SUITE INSPIRATION

Checking into a trio of notable GHA newbies.

By FH Darafshian

As if the Japanese capital wasn’t an already alluring-enough destination in its own right, it’s now undeniably more so thanks to the addition of Bellustar Tokyo (bellustartokyo.com): an exclusive haven of 97 rooms on the uppermost 39th to 47th floors of the Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, Shinjuku’s new landmark skyscraper complex by architectural firm Kume Sekkei, designer of the Yayoi Kusama Museum. A Pan Pacific Hotel, its pièce de résistance will be an expansive, multifaceted, three-storey-high “sky dining” experience on the 45th floor, the serene “sky spa” overlooking the Tokyo cityscape on the topmost 47th level notwithstanding. Down under, and closer to terra firma, the Capella Sydney (capellahotels.com) has debuted in the city’s historic Department of Education building in what is now known as the Sandstone Precinct following a seven-year, £170m renovation. The listed Edwardian-Baroque edifice is home to 192 rooms and suites and anchored by three ground-level food and beverage outlets: Aperture, Brasserie 1930 and McRae Bar. Signalling Capella’s ongoing commitment to culture and experience, art is omnipresent for guests to enjoy, not to mention the 20-metre heated indoor pool which forms the centrepiece of the Auriga Spa on the sixth floor. Meanwhile, the former 13th-century Capuchin friars’ convent on Italy’s Amalfi coast, itself perched on a clifftop 80 metres above sea level – with spectacular views of the Mediterranean Coast – has been lovingly restored to its original glory and unveiled as the Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel (anantara.com). The second Anantara property in Italy, after the recent addition of Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel, features 52 rooms and suites with tiled flooring, vaulted ceilings and period details juxtaposed with rich textiles, sculptural furniture and locally sourced contemporary artworks, all of which will play a supporting role to the nonpareil littoral setting.

Bellustar Tokyo is a haven on the uppermost floors of the new Tokyu Kabukicho Tower

An Icon Revisited

Situated on the historic V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa, each of the 329 rooms at The Table Bay (suninternational.com) overlook the Atlantic Ocean, either across the bay to Robben Island or over the harbour and city to Table Mountain. This makes the five-star property, with its quintet of unimpeachable dining venues, an unparalleled choice for those wishing to visit the Mother City.