Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Sleep

We search Brussels Airlines’ destinations for the best place to lay your head. This month: modish Milan and boutique Bilbao

Maison Moschino
MILAN, ITALY

12 Viale Monte Grappa, , www.maisonmoschino.com

All is not as it seems at the recently opened Maison Moschino hotel in Milan. Clouds are lamps, dresses become bed headboards and banquettes, while fruit tartlets are cushions. Fashion house Moschino has created a fairytale world of beguiling surprises and, yes, there’s even a suite for Alice, with a teacup table in Wonderland.

The statuesque neoclassical façade of the former Milano-Monza railway terminus hardly prepares guests for the whimsical discoveries inside. Each of the 63 rooms and two suites are unique, following one of 16 themes. Scarlet petals fall from a chandelier to cover the bed of the appropriately named Life is a Bed of Roses room, while cookies and bon-bons rain down in The Sweets room. For those after something less flashy, there are room styles in steady gold or boudoir blue-black. Corridor ceilings are strung with illuminated rows of traditional keys, while Moschino toiletries are similarly hung in bathrooms.

Origami clouds greet you in the lobby, together with an almost retail-like display of Moschino corset-dresses crafted into standard lamps. To the right is the bar and to the left, Il Clandestino – the restaurant that lives up to its name with secret concoctions of coloured ‘susci’, an Italian slant on sushi, amongst the molecular-based cuisine. Beneath is the Culti Spa, which occupies just one of several areas under the former station that are now also used for the gym, a relaxation room and an exhibition space. Doubles from €230. Guy Dittrich

Viura
ÁLAVA, SPAIN

Calle Mayor, Villabuena de Álava tel. -, www.hotelviura.com

Nestled in northern Spain’s prime wine- producing area of La Rioja, an hour from Bilbao, the just opened Viura makes a great escape. Named after the most widely grown white grape variety in the region, expect design elements at every turn in this stunning boutique hotel.

Juxtaposed with the 17th-century church and ancient stone village of Villabuena de Álava, Viura is a daring departure. Looking like a set of children’s play blocks in concrete and glass, with touches of vibrant colour, it’s decidedly quirky. In the bright and spacious rooms (there are 26, plus seven stunning suites), accents of colour come from the oversized photos taken in the surrounding countryside that decorate the bed heads.

Taking advantage of the gastronomic heritage of the Basque region, chef Emilio José Contreras works his magic in the hotel’s restaurant. With a ceiling decorated with old wine barrels, this is the place to enjoy local dishes such as potatoes with chorizo, white asparagus, or roast lamb with aubergine compote. Sommelier José Gonzalez Godoy encourages unconventional choices when it comes to selecting from the extensive cellar. And after a day exploring La Rioja, you can relax on the rooftop with spectacular views, sampling a glass of local red or white as the sun sets. Doubles from €145. Scott Adams

NEWS

Former favourite of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Oscar Wilde, The Savoy will reopen in London on 10 October having undergone the most ambitious restoration in British history. New to the hotel will be a glamorous art deco bar offering champagne, cocktails and cabaret, and a rooftop pool

Leave a Reply