Acqualina Resort & Spa
Photo Courtesy of Acqualina Resort & Spa
One of our favorite features about high-end hotels is that they keep up with the trends without necessarily being trend-seekers. Forbes Travel Guide’s Star-Rated properties are constantly updating their guest rooms and public spaces to make sure that linens, furnishings and even technology are in-line with today’s highest standards. In fact, three top properties have recently received the full face-lift treatment. So, if you’re planning a visit to Washington, D.C., Houston or Miami soon, consider a stay at one of these reimagined gems:
“Authentically Texan” sums up Hotel Derek’s first renovation since its 2002 opening. The Four-Star hotel is fresh from a 2013 overhaul that left the guest rooms feeling cheekily retro, blending architectural design with ’60s kitsch. But the best accommodations are the two just-updated penthouse suites, designed in collaboration with Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams to offer a sleek apartment-style feel. The highlights include the oversized magnetic Scrabble games on the walls, spacious private balconies with panoramic views of downtown Houston, two separate entrances, two Texas-sized bathrooms and a pillow menu for customizing your sleep experience. In addition to sprucing up the suites, Hotel Derek also recently introduced Revolve Kitchen + Bar, a cosmopolitan spot where you’ll find cow prints, bold colors and a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu filled with fun, elevated twists on chicken-fried short ribs, shrimp and grits and other comfort foods.
The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C., Photo Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.
The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
The Four-Star Ritz-Carlton Georgetown has long been one of the most stellar properties in the city — it’s perfectly positioned close to posh shopping in a spectacularly walkable waterfront neighborhood, and its small size (just 86 rooms) and location in the former Georgetown Incinerator leave it with a unique boutique feel absent in many big-city hotels. Its fresh new look, unveiled in September, blends cozy and industrial-chic. Exposed brick and metal meld with earth tones and pops of burnt orange and sapphire blue. Soft lighting and handcrafted wallpaper by Maya Romanoff complement custom and vintage furnishings, making the hotel feel more like a retreat than a city-center property. Of course, the technological advances are also top notch, including Bose 3-2-1 sound systems, Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth speakers, charge ports for iPod/iPhone/Android devices and 42-inch LCD high-definition televisions.
Miami’s luxury hotel scene will get even hotter when this Five-Star treasure fully unveils its new guest rooms later this fall. The 98 already-spacious rooms and suites, which start at nearly 750 square feet, will be dressed in cool, calming tones (see sand-hued draping and soft gray carpeting) with subtle tropical hints, seamlessly blending the indoors and out. The Isabel Tragash-designed units will also have sliding glass doors that will allow guests to spend time admiring the resort’s more than 400 feet of oceanfront views. On cool nights, cozy up with a chinchilla blanket found in the designated seating area and order room service from one of four dining options, or unwind in your room’s oversized bathtub. It’s relaxation at its finest.
