In homage to boutique hotels

Many of us are keen to model our bedrooms and bathrooms on the designs of boutique hotels and no wonder. These beautifully considered rooms in some of the smartest hotels are usually modern and make us feel pampered. Sometimes of course, it is the cost of the experience that also alerts us to the fact that we are being pampered.

 

The 1980’s saw the start of the boutique hotel industry with the first two hotels of their kind being The Blakes Hotel in South Kensington, designed by celebrated designer Anouska Hempel, and The Bedford in Union Square San Francisco. And so started a new trend for these hotels mostly independent of the big chains, usually no bigger than 150 rooms.

 

The Blakes exudes antique splendour, with four posters and French antique furniture amongst the decoration of their rooms. Another feature is freestanding in-room baths or adjoining en suites and the very best personal services.

 

The Sanderson Hotel in London; a later addition to the select boutique choice; is now part of the Morgans Hotel Group but retains its modern aesthetic with little hints of French designer Philippe Starck, including the Lips sofa in reception.

 

A newbie in town

Yes there’s new boutique hotel vying for top place. The town isn’t London or an New York, but Hong Kong. The hotel is the Mira Moon which comes with a very respectable design heritage in the hands of Dutchman Marcel Wanders collaborating with Philippe Starke’s company, Yoo.

 

 

Mira Moon embraces the Chinese culture, whilst also injecting a little European culture – it would be difficult to leave this out completely in the hands of two great continental designers.

 

On the website Wanders gives a video account of how and why the hotel has been designed in the way it has. He even sings for your pleasure!

 

The Moon story

Basically the hotel has been designed around the fascinating tale of a Chinese hero named Hou Yi. At a time when the earth was circled by ten suns and was accordingly too hot for comfort, Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns and made the earth habitable.  The gods awarded him immortality for his bravery. Hou Yi decided to bestow immortality on his much loved wife, Chang’er. Discovering she could fly, she travelled to the moon not realising she wouldn’t be able to come back!

 

Missing her husband a great deal, she sent him a magical Jade Rabbit to keep him company.  Today Hou Yi and the Jade Rabbit live in one of Wan Chai’s towers, and are still watched over by Chang’er.

 

The design

The influence of this story and Hong Kong’s Moon Festival have inspired the design for the Mira Moon. The three characters can be found in the design throughout the hotel alongside other references to traditional Chinese culture.

 

Look no further than their amazing en suite bathrooms containing a free standing bath with mosaic walls of peonies and other symbols from Chinese culture. Or maybe a carved wall panel or a Wanders or Starck chair for your bathing room.