A Berlin-style concept store—but up some stairs off Rua Oscar Freire, São Paulo’s classiest shopping street. In line with its motto “young, fresh and free”, 2nd Floor offers funky fashion for urban scenesters: shirts, jeans and dresses in cool patterns and unexpected cuts.

Check out the location of 2nd Floor and more in Sao Paulo with the Design Hotels City Guide iPhone Application!

We like sharing secrets… and this one is one of those that when you know about the secret it is still uncertain if you are able to find it once you are in the city! If you are able to find it, enjoy the food!

Like something out of a spy movie, “Tintoreria Dontell” is (for want of less clichéd term) one of the best kept secrets in town. Run by restaurant group, Urban Secrets, the restaurant is cloaked behind an old drycleaners, whose shopfront does nothing to betray the hip restaurant out back. Only those in the know will be ushered through a cachéd entrance (with finger print authorization an occasional, cheeky requirement).

We recommend the Design Hotels™ iPhone City Guide App to guide you to Tintoreria Dontell or other nice places in Barcelona!

Not one small spot, this is an entire neighbourhood that boosts art energy! The galleries and studios line the Suzhou Creek, encouraging the artistically-minded to voyage outside of downtown for a leisurely and aesthetically invigorating stroll. ShanghART Gallery, Art Scene Warehouse, Shine Art Space and m97 Gallery are among the more well-known of the larger galleries….

Check this area and more nice spots in Shanghai with our Design Hotels™ iPhone City Guide App!

Greetings from FRIENDS WITH YOU situated in sunny Miami!
Already harboring an international following (thanks partly to ongoing involvement with Art Basel in Miami and Pictoplasma in Berlin), the duo recently opened this flagship store purveying prints, apparel, art, toys and more, each infused with the contagious philosophy of Magic.Luck.Friendship…

Find the ‘Friends With You’ happiness with the Design Hotels City Guide iPhone Application

Merci
A small secret in big Paris, here you are able to spend money on fashion with out feeling guilty. All Merci’s profit is given to a children’s charity in Madagascar.

Bernand and Marie-France Cohen opened in March 2009, their Marais shop, Merci. Merci is a 1,500-square-meter designer mecca with a vintage clothing selection. The designer corner cradles pieces created especially for the store by the likes of YSL, Stella McCartney, Azzaro, Alexis Mabille and Marni—and cost 30-40 percent less……

Read more with the Design Hotels City Guide iPhone Application!

Lomography Gallery Store

“The Future is Analogue”

The Lomography Gallery Store London is located in the unique Newburgh Quarter just off Carnaby Street in Soho. Here you’ll find the full range of Lomographic products sheltered by the biggest Lomowall in the United Kingdom: no less than 14,000 Lomographs …

Check this out and more with the Design Hotels iPhone City Guide App!

To give all of you a little taste of the unbelievable content that is contained in our special City Guide iPhone applications, we are starting a new daily feature called… iPhone Application Highlights where we will uncover a secret location or local hotspot randomly from one of our city guides.

For our first post, we are starting in the Design Hotels hometown of Berlin!

TASCHEN

“Art and Design you should Know…”

With locations spanning from Brussels to Hollywood, the respected Cologne-based publishers are multiplying at a breathtaking pace, championing nine Phillipe Starck-designed stores and an impressive catalogue of books covering coffee-table topics like art, pop culture, travel, design, photography and film…

Read more with the Design Hotels City Guide iPhone Application!

I just returned from a fantastic weekend of eating my way through Paris (redeeming a Christmas present) filled with food, food, and more food…

First of all, special thanks to the Murano Resort in Paris which hosted me for the wkend. For anybody visiting the city of lights, I strongly urge you to check out the Murano while considering their hotel. The location is perfect on Rue de Temple near La Republique steps from the bohemian Marais district. The rooms feature vivid colors, exciting electronics (Bang and Olufsen TV´s), and fantastic bathrooms (below are images of our amazing room in the hote). The Murano really shines however during the night when the two bars and restaurant convert to one of Paris´s hotspots for locals.

Guy Savoy: When you are ranked the number one restaurant in the most famous city in the world for food (according to tripadvisor), have three Michelin stars, and are booked months in advance, it is understandable to develop a big head.  However, at Guy Savoy, I experienced the kindest, most interesting, and spectacular meal of my life thanks in large part to the humility and ease of the staff and Mr. Savoy himself. We enjoyed a 5 course meal including dishes like Red Mullet with liver sauce and her beignets, Artichoke and Black Truffel Soup with homemade layered Brioche with mushrooms and truffle butter, foie gras wild pigeon pheasant mallard duck with steamed cabbage and light gravy, granny smith apple compote with candied chestnut, and a selection of incredible sweets… The service was what you expect from a restaurant of that calibre, and to top it off the staff offered a special tour of the kitchen and a introduction to the Executive Chef.  This meal lasted for 4 hours and will be hurting my wallet for months to come, but for a special occasion, I cannot recommend it enough!

Favela Chic: If you find yourself in need of a good caipirinha or batida de coco, look no further than Favela Chic.  The Brazilian themed restaurant and bar is known for its beautiful clientele, fantastic cuisine, and great music that has inspired many nights of table dancing…  Just make sure to make reservations as the place gets packed early.

Angelina: For one of the best hot chocolates in the world, look no further than the classic spot Angelina.  Don´t mind the tourists as you indulge in the thickest, richest, and most serious chocolate experiences imaginable…

Chez Marianne: For a quick and cheap lunch on the go, there is one falafel stand that rises above the rest in the Marais… Chez Marianne.  27, rue des Ecouffes, 75004, 4th Arrondissement, Paris, France (map); 01 42 71 53 72

Auberge de la Reine Blanche: For the typical cozy French experience, enjoy a dinner at Augerge de la reine Blanche.  Located on the little island in the middle of the city.  I had a delicious Onion soup and Boeuf Bourginon.  30, rue de St-Louis-en-l’Ile, Paris, France, 01 46 33 07 87

For all of you ski fans, the 2010 Ski World Cup will take place in Adelboden Switzerland this wkend. Adelboden is, of course, home of one of our newest spectacular hotels, The Cambrian…

Check out the World Cup site here!

winter wonderland from swissmiss on Vimeo.