Review of Side Hotel, by The TI Review Team

By TI Reviewer Olivia De Santos:

Over the past few decades, Hamburg has become something of an architectural wonderland with bold, futuristic buildings springing up along the harbour and throughout the city at breakneck speed. Side Hotel fits perfectly with the city's exhilarating design ethic. Located in the city centre, Hamburg's art galleries, museums, shopping and the Binnenalster are within easy reach; with its luxury spa, and its great new restaurant and bar, the hotel is a favourite of fashionistas and business travellers alike.

Jan Störmer's glass and stone exterior, a lofty 12 floors, offers far-reaching views of the city from the 8th-floor terrace, while rooms are centred around an asymmetric atrium, atmospherically illuminated by light choreographer Robert Wilson. His sensitive light schemes work in perfect harmony with the minimalist interiors of Italian designer Matteo Thun: the capsule-like, all-in-pink women's WCs and white and cream bedrooms make the hotel a firm favourite of the Princess of Pop, Kylie, who had a photo shoot here.

SPA inSIDE, with its sauna, steam-room, solarium pool and whirlpool, offers REN skincare treatments that include the 15-minute STOP! massage, a great pit stop between sightseeing and a night exploring the Reeperbahn's famous bar culture. Ambience is of the utmost importance, and each section has been coloured to create the right mood with an energising orange for the fully-equipped gym.

Up on the 8th floor, guests can relax out on the terrace, or order a drink from the pebble-like Matteo Thun seating overlooking the atrium. Along with its cocktails and range of whiskeys, the cosy bar often has a DJ to get the night going. The [m]eatery restaurant is set to draw in the crowds with its all-new design and the menu. Dry-aged meat - matured in a special cabinet and flash-cooked in an 800°C infrared oven - along with fish steaks, promises to wow guests and locals. Gourmet meets steakhouse with the best quality meats from Argentina, the USA and Germany cooked to perfection in one of only three ovens of its kind in Germany.

With the carefully designed light-schemes in the all-white rooms, minimalism does not mean cold. Warm evening tones, revitalising natural daylight, or a soft romantic glow: all can be created in SIDE's 178 bedrooms and suites. All rooms are luxurious and comfortable with Thun's sleek lines and soft curves throughout.

Beds range from queen-size to kings in the deluxe category upward and have soft down duvets and plump pillows; the deluxe and executive rooms and suites have hideaway kitchenettes with funky espresso machines and cooking hobs. The Philippe Starck bathrooms have soft fluffy towels, REN toiletries and a surprising square toilet! The suites are up on the top floors, each with a different colour theme and original furnishings, from the rotund Thun sofas to long dining tables and coloured glass light fixtures; along with the design-led style, all retain a focus on comfort. The spacious en-suites have incredibly large, freestanding tubs that are certainly big enough for two.