SOMEWHERE NEWTOREST YOURHEAD DURING2017
Seven great hotels are opening up in 2017
It wasn’t part of the Dorchester group when we first visited the Hotel Eden in Rome back in 2002. It was, nonetheless one of the grand-dame Roman hotels, dating from the late 19th century, and just a touch intimidating in all its fivestar splendour.
We weren’t actually staying there, but I’d been told about the fabulous views from the bar, right beside the restaurant, on the top floor. So off we headed to partake of a glass of something outrageously priced just so that we could look out over the Eternal City and drink in that vista.
Straight in the entrance door we strode that October day, past the posse of uniformed porters and concierge staff. Then, walking with we-know-exactlywhere-we’re-going purpose, directly across the foyer we went over to the lift, as if we definitely knew the place every bit as well as the legendary film-maker Federico Fellini who used to use the Eden as his preferred location for interviews.
The husband pressed the lift bell with a certain degree of elan. And we waited. He pressed again. And still we waited.
Then a handsome young man in a hotel uniform approached us and politely indicated that, actually, we were waiting at the service lift. Poker-faced, he indicated around the corner to the guest lift.
Cringing with embarrassment and giggling at our stupidity, we climbed in and headed for the top floor bar.
And yes, the prices were outrageous, but the views were utterly spectacular.
And now I’m dying to see what the Dorchester people, who acquired the Eden as part of their small but exclusive hotel portfolio in 2013, have done with that bar – and with the hotel in general. For the Eden has been closed for refurbishment since November 2015 and is set to reopen this April.
There are numerous exciting hotels set to open across the globe in 2017 and here’s six that appeal to me...
Silo Hotel, Cape Town
Formerly a grain silo, this contemporary hotel will sit above a new art museum, right on the waterfront in Cape Town. A rooftop swimming pool and a bar with views of Table Mountain will complete the picture when it opens in March.
1 Hotel Brooklyn, New York
Opening next month, this hotel prioritises nature in its design. So expect lots of greenery, recycled furniture and even internal mahogany trees. And great views across the East River.
Titanic Hotel, Belfast
This 120-bedroom hotel, built in what was once Harland & Wolff ’s headquarters, will be a sister property to the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool. Scheduled to open this spring, it will feature art deco inspired bedrooms, five ‘Heritage’ rooms, and a champagne and cocktail bar area.
Nobu Hotel, Shoreditch, London
The first of the Nobu chain to open in Britain, this hotel, like all that carry the Nobu name, will embrace the company’s east-meetswest philosophy. It’s due to open this spring.
Casa Cook, Kos
As the name suggests, this is the brainchild of the Thomas Cook travel company and it’s their second Greek hotel, the other one being on Rhodes. A mixture of rooms, suites and exclusive two-bed villas (with private pools) this is geared to sport and wellbeing and comes with its own beach club. Opening in July.
Ace Hotel, Chicago
Joining the Ace ‘chain’ , this Chicago hotel will open in the spring in the city’s Fulton Market district. If it’s anything like the others under the Ace brand, it will have a ‘cool’ vibe that’s guaranteed to attract the hipster crowd.