Sometimes the experience of a well-designed and thoughtfully appointed hotel bathroom is reflected in, and enhanced by, the view from the bathrooms. Our Luxe Lavs’ correspondent, Angela Fairhurst, a few view-worthy candidates.
CIRAGAN PALACE KEMPINSKI
The Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul is an Ottoman Imperial palace hotel on the Bosphorus with a view of both Asia and Europe from either side. The best views can be found in the large Sultan Suite, one of the largest hotel rooms in Europe with two bathrooms, each with breathtaking views worthy of — not surprisingly — royalty. The first has a specially designed, high-backed, hand-carved marble claw-foot Devon bathtub where guests can sip champagne while overlooking the historical Bosphorus peninsula. It’s a constant, active performance out on the water — yachts, ferry and tug boats. And you get to watch these nautical scenes play out from the master bathroom — complete with a handmade marble “hamam,” a Turkish bath with a private steam room and rain shower with gold plated and crystal bathtub faucets. To top it off, those staying in the Sultan Suite have a personal butler, available 24 hours a day.
GRAND HYATT TAIPEI
The Grand Hyatt Taipei features views of the City of Azaleas from top to bottom. The massive hotel is headlined by the 2,379 square-foot Hyatt Presidential Suite with its panoramic city views seen — you guessed it — from the bathroom. The design is a mix of contemporary and oriental design elements striking a unique balance between East and West with a master bathroom in all-white marble floor and walls. The bathroom is topped off with a focal point lighting fixture. Nothing is amiss as it’s equipped with matching his and hers above-the-counter sinks, a monsoon shower, a standalone tub featured in front of the picture window, a steam room, jet spa and Salvatore Ferragamo bath products. And if you get bored of the view outside the suite, the master bath’s mirror even transforms into a TV.
INTERCONTINENTAL LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN
The InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown has dramatic views throughout the hotel, with an impressive one in the 2,500 square foot Presidential Suite located on the 66th floor. But it’s the bathroom, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, that offers incredible views of the city stretching from the Hollywood Hills to the Pacific Ocean. The white and grey marble that covers the bathroom’s floors and walls reflects the light from the window. The black double sink vanity with a make-up station in between fills almost the whole length of the bathroom. The expansive shower is almost the same length as the vanity. Then there’s an unusual infinity bathtub– where the water fills from the ceiling and spills over to the floor–that provides its own special view.
PALACE HOTEL TOKYO
Overlooking the Imperial Palace moat and palace gardens in the heart of Tokyo’s Maranouchi business district, is the Palace Hotel Tokyo. After a three year rebuild, the star of the property is the spacious Palace Suite with a private terrace offering expansive views of the black pines, the monuments of the Imperial Palace Gardens and the skyscrapers in the distance. The bathroom suite is outfitted with a separate vanity area, a large dressing room and a white and gray marble-clad bathroom with dual sinks, a large shower and a separate window-side soaking tub with built-in jets. Japanese touches to the room include bath towels from Ehime prefecture as well as the 300-thread count Imabari bed linens and Nambu Tekki cast iron teapots and tea cups handmade in the Tochigi district. But try not to forget the history that the view from the bathroom provides.
