One City, Two Hotels, One Desire For A Weekend Getaway

It’s Friday, Weekend is here and every time this happens i feel the need to travel, to slow down a bit, to relax in some new place i’ve never been before, surrounded by my friends of course, in some cozy place in Tuscany sipping their divine cappuccino or a glass of their exquisite wine, for example.   When weekend comes, the prospect of packing my bags for a weekend break gets more and more tempting. The need to open my eyes widely and see the world around me gets more and more acute, fancy restaurants pop in my mind and chic streets with their chic boutiques, i see lots of laughter with my friends, museums i’ve never seen but i’m dying to visit, good food, just everything that a weekend getaway usually involves when you leave your city (for only two days ) and lose yourself in other people’s culture and traditions, other streets, new customs, other lives, new people. Vogue France explores the European cities of London, Berlin, Brussels, Barcelona and more, bringing us their two most stylish hotels to satisfy this lust. Fabulous cities for a fabulous weekend break! I suggest stop dreaming and just try them out if you have the opportunity!

London-Ace Hotel and Blakes Hotel

Ace Hotel

After Seattle, New York and Palm Springs, Alex Calderwood chose to set up his latest Ace Hotel right in the heart of London’s creative and fashionable quarter, between Shoreditch, Hoxton and Hackney. Teeming with galleries, vintage shops and new start-ups, this East London area is the perfect setting for this ultra-cool hotel, designed in collaboration with Universal Design Studio, Benchmark and Ercol. Fully equipped with a spacious lobby, an exhibition area for local artists, a café and even a florist, the hotel is designed to be a collective creative space open to everyone.
100 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ,EL, London, Tel.+44 (0)20.7613.9800

Blakes Hotel

Created by interior designer Anouska Hempel in 1978, Blakes Hotel is a haven of opulence somewhere between a gentleman’s club and a cozy cottage. Think walls covered in paintings, swathes of silky fabrics, embroidered cushions and walls of antique books. The hotel is a wonderful glimpse into the life of London’s high society; an elegant and eccentric plunge into an ultra-luxe world, right in the heart of Chelsea.
33 Roland Gardens,SW7 3PF, London Tel.+44 (0)20 7370 6701

Barcelona-El Palauet Living and Hotel Pulitzer

El Palauet Living

In an art deco building dating from 1906 designed by architect Pere Falquès, El Palauet Living‘s minimal, sophisticated interior comes as a surprise. With furniture designed by Philippe Starck, Eames and Saarinen Jacobsen, the immaculate rooms are like futuristic bubbles all situated just a stone’s throw from Passeig de Gracia.
Passeig de Gràcia, 113, 08008 Barcelona, Tel.+34 932 18 00 50

 Hotel Pulitzer

In the heart of the Eixample district, a short walk from Catalunya square, this hotel has been in the same historic building since the twenties. Created by interior designer Lázaro Rosa Violán, it’s warm and welcoming with leather, dark wood and brightly-colored decor. The biggest attraction is undoubtedly the roof terrace, one of the most beautiful in the city, an ideal spot for sitting and sipping cocktails as the sun goes down before heading out to sample Barcelona’s night life.
Carrer Bergara, 8, 08002, Barcelona, Tel.+34 934 81 67 67

Brussels-Odette en Ville and Hotel VintageBrussels-Odette en Ville and Hotel Vintage

Odette en Ville

With Italian marble, velvet curtains, rabbit fur and crackling fires, Odette en Ville is lavish and charming. Situated in the heart of the Châtelain area, the hotel opened its doors in 2009, and is a must-visit for guests who like their decor dark. What’s more, the hotel’s French-Belgian restaurant is full of local specialties.
Rue du Châtelain 25, 1050 Ixelles, Brussels, Tel.+32 2 640 26 26

Hotel Vintage

Hotel Vintage arrived in Brussels on a wave of 1960s revival, so think retro orange colors, plenty of Formica, round armchairs and psychedelic wall papers- you can almost hear the Beach Boys playing in the background. All this just a short stroll from Avenue Louise, the Belgian capital’s busiest street.
Dejonckerstraat 45, 1060 Brussels, Tel.+32 2 533 99 80

Berlin-Michelberger Hotel and The Mandala Hotel

Michelberger Hotel

An old factory that has been transformed into a chic hotel, the Michelberger, designed by Werner Aisslinger, belongs to a new generation of hotels which feel more like staying at a friend’s than a soulless stop off point. Breakfast at big wooden tables, curl up on their comfy sofas with an art magazine in the communal area or plug in your laptop for a spot of online shopping. As for decor, the minimalist rooms feature mezzanines and bunk beds.It’s the perfect place to infiltrate the East Berlin artist collective.
Warschauer Straße 39/40, 10243 Berlin, Tel.+49 30 29778590

The Mandala Hotel

Designed by Ulrike Lauber and Wolfram Wohr the Mandala Hotel is located away from Berlin‘s hustle and bustle in the Postdamer Platz area which was all but destroyed during the war and left deserted during the 1960s. Behind large windows which reflect the whole of Berlin, the hotel’s white walls and streamlined design are sure to leave you feeling zen.
Potsdamer Straße 3, 10785 Berlin, Tel.+49 30 590050000

Lisbon-Palacio Belmonte and The Bairro Alto hotel

Palacio Belmonte

The Palacio Belmonte isn’t just a palace by name: having once belong to the Count of Belmonte, the 500 year-old building is situated at the height of the town, sitting eye to eye with the river Tagus. Though lacking a television and other gadgets, the hotel boasts a black marble swimming pool, exotic ornaments from all four corners of the globe and walls covered in Portuguese azulejos.
Pátio de Dom Fradique 14, 1100-624 Lisbonnes, Tel.+351 21 881 6600.

The Bairro Alto hotel

Located right in the heart of the Portuguese capital, the Bairro Alto is just a few steps from the city’s best restaurants, art galleries and boutiques. Spread over six floors the hotel features an ultra-modern lobby, comfortable rooms and a rooftop of terracotta tiles where white linen cloths float throughout the day.
Praça Luís de Camões 2, 1200-243 Lisbonnes, Tel.+351 21 340 8288

Source vogue.fr