#sultan-suite

#sultan-suite

Amsterdam's strict ban on new hotel developments aims to curb the influx of millions of visitors annually, allowing only existing hotels to be taken over by major brands.

"Storytelling has always been at the heart of the American West, and sharing a classic cowboy poem at turndown brings that heritage into the guest experience in a more personal way."

A compleat Persian Palace--there are many minor variations and lesser imitations--is distinguished by its exaggerated moldings, numberless layers of cornices, elaborate grillework and columns galore. A Persian Palace brazenly combines motifs and wantonly disregards proportion and scale.

First gaining popularity in the 15th century, four-poster frames have given bedrooms a striking focal point for hundreds of years. Named for their quartet of corner posts, they can be as simple as a short, turned wood knob on each end, or as extravagant as a ceiling-height canopy frame (drapes are optional). Beloved for their craftsmanship, these silhouettes are traditionally made in solid wood with turned, bobbin, and hand-carved details.

From ordering a Singapore Sling at Raffles to taking a scenic dip at the floating swimming pool on Lake Como at Grand Hotel Tremezzo, hotels have long enticed guests via destination restaurants, bars and swimming pools.

An intact mosaic from Late Antiquity discovered during restoration of a historic municipal building in Istanbul is now a floor again, covered in plexiglass and welcoming visitors to the new Zeytinburnu Mosaic Museum. Visitors of Turkey's newest museum move across elevated glass walkways, suspended right above the original floors themselves. The mosaics are not relocated fragments mounted on walls, but surfaces that remain exactly where they were first laid, preserving their context for all to see.

On a recent two-week trip to Japan with my fiancé - six cities, six hotels - every stay was gorgeous and perfectly appointed. We wanted for nothing. Except, in most cases, a proper bathroom door. Instead, we spent the better part of two weeks making accidental eye contact through frosted glass and translucent panels while one of us was otherwise occupied. A design choice, apparently. A test of intimacy, definitely.

As I'm stuck in my NYC apartment on a brisk day in January, I can't help but daydream about the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach in Florida. I spent one night there in October 2025 and booked the cheapest available room for $920. Sitting in a cushioned rattan chair on my balcony as the sun went down, I could see the pool surrounded by palms and cabanas, tropical gardens, and the five-star hotel's private beach.