Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

In bed

Text Richard Bence, Adrian Mourby

The ultimate hotels for the discerning traveller who wants a truly special place to sleep in style

Hotel de Rome GERMANY
Behrenstrasse 37, Berlin
30 , www.rfhotels.com

Built during the Second Reich Berlin’s newest five-star hotel used to be a bank, but walk into the staggeringly beautiful marble lobby and you’ll see that Rocco Forte Hotels have done a first class job of turning this into a deluxe destination with boutique finesse. Superbly located only a minute’s walk from Unter den Linden, Berlin’s grandest boulevard, it’s right opposite the Opera House and just across the road from IM Pei’s new German Historical Museum. The rooms are magnificently large, some with terraces overlooking the snowy rooftops of Berlin. The cream-tiled bathrooms are gorgeously decadent featuring oversized tubs, glass-walled showers with rain forest heads and black marble floors. Downstairs The Spa has a plunge pool, steam, sauna (great for warming up after a day out in the cold) a relaxation area, and a fully equipped gym.

The original vault of the bank has become a 20-metre swimming pool so you can practice your doggy paddle in very swish surroundings. During the Berlinale film festival (which takes place every February) Robert de Niro, Sharon Stone and Matt Damon all stayed here and packed out the bar. RB

Hotel Cipriani ITALY
10 Giudecca, Venice,
, www.hotelcipriani.com

It’s not only in the movies that people pull back the curtains in their hotel room to reveal a picture-postcard view of some stunning landmark, such as the Eiffel Tower or Taj Mahal. At Hotel Cipriani, you get an uninterrupted vista of Piazza San Marco and Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace), across Venice lagoon.

This is a hotel for people with big money. Comfort, privacy and superb food are its priorities. The style is eclectic, which is appropriate for a building that grew organically. Antique-lined corridors ramble like alleyways between pan-tiled blocks of rooms.

Hotel Cipriani occupies a corner of the island of Giudecca and was built by Giuseppe Cipriani, who made his fortune with Harry’s Bar, one of the world’s best known bars. Staff outnumber the guests impressively, leading to the level of service expected by an A-list clientele. Although the hotel is discreet about its regulars, it’s no secret that George Clooney created his signature cocktail, Buona Notte, in the hotel’s Il Gabbiano bar. AM

Web watch

Travel Intelligence

Founded in 2000 www.travelintelligence.com offers the finest collection of chic, boutique and luxury hotels worldwide. Over 120 of the best-known travel writers regularly contribute to the site which has become a leading resource of reviews, destination articles and travel tips. It also provides an efficient and reliable booking service. This month www.travelintelligence.com is re-launching with a whole new look under the expertise of ex Wallpaper* travel editor Jeroen Bergmans. Expect up-to-the-minute information on the chicest and coolest places to stay, eat, sleep and shop and from May the brand new online destination guides will be in full swing.

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