Located just minutes from the famous Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysees, the historic Le Royal Monceau has welcomed innumerable celebrities and artists since it opened in 1928. Le Royal Monceau opened in October 2010 with interiors designed by Philippe Starck, that combines Le Royal Monceau’s unique style, which celebrates the French tradition of “art de vivre”, and the elegance and residential charm. It has 149 rooms and suites, some with private balconies, with features unique in Paris, such as views of the hotel’s generous Sicilian garden – a rarity in Paris.  The style of the rooms and suites is inspired by the 1940s-1950s: warm, noble materials, rigorous lines, and a timeless notion of luxury.

It has 5 exquisite dining and bar options, including Italian favorites which can enjoyed al fresco style within a lush Sicilian garden, and French cuisine in a fine dining ambiance. Le Grand Salon is the central point of Le Royal Monceau, its heart. Located at the heart of the hotel, though slightly secluded, Le Bar Long is raised and located just behind Le Grand Salon. At its center, a high, long, narrow and luminous bar. Here people can sit and, depending on their mood, remain alone, think, dream or talk to the person opposite. For the bar, Philippe Starck wanted to break with conventional and the unique and repetitive face-to-face layout between patrons and a barman moving behind a bar.

Don Rafael fell in love with the area around Haro, the mythical capital of the Rioja Alta region and around 1877 he began the design and construction of the complex that is today known as the López de Heredia bodega (winery), the oldest in Haro. The visitor’s pavilion of the winery, designed by Zaha Hadid is a modular metallic construction situated in front of the old bodega buildings, and in the future will become the visitors’ access to the bodega. It was conceived as a movable  building, and was erected to mark the 125th anniversary of the bodega in the 2002 Alimentaria Fair in Barcelona.  The pavilion also houses a stand used in the Brussels exhibition from the early 20th century.

Make reservation at Marques de Riscal

The  landmark Hotel Marqués de Riscal,  is  in the “City of Wine”:  winery, hotel and spa in El Ciego,  in the heart of the Rioja wine region. Designed by world famous architect Frank  Gehry, the hotel is his second masterpiece in Spain, after Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum. For this project Gehry has used materials and forms similar to those used in the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum, but this time the titanium which covers the structure are in the colors of Marqués de Riscal: Pink: for the red wine, Gold: the mesh which covers the bottle, Silver: the capsule of the bottle

Herederos del Marqués de Riscal wanted a modernistic building that aroused emotions. To achieve that they thought of Frank O. Gehry, known for works such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. But they  were not certain that Gehry would accept. However, the proposal was offered accompanied by a wine of his birth year (1929), and he accepted. 

The 43 authentic guest rooms and suites pay tribute to Frank O. Gehry´s  design. For a more spacious retreat, the 29 bedrooms located in the Spa Wing with unique views over the vineyards, the Gehry Wing, and the town of Elciego.
The Marqués de Riscal Restaurant and the 1860 Restaurant offer an elite selection of wines of the world and offer the best traditional Basque-Riojan cuisine combined with modern influences. The Wine Bar Vinoteca and the Rooftop Lounge – Library present a stylish, yet comfortable atmosphere with panoramic views.

The “City of Wine” is a 21st century chateau in which the different experiences that wine can offer may be enjoyed.

Make reservation at Marques de Riscal

Caudalie invented the Vinothérapie Spas, the use of water from a hot spring combined with vine and grape extracts for sensual, intoxicating exclusive treatments.

The exclusive Caudalie Vinothérapie SPA is inside Marqués de Riscal hotel, designed by Frank Gehry has extensive facilities dedicated to well-being, in an elegant environment.  An exceptional gym,  a Hammam  ideal for the cleansing of toxins, a large indoor swimming pool, perfect for relaxing, as well as several health and beauty treatment cabins, including 2 Barrel Baths. A truly memorable experience for your senses in this uniquely designed hotel in wine country.

Make a reservation at SLS

SLS is steps away from the Beverly Center and storefronts of Rodeo Drive, is on the edge of West Hollywood and the La Cienega Design Quarter. SLS is the first collaboration between Philippe Starck, who has been designing great hotels for decades and the owner Sam Nazarian, who planning opening chain of SLS hotels.

The hotel has two distinguished lobbies. The private guest lobby is an intimate dining and lounge space—a sanctuary reserved exclusively for guests. The other lobby, known  as the “Bazaar” is a modern-day indoor “piazza” where guests and locals alike can enjoy José Andrés’ pioneering culinary.

With views across Beverly Hills,  Altitude pool deck is on the sixth floor, offering a seductive environment of glamor with seven private cabanas flank an elegant reflecting pool and a plunge pool. Each of the 297 guest rooms and suites designed by Philippe Starck for Cassina, including 7 lifestyle suites with personal gym equipment.

The SLS speaks to the needs of today’s sophisticated travelers, while its design  feels sometimes complex..

Make a reservation at SLS

Designed by famous architect Jean Nouvel the new 23-storey residential tower overlooking the Hudson River named Nouvel Chelsea. The light enhancing technique of adding an extra layer of nearly imperceptible transparent gloss under the windows to boost incoming sunlight is very clever.  Almost 1700 individually sized colourless glass panes are set at unique angles and torques to create a glimmering pixilated façade and frame some of the most spectacular views in the city.

The 75 hectares of vineyards owned by Bodegas Ysios are set in the highest area of La Rioja, stretching across the localities of Laguardia and El Villar, in Rioja Alavesa. Standing in the loveliest part of the Rioja Alavesa the surprising silhouette rises of Bodegas Ysios,is dedicated to wine and inaugurated in 2001. For the project development, Ysios turned to a multi-disciplinary team of professionals, headed by the architect Santiago Calatrava. His mission was to construct a unique, avant-garde winery, conceived as a place of worship, a place exclusively dedicated to the creation of wines boasting nothing less than the highest quality, with the decisive guidance of expert oenologists. Its name, Ysios, pays specific homage to Isis and Osiris, two Egyptian gods closely related to the world of wine. 

The cellars of Elciego are a good  museum in which to see the living history of the wines of Herederos del Marqués de Riscal.

The building of the first cellar began in 1858, the year the company was founded. Within these installations, now used for the maturing of wines in barrels, is the Cathedral  a cellar in which the greatest treasure of the Marqués de Riscal is kept; a unique collection of all the vintages produced by the winery since its beginnings over 149 years ago. The increase in wine production meant that the cellars had to be enlarged in 1883, an event not to be repeated until 1968 and 2000. Like the Guggenheim Museum, the building designed by Gehry is covered with titanium. In this case, however, the architect wanted to infuse his work with the signature colors of Marqués de Riscal: pink like the wine, gold like the mesh on the Riscal bottles, and silver like the bottle top.

Vitra Haus designed byJacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron is the new home of Vitra’s Home Collection. The  five-storey structure is built of 12 ‘houses’ – five houses are at the base and seven other houses are stacked upon one another.

Derek Lam’s Soho store, situated on the ground floor of a 19th century factory building merges art and fashion. The boutique was designed by SANAA, whose work includes the New Museum New York.  SANAA decked the space with clear acrylic partitions, creating movable, bubblelike pods that display ready-to-wear items. The boutique also has limited-edition pieces.

Located in Midtown, just steps from Central Park, Hudson is  stylish, and utterly cool. Hudson’s main entrance features a classic Philippe Starck play on proportions—a small door leads into a neutral, low-slung foyer that functions brilliantly as a decompression chamber, transferring guests from the buzz of New York to the separate reality within.  This luminous glass tunnel houses an escalator that transports you, both literally and figuratively, to a dream world that is both captivating and unforgettable—Hudson’s climactic lobby.

With forty-foot ceilings and rampant climbing ivy, it is a soaring and magical space unlike any other.Inspired by the romance of transatlantic travel, this room transports you to another place and time without leaving the city. The rooms are quite small compared other hotels but Philippe Starck’s exuberant neo-modern style is complemented by the sensualist fantasy of artist Francesco Clemente’s bedside lamp light-paintings.

Hudson Bar in midtown Manhattan is a dazzling venue decorated in a riotous collection of styles. It features a glass floor lit from beneath, a hand painted ceiling by world-renowned artist Francesco Clemente, and furniture design that looks like Louis XV meets 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is the perfect place for drinks, lively conversation, people-watching, and experiencing the undeniable excitement of New York.

Located on the 15th floor, Sky Terrace is a large private landscaped terrace with sweeping city and Hudson River views – all for the exclusive enjoyment of hotel guests. Sky Terrace is the ideal spot for soaking up the sun and enjoying a drink and while enjoying the breathtaking panorama below.

Make a reservation at Clift

Clift perfectly captures the San Francisco”"s diverse spirit as a fusion of old-world hotel elegance with distinctly contemporary energy and glamor.  Clift’s classic stone exterior opens onto a glowing purple entryway that prepares guests for the wonderland within.

Designed by Philippe Starck, the soaring lobby contains one of the most eclectic furniture collections in all of California, with chairs from Ray and Charles Eames, a coffee table by Salvador Dali, a surreal stool by Renee Marguerite, and a sculpture custom made by William Sawaya.  The thrilling monumental scale and fantastical furnishings create a dream-like composition that is the cornerstone of Clift’s magic.  Life becomes theater in this striking space, featuring beautifully crafted furniture custom-designed by Philippe Starck.

The beautifully crafted furniture in the rooms include a Starck-designed English sycamore custom sleigh bed and, inspired by artist Man Ray, a whimsical wood chair in the form of a wheelbarrow. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors create a soothing ‘infinity effect. The San Francisco outpost of Jeffrey Chodorow’s Asia de Cuba restaurant has been designed to complement the legendary glamor of the Redwood Room. The renowned and innovative Asian-Latin cuisine is served in an atmosphere of unabashed glamor: lush silk curtains, mahogany and leather banquettes, hand-blown Murano glass lamps, and a spectacular cross-shaped and illuminated communal dining table from Venetian mirror.

Make a reservation at Clift

In the heart of Paris’s museum land,  the Musée du quai Branly has an exceptional location on the banks of the River Seine, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. The arts of Africa, Oceania, Asia, and the Americas now form part of the historical and artistic grand tour of the capital. The Musée du quai Branly is an innovative cultural institution – museum, educational and research center, and public living space all in one. Built on one of the last available sites in the heart of Paris, the architectural design of this original project is the work of Jean Nouvel.

If the weather is good, do not miss cafe Branly, located in the museums beautiful garden, with a view of the Moai head.

Designed by architect Frank Gehry, Walt Disney Concert Hall, new home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is designed to be one of the most acoustically sophisticated concert halls in the world, providing both visual and aural intimacy for an unparalleled musical experience.

Through the vision and generosity of Lillian Disney, the Disney family, and many other individual and corporate donors, the city will enjoy one of the finest concert halls in the world, as well as an internationally recognized architectural landmark. From the stainless steel curves of its striking exterior to the state-of-the-art acoustics of the hardwood-paneled main auditorium, the 3.6-acre complex embodies the unique energy and creative spirit of the city of Los Angeles and its orchestra.

Located in Covent Garden, St Martins Lane is a dramatic and daring reinvention of the fantasy hotel. Smart, witty and sophisticated, Philippe Starck’s design is a brilliant collision of influences – from the modern to the baroque – that suffuses the hotel with energy, vitality and magic.

Entered through improbably tall, luminescent yellow-glass revolving doors, St Martins Lane’s lobby is a theatrical space that offers a provocative manipulation of dimension and proportion. Starck presents a visually stunning play on scale, with oversized columns and angled niches painted a deep fluorescent yellow, complemented by Portuguese limestone floors. From its acid-etched, double-height yellow glass facade to its unpredictable plays on vivid color to the dramatic series of columns that appear as shining towers, St Martins Lane’s lobby is a triumph of color and light.

The floor-to-ceiling windows in the rooms offer a dramatic view of the city.  An eclectic mix of custom-designed furniture by Philippe Starck will tickle your fancy, while the crisp white linens, plush duvet and luxurious agua by Korres amenities will soothe your soul. A one-of-a-kind interactive light installation allows you to personalize the space. With one touch you can change the ambient lighting, choosing from a full spectrum of vibrant colors to express every mood.  Housed in a dramatically colonnaded space, Asia de Cuba’s innovative menu is matched in its surroundings by a dramatic series of soaring art columns.

Dominus winery was designed by the Swiss architects, Herzog and de Meuron. Known for their innovative architectural design, their approach was to integrate the winery into the landscape, echoing the belief that the vineyard is of utmost importance. Indeed, from a distance, the gabion structure dissolves into the landscape and it has been dubbed by the locals “the stealth winery.”

Filled with basalt rocks from the nearby American Canyon, the stainless steel baskets are both an aesthetic and technical choice. Generally used to retain dirt along highways, here the gabions are used to moderate the extreme temperatures of the Napa Valley.Dominus’ glass offices provide panoramic views, allowing us to follow at all times the activity in the vineyard, key to producing a great wine Dominus is the property red wine, produced in the heart of Napa Valley by Christian Moueix and his team.

Make a reservation at Sanderson

Located in the heart of London ‘West End,  Sanderson offers a dream, a world of fantasy. The landmarked 50s building has been transformed by Philippe Starck into a surreal Cocteau-like dream world,  that is smart, pared down, and tempered with a healthy dose of wit and irony. With the absence of “normal” walls and a floor-to-ceiling glass facade that diffuses natural light through flowing layers of ethereal sheer curtains, Sanderson’s indoor/outdoor lobby is a layered and sophisticated environment that is totally original.

Surrounding the landmark Courtyard Garden designed by Philip Hicks,  juxtaposing Salvador Dali’s curvaceous red lips sofa with classic 60s mosaics and hand-carved African furniture with an oversized Louis XV armoire. Everything mixed with wit, magic and surprise in an elegant balancing way.

The rooms blur the line between baroque and modern, structure and space, extravagance and simplicity. Designed without interior walls, layers of sheer curtains allow you to conceal or reveal different spaces as you desire. Ingenious design touches reflect the whimsical aesthetic of Philippe Starck, including a rug inspired by Voltaire’s handwriting and soothing landscape scenes that are hung, unexpectedly, on the ceiling.

The Purple Bar, with its veritable symphony of purples, lavenders and violets, is a chic and intimate lounge that has become one of London’s hottest gathering places. Long Bar is light, white and airy and radiates freshness and cleanliness.

Make a reservation at Sanderson

In the heart of the magnificent first-floor lounges, the “Cristal Room Baccarat” is a genuine living space situated in the former dining room of Marie-Laure de Noailles. Philippe Starck chose to preserve its original design while giving it a necessary touch of modernism and daringness. Meals are served in an extremely sophisticated setting of plain bricks set in wood paneling and gilts.

Baccarat has entrusted the kitchens of its Cristal Room restaurant to Guy Martin, the famous Michelin-rated chef of international repute. With his faithful second Thomas L’Hérisson, Martin proposes refined dishes from the most simple to the most elaborate.

Baccarat boutique is  situated at 11, place des Etats-Unis in Paris. The former muse of this unique private mansion, Marie-Laure de Noailles (1902-1971) gave magical parties there and metamorphosed this magnificent place of pomp and tradition into a home dedicated to painters, writers and musicians. Time and again she would reorganize the layout and design of the mansion to suit her mood.

Philippe Starck was immediately carried away by the idea of developing this magnificent project. He was given carte blanche and developed the extravagant scheme, full of wonderment and surprise for this leading international luxury brand..

Photos: courtesy of Baccarat and Ozlem Avcioglu

Make a reservation at The Hotel

The Hotel is French Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel’s masterpiece.  It offers spirituality and elegance in fusion of contemporary design.

No two guest rooms are alike – and each has a tale to tell. The idea behind the 7-storey building with its clearly laid out 25 studios and suites is something that cannot be easily categorized, but provides guests with an exciting and memorable experience. It combines spirituality with elegance and timeless design. This is not merely a matter of decor but of lifestyle and the feeling of a momentous experience. The Hotel describes a new way of communicating with people and makes its own statement about tomorrow’s world Jean Nouvel’s inner concept is intended to give people outside the impression of being inside, and those inside of being outside. The barriers between outside and inside have been skilfully eliminated. Jean Nouvel’s restrained interplay with the clever technique of mirrors removes the barriers between ground floor and basement.

Ceiling designs of each room are from the film scenes  of 25 films like Pedro Almadovar’s Mathador, David Lynch’s Lost Highway, Bernardo Bertolucci’s Sheltering Sky, from Jean Nouvel’s personal background. Jean Nouvel is a personal friend of many of the film-makers and actors..He  aims to provoke and stimulate interactivity at the same time. He excites the senses and surprises the guests who can enjoy an unforgettable stay. Each room is different. The Parisian color specialist and Nouvel advisor Alain Bony has created unique color compositions.
Viewed from the outside at night, the discreetly illuminated ceiling photos enhance the hotel’s façade with a mosaic of colors and a fascinating light. The lounge floats almost magically above Bamboo restaurant and ground floor. Opened in 2000, the hotel is still one of the sexiest and charming hotels in the world.

Make a reservation at The Hotel

Photos by Jean Nouvel, Serge Brison