hotel reviews | departures


Hotel reviews


THE NETHERLANDS


Carlton Beach Hotel, Scheveningen BY GLEN MUTEL


THE BEACH RESORT of Scheveningen is a curious mix — down on its vast expanse of sand you’ll find beach cafes, with cocktails, sofas and chilled electronica, while up on the promenade, things are more traditional, with carousels and stalls selling ice creams and fish and chips. At the northern end of the promenade sits the


Carlton Beach Hotel — a local institution, albeit a slightly ungainly one, with its clunky white facade. Inside, however, things look a whole lot better. The ground floor is given over to a handsome


lounge area with sea views, serving a very pleasant Dutch breakfast (heavy on pancakes, spicy cheese and cold meat), while next door is the wonderfully atmospheric Smugglers bar. At the other end of the hotel, a spa offers


treatments, gym facilities and a fun indoor pool, plus a sauna for an additional charge. But the highlight was my room — extremely well thought out, with space for an additional bed for my daughter, plus a desk and an extremely welcome seating area. Meanwhile, the bathroom scored highly for having both a bath and walk-in shower (with mosaic tiles at its base), while the framed photographs of ship sails contributed handsomely to the room’s cheery yet tasteful decor.


ESSENTIALS


n ADDRESS: Carlton Beach, Gevers Deynootweg 201, 2586 HZ Scheveningen, The Hague. T: +31 070 354 14 14. carlton.nl/beach n PRICE: Superior rooms from €99 ($111) per night, except in summer, when they start at €155 ($175).


VERDICT:


USA


Aloft Detroit at The David Whitney, Detroit BY CHRIS PEACOCK


IT’S A FAMILIAR story for a city dubbed ‘the comeback kid’. A once lavish and historic landmark — long empty — is lovingly restored and given a new lease of life. Following the completion of a $92m redevelopment last year, Detroit’s renowned David Whitney Building now houses the city’s first boutique hotel, with a young and vibrant Aloft-branded property of 136 rooms. With construction taking place citywide, it’s


clear to see Detroit is on the up, and this revival is palpable when entering the hotel’s grand white-marble lobby atrium. Opened back in 1915, the downtown 19-story skyscraper was named after one of Detroit’s richest businessmen. The marble doesn’t stop at the lobby: marble


floors, railings, water fountains, and restored detailing, such as mail slots on room doors, hint at the building’s past as a mix-used retail space. As befitting the Aloft brand, colorful, minimalist rooms are designed to cater to a youthful crowd, but with more nods to the past in the black and white prints and original sash windows. All the typical Aloft features are on offer, such as


the W XYZ BAR. It’s a hub of activity come evening with laidback beats and cocktails cementing the hotel’s cool vibe in an historic setting.


fall 2015 | ASTAnetwork | 127 ESSENTIALS


n ADDRESS: One Park Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, 48226. T: 313 237 1700. aloftdetroit.com n PRICE: Rooms from $178 a night, including charges and taxes.


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