David Chipperfield’s Hotel Café Royal achieves a certain level of surrealism that is hard to integrate into a postmodern world. A casual stroll through the vicinity, and you’ll find your mind becoming increasingly encapsulated by the fairy tale themed design that draws heavily from Scandinavian architecture.
One hundred and sixty guest rooms and five luxury suites, along with a spa, a swimming pool modeled after classic baths, and a wide array of cafes, bars, and restaurants, all find themselves finely packed within the precinct of three historical buildings. The hotel itself boasts a rich history that dates back to over a century ago, and during that time, has found in its company some of the most influential figures to have ever lived.
A night at the Hotel Café Royal is to sleep under the same roof that great figures such as Winston Churchill, Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf, and David Bowie were once, too, enjoying their time under.
The team restored the luxurious establishment between 2008 and 2012 worked towards paying homage to the hotel’s gilded roots. They infused old and new architectural designs and color schemes, and the results were nothing less than stunning.
The ground floor café, decorated with Giallo Sienna marble is nothing less than a grand aesthetic to please the senses. The Pompadour Suite on the second floor is a feast for the eyes, blending in gold, amber, and ochre. The spa situated within the basement seeks to accomplish its objective of comforting the clientele by providing a relaxing and serene look, making the most of its precast concrete work and terrazzo finish.
And yet, despite the marvelous use of visual schemes, the hotel’s architectural work finds itself possessing a certain degree of modesty. There is nothing excessive or superfluous; nothing to overburden the senses. Every aspect of the hotel works towards building a peaceful environment for the clientele to indulge in.
Surely, it’s a must to visit.
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