Somnio Hostels - Barcelona

Wow! Hostels have come a long way. I stayed at a hostel in Miami many, many moons ago and it certainly didn't look like this.

Lee and Lauren Gonzalez are the proud owners of this new hot spot in Barcelona. I just read about them on Ladies Who Launch. As an interior designer, I am pretty impressed with the Somnio. I would stay here for a day or two. The prices aren't to bad either. I think this is perfect for the young traveler and a place to consider for the budget conscious. You can stay in a single room starting at $52.00 a night. A double with a bathroom goes for $105.00. If you're traveling in a group, you can get a single-sex dorm for a whopping $32.00 a night. Not bad...Huh?

Read more about Somnio Hostels...here

Marcel Wanders Designs Miami's Mondrian

Fast Company

By: Linda TischlerWed Sep 17, 2008

In early December, in that weird social vacuum between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there's no more glorious place to be than Miami. That's when the planet's art-loving high rollers, and the scenesters who follow in their rarefied wake, descend on the city for the annual festival-cum-bacchanal Art Basel Miami Beach.

Party central for these seasonal migrants -- many of whom couldn't tell a Francis Bacon from a Kevin Bacon -- is the hotel scene on South Beach, where late-night revelers repair to the pool bars at the Delano or the Raleigh to toss back mojitos in the name of art. But this year, the epicenter is likely to shift to the $200 million Mondrian in South Beach, which will have its grand opening during the fair. The fanciful, exuberantly patterned confection, a 335-room hotel-and-condo development overlooking Biscayne Bay, is the brainchild of Marcel Wanders, the 45-year-old Dutch designer. The place promises to be high on drama, with a swooping, laser-cut steel staircase; secret "kissing gardens"; and bathrooms with showerheads embedded in chandeliers.

Read more...here

Hilton Hotel Launches New Global Brand

BY LAUREL PETRIELLO -- INTERIOR DESIGN, 

3/10/2009

What recession? Sure, certain design markets are slowing these days, but hospitality is not one. Launching today in Berlin, Hilton Hotels Corporation welcomes a new brand to the Hilton Family of Brands called Denizen Hotels. The label, which is touted as a global lifestyle line, will appear in the world’s most prevalent urban environments and cater to globally-conscious modern travelers.

The new Denizen label proposes a pleasurable environment suitable for business travel or personal getaway. Each hotel will feature smart technology, relaxation and rejuvenation hubs, and restaurants geared toward communal interaction. Harnessing the best in contemporary design, Hilton has secured top designers like Hall of Famers David Rockwell and Clodagh to shape in the look and feel of the Denizen collection.

Read more...here