Where stories come to life Design Hotels™ presents hotels with a captivating tale
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Where stories come to life Design Hotels™ presents hotels with a captivating tale
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Category: Worldwide
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2010-10-28
From a former brewery to an ancient romantic palace, each member of Design Hotels™ has a unique story to tell. Design Hotels™ is more than a portfolio of hotels – it is a collection of individual and unusual stories. Each hotel is the product of an original hotelier who has taken inspiration from the building, or locality, and transformed it into a fascinating place to stay. Member hotels therefore go beyond just offering a visual experience through stunning architecture and design – they integrate the history or unique features of their location to open up ways for guests to experience the destination. From the financial center of Germany to a UNESCO World heritage city in Laos, these five members of Design Hotels™ tell an intriguing story from past or present.
At 25hours Hotel tailored by Levi’s rooms are divided into sizes rather than categories, with an original pair of jeans in each room. Love and romance dominate the story of the 300-year-old palace AnaYela, situated in the historic and spiritual neighborhood of Marrakech, Morocco. Foodies should head to 3 Nagas by Alila in Luang Prabang, Laos and marvel at the historic bottles of ice cream flavor exhibited in the lobby. Bottles also play an important role at the Factory Hotel in Munster, Germany, which was a brewery in the past. Situated on a site where a 15th century abbey once stood, The Dominican in Brussels, Belgium, has a spiritual and religious story to tell. www.designhotels.com/stories
25hours Hotel tailored by Levi’s, Frankfurt, Germany
What is the result when a hotel company joins forces with the iconic lifestyle brand Levi’s? A new hotel story is born which focuses on the interesting history of the Levi’s jeans. Located next to the German headquarters of Levi Strauss, the hotel’s design focuses on the famous label and its influence on fashion, music and art from the past century. The 76 individually-designed rooms strongly reflect the denim theme and come in different shades of blue – cobalt, azure, turquoise, aquamarine and indigo. The room categories are labelled like the various sizes of garments: S, M, L and XL. Each floor reflects a different decade from the 30s to the 80s and features an original pair of jeans representing the fashion trend of the specific decade. www.designhotels.com/25hourslevis
AnaYela, Marrakech, Morocco
The AnaYela is a "place of inspiration" in the middle of Marrakech's Medina, the historic and spiritual part of the city – built to stimulate imagination and creativity by the entrepreneurs-couple Bernd and Andrea Kolb. AnaYela meaning “I am Yela” is the beginning of a love letter discovered in a hidden corner during the refurbishment of the 300-year-old city palace. The letter tells the romantic story of Yela, a girl who met her future husband on a magic night on the rooftop terrace of the Arabian palace. The most famous calligrapher in Marrakech has carved the love story in chronological order on the various doors in the house, transforming each room into a different chapter of the love story. www.designhotels.com/anayela
3 Nagas by Alila, Luang Prabang, Laos
Located in the heart of the UNESCO World heritage city Luang Prabang, 3 Nagas by Alila has three historical houses, each with its own unique story to tell. The Lamache House, surrounded by mango trees, and the Khamboua House next to the Khan river are both over a century old and have served many different purposes over time. The Lamache House, built in 1898, was originally used by the royal court as a meeting space and was transformed decades later into the most popular ice cream parlor in the city. While refurbishing the building, three bottles with the original substance used for flavoring the ice cream were found and are now exhibited in the lobby of the house. Constructed in 1903, the Khamboua House is surrounded by an exceptionally beautiful garden and is a precious piece of Lao architecture, allowing guests to dive into the rich culture of the city. The high-quality materials, including exotic wood and stone, were transported on the backs of elephants across the Nam Khan River, during construction. www.designhotels.com/3_nages_by_alila
Factory Hotel, Munster, Germany
It was in the late 1880s when Friederich Dieninghoff decided to open his own brewery and a few years later when he succeeded with the launch of Germania beer. However, in 1980 the company had to close down the brewery due to a lack of demand. In 2008, architect Andreas Deilmann renovated the factory and gave the place a new purpose with the creation of the Factory Hotel. The main structure remains the same with many details from the original building. For instance the brewing tank serves as a dancing space in the evening, the changing rooms of the workers is now the lobby and the restaurant La Tapia is located where the brew kettle once stood. www.designhotels.com/factory_hotel
The Dominican, Brussels, Belgium
Located in the buzzing city of Brussels, The Dominican attracts a stylish and hip clientele with its exceptional design. The hotel is characterized through high ceilings and galleries which refer to the Dominican abbey that used to stand on the site in the 15th century. Between 1816 and 1825, famous painter Jacques-Louis David built his home on the grounds which also became his creative atelier. The star design duo FG stijl and the Belgian architecture firm Ass Architects took the original purposes of the building as a source of inspiration and combined new and modern aspects with historic elements. As a result, the original 19th century facade has been integrated into the new construction and the 150 guestrooms are individually designed with luxurious fabrics and materials which create a comfortable and chic ambience. www.designhotels.com//the_dominican
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