Maison de la luz
Before we start, this is a fancy pants hotel. Do you need a very temporary affordable crash pad in the CBD at short notice because of an embarrassing incident we can’t yet talk about? This isn’t the place. Check the Marriott website. However, if you need to impress someone after an embarrassing incident we can’t yet talk about, or it’s a special occasion, or friends from out of town are looking to splurge and you want to make a tasteful suggestion? This is your spot.
As with most places in this part of town, it’s a former office building, but there are exterior hints in the Beaux Arts flourishes at what lies inside. Beyond the front doors lies the hallway, black and white tiled floors and red velvet armchairs framed by a cinematic grand staircase. The front desk itself could be straight out of a Wes Anderson film, Art Deco fonts illuminated by period lamps, bathed in regal dark blues. The detail throughout the public spaces is truly impressive, the place designed to appear like the private residence of a curio-collecting world traveller.
With just 67 rooms, check-in is a personal affair, and guests are given actual, real-life key fobs which they can deposit with the desk as they leave, a lovely old-fashioned touch. There’s no pool or exercise room (guests can use the facilities at The Ace Hotel), but instead, a sumptuous living room with colourful fabrics and a wealth of conversation-starting artifacts from Egypt, Asia and beyond hanging from the walls. The staff use their discretion admirably to attend to guests’ needs without being intrusive.
The detail-heavy interior design doesn’t stop in the lobby. My King Room just kept delivering delightful touches: the dark blue fabrics of the bed and armchairs popped against the burned orange of the oversized rug, bright daylight welcomed in by the high ceilings. The lampstand is a cascade of champagne coups, the shower handle is a sculpted snake, the ice bucket a golden pineapple, the coffee table etched with runes and zodiac signs – all of these touches lying in wait after you take in the atmospherically spooky artwork. Bespoke toiletries, comfy beds and tiled bathrooms aside, it’s a room that keeps surprising you.
Even if you’ll never stay here, you should get a drink at Bar Marilou. It’s a decadent scarlet library with a secret pièce de résistance, a bookcase that opens up into a private salon bedecked with yet more global curiosities (this bit is for hotel guests only but it’s cool to see it open). There’s French music playing and you can feel sophisticated and Continental for an evening.
Yes, it’s among the more expensive options in town and like I say, if you just need a bed and you’re not Jeff Bezos then maybe look elsewhere. But the Maison de la Luz is Not Like Other Hotels in town, so if you’re looking for a memorable stay for a celebratory night away, or you really REALLY need to say you’re sorry, then this is without a doubt the place.
Paul Oswell
Maison de la Luz website
Before we start, this is a fancy pants hotel. Do you need a very temporary affordable crash pad in the CBD at short notice because of an embarrassing incident we can’t yet talk about? This isn’t the place. Check the Marriott website. However, if you need to impress someone after an embarrassing incident we can’t yet talk about, or it’s a special occasion, or friends from out of town are looking to splurge and you want to make a tasteful suggestion? This is your spot.
As with most places in this part of town, it’s a former office building, but there are exterior hints in the Beaux Arts flourishes at what lies inside. Beyond the front doors lies the hallway, black and white tiled floors and red velvet armchairs framed by a cinematic grand staircase. The front desk itself could be straight out of a Wes Anderson film, Art Deco fonts illuminated by period lamps, bathed in regal dark blues. The detail throughout the public spaces is truly impressive, the place designed to appear like the private residence of a curio-collecting world traveller.
With just 67 rooms, check-in is a personal affair, and guests are given actual, real-life key fobs which they can deposit with the desk as they leave, a lovely old-fashioned touch. There’s no pool or exercise room (guests can use the facilities at The Ace Hotel), but instead, a sumptuous living room with colourful fabrics and a wealth of conversation-starting artifacts from Egypt, Asia and beyond hanging from the walls. The staff use their discretion admirably to attend to guests’ needs without being intrusive.
The detail-heavy interior design doesn’t stop in the lobby. My King Room just kept delivering delightful touches: the dark blue fabrics of the bed and armchairs popped against the burned orange of the oversized rug, bright daylight welcomed in by the high ceilings. The lampstand is a cascade of champagne coups, the shower handle is a sculpted snake, the ice bucket a golden pineapple, the coffee table etched with runes and zodiac signs – all of these touches lying in wait after you take in the atmospherically spooky artwork. Bespoke toiletries, comfy beds and tiled bathrooms aside, it’s a room that keeps surprising you.
Even if you’ll never stay here, you should get a drink at Bar Marilou. It’s a decadent scarlet library with a secret pièce de résistance, a bookcase that opens up into a private salon bedecked with yet more global curiosities (this bit is for hotel guests only but it’s cool to see it open). There’s French music playing and you can feel sophisticated and Continental for an evening.
Yes, it’s among the more expensive options in town and like I say, if you just need a bed and you’re not Jeff Bezos then maybe look elsewhere. But the Maison de la Luz is Not Like Other Hotels in town, so if you’re looking for a memorable stay for a celebratory night away, or you really REALLY need to say you’re sorry, then this is without a doubt the place.
Paul Oswell
Maison de la Luz website