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Forbes Lifestyle New Hotels In Europe For Fall 2023 Baz Dreisinger Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Following Sep 27, 2023, 05:48pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Glorious views from SO/Paris SO/Paris SO/Paris Hotel It’s a fabulously French version of an all-inclusive: the impeccable SO/Paris — located between the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Bastille and the Marais districts—has everything you came to the City of Light for, in a single property. There’s fashion, of course: All SO hotels are overseen by selected designers; in this case, Guillaume Henry of Patou House has decked the staff out in gorgeous, whimsical outfits you’ll want to buy right off them (and you can, in the lobby shop). Want art? It’s all over SO/Paris: 122 pieces curated by the Emerige group, including collections by Thomas Fougeirol, Elsa Sahal and Alice Guittard (I especially loved the NFTs in the elevators, transforming a ride into an experience). The stunningly appointed, absurdly comfortable 162 rooms and suites—perfect mergers of style and serenity—are themselves works of art, with plush beds that pay homage to the great art of sleep. Rooms as art at SO/Paris SO/Paris You also came to Paris for views, and SO has them in droves. I relished angles of the Eiffel Tower from my bed and was blown away by Bonnie: not a person but a restaurant, bar and club in three different spaces, all of them medleys of mirrors and windows delivering views of the Seine, the Ile de la Cité and pretty much every other Paris icon. Of course, Bonnie’s food and wine—which you certainly came to Paris for—is as stellar as the setting: classics like foie gras, escargot and chateaubriand, along with marinated sea bream, wagyu beef focaccia and a bevy of delectable pastas and meats. Bonnie the club, with modish red décor that screams Moulin Rouge, is the club in Paris right now, as evidenced by the nightly line to get in (don’t worry: guests skip it). Entrance to a flawless stay: SO/Paris SO/Paris MORE FOR YOU ‘Alarm Bells For Crypto’—Leak Reveals Joe Biden Could Be About To Issue a Game-Changing Executive Order And Trigger Bitcoin Price Chaos Senate Committee Passes Cannabis Banking Bill Travis King Back In American Custody After Crossing North Korean Demilitarized Zone Finally, you came to Paris for beauty products, and you’ll find them in your room and at SO’s spa: CODAGE PARIS, the property’s cosmetics house, is my discovery of the year—and the ideal souvenir of a stellar stay. 21 House of Stories Navigli, Milan Views of Milan from the pool deck at 21 House of Stories Navigli 21 House of Stories Why stay in a plain-old hotel when you can stay in a house of stories ? This new Italian brand of co-living and co-working spaces dubs itself, poetically, “the meeting hub of a diverse community of travelers, digital nomads, creatives and locals, who move between our spaces with the flexibility and lightness of those who feel at home.” I certainly felt at home at their palatial new Milan opening , located in the trendy Navigli neighborhood, site of Venice-like canals and some of the city’s best late-night haunts. Milan style at 21 House of Stories Navigli 21 House of Stories Hybrid indoor-outdoor common spaces are buzzing with the cool crowd—think Soho House without the snooty membership requirement. 104 rooms spread out over six floors are decked out in the ultimate Milan style, sleek, minimalist and futuristic. The glorious pool deck boasts views to put all other Milan rooftops to shame; it’s flanked by a fine-dining Italian restaurant upstairs and a casual shared-plate eatery downstairs—and both are delectable. Sit back, order an Aperol Spritz and bask in being at the heart of it all. Follow me on Twitter . Baz Dreisinger Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions
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