From 20 until 26 September 2010, London will be under the spell of the word “Design”. With 2 big design events taking place in the same week, London makes sure you breathe design, eat design, feel design and of course observe new design when you are around.

The 100% Design London trade fair is UK’s leading design and architecture event showcasing everything for the modern building and interiors. Although most days are for business purpose only, Sunday they will open their doors for the public and invite everyone to discover the newest design gadgets.

If you want to have some more inspiration during the week, you can visit the London Design Festival at different locations through London. With over 200 events, the majority of which are free to enter, the London Design Festival programme reflects the widest possible range of design interests.

Visit London during Design Week and stay in one of our 12 Design hotels.

Forget about the fancy people, the crazy restaurants and the even more incredible clubs and head over to 12th Avenue. At pier 66 you will find the Frying Pan, an old boat which provides you with fruity sangria, nice food and a beautiful view over the Hudson river. A great place to spend your evening  in Manhattan differently.

Ready to party or for a good night sleep … Check out The Standard New York, located just around the corner of the Frying Pan.

Shopping, sun bathing, visiting museums and great clubs/cafes, restaurants and oh yeah…an unforgettable evening at The Standard, New York. 

With the new rooftop opened in July a new success for The Standard is guaranteed. Unfortunately while being on the rooftop, due to the heat, smog and clouds, the view was not really clear, but even then the great view over the Hudson River, the statue of liberty and Soho Manhattan was very much appreciated. I love the look and feel of the rooftop terrace with an eclectic mix of ‘golf course’ green grass, tennis court white waitress dresses and retro colorful furniture. But I can understand it is a matter of personal taste…

Too bad, we could only enjoy of the cocktails, the view and the sun for one hour before we had to rush off again to the ground floor for dinner at The Standard Grill.

The restaurant, bar, beergarten and terrace is the most buzzing area of The Standard New York. Don’t expect much privacy but great food and lots of beautiful people to look at. A juicy burger (with the best fries ever) and Halibut later, we were stuffed like a turkey but still decided to go for the chocolate mousse bowl. My recommendation: Always leave a bit space in your tummy for this delicious dessert.

For the people that do not get into the The Boom Boom Room, the roof terrace or manage to get a reservation at The Standard Grill. There is still the Beergarten. Coming from Berlin it felt like home: many people, beer and even table tennis tables…..

What you would think has a long serious history just started in 1945 with a couple of guys having a food throwing battle:
“The young people started to throw tomatoes to each other until the police took control and stopped that “battle” and ordered the responsible party to pay for the damages. The following year, the young people of the village repeated the “battle” but they brought their own tomatoes from home. ”

It took some years before the festival turned legal but now it is one of the most popular festivals in Spain. Do not expect to be the only tourist, but how fun can it be to take part in Europe’s biggest food-fight and act like a wild child again.

Check out Hospes Palau de La Mar in Valencia and escape to the city of tomatoes, Bunol, for one crazy day!.

7 weeks of non-stop art fun in Sao Paulo!

Museu da Imagem e do Som and NOVA introducing a new kind of creative event.
The exhibition presents live collaborated work in progress processes by more than 100 selected artists from around the world, featuring live art, music & audiovisuals; performances, video screenings, round tables, workshops and many unpredictable social consequences.
Only for the happy, the gifted, the curious and the open minded! I am sure those people are you, the readers of this blog.

For even more fun check out the Design Hotels™ City Guide Iphone application!

A retrospective of the work of the world famous photographic duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin is now featured at FOAM Photography Museum in Amsterdam. The exhibition is featured until 25 September 2010.

It is one of those many other reasons to visit Amsterdam.

In wanting to discover more of Berlin and its surroundings, but restricted by our lack of an automobile and being unable to decide where to go; a roadtrip was the perfect answer.

This weekend, as recent interns at Design Hotels™, we were lucky when we got the opportunity to check out the „Roadtrips Made By Originals“, a collaboration between BMW Connected Drive, Sixt and Design Hotels™. Starting off in Berlin Mitte we were ready to explore what Lux 11 had prepared; a full day exploration of fascinating destinations in and around this vibrant city.

A 40 minute drive from central Berlin was all it took to reach the picturesque Pfaueninsel. An offbeat getaway from the metropolitan life perfect for a dip in the lake, barbequing and playing games. We would recommend that you dedicate a full day just to this island if you ever decide to stop by. Bring friends, a volleyball, sunscreen, and some blankets and you’re ready.


After falling for our new discovery, it was time to head north to Kremmen. When passing through the town of Potsdam, driving along golden fields and green alleys it was hard to believe that we were so close to Berlin! The contrast to the buzzing Berlin climaxed once we arrived at our fifth goal-point SeeLodge. This quaint getaway offers a peaceful atmosphere with guests lounging on the terrace and while children playing in the water at the lodges’ private beach. This is the perfect place to bring the family on a sunny Sunday or your partner for a romantic weekend.



As the evening approached we headed back to the city. We really gained a new perspective of Berlin through this roadtrip, feeling refreshed after a day in the countryside.

Do you favour a tour like this and complete your trip with a dinner at the delicious Luchs restaurant of Lux 11?

Check out the Berlin roadtrip or the other roadtrips here!

While craving for some sweets I stumbled upon Papabubble again. After the first shop opening in Barcelona 6 years ago, they have grown to 6 in some major cities.
You could break your teeth on this candy and it is definitely unhealthy. But it looks soooo good. They are like candy art and so colourful, I would leave the shop with a provision for the coming 6 months!

Below some impressions to tantalize!

Aaron “A-ron” Bondaroff and art collector Al Moran ( Creative directors of OHWOW) opened a new retail outlet in the basement of New York’s West Village.

The basement boutique offers a sneak peek of the downtown New York art scene, from Clayton Patterson’s Front Door Book to Neckface’s The Devil Made Me Do It.  At 150 sq ft, this pocket-sized store was conceived by de Cárdenas to echo a classic black and white, pre-war NYC bathroom.

In the neighbourhoud? Definitely worth to check this out!

Photo by Floto + Warner

From 25 June to 17 July 2010 the exhibition DYSFASHIONAL will be presented in Berlin’s Haus der Kulturen der Welt. After Luxembourg, Lausanne and Paris, this exhibition in the context of fashion and art now also takes place in Berlin.

A good place to go to get some inspiration and for some shade or cooler temperatures as the temperature in Berlin is rising to tropical degrees!