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| Alternative hotels and guesthouses |
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| Fiona Harkin, Lindsey Dupler, WGSN 30.03.06 |
Hyped-up design hotels may draw headlines in glossy magazines, but more travellers are wanting a hip and affordable home-away-from-home experience, whether it's renting an apartment, staying in a guesthouse or a small independent hotel. WGSN hunts out the best hip, fun and cosy abodes.
We love this little 51-room gem which opened in the cool Queen Street West neighbourhood in December 2005. The former red-brick boarding house with Victorian elevator has been lovingly restored and all rooms are individually designed by artists - there's even a gallery on the first floor and artists-in-residence. The attention to detail in each room is truly impressive, with custom-designed wallpaper and fabrics. We love: the Teen Queen room with Teen Beat posters on the walls and the laid-back, no-uniform bellboy who wears a "Fire Me" T-shirt.
Looking for a cosy bolthole in hip Notting Hill that feels like a home away from home? This is the place. The award-winning Main House opened five years ago, but positive word-of-mouth has meant that owner Caroline Main has never had to advertise. With just three suites, each floor of the house is devoted to a spacious guestroom with en suite bathroom, furnished with antique fireplaces and vintage furniture belonging to Main's grandparents. We love welcome greeting by Main's dog, 10% discount off breakfast at Tom's deli around the corner and discounted access to the plush Jim Lampton health club. This is a beautifully decorated bed and breakfast run by Martin Miller of Miller's Antique Guide fame. Expect plenty of covetable antique decor, such as the Chippendale bed in the Byron Room (the six double rooms and two suites are all named after British poets). We love: evening complimentary cocktails in the reception with Miller himself, and the candlelit Drawing Room, which is a favourite for magazine shoots.
Don't have the big bucks to stay in a bland hotel in Midtown? No worries - book yourself into the laid-back East Village Bed & Coffee (starting at $85 per night) and hang out with the hipsters in Alphabet City. Those who can't bear to be offline can rest easy: there's free WiFi in the upstairs "common room" (so no expensive, irritating charges from the "business centre"). This is European-style B&B, with shared bathrooms, where guests are treated as friends. We love: the pink-striped French Room and the Children's Room for Grown-Ups. It's unbelievable, but interior designer Piero Fornasetti's apartment is available to rent. Run by his son, it's worthy treat for any design fan. Book your visit at the end of summer and take advantage of the ripe fruit from the fig, pear and kiwi trees in the courtyard garden. We love: the first painting Fornasetti ever made, The Butterfly Seller, above the fireplace, and the dramatic bathroom where mosaic wall tiles are adorned with the face of opera singer Lina Cavalieri. Make believe you're a Parisian and book this compact but cosy art nouveau apartment in bohemian Montmartre, with shower room and kitchen. The British owners (who also offer a apartment in Seville) have decorated it to a high standard and with a touch of boudoir-style whimsy, such as the bedroom chandelier and the salon-style lounge. We love: looking out of the tall window, hoping for Ewan McGregor to swing by on his way from the Moulin Rouge around the corner.
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© WGSN 2006