hotels | We go where the crowds don't.

SAVING SANTO STEFANO DI SESSANIO

david jules — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 05:45:48 +0000

Is the fate of many unique, virtually abandoned villages in the unknown corner of Abruzzo sealed? Not if Swedish-Italian millionaire Daniele Kihlgren can help it. In 1999, a solitary motorbike trip proved to be a revelation for this modern-day idealist. By chance, he stumbled upon the almost-deserted hilltop village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park in the Apennines. He was struck speechless, not only by the outstanding beauty of the setting, but also because almost everything was untouched. “Time seemed to have stood perfectly still – no concrete buildings, no factories, no tourist infrastructure like the Swiss chalets you find in so many Abruzzese towns,” says Kihlgren. It wasn’t long before he returned to Santo Stefano – not only with his motorbike, but also with a plan to save this village from extinction. Kihlgren, in his mid-forties, has been described as a maverick, a millionaire with enormous willpower. And where there’s a will, there’s a way. Kihlgren bought a house in Santo Stefano and soon many more. Next step was signing a deal with the local authorities to leave Santo Stefano in its original condition – in other words, an embargo on building new houses and a ban on the use of concrete. In exchange, Kihlgren would spend a substantial sum, up to €4.5 million – a mix of his own and borrowed money – on breathing new life into the village and giving it a second chance. “This has nothing to do with renovation,” Kihlgren insists. “It’s about restoration – restoring honour. I had a unique opportunity to save one of the last authentic places in Italy from the grip of cement.” In 2004, five years after Kihlgren first wandered through Santo Stefano, the village was ready for its second life. Kihlgren received help from some big names, including the renowned British architect David Chipperfield, who also supports the concept of ‘conservative restoration’, or restoring while maintaining original features.The result of the first project here in Santo Stefano di Sessanio is Sextantio Albergo Diffuso. A fairly recent concept in the hotel business, an albergo diffuso is a ‘hotel’ scattered throughout a town in different houses. Guests are assimilated into the village and feel part of the community. Kihlgren’s Sextantio originally had 32 houses, but some have been sold to foreigners. Buying a completely restored house from Kihlgren costs about €1200 to €1500 (from $1470) per square metres. The rest serve as hotel rooms with a central reception area, hotel manager and staff.The rooms usually come with a kitchenette, a table and chairs, a fireplace – Spartan luxury. “We try to retain everything that refers back to village life,” says Kihlgren. “Only local materials are used, and old furniture and artefacts were sourced in the area. Modern technology, such as under-floor heating and light switches, is discreetly hidden. We also conducted research with the National Museum of Abruzzo and talked to the elderly residents of Santo Stefano to discover how people used to live and what materials they used. Even beter, after a couple of days staying here, you feel connected with the place. Probably just how Kihlgren felt the moment he decided to save a part of Italian heritage.

How to get there

Santo Stefano di Sessanio is 150 kilometres (a 1.5-hour drive) from Rome and 100 kilometres from the Adriatic coast and the city of Pescara. The best way to explore the region is by car. Sextantio Albergo Diffuso has 27 rooms dotted throughout several buildings, ranging from double rooms to suites, which are twice as large.
A Classic Room with breakfast for two starts at a bargain €160 ($196) per night in low season. While the setting is perfect, there’s definitely room for improvement on the hospitality side.

WWW.SEXTANTIO.IT/SANTO-STEFANO/

The post SAVING SANTO STEFANO DI SESSANIO first appeared on Remote Experiences.

THE FIRST DESIGN HOTEL IN THE WORLD

david jules — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:48:59 +0000

Although the apartment hotel STAY is still our number one in Copenhagen – think afordable huge, lofty rooms with lots of space and smart, Danish design – we have to mention the first design hotel in the world. To be specific, it’s room 606 of the Radisson Blu Royal in Copenhagen that drew our attention.
Forget Schrager and Starck as the pioneers of design hotels. It was good old Arne Jacobsen who created in 1960 the first design hotel avant la lettre. The hotel was integrated in the SAS House, built for the Scandinavian Airlines System. Only the full name of SAS makes you think back to those glamorous days of being stylishly up in the air. This SAS House was not only the first high rise building of the city but next to the luxury hotel it also had an airline terminal where SAS guests could already check-in before hopping on the train to the airport. Remains of this terminal are still to be seen while standing on the treadmill or doing some yoga. In the gym, the ceiling is still the old, concrete one from in the sixties.
But time does not stand still; neither do the wrong kind of interior designers. 50 years on and the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel has unfortunately been completely redecorated. Only room 606 has been carefully preserved and remains identical to Jacobsen’s original commission. The room can be seen as a microcosm, a compressed version of the whole building itself – and a way to understand the underlying themes of Jacobsen’s style and vision. Also the lobby is still very smart with the marble staircase and the elegant Swan Chairs. For beautiful vista’s over the city, head for the Albert K restaurant, on top of the building. Good food, Jacobsen crockery and of course Copenhagen in 360 degrees views.

Room 606 at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel does come with a price tag: DKK 4900 (650 euro) per night, based upon two sharing, and includes breakfast.

WWW.RADISSONBLU.COM/ROYALHOTEL-COPENHAGEN

The post THE FIRST DESIGN HOTEL IN THE WORLD first appeared on Remote Experiences.

STAY WITH ME IN COPENHAGEN

david jules — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:29:21 +0000

Why stay in a small hotel room when you can have a spacious, serviced apartment or loft for the same price? Stay is a brand new hotel concept located on the Island Brygge, a fast developing residential area, just a five minutes drive from the centre of Copenhagen. And one a stone’s throw from the buzzy meat packing district. Stay offers a total of 193 apartments with 15 different layouts, ranging from a one bedroom 90 m2 to an Atelier XL of almost 150 m2. The design is Scandinavian minimalism with furniture from quality Danish brands. Although all the rooms have a kitchen, guests are served free breakfast downstairs or can meet in the evening in the lounge upstairs while having a glass of wine with amazing views over Copenhagen. Stay is located in the old A House building that was once a hub for Copenhagen’s creative elite. While Walls, the Danish real estate developer behind the project, was waiting for a building permit, they lent out the building during two years to local artists, designers, musicians and other creative souls who turned the A House quickly into an alternative landmark of Copenhagen. You can still find traces of this creative past in some of the apartments in the form of writing on the concrete walls or small splashes of colour in the black & white interiors.
Room prices start at approximately 120 euro for an apartment, breakfast for two included. www.staycopenhagen.dk

The post STAY WITH ME IN COPENHAGEN first appeared on Remote Experiences.

CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE MING KIND

david jules — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:22:17 +0000

Close your eyes and imagine Empress Dowager Cixi roaming the century old dwellings of the Summer Palace in Beijing, Wuthering Hights style. If you don’t fancy Chinese concubines, then stay anyway at the magical Aman at Summer Palace, one of the most charismatic hotels in Beijing. This 51 rooms hotel occupies the former dwellings of the Summer Palace and offers a secrets door to access this famous World Heritage Site when “normal” (read: ten thousands of gymnastic, eating, singing and partying Chinese) visitors are not allowed to enter the park.Who wouldn’t want private entrance to one of the most renowned palaces in the world to retire afterwards in one of the over-sizes suites decorated with hand-painted clay tiles from the Yunnan province, Ming-style armoires, rickshaws and hand-carved, wooden walls? Go explore the surroundings with one of the old and stylish Phoenix bikes, have an apero with views on the courtyard while local musicians fill the air with hypnotising tunes and finish the evening with a feast on healthy and light cuisine at The Grill restaurant. After all, it ‘s all a matter of taste, isn’t it.

WWW.AMANRESORTS.COM

The post CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE MING KIND first appeared on Remote Experiences.

FLAW(&FLUE) LESS DISTRITO CAPITAL

david jules — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:37:53 +0000

Mexico City has never been off the most stylish and interesting cities hotlist. With again more pollution hanging in the air, then H1N1, it’s time to put the spotlight on one of the newest additions to the hotel scène in vibrant MDF. Distrito Capital is owned by hotel entrepreneur Rafael Micha, a man who knows how to turn a hotel into a neighbourhood’s hotspot.White, white, white rooms with smart touches like the yellow Nat Geo binoculars and of course unlimited views over Mexico City. Distrito Capital might be located a bit away from the city centre, in the more businessy Santa Fe area, it still a good bet for those wanting to escape the smoggy city and lounge by the pool together with the beautiful in-crowed of MDF.

The post FLAW(&FLUE) LESS DISTRITO CAPITAL first appeared on Remote Experiences.

ATACAMA DESERT STYLE

david jules — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:27:00 +0000

Sizzling hot during the day, freezing cold at night. Not to forget one of the dryest places on earth. Handy for people like me who are used to the rain for almost 8 months a year. A new wave of hotels opened their doors here near or in San Pedro de Atacama. The old institude Explora is pretending the new ones are not there and continues their “this is not a hotel but an experience” philosophy. Let’s see how long they can hold on to it. Good options are Awasi for romance and privacy, Alto Atacama for unlimted views on the mountains and absolute silence at night and Tierra Atacama for good design, comfort and lot’s of space. And of course there’s still the desert waiting to be discovered… but at your own speed and only when you want it… don’t let them treat you like you are on bootcamp! Atacama is also about relaxing and enjoying the space and silence…

WWW.EXPLORA.COM
WWW.ALTOATACAMA.COM
WWW.TIERRAATACAMA.COM
WWW.AWASI.CL

The post ATACAMA DESERT STYLE first appeared on Remote Experiences.