Via
Think contemporary travel, and a few specific city hotspots probably spring to mind: New York’s modern townhouse hotels, London’s quirky city stays and of course, Miami’s Art Deco designer pads. However, as the lifestyle travel movement zigzags across the globe, Asia’s cosmopolitan cities and dreamlike getaways are shaping up to be some of the most vibrant, wishlist-worthy destinations for creative class travellers. Business and creativity are booming across the continent and resulting in up-and-coming neighbourhoods like the stylish Wan Chai district in Hong Kong, where recent openings like the Mira Moon Hotel and Hotel Indigo are putting a thoroughly modern stamp on the city. Meanwhile, Marina Sands’ skyscraping infinity pool in Singapore haunted many an Instagram account in 2013; Beijing’s gigantic Hotel Eclat doubles up as a contemporary art gallery; and Asian innovators like Unlisted Collection continue to experiment and challenge preconceptions on an international scale. As the Asian contemporary travel evolution amps up, we decided to scratch the surface of a few of the most exciting openings and renovations scheduled for 2014, from high-end Hong Kong hotels to otherworldly Balinese escapes.
Used to a history of reinvention and renewal, Hong Kong has become one of the region’s most creative centres in recent years, marrying modern galleries, cool destination bars and its very own version of Art Basel with the shiny towers of big business. This change has been accompanied by a new breed of lifestyle hotel, epitomised in the buzz-worthy Ovolo series of properties. After beginning life as a modern serviced apartment company back in 2002, Ovolo has gone into overdrive in recent years by opening three new hotels in 2012 and a ‘seaside design hotel’ in Hong Kong’s Aberdeen district in August 2013. Following its win for Best Luxury Hotel Brand in Hong Kong at the 2013 World Luxury Hotel Awards back in November, the group is now on target to launch their largest and most ambitious concept to date, the Ovolo 64 Wong Chuk Hang Road, in Q1 of 2014. The 162-room hotel will be an NYC-style conversion of a pre-existing warehouse in the hip cultural neighbourhood of Southside, combining the building’s industrial features with cutting-edge design with the help of architectural partners KplusK Associates. Group Founder & CEO Girish Jhunjhnuwala remarks “We see ourselves as pioneers for this upcoming part of Hong Kong”, bringing together the city’s first warehouse conversion hotel with Ovolo’s signature, modern take on service – unlimited free WiFi, staff known as OMGs (Ovolo Meet & Greets) and a rooftop bar complete with happy hour cocktails.
Ovolo 64 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Via
Meanwhile, the self-described ‘first boutique hotel in Hong Kong’ and design doyen Philippe Starck’s first Asian outpost, J Plus Hotel by Yoo, will be marking its 10th anniversary with a design overhaul set to be revealed in March 2014. Hints from the hotel about what to expect are cryptic, other than a promise that its birthday makeover will “carry on its creative, Starck-esque legacy with fresh, creative finishes specifically catering to fast-living professionals and style-conscious travellers”. Perhaps as a demonstration of this commitment to the stylish creative class, the hotel will also be launching a year-long initiative called ‘J+Yoo Style’ to reach out to Hong Kong’s fashion-forward audience whilst simultaneously furthering the city’s artistic talent.
Having recently shaken up the London hotel scene with a sophisticated and elegant renovation of a Belle Époque property in the city centre, Rosewood is now turning its sights to Beijing for its first Asian hotel. The 283-room Rosewood Beijing, scheduled to open in Spring 2014 in the city’s business district of Chaoyang, will take the shape of a striking, architecturally daring modern tower with subtle edges inspired by traditional Chinese concepts, such as mountain village hospitality, a contemporary take on Oriental design and country-style Chinese cuisine. W Hotels will also be heading downtown on June 28 for the launch of W Beijing – Chang’an, set to spice up the Diplomatic District with the brand’s trademark combination of cocktails and clubbing. Finally, situated 40 minutes outside the city centre alongside the picturesque Yanqi Lake and with views of Yanshan Mountain and the Great Wall, the alien-looking Yanqi Lake Kempinski Hotel will comprise a main hotel, guest house and 12 ‘boutique hotels’ when it opens in Q3 2014.
Rosewood Beijing, Via
One of the most anticipated Asian openings for 2014 comes from Swire Hotels, who will be adding a third member to its House Collection in Q4 with The Temple House, Chengdu. Both The Opposite House, Beijing and The Upper House, Hong Kong have made a huge impact on the Asian hospitality market with their fusion of impeccable modern service and stunning design (The Upper House won LE Miami’s Award for Best Design 2013 and Dominic Purvis, Director of Marketing and Sales for the brand, spoke about ‘How Can Service Be Improved In Lifestyle Hotels?’ at the 2013 Ministry of Ideas – click here to download the podcast). This latest 100-room property, part of a conservation project to preserve the heritage buildings next to the thousand-year-old Daci Temple, will fuse contemporary design elements with traditional Chengdu architecture to create what Managing Director Brian Williams terms “a highly individualised” urban hotel.
A fresh crop of Balinese resorts will also demonstrate that contemporary luxury and design doesn’t have to be urban. Alila Hotels and Resorts’ fifth property on the island, Alila Seminyak, will open in Bali’s hippest hub in Q2 and feature innovative design and architecture based on a rice paddy field concept, with green spaces dominating the interiors and exteriors. MesaKara Ubud has also been designed to complement the local landscape, with an undulating architecture that flows into the surrounding rice fields and high-tech, high style suites with panoramic views.
From the hustle of Asia’s hippest downtown districts to the sophisticated, laidback luxury of its island escapes, a contemporary reimagining of local tradition, culture and landscape is creating a new generation of inventive, distinctive and relevant hotels for modern travellers.
This post was published in partnership with our friends at LE Miami.
Check out their blog The Shift to learn more about the evolution of contemporary luxury travel.
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