Dwindling space in mega-cities has forced developers to rethink the ways they provide new experiences with their work – especially within the hotel industry. While many build toward the sky and develop taller skyscrapers, others are looking to renovate. A perfect example of this is London’s Town Hall Hotel. The original structure was built in 1910 and the Peng Loh Hoteliers decided to create a luxury hotel that complemented the original building while offering all the exciting and new stylings of today’s architecture. Whether it’s the laser cut aluminium skin wrapped around a portion of the hotel, or the clever use of glass throughout the lobby and rooms – Town Hall Hotel offers something unique to East End London without erasing what was there before them. We have a few images listed below. Click Read More to view.

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Renting apartments used to be a quiet secret for seasoned travelers. Not anymore, short-stay rentals are en vogue these days thanks to sites like Airbnb. Recently, we came across this beautiful apartment by fashion designer, Azzedine Alaïa. Located in a quiet part of Paris, Alaïa was guided by high-design and a desire to provide visitors with a feeling of home. The three converted apartments are small but feature authentic post-modern furniture with an eye on comfort. Definitely a place we’d like to check out. We have a few photos listed below. Click Read More to view.

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New York’s Lower East Side has seen its fair share of transformation. Despite these changes it still maintains a certain grit and creative energy. During the late 70’s Sol LeWitt captured the neighborhood’s raw beauty and expression through photography. Torn posters, splattered paint and scrawled graffiti were his muse. He saw things differently. Where people saw vandalism, he saw a narrative – a social documentary of sorts. As he once explained, “When one sees a wall, it is the impact of the whole that is understood at once – emotionally more than intellectually. It is only by reading the wall that the viewer understands it fully.” To honor his work the Morgan Hotel Group created a massive installation of his photographs at the Mondrian Soho Hotel located in the Lower East Side. It’s a fantastic installation. We highly recommend checking it out. Click Read More for additional information and to view more images.

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Maison Moschino is imaginative and quirky. A converted railway station from the mid-1800’s, the Italian hotel is ideal for those with an affinity for children’s tales and a kid-at-heart spirit. Far from the understated accommodations that seem to always grab our eye, Maison Moschino incorporates a fairytale theme throughout the individually styled 65-room dwelling.

Rooms run the gamut of being over the top eccentric, while others have a more subdued aesthetic. If you’re in the mood to experience a fairytale, then stay in the Little Red Riding Hood room where you’ll be greeted by an oversized flowered growling wolf in the bed. For those wanting something more soothing to ease you into a restful sleep, the Clouds room is all white and decorated with hanging clouds and a giant sheep by your bed. Maison Moschino has a little something for the imaginative side in all of us. Click Read More for additional information.

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Jakob Wagner is a talented photographer from Dusseldorf, Germany who enjoys traveling all over the world. Through his work he’s been to Buenos Aires, New York, Rotterdam and London shooting beautiful images. However, it’s his shots of Cape Town South Africa that resonate with us most. They remind us that cityscapes are a lot like finger prints. In this case, Cape Town’s light-grids bumping up against the region’s wild topography provide a unique insight into the area. It demonstrates the city’s beauty in a way we have yet to see. Click Read More to view more images of Cape Town at night.

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Earlier this year ten skateboarders traveled to Southeast Asia for a project called Visual Traveling. One of the travelers, Brian Kelley, documented the trip with his excellent photography. His photo series, The Mandalay Express, follows the skaters as they travel through Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. We have a few photos posted below, but be sure to visit Brian’s website for the full gallery.

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While most tourism-boards attempt to craft clever promotions to lure travelers, there’s nothing like actual residents opening their doors and inviting you to experience their home in a unique way. It’s sincere and it’s welcoming. It makes you want to visit. That’s what Iceland is doing. Their Inspired by Iceland campaign brilliantly brings together local residents, the president and other government officials to send a simple message – “Come to our home and let us show you what Iceland has to offer.”

Last week, President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson kicked off the campaign by inviting tourists into his home for pancakes, whipped cream and rhubarb jam. He’s also encouraging citizens to join the movement and invite visitors for an experience unique to Iceland. As Frosti Jonsson who has agreed to open his home says, “We are very proud to be Icelandic and we are very happy to share our way of life and our country’s beauty to adventurers that choose to visit us. We want to make their experience as real as possible; we want them to ‘be Icelandic’ while they’re here.” This seems like an awesome way to experience Iceland. Click Read More for additional information and to view the President’s short message. Also, don’t forget to visit Inspired by Iceland to view Icelanders’ invitations to experience the country like a local.

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