Jul 23
The bed at The Savoy’s Royal Suite
[UPDATE: Savoir Beds is opening a store at the refurbished Raffles hotel in Singapore in August 2019.]
When it comes to sleeping I’m definitely in the Princess and the Pea camp, I tend to toss and turn throughout the night rarely getting a restful 8 hours. So I was intrigued to check into the Royal Suite at The Savoy, London where an exclusive handcrafted bed has been installed promising a superlative sleep.
Befitting the vast suite (it takes up the entire river side of the fifth floor) decorated in an elegant Edwardian style, the bed itself looks straight out of a fairytale. And the ornate four poster king with draped canopy has added advantages in a handmade box spring base, mattress and topper valued around SG$150,000.
Sitting room in The Savoy’s Royal Suite
As with all the best mattresses The Savoy’s are made with horse tail between pocket springs. The one in the Royal Suite also features a hand tufted topper made by yarn specialist Tengri from rare fur – hand combed once a year from yaks roaming the Khangai mountains of Mongolia. Their hair is softer than cashmere with exceptional temperature regulating properties so perfect for aiding sleep.
It’s the creation of prestigious British brand Savoir which has been hand making beds for the hotel for over 100 years. When Richard D’Oyly Carte opened The Savoy in 1889 he set new standards for luxury hotels in London. He couldn’t find a bed maker that met his exacting criteria so Savoir was formed to create beds for The Savoy.
The Savoy hotel London
My first impression is that the mattress is surprisingly firm. But it also has just enough flexibility and I don’t feel any points of undue pressure – it’s just right, as Goldilocks would say. I close my eyes with the intention of a 20 minute afternoon nap and I wake up over an hour later.
The true test though comes after supper in the suite’s dining room overlooking the Thames (the view that Claude Monet painted) and impeccably served by morning coated butlers. While I still wake up several times in the night as is my wont I immediately fall back to sleep each time. Even more remarkably the back pain I’d been feeling the day before had disappeared.
Dining Room in the Royal Suite at The Savoy
Usually (and frustratingly) I’m not able to lie in, restless to get up by 7am, but here I found the opposite. The only thing that eventually tempts me out of bed is the thought of Omelette Arnold Bennett for breakfast: made with smoked haddock, hollandaise sauce and cheese, perfected for the writer while he stayed at The Savoy in 1920s. After a call to the butler I’m tucking into this moreish dish and taking in the marvellous London view. Did I feel I’d slept in a bed fit for a king or queen? A resounding yes.
https://www.thesavoylondon.com
Jul 17
Soho House Mumbai
Soho House has expanded its coveted homewares range with the addition of the Mumbai Collection.
The range was specifically designed for Soho House Mumbai which opened last year, the first House in Asia, and was inspired by the city.
Soho House Mumbai
‘We wanted it to be so you would go in there and see all these amazing little details that reminded you of [Mumbai] culture but also created loads of layers so it felt like you were coming into a Soho House,” says Soho House Mumbai lead designer Scarlett Supple.
“It’s a whole serene space that you can relax in, like sitting at home, which is really unique in Mumbai because lots of their hospitality spaces are really contemporary and really clean.”
Soho House Mumbai
Pieces to buy include the Priya cushion found in the bedrooms and rugs found dotted around the House.
“Our three cushion prints were designed bespoke with hand block printing and feature traditional craftsmanship and skilled techniques,” says Soho Home product developer, Kirsty Orr. “The geometric elements and the colour palette of on-trend shades such as blue and mustard easily fit into people’s existing colour schemes at home.”
Soho House Mumbai
The team also collaborated with Samarkand Design for a range of lampshades which individually hand-cut from vintage silk sarees sourced in India and hand-pleated by skilled craftsmen in Devon. The shades are available in the same tones of teal, saffron, oyster, chartreuse and coral found around Soho House Mumbai.
Soho House Mumbai
Soho House Mumbai is in Juhu, an area north of the city. The club is housed in a striking white, neoclassical building, surrounded by palm trees and has views across the Arabian sea.
Soho House Hong Kong is slated to open in September 2019.
Mumbai Collection is available at http://www.sohohome.com
Feb 17
The Residences by Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
This week sees the opening of 137 Pillars Residences, a hotel residence concept at the top of an exclusive Bangkok tower block from the owners of the luxury boutique 137 House in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand.
The furnished residences are available to rent and come with access to hotel-like facilities including fitness, wellness and all day dining.
“The market for serviced residences with inclusive services and convenience is expanding in Bangkok,” says Christopher Stafford, COO of 137 Pillars Hotels and Resorts.
“The trend in residential rentals is changing from long term stays to shorter term visits. We will also provide temporary storage of personal effects for this highly mobile group of business & leisure travellers.”
Sixty Soho, New York
A-list designer Tara Bernerd is describing her typical clients, “highly successful bachelors”, and what they are looking for in an apartment style: “What I call the tycoon flavor is evolving,” she says. “It used to be all about marble and gold in Hong Kong; as black as marble or as gold as gold could be. That was a mix of symbolism and materials – it’s very hot here in Asia and you don’t want carpets for example. But not everything is marble now. Wood flooring might come in which over the years we haven’t seen much of.”
Chopstix & the City 