The relaunch – Pulitzer Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Pulitzer Amsterdam, in the heart of the Dutch capital’s UNESCO World Heritage district, is a historic hotel located within a series of 25 400-year-old canal houses, maintained and restored to preserve their 17th-century architectural features. The hotel itself is 45 years old and the phased restoration saw the unveiling of its authentic new look just last month, with an upgraded Pulitzer’s Bar, new restaurant Jansz and 80 overhauled guest rooms on the Keizersgracht canal side of the hotel. Two of the most notable new additions are the themed Music Collector’s suite, which is adorned with a wall of trumpets, a vintage record player and a vast collection of framed records; and the Art Collector’s suite, which hosts a variety of art pieces, including a nine-metre modern version of The Last Supper painting. The second wing will open to guests in the autumn, with 225 guest rooms and suites available by the grand opening.
The wellness boost – Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Italy
Further south in Italy, there’s a grand dame that seems to reinvent itself ahead of every summer season. Following 2014’s T Beach unveiling and 2015’s signature suite launches, Lake Como’s Grand Hotel Tremezzo now has an all-new spa offering. The new 1,000-sqm wellness facility has taken residence in the 18th-century Villa Emilia, with indoor and outdoor spaces for full lakeside relaxation, boasting views of the Bellagio and Grigne Mountains. The design comes courtesy of Venelli Kramer – also the mastermind behind T Beach, the TSpa Infinity Pool and the hotel’s new rooftop suites – in partnership with ESPA, maintaining a host of the villa’s original features with contemporary design elements, including the hammam’s central raised massage platform, steam room, sauna, warm bath and rain shower with nebulised waterfall, all realised in white Lasa marble.
The suite new offering, Hôtel Royal - Evian, France
European hotel refurbishments are two a penny, but interior designer François Champsaur is said to have completely “reinterpreted” the Hôtel Royal - Evian Resort in Évian-les-Bains, France. The Leading Hotels of the World member has seen its hundred-year-old building returned to its “original splendour” and crowned with seven new luxurious suites with views of Lake Geneva and the Alps. With an emphasis on period furniture, and mahogany, oak, rosewood and satinwood furnishings, as well as Carrara marble with white and grey veinage used in the bathrooms, Champsaur himself commented that hotel “reveals in equal measure its connection with the mineral content of water and the water spring as well as its place in the sophisticated world of the Palace hotel”. The seven new suites are said to be a renewed tribute to King Edward VII, in whose honour the hotel was built in 1907.
The phoenix from the ashes – The Ritz Paris, France
The official reopening of The Ritz in Paris has been delayed after a fire swept through the top floor of the world-famous luxury hotel. The iconic stay was due to reopen in April following a US$144-million three-year renovation but the reopening will now take place this summer. A spokesman told the media: “The restoration works continue and we promise to deliver The Ritz Paris we all hoped for. We are excited to welcome guests to Place Vendôme at the very beginning of June.” The January fire is reported to have started on the seventh floor and spread to the attic and roof – a major setback to the renovation work on all 143 rooms, L’Espadon restaurant and the Ritz Escoffier cooking school.