Elite Traveler September-October 2015

elite traveler SEPT/OCT 2015 ISSUE 5 35

The palatial lobby of the theater at the Ace Hotel

CHENGDU THE LEGACY OF EMPERORS

The curved-roof temples and timber-and-brick columned pavilions of Chengdu are a relic of the 18th and 19th centuries when the Qing Dynasty emperors left their mark on the city. Nowhere is this architectural style clearer than in Temple House, an upscale hotel for the new breed of traveler and the latest project from Swire Hotels – the group behind the celebrated Opposite House in Beijing and Upper House in Hong Kong. The 100-room hotel sits next door to the famous Daci Temple and references its history with simple architecture.

THE WHOLE HOTEL ST MORITZ The 60-suite Carlton Hotel in St Moritz will be available for exclusive use this ski season. Which means you can have the terrace, the Michelin- starred restaurant and the three-floor spa all to yourself. DOWNTOWN REVIVAL IN LOS ANGELES Ten years ago, downtown Los Angeles wasn’t the kind of place to garner many column inches. Now, thanks to world-class art developments, upscale hotels and a smattering of high-end restaurants, it’s emerging as a vibrant alternative to the city’s beach hoods – and a home to a new creative class. Eli Broad will open his long-awaited Broad Art Museum on September 20, which will feature a 105-foot escalator to reach its numerous galleries. Plus the Museum of Contemporary Art, the forthcoming Hauser &Wirth gallery (due early next year) and this month’s arrival of a

West Coast outpost of the NYC Maccarone Gallery will add weight to the region's art scene. The Ace Hotel has breathed new life to the area around South Broadway and West 9th Street with its hipster attitude and sceney restaurant. And, undeterred by some of the most expensive retail space in the city, exclusive fashion retailers such as APC and Acne Studios have moved in. The hottest restaurant (for now, at least) is Bestia. After hours, cinematic bars such as The Varnish or The Edison (in a renovated power plant) are the places to while the night away in this newly grooving district. acehotel.com/losangeles

Acne Studios, Downtown L.A.

The Broad Art Museum

Simple, pale-colored rooms have natural bamboo and plain wooden screens. Meanwhile the three restaurants are a study in modern elegance. Book the Penthouse for its terrace, outdoor Jacuzzi and views across the city; beyond are the jungle habitats of the region’s other most famous resident – the giant panda. From $10,760 a night thetemplehousehotel.com

From $97,500 a night carlton-stmoritz.ch

Words Emily Mathieson. Pictures Iwan Baan, Jonathan Hood, Michael Weber Photography