Great Suites & Baths

By Rebecca Oliva, Associate Editor -- HOTELS Magazine, 8/1/2002

Today’s travelers prefer stylish hotels

that not only offer themthe highest comfort and service

levels but also intrigue them with unexpected pleasures.

Contemporary hotels entice savvy travelers with suites

that combine avant-garde furnishings, spectacular

architecture, modern art and, often, a futuristic ambience.

And while traditional hotels may seek to pamper travelers

with fine furnishings, richly decorated rooms and

impeccable service, they too include distinctive features

to surprise guests, whether by use of space, dramatic lighting

or unconventional ambience.

Great suites and their adjoining baths must distinguish themselves

from the average by adding a little something out of the ordinary.

The Standard, L.A. Downtown, wows guests with its unexpected black

foot that dominates an otherwise ordinary bathroom. Hotel Monasterio,

Cuzco, Peru, offers suites enriched with pure oxygen to alleviate

breathing problems in the high altitude.

In the annual report on luxury, HOTELS presents

some of the world’s

great suites and baths that in addition to luxury, offer

a bit of the unexpected.

Westin Excelsior, Rome

Rome’s grande dame of historic hotels, the 316-room Westin

Excelsior’s Suite Villa La Cupola rivals royal palaces. Each

room within the 11,700-sq.ft. (1,100-sq.m) suite is generously

decorated with richly colored furnishings and European artifacts.

Framed by the Roman sky, the two-floor suite features a wraparound

terrace, library, living room, six bedrooms, dining room, spa and

a private, eight-seat cinema. The pearl of the suite is a magnificent,

39-ft. (12-m) high domed ceiling with an original Italian fresco.

The Regent Bangkok

Part of a US$4 million renovation, the 6,450-sq. ft. (599-sq. m)

Rajadamri Suite at the 356-room Regent Bangkok is a bastion for Thai

textiles, antique artwork, and locally designed and woven carpets.

The suite features a dining room for 16 people, living room, study,

master bedroom with Jacuzzi bath and separate glass shower and a

private massage room with a Thai massage bed. Its signature feature

is a BeoSound 3000 CD player and BeoLab 4000 loudspeakers that keep

the suite in perfect harmony.

Hotel Monasterio, Cuzco, Peru

Situated in the heart of Cuzco, Peru, where there

is 30% less oxygen in the air because of atmospheric

pressure, the Hotel Monasterio recently debuted its revolutionary

oxygen-enriched suites. The new, one-level suites provide additional

concentrations of oxygen 24-hours a day. Suites are clustered around

the patio area to ensure guests receive picturesque views. Converted

from a 16th century monastery, the 127-room hotel is a popular

destination for visitors of the ancient ruins at Macchu Picchu.

Traces of monastery living from years past are seen in the original

woodwork.

Hôtel Le Bristol, Paris

The recent redesign of the one-bedroom suites

at the 180-room, renowned Hôtel Le Bristol resulted from guests’ requests for larger

rooms in which to relax and enjoy the views of the Parisian skyline.

The sitting rooms of the suites were expanded and redecorated in

pale colors that allow the fabrics to catch light. Ornamented with

European antiques including Louis XV chairs, plush sofas, gilt mirrors

and objets d’art, the suites are intended to provide a soothing

reprieve from the City of Light.

The Royal Livingstone, Victoria Falls, Zambia

Set in the lush riverine belt and touching

the banks of the Zambezi River, the 173-room Royal Livingstone’s Presidential Suite

offers a spacious living room with freshly cut flowers and its own

private veranda. Wildlife pencil sketches adorn the bathrooms, and

animal prints take center stage in the bedrooms. Rooms are colored

in matted hues of brown and white—depicting a safari-like atmosphere.

SIDE, Hamburg, Germany

SIDE, Hamburg’s newest boutique hotel, stands out for its

outrageous décor and architecture. The 10 “flying” suites

on the top floors of the 178-room hotel are decked out in white yet

each maintains its own dominant color. Decor concentrates on the

relation of space and light, creating a “sensual location” for

hip hotel seekers.

EMILIANO, São Paulo, Brazil

The stylish EMILIANO hotel houses some of the

most modern suites in the São Paulo area. All 19 suites

are 905 sq.ft. (84 sq. m) and feature state-of-the art technology,

including touch-screen telephones and flat-screen TVs. The rooms

are decorated in hushed tones of tan and white. Italian furniture,

fabrics and linens ensure that guests enjoy the utmost in comfort

and style.

The Standard, Downtown L.A., Los Angeles

Hotelier André Balazs’ latest creation, the 207-room

The Standard, L.A. Downtown, is anything but conventional. Located

in the financial district, the hotel features 21 suites with oversized, “WOW!

Bathrooms” with tubs designed to be large enough to accommodate

NBA basketball players (the L.A. Lakers play nearby).

White tile offsets the giant black foot created by Italian furniture

designer Gaestano Pesce and massive toilet paper holder that acts

as a mirror stand.

St. Regis, Shanghai

Designed to combine the best of the East and

West, the 318-room St. Regis Shanghai houses bathrooms with Asian

colors and European fabrics and materials. Relaxation is encouraged

with the rainforest shower, a showerhead with 141 fine water-ejecting

nozzles that create a massage effect and the sensation of showering

under a waterfall. The bathroom is clad in Italian marble, of which

GM Michael Gray says “giving the impressions of a modern,

easy-to-use, upscale residential area off of a master bedroom.”

Al Faisaliah Center Rosewood Hotel, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Bathrooms at the 5-star, 224-room Al Faisaliah Center Rosewood Hotel

were designed to be classic, yet contemporary. Custom

glass light fixtures allow elliptical patterns to form on the walls.

A short staircase leads to a large Jacuzzi bath, which is surrounded

by windows. Bathrooms are draped in white and gold colors to invoke

tranquility.