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Chelsea Hotel, New York
Reopened following a ten-year hiatus and a major restyling that transformed it into a full-fledged luxury hotel, the Chelsea Hotel is now a legend that has filled the pages of American history, if only for its famous tenants including Allen Ginsberg, Arthur Miller, Jasper Johns, Betsey Johnson, Patti Smith and Bob Dylan. From the 50s to the early 80s, which made its "Golden Age", the Chelsea Hotel was a treasure trove of works of art with which artists exchanged for their stay, while pivotal books, songs and films were being created in its rooms: from Jack Kerouac's On the Road to Leonard Cohen's song Chelsea Hotel No. 2, to the birth of disco and punk music, not forgetting jazz, the Chelsea Hotel's eclectic interiors have inspired some of the contemporary music and culture milestones. And to think that, when it was founded in 1884, the Chelsea was an elegant upper-class apartment complex; the Victorian-Gothic style building, designed by Philippe Hubert, stands on 23rd street, in the heart of the Chelsea district, and at the time of construction, with its 12 floors decorated with iconic wrought iron balconies, it was the tallest building in the city. Before the success of Broadway, the Chelsea district was the hub of the theater area, but when the stages migrated elsewhere, the building fell into disrepair, only to be taken over in 1939 by the Bard family, who managed it until 2007, transforming the apartments into rooms, and maintaining that somewhat decadent charm which continued to attract a crowd of artists, romantics, musicians and intellectuals in search of a "creative shelter".
Imperial, New Delhi
If the walls of this palm-lined oasis could talk, how many new anecdotes and chapters could magically be rewritten in the history books! From the great politicians of the 20th century to the most famous celebrities and rock stars, everyone has spent at least one night in this hotel. Those who love the colonial style articulated on vintage rattan furniture, exposed fans, period photographs and works of art that have 20th century India as the protagonist, will appreciate how the charm of history is alive at the Imperial. Conceived by D.L. Bromfield in 1931 and inaugurated by Lord Willingdon in 1936, the Imperial was thought to be the first luxury hotel in New Delhi, an eclectic and very original blend of colonial style, Victorian elements (such as the gates and the bronze lions that welcome visitors at the entrance), and Art Deco (to be noted on the panels on the walls and in the wrought iron balconies). Among silver tea sets and table accessories signed by prestigious London manufacturers, the Italian marble floors shine while accomodating Bourma teak furniture. From the pillared verandahs to the dining rooms and the grand Royal Ballromm, the walls of the Imperial have served as the backdrop for important political meetings and gala events "à la Great Gatsby". A real museum in the heart of Delhi, The Imperial is a window on a taste and style that characterized an era. And after a day spent on the busy streets of New Delhi, its huge swimming pool offers a restoring refreshment.
Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles
Immortalized in Sofia Coppola's Somewhere (in the picture), a 2010 film in which this hotel plays a leading role, the Chateau Marmont is more a mirror of Hollywood history than a real hotel, being a legendary Hollywood celebrity hangout: a structure which is far from luxurious, but rather understood by many movie stars as a safe place to find privacy. Is it its location perched on Sunset Boulevard? Or is it the vintage-inspired interiors which, mixing Spanish and Victorian-inspired elements in a shabby chic effect, underline the timelessness of the building? No matter what, that of the Marmont has often been defined as "an atmosphere that makes you feel at home while being away from home". Noted for being one of the first earthquake-proof apartment complex in Los Angeles and designed in 1929 by William Douglas Lee, the building was clearly inspired by the Chateau Amboise of the Loire Valley in France, and soon evolved into a residence hotel loved by celebrities of all eras: a meeting place, but also the cradle of intrigues and dramas experienced by the Hollywood star system — Harry Cohn, founder of Columbia Pictures, pronounced the infamous phrase: «If you have to get into trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont» — which hosted F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker, Hunter S. Thompson, Roman Polanski, John Lennon, Bono, among others. Photographer Helmut Newton, still considered the guest par excellence of the Chateau, set his most iconic photo shoots in the hotel's rooms and bungalows.
The Pellicano, Porto Ercole, (Grosseto, Italy)
An Italian destination could not be missing from our legendary hotels hit parade. On the Argentario coast, the crystalline waters of a bay immersed in the mountains draw the magical horizon that can be admired from the Pellicano. Before becoming an icon of luxury and taking on this name, when it was created in 1965, the structure was a villa overlooking a wild and unexplored bay. The house, conceived by an English aviator and an American high society girl to be their quiet and secret romantic retreat, soon began to welcome the couple's friends, from the international jet set to Hollywood stars, looking for a vacation away from the spotlight. A stay at the Pellicano would be a slow pace experience filled with glamor, qualities that underline the hotel's actual charisma and retro soul.
