7 New Openings To Help You Escape Your Mind

Compound

Tavares Strachan, You Belong Here (Blue #1), 2019 Super blue neon, acrylic, transformers, paint, aluminum 24 ft 9 1/2 in L x 9 ft H x 12 mm neon. Installed on Compound exterior. Photo Credit: Laure Joilet, Compound Commission

Photos provided by Compound

[Fall 2020] Compound is a 15,000 square feet complex made up of two converted warehouse buildings that were built in the 1930s. The physical spaces, which serve for meditation, retail, art and dining, were designed by founder Megan Tagliaferri alongside BOA Architects and CH Design Studio. Located in Long Beach, California, the first installation includes a Wish Machine by the Turkish design firm Autoban. Kids and families will be able to draft a note or dream, insert it into a container and send it into the wish machine.

Located in the Zaferia district of Long Beach, Compound is rooted in transformation and healing, and has a soft launch slated for the last weekend of September, contingent on social distancing demands. The plan is to facilitate contemporary artists alongside spaces with programming around healthy dining, retail and meditation.

All programming is free and open to the public, and staggered and upcoming online reservations are coming.

The inaugural Compound commission is of a new interactive artwork called “Tidepools” from Glenn Kaino, which will be experienced individually.

Villa Copenhagen

Photos provided by Villa Copenhagen

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The 390-room Villa Copenhagen is a grand dame hotel that employs practices to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals such as incorporating “carbon-free” dining and zero food waste, which is managed by Chef Tore Gustafsson. Staff uniforms are from local sustainable fashion brand, sur le chemin. There is also an Earth Suite that is fully sustainable and houses recycled materials and textiles along with eco-friendly furniture, courtesy of Mater Design.

Danish fine jewellery brand Shamballa Jewels designed the Shamballa Master Suite, the most expensive suite in Denmark, which runs for US$8,100 per night. There’s also a Penthouse Suite that comes complete with a steel spiral staircase leading up to a lounge and master bedroom.

Villa Copenhagen, a member of independent hotel brand Preferred Hotels & Resorts, includes The Playroom where board games and books can be enjoyed. But perhaps the biggest draws are The Courtyard (pop-up events, live music, exhibitions) and Old Boardroom (intimate dinners and gatherings). There’s also 24, 757 square feet of meeting and event spaces that accommodates up to 1,200 people. Clearly not to be forgotten is the rooftop lap pool designed by Epicurean, which is warmed year-round. There are even gardening options to grow your own herbs, spices and honey.

Overall, expect high ceilings, herringbone floors, gold accents, restored windows, keyless entry and remote check-in, plus there’s an optional white glove service available. Also expect an art collection valued at over US$2 million at the cathedral-like escape whose roots date back to 1912. Featured works from Jaume Plensa, Per Kirkeby and Ian McKeever are on display.

Opening prices start at $200 per night, although we’re told that number is expected to climb in the coming weeks.

Nobu Hotel Warsaw

Photos provided by Nobu Hotel Warsaw

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This is one we’ve been eyeing for months, and after hearing from general manager Anthony Campaniaris, we’re even more pumped to go (when it is safe to do so). Campaniaris suggests first time guests should go for classic menu options, so opt for plates like the New Style Sashimi or Black Cod Miso. He also says to enjoy the yuzu and ponzu sauces because they are specific to the Warsaw location. Chef Yannick Lohou, formerly at Nobu’s Dubai and Barcelona locations, will also offer an Omakase menu where diners can get a customized menu to their liking.

“Warsaw is a city that has been in such a fantastic period of growth in the last 10 plus years,” says Campaniaris. “There is a need in the market for a luxury lifestyle product and Nobu is the perfect brand to fit that niche, as there is nothing quite like it in the city.”

Campaniaris says “dining reservations have been plentiful,” also confirming that “all culinary service team members wear masks or face shields and gloves.” Currently, they are not restricting the capacity of the hotel rooms, however, due to the pandemic, Campaniaris says, “hotel occupancy is in a position where we are able to ensure distance between occupied rooms as well as allowing 24-48 hours between next occupancy.”

Some rooms include cinema-grade LG 80-inch TV’s along with iPad controls (for heating, cooling, lighting, blinds, music, TV, food ordering), plus two bathrooms. One suite includes a full sized kitchen.

Art found within the spaces has been collected by Anna Bimer, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Nobu Hotel Warsaw, like Villa Copenhagen, is a member of independent hotel brand Preferred Hotels & Resorts.

Kimpton Armory Hotel Bozeman

Photos provided by Kimpton Armory Hotel Bozeman

[Fall 2020] Kimpton Armory Hotel Bozeman, originally built in 1941 as a National Guard Armory, now serves as a fixture of Montana’s Rocky Mountains, is close to Yellowstone National Park, and marks the first opening of a Kimpton property in the state. Located in downtown Bozeman, Montana, there are nearby community trails perfect for hiking. Also, the Gallatin, Madison and Yellowstone Rivers offer spots to go fly fishing, rafting and stand-up paddle boarding.

Bozeman architect and Montana native Fred Fielding Wilson designed the original Armory building, working within Art Deco design. Guests are enclosed by mountains on all sides of the hotel. Inside there is a concert venue (Armory Music Hall), a basement bar called Tune Up, a glass-enclosed rooftop bar (Sky Shed), as well as the all-day eat and be merry spot, Fielding’s.

There are 122 rooms including 12 suites that will be “thoroughly disinfected between stays,” and “gloves and masks will be available for guests,” too. Complimentary yoga mats, bicycles and a hosted evening adult beverage comes with the stay.

The Angry Trout dish (above) highlights the fish that’s a treasure to the state of Montana. It comes deboned and braised with white wine and lardons, then finished with brown butter sauce, cauliflower, capers, lemon, pine nuts and parsley.

Groups of 50 can meet at the hotel as long as they are social distancing. Special pricing starts at $307 per night for guests.

BOOK1

Photo provided by Brøchner Hotels

Pod dorms

[Late 2020]

A new hostel called BOOK1 from Brøchner Hotels will open later this year in Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city. This is a first of its kind in Denmark. The design hostel comes with 444 beds, from bunk bed rooms to private doubles to hostel suites, and inside you’ll find social areas, a sauna, lobby bar, food court and other meeting spots to meander around.

BOOK1 refers to the public library building BOOK1 is situated in which dates back to 1934, as well as the fact that you can book various stay accommodations.

“BOOK1 completely changes the notion of a hostel stay. It’s a place where you can be both private and social, depending on your mood. Travellers today like to explore but don’t want to sacrifice the comforts of home, and that’s exactly the feeling you get at BOOK1 design hostel, a vibrant and cool atmosphere that will surprise many,” says Nickolas Krabbe Bjerg, CEO at Brøchner Hotels, the leading boutique hotel chain in the Nordic countries.

El Capitan, a Joie de Vivre Hotel

Photos provided by El Capitan

[Late 2020] El Capitan is a boutique hotel set to open in Merced, California, California’s Central Valley, later this year. It comes with a restored Mainzer Theatre close by that will provide live entertainment, films and dining. There will also be retro gaming available along with self-serve craft beer options.

For winos, Vista Ranch is the closest vineyard to downtown Merced, and the Madera Wine Trail features nine intimate vineyards that’s a short drive away. Known as the “Gateway to Yosemite,” Yosemite National Park is about 80 miles from Merced, and we’re told the drive along Highway 140 through the Merced River Canyon is considered the most scenic route to the park.

The four storey El Capitan has been fine tuned by San Francisco-based interior design studio Nicole Hollis. As for dining, guests can dine at Rainbird, which offers locally sourced food from farms, or perhaps head to Native Son, a 30-seat café and bar. There’s an open courtyard worth noting too.

Camp Sarika by Amangiri

Photos provided by Amangiri

[Open] Talk about scenery that can change your life. This tented retreat located in the Utah desert is the ideal escape for those wanting to camp with elevated luxuries. And the views of the sunset and mesas certainly enhance the experience. The camp’s ten tented pavilions, which are one or two bedrooms, come with a living area, private terrace with fire pit, dining area, bar and heated pool. The five one bedroom tented pavilions each stretch 175 square metres, while the five two-bedroom tented pavilions cover 262 square metres.

Chef Anthony Marazita serves food all day with a focus on Southwestern Native American cuisine. And the menu changes daily to keep things exciting. Also exciting are the five national parks close by such as Zion, Grand Canyon and Bryce, where guests can partake in desert and mountain hiking. There’s also options to take private tours by plane, helicopter or hot air balloon.

This is the first year-round camp of its kind offered in North America.

Note: This list was compiled with the intent to highlight interesting openings, not to suggest people go against their health officials and travel when they shouldn’t during the COVID-19 pandemic.