Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

In bed

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

Text Guy Dittrich

Dum U Tri Capu
Tomášská 20/16 on Valdštejnská Námestí, Prague, 2 , utricapu.cz

The historic aspects of the Dum U Trí Cápu – its gothic cellar dates back to the 14th century – have been enhanced by the insertion of complimentary modern interiors. The glass cubes for bathrooms would be the talking point in any other hotel but here are just a discrete solution that allows the history of the beautifully restored building to shine through. The under-lit beds appear to float on islands of sheepskin rugs that cover the floors of parquet or wide oak board. The brightly upholstered furniture from Ron Arad may catch the eye but it is the ceiling murals and painted beams that leave the lasting impression.

Modern interpretations of Czech cuisine – think duck and venison – are served with pride beneath the vaulted ceilings of the Wallenstein restaurant, named after a local aristocratic family whose palace is just across the square. Breakfast may be simple but again the red B&B Italia chairs are just part of the picture and not the focus. The Dum U Trí Cápu has a great position below Prague castle as one the city’s best boutique hotels with welcoming service to match.

Seecorso 10, 9220 Velden am Wörthersee, , schlossveldencapella.com

Schloss Velden delivers an ultra-deluxe hospitality experience that begins way before your pick-up from Ljubljana airport. A pre-visit phone call from your personal assistant manager will help clarify your choice of pillow and suggest spa and restaurant bookings. Glowing gold at the western end of Wörthersee, the heart of the Austrian Riviera, the turreted and pillared portico of the original residential villa is reverentially wrapped by a sleek modernist extension. The guestrooms in these new wings have an intimate loggia style with private balconies overlooking the courtyard garden. There are Aqua di Parma toiletries and a flat-screen TV behind the mirror, and that’s just the bathrooms with their under-heated marble floors, of course. Open fires turn up the romantic ambience. Expect the same but with more quirkiness in the older buildings – galleried rooms, circular beds, mansard ceilings. Vast fields of marble lead to the Auriga spa, decked in wenge, teak and bamboo, that includes a snow cabin in its repertoire. For high glamour dine at the Michelin-starred Schlossstern or make for the lakeside Seespitz restaurant, adjacent to the private stainless steel pool sunk into the sun terrace.

Fully booked

New Seaside Interiors

OK, so this isn’t a hotel book but all design aficionados will love this new tome, inspiring awe and envy in equal measure, from hip publisher Taschen. Owning a house by the sea is a dream shared by many the world over. This book presents some of the most captivating dreams that have come true from log cabins with no electricity beside a Norwegian fjord to Pierre Cardin’s futuristic capsule floating off the Cote d’Azur inspired by a James Bond Film. One day, maybe… taschen.com

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