dorms and suites. There’s even an indoor rockclimbing centre.