Three of the Hottest New Hotels
Cool, contemporary and convenient, these three new hotels have it all covered.
Maybe it’s the row of fixed-gear bicycles lining the path to the front door or the young women in the lobby wielding SLR cameras. Either way, the changing face of Perth is nailed in the city’s newest boutique offering, Alex Hotel. One of the world’s most isolated cities has got its hipster on. The brainchild of the team behind Little Creatures brewery, the super-friendly 74-room hotel in inner-city Northbridge was purpose-built to funnel guests out of their small, functional-over-fabulous rooms and into the hotel’s communal areas: a ground-floor café, a homespun mezzanine area (with an honour system for drinks) and the rooftop terrace. Don’t miss Shadow Wine Bar & Dining Room next door.
When French hoteliers Serge Trigano and Cyril Aouizerate launched the first Mama Shelter hotel in Paris in 2009, they changed the rules of the game, offering guests Thierry Gaugain-designed interiors with free wi-fi and in-room iMacs for $155 a night. Now, Mama Shelter has debuted in the United States and it’s shaking things up once again. There are eclectic touches throughout the hotel – from chalkboard graffiti on the lobby’s ceiling to mismatched furniture and conical lamps in the bar – and the well-priced rooms feature all the mod cons (27-inch iMacs, free videos on demand and Absolution toiletries). But the best is yet to come: a rooftop zone with an alfresco bar, theatre and gym, mimicking the mood of the city’s famous Venice Beach.
It’s smack-bang in the middle of the city but this brand-new Taiwanese hotel feels like an oasis as it’s surrounded by beautiful landscaping and offers views of the city and nearby botanical gardens. Located in the Dazhi district and with easy access to the airport, it’s ultra-convenient for the business traveller. There’s a modern convention centre on site, a buzzy shopping and dining arcade and a spa providing Ayurvedic treatments. The hotel has three eateries, with more slated to launch; the signature restaurant, Dining Place, will offer Cantonese and Sichuan food when it opens next month.
