[Kyushu] Garden Terrace Miyazaki

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Garden Terrace Miyazaki

Add: 247-18 Shimoharacho, Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture
Tel: 0985-73-8888
Website: www.gt-miyazaki.co.jp
Price: 37,000~57,000 yen/night
Visited: Oct 2016

Please note that this was a complimentary stay arranged by the hotel.

Our last stop in Kyushu was Miyazaki, where we stayed at a most beautiful and serene hotel designed by famed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Located on the site of a former factory, Garden Terrace Miyazaki is sheltered by a timber canopy, and entering its bamboo premises automatically imbues one with a sense of tranquility. How did I find out about this low profile hotel, you ask? Well, a friend had stayed at Garden Terrace Nagasaki (also designed by Kengo Kuma) on a recent trip and really loved it, and after doing some research I found out that it has a sister hotel in Miyazaki, and decided to give it a try…

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Upon entering the hotel, we were first left upstairs to the second floor lounge for check-in. This space also functions as a club lounge for hotel guests, with complimentary snacks, drinks, and a small library.

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[Beijing] The Opposite House

The Opposite House

Add: Bldg 1, Sanlitun Village North, 11 Sanlitun Lu 三里屯路11号三里屯Village北区1号楼
Tel: 6417 6688
Website: www.theoppositehouse.com
Visited: Nov 2011

The Opposite House in Beijing Sanlitun, along with The Upper House (home to Cafe Grey Deluxe) in Hong Kong, is part of Swire Hotels‘ house collections. It’s designed by world-famous Kengo Kuma (隈 研吾), and yes, it is high on style. A unique feature of the hotel is that its lobby serves as an exhibition space – here are some snapshots:



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[Shanghai] The Waterhouse

The Waterhouse at South Bund

Add: 1-3 Maojiayuan Lu, near Zhongshan Nan Lu 毛家园路1-3号,近中山南路
Tel: 6080 2988
Website: waterhouseshanghai.com
Visited: Feb 2011

The Waterhouse at South Bund is a 19-room boutique hotel where Table No. 1, one  of my recent favorite lunch spots in Shanghai, is located. The design is spare and chic in the unusual way of broken tiles, exposed bricks, rough edges, and plenty of rust. Complete with eclectic furnishings and random phrases written haphazardly on the floors and the windows, The Waterhouse design is undoubtedly one of the most unique in town.

To see a  more recent visit and stay at The Waterhouse, click here.

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