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A new hotel concept, designed to be constructed on a cliff face in Norway, has been revealed – with jaw-dropping results.
Pictures of the design show the “Cliff Concept Boutique Hotel” built into the rock face of the 1,981ft Preikestolen cliff, a tourist attraction in Western Norway.
A series of balconies hang over the precipice to offer head-spinning views, while on the top level of the hotel, a large viewing platform is designed to give an excellent vantage over the Scandes mountains and Lysefjorden fjord.
The concept was rendered by Hayri Atak Architectural Design Studio, based in Istanbul and founded in 2017. Like plenty of other boundary-pushing architectural designs, there’s no indication of whether the Cliff Concept Boutique will ever be built.
The outdoor pool sticks out from the cliff face (Hayri Atak Architectural Design Studio) One of the most impressive features is the outdoor pool, which extends from a sundeck and sticks straight out from the cliff face over the water.
Long and narrow, the all-glass pool design also renders it transparent, so that swimmers can see the sheer drop and the fjord below.
The transparent pool shows the fjord below (Hayri Atak Architectural Design Studio) It’s not the first innovative pool design to come out this year.
Plans are afoot for a rooftop infinity pool with 360-degree views of the London skyline , the first of its kind in the world.
The designs, which depict a clear-sided pool open to the elements atop a 220m skyscraper, were unveiled by Compass Pools in June.
10 best boutique hotels in EuropeShow all 10 1 /1010 best boutique hotels in Europe 10 best boutique hotels in Europe Hotel Bristol, Warsaw The historic neo-renaissance Hotel Bristol, which has been a hospitality mainstay in the Polish capital since the turn of the century, has enjoyed an illustrious past life: it once served as a German army headquarters during the war, and then the city’s university library. Today it’s been repaired to its former Art Nouveau glory, with plush, unstuffy interiors and the delightful Cafe Bristol with checkerboard floor and delicate pastries (worth a visit even if you’re not staying). The location is hard to beat – the hotel is in the heart of Warsaw’s Old Town on the so-called Royal Route, next to the Presidential Palace.
Check availability Marriott
10 best boutique hotels in Europe Cotton House, Barcelona Nineteenth-century Cotton House is housed in Barcelona’s former Association of Cotton Manufacturers, and this heritage seeps into every part of the Gran Via property. Sumptuous interiors (think leather chesterfields, wingback chairs, prim white sheets... all cotton, naturally) and the hotel library are no match for the hotel’s most Instagrammable spot: above and below the 1950s spiral staircase, complete with hanging orb-like lamps.
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10 best boutique hotels in Europe The Dean, Dublin Young-at-heart The Dean takes over a series of Georgian townhouses in the heart of Dublin, not far from shopping haven Grafton Street. The vibe is smart and sophisticated – there’s more than a little Brooklyn about this place – with a smashing rooftop with views over the city and beyond, plus: pizza. Little touches in this design property go a long way. There are hot water bottles in the rooms, retro music players and little notes saying ‘what’s the craic?’. Rates aren’t extortionate either – which is a nice change for the Irish capital.
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10 best boutique hotels in Europe Domaine des Etangs, France In pastoral Massignac in central France is this 2,000-plus acre estate, which combines 900 brown cows (which look at you disconcertingly every time you drive past them), an 11th-century chateau, a mill turned high-end spa, a futuristic art gallery and a working farm. Phew. Inside, the chateau mixes traditional hospitality with some very up-to-the-minute art – expect to see anything from a Hermes scarf and Star Wars film posters to insects and images of constellations mounted on the wall. The vibe here is very much unplug and recharge, helped by its Michelin starred restaurant Dyades and the rolling hills and 40 ponds ripe for a lazy cycle.
Check availability Cathy Adams
10 best boutique hotels in Europe Ushuaia, Ibiza It’s hard to know whether to classify Ushuaia as a luxury hotel or an all-out nightclub (it’s both). This Playa d’en Bossa hotel stages highly popular day parties (sought-after residencies last year included Calvin Harris, David Guetta and Martin Garrix) while luxury villa-style rooms frame the stage. The white lacquer, flora and fauna-covered Ushuaia Tower next door kicks the luxury element up a notch: round leather daybeds inside mirrored rooms, sex toys in the minibar and hot tubs on the balcony to hear the eardrum-banging from a little further away.
Check availability Palladium Hotel Group
10 best boutique hotels in Europe Orania, Berlin You’ll want to stay in Kreuzberg if you come to Berlin. Once a cheap and neglected neighbourhood on the easternmost edge of the wall, Kreuzberg – “Little Istanbul” – has long been the city’s trendiest district (street art, banging Turkish food, late-late-late bars). The best place to base yourself is at Orania, which meshes homey suites with live music downstairs, making it a real neighbourhood spot. This five-storey hotel on the corner of Oranienplatz has been through various incarnations since it was built in 1912 (including a nightclub called Trash – in Kreuzberg there’s always a nightclub) but today is a red and gold, fire pit-lit boutique with a yummy restaurant.
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10 best boutique hotels in Europe The Thief, Oslo So named for its location on Oslo’s Tjuvholmen ‘Thief’ Island, this nine-storey curved glass property, designed by local firm Mellbye Architects, is all about art. The Renzo Piano-designed Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art is nearby (and some room rates come with free passes) and there’s artwork from Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons inside. Light-filled rooms (thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows) overlook the moody harbour.
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10 best boutique hotels in Europe Hotel Lutetia, Paris The left bank Hotel Lutetia, which had a splashy reopening last summer, has always been a hotbed of creativity – much like the area, St Germain, that surrounds it. During the Second World War, the hotel housed St Germain’s exiled musicians and artists, before being bought by the family behind champagne house Taittinger. Storied guests including Pablo Picasso and James Joyce – who wrote Ulysses here – are in the guestbook. Today it’s one of the rive gauche’s only luxury hotels, complete with three new dining destinations: the Art Nouveau Brasserie Lutetia, with hand-painted columns, is a real treat.
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10 best boutique hotels in Europe Rosa Alpina, Italy Lording it over the pretty South Tyrolian village of San Cassiano is the utterly charming lodge Rosa Alpina. Soft rugs, stone floors and lots of Japanese brushed pine feature in this pared-back luxury property, which also has a standout spa complete with Finnish-style sauna overlooking the Italian Dolomites. Talking of the Dolomites, it’s also a good base for skiing the wider Alta Badia, although there’s a cross-country ski track nearby if you can’t hack the proper powder. Save room (and cash) for a three Michelin starred dinner at St Hubertus, run by local produce advocate Norbert Niederkofler, which adjoins the hotel.
Check availability Daniel Tochterle
10 best boutique hotels in Europe Hotel Romeo, Naples Once gritty, now (sort of) glamorous Naples has one place worth bedding down in: Hotel Romeo. The standout element of this boutique property is the tiny rooftop pool, perfect for posing or gazing over Vesuvius bubbling away in the distance. The hotel, designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange (so expect lots of wood and pared-back design), turns a kind of nuclear blue at night, which makes it feel impossibly urban. Romeo is also a perfect launching pad for the nearby islands of Capri and Ischia as it’s right opposite the ferry port.
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The company has designed the building underneath too, which will feature a luxury hotel on the upper floors offering pool access for guests.
Swimmers will reach the 600,000-litre pool, dubbed Infinity London, via a rotating spiral staircase.
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