By Rhiannon Batten www.independent.co.uk
The May Fair, London
One of 12 individually styled suites at the revamped May Fair Hotel, the Schiaparelli Suite takes its name from the fuchsia-loving, avant-garde Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli. This vast suite may be fairly restrained in its homage to the designer, but its combination of colour and comfort is a winning one, with pink pony-skin and leather fittings, fuchsia pillows and a hot pink retro-styled armchair.
The May Fair, Stratton Street, London W1J 8LT (020-7769 4041; themayfairsuites.com). The suite starts at £1,500 per night, including breakfast.
Tcherassi Hotel & Spa, Colombia
The seven rooms and suites (one with its own pool) in this Cartagena bolthole owned by Colombian designer Silvia Tcherassi feature high ceilings, glossy wooden floors, balconies and not a hint of overblown South American bling.
Tcherassi Hotel & Spa, 6-21 Calle del Sargento Mayor N, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia (00 57 5 664 4445; tcherassihotels.com). Doubles start at US$295 (£193), including breakfast.
Armani Hotel, Dubai
The first of two fashion-brand hotels to open this year in Dubai (there’s also a Palazzo Versace in the pipeline), the Armani Hotel will take up floors five to eight and two higher levels of the Burj Khalifa. Don’t expect anything here to be done on a subtle scale – 160 rooms and suites (all furnished with signature Armani/ Casa designs), Armani/Dolci artisan confectionery, Armani/Fiori bespoke flower arrangements, an Armani/Privé nightclub and a spa will all be part of the operation when it opens next month.
Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE (00 971 4 362 7200; armani hotels.com). Doubles start at 2,000 dirhams (£360), room only.
Uxua Casa, Brazil
Owned by Wilbert Das, creative director at Diesel, this collection of nine individual casas is set around a shimmering quartz swimming pool. The accommodation ranges from restored fishermen’s houses to a tree house. All have been built or refurbished along sustainable lines and the much of the restaurant produce is organic.
Uxua Casa Hotel, Quadrado, Trancoso, Bahia, Brazil (00 55 73 3668 2277; uxua.com). Apartments start at R955 (£352), including breakfast.
Hotel Missoni, Edinburgh
Don’t be put off by the bland, modern exterior here. There’s more atmosphere than you might expect inside the first Missoni hotel (more are planned for Kuwait, Cape Town, Brazil and Dubai), as well as friendly staff, free Wi-Fi and minibars, a bar with a decent cocktail list, a restaurant serving unpretentious Italian food, those eye-catching prints and an altogether better class of bathrobe. Choose one of the more characterful rooms in the older part of the building or splash out on room 507, with its killer view of Edinburgh Castle.
Hotel Missoni, 1 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 (12A)D (0131 220 6666; hotelmissoni.com). Doubles start at £210, including breakfast.
Maison Moschino, Milan
Fashionistas visiting Milan now have a suitably cutting edge hotel to call home. Opened this month, Maison Moschino’s neo-Classical railway station site was reimagined by the fashion label’s creative team. The rooms are fairly minimal, but frills include headboards fashioned from ballgowns and tree-shaped four-posters.
Maison Moschino, Viale Monte Grappa 12, Milan, Italy (00 39 02 29 00 98 58; hotelphilosophy.com). Doubles start at €270.
