Downcast! Dank! Dismal! Unless you’re escaping to warmer climes – or just so happen to live there, lucky you – this might well be your experience of winter. Three fabulous new city hotels in 2024 are set to put a spring in your step, however: Janu Tokyo, ROMEO Roma and Mandarin Oriental Mayfair will be such epitomes of innovative design, they’re as much head-turners as the first people likely to check in (and we’re only partially referring to ourselves here).
Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London
What’s not to love about staying in one of the chicest spots in the whole of London, Mayfair’s Hanover Square? Yet, a milieu that’s an uber-cool intersection of the arts, business, fashion and media communities is in line to become even more exclusive, when Mandarin Oriental‘s second entry into the British capital opens (its first being a tried and tested OutThere favourite). The elegant, two-block edifice, which is an inspired combo of guest quarters and private residences, was designed by RSHP, known amongst other work for London’s ‘Cheesegrater’ building and the Pompidou Centre. They’ve made sure this 5-star boutique reflects the area’s local history and surrounds; and features include an exquisite recessed white ‘Vierendeel’, an entrancing glazed courtyard, and burnt red brick ‘baguettes’.
As for the 50 suites – bold, sleek and modern – they’re wonderfully embellished with quintessentially British details. And impressively, each room, influenced by haute couture, has been envisioned as a jewellery box. Fine timbres, snug carpets and fabrics, marbles, as well as custom-made furniture and lighting abound. This Westminster hideaway will also boast award-winning Chef Akira Back’s first UK restaurants (expect Korean cuisine) and a spectacular space-age spa. Thus, if like us, you managed to get through three pheasants, two beef wellingtons and an entire wild boar at Crimbo – and that was just Christmas Day’s appetiser – and want to trim that waistline, assistance is at hand. Why? Because there are the usual suspects of R&R activities such as a gym, 25-metre indoor swimming pool, massages and a sauna respectively, alongside some serious well-tech, including NormaTec compression therapy. It’s all you’d want from city hotels in 2024.
Renderings courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Hotels
Janu Tokyo
As it’s positioned in neo-futuristic skyscraper Azabudai Hills, Janu Tokyo not only soars to great heights literally, but also as an expression of opulence and style. The flagship of Aman Group’s new, more community-driven titular brand, it was conceived by Jean-Michel Gathy, and so a minimalist aesthetic unsurprisingly prevails. The 122 suites, many of which incorporate private balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows, offer superb vistas of the Japanese capital and a soothing amalgam of whites, beiges and browns. Added to this, the majority of Janu Tokyo’s intimate spaces feature soaking tubs, walk-in closets, and bathrooms with double vanities, while a special standout of the property is a colossal, cutting-edge wellness centre of 4,000 sqm/43,056 sqft – ariel yoga, boxing, hydrotherapy and even marathon training are some of the engaging pursuits at guests’ fingertips.
Yet, if you ask us, one thing that’s going to set Janu Tokyo apart from other luxury hotels in this hi-tech metropolis is the premises having a total of eight different dining outlets, with Asian and European gastronomy featuring strongly. Bon vivants should be more excited than a honeybee that’s snuck into a jam jar, when they sample the scintillating smorgasbord of aromas and tastes of the delights served in the garden terrace, eponymous grill or patisserie, inter alia.
www.janu.com | www.denniston.com
Renderings courtesy of Aman and photography courtesy of Denniston
ROMEO Roma, Rome
It’s hard to imagine that one of the world’s most jaw-droppingly picturesque skylines could be further enhanced. Nonetheless, that’s just what ROMEO Collection is about to accomplish when they finish their second project: a revamp of a 16th-century palazzo, which is being transformed into the eponymous ROMEO Roma hotel. This gorgeous hunk of a building, which was owned by the noble Serroberti-Capponi family, will cut a hefty cultural swagger as the five-star boutique is set to feature its very own, dedicated art gallery. Celebrated studio Zaha Hadid Architects is behind the remodelling of the Via Ripetta-situated property and their goal in this 74-room mansion was to originate a ‘unique intersection of the past and present’ by merging existing historical characteristics with avant-garde design.
In our view, this des res is destined to be not only one of 2024’s most exciting new city hotels anywhere, but also a particularly welcome addition to the Italian capital with highlights promising to be a state-of-the-art wellness centre, a classy gourmet dining option, Il Ristorante, overseen by Michelin-star-laden chef Alain Ducasse, and some of the suites containing ancient, restored frescoes. Time for a Roman holiday, we’d say.
Renderings courtesy of ROMEO Collection
