HOTEL REVIEW
LEFT: The suites occupy the turrets at the corners of the building, and have elegant Art Nouveau decor. Each suite celebrates inspiring women from different decades in the hotel’s history
dressed in a pastel palette inspired by the fresh spring tints of mouchous macaron patisseries, whose name translates as ‘kiss’ in Basque. Hues of lavender adorn some of the rooms, others are styled in shades of sky blue, chocolate tones enrich the suites. Plush tufted headboards are framed in mouldings which trace a curvaceous outline. Hung on the wall above are contemporary paintings whose intense strokes could be construed as a floral abstraction or hazy reflections on the water. Velvet-covered chaise longues perch upon deep wool carpets inspired by Art Nouveau detailing. The five-fixture bathrooms don a classical black and white style; elegantly striped curtains enveloping the tub, a teardrop pendant light forged from black iron leaves, and nested glass-top tables together create a residential feel. In the separate WC, the original, exquisitely veined marble has been retained and coordinates perfectly with the new marbles of the tub surround and vanity counter.
The suites are placed in the hotel’s most desirable spaces – the turrets on each corner of the building. Each floor celebrates inspiring women from different decades, starting with the 1910s on the first level and rising to the 1950s on the fifth storey. The entry hall of each suite comprises a “walk of fame” with photos and quotes honouring
the illustrious stars who visited the hotel during the respective era. The images in this suite celebrate the shared qualities of the Belle Époque and the 1950s, when feminine glamour was explored and cherished as the West moved from austerity to prosperity. Its walls are hung with large format black and white photographs of models synonymous with leading European couturiers who had their images splashed across the pages of 1950s Vogue magazines. Curved walls and an antique marble fireplace provide a refined backdrop for the elegant Art Nouveau décor in each suite’s living room. A large photograph of a fashionable woman from the period becomes the muse of the space, while design elements such as a dazzling crystal chandelier, oak parquet flooring, an asymmetrically slung leather sofa, and button-tufted poufs set a debonair scene.
San Sebastian is becoming an increasingly popular destination thanks to its world- famous gastronomic scene, and imminent status as European Capital of Culture in 2016 (an honour it will share with Wroclaw in Poland). And the annual San Sebastian Film Festival, which has drawn guests such as Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis and Sophia Loren to its doors in the past, will ensure Maria Cristina continues to be associated with feminine grace and glamour.
050 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
WWW.SLEEPERMAGAZINE.COM
EXPRESS CHECKOUT
Hotel Maria Cristina – A Luxury Collection Hotel Paseo Republica Argentina, 4 – 20004 San Sebastian, Spain Tel: +34 943 437 600
www.hotel-mariacristina.com
„ 136 guestrooms (inc. 29 suites) ‰ Easo, Tse Yang San Sebastian  Dry Bar + 3 Meeting/Celebration Rooms: Ibaia (280 m2
), Elcano (205 m2
), Zubia & Aia (109 m2
Developer / Owner / Operator: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Architect: IDOM Interior Designer: The Gallery at HBA London General Contractor: Amenabar Purchasing Agents: DPI
)
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