Looking for a hotel room with a view in London? How about a boat on a rooftop? That would be Room for London – a one bedroom hotel shaped like a boat on the roof of Queen Elizabeth Hall at Southbank Centre, London.

Room for London

From the upper and lower decks of this rooftop boat, guests can enjoy the extraordinary views of London, from Big Ben to St Paul’s cathedral.

It’s a good bet, though, that there will be a lot more people staring at the boat stuck on the rooftop than the other London attractions in the South Bank.

It’s a temporary installation that’s going to be part of the London 2012 Festival. Living Architecture and Artangel, in association with Southbank Centre, ran a contest where they invited designs for the instllation. The winning Room for London: Roi des Belges design, chosen out of 500 submissions, was sent in by David Kohn Architects and artist Fiona Banner.

Their concept of this boat left stranded on top of the building is that it came to rest there, grounded, perhaps, from the retreating waters of the Thames below.

David Kohn architects explains that “The idea evolved from narratives of travel and displacement in literature, in particular Joseph Conrad’s novella ‘Heart of Darkness,’ a story that begins beside the River Thames. The boat takes its name from the steamboat that Conrad himself captained on the Congo. Visitors to the boat will be invited to create their own narrative by recording their experience on board.”

The inside of the ‘hotel’ consists of one double bedroom with a view of London and an ensuite bathroom. In addition to the balconies on the upper deck, there’s also a library on board. Guests will be expected to raise a ‘nautical flag’ when they come aboard, and write about their stay and the whole experience in the logbook.

You can book the Room for London starting Sept 8, for stays from January to June 2012. For those who want a stay during the 2012 London Olympics, reservations can be made starting January 2012, for stays in between July-Dec 2012.

On top of the guests who will pay to stay, there will also be some ‘thinkers-in-residence’ invited to come and stay at the boatel on the roof and encouraged to write about it and the city.

Photo courtesy David Kohn Architects and Fiona Banner

More info and booking: living-architecture.co.uk

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Entryway of The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota is graced by a Piazza fountain by Mexican sculptor Guadalupe Dominguez Herrera

The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota might never have existed if members of high society in Tarpon Springs, Florida had welcomed John and Mabel Ringling. Instead,when they were snubbed, the Ringlings moved further south to the then quiet fishing village of Sarasota. Captivated by Sarasota’s sparkling bay and quaint fishing village, the Ringlings put their substantial wealth to work transforming the city into a showcase, determined to be remembered for more than their Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus empire. They built their personal home, Ca ‘d Zahn, on the shores of the bay, modeling it after an Italianate Gothic palace and filling it with European art. When they ran out of room in the 31-room mansion, the Ringlings built the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art, creating one of the world’s finest collections of European paintings and sculptures by the great Old Masters.

Shortly after completing their home, John Ringling decided that Sarasota, blessed with natural beauty and some of the world’s most stunning beaches, could be better promoted if the city had an upscale resort. He agreed to pay his good friend and business associate, Albert Keller of the New York Ritz-Carlton, $5,000 per year to use the prestigious name and began building on the Read More »

On Jan 18, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art celebrates it’s 75th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the St. Regis Francisco has come up with two limited edition SFMOMA Suites and an SFMOMA Anniversary Travel package.

Woman with a Hat (1905), by Henry Matisse

The suites, located on the 5th and 6th floors, were designed in collaboration with the museum and feature art prints from the museum’s 75th anniversary exhibitions.

The ‘Gems of the Museum’ suite features the Femme au chapeau (1905) by Henri Matisse. A large-scale print of one of Jason Pollock’s most famed works, Guardians of the Secret (1943), hangs against a dramatic blue backdrop on the neighboring wall.  

The ‘Art of California’ suite offers abstract paintings from the Golden State. San Francisco native Richard Diebenkorn has two pieces on display in the Art of California Suite. The suite’s bedroom showcases works by Anne Bremer and Wayne Thiebaud.

The SFMOMA Anniversary Travel package includes one night in a Limited Edition SFMOMA Suite, passes for two to SFMOMA, and the museum’s 448-page hardcover anniversary catalogue - 75 Years of Looking Forward.

St. Regis and SFMoma -view from Yerba Buena Gardens

The package starts with a price tag of $1,195, and is valid until Dec 31, 2010. To reserve this offer, contact the St. Regis Aficionado coordinator Nicole Holland directly at 415.284.4070 or Nicole.Holland @ stregis.com.

The hotel is located next to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, with the Yerba Buena Gardens across the street. Facilities at the 260 room St. Regis include the 9000 sq. ft Remède Spa and two restaurants – Ame and Vitrine.

SFMOMA photo by Franco Folini; Matisse painting – public domain (source)

Info: 125 3rd Street San Francisco CA 94103; (415) 284-4000; www.stregissanfrancisco.com

Staying at the Daddy Long Legs Boutique Backpacker Hostel in Cape Town, South Africa is like being part of an interactive art exhibition. Local artists, poets, photographers, designers, and musicians were given free reign to create a unique decor for each of the hostel’s 13 rooms, resulting in a collection of hotel rooms that are an adventurous, humorous (and sometimes ironic) representation of Cape Town’s contemporary cultural landscape.

"Do Not Disturb" has multiple mikes and a karaoke setup

The "Emergency Room" is red all over with a medical theme

The funky, fun decor begins in the reception area, where overstuffed leather sofas and colorful beanbag chairs mingle around a large screen TV, and the restroom is constructed of one-way see-through glass (fortunately the occupant of the bathroom can see out but those on the outside cannot see in). Individual rooms are even wilder. The “Do Not Disturb” room is a fantasy sound studio, stage and bedroom all rolled into one, where five microphones await your entertainment. One is in the shower, which Read More »