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Here’s a safari camp that sets out in the direction of high luxury and never looks back. At Londolozi Private Game Reserve it’s about making the bush experience as stylish and comfortable as is humanly possible. To begin with, Londolozi’s physical location is about as auspicious as it gets. It’s in the middle of the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, adjacent to the famous Kruger National Park. And despite the Sabi Sand name, it’s actually a lush wooded setting — it’s named not after any old sand, but after the Sand River.

It was founded in the Twenties as an old-school hunters’ camp in the classic mold. Eighty years later it’s still family-owned, and has gradually evolved into a modern-style eco-safari destination, devoted to the contemporary ideals of conservation — which, hunting aside, are really not all that different from the classic ideals.

Each of the camps has its own stylistic character, but they share a family resemblance, shaded with distinct historic overtones. It’s a smart look and a fine complement to the experience, which includes a small army of highly efficient staffers as well as a cuisine drawn from organic produce, free-range game meats, and sustainable seafood. Yoga classes and massage therapies are available to guests, as is a well-equipped fitness center.

But here luxury is really secondary; you wouldn’t be here if not for the famous Londolozi leopards. And all manner of other animals wander through as well, from the occasional lion to migrating groups of zebra, wildebeest, elephants and more.

One thing it’s certainly not is rough. But after a day spent exploring the vast expanse of Londolozi, let alone the millions of acres of the Sabi Sand Reserve, it would be hard to find the nerve to complain about a soak in a plunge pool, or dinner on the deck facing the river.

How to Get There

Federal Air flights operates a daily flight from Johannesburg International Airport to Londolozi Airstrip, which is a five-minute drive to the camp. It is a two and a half hour transfer from Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) to Londolozi. For help with transportation arrangements, contact customerservice@tablethotels.com.

Le Riad Monceau would be little more than another perfectly lovely riad hotel, if it weren’t for the creative touch of its owner. Hotelier and artist Isabelle Aubry has a keen eye for Islamic patterns and Moorish textures and exhibits her bold, colorful embroidery works throughout this intimate hotel, pulling together a memorable décor. And while riad hotels are a dime a dozen in Marrakesh, Monceau’s building itself is still no small thing either — a particularly exquisite 18th-century riad, complete with be-palmed central Andalusian courtyard and pool.

The seven guest rooms are sumptuous, particularly the Pasha Suite, with its sunken, positively temple-like hot tub. Many of the rooms are outfitted with a draped netting above the bed which, for particularly romantically minded guests, might inspire dreams of flying carpets and the like. If that doesn’t do the trick, then the additional tile work, Islamic wall friezes, sequined cushions and North African textiles ought to complete the imagery.

The location is central and fairly easy to find, a stone’s throw from the market square at Djemaa el Fna and the majestic Koutoubia Mosque. More than just a kitchen, the restaurant earns high marks, and hosts its own cooking school. And a traditional hammam will give you ample opportunity for relaxation and detoxification — Morocco being one of the few relatively drink-friendly Islamic nations — by way of penetrating heat and massage.

The old-fashioned charm of Quito survives, in part, because the Ecuadorean capital remains somewhat off the tourist radar. The new Le Parc Hotel is a pioneer on the scene. Quito’s first proper boutique hotel, rising twelve stories and containing 30 executive suites, is a model of sleek urban design and European-style comfort.

Take just one peek into the ultra-contemporary lobby and you’ll feel like you’re not in Ecuador anymore, for better or worse: gothic chandeliers, asymmetrical chaises in white leather and zebra prints, conceptual art pieces, a minimalist (and horizontal) gas fireplace, red shag rugs on glossy hardwood floors, and a cocktail bar so slick it looks like it belongs on the cover of a men’s fashion magazine. Glass, stone, earth tones and stark shades of black, white, and silver continue throughout the suites. Each of the individually decorated guest rooms comes with floor-to-ceiling windows, flatscreen TVs, L’Occitane amenities, and free wifi; some feature futuristic in-room soaking tubs with views over the city.

The dramatically trendy black-and-white interior may seem a little cold during the continental breakfast, but the atmosphere works well later in the day when guests sample South American fusion cuisine at Blu, the hotel’s restaurant, and congregate for cocktails in the cool lobby bar or on the rooftop terrace. A small gym and spa round out the Euro-style boutique offerings at the stylish Le Parc, located around the corner from the Quito’s financial district and the national soccer stadium.

About the 6 Columbus Hotel:

6 Columbus is an affordable boutique hotel in New York City, conveniently located across the street from Central Park on Columbus Circle (Midtown, West Side).

Tablet Hotels Review:

The long-awaited Upper West Side sequel to Soho’s successful 60 Thompson is here at last. Like its sister, 6 Columbus is named for its address, and it’s a prestigious one, right on Columbus Circle, next to the Time Warner Center retail-and-dining development and at the southwest corner of Central Park.

Designer Steven Sclaroff’s inspiration was Sixties modernism, but beyond some touches of fur and leather in the lobby, any Austin Powers–esque kitsch is studiously avoided. The 6 Columbus Hotel is stylish, in a somewhat serious vein, never stuffy, but always impeccably composed. The rooms aren’t huge — this is still New York, after all — but they’re well-equipped with all the luxe-boutique must-haves (flat-screen TV, iPod docking stereo) and some thoughtful extras as well (Dean & DeLuca snacks in the minibar, Kiehl’s toiletries in the bathrooms).

Service is quite a bit friendlier than you might expect from such a fine-looking hotel, and while the amenities aren’t quite on the luxury-hotel level, neither are the rates. Anyway the absolute necessities are accounted for: the Blue Ribbon is a sushi restaurant and a swanky wood-paneled cocktail bar, and a second rooftop bar and lounge, complete with park views, is set to open soon.

There’s a lot more to Greece than just fine beach weather and whitewashed waterfront villas. One might expect that the birthplace of Western civilization would remain a forward-thinking, cosmopolitan city, and one would be right. Signs of sophistication are everywhere: restaurants, shops, galleries, and occasionally a very up-to-date boutique hotel on the order of the Periscope.

It’s located in the upscale neighborhood of Kolonaki, surrounded by quite a lot of the best Athens has to offer. And the hotel itself, while pursuing a bit of a submarine theme — vaguely naval chairs, a preponderance of grey, even an actual roof-mounted periscope — turns out to be a very understated and stylish little hotel. The rooms are somewhat minimalist, but not without personality, and come equipped with high-tech home theater systems, and the suites add balconies, baths, and a bit more space to spread out in.

A chic little bar is the center of the Periscope social life — there’s no restaurant, a need that’s quite adequately filled by any number of eateries in the immediate neighborhood. It’s more pied-à-terre than pleasure palace, to be honest, but there’s a certain pleasure in a hotel that knows exactly how much is enough.

This is why people started going to Provence in the first place. On a hilltop looking towards the Luberon mountains is the ancient hill village of Bonnieux; and on the next hill over, looking out over Bonnieux from the landscaped gardens that surround its outdoor pool, is the Bastide de Capelongue, which is probably as close as you can get in the real world to the idealized picture of the Provençal farmhouse hotel.

As often as not, when you find a hotel like this one, you can bet there’s a chef of some stature behind it all. In this case it’s Edouard Loubet, who’s earned himself a pair of Michelin stars for his trouble. But while his restaurant is undoubtedly a fine one, his hotel is no mere afterthought.

The seventeen rooms and suites are traditional in their furnishing but disciplined in their color — the near-monochrome palettes are soothing and contemporary, and the weathered antiques keep them from getting too minimal. The aforementioned pool is a little oasis with a far-ranging view, and the grounds are a pleasure to wander, with the gardens, the trees and the old stone walls setting the scene for the quintessential Provençal bastide experience.

The name, Kiaroa Eco-Luxury Resort, says it all. This environmentally friendly beachfront resort, remotely situated on the tip of the Maraú Peninsula in south Bahia, offers a mix of simple pleasures and decadent extravagances. White sandy beaches, aquamarine waters, and towering palms swaying in the breeze create a natural setting so idyllic that you could probably be happy staying in a tent; stepping inside the lavish French Polynesian-inspired complex, as a result, feels like sensory overload.

The resort comprises 14 freestanding bungalows and a central lodge with 14 more rooms, all outfitted in a style that might be called tropical chic: natural colors from crisp white and rosy sand to exotic turquoise, fluttering white canopies, high vaulted ceilings, accents of straw and shell. Private verandas, Egyptian cotton linens by Trussardi, Natura Ekos bath products, and large plasma TVs come standard, but the bungalows feature much more.

Most offer private pools lined in smooth navy blue tile, thatched-roof pavilions, and unobstructed views of the ocean or the surrounding jungle. Which doesn’t mean that those staying in the standard rooms are missing out on much — the huge main swimming pool curves around a grassy island where guests can lie back in a chaise lounge and order caipirinhas from the Ibiscus bar. There’s another bar down on the beach — though comparatively small, Kiaroa is, after all, a proper resort, with tennis courts, a full-service spa, a gourmet seafood restaurant, a boutique, a lounge, and complimentary bikes. And eco-conscious travelers can rest easy, or snorkel peacefully, or dine with a clear conscience, knowing that the resort is truly committed to respecting the gorgeous natural environment. Kiaroa uses solar energy, recycles water, and employs locals from the surrounding Bahian communities.

How To Get There:

Kiaroa Eco-Luxury Resort is approximately a 30 minute flight from Salvador International Airport. For guests who wish to drive, the hotel can also be reached by car and boat, with the last leg of the trip including a boat ride and a transfer by a hotel vehicle. This trip takes approximately 6 hours. The hotel is also a 3 hour drive from Ilhéus.

It’s perhaps a bit ironic, unless you’re quite up to speed on additive color theory, that the first impression of a place called Color Design Hôtel should be predominantly white. But as a palate (or palette) cleanser, white is the obvious choice — and as a contrast to the relatively gritty Bastille, one of Paris’s up-and-coming neighborhoods, the hotel’s stark minimalism is certainly striking.

Once you’re upstairs the colors kick in. Each floor is on its own wavelength, shot through with a single color. The theme does liven the Color Design’s quarters, but what’s perhaps more interesting, once you’ve checked in, is the hotel’s smart marriage of style and efficiency. “Cheap yet chic” is hard to come by anywhere, Paris perhaps more than most, but the Color Design Hotel delivers it with aplomb.

The budget emphasis shows not in any cutting of corners, but in what’s not present. There’s no restaurant, no bar, no spa, nothing like that. It’s not for the high-maintenance. But what the Color Design does provide, it provides in style — spend the night in and you’ll be rewarded with a DVD library and an iPod docking stereo system.

Canberra, though roughly midway between Sydney and Melbourne, sees but a fraction of the tourist traffic — it’s a purpose-built inland capital, like Madrid without the history or Brasilia without the concrete. But in the Diamant, Canberra has got itself a high-end boutique hotel that wouldn’t look out of place in either of the neighboring seaside cities.

It’s rare that a city’s first contemporary-style boutique hotel comes off quite so well as this one. The ’20s-vintage building underwent a thorough renovation at the hands of some of Australia’s top architects, and the result is stylish and chock full of personality — especially in the bedrooms, which are minimalist at eye level and more detailed below and above, with modernist furnishings and ornate patterned ceilings.

What it may lack in downtown grit the Diamant more than makes up for with a thoughtful and convenient package of services and amenities. The lakeside hotel is a part of the New Acton development, which includes a number of restaurants, bars and a smattering of retail shops, in addition to the hotel’s own lounge, wine parlor and dining room. It’s a win for everyone; there’s a small fitness room right next door, as well as a standalone day spa, and the Diamant’s guests enjoy complimentary access to the Fitness First health club, ten minutes’ walk through the park.

Some of you might remember another Stockholm hotel that went by the Lydmar name, a rowdy, almost painfully hip sort of place, where the focus was very much on the nightlife, and the revelers at times threatened to overwhelm the guests. Well, that was then, and this is now — around the turn of the new millennium that was what boutique hotels were about. Today, more and more, they’re focused on the traditional values of hospitality, and once again the new version of the Lydmar is exemplary.

It’s fair to say that in terms of design, Stockholm tends to be a step ahead. By the time most of us figured out what “Scandinavian design” looked like, the Swedes had already moved on to the next thing. Look around Lydmar and you’ll see very little in the way of stark minimalism. These days Scandinavian designers are mining a rich history — there’s the odd mid-century modern chair or sofa, for example, but plenty more that’s traditional, almost rustic.

At its best the new luxury hotel avoids ostentation whenever possible, and this one is no different — it’s quietly stylish, but more focused on quality materials and on fostering an intimate atmosphere. And though you won’t mistake it for a bar with a boardinghouse attached, the Lydmar does have plenty going on: there’s a smaller, more intimate music venue, as well as a restaurant and lounge that are destined to become local favorites. And you won’t have to look far to find it — the location is stellar, absolutely central, next to the Grand and right up against the Harbor and the old town.

How to get there:

From Stockholm-Bromma Airport‎, 11.7 km - approximately 21 mins.

Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers.

The size of Vegas can at first be a bit intimidating. From a distance the Strip looks walkable, until you realize that the buildings are four times the size they appear to be, and you begin to have some sympathy for the able-bodied people you see scooting from place to place on those little motorized wheelchairs or hopping in and out of stretch SUVs.

Caesars Palace, the big daddy of them all, is practically the size of a city unto itself, at three-thousand-plus rooms and counting. In the four decades since its birth it’s constantly evolved, as cities do. It hasn’t got wings, it’s got neighborhoods, and from time to time they’re torn down, gentrified, replaced with commercial districts, sporting complexes, residential developments, theatres (like the Colosseum, which has played host to the likes of Bette Midler, Celine Dion, Elton John).

And as any city has its most desirable real estate, so too does Caesars have its own upscale neighborhood. The freshly renovated Augustus Tower has made Caesars suddenly relevant to a whole new class of luxury travelers, and the suites, in particular, wouldn’t look out of place in many of the better modern luxury hotels.

Where the old version lapsed into gaudy excess, the new look is restrained, contemporary-luxe rather than faded-empire, and there’s nothing about it that particularly screams Vegas — which is a good thing. Spa suites come with infinity-edge tubs by the windows, and Molton Brown bath products, while the more exclusive ones (including one in the Palace Tower) are enormous, and enormously well-equipped, with jaw-dropping views. Even the relatively more humble deluxe rooms in the Augustus Tower have oversized spa tubs and twin televisions, one in the bathroom.

And you don’t have to keep to your room either. Pretty much anything that can be found within walls at all is available within the walls of Caesars: restaurants and bars number in the dozens, the shopping mall turns over more money than some developing nations, and the health club and spa, if you add in the Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis, is practically a full-fledged city-state. And that’s not to even mention the casinos….

A decade or two ago, Napa Valley was the place to go for a little slice of Renaissance Tuscany. It made sense at the time, with the California wine industry really hitting its stride, for the architecture to aspire toward a classic European sort of gravity. These days, however, Napa is ground zero for a new green building movement, and its hotels are leading the way — no doubt something greener will come along, but at the time of its opening, Bardessono was pretty much as sustainable as it gets.

The construction, which looks like sandstone or blond concrete, is actually rammed earth — for several slightly boring reasons it’s greener than all the alternatives, and anyway it lends a distinctive look. You’ll see a lot of wood as well — when sourced properly it’s the other green building material, and most of it is reclaimed or recycled. And it’s not just the building that’s green, but the operation — great unglamorous pains are taken to reduce paper or water waste, to automatically shade the rooms from the midday sun, that sort of thing.

At the same time, Bardessono is pretty close to the state of the art in luxury, and all the concern about sustainability doesn’t change that. The suites are essentially high-end luxury apartments, complete with gas fireplaces and lavish living spaces, and the bathrooms are designed to function as private spas — literally, as in, that’s where the therapist takes you when it’s time for your in-room treatment.

Add a massive wine collection (some from the on-site organic vineyard) and an upscale contemporary Californian restaurant (serving produce from the hotel’s own farm) and you’ve got a pretty complete package, quintessentially Napa. With several restaurants by Thomas Keller, among others, Yountville isn’t just a wine country destination, but arguably one of the capitals of the US culinary world as well.

By now the idea that Barcelona is the fun one and Madrid is the serious one is simply a long-dead stereotype. But there is something to be said for the way that Madrid’s gems often lie hidden beneath a stately and sober exterior. The Selenza Hotel is a case in point: behind an elegant 19th-century facade in the city’s swanky Salamanca district is a 44-room boutique hotel that serves up contemporary style with a generous side of sophistication.

And while it’s perhaps a bit more grown up than the average boutique hotel, its design references reaching back a half-century or more, the Selenza is as up-to-date as anything in Spain. While it’s not exactly a traditional luxury hotel, it’s not short on luxuries — there’s round-the-clock room service, a pillow menu for picky sleepers, and plenty of modern gadgetry.

The restaurant is much more than an afterthought; the chef Ramón Freixa is locally well-regarded, serving an innovative Mediterranean cuisine in a dining room that’s anything but minimalist. And perhaps most surprising is the spa, which goes well beyond what you’d expect from such a small hotel — a welcome indulgence after a day spent in Madrid’s museum quarter, which is a stone’s throw away.

Arguably it’s not the same place it was when Brigitte Bardot put it on the map, but everything that was great about St. Tropez then is still great about it now: the bay, the beaches, the gentle Mediterranean climate, and a tradition of high-end hospitality. It’s a tradition that now includes the Pan Deï Palais, a 19th-century mansion that’s been transformed into a stylish, contemporary boutique hotel.

The Mediterranean architecture and decidedly Eastern décor are tied together by a story about a love affair between a French general who fell in love with an Indian princess. But these twelve rooms are likely to inspire more than a few romances in the here and now. They’re quite large, and the suites, in one- and two-bedroom varieties, are even larger, with balconies and terraces for a little extra air.

A swanky lounge is full of red velvet and carved wood, and a small spa is on hand to ensure total relaxation. Days are whiled away by the pool, and if you’re in the mood for a field trip or a bit of seafaring entertainment, Pan Deï has its own (extremely luxurious) motor yacht — a thoughtful touch in St. Tropez, where you’re never truly prepared without your own boat.

Our new Tablet Spy program offers the chance to get early looks at the most promising new hotels. If you’re willing to take the risks associated with staying in a hotel that’s not officially open yet — unfinished spaces, noisy construction, inexperienced service — then you’ll be rewarded with deep pre-opening discounts, and the chance to help decide whether the finished hotel will earn a place on Tablet Hotels.

The sequel to the original Gansevoort, in New York’s Meatpacking district, is understating its situation a bit — it’s not in Tribeca or the Financial District but in Miami Beach, over a thousand miles to the south.

Ironically the Gansevoort South is at the north end of the Collins Avenue hotel row, which gives it plenty of space to spread its wings. With 334 guest rooms across 18 floors, it’s decidedly un-cramped, and the height is used to great advantage. Just as in the New York version, the Gansevoort South is centered around a rooftop pool lounge — in this case with views of the Atlantic and the Miami skyline.

It’s not cheap, but what you get for your money is rather impressive: not just the boutique-issue iPod docking stations and 40-inch high-definition televisions (which are nice enough, don’t get us wrong) but also the gym and spa by David Barton and the multiple bars and restaurants, including an Asian restaurant by Philippe Chow and—any day now—the long-promised Miami version of STK, the New York steakhouse.

Like the original, this Gansevoort goes out of its way to cultivate a members’-club atmosphere — selling condo units certainly doesn’t hurt. Prime oceanfront location, sparkling modern design, and a vibrant built-in nightlife; add it all up and it’s the very picture of the modern luxury boutique.

The Algarve is one of those blessed places, a sun-kissed expanse so heavenly it gets to keep a “the” at the front of its name, like the Riviera or the Amalfi. As such it’s quite popular with basically anyone who likes sunshine, and its hotels run the gamut from the big and bland on down to, well, places like the Vila Joya, which is among the Algarve’s smallest and poshest escapes.

Initially it was a private home, in a Moorish-villa style; today just enough of that style remains to lend Vila Joya some personality, without turning it into some kind of theme resort. These days it’s the perfect blend of home and hotel — tucked away in a residential neighborhood on a stunning piece of coast, just steps away from the beach.

Add a Michelin star (two actually) for the restaurant and a candle-lit spa and you’re in business. The Algarve is a golfer’s paradise, if that sort of thing is your bag — though one suspects that if it is then you probably find your hotels through some kind of underground golfers’ network. Maybe a TabletGolf is in the offing. But until then, the rest of us love the Algarve for the sun, the sea, and at places like the Vila Joya, the seclusion.

High-design style with luxury-hotel trimmings — that’s what the W hotels are all about, and nowhere is it more evident than the W Hong Kong, a riot of graphic color standing hundreds of feet above the waterfront in the up-and-coming West Kowloon district. It’s a massive development, with condo towers rising over an enormous mall, an expo center, even an indoor driving range, one that demands a pretty serious hotel to match. And this is that hotel.

This is a town that knows its high-end hotels, and it’s impossible to get by on good looks alone — though of course that doesn’t stop the W from pushing the aesthetics about as far as they will go. This brand has never been about subtlety, and it’s even less so here; fortunately they rise to the level of the competition in the area of services and amenities.

Rooms are faultless, plush and high-tech, and and the facilities are top-notch, from the restaurants and bar to the 73rd-floor open-air pool deck. The views, incidentally, are stunning — not just the exterior views over the city and the harbor, but the interiors as well, with the well-dressed guests and locals cavorting in well-crafted public spaces.

How to get there:

The Airport Express is a dedicated airport railway service that’s fast and reliable, operating at 12-minute intervals daily from 5:50 AM to 1:15 AM (last train departs from airport and Hong Kong stations at 12:48 AM). Tickets cost HKD90 each way and speeds you into the city in just 24 minutes. After alighting at Kowloon Station, just head up the escalators in Elements Mall to the hotel.

Complimentary porter service is also available at Airport Express stations.

Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers.

For the better part of a century, North Africa has been the preferred destination of Europeans in search of a mind-expanding, doors-of-perception-opening experience. Today much of Morocco has been brought back to Earth by an endless stream of holidaymakers. But 40 miles outside of Marrakech, high in the Atlas Mountains, there’s a place where you can still find a bit of the sublime: the mountain retreat of Kasbah du Toubkal.

Cinema buffs may recognize this place from its starring role as a Tibetan monastery in Kundun, Martin Scorsese’s film about the Dalai Lama. It’s less plush than Richard Branson’s nearby Tamadot, but it’s higher up the mountain, which certainly counts for something. Seekers on a budget can opt for dormitory-style shared-bath accommodations, where the only luxury is the view. More typical accommodations range from standard rooms on up to a separate private house and a three-bedroom villa. And while all of the bathrooms (dorm rooms excepted) are first-class, the Toubkal lacks such ordinary luxuries as television.

The point of this place, after all, is not luxury-hotel efficiency, but other-worldly transcendence — and if you can come away from the Kasbah du Toubkal unchanged by the experience, than you’re made of some pretty stern stuff.

How to get there:

Reaching Hotel by Public Transport:

This consists of taking a shared taxi or local bus from Marrakech to Asni and then the local taxi (camionette) from Asni to Imlil. The prices vary depending on your bargaining skills and the general demand for taxis at the time! – a local would pay from €3 to €5, a tourist? The journey would generally take between 2 hours to half a day depending on waiting time etc. Since the road from Asni to Imlil has been tarmac covered, taxis are happy to take you to Imlil and are often waiting for hire in Imlil.

Reaching Hotel by Taxi:

We are able to organise transfers to and from Imlil and Marrakech for €85 per trip. A transfer sheet will be sent to you with your booking confirmation. This is arranged with a driver who knows the route and regularly does the run. For transparency we would like you to know that the Taxi actually costs us €60. Street prices for this Taxi journey (so we are told) sometimes start at as little as €30.

Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange airport transfers.

You might be forgiven for thinking this was somewhere other than Italy. Here, near Bolzano, where the place names are in German and the architecture is pure Alpine, is where you’ll find Ganischgerhof — again, not the most stereotypically Italian name you could think of. It’s enough to make other countries a bit jealous of Italy: from sun-bleached Sicily to snowy Schwarzenbach, they’ve got it all.

Ganischgerhof, from the outside, is an absolutely classic Tyrolean inn. The interiors do little to change that, though it’s clear the place has been well looked after — there’s a clean-lined contemporary sensibility underlying all this well-kept rustic wooden furniture. There are balconies, of course, to take advantage of the views of the Dolomites, and rooms and suites alike have at least a cozy little seating area, at most a proper living room, and all the basics, including satellite television.

There’s a small pool and a selection of saunas: one Finnish style, one an outdoor hut, two steam baths and even an ice cave, which one imagines it takes a certain temperament to enjoy. Like any mountain resort Ganischgerhof is probably at its best during ski season — but just try telling that to the hikers and the mountain bikers.

The Ellington is, at least on one level, a throwback to a couple of Berlin’s golden eras — its reconstructed Weimar-style facade fronts a block-long office building dating back to 1932, and it owes its name to the famous West Berlin jazz club that stood behind these doors during the 1950s. And once you’re inside, although the atmosphere aims for more of that golden-age romance, the visuals are very much 21st-century boutique-hotel chic.

Of course, with just shy of three hundred rooms, it’s not some mom-and-pop operation. As a former commercial block it had a lot of square footage to fill. In a nod to today’s budget-friendly Berlin, they kept room sizes reasonable, only really spreading out in the suites — at these rates you can’t expect five-star opulence. What you can expect is reasonable comfort, friendly service, and more than a modicum of style.

The Duke restaurant definitively settles any question about who the hotel is named after, and to this day the hotel functions as a jazz venue. And its location on the Nürnburger Strasse means it’s well placed for shoppers as well, with the Kurfürstendamm and the famous KaDeWe department store close at hand.

How to get there:

Ellington Hotel is approximately a 25 minute drive from Berlin-Tegel Airport.