We’ve seen the Armani, Missoni, and Versace hotels, but a new wave of product companies are getting in on the travel market, producing some interesting results.
First up it’s Shinola. Known for their watches and leather goods, this Detroit based brand has now branched out into hotels. Launched recently, its first hotel has taken over two old buildings (the old T.B. Rayl & Co. sporting goods and hardware store and a former Singer sewing machine store) to make three new ones that pay homage to historic Detroit. With six different F&B venues in the hotel, it aims to be Detroit’s ‘living room’. There are 129 rooms, with loft-style windows and mid-century modern furniture. We’ve been wanting to get to Detroit for awhile (Movement!), and this looks like the perfect excuse.
Over in Tokyo, Muji has just launched its third hotel in Ginza, Tokyo (the other two are in Beijing and Shenzen). If you’re a fan of Muji, this is the Muji mecca. Five floors of Muji products, with a diner, bakery, atelier with library and gallery, and a hotel on the top five floors. Rooms are as you’d expect; small, minimal, functional, with Muji products and pyjamas.
And lastly, coming soon is Audemars Piguet’s very luxe, James Bond-esque looking hotel in Le Brassus, in the Vallée de Joux. The Hôtel des Horlogers will be adjacent to the brand’s workshop, and attached to a museum, with a roof that you can ski down. With just 50 4-star rooms, two restaurants and a bar, it really will act as a way to facilitate accommodating tourists coming to the museum/business, in style.
Hotels. We want one! Please email info@urbanjunkies.com if you’d like to sponsor a UJ hotel.
