VIEWPOINTS
ON SLEEP
“Serious
quality, subtle
opulence...”
those hoping
for adefinitionof
gentrification in
Londonshould look
no further than
King’sCross. In
recent years, this
commutinghubhasgone from thegrimy
holeyourmother rushedyou throughasa
kid toaneighbourhood that’s trulyarrived.
Thearea ismassivelyon theup, a
trajectory reflected in thebeautiful Victorian
building that houses theGreatNorthern
Hotel,which re-opened inMayafter a four-
year, £14m (€17.8m) refurbishment. From
theoutside, it’sanenlarged replicaof the
buildingsonaclassicmodel railwayset, an
imagehelpedby itsproximity to thestation.
Inside, however, this isaspot for adults to
play.Dark,moody, sexy; thekindof place
you’dexpect aspy todiscreetlyhandover
anenvelopebeforesneakingoffupstairs to
oneof thecosy rooms. They’renot themost
spacious, but theyhaveundeniablecharm.
Small, cozy, charming–much likeavintage
railwaysleeper carriage, youmight say.
you can safely bet
onone
thingat thisAsturianhotel. All
theFerrarisandAudis–anda
helicopter– that fill itscarpark
haveGPS.Otherwise they’d
neverhave found it.
A tinyvillageoffSpain’s
little-visitednorthcoastmightbe the last spot you’d
expect tofindanestablishmentof thisquality, but
thosewhodomake it as far as theenvy-inducing
carparkwill bewell rewarded.Oneof theRelais&
Châteauxstable, thisfive-star stayhasall thesubtle
opulenceonewouldexpect froma formerpalace.
Cool, stonepassagesand rich, darkcarpetingfinishan
immaculatemodernupdate,whilepre-dinnerdrinks in
thegardenoverlooking theCantabriansea, followed
bydinner in theglass-walledBalcóndel Sueve
restaurant reveal a landscape that invitesexploration.
Summerdayscanbespent onhiddencoves
andneglectedbeachesnearby,while inwinter,
undersubscribedslopes in the localmountains
provideskiingoptions. Inshort: harriedurbanites
wouldbehardpushed tofindabetter contender this
sideof Barcelona–as longas theycanactuallyfind it.
PALACIODELUCES
ASTURIAS
LUXURYCOUNTRY
MANSION
From€133
hotels.easyJet.com
GREATNORTHERNHOTEL
LONDON
BOUTIQUE
From€215
hotels.easyJet.com
“It’sanenlarged replicaof the
buildingsonamodel railway set…”
WORDS
SARAH WARWICK, VICKY LANE
HOTELS LISTED BY AIRPORT DESTINATION
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