Just a few minutes from Lucerne's Jean Nouvel-designed Culture and Convention Centre (KKL) is The Hotel, also by Nouvel. 'I had been thinking of opening a boutique hotel,' says local hotelier Urs Karli. 'When I saw the KKL, I knew who I wanted to do it.' The result is a 25-room masterpiece that breaks out of the luxurious but predictable five-star Swiss mould by offering an understated design experience with highly personalised service to match. Immediately popular with a young, international crowd, each of The Hotel's rooms feature film scenes from Nouvel's private collection, which he 'projected' onto the ceilings using an image-transfer system. Most painted in soothing dark tones, the rooms have a great sense of calm and either offer views of the adjacent park or their own private patio. The clever juxtaposition of mirrors makes the lobby area seem to float above the highly rated Restaurant Bam Bou where the menu combines French tradition with Asian refinement.
WHEN TO GO
During Lucerne's world-class music festival, held between August-September
WHICH ROOM TO BOOK
Suite 5201, Jean Nouvel's favourite, with has its own little garden where you can shower, screened by bamboo. Doubles from SFr390; suites (including suite 5201) from SFr510
CONTACT
The Hotel, Sempacherstrasse 14, CH-6002 Lucerne, Switzerland (00 41 41 226 86 86; fax: 226 86 90; email:info@the-hotel.ch; www.the-hotel.ch)
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